Author Leah M. Hinton — The Sojourn Sparrow
Happy mail from my editor Susan King at Grace Publishing. Book three in the Short and Sweet anthology series. (Shown here with books one and two, in which I also have stories published.)
These are short works featuring short words. (One syllable words, with few exceptions.)
And I’m happy to say my work has been accepted for book four and I’ve been asked to submit for book five. All proceeds from these works go to charity.
Peace.
High Lonesome Sound by Jaye Wells
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A great friend gifted me with a copy of the newest book from author Jaye Wells. I read the first chapter and immediately wanted more. But then life intervened and I had to put the book down for a bit. Well, I started it again and read it in a day. I put everything else aside. I even cooked dinner for my family with the book in hand and lost out on some much-needed sleep.
Jaye Wells tells a good story. She builds suspense and keeps you turning pages, but more importantly, she crafts sentences that are beautifully put together and a blessing to read.
“Something deep in her chest, some burning knowledge that was not of the brain but of the heart, told her that if she didn’t find her song, Moon Hollow would become a tomb and she’d be buried alive.”
This is exactly the kind of horror novel I like to curl up with. There is horror, but not for horror’s sake. Every bloody drop is pertinent to the story and makes it all the more complete.
I had some Amazon gift cards burning holes in my pocket. The trouble was choosing what to buy with them.
Seriously, my Amazon Wishlist is a ridiculous exercise in total greed and my want button is turned up to 11. However, I AM quite capable of exercising restraint, so I scanned my wants for a useful item that won’t quickly get set aside and clicked Buy It Now.
I love getting boxes from Amazon. Especially when my busy life has me forgetting I even ordered anything. Seeing the box on my front porch quickly reminded me of my purchase and I was EXCITED to open the box. This was not an Amazon delivery of toilet paper or dog food. This box held potential.
I chose the little keyboard pictured above. It is the Logitech iPad Keyboard and Stand Combo. It works with iPad, iPad 2, iPad (3rd/4th generation), iPad mini and the iPhone. (Don’t fret, there is an android version too.)
It is Bluetooth enabled so I can use it with my phone and can comfortably work anywhere. For power, it uses triple A batteries so I don’t have to worry about charging cables etc. So far, it is really cool and I can’t say enough about it. It fits in my purse and the keyboard is full sized so I don’t end up with cramped hands. I’m actually writing this blog with it as we speak.
Its connection is not jagged or delayed. It is as smooth as if I am typing directly into my device. With every word, I grow more and more fond of this tech-savvy do-dad.
I’m totally digging it. So, how am I going to use it? First, I’m going to download the Scrivener App to my iPad mini and see how I like working on that, so I don’t always destroy the charge on my phone running Bluetooth-enabled peripheral gadgets. And since the connection is flawless, I can see myself typing blogs from the carpool lane and working on my manuscript anywhere inspiration strikes. I don’t have to preplan and have my laptop with me.
You should try this. Definitely worth finding the money in your budget, or the next time someone asks what you want for your birthday, suggest an Amazon Gift Card.
And I’ve gotta say, I might get these for my children. It is so much cheaper than buying them laptops and they can type right into the Google Docs App for their papers for school. Win/win.
You can buy this keyboard for your Apple products here:
You can get the Android version here:
“Most of us have two lives. The life we live, and the unlived life within us. Between the two stands Resistance.” – Steven Pressfield
It is rather appropriate that the first book I’m choosing to review for this blog is a book that I am driven to live every day.
I have wrestled with the artist part of my being for as long as I can remember. I pushed it down and tried to find more acceptable pursuits. (Acceptable in the eyes of friends, family and society where success is measured in dollar signs.) If not art, then in law as a paralegal, or in teaching.
I suffocated in self-inflicted professions as anything but author.
The most fun I’ve had outside of writing is teaching. Perhaps because teaching can be an art — when done with passion. And a part of me gained satisfaction knowing I could be something important to a few. As gratifying as it often was, I still was very aware of it not being the best of me.
There have been many voices keeping my artistry pushed deep within me and keeping me hiding it from the world. Oddly, the ones I listened to so completely had never read a word of my writing.
However, The War of Art points out something I never wanted to believe. It points out that this Resistance with a capital R — the influence that keeps us from our higher selves — is something we’ve each created within ourselves. There becomes an addiction to not living up to our potential. And not living to our potential is easy. An even easier with the multitude of excuses so readily available to the angst riddled artist.
Do we have to stare death in the face to make us stand up and confront Resistance? – Steven Pressfield
This book helped me realize I was the only thing keeping me back. I need to make changes and I need to change now. And the power to push through is within me.
If you have even the slightest inkling to pursue something that puts you on a higher plane — painting, writing, singing, entrepreneurship to name but a few — then by all means read this book.
See what you can achieve. But don’t only try once. Work every day at being the higher, better you. It is a war of sorts, made of many battles, none of which are cheap.
The warrior and the artist live by the same code of necessity, which dictates that the battle must be fought anew every day. – Steven Pressfield
I know that “following my dream” is just another way of saying “living to my potential.” Living to the capabilities given me by my Creator. And I know the greater my pursuit is of IT, the greater the pull of Resistance.
The more important a call or action is to our soul’s evolution, the more Resistance we feel toward pursuing it. – Steven Pressfield
Buy the book here:
