Today I’m excited, so excited in fact that I had to sit down and write this post.

After over two months no longer working full-time, I’ve finally made progress. Real definable progress. I’ve plugged a few serious plot-holes and changed the direction of the story just enough that I actually like it.

I haven’t just figured it out – I’ve written it.

I’m not saying it is anywhere close to done, but for the first time in ages – I’ve gotten through enough that I might actually be going somewhere.

For the first time in months I finally feel like I can do this, like I really might have something here.

I’m going now, cause I have a story to write, a pot-luck to go to and Deviled Eggs to make – but I just wanted to mention.

Cause I can…

I decided to read this novel simply because it was a best-seller. When I started it I didn’t have a clue what it was going to be about or if I was even going to like it.

I did.

It’s not my usual genre, but there is something about this story of a young girl in the 1960’s that just captivates you. Her struggle to find her place in life, in love and in god.  It is more than just a love story, it is a story about growing up – accepting changes and discovering the real meaning in life.


Though perhaps not ideal for anyone too young, this book would be perfectly suitable for older teenagers.

4.5 stars.

When I downloaded this book, it was free – I’m not sure if it will remain that way, but you should definitely check it out. (As with any of my posts, simply click on the image of the cover and it will take you to Amazon.)

When was it that horror became the number one genre for kids? I don’t think it has always been that way, when I was young it wasn’t hard to find a quality adventure or fantasy story. Now I go shopping for my nieces and nephew and it’s almost impossible to find a decent story among the horror, murder mysteries and drama filled girly novels. (Yep, that’s a story type.)

I say kudos to any children’s author who writes to tell a story, rather than to make money.

Moving on from kids to young adults, it really irks me when I walk into a book store and there are only two books in the young adult section that don’t feature some paranormal-romance-blood-sucking-love-triangle with the inevitable black cover.

Is originality too much to ask for? Is a little bit of variation in the bookstores too much to ask for?

Yes. yes – I understand the fact that bookstores stock what is ‘hot’ and what is going to make them a profit, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

There is a place for paranormal-romance-blood-sucking-love-triangle stories – and that is sandwiched between a plethora of other books that someone else might enjoy.
 

-sigh-

Coins are a fascinating piece of history – within them they carry stories that you cannot possibly grasp just by looking at them.

I never use to give coins much thought – I collected them on and off for fun, but didn’t put any particular effort into it. They were simply something to own and catalogue.

Lately I’ve been giving them a little more attention and I thought I would pass along one of the little things I’ve learnt, just in case you’re interested.

See these coins in the photo? Aside from wear, they look like the same thing. 1947, a beaver and two maple leaves.

Despite that, one of these coins was minted in 1947, and the other in 1948.

You see, in 1947 India was busy regaining its independence. When 1948 came along, they were no longer under the rule of England. Our coins show the British monarch, and though you probably didn’t notice, their title. Back in 1947 that title included the fact they were also the Emperor of India, (ET IND:IMP).

In 1948 that title was no long valid – the only problem was that the new dies for the coins weren’t ready when new coinage was needed. In order to get around this problem without a shortage of money, they continued to mint the 1947 coin – with a small maple leaf beside the date to indicate that it was actually minted in 1948. Once the new dies with the correct inscription were ready, they switched and began minting coins with the date 1948.

If you take a good look at the second coin in the photo, you will see a tiny maple leaf to the right of the date.

A 1948 coin, with the date 1947!

A little tidbit that I find fascinating – and maybe you will as well.

-Theri

“Life isn’t bad for psychic Jolie Wilkins. True, she doesn’t have a love life to speak of, but she has a cute house in the suburbs of Los Angeles, a cat and a quirky best friend.

Word of Jolie’s incredible ability to bring back the dead spreads like wildfire, putting her at the top of the Underworld’s most wanted list. Consequently, she finds herself at the center of a custody battle between a villainous witch, a dangerous but oh-so-sexy vampire, and her warlock boss, Rand.”

Here is another one for the Paranormal Romance category! I`m starting to sense a trend here… though I honestly do read other genres more often, you would never know it from the reviews on this blog.

I saw that this novel had received some pretty glowing reviews so I wanted to try it out for myself.

All in all, it`s an easy read with a nicely paced story-line. Though it isn`t mind-blowing, it is well written and entertaining. I found a few minor grammar mistakes which, while mildly irritating, aren`t things that most people will notice. They certainly didn`t prevent me from reading the book in a single sitting. (A good sign, because if I`m reading a poorly written book on my Kindle I`ll put it down every 20 min or so.)

I get the feeling that this author will improve with each new book she writes and publishes – so keep an eye out for her in the future. I`ll be reading more of her books to see if this is indeed the case. The second book in this paranormal romance series is Toil and Trouble.

In comparison to many paranormal romances, this book doesn`t have as much darkness about it, however it does have enough explicit content to make it an adult read. 

/5

Find ‘Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble‘ on Amazon

Don`t forget, if you`ve ever read a book that I have reviewed – I`d love to hear your opinion as well!

If you have enjoyed the “Hatter Chatter” in the past and are interested in having the stories you share included in it, the requirements are quite simple.

1. You must be a resident of Medicine Hat
2. I must follow you via @HatterChatter

If I’m not following you, all you need to do is send a quick message to @HatterChatter!
I will only unfollow, or choose not to follow, if you are not a resident or I notice that you share inappropriate content. ie. photos of naked peeps.

Sadly, your content can only be included if you have a Twitter account, however anyone can read the paper regardless of social media affiliations. You can find it here.

I love to hear your thoughts so keep ’em coming and have a fabulous day!

–Theriaka

P.S. If you want me to help share some important news, all you need to do is send a little tweet my way!

Oh dear, I realized today that it’s already the 20th and this is my first blog post this month – not a very good blog-writing track record if you ask me.

I would love to tell you that I’ve been so busy writing the next best-seller that I didn’t have time, but the truth is much more self-centred than that. I’ve been chillin’.

When I haven’t been writing for On a Sweet Note, I’ve been spending the majority of my time outside in my adopted garden and on eBay, selling some of the coins from my coin collection that I don’t really need and of course doing a lot of daydreaming.

I have been working on my story, but not enough to make it an excuse.

I hope to have something exceptionally interesting to say soon, but you’ll have to accept this little blurb in the meantime.

See you soon! (Hopefully.)

–Theriaka

Every so often I actually remember to take my point and shoot camera out on walks with me. When I do, there are inevitably hundreds of things I can take pictures of. A couple of them I actually do…