surprise dinner plans
salmon encrusted
with spicy cajun tartar;
cat had other plans
aluminum foil
cooler than summer and fur;
unsupervised cat
kitty barbeque?
dare not, methinks, feline love.
new foil, fish dinner
by Angie Quantrell
BEWARE leaving the cat alone to her own devices in the RV while I’m out trotting around the pasture.
How has your cat (dog, child, husband, wife) surprised you? Share by penning a haiku!
The Bird and the Blade
by Megan Bannen
(Balzer + Bray, An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2018)
I recently received a free copy of The Bird and the Blade from Literary Rambles, Natalie Aguirre, and Megan Bannen.
I was interested in reading The Bird and The Blade because of the title. I like birds. The blade, I could only assume, was sword like and sharp. I was correct on one count. The blade was an actual blade, though I will not spoil the ending by telling you much more about it. The bird was not an actual bird, but the main character, Jinghua.
Without giving too much away, this story is about love, war, families, dynasties, refugees, stations in life, relationships, and courage. The tale begins with a young female slave, Jinghua. But that is not the whole of her.
Through careful revelation and continually going back in time while moving forward, readers learn about Jinghua and how her life has changed. I didn’t know before I read, but this tale was inspired by the opera Turandot and is a retelling of
“Prince Khalaf and the Princess of China.” Despite the ancient beginnings of the story, it is worth every century!
I enjoyed The Bird and the Blade. I loved how the story is organized, with flashbacks to share important details. As I read the “current” portions of the story, I eagerly anticipated the next travel back in time to find out more details. And there are some very juicy details!
Young adults and adults will enjoy this well-written tale, The Bird and the Blade. Thank you, Literary Rambles, for introducing me to this book and author.
gnarled shelves grasp earth
etched granite skin, moss blanket
tree’s knees bend and rest
by Angie Quantrell
Happy Hump Day! How about a haiku challenge? I’d love to read yours.
Today’s Monday Mouthful is brought to you by Thai Naan in Snohomish, Washington.
Last week I was house sitting for a college roomie. She was off gallivanting around Europe (and beyond) with her hubby while I was enjoying her kitty and having myself a writing retreat. Perfect location! Easy walk to reach downtown, gorgeous and historic neighborhood, lots of room and space to spread out my junk (I mean writing supplies). I recently read that creative people are messy. That explains it, honey. My creativity is definitely based on the area around me covered in chaotic bits and pieces.
Back to the story.
Immediately upon arrival, my stomach started thinking back to a previous trip where said roomie, plus one more roomie, headed out for Thai dinner in Snohomish. Food memory drove me to hoof it down the hill and check out lunch.
Lunch special favorite discovered and documented. I ordered green chicken curry, which came with sweet and sour soup, brown rice, and phad Thai. So much deliciousness and food for such a great price! This lunch special called me back one more time, plus a separate dinner trip with above mentioned roomie (not the Europe explorer).
If you are in Snohomish, give Thai Naan a try. Eat some food memories.
Meet Cosmo. My writing partner and neck warmer.
Bird’s Nest
by Angie Quantrell
not what you think, this;
fragile eggs offering spores
tiny fungus cups
I found these beauties in my garden! I’ve only ever found them one other time in the Yakima Valley. So excited!
What’s your Haiku for the day?
One can’t be all work and no play, especially on a writing retreat.
First, there is the cat. Cosmo is quite happy to give me as many breaks a day as I can handle (and then some). Plus he delivers wrap-his-paws-around-my-neck loves, a warm kitty neck warmer, and blankets of kitty fur.
Then there are the windows. Such delightful windows, with a garden full of butterflies, hummingbirds, blue jays, finches, bees, bumblebees, squirrels, other cats, flowers, trees. Not to mention passers-by of uncounted numbers.
Meals and snacks come in handy. As do walks in the historic neighborhood and nearby downtown Snohomish.
And if you know me, rubber stamping provides mental breaks and opportunities for creativity.
This mermaid card was made with rubber cling stamps, watercolor paints, patterned paper, and a bit of glitter glue. She’s pretty cute, isn’t she?
From me to you. You are MER-MAZING! And don’t forget it.
The Bumblebee
hovering fatness
worker intent on flowers
bumbling life giver
by Angie Quantrell
Do you love to haiku? Post your nature haiku in the comments. We’ll do the bumblebee dance to celebrate!
It seems I always have 3 things on hand: paper, something to write with, and a camera. Those ideas and great shots aren’t going to just record themselves!
While searching photos for images of my wonderful and recently passed mother-in-love (my second mom, mom to my honey), I found this little nugget. My photo habits might just predate the need I have to write (and write and write).
What habits or hobbies do you have from waayyyy back? I’d love to hear!
Update: After messaging with Natalie (see comments), I realized I nearly always have 4 things on hand: paper, writing tools, camera, AND a book (or multiple books-one I’m reading and several on standby in case I finish reading a book and need the next read).
Reading, writing, and taking photos, those are my lifelong loves in the categories of hobbies and habits. WE go waayyyy back!
farewell gate
hugs and kisses, love
not bound by earth, I miss you
always in my heart
By Angie Quantrell
Photo taken at Terrace Heights Memorial Park in Yakima, Washington. I’ve gone through these gates so many times, and all it took was one glance in the right light to see the XOXO designs in the center of the gates. What a fitting tribute to the loved ones who have gone before us.
Happy Hump Day Haiku!
Haiku Challenge: Let’s play with words! Share a haiku with in the comments. I’d love to read your thoughts.
*Family friendly please.
This is a repost from Literary Rambles. To see the complete post, go here.
Happy Thursday Everyone! Today I’m excited to be participating in the Beach Reads Giveaway Hop hosted by StuckInBooks. There’s a lot of new books that have recently released or will be published soon, and I’m excited to share them with you. I’m hoping to read more this summer and hope you’re planning to as well.
Can You Help Me Help a Friend Who Has Suffered a Tragic Loss? It’s Easy!
But before I get to the book selections, I need you to ask you to help me help an author friend who just suffered a tragic loss. Lee McKenzie has been a good friend of mine for years who I met through my blog. Her newest MG fantasy, SOME VERY MESSY MEDIEVAL MAGIC, released on May 15, 2018. Two days later, Lee suffered the tragic loss of her husband due to a sudden heart attack. I also suffered the sudden loss of my own husband a little over four years ago and know firsthand how heartbreaking this loss is.
While we cannot take away Lee’s grief, we could show her kindness and friendship by helping her promote her book. I know you all are book lovers and many have your own blogs. I’m hoping that you can do all or some of these easy things to help Lee:
Buy Lee’s book. An e-book is only $3.99. I just did that.
Post about Lee’s book on your blog and other social media sites. Ask your friends to help do by shouting out about her book and buying it
Here’s a blurb about what the book is about:
Pete’s stuck in medieval England! Pete and his friend Weasel thought they’d closed the Timelock.
But a young page from medieval times, Peter of Bramwell, goes missing. His absence during a critical moment will forever alter history unless he’s found. There’s only one solution—fledgling wizard Pete must take the page’s place. He travels to 1173 England accompanied by Weasel and Fanon, Pete’s alligator familiar. But what if the page remains lost? Will Pete know what to do when the critical moment arrives? Toss in a grumpy Fanon, the dukes’s curious niece, a talking horse, and the Circle of Stones, and Pete quickly realizes he’s in over his young wizard head yet again.
And some links:
Website: http://cleemckenziebooks.com
Dancing Lemur Press: http://www.dancinglemurpressllc.com
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Some-Very-Messy-Medieval-Magic-ebook/dp/B079V72G8R/ref=sr_1_1
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/search?query=Some+Very+Messy+Medieval+Magic
Thanks to any of you who can help out.
,
Love, Laughter, and Life 