Words from the Heart

Ruby Pearl, the heroine of Dianne Floyd Boehm’s novel stands precariously on the cusp of life. In the small village of Oilton, Oklahoma. Horse and buggy are still the primary means of transportation. Ruby Pearl has been transported by her mind. She hears the call of modern life in a big city like Tulsa, Oklahoma City or Chicago.  Diann Floyd Boehm has written a Young Adult novel based on the life of her grandmother. By deftly weaving memories and history of the 1920’s, Ms. Boehm. fictitiously, recounts her grandmother’s struggle to achieve the life of her dreams. Ms. Boehm’s grandmother's dream is not the life assumed and expected by her parents and the community of Oilton. Ruby Pearl loves to read and write. She also loves her family. A husband, children and home are important to her. She does not want, though, to become as the author writes, “the CEO of the household” without first experiencing life in “the big city.” She wants to live in a big city like Tulsa, Oklahoma City or ...

I am thrilled to share a post with writer, Diann Floyd Boehm. Diann's new book, Rise! A Girl's Struggle for More,  is an excellent example of how inspiration can come from past memories. Diann was born in Tulsa, OK. She was sister to five brothers. Together they grew up in Texas. Diann graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor of Education. She is married and the mother of three children. Throughout her life, she has traveled, taught elementary school and lived around the world.  Rise! A Girl's Struggle for More is her fourth book.   ~~~ How Memories of the Past Inspire Writers After I decided to write the story of my grandmother’s life, with the hope of inspiring young people to follow their dreams, I began really studying the history of my great-parents’ times growing up, and how my grandmother opened doors to understanding the past and the ripple effects it had over the years. My grandmother was born in 1904 in a small town in Oklahoma. It was so far...

When asked to review, Odyssey of Love by Linda  Jämsén , I was intrigued.  Not only did Linda have roots in the same part of Eastern Europe as my family, but her family lived not far from my present home. In addition, she lived in Boston, close to where I grew up as a child.  Parallel's like these always draw me to a book, but what really keeps me reading is the writing. Linda  Jämsén is an excellent wordsmith who knows how to turn a phrase, build tension and create suspense, all of which enable the reader to feel as if they are part of the plot.   One thing that truly touched me was the advise Linda receives from the psychic, Angelica, that she visits to "settle down, not settle for."  If the reader gets nothing else from this book, this one bit of advice is worth its weight in gold! I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs, love stories and the drama of real life! I know I am looking forward to the release of her sequel, Triptych ! About...

For Those Gone Too Soon            by Linda M. Rhinehart Neas  The mind searches –    Within the mind palace - What were the last words spoken ?  Your laugh, your smile  Echoes through rooms and halls  Long lost and barely remembered.  The news came shockingly –  A happened upon obit,  A message from someone you knew,  A call from a mutual friend.  The particulars of how, why, when  Carry little weight –  What matters is that you are gone.  Time, the thief, stole you from now,  Never allowing for a proper goodbye –  Oh the things left unsaid!  Those left behind,  On learning that you now live  In days gone by - among foggy dreams Where the sun always shines –  Pain has ceased its incessant knowing –  Where youth and beauty reign,  Are numbed by the realization that -  No longer will you call - No longer will you hold their hand - No longer will...