Book Review: What Happens at the Airport by Brooke Williams

Written By: carolmoye - Mar• 14•17

This was a really quick, but enjoyable read. The main character, Melly, finds herself in an uncomfortable position on an airplane. Her seatmate is drunk and very annoying. As she squirms in her seat, she seems a man she previously met at the airport, and tries to make it seem like she’s happy with her seatmate. Things get rather crazy after that, but I will not spoil it for you. Instead, grab a copy on Amazon (it’s only 99 cents), find a cozy place, and enjoy!

 

Purchase Link:

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Fotography Friday

Written By: carolmoye - Jan• 27•17

I realize it’s been a very long time since I posted anything. There are many reasons for this that I won’t bother to mention. I’ll just say this, I am back. I don’t imagine I will post every single week, but it will be far more frequent that it was in 2016.

This past Wednesday was an absolutely beautiful day. Being outside with my camera was therapy for me. Here are just a few of the photos I took.

Book Review: After the Final Dandelion by Brooke Williams

Written By: carolmoye - Jun• 02•16

After the Final DandelionAfter the Final Dandelion by Brooke Williams
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is just a fun easy read, perfect for when life gets as hectic as mine has recently. Sometimes, I greatly appreciate a simple read with likeable characters that I am already familiar with. That’s the case with this book. It’s not intellectually stimulating, but that’s not what I needed. It’s just a light, enjoyable read. If you are looking for complexity and something to keep you on the edge of your seat, look elsewhere. But, if like me, you just need to relax, this may be just what the doctor ordered.

View all my reviews

Book Reviews: Eve and Crossroads (Wm. Paul Young)

Written By: carolmoye - Mar• 17•16

I depart from my usual reviews of indie writers. I’ve had much going on in my life, and found it way more relaxing to read the work of those I was familiar with, and who did not expect a review from me. I was one of the folk who loved “The Shack” by Wm. Paul Young. When Goodreads listed that he had a new book coming out, I made sure to add it to my “to read” list. That book, Eve, was not actually the first book since “The Shack”. I discovered that there was another out there, Crossroads. I soon thereafter picked up both from the public library. What unites the three books is the author’s creativity. He tells each story in a way that is quite a departure from the way many of us may have visualized God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. As I suspected when I read the reviews, there are some who think he went too far from their beloved scripture, even among those who loved “The Shack”, particularly with “Eve”. I read them in reverse order, so I’ll begin with “Eve”.

As some stated in their reviews, “Eve” is more like a science-fiction book than an inspirational book. For me, that was not a problem. It’s the story of a young lady who endured an extreme tragedy, and the process of her healing. Throughout the book, the main character drifts between a limited awareness of her surroundings and visits to what is far less “real” the biblical Garden of Eden, where she meets Eve, Adam, and the creator (and of course, the serpent). When reading, it was clear to me that these were hallucinations of a sort, yet the author uses beautiful imagery to take the reader back to the original creation story. If you are looking for a biblical translation of the creation story, this is NOT the book for you. If, however, you enjoy thinking outside the box, and seeing things with a different lens, you may very well enjoy it.

Crossroads was a very different kind of story, probably more like “The Shack” than “Eve”, but still requiring the reader to change their perspective quite a bit. It’s the story of Tony, a miserable person who finds himself at the brink of death due to a previously undetected brain tumor. Tony, while comatose, is taken to an overrun garden in a run-down shack. There he encounters Jesus and the Holy Spirit who take him through the healing of his spirit, but not his physical body. At some point in this journey, he is told he can heal one person, but only one. Just after this, he meets a teenage girl with leukemia and takes up residence of a sort with her friends and family. I won’t spoil anything else for you. I will just say, that at first this was a bit of a stretch, even for me, but as I continued reading it, I really enjoyed it. William Paul Young is a master storyteller.

Purchase links are embedded in the review (links and images) or you can click the “buy” links below, or journey to your nearest public library. If you choose to purchase, note the option to purchase used copies inexpensively.

 

 

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Wordless Wednesday

Written By: carolmoye - Mar• 16•16

BlueHyacinth

Story Cartel: Two Book Reviews

Written By: carolmoye - Mar• 14•16

I added my third book to Story Cartel recently. This is a site where you can download books for free, and are encouraged (but not required) to write reviews when you finish.  When I added my book in the hopes that others would review it, I committed to reading and reviewing at least two books that I found there. Here are the two I chose. Clicking on the title, the photo, or the links at the bottom will take you to the book’s page on Amazon.com. The “Speaking Chimney” is still available for free in the short story section on Story Cartel, but “Vintage Blend” has expired.

 

The Speaking Chimney was a short read. It was a fun story about a teenager who felt he had little to offer until he began to receive notes that were dropped down the chimney, leading to visions, and inspiring him to take action in some very positive ways. I really enjoyed it. Unlike some, I like reading short stories, especially on Sundays, and this one was delightful.

 

 
 Vintage Blend: Seasoned for Life is a collection of short stories, essays and poems written by someone uses the term “vintage” to describe herself due to age and experience, and “blend” to describe the eclectic collection. They were a true mix, but mostly heartwarming stories that were meant to be uplifting and to remind the reader of what is truly important in life. As is normal in a collection like this, some are stronger than others, but most were enjoyable and well written.
 

 

Purchase links:

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Bargain Booksy/Free Booksy

Written By: carolmoye - Mar• 07•16

As you probably noticed, I haven’t posted much recently. Truth is, I don’t do winter. I just don’t have much energy. That being said, the sun is trying to come out, and finally a warm day is forecast. That means that it’s time to get off the couch and do something really productive. This starts with doing a bit of online marketing. I write this, not to try to get you to buy my book, but to help drive sales to the site that is promoting me. That may lead someone I don’t know to view and possibly purchase my book.

Here’s a link to the Bargain Booksy site where low priced Kindle/Nook books can be found. My third book, “Praise the Lord” is listed under “The Teachings of Jesus: Discounted Religious E-Books.”

Here’s a link to the Free Booksy site for free Kindle books can be found.

Hope you find something you like.

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Pgh Murals-Homewood: Former School for Creative And Performing Arts

Written By: carolmoye - Jan• 27•16

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_DSC0152These murals were painted in 1993 when this building was known as CAPA High School (Creative and Performing Arts), Pittsburgh’s equivalent of FAME. The first image has the signatures of the artists. What I love most about this mural is how Afro-Centric it is. It has images that show the beauty of Africa, both in terms of people and animals. The last piece with the African equivalent of deer didn’t turn out so well, and is not included. I mostly tried to only tweak the lights/shadows, allowing you to see the decline of the mural, yet the beauty of what it was. Hope I succeeded. It is located on Frankstown Avenue near the corner of Brushton Ave. There is a playground in the same location. This was previously Belmar Elementary and is now the Student Achievement Center (an alternative school).