“Little Secrets” completely sucked me in from the beginning. Every character in the book had a secret (or several). These secrets meant that nothing was quite as it appeared. Jennifer Hillier is an exceptional writer who knows how to bring characters to life and play with your emotions. From the start, we meet Marin and her little boy, Sebastian, in Read more…
I grew up watching Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood as a young girl and have always admired Fred Rogers’ quiet strength. But Rogers didn’t make his children’s television show alone. Other trusted companions, such as Officer Clemmons, helped make each episode special.Dr. François Clemmons is an African-American man who began life in the south at a time when racism was fierce. He Read more…
It’s the 1st Wednesday of the month again. That’s when I take part in Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group. This month’s amazing co- are Diane Burton, JH Moncrieff, Anna @ Emaginette, Karen @ Reprobate Typewriter, Erika Beebe, and Lisa Buie-Collard! – The IWSG’s focus is on our writers. Each month, from all over the globe, we are a united group sharing our insecurities, our troubles, Read more…
“Teachings for an Unbelieving World: Newly Discovered Reflections on Paul’s Sermon at the Areopagus,” by John Paul II, then Archbishop Karol Wojtyla, was a treat to read.The author of “Teachings for an Unbelieving World”Karol Wojtyla was Archbishop of Krakow in the years after Vatican II when he penned 13 reflections on St. Paul’s sermon to the people of Athens in Acts Read more…
I usually share thoughts and information that comes from my creative life, but today, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, I am going to share some thoughts from another part of my life—my job as a cashier at a grocery store. People exhibit a vast range of responses to this time of uncertainty. I’ve made a lot of observations that you may Read more…
“Writers & Lovers” by Lily King was a book that crept up on me a grabbed me while I wasn’t looking. It haunts me long after I’ve finished reading it. It is rare that I read a novel twice. In fact, I don’t believe I’ve done that since I was in my twenties and re-read Animal Farm by George Orwell. Read more…
“The Blue Cloak” by Shannon McNear is part of the True Colors Series. As my readers know, I am a big fan of this Christian historical fiction series. This book is incredible. I had never heard of the Harpe brothers before. They are considered America’s first serial killers. The author did a great job of portraying the heinous crimes committed Read more…
It’s the 1st Wednesday of the month again. Note: It’s NOT the 1st Wednesday, but due to technical difficulties, this post didn’t publish as scheduled. That’s when I take part in Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Thank you to LAST month’s awesome co-hosts for the IWSG: Lee Lowery, Ronel Janse van Vuuren, Jennifer Hawes, Cathrina Constantine, and Tyrean Martinson! THIS month’s amazing co-hosts Read more…
“Hid from Our Eyes,” by Julia Spencer-Fleming is the first book in the Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alstyne Mystery series that I’ve read, but it certainly won’t be the last. In fact, I intend to read them all. I have to! I’ve fallen in love with the complex characters and the community that Spencer-Fleming has created.I was privileged to read a Read more…
I chose to review “Counterpoint: A Memoir of Bach and Mourning” by Philip Kennicott for two reasons. I’ve been in mourning since my husband died in April 2019 and I love baroque music (JS Bach is the master). The author is a gifted writer. Philip Kennicott is the chief Art and Architecture Critic of The Washington Post. Kennicott won the Read more…
It’s the 1st Wednesday of the month again. That’s when I take part in Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Thank you to this month’s awesome co-hosts for the IWSG are T. Powell Coltrin, Victoria Marie Lees, Stephen Tremp, Renee Scattergood, and J.H. Moncrieff! This week I will be recounting my writing journey as I answer the optional question for January 8, 2020:“What started you on Read more…
I was thrilled to see that the next offering in the True Colors Series (Historical Stories of American Crime) is “The Gray Chamber” by Grace Hitchcock. I loved the first book in the series, also by Hitchcock, “The White City.” “The Gray Chamber” lived up to my expectations and more. (Read my review of “The White City.”)Edyth Foster and Nellie Read more…
“The Tenant” by Katrine Engberg is a fast-paced mystery/thriller from Denmark. The novel debuts detectives Jeppe Korner and Anette Werner as they set out to catch an elusive killer in Copenhagen. After a young girl is found dead in her apartment, with a strange symbol drawn on her face, detectives search for clues as to why she was killed.Esther, the Read more…
“Race Against Time: A Reporter Reopens the Unsolved Murder Cases of the Civil Rights Era” by Jerry Mitchell was a startling look back in history. Because of the terroristic threats imposed by the Ku Klux Klan, backed up with a willingness for violence and even murder, in the 60’s justice wasn’t blind. Some of the most notorious racially motivated murders Read more…
It’s the 1st Wednesday of the month again. That’s when I take part in Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Thank you to the December 4 IWSG co-hosts: Tonja Drecker, Beverly Stowe McClure, Nicki Elson, and Tyrean Martinson! Today we will explore living the dream: the life of a writer, as I answer the IWSG question for December 4th:“Let’s play a game. Imagine. Role-play. Read more…
“When We Were Vikings,” by Andrew David MacDonald is one of the most engrossing books I’ve read in a long time—and I read a lot of good books.
As someone who is a beginner to Church history, this series has been an exciting eye-opener. I’ve often heard of various heresies and subsequent ecumenical councils that were convened to clear them up, but it was difficult to keep all of them straight. “The Church and the Roman Empire” lays everything out in easy to understand language with a dramatic Read more…
It’s the 1st Wednesday of the month again. That’s when I take part in Alex J. Cavanaugh’s Insecure Writer’s Support Group. Thank you to November 6th’s IWSG co-hosts: Sadira Stone, Patricia Josephine, Lisa Buie-Collard, Erika Beebe, and C. Lee McKenzie! Today we will look at my internet search history, as I answer the optional IWSG question for the month:“What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever googled in researching Read more…
As I read “The Early Church: St. Peter, the Apostles, and Martyrs,” by James L. Papandrea, I was reading an exciting family history. Names I have heard many times became attached to stories of the real people who were part of the Church’s beginnings.The Early Church Made ApproachablePapandrea’s background is theologically rich and deep, yet, “The Early Church” was very Read more…
Lori Erickson is an Episcopalian deacon, as well as a travel writer. Her latest project has fused her love of spirituality and global travel in “Near the Exit: Travels with the Not-So-Grim Reaper.” For the last year, I have been reading a lot about death and the ceremonies surrounding our farewell to this life. “Near the Exit” seemed like an Read more…
