August Book Reviews #bookreview #books #amreading #readingcommunity #paranormal @KarensStories @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! School is back in session, so I am not reading as much as I could in the summer. Still, I managed to finish a great short story, so enjoy my review below.

Rustic Acres

by Karen Black

Genre: Fantasy Short Reads

Pages: 54 pages

Book Blurb:

Melonie is a witch with a problem. Golatch, the goblin king, cursed her with an ancient virus that substantially reduced her power. The only cure for the mystical disease is his death. But a three-hundred-year-old goblin will be hard to kill, especially with limited abilities.

When the goblin army invades Melonie's home in Rustic Acres, a telepathic cat and a wise old raven enter the battle to help her protect the little people who live there. But chaos erupts when an energetic pixie complicates the plan.

My Review:

This was such a fantastic short story. Melonie is a witch who angered the goblin king, Golatch, when she killed his brother. Golatch cursed her with a spell that stole her powers and then promised to return one day to kill her. When that day comes, the community of Rustic Acres vows to stand by her side and fight until the end so she won't fight alone.

This author does such a great job with mystical creatures and animals in her stories, and this one was no different. I really enjoyed the interaction between the various creatures and how they were willing to come together despite their differences or animosities toward one another. 

For a short story, the characters' personalities are well-developed and even bring out several laughs despite the dire circumstances. I especially love the fearless, little pixie, Kiki. This is a story both young and old can thoroughly enjoy.

Have you read any great stories recently? I'd love to hear from you.

#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Shosho #haiku #Autumn @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! It has been a busy, busy week. It is reaching my bedtime, but I didn't want to let this week go by without writing a poem for the #TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge. This week moves into a new season - Shosho, or Fading Heat. In many parts of the United States, the summer heat is starting to fade so that Autumn can make her entrance. That is not really the case here in South Florida. It is still H-O-T. 

So, since I've got to pass out if I want my eight hours of sleep before I rise ahead of the sun tomorrow, I've chosen to write a quick haiku. I hope you enjoy it. As always, I've bolded and italicized my kigo words.

(courtesy of @Bluetenkuss at Pixabay)

daily summer rains

lawns of verdant grass hydrate

no signs of Autumn

Would you like to write a poem with us? Join us here.

#RRBC 9th Annual Writer's Conference & Book Expo #writersconference #readingcommunity #writingcommunity @YvetteMCalleiro

 

Hello, beautiful readers! I'm excited to share with you the RRBC 9th Annual Writer's Conference & Book Expo. This is an amazing event that is FREE to attend. Play the games and win some prizes. Meet new authors at their author books, and leave a comment to win free prizes. Pass by the Reading Room and listen to authors read a snippet from one of their books. (I am one of the readers.) You can also purchase access to writing workshops if you'd like. There are also raffle tickets you can purchase to win some fabulous prizes! You do not need to be an RRBC member to participate! Come join us this week. I promise you will enjoy your time at our event. :-)

#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Risshu #tanka #endofsummer @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! It's been a busy week for me. School has started, which means I have much less time on my hands (as if I ever really had much down time...lol). I'm happy with my schedule, and the kids seem receptive to my positive energy bubble that fortifies my room. So, here's so hoping for another wonderful year!

This week, the #TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge is still in the season of Risshu. Colleen Chesebro has challenged us to create a poem that includes sunflowers. Sunflowers have always been my favorite flower. Yellow and green are my favorite colors, and I love the vibrancy of the sunflower. I also love that they rise to face the sun instead of the darkness.

I chose to write a haiku, which consists of three lines with a 5-7-5 syllabic pattern. My kigo words are bolded and italicized.

(courtesy of @sabinevanerp on Pixabay)

sunflower magic

Delta breeze spreads seeds of hope

share its joy freely

Would you like to join us in writing poetry this week? Click here.

#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Risshu #tanka #endofsummer @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! I wanted to start by thanking those of you who have picked up my newest short story, Karma Doesn't Kill. A special hug for those of you who have already read and reviewed it. The story is loosely based on someone I know, so it truly is a work of heart. I am eternally grateful to those of you who have shared your review with others. 💗

For this week's #TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, we move into a new season, Risshu. Summer is beginning to wind down, and Autumn is around the corner. This week's challenge is to write a poem about how this time is represented in my area.

For those of you who do not know, I am a middle school intensive reading teacher. My summer officially ended this past Sunday. I have spent the past three days in a workshop learning a new program that is aimed at helping our nonreaders learn how to read. Sadly, we still have some children who come to middle school without having the foundational skills needed to read, so I'm excited about being able to help these kids master the foundations of reading this year. The next two days will be spent in my classroom, analyzing the data of my new set of students and preparing my classroom for the new year.

The bane of my existence is the alarm clock. I abhor having to wake up to an alarm. It's unnatural, and my body knows it. Lol! I have found the kindest, most gentle of alarm clocks to awaken me. It mimics the sun rising by slowing lightening my room and playing the sound of birds chirping, so I am a little more accepting of the invasion to my slumber. Still, waking up at 5 am is not easy. Sleep is especially important to me, so I've made a pact with myself to be in bed by 9 pm every night. So far, so good! Hopefully, I can keep it up throughout the school year.

I've chosen to write a tanka which consists of five lines with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllabic pattern where there is a pivot line (usually in the third line). I've bolded and italicized my kigo words.

(courtesy of @Katniss12 on Pixabay)

summer slips away

beach days moved to the weekends

a return to school

alarm clock disturbs my sleep

teacher planning days commence

Would you like to write a poem with us this week? Join us here.

#TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic #Poetry Challenge - #Syllabic #poem #poetrycommunity #seasonalKigo #Kigo #seasons #Taisho #Kimo #summerveggies @YvetteMCalleiro

Hello, beautiful readers! We dodged Tropical Storm Debby in my area, and I'm hoping it falls apart instead of turning into a hurricane before it makes landfall in the Florida panhandle.

I'm not sure how many of you are watching the Olympics, but I am absolutely LOVING it! I've been watching gymnastics, track & field, beach/court volleyball, and swimming, and I've even caught a little rugby and basketball. I am in awe of these athletes and their commitment to their goals and their prowess! The USA teams are amazing, and I'm so happy for all of those who are winning medals.

For this week's #TankaTuesday 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, Colleen Chesebro has invited us to write a poem about the vegetables that are harvested during the summer. I've chosen to write a kimo, which is a three-line poem with a syllabic pattern of 10-7-6. It's the Israeli version of a haiku.

(courtesy of @Shutterbug75 on Pixabay)

healing ingredients grow in the ground

onions and garlic delight

savory nutrients

Now, I am not a cook. In fact, I cook out of necessity. When I become rich, I will have a full-time chef. Lol! So, in the spirit of being silly, I wrote a haiku, though I don't think it's a true haiku.

(courtesy of @monicore on Pixabay)

a cook I am not

onions, garlic are staples

they improve it all

Would you like to write your own poem? Join us here.