Get your crayons out, your pencils sharpened, and your keyboards warmed up – whatever it takes to enter your story in the  Venus Magazine Short Fiction Contest.  Follow the link for rules and what not. Come on. You know you have a story in  you. Give it a go. What the hell, the worst that can happen is you won’t win, …

Check out my 5-star review of Culpepper’s River Walker at http://kissedbyvenus.ca/?p=3186

  Go to Salem West’s The Rainbow Reader site for my review of Catherine M. Wilson’s superlative When Women Were Warriors (http://rainbowreader.blogspot.com/2011/08/when-women-were-warriors-by-catherine-m.html) Note: I have since been corrected and deeply regret calling the novel fantasy. It is historical fiction. This illustrates my ignorance of both genres, but if all historical fiction is as good as When Women Were Warriors I am soon …

While a satisfying romance, I kept waiting for Ghosts of Winter to turn into a good, old-fashioned ghost story. Ros inherits a rundown English mansion (see, spooky right there!) and sets about restoring it while she also restores her broken heart, both with the help of cool but comely architect Anna. In short chapters Buck gives us glimpses of Winter Manor’s …

Went to Florida Keys for a couple days and unplugged. Very disorienting. Like withdrawing from a drug. But ah, after the initial withdrawal, comes peace. Little waves breaking on the beach, lapping at the dock. Palm fronds gabbing with the breeze. The Gulf air  as warm and insular as a second skin, its water womb-like – especially if you’re a …

“Survived By…” One of the joys about being my own publisher is I can do ANYTHING I WANT with my earnings. During 4th of July weekend they went to the Wounded Warrior Project. Half of last month I joined a Smashwords promotion and gave the book away free, free, free! This month, throughout August, I’m giving all “River Within” proceeds …