Flash Fiction: Another Arrow, Another Dead

by Carol10 Comments
I'm not a fiction writer, as much as I wish I was.  However, Dottie at Tink's Place has a Monday Morning Flash Fiction challenge that I'm giving a shot this week. Thanks to Blodeuedd for bringing my attention to it. Each Monday a new picture prompt will be posted and if you choose to participate you post your story on Friday - 350 words, give or take. But when you read mine, remember it's the first piece of fiction I've written in years. Another Arrow, Another Dead 359 words Carra contemplated the battle still raging in the valley below, just visible through the mist. She nocked an arrow and chose her target. He was one of the few invaders still mounted. Even from her height, she realized that he was a leader, directing his forces as much as possible in the chaos. She aimed deliberately, released the arrow, and held her position until she saw the man fall to the...
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Weekly Photo Challenge: Spring

by Carol10 Comments
I've been searching for signs of Spring this week, but it hasn't really sprung here yet. And it's been a cold, rainy week, which hasn't helped either. This forsythia at the edge of our yard isn't in bloom yet, but I do adore forsythias. The bright yellow when everything else is still dull just makes me smile, especially the ones that are allowed to grow more or less wild with branches shooting off in all directions, a riot of flowers....
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Friday’s Tale: Puss in Boots illustrated by Fred Marcellino

by Carol11 Comments
Puss in Boots is a character I was familiar with but I don't remember ever reading the actual fairy tale. The tale was first published by Charles Perrault in 1697. It's a quite entertaining story of a very special cat. The picture above is the cover of the version I read, Puss in Boots translated by Malcolm Arthur, illustrated by Fred Marcellino. Isn't it gorgeous? The cat looks mysterious and intelligent. The title of the book has been relegated to the back cover, so tit doesn't distract from the image. The story begins with a dead miller's estate being divided between his three sons. The oldest gets the mill, the middle gets the donkey, and the youngest gets the cat. The youngest is disappointed, of course, but the cat tells him not to worry. The cat requests a pair of boots and a sack, which the young man gives him. Since this is a fairy tale a talking cat is not remarkable. Puss...
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Review: Sea Queens by Jane Yolen

by Carol2 Comments
(Suggested reading level: Grades 4-6) Loved this book! I read it with Amber (11) and it's really great. It's about strong women, okay granted they're killers and thieves, but still you have to admire them. Women who succeeded in a man's world, which you have to admit sailing in general and piracy particularly is. Still, whether the pirates came from the lower classes or the upper, whether they did their pirating on the rivers or the high seas, and under whatever flag they flew, this much is true: they were all thieves and  they often committed horrible deeds. They pillaged and murdered and sank many ships. Even the women. Especially the women. (pg. 3) Yolen introduces us to thirteen of theses infamous women, starting with Artemisia, an Admrial-Queen in Persian in 500 BC. Some of these women I was familiar with, like Grania O'Malley, Anne Bonney and Mary Read, but most I had never heard of. They were tough women, and Yolen does not paint...
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Review: The Black Echo by Michael Connelly

by Carol17 Comments
Michael Connelly's name has been around a lot lately, with The Lincoln Lawyer movie in theaters and The Fifth Witness coming out soon. I had never read anything by him though, so when I saw that our library had the audio version of The Black Echo available, I decided it was as good a place to start as any. My audio choices tend to be based on what's available rather than what's on my wishlist. It was a great choice. The mystery is solid. Harry Bosch is a detective who has been more or less demoted to the Hollywood Homicide division. He and his partner are on-call when a dead man is found in a drainpipe. Harry doesn't dismiss the death as just another junkie overdose. He knows this man, served with him in the tunnels of Vietnam. Bosch is determined to get to the reason behind his death, but the investigation leads to a more elaborate scheme than he could...
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