Thank you to Kaye Lynne Booth for hosting this month’s In Touch with Nature post which features warthogs (also now known as pumbaas – thank you, Disney).
Category: Uncategorized
Roberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s writing challenge, Changing Leaves & CFFC #poetry #photography
Esther’s challenge is money. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2025/10/15/writing-prompts-87/
Funny Money (tanka prose)
When my family moved to Cape Town from George, we lived in rented homes for the first year. The first rented house was in a suburb called Kirstenhof and that was a bad experience as the carpets were full of fleas when we first moved in. Laura, a small baby at the time, and I were bitten repeatedly. I can still remember those horrible itchy bites that swelled to three times their size. I was the only one of the four of us girls whose bites swelled up. Cape Town is notorious for fleas. The bites stopped when my parents were forced to have the house fumigated.
The second cottage was in Fishhoek and was a great place to live. I have written other memories about our three months in that seaside village. Our third move was into a house my parents bought in a cul-de-sac called Seven Sleepers. The cul-de-sac ended just before a main road and had empty land on either side of the row of seven houses. Across the main road was a big shopping mall which had the attraction to me and Cath of a pot of honey to bees. All around our area, new houses were being build and Cath and I, together with a few friends of mixed ages, used to explore these half build houses over weekends when the workmen were away.
One day when we were mooching around a nearly completed house, we discovered several silver discs lying on the floor. They were the exact size of a twenty-cent piece. They had been punched out of the newly wired electricity board in the kitchen. My friend, Neil, had the inspired idea of trying out the ‘coins’ on the claw machine in the nearby mall. We all loved the machine. You dropped in a twenty-cent piece and could manipulate the claw and try to pick up a small stuffed toy. We were delighted when the machine took the fake money and we all had a few turns on the machine. We never managed to hook a toy, but it was still great fun.
The next weekend, we went back to the houses and foraged for more discs. We didn’t find a single one. The workmen had clearly taken the time to pick them up. It was most disappointing and our time on the claw machine reverted back to when one of us had a bit of pocket money to spend. In retrospect, it was a naughty thing to do and it’s just as well we didn’t win any toys, or I would have had that guilt to add to my memories.
shiny silver coins
could have led to bad trouble
luck was on our side
although we weren’t grateful then
workmen’s diligence saved us
Rebecca Budd shares a beautiful poem this week called Leaves by Sara Teasdale. You can read it here: https://rebeccasreadingroom.ca/2025/10/18/leaves-by-sarah-teasdale/
I loved it so much I decided to write my own version of this poem.
Leaves by Robbie Cheadle
an odd orange leaf
decorates my foliage
summer is ending
I feel autumn’s cooler winds
my branches creak in protest
***
across the pathway
my life partner is bedecked
in colours of red
as we grew our limbs reached out
entwining in the middle
***
seeds germinated
grew into strong, young saplings
thriving in rich soil
their tender leaves darkening
into vivid apple green
***
our givers of life
have passed through vibrant autumn
entering winter
reduced life force withers leaves
one by one they gently fall
CFFC
Dan’s CFFC prompt is retailers selling food. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2025/10/20/retail-food-cffc/
Roberta Writes – Book reviews: Unbury the Dead and A Bold Bargain #fiction #bookreviews #readingcommunity
Unbury the Dead by Laurel Hanlon
I reviewed this book in my capacity as a member of Rosie’s Book Review Team. If you would like your book reviewed, you can contact Rosie Amber here: http://rosieamber.wordpress.com/.
I always enjoy a good vampire novel, especially during Halloween month. Unbury the Dead, debut novel by Laurel Hanlon introduces the novel concept of vampire mafia. The main character, Phil, has fallen foul of his mafia boss father-in-law, resulting in his being interned in a concrete crypt beneath the ocean. The novel starts with Phil finally finding some success in wriggling himself free of his watery grave and making an escape. Phil knows he has been interned for a lengthily period but doesn’t know how long.
The great escape kicks off a fast paced and entertaining story about a vampire misplaced in time and astounded by the wonders of the 21st century. Hunting humans is certainly more difficult with modern technology like cameras on streets and in stores, credit cards, and cell phones. Phil must adjust to these enormous changes while on the run from his father-in-law’s mafia henchmen who become aware of his presence in New York due to his publicized indiscretions.
This book introduces fresh and interesting ideas to the well know vampire mythology and sets the characters in an intensely modern 21st century setting. I enjoyed the ‘culture shock’ and acclimatization aspects very much. There is also an intriguing romance thread that allows for the introduction of some of Phil’s backstory and a deep dive into the cause of his incarceration and current problems.
All in, this is an entertaining retelling of the well-known vampire story and worth the time if you enjoy vampire tales and mythology.
Purchase Unbury the Dead by Laurel Hanlon from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Unbury-Dead-Laurel-Hanlon-ebook/dp/B0FH2X39TL
A Bold Bargain by Jan Sikes
This is the third book in the Bargainer Series and my personal favourite. I am really enjoying these uplifting stories filled with kindness. These books restore my faith in the goodness of humanity, and I appreciate that in our current world of endless bad news.
Jack made his entrance in book 2 as the younger brother of the main character, Rose. His strength of character and innate goodness were evident in that book and this one builds on the reader’s previous interactions with this interesting young man. It is not necessary to read the earlier novels to appreciate this book, but it does help with a greater understanding of Jack’s past and the childhood setbacks he has overcome to get where he is at the beginning of this book.
I was delighted to discover Jack working as a substitute conservationist and knocking heads with vicious poachers of wild animals. Jack’s deep love of animals really resonates with me, and I was also thrilled at his adoption of first a young puppy (possibly part wolf), and then other creatures in need. Jack’s willingness to help other in need leads to his meeting and assisting and elderly woman who is slowly going blind and suffering other effects of an illness and also, a young lady who is on her own mission to help her aging grandfather.
These threads of catching poachers, helping Mrs Fletcher, meeting Finley, and developing bonds with various animals, all weave together into a beautiful and uplifting story. This is a wonderful book to read in the lead up to the Christmas season or at any other time when your spirits need lifting.
Purchase A Bold Bargain by Jan Sikes from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/Bold-Bargain-Bargainer-Book-ebook/dp/B0FD7VSY68
Roberta Writes – Reblog: The Soldier and the Radium Girl Part 1: The Bloom of Youth, Chapter 1: Enlist in haste, repent at leisure (cont.)” by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Thank you to Nolcha Fox, editor of Chewers by Masticadores, for publishing episode 2 of chapter 1 of my work in progress novel, The Soldier and the Radium Girl.
I am sharing the first chapter of this novel to test the water as to whether it interests people. I would appreciate your comments as I decide whether to finish it or not.
If you missed last week’s episode, you can read it here: https://chewersmasticadores.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/the-soldier-and-the-radium-girl-part-1-the-bloom-of-youth-chapter-1-enlist-in-haste-repent-at-leisure-by-roberta-eaton-cheadle/
Jake Tanner
14 April 2017 (cont.)
Walking home through the emerald fields with Kate by his side, regret at all he’d be leaving behind dampened Jake’s enthusiasm. By the time he’d delivered Kate safely home and reached his own front door, the fiery eruption of excitement had slackened, and anxiety, like fine ash, coated his heart.
Jake’s ma was in the kitchen with his younger sister, Martha. The rich scents of roasting meat and apple and cinnamon enfolded him in their warm embrace. Mrs. Coombes, the cook, was not there. It was her bi-weekly day off, and Jake was pleased and relieved. Pleased that his ma was cooking, she was a great cook and her meals were always fit for a king, and relieved that he didn’t have to face Mrs. Coombes reaction to his news, as well as his ma’s and sister’s.
“Jake, you’re just in time to carry in the wood,” Martha cried, beaming. “I’ve filled the wood box, but it’s too heavy for me to carry.”
“I’ve enlisted, Ma.” Jake spat out his news like a bit of undigested food.
Continue reading here: https://chewersmasticadores.wordpress.com/2025/10/17/the-soldier-and-the-radium-girl-part-1-the-bloom-of-youth-chapter-1-enlist-in-haste-repent-at-leisure-cont-by-roberta-eaton-cheadle/
Roberta Writes – Reblog: Bad Moon Rising post on Teri Polen’s blog #halloween #badmoonrising
#BadMoonRising Through the Nethergate by Roberta Eaton Cheadle #horror #historicalfiction #bookgiveaway
Thank you to author, Teri Polen, for sharing this post about my book, Through the Nethergate, as part of her Halloween Bad Moon Rising series.
You name a genre, and this author’s written it – adult novels, young adult, poetry, children’s books. She’s also working on the first novel in her cake art and baking trilogy. Find out which book scared her so much it kept her awake at night – but not enough to quit reading it. Welcome Roberta Eaton Cheadle!
Would you rather spend a night in The Overlook Hotel with Jack Torrance or be in the high school gym during prom with Carrie?
Stephen King was my favourite author when I was a pre-teen. I read all the books he wrote during the ‘70s and ‘80s (hidden behind the couch as they belonged to my mother). The Shining is still one of my top three King books so I would choose to spend a night at the Overlook Hotel rather than at a school prom. I particularly enjoyed the scenes in the bar when Jack Torrance meets the various ‘ghosts’ which inhabit the hotel. This novel explores family relationships and how love and nurturing can turn to hate, and resentment given the right circumstances. I always find psychology fascinating.
Three short quotes that summarise the essence of The Shining:
“Sometimes human places, create inhuman monsters.”
“Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win.”
“The world’s a hard place, Danny. It don’t care. It don’t hate you and me, but it don’t love us either.”
Continue reading here: https://teripolen.com/2025/10/09/badmoonrising-through-the-nethergate-by-roberta-eaton-cheadle-horror-historicalfiction-bookgiveaway/
: Roberta Writes – Reblog: Bad Moon Rising post on Teri Polen’s blog #halloween #badmoonrising : Roberta Writes – Reblog: Bad Moon Rising post on Teri Polen’s blog #halloween #badmoonrisingRoberta Writes – Esther Chilton’s Writing Challenge and Flower Hour #photography #poetry
I missed last week’s challenge, so I have used the prompt words for last week (club) and this week (shade) in this short piece. You can join in here: https://estherchilton.co.uk/2025/10/08/writing-prompts-86/
The Club House
When my sister, Hayley, was a newborn baby, we lived in a house in a new area called Jukskei Park in Johannesburg. Our house was the second to be built on our street and was surrounded by vacant plots of land waiting to be sold. One of these plots had been used as a dumping ground for the builders and there was a huge mountain of sand, rubble, and other rubbish in the middle. By the time we moved into this house, the rubble mountain was already sprouting little bushes and even some wildflowers. It looked quite pretty, and it was an attractive place for two little girls to play while their mother was fully absorbed by a difficult colicky baby.
I decided that we should have a clubhouse on the top of the mound where we could shelter during the hottest part of the day. My idea was that it would be a shady little room for us to sit in and play dolls. The clubhouse was constructed from broken bricks which I laid one on top of the other in the manner of a real builder. Dad had shown me how to make a strong structure with bricks by laying the second row over the joins in the first row. Of course, we didn’t have any cement, but the structure did hold together. I found a sheet of corrugated iron for the roof. It didn’t turn out to be the shady sanctuary of my imagination as it was extremely hot and stuffy inside, but we still do go into it during the mornings and late afternoons when the temperatures had dropped a bit. The house brought us a lot of pleasure and we had broken pieces of cups and plates and other bits and pieces of crockery we’d scavenged from the mound.
One day, I had the bright idea that we should slide down the mound on pieces of cardboard. This was fabulous fun until I cut my leg badly on an exposed piece of glass. I had to have the wound cleaned and dressed and Mom found out about the clubhouse on the rubbish mound. Naturally, we were banned from any further games involving climbing the rubbish mount which stopped this game in its tracks. It was a lovely few months while we had access to it.
Mom busy with baby
older children seek out fun
climbing rubbish mound
paradise of broken junk
repurposed for home decor
Flower Hour
Terri’s new Flower Hour challenge is up for this week. You can join in here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2025/10/14/the-flower-hour-maple-leaves/
The day lilies are out:
The azaleas are also in flower:
Roberta Writes – Reblog: “The Soldier and the Radium Girl Part 1: The Bloom of Youth, Chapter 1: Enlist in haste, repent at leisure” by Roberta Eaton Cheadle
Thank you to Nolcha Fox for serialising the first chapter of my work in progress book, The Soldier and the Radium Girl on Chewers by Masticadores. This is the first section.
Jake Tanner
14 April 2017
He’d enlisted, and he could honestly say it was Nora Bayes’ fault. Jake had been enjoying a soda with his girl, Kate, and some friends at Eddie’s Pharmacy when the hit song, “Over There,” came on the radio.
Over there, over there,
Send the word, send the word over there
That the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming
The drum’s rum-tumming everywhere
So prepare, say a prayer,
Send the word, send the word to beware
We’ll be over, we’re coming over
And we won’t come back till it’s over, over there
The words fired the patriotism of all the young men and by the end of the song, they’d all joined in, belting out the words in loud, excited voices. Slurping down the last cold mouthfuls of their ice cream sodas, they’d collectively decided to go and kill themselves a few German Bosch.
“We’re gonna wipe them out,” Beau cried. “Fucking Bosch want to rule the world, but they’ve got to get past us first.”
Continue reading here: https://chewersmasticadores.wordpress.com/2025/10/10/the-soldier-and-the-radium-girl-part-1-the-bloom-of-youth-chapter-1-enlist-in-haste-repent-at-leisure-by-roberta-eaton-cheadle/
Roberta Writes – d’Verse: Tripping October and The Flower Hour #photography #poetry
Dora’s challenge is: What does October mean to you? You can join in here: https://dversepoets.com/2025/10/07/poetics-tripping-the-october-light-fantastic/
The pictures of flowers included in this poem are for Terri’s new Flower Hour photo challenge. You can join in here: https://secondwindleisure.com/2025/10/07/the-flower-hour-weekly-photo-challenge-debut/
October Flowers (shadorma story)
in a blaze
of pollen and heat
October
takes the stage
purple jacaranda blooms
along every street
***
October
new discoveries
bloom daily
irises
debutantes in pastel gowns
circulate the floor
***
matronly
October roses
chaperone
violets
while bold amarllis strut
in shocking pink frocks
***
Erupting
in bright, orange frills
dark stripes and
yellow masks
gazanias make statements
as fashion leaders
***
trumpeters
in vivid scarlet
announce start
of spring ball
gentelmanly wind opens
dance floor with slow waltz
Roberta Writes – Book reviews: Miira (Innerscape #1) and Happy Hour and Other Sorrows #fiction #bookreviews #reading community
Miira (Innerscape #1) by A.C. Flory
What Amazon says
In 2101, the average life expectancy is one hundred and ten. Miira Tahn, last Lady of Dhurai, is dying at just fifty-two. Faced with a slow, agonizing death, her only hope is Innerscape, a virtual paradise in which the Residents inhabit beautiful, digital bodies indistinguishable from the real thing.
Or so the brochures say. But even Eden had a snake, and once inducted, the Residents of Innerscape can never again return to the real world. If anything goes wrong, they’ll be lost in the dark forever.
Yet for Miira Tahn, even a tenuous hope is better than the fate that awaits her.
‘…sometimes you just have to close your eyes and jump…’
‘Miira’ is the first book of the Innerscape cyle and corresponds to Episode 1 of the original series.
My review
This is an extraordinary book. I have had it on my TBR for a few years, but I am not a big sci fi fan so I put off reading it. Now, I regret waiting as this really is a most intriguing and clever book. I already have the next book in the series and will be reading it in the near future.
Miira is a woman, a refugee, whose life has been reduced to that of a middled aged invalid reliant on a manufactured exoskeleton to help her do everything. All her status and money cannot reverse the damage done to her physical body during her early years as a new refugee in Australia. Faced with a slow and painful death, Miira choses to enter Innerscape, a virtual world for wealthy individuals whose physical bodies can no longer offer them a good life. Despite some anxieties, Miira decides to go ahead and undergo the transition of her body to enter Innerscape. Once transitioned there is no returning to your previous life.
Miira is an excellent character. Highly intelligent and yet vulnerable, the author’s sensitive writing brings Miira to life and I really wanted Innerscape to meet her expectations and make up for everything she’d lost over her relatively short life of 52 years. As in the real world of ordinary humans, nothing is every straight forward. Innerscape is run by people who are subject to many character flaws and these extend into the virtual world they helped to create and run. Miira is a strong and determined woman, one who sets a good example to all female readers, and although this book ended after her integration into Innerscape, the reader knows there is a lot more to come and believes that Miira will overcome whatever is thrown at her in this strange new virtual world because she is a survivor. As a side note, I really liked that Miira chose to return to a younger version of herself when she entered Innerscape and didn’t turn herself into an artificially enhanced ‘Barbie doll’.
One of the reasons I don’t read a lot of sci fi is because I don’t like pages of explanations about future worlds or, alternatively, no explanations at all so I don’t really understand the future world. The author managed to keep the reader completely informed about her created world by showing and through dialogue which made this book a really good experience for me. I could understand exactly how both the future world and the virtual world of Innerscape worked from the behaviours, actions, and conversations that took place.
I highly recommend this book and I am looking forward to reading the the other books in this series.
Purchase Miira (Innerscape book 1) by A.C. Flory from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076GYZBKQ
You can find other books by A.C. Flory on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/acflory/author/B00B1M04JI
Happy Hour and Other Sorrows by JT Twissel
What Amazon says
October 11, 1970
Dear C.
Here I am in PARIS FRANCE! Wow. I’m staying with my uncle’s boss, a gay guy who was some kind of a big wig during WWII which is all they ever talk about here.The war, the war, the war! That trip I told you about to Milan to retrieve a vintage car . . . well it didn’t go so well. The owner DIED on the way home and the Swiss police thought he was MURDERED and so they tried to make me stay but it was too freaky so I split .
Oh, and remember that cute guy GIL? He keeps popping up but I don’t think he really likes me. I think they just want him to keep an eye on me because I supposedly have the KNACK FOR TROUBLE and might poop in a bidet or really kill a burgermeister. Sheesh.
You wouldn’t like it here because they eat BUNNIES and SNAILS and all kinds of gross things. I guess they had to during that damn war. I should be home by Christmas unless another trip goes awry and I end up missing my flight home, AGAIN! And boy, will I have a lot of stories to tell.
Love, Riley
My review
This was a fun romp around Germany, a bit of France and a few other European places through the eyes of a young American college student named Riley. Riley’s Uncle Bob, whom everyone assumes is a spy for the American government, lives in post-WW2 Germany. In an unusual gesture of generosity, he offers to host Riley for a few weeks for a European vacation. Riley’s not that keen as she has her college studies and a boyfriend but her mother is very determined for her to take this unexpected opportunity. And so she does.
The opportunity turns out to take the shape of acting as a driver for her uncle who has been banned from driving by the German authorities. He also turns out not to be a spy but an accountant for the American Government which isn’t quite the same thing. That is what he says, in any event. Regardless, Riley does seize the opportunity and sets out to meet ‘real’ Germans and do things that ‘real’ Germans do. Her uncle, the non-spy, also involves her with various work colleagues who take her on what are planned to be short travel adventures and end up being unexpected catastrophes.
Riley goes to Europe very much a typical American student with limited life experience and this all changes during her time in Germany which ends up being a lot longer than the planned few weeks. The book is a coming of age story and I loved following Riley’s escapades, some her own fault and some imposed on her. It was a most unusual and refreshing read for me.
Purchase Happy Hour and Other Sorrows by JT Twissel from Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0F28JXNRL
Find more of JT Twissels books on Amazon US here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/JT-Twissel/author/B00HZSOZ1K
Roberta Writes – d’Verse, Dipping our Poetic Paddles and CFFC
Truedessa’s Tuesday d’Verse guest post was to write a poem using the line The Song My Paddle Sings. You can read other contributions here: https://dversepoets.com/2025/09/30/dipping-our-poetic-paddles/
Canoeing (haibun)
When I was a girl, Dad bought Cath and I a blow-up canoe for a joint Christmas present. It was shaped like a kayak and was a vivid orange with blue paddles. Dad used to take us on day outings to Langebaan Lagoon, and we would spend the day paddling the canoe from one inlet to another around the lagoon. From time to time, we would climb out and spend some time playing on the beach. We like to build lines of sandcastles with our buckets and spades. When on the water, we were supposed to stay near the edges of the lagoon, but we usually didn’t. It was easier to paddle further out where there were no rocks and people swimming. It was also enticing. As I rowed across the calm, fairly warm water, I could hear the song my paddle sings as it rose and fell, splish splash. Mom and Dad were always distracted with our two young sisters, so Cath and I pretty much did as we pleased without either of them noticing.
I was nine and a good swimmer, I was always selected to swim backstroke in the interschool galas. Cath, however, was only five and was still learning how to swim. One hot afternoon, I rowed the canoe to close to a rock, and it scrapped along the side under the water. I was concerned so I decided to row us back to our parents so that Dad could check the canoe. My concern didn’t extend to staying to the edges though. The quickest way back was straight across the middle. We were about halfway across when I noticed that we were sitting in a puddle of water. The funny thing about taking on water is that once it starts it seems to come in quicker and quicker. I suppose the hole got bigger as the water poured in. I rowed like a mad person and quickly covered another half of the remaining distance. By this time the water was fairly deep, and the canoe was much lower in the water as the side was also deflating. I got Cath to bail out water with our beach bucket and continued to row. As soon as it was shallow enough to stand, I hopped out and dragged the canoe with Cath still bailing to the shore. That experience gave me a fright, and I never used the canoe again even though Dad patched it most effectively. Although nothing terrible happened and I didn’t have to use plan B which was to swim with Cath on my back to the shore, I was sufficiently upset by this experience to never enjoy boating on the ocean. When I do go on a boat, I am always uptight and anxious.
bright orange canoe
sinking lower and lower
as shore approaches
CFFC
Dan’s CFFC topic this week is subjects framed by nature. You can join in here: https://nofacilities.com/2025/09/29/subjects-framed-by-nature-cffc/
roberta-writes.com 