I’ve been thinking Thursday: Supportive

October 18, 2018October 15, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ 7 Comments

I try to only be positive about my hubs in public. It’s one of those things I think is important to the health of your marriage. Praise in public, critique in private.

I’ve occasionally deviated from this. Once, fed up with his leaving his oatmeal bowl on the counter with oatmeal in it until it dried into a crusty nastiness of epic proportions, I wrote a post about secondary characters. Giving them a life of their own, rather than leaving them to serve the main character. One of my examples was about a time traveling journalist who kept leaving his oatmeal bowl for his wife to clean. LOL

But today I want to talk about one of those ways, he is amazing.

I can not spell. And despite teaching writing, compositional and creative, at the coop, my use of grammar is fractured to say the least. But the hubs…oh man….the hubs…

When I was working on my bachelors and the hubs was getting his masters, we both had to take this lame ass writing exam. Two parts, 75 multiple choice and then an essay. Timed. Essay was scored on a scale of 1-12.

The scoring was weird though. The better you did on the multiple choice the less well you had to do on the essay to pass, which got you into 100W, required by all majors on campus. Then there was a pass plus which got you out of 100W. And of course fail.

The hubs got a perfect score on the multiple choice, which was all grammar and sentence structure, but scored so low on the essay he had to take 100W.

I got the lowest passing score possible on the multiple choice, but scored so high on the essay I qualified to waive 100W.

Why do I tell this story? Because my husband painstakingly edits my novels, multiple times. Sure I could pay someone to do this for me, but they wouldn’t know when they came across an error, what I really meant. And he always does. He knows when I write a long string of gobble-gook that I meant to say something profound and will ask, then tell me where to put the commas or suggest alternate arrangements that make the significance clear. You can’t pay for that.

And why does he do this? Certainly not because he has too much time on his hands and nothing to do. bwahahaha

He does it cause he supports my writing and he shows it by giving me the help I need to make it happen.

Sorry ladies, no brothers. LOL.

Book Review: Midnight Snacks are Murder

October 15, 2018September 9, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ Leave a comment

I read the first book in the Poppy McAllister series by Libby Klein earlier this year and adored Poppy. She’s mid life, mid spread, and trying to function with too many people who want to tell her who she is and should be. cough cough. Nothing like me. LOL

Basic Summary (Courtesy of Goodreads):

Between trying to get her gluten-free baking business off the ground and helping her aunt remodel her old Victorian into the Butterfly House Bed and Breakfast in Cape May, New Jersey, Poppy is ready to call, “Mayday!” And now Aunt Ginny—who’s a handful wide-awake—is sleepwalking on her new sleeping pill prescription and helping herself to neighbors’ snacks and knickknacks.

Even more alarming, a local humanitarian who worked with troubled teens is found murdered, and the police suspect the “Snack Bandit.” Other than a bad case of midnight munchies and some mild knickknack kleptomania, Aunt Ginny is harmless. Someone’s trying to frame her. Poppy will need to work tirelessly to uncover the killer and put the case to rest—before Aunt Ginny has to trade in her B & B for a bunk bed behind bars . . .

My thoughts:

It’s a fun cozy. Lots of lying. Lot’s of chatting with people over and over to get them to fess up to their lies. Lots of Poppy figuring out what really makes people tick.

There’s a romance or three a brewing. And lots of good espresso.

And you have to love a woman who shakes off the ashes of her previous life and attempts to build something for herself a new.

I’ve been thinking Thursday: False Imprisonment

October 11, 2018October 12, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

I am steaming mad right now. I was just falsely imprisoned.

Definition:

False imprisonment occurs when a person is restricted in their personal movement within any area without justification or consent. Actual physical restraint is not necessary for false imprisonment to occur.

So I go to pick the kid up from a local park program. On my way in I see they are setting up for a cross country thing. Ok, whatevs.

I pick up the kid and start driving along the single road that gets you out of the park. The only exit.

Where I am stopped by some guy in a large group of people who informs me that the kids are running so I can’t drive.

I remind him they aren’t supposed to be running on the road.

“Oh but they need to cross it, twice. You’ll have to wait until the race is over.”

WTF? This long line of cars, now, has to wait several hours for your cross country meet to be over because runners who are no where in sight have to cross the road at some point, twice?

I just about lost my shit. I should have called the police, false imprisonment being a felony and all, but instead I got a parks employee who reminded said jerk that the cross country race contract specifically prohibited them from stopping cars on the road unless there were actual runners in sight.

Again I ask WTF?

Is humanity so single mindedly focused on their own desires they have lost the ability to act like a human?

I was pondering this on the drive home as I watched 6 or 7 cars refuse to a let a car in that had turned onto the road and was stuck in the suicide lane.

And yes, I let the guy in. He waved thank you.

No need to thank me man, just a flipping human over here.

#BadMoonRising: Ostrich Mentality by T.A. Henry #thriller #alternativehistory #TuesdayBookBlog — Books and Such

October 9, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ 3 Comments

Fun interview over at Bad Moon Rising! Check it out.

Today’s author shares her alternative history thriller with a biological weapon angle – a topic that’s sure to send some chills down your spine. I love her ‘take charge’ attitude when faced with a creepy situation at home – I’d probably do the same thing in her situation. Welcome T.A. Henry! You’re in a horror […]

via #BadMoonRising: Ostrich Mentality by T.A. Henry #thriller #alternativehistory #TuesdayBookBlog — Books and Such

Book Review: The Dark Angel

October 8, 2018September 9, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ Leave a comment

Ah Elly Griffiths, you always entertain me. The Dark Angel was no exception… while I was reading it. More on that in a bit.

Basic Summary (Courtesy of Goodreads):

Dr Ruth Galloway is flattered when she receives a letter from Italian archaeologist Dr Angelo Morelli, asking for her help. He’s discovered a group of bones in a tiny hilltop village but doesn’t know what to make of them. It’s years since Ruth has had a holiday, and even a working holiday to Italy is very welcome!

So Ruth travels to Fontana Liri, accompanied by her daughter Kate and friend Shona. In the town she finds a medieval shrine and a dark secret involving the war years and the Resistance. To her amazement she also finds Harry Nelson, who is enduring a terrible holiday at a resort nearby. But there is no time to overcome their mutual shock – the ancient bones spark a modern murder, and Ruth must discover what secrets there are in Fontana Liri that someone would kill to protect.

My thoughts:

Harry is not enduring a terrible holiday at a resort nearby. He comes to Italy for Ruth and Kate because of an Earthquake. What balderdash.

Anyway. The mystery is slow and languid which is typical for Ruth Galloway novels. I like that. As usual it’s complicated beyond all reason. Love that.

My bone to pick is this. The whole who’s the baby daddy, will they won’t they thing…gone on way too long. I like the series just fine when Harry was with his wife and Ruth was doing her thing and the focus was the incredibly complicated crimes. But now this is the third or fourth book where the focus is shifting more and more into will they/won’t they. Bring back the crime!

Still plan to read every book she puts out in both series. LOL

I’ve been thinking Thursday: InD’Scribe

October 4, 2018September 19, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ 1 Comment

I’m flying right now, down to LA. I decided to go to InD’Scribe this year. Check it out. Try to connect with some more folks who are making a go of it independently. It’s hard when you’re out on your own. I have good friends in my writing circle but I don’t think you can ever have too many friends.

I’m an attending author. It’s the first time I’ve officially been that. Kind of nerve wracking.

I also have a table at their book signing event and books in their event bookstore. First time for either of those. Beyond nerve wracking.

So I guess you could say I’m just wracked. LOL

If you’re in the LA area, pop by Saturday afternoon and say Hi. I’ll be the one with a pool on my signing table. (scavenger hunt – I have a “Body in the Pool”) Free candy! Laughing.

Book Review: Ghosted

October 1, 2018September 9, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

I’m not sure who recommended Ghosted by Rosie Walsh to me but I put it on my wishlist and it eventually arrived.

Basic Summary (Courtesy of Goodreads):

When Sarah meets Eddie, they connect instantly and fall in love. To Sarah, it seems as though her life has finally begun. And it’s mutual: It’s as though Eddie has been waiting for her, too. Sarah has never been so certain of anything. So when Eddie leaves for a long-booked vacation and promises to call from the airport, she has no cause to doubt him. But he doesn’t call.

Sarah’s friends tell her to forget about him, but she can’t. She knows something’s happened–there must be an explanation.

Minutes, days, weeks go by as Sarah becomes increasingly worried. But then she discovers she’s right. There is a reason for Eddie’s disappearance, and it’s the one thing they didn’t share with each other: the truth.

My thoughts:

I remember this being described as a mystery to me with a smidge of a love story. It’s not. It’s a sappy love story with a case of “nah-nah, I’m not telling you something.” The something is quite obvious though.

I read the whole book. But the entire time I was waiting for something more. It wasn’t there. It never materialized. It was bread that failed to rise.

Many, many people loved this book. She has a long list of kudos from popular authors. This book was a NY Times best seller. So many people must enjoy have enjoyed it.

I really didn’t. It was bland with a lot of sadness.

I’ve been thinking Thursday: New

September 27, 2018September 19, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ 2 Comments

I think I talked a bit about this, I was approached about an anthology, I came up with a last minute idea (fine, it was three days before the deadline) about an energy demon trapped on Earth and working as a masseuse.

Anyway, that anthology launched!

anthcover

Book Review: After the Cure

September 24, 2018September 19, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ 4 Comments

I grabbed After the Cure by Deirdre Gould eons ago when it was free on Amazon as a kindle. It hung about on my kindle for months until I went on vaca. Ahh, sweet time to read.

Basic Summary (Courtesy of Amazon):

Eight years ago the December Plague swept through the human population of earth. The Infected were driven mad by the disease, becoming violent and cannibalistic, killing even those closest to them without hesitation.

Six years ago, the tiny surviving community of Immune humans found a cure, and the Infected began to wake up and realize what they’d done. And what had been done to them.

Over time, society began to rebuild itself. Now it is ready to judge those responsible for the Plague. Nella Rider, the court psychologist, and Frank Courtlen, a defense attorney, are trying to establish the truth. But more depends on it than they know. They race to find the answers they need before the fragile remains of humanity vanish for good.

My thoughts:

I really liked this take on a zombie apoc book. The crisis is over. Everyone is back to human. All that’s left is to live with the memory of the things you did. What can I say, I love a good psychological thriller. And this was.

The pacing was a little lacking for me. A bit repetitive and sometimes felt illogical. But it wasn’t bad enough to make me stop reading. I did like the characters. I liked some of the things casually mentioned and wished they had been explored more fully.

I wasn’t really all that shocked by the twist. It was obvious but at the same time I wasn’t disappointed either. Perhaps the writer wanted you to know. If so, well done. LOL

Then we get to the end. And the whole thing was ruined for me. It was a fab book. But she jams in the teaser for the sequel. Which makes everything the two main characters just managed to pull off worthless. The whole book was for nothing. Why did I read this exactly?

I get it. Every indie and small press, heck even medium press author is being told “think series, that’s how you get and keep readers.” I feel the pressure too. In this case, it smacked of marketing ploy and defeat. I hated it. Made me not want to read the rest of the series.

Perhaps if you read this book, stop before the last chapter. LOL

I’ve been thinking Thursday: Popular?

September 20, 2018September 19, 2018 ~ tahenryauthoress ~ Leave a comment

Coop started this week. I was a bit worried about it’s health and welfare this past August but as usual it’s pulled itself together, opened the doors, and welcomed a new gaggle of folks.

I’m teaching two classes this year. Variations on what I like to teach each year : history and writing. It’s what I do. It’s what I know. Every year I have around 6 students per class. I get the occasional drop in and sometimes a student leaves but generally, 6 per class. I like it that way.

I have 15 in Creative Writing and 14 in History.

Say what?

I was talking to another mom as we picked our kids up from another home school location where they take classes, and she was like “I’m so glad we registered early, you got really popular this year.”

popular

Definition of Popular