Literary Love

I'm happy to share my blog with with fellow member authors of  Rave Reviews Book Club   as part of the RRBC's  Pay It Forward Week. Initially introduced by author Bethany Turner, the concept of Pay It Forward is to profile, promote and propel another fellow club member to new audiences for the day. This month I have the honor of hosting Jan Sikes. Jan has authored four books about the journey of two people moving through adversity, growing and learning about life and love. Interestingly, though she uses fictitious names, the books chronicle her life and relationship with her husband, the late singer-songwriter, Rick Sikes. This North Texan incorporates bits of wisdom and hard-learned lessons in her fiction stories and hopes to reach readers in a positive way. Her titles include: Flowers and Stone  Nothing could have prepared Darlina Flowers for the reckless Texas rogue musician, Luke Stone, to come stampeding into her life like a team of wild hor...

Teenage expression via angst-ful poetry circa 1983 A little look back in time to my teenage years, my heartbreak and maybe a little bit of anger, too? Definitely a whole lot of drama! This was typed with an old-fashioned electric typewriter. Notice the correction of 'd' in the word 'heard' in the third poem. Back in the day we used correction film. It was a gummy-like transferable Liquid Paper on a small rectangular slip of plastic called Ko Rec Type. Simply line the little square over your mistake, depress the erroneously struck key again, and voila, the space was whited out. It wasn't perfect, but word processors for personal use were still a few years away.

One book is all I got to. Finding time to read was quite tough for me this go-round. I'm in the middle of revising my own book, taking a writing class and renovating a room of my house. Last night, I gave myself just enough time to finish Spirit Legacy , coinciding with the end of #FrightFall Read-a-thon week. I have to say, I didn’t have many expectations going into this book —Which totally had nothing to do with the author or any detail I found online about it. I just am simply not much of a paranormal-story kind of gal. I like romance and realism, and except for a few rare cases, I tend to avoid genre series altogether—though I truly seem to be the minority with that. Spirit Legacy is mostly what I don’t read, so I went into it merely looking to be entertained, possibly a little spooked, too. The writing style of E.E. Holmes was pleasant surprise. It was skillful, and a true pleasure to read. I fell easily into the story. Upon the opening, we immediately get a s...

Photo morgueFile/southernfried Ever wonder what it's like to serve Grand Jury? For more than 15 years, I have periodically received a summons to serve on Grand Jury. Up until the last few years, I was a stay-at-home mom, with young children, and therefore permitted to postpone. This past August, I was summoned once again, and truthfully, I was curious to go. It seems most people misunderstand what a Grand Jury does. Many asked me how I was picked and what kind of case I was on. There isn’t just one case, there are many, and there’s no selection process. As your civic duty, you are asked to volunteer (they don’t give up until you do). Unlike a trial or petit jury, Grand Jury is one of the first procedures in a criminal trial. These are private proceedings where assistant district attorneys (ADA) present accusations against defendants. After hearing witness testimony, in most cases, police officers and detectives, a Grand Jury determines whether or not there is ‘reasonable ca...

Fall reading So I'm about to start another read-a-thon with Seasons of Reading's #FrightFall Date: October 5-11 There's only one rule to #FrightFall, and it's that we must read ONE scary book (which can be a thriller, mystery, Gothic novel, or similar for those who are faint of heart). I don't typically read thrillers or any of the above types of books, but for this one week, I'm going to expand my horizons and try one or two. Who knows? Maybe I'll find new genre to love! My first selection is Spirit Legacy (The Gateway Trilogy #1) by E.E. Holmes This was free on Amazon when I found it, but Prime and KU members can read it for free anytime. I'm extremely picky about downloading free books, but this had good reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads, and the synopsis was appealing: “The Gateway is open...” These cryptic words wake college student Jess Ballard from a terrifying dream into an even more terrifying reality. Jess...

A little about what I like to read... Sucheta over on Scribbling Owlet was kind enough to do a Q & A with me about my favorite books. Check out the interview here: https://scribblingowlet.wordpress.com/2015/08/02/readers-nook-qa-with-suzanne/

Author Visit A shout out to the Sayville ladies book club who asked me to come to their monthly meeting in August 2015 to discuss Saving Toby. Thanks to the host, Leslie who fostered the idea and the other ladies: Tina, Deb, Dot, Rachel, Judy, and both Pats for the in-depth look at the story and its characters. What a warm, lively and fun group. Good eats, too! Book Clubs interested in an Author Visit  I'd love to be a guest author at your book club meeting, too. If your club meets in the Long Island area, a personal visit could be arranged. Clubs that meet outside the area can be done via video call, such as Skype. For considerations, email me at suzannemckennalink@gmail.com.

I was invited to join the blog, Seasons of Reading's "High Summer Read-a-Thon." It's not a contest, but an inspiration to read. A quote from the event's organizer, Michelle, True Book Addict: "I hope you're ready to take a much needed break from your summer whirlwind, jump in the hammock and get some good reading in. I know I am!" The official dates are July 20th through the 26th. Sign up at the Seasons of Reading blog here: http://seasonsreading.blogspot.com/20... Hope you will join us, and read!  Up first on my TBR is " Ugly Love " by Colleen Hoover. This New Adult book is one of Hoover's newest and has gotten lots of love from readers. I enjoyed the last book I read by this author, "Maybe Someday." Hoover writes 3-D characters that her readers get emotionally invested in. I've read some negative reviews of Ugly Love, but they haven't deterred me. If anything, they've made more curious to read...

Wednesday, July 1st is worldwide #IndieBooksBeSeen Pride Day, a day where independent authors hit the social media airwaves and make ourselves known. If you're a self-pub author, take a photo of yourself with your book(s) and hashtag it #indiebooksbeseen. If you reader, help support the movement by reading indie authors!  We're growing in numbers. Join the movement! On Facebook: IndieBooksBeSeen FaceBook On Twitter: #IndiePrideDay OR #IndieBooksBeSeen On the Web:  http://indiebooksbeseen.blogspot.com.au

I was happy to be part of Sachem Public Library's Local Author Fair last Saturday. The place was filled with enthusiastic book fans and I had the opportunity to hand out book marks, while introducing Toby and Claudia to several interested attendees. And I even signed a few books. It was nice to meet other fellow authors, too. It was a a lot of fun. Favorite new shirt!  "It's a Toby Thing. You wouldn't understand"  .... (but hopefully you do!)

I'm happy to share my blog with with fellow member authors of  Rave Reviews Book Club   as part of the RRBC's  Pay It Forward Week. Initially introduced by author Bethany Turner, the concept of Pay It Forward is to profile, promote and propel another fellow club member to new audiences for the day. This month, I have the honor of hosting John Howell. John has authored two full-length books and is in his creative chair pumping out a third.  His most notable published work is the fiction thriller, My Grl , rated a Five Star Award by the book review site, Readers' Favorite.  (Read review here: Readers' Favorites ) Synopsis:  John J. Cannon successful San Francisco lawyer takes a leave of absence from the firm and buys a boat he names My GRL. He is unaware that his newly-purchased boat had already been targeted by a terrorist group. John's first inkling of a problem is when he wakes up in the hospital where he learns he was found unconscious...

I'm happy to share my blog with Rebecca today as part of Rave Reviews Book Club's Pay It Forward Week. Initially introduced by author Bethany Turner, the concept of Pay It Forward is to profile, promote and propel another fellow club member to new audiences for the day. So without further adieu, let me introduce Rebecca Reilly! A Published Author Many Times Over Author Rebecca Reilly is the indie author of of an impressive catalogue of six books in multiple genres.  Her titles include: Children's Books Jammer and His Flying Bed Adventures Heart of a Kitty The Geek Club            Mystery Thrillers Haunting Megan Into Dark Waters   A murder mystery at sea   Women's Literature Diary of a Christian Woman: How I Used 50 Shades of Grey to Spice Up My Marriage   Diary of a Christian Woman is a humorous look at sex and marriage. It sounds like an amusing and interesting page-turner...

AN ACCOMPLISHED AUTHOR Author Beem Weeks is  the indie author of the historical fiction/coming-of-age novel, Jazz Baby , a book quoted as being " wonderfully authentic " and the author a " magician with words ." THE SYNOPSIS:  While all Mississippi bakes in the scorching summer of 1925, a sudden orphanhood casts its icy shadow across Emily Ann Teegarten, a pretty young teen. Taken in by an aunt bent on ridding herself of this unexpected burden, "Baby" Teegarten plots her escape using the only means at her disposal: a voice that makes church ladies cry and angels take notice. "I'm gonna sing jazz up to New York City," she brags to anybody who'll listen. 'Cept that Big Apple-well, it's an awful long way from that dry patch of earth she used to call home. So when the smoky stages of New Orleans speakeasies give a whistle, offering all kinda shortcuts, Emily soon learns it's the whorehouses and drug joints promising to t...