Sheila's Guests and Reviews

I just had to share some wonderful news: Gypsy Shadow have said they're going to offer me a contract for my third short ebook--Flower Child. Good news like that does wonders for the jetlag! So, what is Flower Child? When Megan miscarries her first pregnancy it feels like the end of everything, but instead it’s the start of a curious relationship between the grieving mother and an unborn child who hovers somewhere between ghost and angel. Angela, Megan’s “little angel,” has character and dreams all her own, friends who may or may not be real angels, and a little brother who brings hope to her mother’s world. But Angela’s dream-world has a secret and one day Angela might become real... Wnat to know more? You'll have to wait till it comes out I guess. Meanwhile I'm dancing round the room again, visions of book-covers and contracts in my mind, and eager to enjoy the editing process. (Denise Bartlett at Gypsy Shadow is a wonderful editor.)

Jean Henry Mead’s latest novel is Murder on the Interstate , third in the Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series. Her two protagonists, Dana Logan and Sarah Cafferty, are amateur sleuths traveling the country in a motorhome. Along a mountainous highway in northern Arizona they discover the body of a young woman in her Mercedes convertible and take off after the killer. Along the way they discover that he’s pursuing them and is a member of a homegrown terrorist group that later kidnaps them while plotting the downfall of the nation. Click here for my review of Murder on the Interstate. Jean is the author of 14 books, both fiction and nonfiction as well as children’s mysteries. She’s also an award-winning photojournalist and former news reporter/editor. And I'm delighted to welcome her today to my blog where she's answering the question, How difficult is it to write and publish a novel. Over to you Jean, and thank you so much for sharing this post. Writing and Pub...

Jean Henry Mead's visiting my Blog tomorrow. I read her newest book, Murder of the Interstate , a short while ago and really enjoyed it. Don't forget to drop back here in the morning and read her post on Writing and Publishing a Novel. Meanwhile, back to some very English book reviews... I didn't read as much as I expected while I was in England--more time spent catching up with family and friends, cups of tea and happy conversation, long-forgotten TV shows to share, walks with dogs, the amazing luxury of strolling along the prom and going shopping with my Mum... I really did have a really wonderful time! And, yes, I read a bit too. In fact, I read four books by English authors, twohttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif loaned from a friend of my Mum's, one given by my sister-in-law, and one for our book group back in Oregon (but I was too jet-lagged to make it to the meeting). While I was reading the first book I had that slight feeling of being foreign--you know, when t...

Liam McNally was a finalist in Britain's Got Talent in 2010. At 14 years old he had the most incredible soprano voice--you can hear Liam on Youtube here and I'm sure you'll agree. But when I was in England I got to hear a demo recording of how he sings now, at 15, and it was incredible! He still has all the beauty and range of his soprano voice, now with the added depth and maturity of an extra year and a fantastic alto. I've never heard anyone anywhere sing like Liam does. But apparently getting someone to produce a record of him is as hard as getting a publisher when you want to write. I'm lucky; I know the longer I wait, and practice, the better my writing will get. But a 15-year-old young man with an incredible voice can't share that confidence. The producers tell him to come back in seven years when his voice has broken. And here he is, with an unbroken, beautiful, incredible, powerful voice, that no-one else can hear. I wish, I wish, I wish I could buy the...

One free checked-in bag, that's what they allow on trips to England. So I packed lightly, checked it in, and carried books and kindle in my computer case. The books were for reading in crowded lounges and on planes during that period where "electronic devices" are turned off. The kindle was for the long long hours of flying, though I actually watched quite a few movies as well, and even slept some of the time. And the space in the bag was for bringing back presents (and books!). So now I'm back, and here's some book reviews I wrote on the computer but didn't post due to blogger's read-only down-time coinciding with my English, hey-let's-try-the-internet time. As usual, click on the blue links to read full reviews on Gather. Literary fiction: The Girl in the Garden, by Kamala Nair is a beautiful story, filled with mystery, the scent of flowers and the wonder of a child. The writing's as rich as the tale--definitely one to read with a 4-star, rich,...

My virus-scanner broke this morning. Probably clicking "yes" to downloading updates wasn't such a good idea while jet-lag rules--I only got back from England yesterday. I clicked "yes" to removing the previous version, and "yes" to restarting my machine. Altogether too many "yes"s. When Windows came back neither old nor new virus scanner could be found anywhere. Jet-lag still ruling, I proceeded to panic and search for my account on the internet. I typed my virus scanner key-code in and was told it was invalid. I looked for downloads and tried again with similar lack of success. Then I phoned Best Buy since that's where I bought the computer and virus scanner in the first place. Best Buy keep great records. They also have great geeks in their geek squad. Soon a very nice stranger was moving the mouse about my screen, downloading and activating the latest version and confirming all was well. While installation and updates proceeded, sl...

There's a lovely review of my ebook, Refracted, on The Dubious Disciple today! Just click on the blue link to read it. While you're there, don't forget to look at some of the Dubious Disciple's other posts , especially the one for Friday May 6th, especially if you've ever wondered what the Bible might have to say about the value of pi . Hey, some of us mongrel Christian mathematicians, and even non-mongrels or other curious readers, get pretty excited about this sort of thing. It's nice to know I'm not the only one! Enjoy!

It's spring. No, it's fast approaching summer--the schools will soon be out (and the tulips too). But I still haven't caught up all on stuff that I left undone at Christmas, saying I'll finish after Mum's gone home. Soon I'll be seeing my Mum again, so perhaps a few days of catchup can be excused--that's my excuse for being away from the internet anyway. But away from reading? From books? No way... I tidy a box; I clear out the corner of a room; then I read to celebrate--it's less fattening than chocolate.This week's reading includes: Young adult fiction: I am not Esther, by Fleur Beale . I loved this book. Fourteen-year-old Kirby is sent to live with relatives in an old religious community, and called Esther. The author nicely avoids condemning anyone while showing how Kirby struggles to retain her identity and regain her freedom. A well-balanced book to enjoy with a three-star balanced cup of coffee. Next comes Judgement Day by Wanda L Dyson ...