Words from the Heart

The Suicide Letters of Jack Monroe  by Mary Maurice is a psychological journey travelled through the letters of Jack and a woman named Susan Jordan. From his first letter to Susan, the reader is drawn into a web of intrigue and mystery. Who is Jack and why is he writing so prolifically to Susan?  Why does she take so long to answer him?  Author, Mary Maurice's poetic prose of her descriptions of the Southwest cast a gentle light on the weighty subject of suicide. The letters read as if someone is speaking to you, personally, pulling the reader into the drama.  If you enjoy psychological mysteries, this book will certainly get your Jungian sensibilities peeked. I enjoy mysteries, which is why I signed up to host this book for its maiden blog tour.  A warning, though: as I read through the chapters, I quickly realized that this was also a psychological drama that might cause issues for those with PTSD. There are portrayals of the suicide of a pare...

No matter where we go in life, we must deal with people, events and things that may or may not be difficult. Having the right "tools" at hand makes our journey less stressful and much more fulfilling. Our guest writer, Lorraine Ash shares her tips on what to take in our spiritual backpacks during Life's journey as we participate in the WOW! Women on Writing blog tour for her new book, Self and Soul: On Creating a Meaningful Life . In this uplifting memoir, Lorraine Ash uses her own life experiences to explore inner landscapes where the seeds of divine healing and insight reside. These are the landscapes on which we create our own meaning and find the resiliency to thrive in a changing and challenging world.    Photo credit: ©Asdf_1 | Dreamstime.com     Today, Lorraine answers for us the question, "What is in your spiritual backpack?"   Any traveler, from a hiker to a spiritual seeker, loves talking about maps, directions, and roads trav...

I am very excited to share a new novel that I have been reading with everyone.  From the moment I opened to the first page, I was captivated.  I can't begin to say how thrilled I am to be part of the blog tour for Walter's Muse ! Walter's Muse by author, Jean Davies Okimoto, is one of the first novels I have read that has been written about a "mature" woman. Maggie Lewis, who is, I am guessing from various comments made in the story, around my age, is the heroine, in spite of her eccentric flaws, such as her compulsion to snoop into other people's closets and drawers. The story's tension is developed through Maggie's relationship with an aging children's author, Walter Hathaway. In addition, Walter's dog, Bill Bailey, steals your heart with his silly and loyal ways. Why is this such a big deal?  First, I haven't been a teenager or a twenty-something in a long, long time!  Most novels feature women around that age that seem to find thems...

Today I'm participating in a mass blogging! WOW ! Women On Writing has gathered a group of blogging buddies to write about family relationships. Why family relationships? We're celebrating the release of Therese Walsh's debut novel today. The Last Will of Moira Leahy , (Random House, October 13, 2009) is about a mysterious journey that helps a woman learn more about herself and her twin, whom she lost when they were teenagers. Visit The Muffin ( http://www.wow- womenonwriting.com/blog.html ) to read what Therese has to say about family relationships and view the list of all my blogging buddies. And make sure you visit Therese's website ( http://www.theresewalsh.com ) to find out more about the author." ~~~~~~~~ The older I get, the more I realize that I had one crazy mother! However, her form of crazy was more of a tool for coping with a world that during her life had gone from WWII to the brink of nuclear war, from prohibition to race riots and from the heal...

Yes, there is a great deal to howl about today! I am honored to have as a guest to the blog, Rachel Dillon, the amazingly creative, poet and illustrator of the book, Through Endangered Eyes: A poetic journey into the wild . Let me begin by introducing Rachel Dillon ~~ "Rachel Dillon was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin. She attended the University of Wisconsin, Madison and graduated in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science in Art, emphasizing in Graphic Design. Outside of art, Dillon held a special interest in evolution and extinction and took several classes in paleontology, and geology. Her passion for animals grew as she learned more about endangered species." As part of the Women on Writing celebration of Poetry Month, a blog tour was created for Rachel to help get the word out about her exciting new book. I was fortunate to be chosen as one of the blogs she visited! So, without further adieu, let us begin our interview: Linda: Hi, Rachel! Happy National Poetry Month...