• Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • GoodReads
  • BookBub
 Newsletter Sign-Up
Five Things for Friday

Once again it is Friday–funny how that happens every week–and I am back with Five Things. Just five. Nothing unmanageable, and hopefully something that brightens your day, weekend, week. At least until next Friday. *snort*

(One)

Bloom. Let’s just get straight to the thing I love most as May creeps along into June–my peonies start blooming.

A number of these plants got started in my grandmother’s yard, who got them from her mother’s yard–do you see where this is going? My garden is my connection to my family in so many ways.

I especially love the peony plant I got from my aunt’s yard. I miss her terribly, but every year I feel her close at hand when her peony begins to bloom. It also reminds me that whatever happens, come late spring those flowers will bloom–a sign of hope and certainty for the future.

What is in your garden that you hold dear?

(Two)

Dinner. You know there has to be food here. Of course there is. The advantage of having all the guys home (have I mentioned I am quarantined in a house full of men?!) is that my oldest likes to cook. He’s a chip off the block and he brought home this recipe for Chicken Street Tacos. I can’t even tell you how much this has become our go to meal.

Best Tip: don’t neglect to make the sauce, because it now goes on everything around here.

Sorry no pictures. They never last long enough to photograph. But Chelsea’s site has some great photos of your next dinner.

(Three)

#stepbacksaturday. What? A hashtag? This might not seem like much of a thing

, but it is. I love scrolling through all the posts on Saturdays. Yes, I know it is not a ‘Friday’ thing

buy kamagra 100mg

, but you can catch up today and then tomorrow will be full of new posts. Ha!

So hop over to Instagram

, where a group of bloggers including one of my faves, @kristyb_readsromance, (not following her? You should.) post stepbacks from their favorite romance novels on, well, you guessed it, Saturdays, and then ask you to figure out which book the stepback belongs to.

Recognize this one?

If anything, I love seeing all the pretty stepbacks and realized that despite how wonderful it is to download a book in an instant, we lose the beauty of a wonderfully romantic stepback!

(Four)

His Majesty’s Dragon. Yes

Viagra Ohne Rezept Kaufen

, dragons. In case you haven’t had your daily requirements lately, here is a fun series by Naomi Novik that follows the adventures of Temeraire and his human companion, Captain Will Laurence, as they fight in the Napoleonic wars.

Now you see why I loved it–the Regency with dragons. With dragons. It truly needed to be said twice.

And it’s a series. So more dragons. And all things Regency. And Captain Will Laurence. You see where I am going here…

 

(Five)

Facemask. I spent a Saturday sewing these for my family and friends. (Including Nicole from last week!) This is an easy pattern and makes a good fitting mask for all the sizes in your family. When I ran out of fabric, I made more from an old shirt that I no longer wore, and if you can’t get elastic, you can make Tarn–which is yarn from an old t-shirt.

And if you are wondering–the bit of bias tape (the black thing at the top) is a sleeve where I put a twist tie from the grocery store to make the mask bendy so it would better fit to my nose.

Nothing says love like a gift that says “I want you around forever.” And BTW, you are all essential to me.

Have a great weekend and week and see you–you guessed it–next Friday.

 

~Elizabeth

Back to Top

Five Things for Friday

Thank you for all your notes, suggestions and glad tidings. I’m glad my suggestions from last week helped out or led you to something new. So here we go again, Five Things for Friday that you might enjoy, binge or share. Because who doesn’t love something shiny and new to brighten their day?

And if you love something here please share it around, or if  you have something to suggest, please send me a note, add a comment, help me find the lovelies in your life and I’ll add them to the list.

(One)

Liza Palmer’s Monday Newsletter. I can’t say enough how much I have come to love Monday mornings because it brings me Liza’s ray of sunshine and pithy bits of wisdom that sustain me all week. Last week’s theme of a Lost Year resonated and so did her realization about what it can mean for each of us. She wrote:

I read somewhere 2020 referred to as The Lost Year and I’ve been…thinking about that a lot. Mostly

http://ateamresource.de/.well-known/pharmacy/index.html%3Fp=150.html

, what about it is hooking me. Time is so precious. And I know too many people who would give anything for just one more year… even this one. What finally got me to understand what was bumping me about the whole Lost Year thing, was a connection I made to a phenomenon I’ve experienced in writing. (Read the rest here)

I highly recommend subscribing. Best part… there is always something hilarious buried in there. And on Monday mornings, who doesn’t need a good chuckle?!

(Two)

Zoe’s Amazing Playlist. I was curious to watch this show–the concept a bit out there about a young woman, who after a mishap in an MRI machine, can hear the songs people sing from their hearts. After the first show–(and don’t cheat yourself, please watch to the end)–I was so hooked.

Part Glee, part all those things that we long to say, this show is wonderful. Watch.

(Three)

Lorraine Heath. Anything by her. If you are looking for a new to you author, here is the writer you’ve been longing to find. Lately I did some catch up reading and read, Beyond Scandal and Desire, which I devoured. Perfect to queue up this weekend if you just need to fall in love.

Also, this is Book 1 in a series. There are 5 more books after this one just waiting for you.

(Four)

Pen Pals. Lately I’ve taken to writing and mailing notes to friend. It started with a friend’s father who had a heart attack and needed some cheering up. I’ve never met him so I wrote him and thanked him for having such a lovely daughter.

Recently I got this note from a friend of my son’s–Nicole. She has Downs Syndrome and she is one of my favorite people.

And apparently she missed me as much as I’ve missed seeing her at swimming and baseball. I can’t even begin to tell you how much her time and effort meant to me. I wrote her back immediately.

So who are you missing right no? Dig out a pretty card that you’ve been saving for something special. Today’s special

, right? Now send a note to someone and tell them how much you miss them. I bet they write you back.

(Five)

Grow something. It’s that time of year when I’m putting in my garden. Tomatoes. Zuchinni. Kale. Lettuce. Beans. But this year I am having the battle of the snails. I plant. They eat. I plant again. Sigh.

So my youngest and I decided to go big. We are growing an avocado. So far it is just sitting on the counter, but we have high hopes.

But isn’t that what planting a garden is? High hopes of seeing what today’s efforts yields tomorrow? I’ll keep you updated.

May your Friday be filled with hopes and dreams.

Elizabeth

PS. And remember what Nicole says: Wash your hands and be safe. And if you don’t want to miss a single Friday list

buy kamagra uk>

, subscribe to my newsletter–right up at the top right hand corner. See, there it is, easy, peasy.

Back to Top

Five Things for Friday

5 Things For Friday

Hey there! With everything going on, I thought I would start blogging about the fun things I’ve found, read or watched over the week that I am busting to share with someone. Who doesn’t want to find new reads or something to do other than watch their sourdough starter grow? Hahaha.

So without any further ado, here is this week’s list:

(One)

 The Hamburger Bun recipe I’ve made these three times now and they are easy peasy, even if you aren’t a baker. The family stands in the kitchen and tries to convince me they would be great just straight out of the oven without any of the fixings. Yes

Buy Clomid Without Prescription

, this is the hamburger you eat for the bun, not all the good stuff inside.

Psst: If you’ve run out of yeast–like I did recently–I actually found Saf Instant Yeast on Amazon and at a reasonable price, not one gouged into next week. And yes, it is a 1 pound package, but it will last a long time in the freezer, and once you make these your family will be asking for them all the time.

(Two)

Belgravia – This Downtown Abbey-esque creation of Julian Fellowes begins at the infamous ball before the battle of Waterloo and then moves forward 30 years, is frothy fun. But the real reason to watch it is the amazing sets and costumes. It is available on Epix. 

 

(Three)

3. Crush The King (Book 3 in the “Crown of Shards” series) by Jennifer Estep is finally out. I’ve read them all (start with Kill the Queen, if you are new to this series and then read Protect the Prince). Can I just say again that I loved each book? Okay, I loved them.

Honestly, what’s not to like about a series that only gets better with each book, right?

(Four)

Writing – if you are an aspiring writer or a well seasoned vet, I thought is was a fabulous piece on characters

, Who Makes It Happen: Giving Your Characters Agency by Tiffany Yates Martin.

This might count as an extra, call it 4.5, but I found this bit of wisdom via Jane Friedman, writing business guru, whose various and informative newsletters are a writer’s best friend. I love the Weekly digest version–as I always find some gem there. Visit her site. Frequently.

(Five)

Three Hours in Paris –  On a whim

, I bought this book last weekend and couldn’t stop reading it. Like an episode of 24 or Jack Ryan, the action doesn’t stop. The story features an American woman tasked with assassinating Adolph Hitler during a three hour visit he made to Paris. And when the entire mission goes sideways, she scrambles to stay alive and one step away from a detective who will do anything to catch her.

Settle in, get comfortable and read this.

 

Hope you enjoyed my list. If you don’t want to miss next week’s list, subscribe to my newsletter in the upper right hand of this site. Yes, right up there. 😉

Have a fabulous week! And if you’ve found something great you want to share–comment below. We are all in this together.

~E

 

Back to Top

Winners!!

Wow!! Thanks to everyone who entered the Cover Flat contest. We got a lot of entries. A LOT.

So I know all my coverflats are going to enthusiastic and good homes. LOL.

The winning packets were mailed out this week

kamagra Prix: Achat en Ligne Sans Ordonnance

monero wallet>

, so watch your mailbox.

And always, thank you for being part of my reading community. You folks are the best!!

Hugs to everyone. Remember Social Distancing Saves Lives. And we are all in this together.

Back to Top

I Love My Readers Giveaway

I know that everyone has challenges right now, and when a friend asked me to send a card to her dad who had just gotten out the hospital (her dad LOVES getting mail) I wondered if anyone else would love a surprise in the mail.

So I asked on Twitter and FB what you thought. And you overwhelming told me a huge and unqualified, YES. Okey dokey. So I got out every coverflat I had tucked away in a closet.

Coverflats from 24 books. (Here is just a sampling.) I got out bookmarks and postcards. Then I asked some friends to send along some–because that adds a bit of surprise, don’t you think? And then I put them all together in packets and ended up with a little over 100 of them.

And now it is your turn. Go here and sign up for the drawing (before April 5th) and then after that start watching your mail for a blast from my past.

In the meantime

, a big hug to all of you, my very dear readers. Stay healthy and safe. Please.

XXOXX

Elizabeth

Back to Top

Recent Reads

I’ve been–for a bit–on a Fantasy reading binge. But oh, there are some great stories out there that I would be remiss in not sharing. They have everything we all love about romance, but also that wonderful reach into another world and acres of adventure. So I offer up these books as something to try if you are looking for new reads:

Crush the King

The 3rd entry in Jennifer Estep’s A Crown of Shards series, I have to admit, I loved Crush the King, the most. (But don’t get me wrong, I raved about the 2nd book, Protect the Prince here).

The series just got better and better. Loads of intrigue and adventure

Kup zithromax bez recepty

Cialis and Viagra UK>

, magic and mischief. Queen Everleigh Blair of Bellona is a smart, strong and savvy heroine who survives on her wits and daring. You’ll adore her. I was lucky enough to get to read an ARC, and I’ve been busting to tell everyone I know to GO READ THIS SERIES.

Well, they are now all out, so what are you waiting for??

The Curse of Chalion

Paladin of Souls

I have a group of authors I spend my Wednesday lunch with and like most weeks, we end up talking about, you guessed it, books we are reading or books we love or just books. And a month or so back, one of them mentioned Lois McMaster Bujold–who I had to admit I had never read–and one of the authors waxing on, gushing really, over Paladin of Souls. But, she cautioned, you would most likely want to read The Curse of Chalion first.

Such a hardship. Do note the air of sarcasm to that statement.

These books are, as the kids say, the GOAT. I was in awe of the character development, so perfectly nuanced and elegant. Dive in and read both books. I just couldn’t put them down. And the best part–is the softly brewing romance in each. Sigh.

The Brazen Trilogy

Just a reminder that the Brazen books are available on KU

Kup Doxycycline bez recepty

, and for the time being, are on sale for $1.99. This boxed set includes, Brazen Angel, Brazen Heiress, and Brazen Temptress.The Brazen Series

If you’ve read them, why not surprise a friend and buy them a copy?! We all know folks right now who might need something fun to brighten their day, or in this case, their entire weekend. LOL

Back to Top

Looking for a lovely read?

Oh, who doesn’t? Sometimes you want a wonderful book that let’s you escape, have all the feels, and just leaves you ever so hopeful. Then I recommend you give Dear Mrs. Bird by AJ Pearce a try.

Hope is what this book is all about.

This debut novel is a delightful story of WWII and the young and often inexperienced women left behind to cope in war torn London. The story

, despite the grim setting

, sparkles with hope and grit in the face of bombings, fires, and personal tragedies. If you are looking for something earnest and sweet, this is your book.

Enjoy!

Back to Top

Audiobook Sale – Run away with a Rake for $3.99

Wow! Only a few days left to get And The Miss Ran Away with the Rake on audiobook for $3.99. This deal is good through February 4th. Links below.

 

Check your favorite audiobook retailer to see if they also have this deal. Or if you want to take a sneak peek inside

Diabetes – Behandeling online

2pharmaceuticals.com

Purchase viagra UK>

, read the excerpt here.

Back to Top

Workshop: Research

I recently gave workshops on Research for Writers, (at Women Writing the West and Surrey International Writers Conference) and rather than do printed handouts, I am posting all the information here so it is readily available and clickable.

Library Love

Librarians to follow on Twitter: @surlyspice

, @superwendy

Bowling Green State University Pop Culture Library @BGSU_PopCultLib

BGUS also has an “Ask Us” feature on their website.

New York Public Library: @nypl and @askNYP

This hashtag on Twitter can be a great way to find answers to really obscure research questions: #AskALibrarian

Finding Research Books:

Library books:

Ebooks:
A caveat and caution here–not all the books you may find via these links are legitimate legal copies. Always use caution when downloading books

, and use to due diligence to ensure that it is available in the public domain.

To Purchase:

Databases:

Check your local library’s online offering of databases–many will be accessible without having to pay. Some popular ones include:

Archives/Museums

Other Sources:

Locations/Settings

Software/Apps:

Miscellaneous:

200 Best Sites for Writers – A wide range of links for writers.

Google cheat sheet:

 

Back to Top

Workshop: The Character Arc

In my recent workshop, The Character Arc, for Women Writing the West and the Surrey International Writer’s Conference, I referenced several books and a blog post/video that I would encourage everyone to check out.

Books:

Build Better Characters by Eileen Cook

Writing the Breakout Novel and The Emotional Craft of Fiction, both by Donald Maass

The Character Arc  by K.M. Weiland

Write Your Novel From the Middle by James Scott Bell

Blog/Video post:

How to Plot Your Novel in One Page

More Books:

Because more books is never wrong. Am I right?

Here is a list of my “21 Favorite Writing Books” all vetted and recommended by me and my writing friends.

Happy reading and writing!!

prednisolone Prix: Achat en Ligne Sans Ordonnance

buyantibiotics.site>

Back to Top

« Previous PageNext Page »

Connect
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Instagram GoodReads BookBub


Search Site

Where to now?


Privacy Policy Cookie Policy

Elizabeth Boyle is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com.
If you purchase a book listed on the site from Amazon.com, she’ll earn a small commission. Thank you!