It is almost July, and I have no idea where all the time has gone this year. It seems like I have been going since the first of the year and if I am honest, I need a break. I wish I had the time to take a few days off of work and relax but because of the days I take off my infusion, I don’t have the time to take a day off where I don’t have anything to do. I guess it could always be worse, and at least I have a job and health insurance. Anyway, let’s just get right into the links from this past week.
This week I wanted to write about ten vacations I want to take for the writer’s workshop. Now when I say that there are places on this list that I don’t know if I will ever make it too because the thought of flying makes me super nervous. Let’s get on to the list of places I would love to visit.
New York City, New York-The first place I would like to explore is New York City. I am sure after a few hours I would be overwhelmed by all the people, but I do think it is something that everyone to experience at least once in their life.
Ireland-Six or so years ago I got into Celtic Thunder and because of that, I have wanted to go and explore Ireland.
Yellowstone– I have been to Yellowstone so many times, and it is still one my favorite places to go on vacation. I can’t get enough of it, and I hope that in the next few years I will be able to go back. Even though I have been there so much, it changes so each time you go so even though I went a few years back I know will be totally different.
Australia- I do have family that lives in Australia, and it is a place that I hope one day I can go and explore the entire country.
England- I want to explore all of the historical sites and things like that. There is so much history in Europe, and I hope that I can explore it all one day.
Orlando, Florida-Last week I wrote that I want to go to Orlando so that I can go to all of the amusement parks that they have there.
California- I want to go here because I want to visit all the amusement parks that they have. I also would love to go to the San Diego zoo again because when we went there when I was younger it was raining so we didn’t get to see much because of the rain.
Hawaii- I have always wanted to go to some place like Hawaii because I would love to live in a tropical environment because it seems nicer than Utah’s weather and I would love to live in a place where it doesn’t snow.
Scotland- The reason I want to go here is the same reason I had for going to Ireland & England. Europe is full of history and has tons of places I want to explore.
Michigan- Back in 2003 my Grandma and I took a two-week vacation in Michigan and ever since then I have always wanted to go back and see what else I can find and see. I can’t say enough good things about Michigan. Everything about that state was amazing, and I hope I can go back one day soon.
Those are the ten places I would love to visit. I have written a post like this before, and as I was looking back at that post, I realized that the places I wanted to haven’t changed in years. If you want to check out that post, you can click here to read that post. Where is one place you could love to visit?
Here are all the prompts for this weeks writer’s workshop in case you want to join.
1. Throwback Thursday: Choose a photo from a previous June and write a poem or a blog post.
2. Create a summer playlist and share it.
3. Share a lesson you learned from your Father that still sticks with you to this day.
4. Write a blog post inspired by the word: won
5. Share a side by side of your child’s first and last days of school. What has changed?
6. List 10 vacations you wouldn’t hate taking.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano was a book that I surprised by how much I liked it in the end. When I started the book, it was one that I didn’t want to put down until I was at the end of the book. This isn’t a book that I would usually pick up but once again I am glad that I did because in the end I enjoyed the story and I am for sure going to check out other books by this author in the future. I enjoyed the characters and the setting of this book. I am not usually into YA books but like I said I enjoyed this book. It is one that I am sure most people would enjoy, and it is a super easy read as well.
About The Book
John “Smoke” Conlan is serving time for two murders but he wasn’t the one who murdered his English teacher, and he never intended to kill the only other witness to the crime. A dangerous juvenile rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado, known as the Y, is Smoke’s new home and the only one he believes he deserves.
But, unlike his fellow inmates, Smoke is not in constant imprisonment. After a near death experience leaves him with the ability to shed his physical body at will, Smoke is able to travel freely outside the concrete walls of the Y, gathering information for himself and his fellow inmates while they’re asleep in their beds. Convinced his future is only as bright as the fluorescent lights in his cell, Smoke doesn’t care that the “threads” that bind his soul to his body are wearing thin-that one day he may not make it back in time. That is, until he meets Pink, a tough, resourceful girl who is sees him for who he truly is and wants to help him clear his name.
Now Smoke is on a journey to redemption he never thought possible. With Pink’s help, Smoke may be able to reveal the true killer, but the closer they get to the truth, the more deadly their search becomes. The web of lies, deceit, and corruption that put Smoke behind bars is more tangled than they could have ever imagined. With both of their lives on the line, Smoke will have to decide how much he’s willing to risk, and if he can envision a future worth fighting for.
Author of NEARLY GONE, NEARLY FOUND, HOLDING SMOKE, and THE SUFFERING TREE (Disney*Hyperion, 2017). Represented by Sarah Davies of The Greenhouse Literary Agency.
I wanted to do another post in my adoption thoughts series because I haven’t done one in awhile. If you want to read any of my past posts in this series, you can click here to check them out. This post is going to be about how hard this year has been since I
July 7th will mean that eleven years has gone by since I placed my daughter for adoption. I can’t believe it has been that long since I had her. I have found myself thinking more and more about her this year, and I think that is because I had to put Alley Cat to sleep earlier this year.
I have always said that Alley was my replacement baby, and now that she is gone I can’t stop being taken back eleven years. There are some days that it seems like it all just happened a few days ago. I can still remember all the feelings and how I felt the moment I handed her off to her parents.
I feel like I just can’t wait for this year just to be over so that I won’t have to think about it anymore. Even as I type that, I know that just because her birthday passes it won’t just go away. I know that only time will make it not hurt as much, and I hate waiting for time to pass because it seems to take forever.
There isn’t anything that I want to say other than that I am struggling with everything this year. I just want to go to sleep and not wake up until the middle of July. I know that it won’t make it better or make it hurt less, but I hope that by getting the thoughts out of my head and written down will help me deal with it all. That is all I have to say, and I am hoping to have another post about adoption up on her birthday.
*I did write a post earlier this year about saying goodbye to Alley so if you want to check that out, you can click here to read that post.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
Jilted by Varina Denman was a great book. I did get the other two books in this series with one, but I haven’t had the time to read them yet so I hope I will get to those sometime soon, so I can review them for you. I enjoyed this book and the story so I can’t wait to check out the other two books that take place before this book. I was able to understand this book, so you don’t have read the other books before this one. I enjoyed this author’s style of writing and how I was able to understand where the characters were coming from throughout the entire book. At times I felt like I could relate to Lynda because I think a lot like she does throughout the book. I enjoyed this book and the author’s style of writing, and I can’t wait to check out other books by her in the future.
About The Book
Lynda Turner has struggled with depression since her husband abandoned her and their young daughter fifteen years ago.
Yet unexpected hope awakens when a local ex-convict shows interest. As long-hidden secrets resurface, Lynda must fight for her emotional stability and for a life where the shadow of shame is replaced by the light of love.
Jilted tells of a woman who has lost the joy of living, a man determined to draw her back toward happiness, and a town that must—once and for all—leave the past where it belongs. It is a gentle reminder that all things can work together for good.
About The Author
Varina Denman is author of the Mended Hearts series and a native Texan. She spent her high school years in a rural town and now writes stories about the struggles women face in similar small town settings. She and her husband live near Fort Worth, where they enjoy spending time with their five mostly grown children.
FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.
Medical Judgement by Richard L. Mabry, M.D. was a good book but not my favorite one by this author. I had a hard time getting into the book for some reason but even when I say that I still enjoyed most of this book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters in this book which made it hard for me to care about the things that happened to them. I love this author writing, and I loved that his books are all medical thrillers. So even though I wasn’t a huge fan of this book is was still a good book and one that I would recommend to anyone who loves medical thrillers as I do.
About The Book
Medical Judgment (Abingdon Press, May 2016)
Dr. Sarah Gordon lost her husband and daughter. Now she’s about to lose her life.
After losing the two people she loved the most, Sarah Gordon doesn’t think life could get worse. But, after a fire in her garage is ruled an arson, she begins to realize someone is after her—and that person wants to see her dead. But first, they want to see her suffer.
Her late husband’s best friend, Kyle Andrews, and a recovering alcoholic detective, Bill Larson, are trying to solve the mystery before it’s too late, and they’re both trying to win her heart, too. Not only does Sarah feel torn between two men, she also feels as though she cannot trust anyone.
With creepy threats that become more and more sinister, Sarah finds herself in constant fear, but even the best home alarm technology won’t protect her. Who is doing this, and why are they after her?
About The Author
Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician who writes “medical suspense with heart.” His novels have won multiple awards: a semifinalist for International Thriller Writers’ debut novel; finalists for the Carol Award, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, and Romantic Times’ Reader’s Choice Award; and both finalist and winner of the Selah Award. He and his wife live in Frisco, Texas.
Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2016 Margaret Margaret
