​In the past editions, it has been just random stories from random genres but this time we focused on one topic. The topic chosen was music. 1. 60th Street Conversion. Ray Roberts2. Im with the Band! Karen Vaughan3. Swansong. Neil McGowan4. THE DARK GODDESS. Marta Moran Bishop5. Pent By Viv Drewa

Winnie Award Winner at the Equus Film Festival. Dinky: The Nurse Mare’s Foal is the story of one little foals fight for survival after being taken from his mother within hours of his birth. Dinky, takes us on a poignant trip through the heart and mind of an animal, who was born for the sole purpose of producing milk in the mare. In the elite world of horses, Dinky was considered a by-product, a ‘junk foal.’ Dinky’s story will resonate with animal lovers, as well as anyone who has adopted. Although a horse, his story has been called an adoption story. The reader can follow him through the heartbreak, cruelty, loneliness, and finally to happiness in his forever home. His story is based on true events. Each event from the moment the author met Dinky actually happened, though it is the author’s interpretation of what he might have been thinking and feeling during the occasions described in his story. His early life which is unknown has been fictionalized by the author and constructed through research and imagination. There are many wonderful animal rescue leagues, many are very empathic to these young animals, though some are not. Since Ms. Bishop has no knowledge of Dinky’s early days she used the latter to enhance the strength of his story. It will break your heart, open your eyes, lift you up, and teach you much about horses. It is suitable for all ages.

Every so often, I come across a book that strongly pulls at me to read; Dinky was one of these. It is not an easy task for a writer to keep her reader's interest when the story is written in first person. Ms. Bishop's script with Dinky as the narrator of his story is exceptional. I loved this story - it is educational, emotionally engaging, insightfully written and so very rich in detail.

A real-life foal, the author brought Dinky vividly to life for me, from page one. Ms. Bishop's interpretations of Dinky's thoughts during the initial months of his life were so heart-wrenching to read yet, from the beginning, I found myself captivated by Dinky's spirit. Despite the incessant cruelty done to Dinky by humans - he was always famished, underfed, ignored and frightened - there is resilience in his nature that commanded my respect.

After reading the synopsis, I expected to be angry, to cry when Dinky, a `junk foal,' told his story of being taken from his mother, a mare caught up in man's cruel practice of breeding her only for milk to nourish a high-dollar mare's foal. It was almost unbearable, reading of the cruelty done to Dinky during his first few months of life - the overwhelming fear for his fate: being sold to a meat market or to tanners, or being adopted. In the words of Dinky: "I wasn't prepared to believe in the possibility of good things."

The story shifted, becoming delightful and enlivening when the author and her husband adopted Dinky from a fair. At that point, my tears came then from reading Dinky's accounts of his life in fresh air, with ample food, water and companionship. He tells us about learning to trust, to love and becoming part of a herd; and the silly ways in which he let the impishness in his spirit free.

Since my read, I have wondered if Marta Moran Bishop is a `horse whisperer'; I do not know. However, I do believe that she is a woman who speaks horse. Dinky told me so.

​Algernon is an anteater, but he is a very ingenious one...He not only loves ants but especially chocolate covered ones. So, to find a supply of his new favorite food, he not only learns to read and to stand up tall, and to consequently join the circus!
This children's book is delightful, with a refreshing commentary describing Algernon's thoughts and his precocious stream-of-consciousness asides...
Meet Algernon the Anteater...you'll love him!

After enduring years of breeding and loss, the older nurse mares must face the auction with the promise of being slaughtered, as they have become too old for breeding and thus unable to be
rented out as nurse mares to feed the foals of the high-dollar mares.

Do they accept their fate, or will there be another ending for the nurse mares that have given everything and received little in return?

​This story about the past and present treatment of horses will appeal to all animal lovers and especially to horse aficionados. The tale is told from the point of view of an aging mare, whose main function appears to be breeding foals and then feeding them milk until they are big enough to take them away – or to use her milk to feed other, more marketable, foals. From the viewpoint of two horses, Sadie and her friend Nellie, with accompanying charming dialogue (both speaking and thinking), the plight of these animals is described in empathetic detail. This lovely story portrays two aging mares about to give birth, and the trials they go through to give birth and protect their newborn babies. The reader is drawn into the story, culminating in the wonderful escape coup the mares plan, and are able to carry out, to gain their freedom and find a new life.

The symbolism of the conclusion, where Sadie is renamed Angel and given responsibility for becoming a nurse mare for her new owner’s motherless foal, brings the circle around as the new owner proclaims, “We all need jobs. It makes us feel important.” (The story is also somewhat of a subtle allegory of today’s world, where many females are considered no more than breeders, and have to live in a male-dominated world. Although in this world, at least the fillies are considered worthy, unfortunately mainly for their ability to provide milk to newborns. On the other hand, in this world of selective breeding, newborn colts are often considered “junk foals” and left to die. So the story also questions the reasoning behind why some horses are considered to be more valuable than others.)

Those of you who have previously read and enjoyed the author’s "Dinky, The Nurse Mare’s Foal", will love and appreciate this prequel.

​Martin and Clare Montgomery worked together as an archaeological team until Martin mysteriously died. Fearing the rumors of a curse Clare vowed to never return that was until a rare blue eyes owl began to haunt her dreams. Was this a sign from her beloved Martin or something more sinister?

​Having read and loved THE ANGLER AND THE OWL by Viv Drewa, I was drawn to read THE OWL OF THE SIPAN LORD, an adventure story steeped in mystery and danger. The heroine, Clare Montgomery is cut from the Indiana Jones/Allan Quatermain cloth and takes us to Peru on an archaeological dig to find answers to paranormal questions and the death of her husband. The tightly woven tale with multi-faceted, likable characters is fast paced and a perfect balance of demons and sorcery and authentic ancient Peruvian culture and love. This one made me get up in the middle of the night to cover my red-eyed clock. Another outstanding adventure form Viv Drewa.

Natalie Fisher committed suicide after an author stole her work and published it as her own. Two years later, her best friend Terri is found dead in her hotel room. Are the two deaths connected? Laura Fitz and Detective Gibbons are on the case to trap a ruthless author trying to get away with murder!

​Whether you have been following the Laura & Gerry Mystery series, or you are jumping into book seven in the series like myself, you will enjoy the read.

Sit back in your favorite beach chair, relax with lemonade in hand, and follow Laura Fitz and Detective Gibbons as they try to unravel the mystery of why Terri Carter is the second author to die. Best not to drink wine and eat dark chocolate while reading this very active, short, easy to read, suspenseful mystery. Keep reading and you will learn why….

Chapter one opens in November 2015 with Natalie Fisher frantically searching for her flash drive which holds her finished manuscript. If data has ever gone missing on your PC, you can relate to her dilemma. For an author who has just invested their life into a manuscript, traumatic is an understatement. This is the beginning of more than one mystery that will keep you turning the page. Question remains, is theft of a manuscript worth committing suicide over? 

With a full cast of well-developed characters that could live in a home town near you, each with their part to play in this believable story line that could end up on the TV show ID Discovery. Laura’s eccentric neighbor Myrna might hold an important key in the case. Human emotions run deep surrounding envy, thief, suicide, sabotage, revenge and possible plausible deniability. 

I invite you to join Detective Gibbons at the Convention Centre for the Writers' Symposium. He is there to talk to the authors and follow through on some alibis. This will be a challenge as the authors are still in shock over “Such a brilliant candle in the literary world snuffed way too soon!”

I, Theodocia Mclean, endorse Dead To Writes (Laura & Gerry Mystery Book 7) by Karen Vaughan. I invite you the pick up the whole Laura & Gerry Mystery series for you reading enjoyment. I purchased this book in Kindle. 

​Before retiring France Hunter decides to go to the place where she found her first new
species of owl: The Amazon. Her group follows a well know angler, John Sinclair, and his team, along with a reporter who wants to do a story on Hunter.

Once arriving at the site, Sinclair leaves to go further up the river. He has a show to record and is hoping to catch an even larger fish this time.

Hunter, and the group with her, run into a gruesome nightmare with the satellite phone
destroyed and one man fighting for life. Sinclair is not due to pick them up for another week. 

Will they survive?

​What an enjoyable story, traveling with Ornithologist France and her team through the jungle of the Amazon River.
It's not always going as it should, but in the end she finds what she was looking for.

I really loved the book and recommend it to everyone who likes wild life and owls .