Today, Kaye and I are posting the first article in our new In Touch With Nature series. We hope you will enjoy learning a little more about the natural world.

In Touch With Nature – Giraffes chew bones and lions eat grass #animalkingdom #natureconservation

Don’t Lose Your Head by Dave Williams

What Amazon says

When you leave for a trip, who knows you’re gone from your house? Family and friends, sure. Neighbors, perhaps.

So does the chauffeur who drove you to the airport. Alan Burris takes advantage of working for a car service to know when clients will be away from their houses for several nights. Some houses are easier, since they don’t have a security system — and these houses are on his list for a night visit to steal valuables.

The Resnick house has been on Alan’s list for a while, and now it will be empty for a few nights, since Mr. and Mrs. Resnick are spending a long weekend in Chicago.

But is the house really empty? Alan’s about to find out what it’s like to not be alone in the house, his car, his apartment, and his head. And with another person hanging around, to what length will Alan go to get rid of them?

My review

I thoroughly enjoyed this dark and entertaining story that centres around the concepts of consequences for actions and a guilty conscience.

Alan Burris’ life was not panning out as he had planned. His girlfriend had recently ditched him because his job as a chauffeur for wealthy people took up most of his evenings and weekends. She wanted him to find a job with better future prospects and more free time to spend with her. The problem was, Alan liked his job ferrying successful business men to and from the airport and driving couples to events and places frequented by the rich and famous. Although Alan resented his clients for their money, success, and self centredness, his position gave him access to information about their lives and movements. He knew where they lived, who they lived with, and when everyone was away. Alan ran a successful sideline breaking into his client’s homes when the opportunity presented itself and stealing jewelry and other items of value.

The story started with Alan driving a regular client and his wife to the airport. Alan knew they had no children and he saw their combined trip as the perfect opportunity to break into their house. The best laid plans have a habit of going awry, and Alan came across some strange and deeply disturbing artwork in the client’s home office. The pieces worked their way into his mind and he couldn’t forget them. The art was not the only surprise in the house, Alan got a further shock, which resulted in him taking out of character remedial actions.

Alan was not a particularly likeable character. He was jealous and had negative thoughts about his clients. He felt he was justified in robbing them because they were rich and successful and they didn’t bother much with him – he was just the driver of the Lincoln that drove them around. It was evident as the story progressed, however, that Alan was not a really bad person. He had a conscience and his actions on the night of the robbery, combined with the weird artwork, conspired to send him into a downward mental spiral. It was fascinating to effectively watch him become more and more unhinged.

The plot reminded me in some ways of my favourite of Edgar Alan Poe’s short story, The Tell-Tale Heart. A well written and entertaining story.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Lose-Your-Head-Williams-ebook/dp/B08129M49C

The Rockstar & the Outlaw by Kaye Lynne Booth

What Amazon says

A time-traveler oversteps his boundaries in 1887. Things get out of hand quickly, and he is hanged, setting in motion a series of events from which there’s no turning back.

In 1887, LeRoy McAllister is a reluctant outlaw running from a posse with nowhere to go except to the future.

In 2025, Amaryllis Sanchez is a thrill-seeking rock star on the fast track, who killed her dealing boyfriend to save herself. Now, she’s running from the law and his drug stealing flunkies, and nowhere is safe.

LeRoy falls hard for the rock star, thinking he can save her by taking her back with him. But when they arrive in 1887, things turn crazy fast, and soon they’re running from both the outlaws and the posse, in peril once more.

They can’t go back to the future, so it looks like they’re stuck in the past. But either when, they must face forces that would either lock them up or see them dead.

My review

This book is a wild ride, highly entertaining and imaginative. With time travel as its central theme, readers are treated to insights into the future, and the past, as well as scenes in the present. This makes for a fascinating and complex storyline.

Nick is from the future and is a Time Regulator, working for Time Travel, Inc. His job is to ensure that any use of time travel technology is for legitimate reasons and travelers do not create ripples in the time continuum that might change the future. Nick has a fascination with the old west and has no idea that his information collecting and personal gratification visit will set in motion a series of unimagined ripples. Nick is not a particularly nice person and is full of smug self righteousness about the purpose of his job, despite the unfortunate conundrum he sets in motion.

Amaryllis is from the present. She’s caught in a most unfortunate situation which she believes she can control, but can’t. Her principles, no matter how skewed they are, are vital to her self esteem and acceptance of her lot in life. When they are breached by her lover, she reacts in rage and ends up on the run from the police. I enjoyed the character of Amaryllis. She is determined and loyal, a good friend despite her unfortunate past and present.

Amaryllis’ friend, Monique, is my favourite character in this book. She is a support character, but her complete control over her life, despite very adverse circumstances, is a much needed antithesis to Amaryllis’ headstrong and highly reactive personality. Monique is the voice of calm reason in the story. I hope I will see more of Monique in future stories by this author.

LeRoy is from the past. He crosses paths with Nick and it changes the course of his life when he becomes embroiled in a time travel ripple. I enjoyed LeRoy who was level headed, despite the strange detour his life’s path takes after his chance encounter with Nick, and a real gentleman. The comparison between the characters of LeRoy, from the past, and Amaryllis’ drug dealing partner, Claude, from the present, is fascinating and quite sad. Even their names bring to mind vastly different expectations and imagery.

You will have to read the book to find out how the lives of these characters all intersect in the novel and how the time ripple is resolved, but it is an exciting and unique storyline that will keep you engaged throughout.

Amazon US Purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Rock-Star-Outlaw-Time-Travel-Adventure-ebook/dp/B0CJBRRCN1

For Thursday Doors, I am sharing another door picture from our trip to Thakadu River Camp at Madikwe Game Reserve.

This is the door into the lounges and dining room area. I really like this picture as the mixture of the golden light and the bluish shadows appeals to me. You can join in Thursday Doors here: https://nofacilities.com/2024/01/18/traffic-jam-doors/

W3 90 – Jamb-Jitsu poem

This weeks W3 prompt is to write a Jumb-Jitsu. You can join in here: https://skepticskaddish.com/2024/01/17/w3-prompt-90-weave-written-weekly/

Jamb-Jitsu?

• Two stanzas (S1 and S2) with three rules:
  1. S1 must have more lines than S2;
  2. ALL lines of S1 must employ enjambment;
     • Enjambment is: the running-over of a sentence or phrase from one poetic line to the next, without terminal punctuation;
  3. ALL lines of S2 must have the same number of syllables

This poem is about …

River Fun

What a special experience

to see a herd of sixty elephants

playing in the river. Splashing,

rolling and ducking each other,

like children in a giant swimming

pool. The matriarch still maintains

good order among her subjects.

***

Mum lingers in the road

Waiting for her young one

Who wants to join the fun

Humans – wait your turn, please

This is a YT video of the dominant elephant in the river:

These two elephants were practically completely submerged:

Four ellies swimming

Today, I am delighted to welcome Gwen M. Plano to Roberta Writes with her new book release, The Soul Whisperer’s Decision.

Blurb

Sarah Jameson, a nurse at County Central Hospital, survives an accident that kills her two young children. While comatose, she travels into the heavenly realm where she visits with her precious little ones. She is given a choice – return to her husband, Jack, or remain with her children in their celestial home. Jack was not in the fated automobile. Though he heard the crash and ran to help, there was nothing he could do. He suffers the loss of his children, fears the potential demise of his wife, and wonders about his own sanity. His struggle with PTSD from his military years has returned and at times, he cannot distinguish between the present and the past. An accident tragically changed the lives of this young family, but out of sorrow emerges unexpected blessings.

Backstory

I have a special interest in the Near-Death Experience phenomenon. Since the 1980s, I’ve read original research of accounts, and I’ve also read numerous books by survivors. Though I’ve not experienced an NDE, I’ve had several inexplicable experiences of a loving presence at times of great duress.

For ten years, 2002 – 2012, I was an administrator at a college near Camp Pendleton in California. I worked directly with the Marine veterans and, to a lesser degree, veterans from the other branches of the military. I quickly discovered that almost all the Marines suffered PTSD and/or physical injuries from their service in Iraq or Afghanistan. I became their advocate and tried to provide a ‘safe’ place for the veterans to meet, hang out, and process. To this day, my experience with the veterans remains the highlight of my thirty years in Higher Education.

When I wrote The Soul Whisperer’s Decision, I sought to illuminate the struggles of those who have experienced extreme violence. And, as well, I tried to show the healing power of love. None of us can erase our past or another’s, but by our choices, we can carve a hopeful future for ourselves and others.

Purchase links

Amazon: https://bit.ly/488Ziay

Barnes & Noble: https://bit.ly/48aWmdu

About Gwen Plano

Gwen M. Plano, aka Gwendolyn M. Plano, grew up in Southern California and spent most of her professional life in higher education. She taught and served as an administrator in colleges in Japan, New York, Connecticut, and California. Gwen’s academic background is in theology and counseling. Recently retired, she now lives in the high desert of Arizona, where she writes, gardens, and travels with her husband.

Gwen’s first book is an acclaimed memoir, Letting Go into Perfect Love. Her second book, The Contract between heaven and earth, is a thriller fiction novel, co-authored by John W. Howell. It has received multiple awards and is an Amazon Best Seller. The Choice, the unexpected heroes is the sequel to The Contract. It is also a thriller, involving the attempt of an unfriendly nation to take over the world. The third book in the series, The Culmination, a new beginning is an action-packed military thriller that spans the globe and involves multiple Heads of State and the threat of World War III. Only love can change the fate of humanity.

When Gwen is not writing, she’s often in the beautiful Red Rocks of Sedona, where she finds inspiration.

BLOG: http://www.gwenplano.com ( https://bit.ly/48AKRvE )

We had a quiet festive period at home this year. TC and I were both exhausted after a year of hospitalisations and medical issues. It didn’t take long for my spirits to rally and I managed to finish editing the sixteen short stories in my first short story collection: And, the Grave Awaits. I will share more about this collection and the artworks I completed during this period over the next few weeks.

We stayed at Thakadu River Lodge in the Madikwe Game Reserve. It is a luxury tented camp (who wanted that, I wonder?) The location was marvelous, on our last morning a herd of 60 elephants came down to play and swim in the river. It was an elephant madhouse. There were also lots of vervet monkeys. These monkeys are adorable but they are dreadful thieves and very bold. More about that in another post.

This picture is of the side view and entrance door to our luxury tent for Thursday Doors which you can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2024/01/11/doors-badges-popeye/

Cheetah sighting

On our first afternoon, we had the good fortune of seeing a mother cheetah and her cubs playing and enjoying themselves in the late afternoon sunshine.

Cheetah are found in parts of Africa and Iran. There are estimated to be 8,000 cheetahs left in the world and only 50 of these are roaming in Iran. Cheetah are endangered in North and West Africa so the bulk of the remaining cheetah are found in southern Africa. Cheetah cubs are vulnerable to larger predators which is why mum is always on the lookout. Other predators also steal cheetah kills.

It’s time for a stroll around, says this young man:

A few poems

Haiku 

A caring mother 

Sees to the needs of her young 

Dinner is served 

Picture caption: Female cheetah with a baby impala kill 

Haiku 

Dark grey on pale blue 

With brilliant silver edges 

Festival of clouds 

Picture caption: Broody pre-storm sky in the late afternoon 

Artwork (Shadorma) 

Thunderheads 

Complemented by 

Dark salmon 

Pale yellow 

In colourful streaks and lines 

Nature’s great artwork 

Picture caption: Sunset in the bush pre a rainstorm 

Caught in the rain (Tanka) 

Heavens opening 

Rain slashing – icy bullets 

Burning my soft skin 

Exposed to the elements 

Despite my hood’s overhang 

Unsplash – free photographs

You can download some of my animal photographs for free from Unsplash here: https://unsplash.com/@r_cheadle

The Seas of Time by D Wallace Peach

What Amazon says

The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.

In 1858, a ship carrying ice from Alaska wrecked off the coast of California, and little does Taliah Keldan realize how that tragedy will impact her life in 1972.

When Tali decides to quit college and become a civil rights activist, her disappointed parents encourage her to think it over. What better spot for contemplation than at her aunt and uncle’s Harbor Pointe Inn, a charming seaside getaway with its own lighthouse? The place is under renovation and empty of guests. All she’ll have to deal with is the construction crew.

But the inn is far from peaceful.

Tali discovers an old Bible hidden in the lighthouse keeper’s cottage. Strange prayers angle down the margins, all but one ruined by the sea. When she deciphers the crude writing, a dark portal gapes open to a pre-civil war night when an escaped slave in a foundering ship prayed to his voodoo God. A winged creature emerges from the watery void, and her stay transforms into a nightmare.

With the aid of the construction foreman, Tali is determined to send the beast back through time, a choice that will risk their lives, test her convictions, and change her future.

My review

This is the fourth book I’ve read in the Harbor Pointe series, and it is certainly the darkest due to its subject matter which involves slavery and racism. This story is well written, interesting and clever. It also achieves its purpose of highlighting the injustices of slavery and racism, and the advantage taken of such thinking by people with power over others. The book incorporates a lot of mythology and fantasy elements.

The story starts on board the ship The Zenobia in 1858. The ship is sailing from Alaska to San Francisco with a cargo of ice. Among its crew is an escaped slave called Samuel. Enticed by the promise of a government reward, a few of Samuel’s fellow crew members, attack him, and after cruelly beating him, lock him in the storage locker. In desperation and fear, Samuel calls on the serpent god, Damballah, to help him out of his plight.

The story then shifts to San Francisco in 1972. A young woman with a white father and a black mother has just dropped out of university because she is frustrated and feels she can’t make a difference in her fight for equal treatment by following academic paths. Pressure from her mother, compels her to agree to look after her aunt and uncle’s inn at Harbor Pointe while they are abroad. The inn is in the process of being renovated.

Despite a difficult encounter with a racist policeman just prior to her arrival at the inn, and an aura of creepiness about the keeper’s cottage near the inn, where Tali is to live during her stay, she moves into her temporary abode and her aunt and uncle leave to catch their plane. An uncomfortable encounter with the manager of the renovation project, Greg, and the discovery of a waterlogged, ancient book, set in motion a series of frightening events that involve both the soul of Samuel and Damballah.

This story is well written and entertaining. The plot moves quickly and wracks up the tension nicely until the final scenes. I enjoyed the characters of both Samuel and Tali, and how they both grew and evolved as the drama of the storyline unfolded. The character of Greg also goes through some revelations, resulting in a different attitude emerging. This story, despite its exciting plot, is mainly character driven, in my opinion.

An excellent edition to the Harbor Pointe series of books.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Seas-Time-Harbor-Pointe-Book/dp/B0CMLMDC87

Comes this Time to Float: 19 Short Stories by Stephen Geez

What Amazon says

Prepare to think as you explore these wildly disparate literary short stories by author, composer, and producer Stephen Geez. Avoiding any single genre, this collection showcases Geez’s storytelling from southern gothic to contemporary drama to coming-of-age, humor, sci-fi, and fantasy–all finessed to say something about who we are and what we seek. Some of these have been passed around enough to need a shot of penicillin, others so virgin they have never known the seductive gaze of a reader’s eyes. So when life’s currents get to pulling too hard, don’t fight it, just open the book and discover nineteen new ways of going with the flow, because NOW more than ever Comes this Time to Float.

My review

This collection is an intriguing and varied one. No two stories are remotely the same and they are all equally engaging. The author starts each story with an appropriate picture and a short commentary about what inspired the story or what he intended to achieve with the story. I found that helpful and it put me in the correct frame of mind, as a reader, for each piece.

Four of the stories stand out in my mind as I contemplate this collection. Those four are as follows:

About Face – This is a story about a young man who wakes up one morning with someone else’s face. He soon comes to know that his altered identity is only for a period of three days. I enjoyed the psychology of this story as the main character goes from complete disbelief and horror to making use of his ‘new identity’ to benefit himself from a work perspective. His ‘disguise’ is so complete that the young man decides to make the most of the short period during which he isn’t identifiable and set straight a wrong from the past. This decision has unintended and surprising consequences for the young man. It also sets in motion some interesting thoughts for the reader.

Holler Song – Retta and Lurlene are elderly and poor. The pair have cared for Lurlene’s brain damaged granddaughter, Cammie, for nearly twenty five years and are dependent on the benefits they receive for Cammie’s care. They are expecting a desperately needed lump sum payment on the girl’s forthcoming birthday. An unexpected event changes their circumstances and they are left facing destitution. Quick thinking by Retta, and tacit capitulation and compliance from a young woman who is on the run from her abusive boyfriend, help to save the situation for all parties.

Bus, Boy – This was my favourite story in the collection. A young delinquent, Andre, is forced to get a job as a busboy as part of his suspended jail sentence. Andre is against the job, believing it is demeaning to him and that he will be an object of ridicule by the community. Andre’s attitude and understanding of the world undergo a huge overhaul as he gets to know a bit about the circumstances and lives of the waitresses and other staff working with him in the restaurant. He is also surprised by the treatment he receives from people in the community who know him.

The Age-Eater – This is a fantasy short story which made it unique from the other stories in the collection. A Face-Changer is assigned the task of tracking down the mythical Age-Eater on behalf of the Master of his village. The Master’s intentions are good as he would merely like to gift some of his elders a longer and better life. The Face-Changer’s interactions with the Age-Eater bring about a partnership that goes on to make the world a better place for many years to come.

The stories all require attention from the reader. It is not the sort of book you can semi-snooze through or you won’t follow the storylines which are fairly complex. The author’s style of writing and use of colloquial language also means you have to pay attention. It is worth it as the stories are fascinating and thought provoking.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Comes-this-Time-Float-Stories-ebook/dp/B0846WY2HZ

The Edge of Too Late by Jan Sikes

What Amazon says

The Harbor Pointe Inn has loomed on California’s cliffs for generations of Hawthornes. For some, it’s been a blessing. For others, a curse. Travel through two centuries of stories to discover the old inn’s secrets.

What’s the point of having it all when you have no one to share it with?

Brandon Miller has his dream job, financial security, and he’s madly in love. Only one thing is missing—a commitment.

Angela Cooper’s ex-husband left her with deep scars, souring her on the concept of marriage. She’s not interested in a do-over. Not with Brandon or anyone. Her heart is locked securely away behind a thick wall.

With a ring in his pocket and hope in his heart, Brandon arranges a romantic getaway to the historic Harbor Pointe Inn, where he plans to pop the question.

Before they reach the inn, Angela’s got her camera in hand and ghosts on her mind. But they arrive to find a much more tangible horror.

Accident or foul play?

Someone is up to no good, and Angela is the next target. When suspects can be worldly or otherworldly, danger and secrets lurk everywhere.

Poised at the perilous edge of too late, Angela and Brandon face the fight of their lives.

My review

I enjoyed this 5th book in the Harbor Pointe series which took the form of a romance with a thriller twist.

Angela has found the perfect man in Brandon Miller, but she still bears the psychological wounds of a previous disastrous marriage and is very cautious about any long-term commitment. She prefers to just enjoy his company and take things slowly.

Brandon is crazy about Angela and is desperate to propose marriage. He decides to whisk her away to the historic Harbor Pointe Inn for a romantic getaway. He aims to pop the question and hopes that Angela will succumb to his charms and the setting, and say yes.

The Inn is delightful but right from the start there are a few uncomfortable and even frightening mishaps. An ambulance is parked outside the Inn as they arrive and they soon discover that there has been an accident resulting in a guest being seriously injured. Brandon and Angela sense that something is not right at the Inn, but try to make the best of things, until they no longer can.

I enjoyed the characters of Angela and Brandon very much. Angela is a lovely woman who has suffered a bad experience and is trying hard to overcome her resultant anxieties and distrust. Brandon is a lot of fun and is devoted to the lovely Angela.

If you enjoy a good romance with a steady build up of tension and a good twist, you will enjoy this novella.

Amazon US purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/Edge-Too-Late-Harbor-Pointe/dp/B0CNV125RP

Happy New Year!

I returned from a four-day trip to Madikwe Game Reserve today, to discover this wonderful review of A Ghost and His Gold by talented author, Dave Williams. Thank you, Dave.

Book Review: ‘A Ghost and His Gold’

Happy New Year. I hope 2024 will be a good year for everyone.

Dan from No Facilities blog has requested entries for the Thursday Doors Badge for 2024. You can read more about it here: https://nofacilities.com/2023/12/14/christmas-by-candlelight/. While you are there, take a look at Dan’s fabulous Dreamer’s Alliance book series.

I am squeaking in with this post as tomorrow is the last day for entries.

Any how, better almost late than never. Here is my design, it uses one of my watercolour paintings and I just love the colours. I think it represents all seasons because we dream of summer all winter.

I’m still on a blogging break, but I will respond to comments when I get the chance.

Teagan has written a super installment of her latest weekend serial using my song choice, White Rabbit by Jefferson Airplane, as inspiration. It’s a fabulous way to end 2023.

Weekend Serial — Atonement: Bad Bishop, Episode-3, Logic and Proportion, Featuring Roberta Cheadle

My final Dark Origins post for 2023 is about the origin of the letters to Santa. I’ve included an extract from one of my manuscripts which includes extracts of historical letters to Santa. Thank you for hosting, Kaye Lynne Booth.

Happy New Year to all my blogging friends.

Dark Origins – Letters to Santa #DarkOrigins #Christmas