A book review, and an awesome Great sightings poetry link from a poet I admire.

Hi all,

While I continue creating and editing, I leave you with a awesome poetry blog link, from a poet I admire, and another book review. Enjoy.


The Valley of Amazement By Amy Tan. 5 stars.



What a charming read. Amy Tan managed to transport me to a faraway land, old China, and the struggle of a Geisha girl and the choices she made that obscured her fate, yet captivates the valor and strength to survive in spite of the odds. She portrayed this life style at the turn of the century with amazing charisma. The blatant sex surprised me a little, but overall I concluded it made this type of story more real. It was daring of Amy Tan to portray the naked truth. The history and her characters were captivating and memorable. I enjoyed learning the details of the various levels in this profession amidst this culture. I felt it could have been a shorter novel. I started to grow tired toward the end and wanted their ordeal to be finished already. It is an impressive and unique story, beautifully told. The writing, without a doubt is excellent.


For those of you interested in viewing more, here is Amy Tan's USA Amazon link.

http://www.amazon.com/Valley-Amazement-Amy-Tan/dp/0062107321/ref=la_B000APXZIO_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1437849623&sr=1-3






Great sightings

Awesome Poetry Blog link- Shadow.

I would also like to give a shout out to a wonderful poet, I admire, named Shadow, and hope you will visit and read some of her awesome poetry at her blog. She sure knows how to reach the core of your soul. And she places up some amazing images with her poems.

Shadow:  http://gsp-shadow.blogspot.com



Thanks for stopping by. I hope you all have a great weekend.

Jacqueline.








 

I've decided to continue showing the helpful author links and fun links from my last post for convenience sake at the bottom of my post, this time around while I work on my own WIP. And I may just add a few more to the list later. They are always handy to just click on to see what new updates everyone's talking about.

Jacqueline Howett's WIP. (C) photo J. Howett. 2015.
 

So here are some helpful blogs for authors I've been stalking.



Helping writers become authors.
http://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com


Fiction Factor has a nice feed on 1st person.
http://www.fictionfactor.com

Jody Hedlund
http://jodyhedlund.blogspot.com


Anne R Allen
http://annerallen.blogspot.com


More on the advantages of 1st person POV
http://www.novel-writing-help.com/first-person-point-of-view.html



Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi
http://writershelpingwriters.net/



Kristen Lamb
https://warriorwriters.wordpress.com/





http://www.thewritersalleyblog.com/




Michael J. Sullivan's blog on POV is interesting.
http://riyria.blogspot.com/2011/07/writing-advice-6-point-of-view.html
also, a link on show and tell
http://riyria.blogspot.com/2011/07/show-and-tell.html



Blood red pencil
 Check out their resource links.
How Layers Can Deepen Your Story’s Impact
http://bloodredpencil.blogspot.com/2015/05/how-layers-can-deepen-your-storys-impact.html#comment-form



Nathan Bransford
Nathan, has created a very nice listing. A one stop place for everything.
http://blog.nathanbransford.com/2009/06/writing-advice-database.html

You might also want to check out Nathan's forum with your questions. There's also varied topics you can take part in. Here's the link.
http://forums.nathanbransford.com/





More great sighting links to come, in my next post.

And here's a link for the fun of everyday living.
Photography, travel and places, people, relationships, beauty, fashion, and food. Hopefully, to inspire and motivate your zest for life. Enjoy!


Diana Mieczan' Blog   exPress-o  http://diana212m.blogspot.com/





Also,


Check out Karen Jones Gowen's blog,
Coming down the mountain: Ex pat writer Living Abroad.

Great photos of her new life in Guatemala.

http://karenjonesgowen.blogspot.com/



Genie--Paris and Beyond.
Great photography! Worth taking a look.

http://parisandbeyond-genie.blogspot.com/



EASTER IN FRANCE
 Twelve glorious days in France
http://chocolateandcroissants.blogspot.com/

This blog you must see.
Another Paris.
http://chocolateandcroissants.blogspot.com/2015/04/paris-les-boulevards-review.html





 If you have any links to add to help authors, or fun links, please place them in the comments. Thanks.

 Here's wishing you all, a creative and blessed 2015!


 

MEDIUM SWEET, A poem by Jacqueline Howett

(c) photo of Jacqueline Howett.

An evening at the beach, we sit in the sand,

to finish quietly our expensive ice-creams.

I sigh, feeling my man’s tiredness tonight.

  I realize not to expect any romantic moments.

Your absence is not about me, but life,

Your career- taking all you’ve got.

The same old grind, I must bear to watch.

Should I show compassion?

Best to keep love in perspective, to get

me through this lonely, strangeness,

  luring about tonight.

Our souls know each other well,

like these distant stars.

We are worn out glue, holding up

the backdrop of these hazy, skies.

I could float off through a million galaxies,

But the empty void would not suffice,

You’ll return, when it suits you,

to play your part in my heart.

I’ll catch your love, as if it were

a precious butterfly, I must behold.

Once captured, I can do nothing

but smile, and look with wonder at

you, a tiny creature in my hand,

in a universe so much greater.

You represent time fleeting, amidst

feelings I know instinctively must

come to pass.

Maybe you are my test

in the infinite. Maybe not.

Sometimes the Gods make you blind of me,

in your many facets, when you

must play your arduous part.

I do not correct them. I watch with

my inner eye- like you,

to act out our roles, as if having

to submit to some duty. I know there

is a higher purpose to reflect,

but that, I cannot honor at this hour.

I feel the muses sitting within, watching.

Curious to how we shall act our parts;

especially when feeling contrary.

In the empty void, a weighty, single tear forms;

Bouncing off my cheek, it drops to my lap.

I question again what is real,

Is this the tear of the muse?

 or mine?

Then I find it funny how this tear, my man

could never see. I ponder with

some consolation; for it’s not so bitter.

In my wisdom, these reflections turn

a refine, medium sweet. But can it really be,

that all this ado, is but to condition the soul?

( Note: This poem I wrote some years ago!)

Donald Wells- Sex Poems For Virgins, reviewed by Jacqueline Howett

Click book
 Free for Kindle prime members.
.



Donald Wells, captures so bravely the human quest-for the meaning of life.


Donald Wells', whimsical tone in these varied works titled; `Sex Poems For Virgins' (A compilation of unique poetry,) was a refreshing read that kept me hooked. I felt like a spectator on a soul journey throughout the different stages of a man's life.

I enjoyed his unique style. He questions existence with such raw emotion in the simple pleasures of life from adolescence and beyond. It's not all light-hearted and whimsical as you read toward the end segments of the book. His writings change some-what and become more metaphysical in style. The latter years of growth bring a deeper search of the self, with how people change on the subject of sex, love, life, death, having, loosing, confusion; as well as all the natural ailments that can happen to a man in a course of a life. However, it left me feeling encouraged all the same by the essence of love. This is a man who bares a beautiful soul- I felt I could relate with.

Also, the segments on marriage are to be envied. I felt I had come to know the author better in the way he'd managed to capture so bravely the human quest for the meaning of life. There are many passages and segments in this book I feel I will want to keep close, re-read and reflect upon. I look forward to reading more from this author and highly recommend this read. Don't let the title fool you. By the end of the read you might understand why he chose it.

To buy: AMAZON


Donald Wells has written many novels, shorts and poems. Recently he has been writing another series to 'The Ocean Beach Island Series.'

Book Description:
SEX POEMS FOR VIRGINS is a collection of poems written by Donald Wells in rhyme. They are sometimes humorous, often unique and frequently thought provoking.