tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84546301404112114072024-03-18T16:08:34.134-04:00 Yvette M. Calleiro - Writing and ReviewsThis is the official blog of Yvette M. Calleiro, author of young adult, fantasy/paranormal, and contemporary stories.Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.comBlogger413125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-79277983705664388542024-03-14T22:03:00.008-04:002024-03-14T22:47:00.736-04:00#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Keichitsu #Etheree #StPatricksDay #Spring @YvetteMCalleiro <p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/03/12/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-25-3-12-24-part-ii-wintering-insects-awake-march-5-19-keichitsu-%e5%95%93%e8%9f%8424/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnpfVhztrGb2GaZvTWV9PDlARgIQgJbQLezOCqQAyw8omHc9qpoOcH7QwXCQsAVvAtXPKw8h4uCaIfKpuA856ilVrCy4pnAmCaTwfMVNGikFTXN968ib1sLVzZpCTGTEMKXrIx2CiqthBfdcV9NzeimufIdh7PjlzAPRfKd5zWhEMo0j3ASR5umEjs5aBq/w400-h400/TankaTuesday-challenges-3.webp" width="400" /></span></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! For this week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/03/12/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-25-3-12-24-part-ii-wintering-insects-awake-march-5-19-keichitsu-%e5%95%93%e8%9f%8424/" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>, we are still in the season of Keichitsu, or Wintering Insects Awake. It is also the week of St. Patrick's Day. So, I did a little digging about St. Patty's Day.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://trinitytripod.com/features/st-patricks-day-special-a-brief-history-on-the-march-17-secular-social-and-shamrock-holiday/#:~:text=The%20holiday%20on%20March%2017,to%20Ireland%20as%20a%20slave." target="_blank">Did you know most Christian holidays overlap a Pagan holiday once celebrated?</a> <a href="https://oakleesguide.com/why-shamrocks-are-a-symbol-for-st-patricks-day/#:~:text=Patrick%20was%20a%20Christian%20missionary,they%20are%20united%20into%20one." target="_blank">St. Patrick's Day is no different.</a> And yet, the holy celebration of St. Patty's Day has lost its power as it's now become a festival celebrating Irish pride, good fortune, and an excuse to drink, especially any green concoction a bar can create.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, to honor this shift in the holiday, I decided to write a <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#stacked-double-etheree" target="_blank">double Etheree</a>. A double Etheree is a poem with twenty lines with a syllabic pattern of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10-10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1. My kigo words are bolded and italicized.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-st-patricks-day-clover-8540297/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="1280" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiel5qQrapI5mKRFxcXeAjTvFLLl3184eM6lTkl3YAj4Bgt35u0klCqErqLMDfbnYj3YbIYctb8euGt3LviQDn-uiNKiMwn0kX_bgva0TuQNzNRY6AHixpvh3jI5XboG7Qp6P6W1dtE5BQHc6e_A7cHYlJYlqh9get_jDtIeMhasqudehkfPeq-OobQp4aK/w400-h229/ai-generated-8540297_1280.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/ai-generated-st-patricks-day-clover-8540297/" target="_blank">@MissyWhimsyArt</a> on Pixabay)</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Evolving Traditions</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pagan</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">holiday</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Ostara </i></b>brings</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the <b><i>Spring Equinox</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">to celebrate new life</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a saint changes holiday</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">claims the <b><i>shamrock </i></b>symbolizes</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the Father, the Son, Holy Spirit</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">three leaves with one stem to unite them all</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">while Ireland celebrates its patron saint</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">American Irish celebrate</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">remnants of Irish heritage</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">mixed with folklore, fairy tales</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b>leprechauns</b></i>, <b><i>pots of gold</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">and drunken parties</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">let's awaken</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Ostara</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">again</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">now</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">How do you celebrate St. Patrick's Day? I'd love to hear from you.</span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Would you like to write a poem? Join us <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/03/12/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-25-3-12-24-part-ii-wintering-insects-awake-march-5-19-keichitsu-%e5%95%93%e8%9f%8424/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-690134536286560632024-03-06T22:34:00.000-05:002024-03-06T22:34:05.045-05:00#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Keichitsu #haiku #Butterflies #Spring @YvetteMCalleiro <p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/03/05/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-24-3-5-24-part-i-wintering-insects-awake-march-5-19-keichitsu-%e5%95%93%e8%9f%84/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_W8gqSrNctARJmzsjnZ2CITyz-H1otqj3KHiZ3RJZdqonhLcuAyEIF6FNehbC1lsiYpkHeu4P-eCK3ei3S08IfW7ZbGKL0H_d39h4FFqqRZ71yKd4rkJCEKzmrpk_qkxqIuCCnfeoWQJlJcB1RkU4jQ_veWDPcZIjEIQ9DZdN8BHP69OyQy2WXrzRyN0/s320/TankaTuesday-challenges-3.webp" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! Tomorrow (March 7th) is my birthday. I've unlocked level 50 and am blessed to have the life I live. This week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/03/05/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-24-3-5-24-part-i-wintering-insects-awake-march-5-19-keichitsu-%e5%95%93%e8%9f%84/" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a> takes us into a new season - Keichitsu, or Wintering Insects Awake. Spring is finally here. Daylight savings time begins this weekend and brings with it more daylight, and I am thrilled about it. I love the long days of light, especially living where I do. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For this week's challenge, I've chosen to write a haiku, which is three lines with a 5-7-5 syllabic pattern. A haiku focuses on nature, and the first two lines should create one image while the second two lines create a separate image. I've chosen to use the kigo phrase of 'Spring's first butterfly' to celebrate my birthday. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Reflecting on my first fifty years has me marveling at the transformation I've experienced. There have been some incredible moments, but it hasn't all been easy or pretty. I've done a lot of hard growth through therapy, self-reflection, and inner work, and I am grateful for the journey I am on. I am always evolving, always working to be a better version of myself. And I love myself more today than I ever have before. I will be celebrate this gift of life this weekend with friends and family, so if I'm a little late responding to your beautiful comments, please know I will get to them next week. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/orange-gull-cepora-judith-thailand-6594958/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="884" data-original-width="1280" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwb846iqMUtYKXzxB7lPHM3GwFPx46WlKBQaa7D34a004vcfrgovi3-FbHLj22iQlmJJRmSB3FFoTFwKOoCqVfTsB-ADKKZEphva5ml-8XoGPG_g0SVXKfI6BPSGBpv8i391MWFbsfKpxv4EkwPtzvnLEOnNwoe1yRcu53qnWwTXa13ClB3p5r_6mYt_7X/w400-h276/orange-gull-6594958_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/orange-gull-cepora-judith-thailand-6594958/" target="_blank">@Erik_Karits</a> at Pixabay)</div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>Spring's first butterfly</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">delicate wings take first flight</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">hope transcends all fear</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What Wintering insects are awakening in your area? I'd love to hear from you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Would you like to join us in writing a poem? Click </span><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/03/05/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-24-3-5-24-part-i-wintering-insects-awake-march-5-19-keichitsu-%e5%95%93%e8%9f%84/" style="font-size: large;" target="_blank">here</a><span style="font-size: large;">.</span></div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-90964970521918833492024-03-02T16:50:00.008-05:002024-03-02T16:51:33.783-05:00#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Usui #AmericanCinquain #Snowdrops #LeapYear @YvetteMCalleiro <p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/27/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-23-2-27-24-part-ii-snow-becomes-rain-february-19-march-4-usui-%e9%9b%a8%e6%b0%b4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuHrBvTe-xYegpor1KUGTBPUuSKNlSE_9S97xXakiI3zE-dmmRGQh6NKHf7dr1o7tWSGEMcNCNBWl27MKUrNGCc5BknpcDIWfMaOhUqntwrjIVEEQqqn4rpJn_LOMxJo2_1vmtgWvPzx4rkZtg9-0NnP_1brOPc1dt-tpnhg6X0pvSiFGVWQuT2LaZCWx/w400-h400/TankaTuesday-challenges-3.webp" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! This week has been a bit of an emotional drain for me. So many of our youth are struggling emotionally and mentally, and I've been bombarded with some rough moments this week. It breaks my heart to see teenagers who are overwhelmed with stress and are considering destructive decisions. If you have children, please create an open line of communication. Please create an atmosphere of unconditional love and acceptance, and let them know you will always be there to help them through whatever they are going through. Do not dismiss their angst. The youth of today are hurting, and they need to be seen and heard...and helped.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Okay, now that I've released that, let's shift our energies to light and beauty. For this week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/27/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-23-2-27-24-part-ii-snow-becomes-rain-february-19-march-4-usui-%e9%9b%a8%e6%b0%b4/" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>, <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/category/colleens-books/" target="_blank">Colleen Chesebro</a> has encouraged us to use three kigo phrases:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">early spring [insert flowers]</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">lingering snow</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">leap day</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Though part of the challenge was to write three different poems, I only had the time and energy for one. I chose to write an American cinquain which is a five-line poem with a syllabic pattern of 2-4-6-8-2. It is untitled, and line five tends to be the pivot point, though I feel as if line four is more of the switch in this poem.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/snowdrop-galanthus-spring-8582948/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1280" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieHcrAo3_QmDR6jFwdzCNrtxyL1ab0wkbNDbWa7sw1EQFYITSsuHx_BhoIDhcrdBSMh_gZwIUKwbtLvHc3fixQ6WJYXbn-YotSY4lOa1oT5UwsFaWIU78Io6SMIM57KH9ElmMXLvXFiEBWVymSVziaM6UGfWgDrwceoeoVzlUYJtsP5SpXohhvEdOdz7kt/w400-h400/snowdrop-8582948_1280.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/snowdrop-galanthus-spring-8582948/" target="_blank">@Terranaut</a> on Pixabay)</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>leap year</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">magical switch</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">dispense <b><i>lingering cold</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">smell fragrant <b><i>early spring snowdrops</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">sublime</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are you seeing signs of Spring where you live? I'd love to hear about it.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Would you like to write a poem with these three kigo phrases? Join us <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/27/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-23-2-27-24-part-ii-snow-becomes-rain-february-19-march-4-usui-%e9%9b%a8%e6%b0%b4/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-24911801387684590832024-02-29T00:00:00.155-05:002024-02-29T16:26:11.910-05:00February Book Reviews #bookreview #books #amreading #readingcommunity #PainterBrothers #militaryaction #historialfiction @MarciaMeara @Linneatanner @gmplano @YvetteMCalleiro<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! How is February already over? It feels like 2024 is on hyperdrive. I'm happy I've been able to continue to read and write this month, and I've read some great books as well. They are all part of series I started in previous years and just haven't been able to get back to, but I'm thrilled that I chose to revisit them this month.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/That-Darkest-Place-Riverbend-Book-ebook/dp/B072LCVP6M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="387" data-original-width="240" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjks0Zr3Lv0iDg1zJJLbEGX8Go1Pe_QLW-KcwOn2p-vMcrlGc9FnR_AbdRTxcK72_HHdWoVzbxUgbfyNY_sUt6rsQjY69w8AOZiuQtF57RwUxu7fc-LCXkDqP0hhCzLy49Sp0EzqgFkdDhgwkA9lAMyhmOzr5HNO_oifxQfuF2uxW3FVmxJ6w7rCPLBgJ6h/w248-h400/Capture.JPG" width="248" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/That-Darkest-Place-Riverbend-Book-ebook/dp/B072LCVP6M" target="_blank">That Darkest Place (Riverbend Book 3)</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">by Marcia Meara</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Psychological Fiction, Romantic Suspense</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages: </b>518 pages</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Blurb: </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">In Book 3 of her popular Riverbend series, Marcia Meara, author of </span><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">Wake-Robin Ridge,</span><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;"> </span><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">A Boy Named Rabbit,</span><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">and </span><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">Harbinger,</span><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;"> takes another look at the lives of the Painter brothers—Jackson, Forrest, and Hunter. While Hunter is home again and on the mend, the same isn’t true for his oldest brother. Jackson’s battle has just begun.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;">“There are dark places in every heart, in every head. Some you turn away from. Some you light a candle within. But there is one place so black, it consumes all light. It will pull you in and swallow you whole. You don't leave your brother stranded in that darkest place."<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />~Hunter Painter~</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />The new year is a chance for new beginnings—usually hopeful, positive ones. But when Jackson Painter plows his car into a tree shortly after midnight on January 1, his new beginnings are tragic. His brothers, Forrest and Hunter, take up a grim bedside vigil at the hospital, waiting for Jackson to regain consciousness and anxious over how he’ll take the news that he’s lost a leg and his fiancée is dead. After all, the accident was all his fault.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />As the shocking truth emerges, one thing becomes obvious—Jackson will need unconditional love and support from both of his brothers if he is to survive.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Just as he begins the long road to recovery, danger, in the form of a sinister, unsigned note, plunges him back into bleak despair. Scrawled in blood red letters, the accusation—and the threat—is clear. “MURDERER!”<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Will the long, harrowing ordeal that lies ahead draw the Painter brothers closer together, or drive them apart forever?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Suspenseful and often heartbreaking, this small-town tale is a testimonial to the redemptive power of love and paints a story filled with humor, romance, and fierce family loyalty.</span></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>My Review: </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I am so happy I came back to this family. I fell in love with Hunter Painter in <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B014Q8F1UU?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_1&storeType=ebooks&qid=1707444962&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Finding Hunter</a>, but it ended in a tragedy that broke my heart. So, it took me a bit to come back to this series, and it was absolutely worth coming back to.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The story picks up right where the last one left off. Jackson is in a coma with Hunter and Forrest believing his drunkenness had finally severed all that was good about him. Luckily, they were wrong on all accounts. As Jackson awakens, they learn the truth about his accident and vow to be by his side as he recovers. With his memory loss and his shattered spirit, Jackson leans on his brothers for strength. But he doesn't find a way forward until he meets Mel at his group counseling.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Forrest struggles to be the best brother to both his siblings. He fights his infatuation with Hunter's wife and second guesses every decision he makes when it comes to helping Jackson. It isn't until he begins leaning on Bailey, his brother's caregiver coordinator, that the world starts making sense.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Add to that a vengeful ex-boyfriend of Jackson's deceased ex-girlfriend, and all hell breaks loose!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This story is so perfectly written! The author is blessed with the ability to dig deep into each character's pain, insecurities, trauma, and recovery, and she does it in such a realistic way. These brothers are not perfect, but they have so much heart, and I love each of them exactly as they are.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This is such an amazing series, and I truly recommend that everyone read it. I now want to read her spinoff series, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XXCZC1M" target="_blank">The Emissary</a>. I've also heard the author is writing a book four, and I will read it as soon as it is written. :-)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daggers-Destiny-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B07G3G4G55/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="246" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Uuv4zlGF__HCymFGFp0l9tySIWhPB5h0ZH6ml9zQRYseAhJ_Z_CKhN4dTJf4CQJdev6A53vF_xUlphFw_z6YZ5iUfJYtOg9KNFB7weEl57qBwFW1gy7zhSNUPodgiOVrYi2qiXbOXDiWrds_nXyNPlTZl7bI77ACoHLHkBE7v9tm0iLYA7LS3y8IQaJO/w260-h400/dagger.JPG" width="260" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /><span><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Daggers-Destiny-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B07G3G4G55/" target="_blank">Dagger's Destiny (Curse of Clansmen and Kings Book 2)</a></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">by Linnea Tanner</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Historical Fiction, Greek & Roman Myth & Legends</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages: </b>332 pages</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Blurb:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">A Celtic warrior princess accused of treason for aiding her enemy lover must win back her father’s love and trust</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />In the rich and vibrant tale, Author Linnea Tanner continues the story of Catrin and Marcellus that began with the awarding-winning novel APOLLO’S RAVEN in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings Series. Book 2: DAGGER’S DESTINY sweeps you into an epic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />War looms over 24 AD Britannia where rival tribal rulers fight each other for power and the Romans threaten to invade to settle their political differences. King Amren accuses his daughter, Catrin, of treason for aiding the Roman enemy and her lover, Marcellus. The ultimate punishment is death unless she can redeem herself. She must prove loyalty to her father by forsaking Marcellus and defending their kingdom—even to the death. Forged into a warrior, she must overcome tribulations and make the right decisions on her quest to break the curse that foretells her banished half-brother and the Roman Empire will destroy their kingdom.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Yet, when Catrin again reunites with Marcellus, she is torn between her love for him and duty to King Amren. She must ultimately face her greatest challenger who could destroy her life, freedom, and humanity.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Will Catrin finally break the ancient prophecy that looms over her kingdom? Will she abandon her forbidden love for Marcellus to win back her father’s trust and love? Can King Amren balance his brutality to maintain power with the love he feels for Catrin?</span></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>My Review:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">It has been a while since I read Apollo's Raven (book 1), but I was swept right back into this world with the first chapter. What an amazing story! There wasn't a moment of inaction throughout the whole book. Every scene added to the ultimate battle, and what a battle it was!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">King Amren's daughter, Catrin, fell in love with a foreigner, Marcellus, in book 1. She has mystical powers and is able to merge with ravens to see what they see and to foresee the future. King Amren's outcast son, Marrock, is hellbent on avenging his mother's death, killing his father, and becoming king. King Amren is obsessed with breaking the curse set upon him by Marrock's mother, but nothing he (or Catrin) does prevents the inevitable from happening.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This story is brilliantly written. Each scene is described so vividly that you can see it play out in your mind. And the characters have so much depth to them. The emotional angst of some and the evil cunningness of others is expertly created!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This story has Greek/Roman tragedy written all over it, and I loved every minute of it. There are still two more books in the series, and I cannot wait to see what happens next. If you are looking for happily-ever-after, this is not it (lol!), but if you want a story where you are going to be sucked into and held captive until the end, then you will love this book!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Culmination-beginning-Gwen-M-Plano-ebook/dp/B08LYKFD78/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="249" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXhnvtU_th6V2DKm8ABixu1x91Nk8lB9Vlwl0AI_XVGaNNGMf0JqDMvbMByF6VP5SPKYW8s2bTt6l_iqOKO4TKQCBmT1WTE8XxoXpMEtGQrIG433pXKIGTydaBbo5-UULVbyLzpdfvvDmqzXFFC19cA0QbNnTCyP_wRppxBjzaUuKX2-eCehqfnh0uFrkQ/w258-h400/Capture.JPG" width="258" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Culmination-beginning-Gwen-M-Plano-ebook/dp/B08LYKFD78/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Culmination-beginning-Gwen-M-Plano-ebook/dp/B08LYKFD78/" target="_blank">Culmination: A New Beginning (The Contract Thriller Series)</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">by Gwen M Plano</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Military Action Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages: </b>314 pages</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Blurb: </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><h2 style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; line-height: 32px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 4px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal;"><i>The Culmination, a new beginning is the third book in The Contract thriller series. After an assassination attempt on an Air Force base in northern California, tensions mount. Heads of state meet to craft a denuclearization agreement. The meetings between these nuclear powers take a murderous turn. A nefarious conspiracy re-emerges and leads the characters into the heart of the Middle East, where they encounter the unexpected and find a reason for hope.</i></span></h2></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>My Review:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This book had me nibbling my nails, and I haven't bitten them in years! It's been a while since I read the first two books in this series, but I fell right back into the story rather quickly because the author did such a great job and reconnecting the reader to the dire circumstances at the end of the second book.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Tensions ran high throughout the whole book with one crisis after another having to be dealt with, but moments of love and friendship were sprinkled in between to give a perfect balance to all the chaos. The evil powers in the world were working together for world domination. Unbeknownst to them, a separate group of world leaders were envisioning a world where peace was the norm. It all comes to a head at the end, and what an ending it was!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Admiral and Julie were my favorites, probably because they were there from the beginning of the series. The love story between the presidents (no spoilers) felt a bit unrealistic but I understand the need to have them fall in love quickly to fit into one novel.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The author did some major research to make sure the political and crisis scenes felt realistic. I could visualize everything happening in my mind (hence, the nail nibbling). I couldn't put this book down. I would have loved a little bit more at the end, some more closure or understanding of the after-effect, but all in all, this was a fantastic book and I highly recommend the whole series!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br />Have you read any great books this month? I'd love to hear about them.</span><p></p></div>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-20385582108847887722024-02-22T19:20:00.004-05:002024-02-23T07:05:24.616-05:00#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Usui #Abhanga #SnowBecomesRain #SpringLove @YvetteMCalleiro <p style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmntI-FBWKX48_JPam7by-lUmhHivpGckgff7nak8o0E3xtCEJhJZVw4CgEGzJxTkilmUSYiAq64cp8zrqXBITbeOt0gAKnoJq5ylzFDU9EWhuqxbIW2dXc5XdbGQmSJy1E8oef3CRMuQJ6ETjrn8tKwZyi0Xkb7dblBvg4IVSUZWGGfl-u1oeLmzn2GrQ/s500/TankaTuesday-challenges-2.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmntI-FBWKX48_JPam7by-lUmhHivpGckgff7nak8o0E3xtCEJhJZVw4CgEGzJxTkilmUSYiAq64cp8zrqXBITbeOt0gAKnoJq5ylzFDU9EWhuqxbIW2dXc5XdbGQmSJy1E8oef3CRMuQJ6ETjrn8tKwZyi0Xkb7dblBvg4IVSUZWGGfl-u1oeLmzn2GrQ/w400-h400/TankaTuesday-challenges-2.webp" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! I hope you are all well. I know several of my fellow authors/poets have been recovering from illnesses, and I wish them all a speedy recovery. I would appreciate you joining me in sending healing energy to them and everyone who is struggling to heal. There are some nasty viruses going around right now.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Thank you to those of you who said prayers and sent healing energy to my loved one last week. She is back home and is slowly starting to show signs of improvement. She will need to follow up with a doctor for her most distressing symptoms, so please keep sending prayers her way.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We enter a new season with this week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/20/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-22-2-20-24-part-i-snow-becomes-rain-february-19-march-4-usui-%e9%9b%a8%e6%b0%b4/" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a> - Usui, or Snow Becomes Rain. This season is known as the arrival of first spring thaw. Obviously, we don't experience that here in South Florida. In fact, this week has been quite chilly (in the 50s in the morning, 70s by the afternoon). </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This week, <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/category/colleens-books/" target="_blank">Colleen Chesebro</a> invited us to use this painting by Monet to inspire us. I immediately imagined this couple finding warmth from each other and came up with the poem below. I decided to write an <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#abhanga" target="_blank">Abhanga</a>. This poem consists of four lines with a 6-6-6-4 syllabic pattern where line two and three rhyme. I've italicized and bolded the kigo phrase.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_lane_in_epinay,_snow_effect_monet_w_388.jpg#file" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="428" data-original-width="698" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6f-t3bkK0RIN0xPkvmmXUzTwqAgLieB7idoA9X8NKlIifbRt6R3LjNR-V4GjammoyUKA9UBnA7vnYtIFJX1j5zKvORI8ulBFMCZAzNgDH9v6ykEO3Lj7j973LjVikW6kD-38Jv45hWh9IiX34Dju4mHpwGZEjQO-8JoWjocmuvArILpRIQrFhlvflgtk/w640-h392/Capture.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(The lane in epinay, snow effect by Monet: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_lane_in_epinay,_snow_effect_monet_w_388.jpg#file">wikimedia.org</a>)</div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Spring Love</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">nature mirrors my heart</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a <i><b>cold spell starts to thaw</b></i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">your love has me in awe</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">ready to bloom</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are you seeing signs of a bit more warmth in your area? I'd love to hear from you.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Would you like to join us in writing a poem? Click <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/20/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-22-2-20-24-part-i-snow-becomes-rain-february-19-march-4-usui-%e9%9b%a8%e6%b0%b4/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com27tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-44031788609037182932024-02-16T19:18:00.000-05:002024-02-16T19:18:14.081-05:00#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Risshun #tanka #naturescourse #earlySpring @YvetteMCalleiro <p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/13/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-21-2-13-24-part-ii-the-beginning-of-spring-february-3-20-risshun-%e7%ab%8b%e6%98%a5-24/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWFJDBsVRX2EkO1qRt1AwC42jn_SJq4xeLCZxil_eSFwmYleHbo3EwnbTwcjqDwg1UA5Rk71pM682o-0qOCcYTMdIqtc7io1Nrpdsh9XHEg2qUn1c9ZB2Cn0X0UZFs_XRruAEapN3_TMij5Bl4gV5jzfAAugGvzilmUWYP3gO3veOKMO5bENcS-qtrEwLk/w400-h400/TankaTuesday-challenges-1.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! It has been one heck of a rough week for me. Someone I love dearly was in the hospital all week with multiple issues, the main one being a respiratory virus that was making it difficult for her to breath. Finally, she was released today. She's not out of the woods yet, but she's happy to be home. Please send healing energy her way.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">On top of that, I've had either an appointment or an activity every day after work, so my days have been very long. By the time I finally ate dinner and watched a show with my son (our nightly ritual), I barely had any energy left. As if that isn't enough, the negative emotional energy around me has been quite high, which drained me even further.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, I didn't get as much writing done this week as I would have wanted. I did manage to write at least one sentence every day. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I'm quite proud of myself for mustering up the energy to sit in front of the computer at night and at least produce that sentence before I showered and passed out (yes, it's been that draining of a week). All in all, I wrote a page in my WIP (better than nothing), and today, I finally sat down and wrote the poem for this week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/13/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-21-2-13-24-part-ii-the-beginning-of-spring-february-3-20-risshun-%e7%ab%8b%e6%98%a5-24/" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/category/colleens-books/" target="_blank">Colleen Chesebro</a> explained that we are still in Early Spring. She also shared the 24 solar terms and how they are separated by fifteen degrees, which stuck with me. You can see the chart <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/13/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-21-2-13-24-part-ii-the-beginning-of-spring-february-3-20-risshun-%e7%ab%8b%e6%98%a5-24/" target="_blank">here</a>. These small shifts are important to farmers who must choose the right time to plant the next harvest. So, that's what I focused on.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I chose to write a <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#tanka" target="_blank">tanka </a>poem, which is five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllabic pattern. The third line is usually the pivot line so that the first three lines make one image and the last three lines create another image. My kigo phrase is bolded and italicized.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/crocuses-spring-meadow-spring-snow-2072985/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="856" data-original-width="1280" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJjxk6tprOTGrJC8XAQ3yLgP-_OAnHc556ggJcG-LN2KZNEu0v8pXrR5Z_tqzhPQQa84NQrejfozKbBjvR1tYsDZoGY7fim59ebI4B5mTiuE_tT5zLGfY7Pntl5_sNxuQrUPrVpUbk-TlXEinR4dtZFOyJvbSKIohQfsMd2fIABZacUYRpUFOvxeyGLOEV/w400-h268/crocuses-2072985_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/crocuses-spring-meadow-spring-snow-2072985/" target="_blank">@4533875</a> on Pixabay)</span></div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><div style="text-align: center;">Nature's Course</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">fifteen degree shift</div><div style="text-align: center;">unnoticed, important change</div><div style="text-align: center;">a bit more sunshine</div><div style="text-align: center;">time to <i><b>prepare the garden</b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;">slow and steady's still progress</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are you seeing any changes in the weather in your area? I'd love to hear from you. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Would you like to write a poem for this season? Join us <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/13/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-21-2-13-24-part-ii-the-beginning-of-spring-february-3-20-risshun-%e7%ab%8b%e6%98%a5-24/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-65635699669051161462024-02-08T18:46:00.002-05:002024-02-09T20:33:20.058-05:00#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Risshun #bussokusekika #beach @YvetteMCalleiro <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/06/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-20-2-6-24-part-i-the-beginning-of-spring-february-3-20-risshun-%e7%ab%8b%e6%98%a5-24/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLcd4rJd3pWIpqRZHvtspv_wRW8ipZfngI49rBdYnWHJUdd2eNdplDb51pKPVAXhOy0_teNModCNhWMBomF16Gaxg8Vw1Bg5FwL6WxmyDUDaaNEvDMvyyeRp9XQ48hRYeuVu_0Zs1kz-EzLK_BBVORG0yh7qUft5MmCp_wq9uWFJIAk_puexRW4SRkaNRu/w400-h400/TankaTuesday-challenges.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! This week, we move into the season of Risshun, or Early Spring, for our <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/06/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-20-2-6-24-part-i-the-beginning-of-spring-february-3-20-risshun-%e7%ab%8b%e6%98%a5-24/" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>. Colleen Chesebro reminds us that early Spring can bring false starts before true Spring begins. Mother Nature is being quite bipolar in my area right now.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This past weekend, I had a gorgeous day at the beach. The water was still a bit too cold to swim to the buoy and back, so I went for my walk to the jetty and back, which is about 1.5 miles, I think. I spent the whole day there with friends and only left when the sun started setting. Two days later, I was back to being bundled in a sweater and leather jacket, freezing my butt off.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">I enjoyed writing a <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#bussokusekika" target="_blank">bussokusekika </a>last week, so I decided to write another one this week. This poem has six lines with a 5-7-5-7-7-7 syllabic pattern. My kigo words are bolded and italicized. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-beauty-outdoors-casual-8293301/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1282" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2R1-htry4inLVuiooPmX5bCmGKtMmcse_1RD1naPAPQmb1_v1VTutKkbfbis5xXj_hKH5ykj_zYxWl8ONRiA3bOARNQtAbdP6_RluJE6eEFQIxDJ16v01IXZuH5-iFValPFterhhexBNOVVoKMvNZtV8A4YQgoQL59bWrx7-3ZzaXMWl1SDNfZp405B8S/w268-h400/woman-8293301_1920.jpg" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/woman-beauty-outdoors-casual-8293301/" target="_blank">@Vaivography</a> on Pixabay)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">oh, <b><i>lingering cold</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>crisp breeze</i></b> chills me to the bone</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Mother Nature laughs</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">beach one day, sweater the next</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">such <b><i>indecisive weather</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">eager to sunbathe again</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I thought I'd share some pictures of the beautiful day I had at the beach. I'm hoping to be there again this Saturday if the weather stays in the high 70s. Fingers crossed!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9P55n_ucLvO-9ivWYCAVE-iovRSXy1Q0OCO7eQW44BUDyFHIFaDnGSeiEUXqS4YaWObNi2ewXUfEEM6jvh9HtkaUMnL2MF700kPAIbwITPisUC-k_7nEt8xpygH4I33EnkJKYn_M5VG2u-SqncMr_Z5Sh8bpYP4ArTPFSaf5FNarduYBvYMPX_d83Oyg/s1630/IMG_1314.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1630" data-original-width="1222" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9P55n_ucLvO-9ivWYCAVE-iovRSXy1Q0OCO7eQW44BUDyFHIFaDnGSeiEUXqS4YaWObNi2ewXUfEEM6jvh9HtkaUMnL2MF700kPAIbwITPisUC-k_7nEt8xpygH4I33EnkJKYn_M5VG2u-SqncMr_Z5Sh8bpYP4ArTPFSaf5FNarduYBvYMPX_d83Oyg/s320/IMG_1314.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgBYz8BTrjCqqwb_TZ9AdzPH6mZhLZ6nUC4lEH7GPSh6u-xEN94Cm1tjkSqrq82jugN-I8Hlv9ICpTpb_y8DisKX01RJiTxZfIS-H85FNpQbFRJXpTBz37tNifumLX_oWq6r4XWesvWh_uSgl-v_H0TMKC3AMqwDDdwk4Vag8mXftfva7kC6w9CkKryLZ/s1777/IMG_1317.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1777" data-original-width="1333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitgBYz8BTrjCqqwb_TZ9AdzPH6mZhLZ6nUC4lEH7GPSh6u-xEN94Cm1tjkSqrq82jugN-I8Hlv9ICpTpb_y8DisKX01RJiTxZfIS-H85FNpQbFRJXpTBz37tNifumLX_oWq6r4XWesvWh_uSgl-v_H0TMKC3AMqwDDdwk4Vag8mXftfva7kC6w9CkKryLZ/s320/IMG_1317.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Watching the waves break upon the shore before receding again</span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27pnrS8ub99EcxtKNMGfzaHVm7BdwTHo-Xe4n93-Dix5I1kCZY0Rv5aA6XZ8UIWN6_6dTEEu8d6fPsyKRX9hIcNc89WjyjAHt6aPX7NRJTQZzFnjiDLZ7ePUUezGFJFSjdemyphYPMYXcBkkshV94uf0p7lBCAoucqSkDFl01PhAQPnZaXw8Ho7FHeQnJ/s2016/IMG_1320.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27pnrS8ub99EcxtKNMGfzaHVm7BdwTHo-Xe4n93-Dix5I1kCZY0Rv5aA6XZ8UIWN6_6dTEEu8d6fPsyKRX9hIcNc89WjyjAHt6aPX7NRJTQZzFnjiDLZ7ePUUezGFJFSjdemyphYPMYXcBkkshV94uf0p7lBCAoucqSkDFl01PhAQPnZaXw8Ho7FHeQnJ/w640-h480/IMG_1320.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Trying to capture the birds</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8guPeaKZ6TlCIQ0X94X34XWpmqbZuZP_4ZMk2vl1VdLfVR9h5OdbxZdRII51OrCgMkyDE1DvxZLW4YkJW86GwhRTpragJkop6GCa5y0IEyjfGttn_K_9QZt2wP1ID0jh2GYox-ZigPbQ2TzizgsLZbiN0w5clAl_uE-GIm5Q6BdDlRHyfbUtRE4V8m0B/s2016/IMG_1322.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8guPeaKZ6TlCIQ0X94X34XWpmqbZuZP_4ZMk2vl1VdLfVR9h5OdbxZdRII51OrCgMkyDE1DvxZLW4YkJW86GwhRTpragJkop6GCa5y0IEyjfGttn_K_9QZt2wP1ID0jh2GYox-ZigPbQ2TzizgsLZbiN0w5clAl_uE-GIm5Q6BdDlRHyfbUtRE4V8m0B/w240-h320/IMG_1322.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">On my walk to the jetty and back</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Has Mother Nature been having a laugh in your area? I'd love to hear from you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you would love to join this week's poetry challenge, click <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/02/06/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-20-2-6-24-part-i-the-beginning-of-spring-february-3-20-risshun-%E7%AB%8B%E6%98%A5-24/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div></div></div></div>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-3784264684865821202024-02-01T21:14:00.004-05:002024-02-08T18:23:39.032-05:00#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Daikan #Bussokusekika #wintersparrow #Imbolc #winter @YvetteMCalleiro <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22NyVPgEuuS74I5PtcvIkTx31e8FRM4qIdirewcTz93wu2RgkcbAvOttJR20xsEQ0KrXcdfS5rJjCe5FOKvgpgR1SaEq9jyh4XmKPhppgmoYAsUzGra5s0h5pzUWXPa8PUdx1OA4lKLEiiFJoyfj_Tx1kKVMCy-g7tDpjPVvaNT9-YoNFoJvgCilt6GhB/s1280/Tanka-Tuesday.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22NyVPgEuuS74I5PtcvIkTx31e8FRM4qIdirewcTz93wu2RgkcbAvOttJR20xsEQ0KrXcdfS5rJjCe5FOKvgpgR1SaEq9jyh4XmKPhppgmoYAsUzGra5s0h5pzUWXPa8PUdx1OA4lKLEiiFJoyfj_Tx1kKVMCy-g7tDpjPVvaNT9-YoNFoJvgCilt6GhB/w400-h300/Tanka-Tuesday.webp" width="400" /></a></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Happy February, beautiful readers! I cannot believe how quickly January came and went. It was a busy month, and I accomplished most of my goals. I wrote almost every day - either 30 minutes on my WIP or 30 minutes writing a poem. I am reading every weekday during my half-hour lunch. I exercise every morning for about 10-20 minutes, depending on the routine, and I'm trying to walk twice a week in the afternoon (I struggle with that part). Still, all in all, I am quite happy with my progress for January.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For this week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/30/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-19-1-30-24-part-ii-deep-cold/" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>, we are still in the season of Daikan, or Deep Cold, and we definitely dipped into deep cold (for South Florida) this week. We got into the high 40s (one night)/low 50s (at least in the mornings, then the high 60s/low 70s by the afternoon before dipping again). And I can confirm that I am not meant for the cold. It gave me an excuse to wear my few sweaters and my leather jacket, but I am ready for the warmth to come back. Unfortunately, the next two weeks don't look promising.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This week, <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/category/colleens-books/" target="_blank">Colleen Chesebro</a> has challenged us to write a series of bussokuseki poems, which is similar to a tanka poem but has an extra line of seven syllables at the end. So, the syllabication pattern is 5-7-5-7-7-7. She's asked us to try to write three of these poems, each using one of the following three kigo phrases:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">1. Imbolc or groundhog day</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">2. Depth of winter</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">3. Winter sparrow</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This one took some thought for me, and I haven't had much time to think. Hopefully, you'll enjoy what I've created.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/sparrow-frozen-winter-birds-branch-3123070/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1280" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmOaUB1vQi4oRNpN6uPeYgI_95uYp8e_tMPczSf5Dr8L0ljCDHzkTOJ7esiCBv2bYuOrO78pDtHv-TOyWU8W3qVkTt6AgfPSIF1k8CkDNTy6uw-46y5EA6W7TZimeDzzW21BbIxCwEqhWrzvw8DzPlQjInVa29DVgx9EaICzDT4lqzyrLZ0hbUj36TrJmT/s320/sparrow-3123070_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/sparrow-frozen-winter-birds-branch-3123070/" target="_blank">@AdinaVoicu</a> on Pixabay)</span></div></div><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><i>winter sparrow</i></b> flies</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">her song comforts in the cold</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">heard but rarely seen</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">a small gift of melodies</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">decorates the snowy trees</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">sweet, seasonal harmony</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/fire-flame-lights-bonfire-campfire-2560427/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNr8cvHhK3bUFyvT8PDkbuk72CuO6RUB_wZb9tii_TlwCKRcdfd_0-gIDN2VTASLHBUgoVSp2n0m_qM-HFeq7oPw4aLxribygnILiUnuYBJKWRe06TOj3MJmKbxEZ-CcwgCMCcF24WXBTa8Ckv200Nd09iO8sBs65GO9FPbDJvmqAntLu-xza3BKmGYxs/s320/fire-2560427_1920.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/fire-flame-lights-bonfire-campfire-2560427/" target="_blank">@StockSnap </a>on Pixabay)</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">relentless winter</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">burning bonfires for <b><i>Imbolc</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">banish body shakes</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">celebrate the coming Spring</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">make preparations today</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">and pray for winter's quick end</span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/feet-barefoot-sexy-toes-sand-1659412/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="1280" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD_wny1pqGR5OICco606hu45nBSrw7_2Kb63UAYfuqkmML7fSYfFH1dCAqSo5YPufg4roLUJ7sGHEgV1qZzx0cmSjQ5XTqV-Uqejp3W_Cpd36LJDe7cQjzP3hzs0h7J38FrteOMp_1iCIBBrYIEx1uPAiI8qIEGeLi7Y-y9gLX4OHfRGLY35GQJalbmUzU/s320/feet-1659412_1280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/feet-barefoot-sexy-toes-sand-1659412/" target="_blank">(courtesy of @moniquayle on Pixabay)</a></span></div><div style="font-size: large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">cold winds continue</span></div><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">some love the <b><i>depth of winter</i></b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I prefer summer</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">where my skin soaks up sun's warmth</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">and my toes dig deep in sand</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">may winter end, summer start</span></div></div></span></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span>Would you like to join us in writing a </span><span>bussokuseki? Click <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/30/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-19-1-30-24-part-ii-deep-cold/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span></div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-25596350415865955912024-01-31T00:00:00.068-05:002024-01-31T16:21:04.033-05:00January Book Reviews #bookreview #books #amreading #readingcommunity #poetry #poetrycommunity #fantasy #paranormal @PTLPerrin @JItakali @YvetteMCalleiro<p><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! I have started 2024 focused on reading and writing. Not only have I written for at least half an hour almost every day in January, I have also managed to review a few chapters for my critique group and have read a few books. I hope I can keep this rhythm for the entire year. Here are the books I read in January that deserve to be highlighted.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Terras-Anthem-Tetrasphere-Book-4-ebook/dp/B07XKMQF73/" style="background-color: #d9ead3; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="278" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR7m9uQp24p3QYUh0CJnIDw0MUBfTmZrPyHbnYLDPljqh-cqQGUxkoI-J2f3TQ3a113ocZTvQ17VMYYzI8HpUOVKUeKQ4FlcturBNqiyAPLW8Rp4zQERTDFDO8jFG_LC8hS6iLrTY1iTE-MSpXovdQs49jNN8RnG7lrWh6Z8ckEcS8V5fxaZsjab4ZI7y3/w268-h400/Capture.JPG" width="268" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Terras-Anthem-Tetrasphere-Book-4-ebook/dp/B07XKMQF73/" style="background-color: #d9ead3;" target="_blank">Terra's Anthem (Tetrasphere, Book 4)</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">by PTL Perrin</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Teen and Young Adult, Science Fiction</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages:</b> 284 pages</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Blurb: </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">Troubled Storm won’t risk losing someone else he loves. He won’t let anyone in, especially Sky, who has a nasty habit of breaking through his defenses. Then he’s taken off-world, and everything changes.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="color: #0f1111;">Millions of artifacts spread throughout the globe need healing before the planet is safe, and only four teens can fix them. They must do the impossible, or Terra and another planet whose fate is entwined with ours will die.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="color: #0f1111;">A looming war threatens to end humanity. A vicious alien has marked Jewel as his own against her will and would destroy the planet to claim her. Pax would give his life to free her. If either is lost, so is Terra. If every sentient species inhabiting our planet can cooperate, Terra may still be doomed.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="color: #0f1111;">In this compelling conclusion of the Tetrasphere series, only one thing can save the planet now. Will they discover it in time?</span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">My Review: </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">I cannot say enough fantastic things about this series. It was amazing! This book is the final book in the series, and I highly recommend you start at the beginning (<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XHW6YH7" target="_blank">here</a>). The "Star Children" have been called upon to save Terra from destroying itself. The problem is they can't do it alone and the other parties don't seem to know how to help them. While trying to figure that out, they also have to deal with Shaula trying to kidnap Jewel and claim her as his own.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">This story kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire ride. Every time they seem to make progress, something would happen to bring chaos into their lives. The author created a brilliant series with incredible creatures, all while infusing science and myths into her storyline. Her gift of description made the scenes jump off the pages. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">The story follows four characters, and each one tells part of the story in their own voice. In book one, it took a bit to get used to, but I'm so happy she told the story in this manner because I became invested in all four of them. Plus, there were certain scenes that only one character could truly explain to allow the reader to know what was happening. And the final solution to saving the world was just perfect! I loved this series and would highly encourage everyone to read it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/CROSSROADS-Winds-love-Poetry-Prose-ebook/dp/B092SS5VTB" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="423" data-original-width="269" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_gnlveqaHJX9pU9NIojuI1AIwMy-mSqtni646__Zvqb0Kulwo88RVciZaTGbHpKgfKeDMsz61bN2EPNgZdoFRFp25ya0zmwumDaDwYeVGBm3wb2Bw8yjcCl-zNjAXGTinznCUN5gTLKPA9JbGJDPlFwZ6Tw3bQ6yZFpG79u9IWTMJY30JzJxJt3OFCTAN/w254-h400/Capture.JPG" width="254" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://www.amazon.com/CROSSROADS-Winds-love-Poetry-Prose-ebook/dp/B092SS5VTB" target="_blank">Crossroads (Winds of Love): Poetry and Prose</a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">by Jude Itakali</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre: </b>Poetry</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages:</b> 162 pages</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Blurb: </b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><i><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #0f1111;">In love, at the crossroads of loneliness, we are often at our most vulnerable; longing and lust entangle, fear breeds deception, and love’s intimacy may pave the way to heartbreak’s horrors.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="color: #0f1111;">For alas the wind blows where the wind wants.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="color: #0f1111;">And yet it always carries hope</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="color: #0f1111;">Over 120 poems and prose-stories to blow you on a search for love, discovering ecstasies, suffering pains, and finding understanding.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;" /><span style="color: #0f1111;">Enjoy Free verse poems, poetic fiction stories, as well as poetry forms like Sonnets, haiku, ballads, tanka, etheree, and many more.</span></span></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">My Review: </b></span></div></div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">This book of poetry and prose is so beautifully written. I was exposed to Mr. Itakali's poetry through our <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/" target="_blank">TankaTuesday poetry group </a>and <a href="https://judeitakali.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">his blog</a> and fell in love with his brilliant way of weaving emotions into his words. This collection did not disappoint! Broken into different sections, the poet takes us on a journey through the different stages of love, creating scenes that are so easily relatable. </span></span><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">Some of my favorite poems were <i>Stuck on You</i>, <i>Sickness</i>, <i>True Love?</i>, <i>Dark Refuge</i>, <i>Abandoned by the Tide</i>, <i>Memory</i>, <i>Fighting Depression, Bars of Sorrow,</i> and<i> Endless Love.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">I also loved his poetic stories. In fact, those were some of my favorites! Here are a few that really resonated with me: <i>Marenga, Inflamed, </i>and <i>Beautiful Lies.</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">Interspersed were haikus that were just incredible, such as: </span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;">As the lioness lusts</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Pheromones disperse</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Driving suitors mad</i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></i></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">This collection dives deep into romantic love, betrayal, lust, passion, heartache, and everything in between. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves poetry.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">Have you read any great books this month? I'd love to hear about them.</span></div></div>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-41613122476604597622024-01-25T13:35:00.002-05:002024-01-26T10:14:31.753-05:00#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Daikan #Tanka #icyheart #snowstorms @YvetteMCalleiro <p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86ReRqY1iqVgCgzfTptDjdMUegXRAGhvf46MPBjQv5hEVkH3yTM_R7wWm4BKVqFoY1sj0gK-UY6HrW3rj600GXQiUt-3mPtORgKdcu4PLlSBRmNQYzw2OX09uvUg6SNKnbvIvpQlfYZa0euY15Y95Ujyq2rES8zpGrZ7jhXLhTlALKCepz42MCv6nWhC1/s2000/TankaTuesday-copy-2.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2000" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86ReRqY1iqVgCgzfTptDjdMUegXRAGhvf46MPBjQv5hEVkH3yTM_R7wWm4BKVqFoY1sj0gK-UY6HrW3rj600GXQiUt-3mPtORgKdcu4PLlSBRmNQYzw2OX09uvUg6SNKnbvIvpQlfYZa0euY15Y95Ujyq2rES8zpGrZ7jhXLhTlALKCepz42MCv6nWhC1/w400-h240/TankaTuesday-copy-2.webp" width="400" /></a><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! We entered a new season at the <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/23/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-18-1-23-24-part-i-deep-cold-january-20-february-2-daikan-%e5%a4%a7%e5%af%92/" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>. It is now Daikan, or Deep Cold. <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/category/colleens-books/" target="_blank">Colleen Chesebro</a> has challenged us to write a poem using the kigo words that represent the weather in our hemisphere. There isn't much change in the weather where I live, but the northern states have gotten a beatdown with winter storms.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">As I was thinking about icicles and a deep freeze, my brain went in another direction. A phrase stuck in my head, and I went with it. I decided to write a <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#tanka" target="_blank">tanka </a>poem. Tanka poems consist of five lines with a syllabic pattern of 5-7-5-7-7. The third line tends to be a pivot, essentially creating two separate poems within one. My kigo words are bolded and italicized. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/heart-3d-stone-white-pains-old-1463424/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1280" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCCI9v8Oc1CT-TpkjMgWDYDFP9Gf3V4iiyQsE36PurzKyEBu_aQPbIC49cV2SNXdby-jEBNm72M6421hs8jIDhqgXmpi-Q1gdgU-_QODa0BytO-Ro_59xltkf4xz_1lh8ptlCuNK-h36H_V5MbX4wu7vbgVMMGSa3cqr4nLHHUJ-35sq7exzURALSEZV6a/w400-h320/heart-1463424_1280.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/heart-3d-stone-white-pains-old-1463424/" target="_blank">@dimitriwittman</a> on Pixabay)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>snowstorms </i></b>wreak havoc</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>icy winds</i></b> isolate all</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">loneliness <b><i>chills </i></b>me</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">my heart's <b><i>frozen to the core</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">never to be <b><i>thawed </i></b>again</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Now, don't go worrying about me. 😉 I'm not depressed. I'm very much in a good place in my life. I just thought of all those people isolated in their homes because of the freezing weather and that led me down this path. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Do you ever feel isolated because of weather? I'd love to hear from you.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Would you like to write a poem of your own? Join our fabulous group <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/23/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-18-1-23-24-part-i-deep-cold-january-20-february-2-daikan-%e5%a4%a7%e5%af%92/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div></div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-71902622854438622162024-01-20T08:50:00.000-05:002024-01-20T08:50:51.536-05:00#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Shokan #Haibun #homeless #veterans @YvetteMCalleiro <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLghztTx7lN6hwOyaHAGdFBdeTJZONL8ppMQ1YQFYb125lxCCGLf9g2PMbxE2J9XiHhMhtvzCSObGVwtbKa1sEEfFh-U3MvLHBNjKfImbMVBB4f_atcYlfK7tAJkarkqbErp3FPqbQ_9tv4Oa9MPnlagqhViwibYNRemJzbdsaEYdL8nBiA10ERfiuPvt3/s1536/TankaTuesday-1.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLghztTx7lN6hwOyaHAGdFBdeTJZONL8ppMQ1YQFYb125lxCCGLf9g2PMbxE2J9XiHhMhtvzCSObGVwtbKa1sEEfFh-U3MvLHBNjKfImbMVBB4f_atcYlfK7tAJkarkqbErp3FPqbQ_9tv4Oa9MPnlagqhViwibYNRemJzbdsaEYdL8nBiA10ERfiuPvt3/w400-h240/TankaTuesday-1.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p style="font-size: large;">Hello, beautiful readers! I hope you are well. If you live in the Northern hemisphere and are enduring the freezing weather, I hope you are able to stay warm and safe. We've had a few windy weeks which has kept me from my beloved beach, but my sister and I have found a few moments to go bike riding. Last weekend, we complete a 16-mile ride, partly against the wind, which was a challenge but I loved it. Later this afternoon, we are hoping to visit another park for some more bike riding.</p><p style="font-size: large;">For this week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/16/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-17-1-16-24-part-iii-early-cold-january-5-20-shokan-%e5%b0%8f%e5%af%92-poets-choice/#" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>, <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/category/colleens-books/" target="_blank">Colleen Chesebro </a>has asked us to choose a poetic form and kigo word of our choice. Yesterday, my sister, who sponsors a high school spoken word poetry club, shared with me a video of her team's group piece. Its focus on was partly on homelessness. As I sat down to work on the poem for this challenge, my thoughts turned to those with no shelter to protect them from the elements.</p><p style="font-size: large;">I enjoyed writing a <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#haibun" target="_blank">haibun </a><a href="https://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com/2024/01/tankatuesday-weekly-poetry-challenge_13.html" target="_blank">last week</a>, so I decided to write another one this week. I chose to use <i style="font-weight: bold;">winter wind</i> for my kigo.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAazWxc4NIoIAUAlP1BXTkem0WAC8mwEvhEaKnf6sxLY8tLrGJ6s9-IdJnEAmXOtdN2eZPQUnlTz1CWsv69UorTcUxVosivl-rcCnsz6nRc8yYSxUVbApzShv0kLwKw0AHviHdfNi_ta5d4jOCPfNUh15UdH-2tqwSeccszvqyjXJrk_bzI2Udvpijppf5/s1280/wanderer-814222_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAazWxc4NIoIAUAlP1BXTkem0WAC8mwEvhEaKnf6sxLY8tLrGJ6s9-IdJnEAmXOtdN2eZPQUnlTz1CWsv69UorTcUxVosivl-rcCnsz6nRc8yYSxUVbApzShv0kLwKw0AHviHdfNi_ta5d4jOCPfNUh15UdH-2tqwSeccszvqyjXJrk_bzI2Udvpijppf5/w400-h266/wanderer-814222_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/wanderer-people-man-sleep-tramp-814222/" target="_blank">@Ben_Kerckx </a>on Pixabay)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Unseen</div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: left;"> He lies on the frigid concrete with his back pressed against the uncaring building. His tattered bookbag breaks the icy wind's assault on his face while the sleeping bag a kind soul gave him attempts to prevent his body from getting frostbite. He had signed on the dotted line many moons ago to give his life for our country never realizing his life would become meaningless upon his return from war. He is the unseen, unwanted, and unhoused, and he is cold...so very cold.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b><i>winter wind</i></b> chills bones</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;">layers of dirt give no heat</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;">homeless need love's warmth</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Would you like to write a poem with us this week? Join our group <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/16/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-17-1-16-24-part-iii-early-cold-january-5-20-shokan-%e5%b0%8f%e5%af%92-poets-choice/#" target="_blank">here</a>. All are welcome! :-)</div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-69506797020515847362024-01-13T08:41:00.001-05:002024-01-13T08:41:57.326-05:00#TankaTuesday Weekly #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Shokan #Haibun #snowfight #snow @YvetteMCalleiro <p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKRS98-3hHGd5GrZ4h8NIw_FaMKUOJyap8Cpdl-wmEB6B0PQy2QZHZ0e0s96wmuyCelp70XRysws9ApitXd0HRPvjC9hFb4NfU44lmu4_DmYPJwtqh0rJ5mUteaBQPiMBVtFSD03oms_hcTXzu8JqwSf3ZnhSq08nQLkkIUCns2b4sGE57ckOLihBI5Kq/s1536/TankaTuesday-copy-1.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEKRS98-3hHGd5GrZ4h8NIw_FaMKUOJyap8Cpdl-wmEB6B0PQy2QZHZ0e0s96wmuyCelp70XRysws9ApitXd0HRPvjC9hFb4NfU44lmu4_DmYPJwtqh0rJ5mUteaBQPiMBVtFSD03oms_hcTXzu8JqwSf3ZnhSq08nQLkkIUCns2b4sGE57ckOLihBI5Kq/w400-h240/TankaTuesday-copy-1.webp" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><p>Hello, beautiful readers! School started back up again this week, and so did my busy schedule. It's the morning of day 13 of 2024, and I'm proud to say I was able to write for thirty minutes on eleven of the twelve days that have passed. Ten of those days were spent making progress on Drake's story. I used the other day to write something else. </p><p>I have also completed a 15-20 home workout every morning, did an indoor walking exercise one afternoon (weather hasn't been conducive for walking outside), and used my sauna once. Not quite the goal I had hoped for, but it's still more than I had been doing, so I'm happy with my progress. It's been a stressful week for me with a lot happening, so last night was my first opportunity to look at my email and visit my favorite blogs, including <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/category/colleens-books/" target="_blank">Colleen Chesebro's</a> <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/09/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-16-1-9-24-part-ii-early-cold-january-5-20-shokan-%e5%b0%8f%e5%af%92/" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>.</p><p>This week's invitation was to write a <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#haibun" target="_blank">haibun</a> using the kigo words for Early Cold, the Shokan season. A haibun is a paragraph of prose (storytelling) with a haiku attached. The haiku has three lines with approximately 12-17 syllables, depending on whether you use the 3-5-3, 2-3-2, or 5-7-5 pattern. </p><p>With all the stress that has surrounded me this week, the first thing that came to my mind when I thought of the traditional kigo words for Early Cold was snow. Obviously, we do not have snow here in South Florida, but a memory came to me so vividly that I felt myself smile and relax as I gave in to reliving that moment. So, I knew I would use it for my haibun.</p><p>For those of you new to my blog, since my son was very young, we have spent the summers traveling the USA, usually with my parents. I shared our journeys at the beginning of 2023 through a series of blogs which you can visit <a href="https://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com/2023/01/a-day-in-my-life-day-29-rrbcorg-2023.html" target="_blank">here</a>. In July 2017, we visited the West Coast, where my son saw snow for the first time on the top of Crater Lake National Park. He then saw snow again at Government Camp in Oregon and at Mt. Hood. So, I'll use the kigo word <i>snow</i> in my haibun to capture that moment.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBruw7M0P7HTCg0w5w7vFvpxO5zdO_nOaNFZZPL9DM9gDvZ_iKDFWckitoxybr7qTeRyOzKhQBnu0uwIuvygAWDSqcDEky9FP2PWZ9Q492IefgD-64FU3x9D9Jui4JQWVAXkP3PS5dVAQDbmmkp2elTdq_DxERufkhH2eYDtbnNhJreZBUXxbbmj1xwj8D/s1536/FullSizeRender.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="852" data-original-width="1536" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBruw7M0P7HTCg0w5w7vFvpxO5zdO_nOaNFZZPL9DM9gDvZ_iKDFWckitoxybr7qTeRyOzKhQBnu0uwIuvygAWDSqcDEky9FP2PWZ9Q492IefgD-64FU3x9D9Jui4JQWVAXkP3PS5dVAQDbmmkp2elTdq_DxERufkhH2eYDtbnNhJreZBUXxbbmj1xwj8D/w400-h223/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p style="text-align: center;">First Snow</p><p style="text-align: left;">My son squealed as we rounded yet another bend on our way to the top of the mountain. The narrow, winding road opened to a vast hill on its right side with the most beautiful <i><b>white blanket of snow</b></i>. Unable to contain his excitement at seeing <i><b>snow </b></i>for the first time, he begged me to pull over, which I did. We climbed the embankment, and I watched in delight as my son picked up the <b><i>icy, powdery substance</i></b> in his hands for the first time. I barely acknowledged the <b><i>brisk, chilly, breeze</i></b> that came down the mountain; my heart warmed my soul with the breathtaking sight in front of me - a child's pure joy.</p><div style="text-align: center;"><div><i><b>snow fight</b></i> on a hill</div><div>mother reverts to a child</div><div>loud laughter echoes</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BS5UCIraI6M" width="320" youtube-src-id="BS5UCIraI6M"></iframe></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Do you remember the first time you (or your children) saw snow? I'd love to hear about it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">If you'd like to write a poem and join us in this challenge, click <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/09/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-16-1-9-24-part-ii-early-cold-january-5-20-shokan-%e5%b0%8f%e5%af%92/" target="_blank">here</a>. </div></div></span><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-33166149683697001622024-01-04T12:52:00.000-05:002024-01-04T12:52:05.163-05:00#TankaTuesday Weekly #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Shokan #BadgersHexastich #Floridawinter #winter @YvetteMCalleiro <p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrDYKbPGqseae2SLqt0THQ9mY0BhK-y6VMIdgO5srsQ1hWMajb5Bz4ERPZ6SEk_1fHx-rUNRLhpkov3id3_3iZbZQDMZiphYvWI_cA9N2QgBCMa_TfMwAV7svnNiDDujss-2XsXluOFjRvzWOHJlJaIS3_Y1ffxJpGe8ht2pLy66bPZJ_haxxxJr6CSP1/s1536/TankaTuesday-copy.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDrDYKbPGqseae2SLqt0THQ9mY0BhK-y6VMIdgO5srsQ1hWMajb5Bz4ERPZ6SEk_1fHx-rUNRLhpkov3id3_3iZbZQDMZiphYvWI_cA9N2QgBCMa_TfMwAV7svnNiDDujss-2XsXluOFjRvzWOHJlJaIS3_Y1ffxJpGe8ht2pLy66bPZJ_haxxxJr6CSP1/w400-h240/TankaTuesday-copy.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! Happy New Year! I'm excited to share that I am writing once again. I've written two chapters of Drake's story, and I am eager and excited about finishing his story this year. The goal is June, so fingers crossed I make it. I am also hoping to write more poetry this year, which brings me to this post.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For this week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/02/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-15-1-2-24-part-i-early-cold-january-5-20-shokan-%e5%b0%8f%e5%af%92/#" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challeng</a>e, Colleen Chesebro introduced the season of Shokan, or Early Cold. The challenge was to use kigo (seasonal) words that represent this season in our area of the world. This past week was a bit cold for me. We had temperatures in the high 40s at night on one or two nights (mostly, it was in the 50s, but that's still cold for me). And now, we are moving into better weather (60s at night and high 70s/low 80s during the day). </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I chose to write a double <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#badger-s-hexastich" target="_blank">Badger's Hexastich</a>. This poetry form has six unrhymed lines with a syllabication pattern of 2-4-6-6-4-2. My kigo words are bolded and italicized within the poem. I chose this form because I needed a form that had four syllables on one line. My sister, niece, and I went biking and hiking in the Florida National Everglades Park on New Year's Day, and as we were leaving, we were gifted with the most beautiful sunset. So, I wanted that to be a part of my poem.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/tree-bare-tree-winter-tree-sunset-3194803/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN8NgyULRWrr4YeMHNOcHSKciFsQqp_KUNDPeZlI9dAC5oIx4vNmVV7aEBJYfZKitl7m5oXSs3dOKHBCmop3MecpONrzE9HhW19Gq9nES4Y8VIv98-nNzec63V8kUghmQ4Uid19FedWrWDHfFC1oHj3CTWRF1VrluggoVs8tsqPHQK86jTZ8j8d0RzX8aa/w400-h266/tree-3194803_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/tree-bare-tree-winter-tree-sunset-3194803/" target="_blank">@MabelAmber</a> on Pixabay)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Florida Winters</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">clear skies</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>stunning sunsets</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">brush strokes in fiery red</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a few <b><i>wintery days</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>sweater weather</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>brisk breeze</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">next day</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">sun's heat returns</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">winds die down, bring calm waves</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">sunbathing commences</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">South Florida</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>winters</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Would you like to join our poetry fun? Join us <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2024/01/02/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-15-1-2-24-part-i-early-cold-january-5-20-shokan-%e5%b0%8f%e5%af%92/#" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-15970275903107909992024-01-03T00:00:00.003-05:002024-01-03T10:26:11.474-05:00Author Spotlight - Maureen Twomey, Author of Before, Afdre, and After (My stroke... oh what fun) #author #authorspotlight #memoir #stroke #strokesurvivor #meettheauthor #RRBC @Maureen_2me @YvetteMCalleiro<p><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! I have the pleasure of introducing you to a remarkable woman and author, Maureen Twomey! She is the author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-Afdre-After-stroke-what/dp/0986331503/" target="_blank">Before, Afdre, and After (My stroke...oh what fun)</a>. As you can tell from the title, Maureen survived a stroke and wrote a book to share her experience. I read her book in November, and you can read my review <a href="https://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com/2023/11/november-book-review-bookreview-books.html" target="_blank">here</a>. I am excited to help you get to know this incredible lady!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VyNJbaGb-DdxBTBm5zXlfQgRoP9JltriJcrdOQ85ctSPd6n3jDQEAXSJ9ZP4mYPKu6UVhQDvy2KEo-0o6M4XfCqebhTUO-T1tzZT5sUnKR-nHqWuMeXJ5Wrr-3eQLx7biooogGnUFo8qc8NdYD_9iWzrRLeM-o_Yotz7DxPdNi0x0xJFJmigLeJjPIwD/s512/mt.JPG" style="background-color: #d9ead3; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="385" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6VyNJbaGb-DdxBTBm5zXlfQgRoP9JltriJcrdOQ85ctSPd6n3jDQEAXSJ9ZP4mYPKu6UVhQDvy2KEo-0o6M4XfCqebhTUO-T1tzZT5sUnKR-nHqWuMeXJ5Wrr-3eQLx7biooogGnUFo8qc8NdYD_9iWzrRLeM-o_Yotz7DxPdNi0x0xJFJmigLeJjPIwD/w301-h400/mt.JPG" width="301" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">Maureen and I spoke over the phone so I could interview her. Since her stroke, writing has been a challenge, but I'll let her tell her story below.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">Why did you choose to write this book?</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">I always wanted to write a story, but when the stroke happened in June 2000 (at the age of 33 years old), writing took a backseat. I initially lost all function on my right side as well as my ability to communicate. So, recovering from the stroke was my priority. As I got better, I decided I wanted to write about my stroke.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">My teacher, Ellen Gilbert, agreed to type it for me since I didn't have much control of my right hand or the ability to concentrate for long periods of time (now I write with my left hand), so I shared my story. Laura Mazer, my editor, introduced me to Brooke Warner, who helped me find a team to get my book published. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What do you love most about writing?</b></span></div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">I've always enjoyed being creative. I wrote a story in second grade that will remain unpublished. I have always had a quirky sense of humor. I created a career in copywriting and creating ads. I originally was thinking of going into movies, but I knew I didn't have the voice for that. So, I figured I could go into creative writing. Right out of college, I worked a few jobs before becoming a copywriter. I remember one time when one of my friends pointed out a commercial he loved, and it was one that I had written, which made me elated. I knew that's what I wanted to do in my life.</span></span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">How did you decide to write about this topic?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">I wrote this to share what happened to me. I hope no one ever has to go through what I've been through, but if my story could help them in any way, I knew I had to tell it.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What was one of the valuable lessons you learned through the process of writing this book?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">One of the valuable lessons I learned is that it's okay to ask for help. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">(<i>As I read Maureen's story, one of the lessons I took away from her journey was how many kind-hearted people surround us and we don't even realize it.)</i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">How long did it take you to write this book?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">Well, I had the stroke in 2000. I don't remember exactly when the idea came to me to write the story because, at first, I was just focused on getting my body and mind to work the way it once had. (That is an ongoing journey.) I finished writing the book in 2015.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">How do you like to connect with readers?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">It's been about nine years since I published, so I don't really promote it as much as I once did. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;">What do you hope readers take away from your book?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">I hope readers enjoy my memoir. I want readers to know that I didn't give up and kept pushing to get back to my life. And though I could never get back to my old job, I do volunteer whenever I can.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">~o~</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">Thank you for speaking with me, Maureen. I am in awe of your strength and your positive energy. I hope everyone reads your story, and I hope it instills a zest for life within every reader.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-Afdre-After-stroke-what/dp/0986331503" style="background-color: #d9ead3; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="357" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMkTADG4M8tgMlLC12lhoaY5NrPFtPABCLNWApMQDNDcE3q35vrzcWslrXhltZcStb02i51IqPlqFIRQRubTTHj6LZMSrkxaqUHd8-8coZ2ImgEgy0am1iTSPt9_St5ju_KGvK_Y6AJQvfLJ-X_n26UVoOKQE6cQmUtosm203KIHFeTCaQsuX5-lAMhZw-/w270-h400/baa.JPG" width="270" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-Afdre-After-stroke-what/dp/0986331503" style="background-color: #d9ead3;" target="_blank">Before, Afdre, and After (My stroke... oh what fun)</a></span></div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Book Blurb:</b></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;">When Maureen Twomey was only thirty-three years old, she experienced a massive stroke-one that took away her ability to read, write, walk, and even speak (AAAAAAAHHH!!). Well, she wasn't about to go down without a fight. In Before, Afdre and After, Twomey offers a sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes comical, and ultimately inspiring glimpse at what it is to lose everything when you're supposed to be in the prime of your life-and what it takes to get it back, piece by tiny piece.</i></span></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></i></span></span></div><div><p style="margin-left: 0.25in;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: inherit;">“I never thought I’d say this and mean it: This book will make you laugh and it will make you cry. It’s a joyous, inventive journey through loss and recovery, and Maureen’s spirit shines through in this blueprint for living a full, blessed and loving life. Read it now, you fools!!”</span></p><span><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: inherit;">—Jeff Kreisler, author of <i>Get Rich Cheating</i> and <i>Dollars and Sense: How We Misthink Money and How Spend Smarter</i></span></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5MW5aXJPmP8ENdyrh_zssVXf1hC2mY6t2vCu-eviWYOukYIyhb7Kk9KbpMcEKiVTVwBf-QE9jAG4BjH02Pkytqqlqhi_X56Y2e4KarhhlgTZBl2Tq8WBPr1p4bFumeQ2bvGqN6c-IL3l5AxqqqeQ0h4LYWADcRIJLKc4saYYSXWsqEptT1T3ArE9GH0_/s640/18739691_10209123516340482_8493930000042049739_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB5MW5aXJPmP8ENdyrh_zssVXf1hC2mY6t2vCu-eviWYOukYIyhb7Kk9KbpMcEKiVTVwBf-QE9jAG4BjH02Pkytqqlqhi_X56Y2e4KarhhlgTZBl2Tq8WBPr1p4bFumeQ2bvGqN6c-IL3l5AxqqqeQ0h4LYWADcRIJLKc4saYYSXWsqEptT1T3ArE9GH0_/w300-h400/18739691_10209123516340482_8493930000042049739_n.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Before Maureen Twomey's stroke, she graduated from UCLA, and she went on to work for several advertising agencies as a creative copywriter. Then, at the age of 33, she had a major stroke (Aaaaaaah!). Well thankfully, her sense of humor is still intact. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-Afdre-After-stroke-what/dp/0986331503" target="_blank">Before, Afdre, and After (My stroke … oh what fun)</a> tells her story with honesty, sometimes moving, sometimes funny, and ultimately inspiring.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Connect with Maureen here:</span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Maureen_2me" style="background-color: #d9ead3;" target="_blank">Twitter</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://maureentwomey.wordpress.com/" style="background-color: #d9ead3;" target="_blank">Website</a></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/maureen.2me/" style="background-color: #d9ead3;" target="_blank">Instagram</a></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaureenTwomeyAuthor/" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-size: medium;">Thank you for joining us today. We'd love to hear from you in the comments below. :-)</span></div>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-74547551323740682162023-12-31T00:00:00.020-05:002023-12-31T00:00:00.144-05:002023 Reading Challenge and End of Year Celebration! #2023readingchallenge #booksread #readingcommunity #happynewyear #fortheloveofreading @DWallacePeach @MarciaMeara @VashtiQV @dlfinnauthor @PTLPerrin<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDPOk8PjxXQwncA8FSXUamib_5AEWZuxRs1Pa4edq1At3XARD-ak_P9QgniGQTrJhTQBEAn36THpcGAkB9hRsDaJOdM4gImqh1Oqy2BT8J5GI-DHdk02P5T-KG5og9eUYZ-3bdrARuvSQ-UN2nPRnY7c-sz29v3w1h24rRNS_qzGR4sWkMqAmOnFN5R1t/s674/2023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="674" data-original-width="329" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrDPOk8PjxXQwncA8FSXUamib_5AEWZuxRs1Pa4edq1At3XARD-ak_P9QgniGQTrJhTQBEAn36THpcGAkB9hRsDaJOdM4gImqh1Oqy2BT8J5GI-DHdk02P5T-KG5og9eUYZ-3bdrARuvSQ-UN2nPRnY7c-sz29v3w1h24rRNS_qzGR4sWkMqAmOnFN5R1t/w312-h640/2023.JPG" width="312" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! Every year, I participate in the<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/11633-2023-reading-challenge" target="_blank"> Goodreads yearly reading challenge</a>. Knowing I had little time to read, I set my goal for 20 books and surprised myself by reading 28! Granted, some of those were short stories, but I'll take it!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I enjoyed all the books I read this year, and to see my reviews, click <a href="https://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com/p/my-reviews.html" target="_blank">here</a>. If I had to pick my top five favorites, these are the books I loved the most this year:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Necromancers-Daughter-D-Wallace-Peach-ebook/dp/B0B92G7QZX/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2OG58PXR6HLAE&keywords=The+Necromancer%27s+Daughter+by+D.+Wallace+Peach&qid=1703891474&sprefix=the+necromancer%27s+daughter+by+d.+wallace+peach%2Caps%2C108&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Necromancer's Daughter</a> by D. Wallace Peach</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Finding-Hunter-Riverbend-Book-2-ebook/dp/B014Q8F1UU/ref=sr_1_1?crid=12EQS948CQXUK&keywords=Finding+Hunter+by+Marcia+Meara&qid=1703891490&sprefix=finding+hunter+by+marcia+meara%2Caps%2C89&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Finding Hunter</a> by Marcia Meara</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Rise-Gadreel-Fantasy-Angels-Book-ebook/dp/B08Q2HBVNN/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3IIC26XUK6GEE&keywords=The+Rise+of+Gadreel+by+Vashti+Quiroz-Vega&qid=1703891510&sprefix=the+rise+of+gadreel+by+vashti+quiroz-vega%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1" target="_blank">The Rise of Gadreel</a> by Vashti Quiroz-Vega</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Voice-Viracocha-Tetrasphere-Book-3-ebook/dp/B07XN1PYK9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2IVJTA79DTNTM&keywords=Voice+of+Viracocha+by+PTL+Perrin&qid=1703891525&sprefix=voice+of+viracocha+by+ptl+perrin%2Caps%2C105&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Voice of Viracocha</a> by PTL Perrin</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trees-Shadow-collection-stories-nightmares-ebook/dp/B0BWL7LX9K/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1YGX2J2RFUYFI&keywords=In+the+Tree%27s+Shadows+by+DL+Finn&qid=1703891539&sprefix=in+the+tree%27s+shadows+by+dl+finn%2Caps%2C91&sr=8-1" target="_blank">In the Tree's Shadows</a> by DL Finn</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I did not write as much as I had hoped, but I did start writing again. I have every intention of finishing Drake's story in 2024. I have put off finishing that book for too long. So it is written, so shall it be! 😉 </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I also hope to read at least twenty books again next year. Reading and writing are true joys in my life, so I intend to incorporate them more mindfully in 2024. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I wish you all a blessed new year and hope you surround yourself with love, laughter, and positive energy all year long. Happy New Year! 😊</span></div><br /><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-71904866703139569302023-12-30T11:53:00.005-05:002023-12-30T11:55:53.293-05:00#TankaTuesday Weekly #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Touji #abhanga #boxingday #NewYearsEve @YvetteMCalleiro <p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/12/26/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-14-12-26-23-part-ii-winter-solstice-december-21-january-4-touji-%e5%86%ac%e8%87%b3/#" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidmg7wK2yDN_vfAMiTXtQQuQzPK8_nx2ptz_ga4L2TY4Yz38EV3zCzLcUgNJv0trarP-ZRvh2xDpj3fcoXmqySIQ6jOAt7_qQiITCAtVC6pJZ6Cqqt0i_sCRvF2KECvjr4j3wrudOmKW5dZgG3_SzXiTDWpPYs1onQ4bghrhYeKQfrUKL2GXTkWIps1KK4/w400-h240/TankaTuesday-copy-3.webp" width="400" /></span></a></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! I hope you are enjoying the winter holidays. For this week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/12/26/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-14-12-26-23-part-ii-winter-solstice-december-21-january-4-touji-%e5%86%ac%e8%87%b3/#" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>, <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/category/colleens-books/" target="_blank">Colleen Chesebro</a> has asked us to write a series of three <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#abhanga" target="_blank">Abhanga poems </a>with each stanza using a specific phrase:</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">#1 - Boxing Day</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">#2 - New Year's Eve</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">#3 - hot drinks</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">An Abhanga poem has four lines with a syllabic pattern of 6-6-6-4. The two inner lines rhyme, and the poem must have a title. It's pretty cold in South Florida right now (high 50s, low 60s), and while most of us don't have fireplaces, I know the warmth of a great campfire, so I captured that essence in my third stanza.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/feet-socks-cozy-comfortable-family-5558288/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="854" data-original-width="1280" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMasYmdLAjYLtetAlHwBZDho9fhSHdACYFnJq1Gt3Q6u8aK-0lH2U_SW5iYkE1RiJH7S-pN_jKmHpqdrGCQiJMAiUY4Y2JRNgwTkP0of6PfWdJhmEWsUhG_6SwC6VoiFuHe2M_AjX1noflUPO7JYT1sB-5CFC-gGUBcayCxyuiPudz1Ku07hakN2SVHM4w/w400-h268/feet-5558288_1280.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/feet-socks-cozy-comfortable-family-5558288/" target="_blank">@s-wloczyk2 </a>on Pixabay)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Memorable Moments</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">it is better to give</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">than to receive, they say</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">so ev'ry <b>Boxing Day</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">remember this</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">when <b>New Year's Eve</b> comes 'round</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">take note of what's now gone</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">embrace the coming dawn</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cherish new start</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">tasty, <b>hot drinks</b> in hand</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">cuddle close by the fires</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">storytelling transpires</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">love is abound</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Would you like to join us in writing poetry? Click <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/12/26/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-14-12-26-23-part-ii-winter-solstice-december-21-january-4-touji-%e5%86%ac%e8%87%b3/#" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><p></p><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-22792991585831194452023-12-30T00:00:00.047-05:002023-12-30T10:58:45.075-05:00December Book Reviews #bookreview #books #readingcommunity #poetry #poetrycommunity #dogs #ChristmasStory #vampires #fairies @dlfinnauthor @JacqBiggar @SusanneLeist @maurabeth2014 @JRWard1 @YvetteMCalleiro<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! I hope you are enjoying the holidays no matter what special days you celebrate. I have read great stories this month and am excited to share them with you. I've also written a few chapters of my current WIP. Hopefully, I can keep this reading/writing thing going into the new year because I've missed having the time to do both.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Forest-Where-Poetry-Blooms-ebook/dp/B0CFGHGM7S" target="_blank">Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms: Just Her Poetry Book Two</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">by D.L. Finn</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Deep-Forest-Where-Poetry-Blooms-ebook/dp/B0CFGHGM7S/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="366" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxOR2cSGxagsAIcjZQJms4HyYAz8YkL_r36HXJ_JoJfiNlGf4G0tyNL7eETj82wFFpVR1b0ULjiQVSKT6W1cVJuN9nt1hmC57Pea2nwitgWUdcKYUVJv72Pi3ieNcwHXHlYDx4wF0qH_gBTcgABD2gjKmIRyZfZkn9pgl2C_8q8TXLxITcm6qeXlJ0ut3l/w264-h400/br1.JPG" width="264" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Poetry</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages:</b> 186 pages</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Blurb:</span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>Embark on a captivating journey with D. L. Finn as she guides you through the intricate landscapes of free verse and symbolic poetry. Hike with her through the magical forest, feel the wind on your face riding on the back of a Harley, or bask on the warm Hawaiian shores. Her search for life’s magic invites the reader to traverse through the four seasons in part one. Emotions, observations, and stories weave through part two’s texture. Whether the words explore a sunset, healing, or magic, each poem flows through moments where poetry blooms.</i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>My Review:</b> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This is such a beautiful book of poetry. The author breaks the book into various themes, each section filled with gorgeous imagery and emotion. She starts with her freestyle poems and then shares syllabic poetry at the end of each section. She captures every season perfectly and allows the reader to immerse him/herself in the beauty of each time of year. Then, she shares poetry about nature, including the forest and the ocean and everywhere in between. She even includes poems about animals, both real and magical. The author is quite adventurous and shares poetry written while riding a Harley and while snorkeling.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I truly love all her poems but my favorites are her haibun poetry. She is an expert at this form, creating a story in just a paragraph that draws you in and makes you feel as if you are part of the scene and then ending with a few lines that just bring it all home. Just brilliant! If you love poetry, this is a definite must have!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Last-Year-Susanne-Leist-ebook/dp/B0CCT2S9LQ" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">My Last Year</span></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">by Nounous (Susanne Leist)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/My-Last-Year-Susanne-Leist-ebook/dp/B0CCT2S9LQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="358" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj33CIiSAvuhZWbWjNl5-GVDdBOzKr67tSJTQx0H6qOI2_OTsTxf5cPwSEiV0Se1aK0_MFWG2A_aJVYu-ebxIkbGxfXwQ3ZW4qi1WiAD3TshgB82VQHZs2CO9FSNDgmtefbxdDHe6zblEdkf2In67WW6cFHLMXxf8gFSRGyTOR1kNmlbLDxEGXwj2viILvk/w256-h400/br2.JPG" width="256" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Short Story</span></div></div><p></p><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages:</b> 12 pages</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Blurb:</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="background-color: #d9ead3; box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Nounous is a fourteen-year-old Maltese dog who loves people but loves his mother most. As he takes his last steps, he reminisces on life and worries about leaving his Mommy alone.</span></i></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="background-color: #d9ead3; box-sizing: border-box;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">His mother, Susanne Leist, is a paranormal suspense author and former financial analyst. When she isn’t writing her books, Susanne spends precious time with Nounous, her best friend and muse.</span></i></span></p></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>My Review:</b> </span></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This was such a sweet but sad story. Told from the point of view of the author's dog, the author takes us on a journey of her dog's last year in life and how his perspective has changed throughout the years. What is evident is his undying love for his owner. This is such a beautiful tale of a dog's love for his human. I can totally imagine pets feeling this love and having these thoughts. It's a bit sad, but it's also heartwarming, and I would encourage you to read it.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Me-Christmas-Wish-Novel-ebook/dp/B099PLKTM8/" target="_blank">Love, Me: A Christmas Wish Novel</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">by Jacquie Biggar</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Love-Me-Christmas-Wish-Novel-ebook/dp/B099PLKTM8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="566" data-original-width="352" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8A9gvXhf7xsjw7ryra3gNvK_z7rzW98dErafL0Oe3UUpAr2fW0GhK5uSYmr6fe0Dwd2XqwGtLUWBzacxyZQuWMgz2pvDgfFIOMrau3Mmwnm1feoj_iZxPqEwOMOsr_qnXAIN6i01eyoEgbnJYnPymyt_O6Ny4QPtZahwhaAHLuKmkQDUxkTkvW2w60Sxf/w249-h400/br3.JPG" width="249" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><p></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Short Story, Medical Fiction</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p></p><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages:</b> 176 pages</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Blurb:</span></b></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Will a Christmas wish bring two lonely hearts together and give a little girl the family she's always wanted?</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Single parent, Grace Donovan arrives in the small town of Emerson with the hope a trial program at the local cancer clinic will be the answer to prolonging her young daughter's life. She doesn't expect to fall for her handsome boss.</span></i></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />As principal of Emerson Elementary, Kyle Roberts is aware of the students' medical issues and his heart goes out to little Cassie Donovan and her mother. When he learns Grace needs a job, he fabricates a childcare program and is pleasantly surprised by its success. Now, if only he could help Cassie's recovery and get Grace to give him a chance before she learns of his duplicity.</span></i></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: 0px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Cassie Donovan barely remembers the father who died when she was just a toddler, but she does know her mother is sad. Even though Cassie wants a puppy more than anything, she gives up her wish to ask for a daddy from Santa Claus, that way if she gets sick again, Mommy won't be alone.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box;">This Christmas, two families are brought together by a Christmas wish and a child's need for a miracle.</span></i></span></p></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>My Review:</b> </span></div></div></div></div><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This was the perfect story for the holidays. Grace uproots her life to move closer to a clinic that has an experimental study to treat her daughter's cancer. She meets Kyle Roberts, the handsome and gregarious principal at her daughter's school, and there's an instant connection. Grace is so focused on her daughter's health that she pushes aside everything else. Luckily, two little girls take fate into their own hands to make sure they all have the perfect Christmas.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This story is told from three different perspectives: Grace, Kyle, and Cassie. The author seamlessly moves from each perspective to create an endearing story. It was easy to follow each character's part because the author used such distinct voices for each of them. I especially loved reading Cassie's innocent voice within the story.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">I could have easily read a full-length novel of this story, especially since there were many moments where I felt the author could have expanded or gave more backstory or side stories. That's not to say the story is incomplete because it isn't. It's more of a testament to how much I truly enjoyed the characters and their journey. If you are looking for a holiday story that will warm your heart, this is a great one to pick!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Where-Winter-Finds-You-Brotherhood-ebook/dp/B07QCQG4S4" target="_blank">Where Winter Finds You (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 17.5)</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">by J.R. Ward</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">(Adult Content)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLIQ0NFzyC_vYgVWCb_iDLHSSgBdlDh61_UoKI5rWSK1iq3rNFgKKJDXUCfgqqJ4pScC3Crmd7fsIgpWA8bqLSWLgoDQtyS9QbKfRHs-gAZ_MuhtxLVTy3xfFf4zMoRGFb9q6FXWrI4298tG3J0PtaQw1dUswB-l1VFmqyT9ytAa-g3Ljpo1Bnc9nUMXE/s401/bdb.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="401" data-original-width="247" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCLIQ0NFzyC_vYgVWCb_iDLHSSgBdlDh61_UoKI5rWSK1iq3rNFgKKJDXUCfgqqJ4pScC3Crmd7fsIgpWA8bqLSWLgoDQtyS9QbKfRHs-gAZ_MuhtxLVTy3xfFf4zMoRGFb9q6FXWrI4298tG3J0PtaQw1dUswB-l1VFmqyT9ytAa-g3Ljpo1Bnc9nUMXE/w246-h400/bdb.JPG" width="246" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Paranormal Vampire Romances</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p></p><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages:</b> 475 pages</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Blurb:</span></b></div></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">#1 </span><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;">New York Times</span><span class="a-text-bold" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-weight: 700;"> bestselling author J.R. Ward is heating things up this winter with a holiday novel featuring some of her most iconic Black Dagger Brothers.</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />When Trez lost his beloved to a tragic death (</span><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;">The Shadows</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;">, Black Dagger Brotherhood #13), his soul was crushed and his destiny seemed relegated to suffering. But when he meets a mysterious female, he becomes convinced his true love has been reincarnated. Is he right? Or has his grief created a disastrous delusion?<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Therese has come to Caldwell to escape a rift with her bloodline. The revelation that she was adopted and not born into her family shakes the foundations of her identity, and she is determined to make it on her own. Her attraction to Trez is not what she’s looking for, except the sexy Shadow proves to be undeniable.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Has fate provided a grieving widower with a second chance...or is Trez too blinded by the past to see the present for what it really is? In this sensual, arresting book full of the themes of redemption and self-discovery, two lost souls find themselves at a crossroads where the heart is the only compass that can be trusted...but that may require a courage that neither of them possesses.</span></i></span></div></div></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>My Review:</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><div>I always love coming back to the Black Dagger Brotherhood world. I am a huge fan of long series because I fall in love with the characters and never want to leave their world. The BDB men go through some tragic stuff, and sometimes their HEA dies. When Trez lost Selena, his whole world fell apart and he found himself wanting to give up on life altogether. Luckily, Fate had other plans and Therese walked into his life. It didn't hurt that she was the spitting image of Selena (and then some). </div><div><br /></div><div>I loved how this story came together. The author did an amazing job sharing Trez's struggle with Therese/Selena. Without giving away too much (because I hate spoilers), I loved how Tohrment played a role in saving him, given Tohr's own experience with losing his shellan. That moment brought tears to my eyes.</div><div><br /></div><div>Can you read this as a standalone story? Sure, but you won't have the vested love, interest, and understanding of all the characters. But even without that understanding, I still think it's a story you will enjoy. :-)</div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Fairy-Garden-Maura-Beth-Brennan-ebook/dp/B0BWYYH7Z4/" target="_blank">The Fairy Garden</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">by Maura Beth Brennan</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMUgegNeC7MvOItdDtgeaxJw-B0NQKafP2qw5EmIISmp1yT7OrXHFkKJ06NM8FvDKr49R7tje3ZgmUYJj8gnmZDu1DZaDaHUmTNrR7Aj6A701g7fDW4Qnt35WnEATFTdi0sA1IltPrXifPFy-pEheQN1LmmuqisC5debj3zZutmc_nmAGxm_QEG1a_B2w/s385/tfg.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="385" data-original-width="243" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMUgegNeC7MvOItdDtgeaxJw-B0NQKafP2qw5EmIISmp1yT7OrXHFkKJ06NM8FvDKr49R7tje3ZgmUYJj8gnmZDu1DZaDaHUmTNrR7Aj6A701g7fDW4Qnt35WnEATFTdi0sA1IltPrXifPFy-pEheQN1LmmuqisC5debj3zZutmc_nmAGxm_QEG1a_B2w/w253-h400/tfg.JPG" width="253" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Genre:</b> Short Story</span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p></p><div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><b>Pages:</b> 26 pages</span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Blurb:</span></b></div></div><div><b><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><span style="background-color: #d9ead3; color: #0f1111;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i>When Sara was very young, her grandmother told her magical stories about garden fairies who lived in the tulips. If she could just catch sight of one of these elusive creatures, her grandmother told her, her wish would be granted. Soon after, Sara overheard her family discussing how she had been adopted, and how her birth mother was a young girl, barely into her teens. After recovering from her shock, Sara vows to find that young girl and get to know her. Surely, she would have more in common with her birth mother than with her dull, ordinary adoptive family. That was the wish she asked the garden fairies to grant. Years later, when she is ready for college, she finds a way to meet her birth mother. But all does not go as she planned.</i></span></span></div><div><b><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></div><div><b style="font-size: large;">My Review:</b></div></div></div></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This short story focuses on the sensitive topic of adoption through the eyes of a child and her choices as she grows up. It begins with a seven-year old who adores her grandmother and believes in the fairies that her grandmother tells her live in the garden. Her imagination and beliefs are shattered when she overhears her mother mention that she's adopted. Sara struggles with accepting the love of her adopted family and yearns to be reunited with her "real" mother. She makes a wish on the fairies she no longer believes in and spends years waiting for the opportunity to make that wish come true. Her grandmother assured her that wishes do come true, though not always as she expects them to. And Sara finds that out the hard way.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">This story is a great read, though I wasn't always happy with Sara's behavior as a child. I don't know that I would have let things go as easily as she had at the end (no spoilers), but her reaction made sense. I'm happy that she finally understood and accepted the love of her family. :-)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Have you read any great stories lately? I'd love to hear from you. </span></div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-71713958880929581392023-12-26T00:00:00.003-05:002023-12-26T00:00:00.142-05:00#RRBC Books & Budz 6th Annual Holiday Pop-Up Bookshop #booksale #Holiday #BooksBudzPopUp #freebooks #bookshopping #readingcommunity<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpR08sXuc6Zb4swOvDok3CRjORtCileQBn4gZlEP0nBLjKtBteIjvZpZRO7BexRBTZ73yZyyIlBwaQwHahi-hgDQvSHcGQe2Wfjw4FLovsJp9KjTkAzpUYixB5lS-w2A-6DLYVu2imrWAKvSXs67lXU_ZRjGGAOUaweklwuAoTgXSBTTQ9l2rdaXNWqMN/s636/bb.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="302" data-original-width="636" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpR08sXuc6Zb4swOvDok3CRjORtCileQBn4gZlEP0nBLjKtBteIjvZpZRO7BexRBTZ73yZyyIlBwaQwHahi-hgDQvSHcGQe2Wfjw4FLovsJp9KjTkAzpUYixB5lS-w2A-6DLYVu2imrWAKvSXs67lXU_ZRjGGAOUaweklwuAoTgXSBTTQ9l2rdaXNWqMN/w640-h304/bb.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! I hope you all had a wonderful day yesterday. I wanted to invite you to a fantastic event that is happening right now. It's called the <a href="https://rrbcbooksbudzpopup2023.wordpress.com/" target="_blank">RRBC Holiday Pop-Up Bookshop</a>. It's a place where you can peruse a bunch of amazing books and shop to your heart's content. There are books ranging from FREE to $4.99! I've read most of them and can tell you that they are great reads!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">You can shop by <a href="https://rrbcbooksbudzpopup2023.wordpress.com/rrbc-booksbudzpopup-zone-by-price/" target="_blank">price</a>, by <a href="https://rrbcbooksbudzpopup2023.wordpress.com/rrbc-booksbudzpopup22-zone-by-author/" target="_blank">author</a>, or by <a href="https://rrbcbooksbudzpopup2023.wordpress.com/rrbc-booksbudzpopup-zone-by-genre/" target="_blank">genre</a>. I have several of my books at the bookshop as well. There are <a href="https://rrbcbooksbudzpopup2023.wordpress.com/rrbc-booksbudzpopup22-believable-or-not-game/" target="_blank">games </a>to play and prizes to win! There are <a href="https://rrbcbooksbudzpopup2023.wordpress.com/rrbc-grown-up-christmas-wishes-booksbudzpopup/" target="_blank">grown up Christmas lists</a> to read and wish upon. There's a <a href="https://rrbcbooksbudzpopup2023.wordpress.com/rrbc-holiday-booksbudzpopup22-party-lounge/" target="_blank">party lounge</a> where you can chat it up with the authors, too! There's even a <a href="https://rrbcbooksbudzpopup2023.wordpress.com/rrbc-booksbudzpopup-reading-room/" target="_blank">reading room</a> where you can listen to author's read an excerpt of their stories (I'm in there, too!).</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">All in all, it's a great place for you to spend some time surrounded by great books and amazing authors! The bookshop is open until December 31st so join us for a bit (and invite your friends)! :-)</span></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-61779731236674517842023-12-24T11:39:00.003-05:002023-12-24T11:39:49.406-05:002023 Nonnie Jules RWISA Supreme Book Award Winner - Breathless: A Short Story #awardwinning #greatread #RWISA #twistedfairytale #1920s #readingcommunity #shortstory<p> <span style="font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Hi, beautiful readers! My short story, </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1114285" style="font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;" target="_blank">Breathless</a><span style="font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;">, just won 2nd place in the </span><a href="https://rrbcbooksbudzpopup2023.wordpress.com/rrbc-booksbudzpopup22-join-rwisa/" style="font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;" target="_blank">2023 Nonnie Jules RWISA Supreme Book Award</a><span style="font-size: large; white-space-collapse: preserve;"> contest. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1114285" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="601" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipnpbspkPM90SR2xR2uNJRv1U7QBpv36I4Fz5vSQHF7U1idiemgfaxtdDP7QXnm6MGSXjKEkPtC1MUbxJ0XO84L75xsLDBgyEoF_y66APcxxi6gYwqoDoo8KE84IxzRn6XBjyEz9LxcTPg-DOIVQ8PrVgBIZX5zWyKcDOC2dq0j5nbn7XDs0K298gQTGJ/s320/br.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">If you haven't read my short story yet, you can grab a copy for free on Smashwords <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1114285" target="_blank">here</a>. If you prefer to purchase a copy on Amazon ($0.99), you can get it <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Breathless-Short-Story-Yvette-Calleiro-ebook/dp/B08BLVDHQX/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="white-space-collapse: preserve;">I hope you enjoy this twisted little fairy tale. If you read it, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it. :-)</span></span></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-11549340541648889692023-12-21T17:55:00.001-05:002023-12-21T17:55:42.669-05:00#TankaTuesday Weekly #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Touji #WinterSolstice #Yule @YvetteMCalleiro <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/12/19/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-13-12-19-23-part-i-winter-solstice-december-21-january-4-touji-%e5%86%ac%e8%87%b3/#" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="922" data-original-width="1536" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5jgTT8PEJ4qUE0iGFQ4wFjPixvaW2m3K37zmXMB9CF8CJFg0UYPFzt4U0Fcm3U-O-331NndvIcz3sB52-qSgwSffBNmPsWRHVF4FBZurow1CfXIamtF06jfFaXAJOcIGtUc-1iSZ8OSSFzINHTB8V-cRgQ-G0ZFZ0_lbwrPRIy8yYTSiX0NbXYYtkM09h/w400-h240/TankaTuesday-2.webp" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! Happy Winter Solstice! Colleen Chesebro at <a href="http://TankaTuesday.com" target="_blank">TankaTuesday.com</a> wrote a beautiful post about Yule <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/12/21/yule-december-21st/" target="_blank">here</a>, and it inspired me to write this week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/12/19/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-13-12-19-23-part-i-winter-solstice-december-21-january-4-touji-%e5%86%ac%e8%87%b3/#" target="_blank">24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a> about today.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">This week's challenge is part one of Winter Solstice, or Touji. It focuses on the holidays and spending time with your loved ones. It's the longest night of the year and is a time to focus on endings and beginnings. It also brings about hope since longer days will slowly return after tonight. I, for one, am looking forward to more sunlight in my waking hours.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I decided to write a <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/" target="_blank">mirror cinquain</a>. This consists of two 5-line stanzas that have an American cinquain followed by a reverse cinquain (2-4-6-8-2-2-8-6-4-2). I've used an abundance of kigo phrases in this poem because the season just warrants it.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/snow-weather-trail-winter-autumn-834111/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtlFYwplr3XgShSL0zlY_RqPzhftjpHbcaN6bbnWJl6W2K94WbYqfX5jGOh_1csm3RUwAVaQRzjuCTlc-9z4yigcadYQEaUL5aUihSXCUyTUnZzyDt1y78cD9XBAMqaz_Z6odH-Wd4-9xjHgbKBadEB-ethDKZDd0qVg3EJilHdVrzb34OTh1pGeGPmiO/w400-h225/snow-834111_1280.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/snow-weather-trail-winter-autumn-834111/" target="_blank">@Foundry</a> on Pixabay)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Promising Passage</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">darkness</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>winter solstice</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">shortest days, longest nights</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">whirlwind of <b><i>hustle and bustle</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">need <i><b>peace</b></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">oh, <b><i>Yule</i></b>!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">time to <b><i>rest and rejuvenate</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">new positive outlook</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>mindful balance</i></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">rise, sun!</span></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Are you feeling the stress of the holidays, or have you found your Zen this season? I'd love to hear from you.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Are you inspired to write your own poem? Join us <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/12/19/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-13-12-19-23-part-i-winter-solstice-december-21-january-4-touji-%e5%86%ac%e8%87%b3/#" target="_blank">here</a>!</span></div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-37519469091982518042023-12-17T17:31:00.001-05:002023-12-17T17:31:43.471-05:00Smashwords 2023 End of the Year Book Sale #Smashwords #booksale #SmashwordsEoYSale #freebooks #fantasy #paranormal #youngadult #YAbooks<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRHuUUbJg7U9ZIHvcFq2mbH0jEnESvL2jWf98eT2Ks1SJlQsg16YrBrBhWFrMXMjjoymbfFnRFHuhySiYzXpKVbkO63ZmAZEDAl64YE781y4ZZa_uNBC4RKumUf4H8uFnhq_-tYpqYatbkBTePXXNotivSmgcYNHMLGzl58LCNTo40OoFOOdsUcW3nAa9/s456/sms.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="456" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPRHuUUbJg7U9ZIHvcFq2mbH0jEnESvL2jWf98eT2Ks1SJlQsg16YrBrBhWFrMXMjjoymbfFnRFHuhySiYzXpKVbkO63ZmAZEDAl64YE781y4ZZa_uNBC4RKumUf4H8uFnhq_-tYpqYatbkBTePXXNotivSmgcYNHMLGzl58LCNTo40OoFOOdsUcW3nAa9/w400-h339/sms.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hi, beautiful readers! I'm excited to share with you that some of my books are on sale from now until December 31st through <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/1/any/any" target="_blank">Smashword's End of the Year Book Sale</a>! If you haven't picked up copies of these great stories, I encourage you to grab them now while they are on sale! Please share the great news with your fellow book lovers! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/402145" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXLDbkNHeEhJCa7s9l7apbF6xyaaXVvSvsDQC8I9sABk5f-4Di3Fn5PBghoChIuO6OUmL9X5fFNyO8TXiga8kuX-V2_FbYbj_NMsB1mPD5oR66GzXjPIUMYnDc-ZUXjRMqTzFhLfB99PvjiknwlBNykB5e0Be5b9ePsl5fySjdmVbyj0uG00dKLP_24rfv/s320/TheOneDiscovered%20-%20FINAL.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/402145" target="_blank">The One Discovered (Chronicles of the Diasodz, Book 1)</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fantasy/Young Adult</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>FREE</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1114287" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsb_qEIb8BaK2elBUVQ93-pbeKOGUGUVGweMySvPvEbE3mnshe3MX4_NYEzW1SqnL45zdfAMlsMHMa4N8njcPu3YZQkNT4DEZXwFBqmJXYGOCJ0_e3vyiPGamQDBEslDI4KeejOI6ZN3LXWZ0LrIbRB5cyCaOdZaq4ZwpOnM46AJlCcvh34dr6nHJojyvO/s320/The%20One%20Chosen%20-%20Final.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1114287" target="_blank">The One Chosen: A Diasodz Short Story</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Fantasy/Young Adult/ Short Story</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>FREE</b></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1114232" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="2400" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj3O6-U84KvgscVTbaKGBXRghE5x-563FGmgy_4attXJtvu0UpS7SSBX9MefOHwigSllp4SENnGJJtfahPyNJY9WoUTYwldyt7mzWq-bMwQ3NIsk-_GhbiG9vm1mlx6xzRqE5qXX3aA20-stQRZOL-uggZBYORhC8mbxr8CumXNRvB5Cx7P0T2qa4d9RC5/s320/Hype%20FINAL.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1114232" target="_blank">HYPE</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Young Adult/Contemporary</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>On Sale for $1.49</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1114285" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WCRw0ppUtMuBItg8EtRAOe-PuihpqjniOECK4a3U73t2TNjPP6hDuBLsflgalhJ27FiroMA7ADsTByaf8Y9DjnnpmsSL2WhHw9p18WykqwatK75X0iNKA3-aX0WHM3gwCPZ9HHM0aRMIOdUF3kWlOeeBPLKry0uznc_V2CRbfpbrJ44l4_yd5DI948ho/s320/Breathless%20-%20FINAL.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1114285" target="_blank">Breathless: A Short Story</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Paranormal/Short Story</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b>FREE</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you want to grab even more amazing stories, check out author John Podlaski's books <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/jpodlaski?fbclid=IwAR0iQSNr8UPuGcML11Q7EoGpmXo5uTZFGAodPOZmjHOzXajFMPdLc-S9SEo" target="_blank">here</a>. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The Smashwords Sale has books of all kinds. So, if you are looking for something else, check out the sale's main page <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/promos/1/any/any" target="_blank">here</a>. Happy shopping!</div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-61666940612587802182023-11-30T07:01:00.005-05:002023-11-30T07:04:30.943-05:00#TankaTuesday Weekly #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #dodoitsu #Winter #holidaycheer @ColleenChesebro @YvetteMCalleiro <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/11/28/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-10-11-28-23-part-ii-light-snow-november-22-december-6-shosetsu-%e5%b0%8f%e9%9b%aa/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1023" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHh9OhcFKstnRp22rJlDNKrlk5B5nTNqdbVVF8BfdChaCWsndKwYE5zCW3WWzO3rFh6CkH6_CxU0iaLTaFSos2xPAJ8HHrXcoB-vRz6sRT-CqzZWe4f6pC4H4SC76flRAhn8XPoPVeGU9tawLLykFEHMzug0oMuh9pxeW_laL6ejgrGRR4GME_SN_d0sY/w640-h384/ttls.webp" width="640" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! This week is part two of Shosetsu, or Light Snow, for the <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/11/28/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-10-11-28-23-part-ii-light-snow-november-22-december-6-shosetsu-%e5%b0%8f%e9%9b%aa/" target="_blank">#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a>. For this week, <a href="https://colleenmchesebro.com/" target="_blank">Colleen Chesebro</a> has encouraged us to write a series of three <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/#dodoitsu" target="_blank">dodoitsu</a>. This form has four lines with a7-7-7-5 syllabic pattern. To make the challenge more interesting, she's asked us to use the following kigo phrases in each stanza:</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stanza 1 - "early winter dusk"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stanza 2 - "chilly north winds blow"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Stanza 3 - "warmth around the hearth"</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">We are having a cold front in South Florida right now. It's dropped into the 60s, and that is way too cold for me. Luckily, we will be back in the 80s by this weekend. You Northerners can have your cold back, thank you very much. 😝</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">So, here is my poem. Although each required stanza has exactly five syllables, I've chosen to incorporate them in the seven-syllable lines. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLHZnBiX6nt32hGsmhp0w2O7EE9AwDFY77YKqy_ULAHwYMe_asLrCAPAsq45BMFE6hKkUEsFH47lE2PMv86Uwo6KmaeZ4zTYUB97_iiM4T16GtMpVwhoKQH0rUsaqBsmymhGLBkiL86LiMd9-LpFnad7u9dc5ctxTPtTUUjk38u32qmdXYFYhGG_xsvod/s1280/winter-7506621_1280.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjLHZnBiX6nt32hGsmhp0w2O7EE9AwDFY77YKqy_ULAHwYMe_asLrCAPAsq45BMFE6hKkUEsFH47lE2PMv86Uwo6KmaeZ4zTYUB97_iiM4T16GtMpVwhoKQH0rUsaqBsmymhGLBkiL86LiMd9-LpFnad7u9dc5ctxTPtTUUjk38u32qmdXYFYhGG_xsvod/w400-h266/winter-7506621_1280.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/winter-cozy-cup-comfort-warmth-7506621/" target="_blank">@Monikas_Wunderwelt</a> on Pixabay)</span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-size: medium;">humans manipulate time</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">causing early winter dusks</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">draining energy from days</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">nature's mom cares not</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">winter comes for almost all</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">chilly north winds blow about</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">humans seek shelter inside</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">critters hibernate</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">warmth around the hearth comforts</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">holiday cheer uplifts hearts</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">family and friends gather</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">bountiful blessings</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I don't have a hearth because - South Florida, people! - but there are a few nights every year when I wish I had one. Are you a fan of cold weather, or do you fantasize about visiting the tropics during this time? I'd love to hear from you.</span></div></div><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Would you like to write a poem with us? Join us <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/11/28/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-10-11-28-23-part-ii-light-snow-november-22-december-6-shosetsu-%e5%b0%8f%e9%9b%aa/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></p></div>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-74458539466056091542023-11-30T00:00:00.009-05:002023-11-30T00:00:00.163-05:00November Book Review #bookreview #books #readingcommunity #stroke #recovery @Maureen_2me @YvetteMCalleiro #RRBC<p><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! I hope you all had a wonderful November. I enjoyed my week off of work for Thanksgiving break. I went on a small cruise with my sister and our sons. I created a checklist of things I wanted to get done, and I managed to check everything off the list, so I'm happy!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">I even managed to finish reading a book! I also started writing again, and it feels so good. I'm hoping to make a habit of it, so I can hopefully finally publish Drake's story in 2024. Fingers crossed! Here is my review for my November read.</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-Afdre-After-stroke-what-ebook/dp/B00UVXEYV2" target="_blank">Before, Afdre, and After (My stroke... oh what fun)</a></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">by Maureen Twomey</span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Before-Afdre-After-stroke-what-ebook/dp/B00UVXEYV2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="409" data-original-width="283" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGbZjsWqqwFuJ4nmHPTWmonM8v8PFO1NaCkemk8ObyLDLRIZnc0AjOtUoZInyevmRXL-L-pSv122e5C8yU9marYPXPkzCveHksjjvMzSq9Zub9h49sMrW3bixTtfJzQ_sIf9mmFs5PHS6vpzqyF-kubIdKQusm44yAadFe5gQIQHBmCu_HYBZP5eVF5S3/w221-h320/baa.JPG" width="221" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Genre: Memoir</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Pages: 316 pages</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Blurb:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><i style="background-color: #d9ead3;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;">When Maureen Twomey was only thirty-three years old, she experienced a massive stroke—one that took away her ability to read, write, walk, and even speak (AAAAAAAHHH!!). Well, she wasn’t about to go down without a fight. In </span><span class="a-text-italic" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;">Before, Afdre, and After,</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111;"> Twomey offers a sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes comical, and ultimately inspiring account of what it is to lose everything when you’re supposed to be in the prime of your life—and what it takes to get it back, piece by tiny piece.</span></i></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">My Review:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">I can't even begin to imagine having a stroke at 33 years old, much less keeping such an incredible outlook on life. Maureen Twomey takes us on a journey through her life before, during, and after her stroke. And through it all, though she lost many skills and had to relearn them, she never lost her positive energy. I truly believe that is one of the things that helped her survive and thrive even when doctors didn't think she would.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It angered me when she described how laidback the paramedics were when they picked her up. Then again, I'm sure we have learned a lot in the past twenty-three years since her stroke. Still, it was frustrating to read how much time was wasted. Through it all, Maureen was surrounded by friends and family, which is a tribute to what a wonderful person she was before the stroke. And through her words, you can sense that she is just as wonderful today.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">This is an inspiring read of a young woman's journey to come back from a rare stroke with humor and determination, and I highly recommend it for anyone going through tough times and for anyone who wants to be inspired.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Have you read any great books lately? I'd love to hear from you! :-)</span></div><p></p>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-91945242882949452922023-11-22T09:28:00.001-05:002023-11-22T09:28:20.917-05:00#TankaTuesday Weekly #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #tanka #Winter #Thanksgiving #Shosetsu #gratitude @ColleenChesebro @YvetteMCalleiro <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw57tt4B7irk6-mcNZhUcTfO-6Wqq3tVeY2tOrOeFVMQcKeMcUTMW52ntrWY-REYKLRuGmR-b4tcf700FEMBgZgsIfq3OI1_Rwcl2zLiv3MIq2MopreyutJJApSWhQ3RaXo5UchasLJRuuS-af_4qgUH-1Le_KH4IcmnRlhw9vz0QTLGp-wW5ClhAPzhM2/s1023/tankatuesday-copy-2.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1023" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw57tt4B7irk6-mcNZhUcTfO-6Wqq3tVeY2tOrOeFVMQcKeMcUTMW52ntrWY-REYKLRuGmR-b4tcf700FEMBgZgsIfq3OI1_Rwcl2zLiv3MIq2MopreyutJJApSWhQ3RaXo5UchasLJRuuS-af_4qgUH-1Le_KH4IcmnRlhw9vz0QTLGp-wW5ClhAPzhM2/w640-h384/tankatuesday-copy-2.webp" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! This week's <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/11/21/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-10-11-21-23-light-snow-november-22-december-6-shosetsu-%e5%b0%8f%e9%9b%aa-fine-weather-shoman-%e5%b0%8f%e6%ba%80-southern-hemisphere/" target="_blank">#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge</a> focuses on the seasons of Shosetsu, or Light Snow. Being in South Florida, we definitely are not getting light snow, but the weather is beautiful this week.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">It is also the season of Thanksgiving in America, a time where family and friends gather to focus on their blessings. This past weekend, my sister and I took our boys on a three-day cruise to the Bahamas that we had won while playing BINGO. It was my nephew's first cruise experience, and he loved it. We visited a cave that leads to six (plus) miles of underwater tunnels, went kayaking through the mangroves, spent some time on their beaches, and visited the Garden of the Groves where we had a fantastic lunch. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg332cGr1nqzyyeDhGrWtruMaMUDhSFhlgjvgVEIGNE5pU80oWuROlsP8V0L_q0G92FwhzLSxqqR77ym_WKpiGEl6blUZqoYc2ABiTf5Uv8EykXW4nRaOPf4244078x84GRbnO99EvkLyDO_Zeh8OBVrthb9RsLtjPtk1taU7hiCiu5ici2687LIDF0u4Ch/s1024/e2a49a24-6522-444e-a906-c3563485575f.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg332cGr1nqzyyeDhGrWtruMaMUDhSFhlgjvgVEIGNE5pU80oWuROlsP8V0L_q0G92FwhzLSxqqR77ym_WKpiGEl6blUZqoYc2ABiTf5Uv8EykXW4nRaOPf4244078x84GRbnO99EvkLyDO_Zeh8OBVrthb9RsLtjPtk1taU7hiCiu5ici2687LIDF0u4Ch/s320/e2a49a24-6522-444e-a906-c3563485575f.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMiP1uRcEp8FlDYwIXrbOslyH316VujfnpxZFMkVudZGP5NfRZsqoJZz-YptkC5zwucqh6AyqbRT9cKiluxHeZl0yZELzX2dCHSiNS8myUbD1ar6l8VyleNetcL4J4k03rYOz32lKUdB8AYx7Rn6aCBfV_erjAs8HyAJurLfjtxyD6b_X3CNsJvjvDrdw/s4032/IMG_0553.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaMiP1uRcEp8FlDYwIXrbOslyH316VujfnpxZFMkVudZGP5NfRZsqoJZz-YptkC5zwucqh6AyqbRT9cKiluxHeZl0yZELzX2dCHSiNS8myUbD1ar6l8VyleNetcL4J4k03rYOz32lKUdB8AYx7Rn6aCBfV_erjAs8HyAJurLfjtxyD6b_X3CNsJvjvDrdw/s320/IMG_0553.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W3Xuz_3bbEKCxMeFHi_-qMrG4RzRyTuQHAflxFTSZPkoO4lgv6D4ji_hi7UdKvc16ogG3vHKFrvPb0rhKsNgVAVihvcPXpkDLgKCstIQkRxCu6mnHNQyiy2bQljCdOQAyLNca6ys-g1rVGQUy8Y6CS6ka4cFD5ZHDWoRwVUboBjfjI6e8L3h_WLUwRId/s4032/IMG_0593.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0W3Xuz_3bbEKCxMeFHi_-qMrG4RzRyTuQHAflxFTSZPkoO4lgv6D4ji_hi7UdKvc16ogG3vHKFrvPb0rhKsNgVAVihvcPXpkDLgKCstIQkRxCu6mnHNQyiy2bQljCdOQAyLNca6ys-g1rVGQUy8Y6CS6ka4cFD5ZHDWoRwVUboBjfjI6e8L3h_WLUwRId/s320/IMG_0593.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1-DB3PEb-a6yq5VBYGFSTEPjMiTH0AORV3qC4zVNbqP2puaryeWDFI2-zNtsCeKs2j6gBf9mcySmi_I2UV_lOLJ17d0c7GdSnJ1GqSHqs2kTH7c8cYV87iQ3Sslrc-IdjVmzDU2lNTai-5pdBjLLcqIiE6MsNE88_xiJLFoEKdZ6AolEtJwnEz6r6aJN/s4032/IMG_0619.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz1-DB3PEb-a6yq5VBYGFSTEPjMiTH0AORV3qC4zVNbqP2puaryeWDFI2-zNtsCeKs2j6gBf9mcySmi_I2UV_lOLJ17d0c7GdSnJ1GqSHqs2kTH7c8cYV87iQ3Sslrc-IdjVmzDU2lNTai-5pdBjLLcqIiE6MsNE88_xiJLFoEKdZ6AolEtJwnEz6r6aJN/s320/IMG_0619.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">So, this week, I've decided to focus on gratitude. I've written a tanka poem. For those new to poetry, a tanka poem consists of five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllabic pattern. The middle line tends to work as a pivot so that the first three lines create one image and the last three lines create a different image. Tankas are usually untitled.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVod7JK4RZMTtye5f4WIVjesp8T0bkJN0jOqQYi82Q5XAvTzbkKEaeVycwVlg0qXwyGHts5J3NF7T59kHzcSQvEPlFPBD7AqSa3nQrOB_5gBOppyp_EWFbCaj3vQXeDNa3ziKfE_GEz4AypiLtHTd5Jtp_0o65tkz93VXvYhsImp9VXfEdUKdYu479x1Cg/s4032/IMG_0519.HEIC" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVod7JK4RZMTtye5f4WIVjesp8T0bkJN0jOqQYi82Q5XAvTzbkKEaeVycwVlg0qXwyGHts5J3NF7T59kHzcSQvEPlFPBD7AqSa3nQrOB_5gBOppyp_EWFbCaj3vQXeDNa3ziKfE_GEz4AypiLtHTd5Jtp_0o65tkz93VXvYhsImp9VXfEdUKdYu479x1Cg/s320/IMG_0519.HEIC" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">grateful for blessings</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">abundance of merriment</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">friends, family, love</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">greatest riches in the world</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">bank of treasures overflows</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If you'd like to join our poetry community and write a poem of your own, click <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/11/21/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-10-11-21-23-light-snow-november-22-december-6-shosetsu-%e5%b0%8f%e9%9b%aa-fine-weather-shoman-%e5%b0%8f%e6%ba%80-southern-hemisphere/" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;">What are you most grateful for during this season? I'd love to hear from you.</span></div></div>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com28tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8454630140411211407.post-34893823310309402912023-11-12T16:34:00.000-05:002023-11-12T16:34:00.474-05:00#TankaTuesday Weekly #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #tanka #Winter #farmwedding #Ritto @ColleenChesebro @YvetteMCalleiro <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5h2AC9FeK2N0KylZLswzDH5-Udhrny5mkXJRXJG-n1DzEfZDAjLxn3uubOdVs6voJPtJAsOMUKy62cJv00hvtNct4pAxJrtndKq25YYH4B2d2M9pPMw0jgnCmdndw2GSSGQ6ptWTfkVYUVDtBk51Sa-86gQAh_5AaYTwT_8-6tuEqgnnkGG-iI2xK7Xc/s1023/ttr.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="1023" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5h2AC9FeK2N0KylZLswzDH5-Udhrny5mkXJRXJG-n1DzEfZDAjLxn3uubOdVs6voJPtJAsOMUKy62cJv00hvtNct4pAxJrtndKq25YYH4B2d2M9pPMw0jgnCmdndw2GSSGQ6ptWTfkVYUVDtBk51Sa-86gQAh_5AaYTwT_8-6tuEqgnnkGG-iI2xK7Xc/w400-h240/ttr.webp" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">Hello, beautiful readers! This week's<a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/11/07/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-7-11-6-23-the-beginning-of-winter-november-7-21-ritto-%e7%ab%8b%e5%86%ac/" target="_blank"> #TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Challenge</a> focuses on Ritto, the beginning of winter. In most parts of the northern hemisphere, the weather is becoming cooler, the sweaters are coming out of storage, and people are preparing for the winter holidays. Of course, here in South Florida, we are just excited that the humidity isn't as high.😄</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This weekend, I was elated to attend the wedding of a dear friend of mine who waited until she found the right kind of love to tie the knot. She had a beautiful ceremony on a farm in northern Florida with her closest family and friends. So, I decided to dedicate this week's poem to her. Here are some of the pictures from her wedding.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoaNqX65tCMPAUQnAkgkMZmhkPabwHnOLNzS4-PvG9uGNYhvcnE-8kJTys2hxHypysUMSHkZFZuSuXz3XNF04UIldgZbyB1iFXk4YWs0WuTqLX_jT8tGJVH1K_BKohdxr1mkQHBUH5l8-vv_OhE0eL1rWvQALKvrBz-SQxp4wJlSSFgXgJqq_8BqfZvJV/s640/IMG_0395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMoaNqX65tCMPAUQnAkgkMZmhkPabwHnOLNzS4-PvG9uGNYhvcnE-8kJTys2hxHypysUMSHkZFZuSuXz3XNF04UIldgZbyB1iFXk4YWs0WuTqLX_jT8tGJVH1K_BKohdxr1mkQHBUH5l8-vv_OhE0eL1rWvQALKvrBz-SQxp4wJlSSFgXgJqq_8BqfZvJV/s320/IMG_0395.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUG10y_er7cS4VVW1H0o-7dnJ_6Fj6WZM74au7JJ0oBqKO13FKqCbY9NewLNXj-YoxcmIolQeVIItFbWgK7KGNDvjWrok-r2F2n_a25DP8MBu9R52lMAbR8V26rseS3UtruwfwSDkzRLrixJLufP7wtqJ54IlcvzbJvw3IiIhuBME5nD3ZKMH6VW56UDC/s640/IMG_0398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbUG10y_er7cS4VVW1H0o-7dnJ_6Fj6WZM74au7JJ0oBqKO13FKqCbY9NewLNXj-YoxcmIolQeVIItFbWgK7KGNDvjWrok-r2F2n_a25DP8MBu9R52lMAbR8V26rseS3UtruwfwSDkzRLrixJLufP7wtqJ54IlcvzbJvw3IiIhuBME5nD3ZKMH6VW56UDC/s320/IMG_0398.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-x5XM1zNgxw8Mjq10BT4qxbPV13QtWBvuzu5-oET4VYrwZ-QWXrFQkxZVYK8jNPqgzamTQbSBAOVGYBws7b0vX0xNtuSmqMNvWzKoycjnGgH9SzdOfmBDgqzQVpyWXS5FIvIb_ugIhcZAXusBNUjQ2tGarg_sLsXx762Xc-_b2j_s-0KDzCEoNKVykVIh/s640/IMG_0432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-x5XM1zNgxw8Mjq10BT4qxbPV13QtWBvuzu5-oET4VYrwZ-QWXrFQkxZVYK8jNPqgzamTQbSBAOVGYBws7b0vX0xNtuSmqMNvWzKoycjnGgH9SzdOfmBDgqzQVpyWXS5FIvIb_ugIhcZAXusBNUjQ2tGarg_sLsXx762Xc-_b2j_s-0KDzCEoNKVykVIh/s320/IMG_0432.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSG56AsQ6exILdG1WH796u2d3ZUPp-czaSZvIuw8wkWYdq8-LkQjcUtCMwwT46uLKHgUrh73nBbGW6iRCR3u8-Cm1LBoy9tnR_jDEwacNhAMgn_2ObqHOtBjrroyLoqGV1cxjdGwBZ0W4MtJ10jSIkrcRQKl297mC0vFRUR6dukxO0Ex66KZLYBZEC3w39/s640/IMG_0460.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSG56AsQ6exILdG1WH796u2d3ZUPp-czaSZvIuw8wkWYdq8-LkQjcUtCMwwT46uLKHgUrh73nBbGW6iRCR3u8-Cm1LBoy9tnR_jDEwacNhAMgn_2ObqHOtBjrroyLoqGV1cxjdGwBZ0W4MtJ10jSIkrcRQKl297mC0vFRUR6dukxO0Ex66KZLYBZEC3w39/s320/IMG_0460.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">This week's kigo words have to do with the beginning of winter. I chose <i>crisper air</i> to represent the season. I wrote a <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/" target="_blank">tanka </a>poem, which consists of five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllabic pattern. The third line is the pivot, creating two separate images - one in the first three lines and one in the last three lines. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvS4hy1U5Fsb0eNqZYSlU5aFUhjXMOh8bHurdVkrYuTMygmXYJWdxFKSWgrKRBYKWcmh4zyEFkfA0vVEjzSWOyO-Tj3ii5tFnPAPAqYgvUI37cmTQ2Ty7APGharrhF8s04_MTFO6IE0R9JdXj3hZ1ortm2K6a2wFQm1vj1B9etzGfbLQM1iza5REyTDRw/s1280/love-6600903_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="853" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbvS4hy1U5Fsb0eNqZYSlU5aFUhjXMOh8bHurdVkrYuTMygmXYJWdxFKSWgrKRBYKWcmh4zyEFkfA0vVEjzSWOyO-Tj3ii5tFnPAPAqYgvUI37cmTQ2Ty7APGharrhF8s04_MTFO6IE0R9JdXj3hZ1ortm2K6a2wFQm1vj1B9etzGfbLQM1iza5REyTDRw/w266-h400/love-6600903_1280.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(courtesy of <a href="https://pixabay.com/photos/love-wedding-couple-romance-bride-6600903/" target="_blank">@OlcayErtem</a> on Pixabay)</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">just a small drive north</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">a quaint outdoor farm wedding</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><i>crisper air </i></b>prevails</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">the bride and groom's heartfelt bond</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;">warms the hearts of everyone</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Do you want to write your own poem for this season? Join us <a href="https://tankatuesday.com/2023/11/07/24-seasons-syllabic-poetry-challenge-no-7-11-6-23-the-beginning-of-winter-november-7-21-ritto-%e7%ab%8b%e5%86%ac/" target="_blank">here</a>. </span></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">What is the weather looking like where you live? Are you starting to see the beginnings of winter? I'd love to hear from you. :-)</span></div>Yvette M Calleirohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11339847003855092078noreply@blogger.com10