"Mystery, fantasy, adventure, and whimsical humor can all be found within the pages of Swamp Mist. Sit down, relax, and enjoy your encounters with characters such as these: a mythical Skunk Ape, an innovative detective doling out justice in his own unique way, a dream stealer, an Aztec would-be priest who learns to seiza the moment, a baker who doesn't know when to quit, and others. David's story lines will keep you guessing and turning the pages for more!"
Review by Ruth Y. Nott
Author of
"After the Rain" "Garden of Faith" "Where Memory Lingers" "Crazy Patch" "Haiku for Lovers" "Family Matters" "Family Matters, Vol II"
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"Exemplary stories crafted with both an edgy darkness and a sly sense of humor. I found myself thinking “oh how wicked” and eagerly turning the page. This is a don’t miss collection from a very talented writer."
Review by M. E. Landress
Author of
"The Wisdom of Bumblefoot" "Sour Grapes" "One Bad Apple" "Mango Madness"
Contained within the pages of After the Rain you will find poems of faith and inspiration, poems based on self-analysis, family, love, and humorous verses included to lighten your spirits. Ruth's poetry is often rhyming, lyrical, and she uses a varied application of form.
The poems reflect her faith and realization that God is everywhere and all-knowing, her sensitivity to everyday events, and her vulnerability to the uncertainty of love.
A little something for everyone can be found in After the Rain. You may be moved or amused, but certainly entertained with Ruth Nott's sixth book of poetry. She has also published two anthologies along with other members of her family.
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Poetry is a way of life and life an ever changing, never ending poem. A poet cannot help but take his pen in hand and record life’s joys and sorrows, while life continues on, blissfully unaware of the need for metrical pattern or imagery, yet creating it on a day to day basis whether in limerick, elegy or sonnet. It is all there for the taking.
"Poetry is a dance with God, close and intimate,
or jitterbugging across Eden’s fertile valley.
Poetry is the wonder and awe of one minute bit of
dust in an infinite universe trying to understand it all.
Poetry is, like beauty, in the eye of the beholder."
"A Pure and Simple Faith" reflects the author’s continuing love of God in a world filled with temptation, disappointment, and heartache.
While acknowledging our imperfections throughout the inserted personal essays, this is primarily a book of poetry intended to uplift, encourage. and enlighten the reader with love, faith, and understanding.
Just as the pieces of a Crazy Patch quilt are varied in size and shape and sewn together with stitches fancy or plain, our lives vary from day to day and year to year, and are sewn together with stitches of love, some fancy and meticulously done, some plain and simple, some fraying over time.
This collection of poems is representative of my crazy patch life, some bright and new, some showing their age, some seemingly finding their way here from an alternate universe. Just as our lives twist and turn on a whim, so does this poetry patchwork.
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In today's society we can pass the time in a million different ways. We can listen to music that mirrors our moods or watch television on more than five hundred channels; some people play sports on a sandlot team or immerse themselves in virtual worlds of magic and monsters; others turn to writing and share their imagination or experiences with avid readers across the globe. The members of our family seem to have adopted writing as our "expression of choice" in the creation of this book. Here you will find poetry, personal essays, short stories and more.
We are a strong family – one which acknowledges its imperfect-ions and embraces its differences. We know that family matters and we hope that by combining our talents within these pages we have helped to forge an even stronger unit.
Although the everyday barriers of life (such as time and distance, jobs and circumstances beyond our control) may keep us physically separated, we cannot, and must not, let those things build a wall between our hearts and souls. We are forever connected because…. family matters.
“Haiku for Lovers” is dedicated “to love’s idea - to love, the experience - to love unending”. Come take a journey into reality, into life in seventeen syllables. See how love begins, grows, and changes over time.
Haiku was the beginning, a three-line poem with syllable counts of 5, 7, 5, no rhyme and no particular metre, with a reference to the seasons of the year, which is considered obligatory in Japan. Then it evolved into haikai (linked haiku), senryu (haiku without a seasonal reference, dealing with human nature), and other various forms with various differences . The dividing lines can become blurred, particularly when referring to English language haiku. My lines may better be described as senryu’ than haiku; however, she prefers the use of the more recognizable term of haiku for her title.
Delving into love from its earliest playful beginnings to its passionate consummation, through losses from death to betrayal, you will find that, in the end, love is enduring even if only in memory.
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For some of us, there are times in our lives when reality seems hard to endure. In those times we find ourselves drawn or lured into passionate fantasies which we know are neither morally nor spiritually acceptable, but which, at those times, we cannot resist. We can only look back upon those times with regret and ask forgiveness of those we hurt by our actions.
Even then, as the years go by, we find there are many people we can’t forget. Some were just passing fancies and exist only as wispy wraiths in the dark corners of our minds, but others… others “left footprints on our hearts” and will never be forgotten.
These poems and essays come from where memory lingers, from those times when reality was not where we wanted to be.
Have you ever felt uncertain, alone, without courage, and shaken in your beliefs? Have you found comfort in the advice of friends, or in the inspirational or spiritual words of a poem? Words from a friend or a favorite book can help, can give us back our courage and faith, can help us to understand and to hurt less, can show us that we are not the first, nor the last, to experience the feelings of hopelessness.
The touching, often lyrical poems in Garden of Faith will soothe and calm, refresh your spirit and touch on some of the questions and doubts we all face in our search for personal happiness and spiritual healing.
This book brings Ruth's own faith, commitment and hopeful attitude to others in need. Combining all the poems you loved in her first book A Pure and Simple Faith with as many more fresh new poems of love, faith and gratitude, Garden of Faith will enlighten, uplift, and encourage.
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God's Question: What Do You Think God Sees When He Looks At You? By Lynne Junkins Cole
Vitally important, possibly the most important question any of us will ever ponder. Why is God asking this question? What is He saying to His believers? Book includes over 1200 answers from around the world. Examples: • Thank you for the question, you have challenged [me]. • God isn't looking at who and what I am, He sees what and who I can and will be. He's not judging the outward appearance that man sees, God is judging my heart. • He sees forgiveness of sins through the blood of Jesus.
Chapter subjects: Answers; Fear and how to conquer it; Unforgiveness; God's Covenant; Impacting people now and in the future.
John 14:12, 20 NIV 12 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto the Father"20 "In that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you."
When God asked Lynne Junkins Cole to write this book she accepted the assignment with surprise, feeling inadequate and honor. God let her know emphatically He chose her to write this book. Lynne's background is in Journalism and Office Management. In the 70's, during a `Jesus Festival', she volunteered for Stephen Strang, of Charisma Magazine. She became his Secretary and considers it a privilege to have had the opportunity to work for and learn from Steve. He is the founder and head of Strang Communications. In 1991 Lynne self published, Goodbye Desert Storm, Hello Bangor, Maine, chronicling the first 6 months Maine residents greeted all returning troop flights refueling at Bangor International Airport. Still happening today!
In "The Mystery at Seymour Lake Lodge," Jan Whitlock, an investigative reporter from Connecticut , arrives in Vermont 's Northeast Kingdom for a few days of relaxation after her husband Sid demands a divorce. The innkeepers, her friends Ida and Philippe Renault ask for her help in solving a mystery plaguing the lodge and its guests. Odd things are happening-lights going on and off at unusual times, food and personal items missing and strange noises at night. Some of the guests could be suspect.
As events become scarier and more complicated by a cold case murder, Jan tries to sort things out. Realizing that she can’t solve this alone, she seeks help from an attractive wildlife photographer, an Abenaki Shaman, and Jesus, the Good Shepherd. Questions arise regarding spirituality, danger to the environment in the Nulhegan Basin , and Jan's ability to listen to her own inner voice and maintain her courage.
$14.00 - Available at Amazon.com in paperback or e-book for Kindle
The Dragonfly Sees By Susan Winters Smith
This is a book of poems of nature and life as seen through the eyes of the author, with her interpretation of the beautiful natural world created by God. Her sign is the dragonfly, a mystical insect that has been on earth for millions of years and has more eye facets than any other living creature. The dragonfly is revered by the Abenaki, New England’s native Americans as a sign of magic and rebirth.
The author writes of the swamps and bogs, lakes and ponds, brooks and rivers she has loved in New England, and the wonderful animals she has encountered there, and in her own back yard. She writes of turtles, snakes, hummingbirds and turkeys. She sings of cows and deer and butterflies. She is inspired by the flowers in her garden; pansies, lupine, foxgloves, and even the weeds like lady’s thumb. She finds joy in all of the New England seasons and the hills and rocks and forests. Nature has a million tales to tell, and herein are offered a few. The discovery of nature’s stories offers us a clue to the discovery of the mystical within ourselves. To learn to see as the dragonfly sees, with its myriad points of vision, is to awaken to life, to self, and to spirit.
Susan says: "The Dragonfly Sees" is very Christian oriented, though not every poem mentions God. Also, the second one, "The Dragonfly Feels", is really about emotions and how we overcome sorrows with faith. Each has about 90 poems. They are available on Amazon or through my website www.wintersmithbooks.com.
Janice's poetry book, Lion's Tooth, is inspired by the natural beauty of Vermont. Her poems remind us to show respect for living creatures and of the ebb and flow of life's seasons, birth to death.
Lion's Tooth is $10.00 plus shipping and handling, with 6% tax for Vermont residents.
Sour Grapes, a delightful murder mystery by M. E. Landress of Old Town, FL
Marvella Watson wasn’t exactly sure when she first decided to poison her husband Frank. When the idea popped into her head, it just seemed like the sensible thing to do. Read how Marvella carefully plans her husband’s demise and about all the funny and unexpected things which develop along the way.
The second in the series of Marvella Watson novels. Be sure to read Sour Grapes first!
Following the murder of her abusive spouse, Marvella Watson is slowly trying to piece her world back together. If only things would stay on an even keel for awhile, maybe she could start enjoying her new life. But the fates are fickle, they have other plans. Someone has developed anasty grudge against her boss; hiding in the shadows taking potshots with a very big gun. As if that weren't stressful enough, there's a new man in town who's set his sights on Marvella. His romantic attentions throw her off stride. With a killer on the loose, she doesn't need that kind of distraction.
Another wondeful Marvella Watson novel. Be sure to read Sour Grapes, the first in the series, and One Bad Apple, the second in the series.
Life for Marvella Watson should be flowing smooth and easy. She's engaged to marry the man of her dreams, has a great job with a wonderful boss, and has recovered nicely from her gunshot wound. However, trouble seems to follow her whereever she goes. Buying baked goods from the town voodoo queen brings more than just a tasty slice of her famous mango pound cake. A madman is on the loose hunting for the voodoo woman's treasure. Can Marvella and the gang solve the riddle of the treasure before the killer finds them?
The year Katy Coulter turned twelve is burned into her memory; buried deep down where she can hide from its horror. It was a summer of storms that wreaked havoc and left her family shattered. A summer where she found her best friend, and then lost him forever. A summer when she met the monster who would change her life forever
(Ruth’s comments: This is the latest book by my friend Maureen. Unlike her other Marvella Watson mysteries, The Wisdom of Bumblefoot takes the reader in a whole new direction and promises to be a thriller not soon forgotten.)
The pages of history come alive through this personalized story, told through the eyes of Yvonne Combs. Born to a Vietnamese mother and a French father during the Indochina War, Combs longed to meet her "papa" whose tour of duty in Vietnam was completed before she was born. She would instead suffer a childhood filled with abuse by those that considered her an intrusive "half-breed."
Combs expertly weaves her life's journey together with an inspirational story of perseverance, loss, and love. Sparing no details of her turbulent upbringing that included several relocations, abuse, and rape. Combs is rooted in her faith in God and is never discouraged, instead offering thanks for each moment of her life.
When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what others are coping with. You may consider yourself far more fortunate than you imagined.
It's the late 1950s and Grandma tells her granddaughter, Barbara, how life is growing up in West Virginia. A secret life is eventually revealed. Best of all, both of them learn that just like God can turn an ugly caterpillar into a beautiful butterfly, He can change their lives when He is in control, no matter how bad the circumstances seem. It is a story of faith and inspiration.
Readers will enjoy relating to Barbara's growing up years and her married years struggling with inner conflict. Numerous old family photos take the reader back to another time. The beautiful love legacy that Grandma leaves her family will warm the hearts of everyone.
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Nello the Yellow Elf - Announcing: Christmas book for Children:
“Nello the Yellow Elf”, by Susan Winters Smith. This book gently addresses the issues of bullying and racism. The primary message to children is “let your light shine”. The book is available on Amazon.com and from the author’s website www.wintersmithbooks.com
Here on My Knees by Ruth Y. Nott
Contained within the pages of Here on My Knees you will find poems of faith and inspiration in Section 1, A Growing Faith, and in Section 2, This Man Called Jesus. In Section 3, Penny Poetry, are poems based on family, love, everyday happenings with a few humorous verses included to lighten your spirits. Ruth’s poetry is often rhyming and lyrical and always heartfelt.
Ruth’s poems reflect her faith and realization that God is worthy of praise and faithful to hear our prayers. Also in evidence is her sensitivity to everyday events, her love of family, and the knowledge that happiness and laughter contribute greatly to everyone’s well-being.
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