Creating Sparks That Last & All Things Relationships

A Rare Find It's not often, these days, that I drop everything to dedicate an entire blog post to a book review, but today is that day.  As I sit at my desk, I'm still sipping my morning coffee, hair not yet brushed, still shaken as I contemplate the story I've just read. Not shaken from fear; shaken from being deeply affected. The book in question? Twice in a Lifetime by Breyanna I.L. Evans On the surface, its a book about falling in love and second chances. But as the story unfolds, a broader view of the complexities of relationships in all their splendor, unravels. Kalli Morgan, the main female character, carries us along on her heartbreaking journey of love, loss and self-discovery. Along the way, Kalli envelops us in her friendships, sibling relationships, family, extended family, in-laws and, of course, romance. But this is not some frivolous, straightforward falling in love romance, this is one that dives into the depths of feeling. Feeling deeply. The author, Breyan...

Let the Good Times Roll I’m having a blast in the bookish world and I hope you are too. I discovered a powerful armillary that I need for both my upcoming books, (listed below). It’s better than the image shown... But first, books I’ve read! I’ve been churning through so many good books recently!  📜 A few stand outs are, By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult. I’m a bit scared of her deep digging into difficult themes, but this one is a must! In fact, I wish there was a follow on.  She shows the importance of both invisibility and visibility in the (mostly) female creative arena.  It’s a dual timeline that runs through a family with same but different obstacles. So well written. 🐕 Another brave read for me was Fairy Tale by Stephen King. Really scared of his stories but can’t resist a portal. And this one had it in spades! Loved the underlying message as well, essentially helping others by facing our own fears. Two Indie Reads I Loved 🐘 Look an Elephant in the Eye by Lo...

I Thought I Was Finished But that's not the case at all. Author happenings just keep on coming and I am cheering all the way. On Thursday, 3rd July, I'll be releasing the second in series of my children's stories, Captain Binky Gallivants the Globe , in Captain Binky's Adventures, under the name, Cal Grant-Smith. I know most readers are familiar with my books for adults, mostly on relationships, but I'm mentioning Captain Binky here because she is, in fact, a real cat. Her relationship with her owner, Jude, my sister, is one that deserves highlighting. As most of us know, bonding with a pet is good for our wellbeing, and the bond that Jude and Binky share is a touching story to hear. Based on fact, yet somewhat fictionalised, Binky's story has been written primarily for children, but is easily a family-read all snuggled up together. There are real photographs of Binky as she settles into her new home, after flying abroad and encountering some scary adventures al...

Books that rewire your brain Ever read one of those books that stay with you forever? Yeah, me too. This month I had the priviledge of accepting a review request from Dr Thomas Jordan for his book Learn to Love: Guide to Healing Your Disappointing Love Life.  This is not a s*x book, I'm not interested in those. What I am interested in, is books that enrich our relationships, and this is one such book . My Review: What I Loved: In his writing, Dr Thomas Jordan helps the reader to clearly identify past hurts that need a positive spin. That's the basic premise. What follows is deeply researched information that pulls feelings out of our hurts and replaces them with improved thought processes and behaviours that we, ourselves , are responsible for.  Yes, it's possible our hurts come from way back, but there comes a point when it is up to us to take responsibility and action for a better way of dealing with these emotions. POW! That is how you take your power back and redirect...

Reflection, Relationships, Romance Book Review: Watercolors and Tears by Jose Orlando Castaneda My review follows a request by the author who gifted me with a digital copy of Watercolors and Tears . My Thoughts: It was a moving tale that I did not want to rush. The observations by the author on human nature were evocative, made poignant by the fact that they were based on real situations told to the author. I truly wanted to absorb the resonance of the main characters portrayed.  Manuel and Elvira started their lives together full of promise and soon wanted more for themselves and their family. This resulted in separate quests for a decade; what follows, is a story of deep self-reflection, resilience, tenuous relationship longevity. What I loved about the book: I have many highlights to share with you from the story, first and foremost was Elvira's depth of knowledge as she grew into womanhood searching for a meaningful life. She falls under the guidance of Sister Felisa where she ...

Review:  Sisters in the Outback By Pura from Rosas Viajeras Sisters in the Outback  is a beautifully written short story that follows two adult sisters on a long-awaited weekend escape to Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. More than just a travel narrative, it’s a reflective and moving piece about the connection between siblings, with the land, and within oneself. As someone who has visited this remarkable part of Australia, I found the story both relatable and moving. The story traces the sisters’ journey from their home to the heart of the Red Centre. From the anticipation of travel to the stillness of sunrise at Uluru, the author captures not only the physical beauty of the landscape but also the emotional significance of the trip.  What I loved most was how powerfully the story conveyed the visceral experience of being in Uluru Kata Tjuta. The descriptions of the changing light over the rock formations were so vivid, I was transported back to my own visit. The spiritual ...

Exciting Times HAPPY WINTER in the southern hemisphere and HAPPY SUMMER in the northern hemisphere. It's been a busy month of May and I have lots of fun news to share with you . Pets, Books and Adventure I'll start with the surprise I promised to reveal in last month's blog post. (ICYMI: May’s Blog Post ) You might know that I write children's books under a pseudonym, but what you might not know, is that I have a part-true / part-fiction story on preorder right now.  The story centre's around my furniece, Captain Binky, a real cat who went from street cat, to sailor cat, to landlubber. Her latest release tells of the adventures and scary experiences she encountered on her flight home to find a new house. By a lucky twist of fate, I got to see her in her own home soon after they moved in, and that's when Binky's second story idea struck. Included in her book, are photographs of Binky warmly ensconced in her favourite cosy spots. Binky and Jude stayed at a cat...