Sheila's Guests and Reviews

I love to read and I enjoy writing book reviews. But enjoyment isn't love, so I've decided to spend more time reading, more time writing books (which I also love), and more time editing (which I love and get paid for), therefore less time reviewing. Maybe I'm just getting old, or time's ticking faster. Anyway, I shall try to post the remaining reviews from my review list, then settle down to read more "just for me." Hope you can find a good book "just for you" in this list. I reviewed Willa's Grove by Laura Muson recently, a novel that very cleverly blends self-help and fiction, with intriguing characters and a very evocative sense of place. It reminded me of The Women's Room, which I loved long ago. Best enjoyed with some elegant complex four-star coffee. And the Dark Sacred Night by Julia Glass is another literary tale of wounded people and struggling relationships. It's musical, lyrical and beautifully told, with a great blend of cha...

Locked in, locked out, wondering who we are or who we will be when the changed world gets back to "normal"... It seems like a good time to read a good book about women wondering just who they are. "You are invited to the rest of your life," says the letter, enticingly reproduced on an early page of this book. And a small group of women accept that invitation, collecting in a rambling farmhouse in a small town, discovering not just who they are but also who they can be. Find Willa's Grove at  https://www.amazon.com/Willas-Grove-Laura-Munson/dp/1982605243/ and read my book review here:  https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3360389113 I really enjoyed it.... A book to be read while drinking a mug of rich, elegant four-star coffee. Willa’s Grove by Laura Munson Montana is the star of Laura Munson’s Willa’s Grove, a beautiful place, beautifully depicted, with tiny towns so small one might even be for sale—but what happens to people when their town is sold. The nov...

     Today I get to welcome Alison Neuman to my blog. She's the author of Home, a delightful children's book about a cat, a mouse that uses a wheelchair, and the search for a place to call... Home HOME By Alison Neuman Children Fluffy, the cat, knew the minute she met Levi that he would become fast friends with the friendly mouse using a special wheelchair. In the third installment of their adventures, join Fluffy, Levi, and his family on their final leg of adventure to find their forever homes together. ORDER YOUR COPY Amazon → https://amzn.to/2Va96Ox Smashwords → https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1015552 I was given the chance to read a copy, a here's my review: The clear, friendly font used in this book invites readers in. And a simply offered backstory makes the book just as enjoyable for newcomers to the series as for readers already familiar with the character. There again, who could fail to enticed by a cat called Fluffy, a mouse call...

There's this thing about changing destiny, and butterfly wings, and the laws of unintended consequences. And oh, it could get so serious... so instead I'm just posting a picture to advertise a novel, so we can imagine changed destinies instead. After, that's part of why we read and write. “The odds of being struck by lightning are practically the same as finding the love of your life.” ~Josiah Josiah doesn’t believe in ghosts. But he can’t deny this abandoned house with its dark history holds more than just shadows of the past. Whether he’s dealing with something other-worldly or the effects of a near devastating head injury, there’s no doubt he’s being haunted. Brenna’s life has been rough enough lately. Homeless and alone, she’s found safety in an old house atop Unger Hill. But she isn’t alone. She’d heard the rumors of the haunting here, but the handsome stranger invading her sanctuary is all too real, and might be more dangerous than any spirit. So let's be wary of ...

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Sasha Olsen to my blog. She is a 10-year-old environmental activist, ballroom dancer, bookworm, and pianist, and she enjoys anything artistic. According to her author bio, she always finds new hobbies and things to do, which usually ends up in her trying to juggle everything. She lives with her family in Bal Harbour, Florida, where she also spearheads the conservation movement “I Want My Ocean Back.” Legends From Mom’s Closet is her first book, and I'm pleased to feature it today. And she's written a cool guest post about using our imaginations, instead of staring at our screens... which is kind of what you're doing as you read this. Use Your Imagination Instead of Your Screen By Sasha Olsen   My name is Sasha Olsen. I’ve lived on the beach in South Florida since I was a baby. I have many hobbies; some are ballroom dancing and playing piano! This past summer, I also started working on my first book Legends from Mom’s Closet . B...

There's a free book out there today (and who doesn't need more books while we're locked in). It's called The Songbirds and it's by an author called Alif. ~ Book Blitz ~ The Songbirds  by Alif   But who is Alif? About the Author: I write because silence is not an option. At the same time, my novels brim with hope in addition to having a riveting plot. My debut novel, which was published by a boutique publisher in Europe some years ago, was seen to be refreshing. My recent novel Guns and Saffron has received exceptionally good reviews on Amazon, NetGalley and Goodreads saying that it is addictive, fresh and enlightening. The Songbirds, a literary tale, is my latest novel. And what are the Songbirds? About the Book: The Songbirds is a literary tale that goes to the heart of what’s ailing today’s world and tries to find the answers to our most pressing questions. Amidst poetry and the innocence of youth, the love story of Kasim and Sumera sprouts in the rom...

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Michael Williams to my blog. He's touring the internet with a fascinating quartet of books, but which shelf will you find them on? Michael has generously agreed to help me figure out the shelf, and understand how all those "genres" of my favorite books fit together. Is it  Mythic, magical, realism, horror, urban, fantasy, scifi... or what? So, over to you Michael... All kinds of genres It seems to be the fate of academics to explain jokes and create categories.  You asked an interesting question, though: Mythic, magical, realism, horror, urban, fantasy, scifi…how do they all fit together?  I’ll try a version of an answer, though it’s incomplete and a little indirect. I guess it comes down to the places where these definitions are needed or convenient.  American booksellers like the categories—all kinds of genres—as a device for marketing, and academics like them to help focus students on the qualities of non-realist fictio...

Today I'm hosting Ruby Walker, who is touring the internet with a book about teenage depression, written by a teenager. Otherwise described as a self-help book for people who hate help and themselves. Which sounds depressing, but... When Ruby Walker was 15 going on 16, she went from a numb, silent, miserable high school dropout to a joyous loudmouth in one year flat. Advice I Ignored answers the question everyone's been asking her since: What happened? Full of stories, honest advice, fierce hope, and over 100 hand-inked illustrations, Advice I Ignored is an important resource for teens suffering from depression (which has reached epidemic proportions), parents who have one, and educators who want to help. Applicable for adults suffering too! Today Ruby Walker is an 18-year-old college student, artist and writer. Ruby grew up in Austin, moved down to Buda (TX), dropped out of high school, earned herself full tuition to a private university, and is currently studying art at T...