Today in the spotlight via R&R Book Tours is I Didn’t Ask To Be Crazy by Sadee Bee.
I Didn’t Ask to Be Crazy
Publication Date: April 24th, 2022
Genre: Mental Illness/ Poetry/ Essay Collection
I Didn’t Ask to Be Crazy is a collection of poetry and personal essays centered around mental illness. Sadee Bee shares her journey with bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and PTSD through creativity and raw honesty. It is a collection designed to convey the message “you are not alone.” Sadee Bee is an up-and-coming poet with great interest in helping others understand that mental illness exists on a spectrum and that not every experience is the same. She hopes others in need find solace in her words and understand that even if suffering cannot be seen on the surface, it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening.
“I Didn’t Ask to Be Crazy is only the beginning. Yes, the theme is dark and that is intentional. As I write about my life with mental illness, I wanted to highlight the fact that not everything ends up being positive. Sometimes dark moments are just dark moments. This collection itself is representative of my dark moment. While I am on the other side for the moment; take everything written with the knowledge that a lot of people have been where I have. I Didn’t Ask to Be Crazy is only a snippet of time in the wild world that is my mind.” – Sadee Bee
Sadee Bee is a poet and author residing in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has an Associate’s degree in Liberal Arts and has been writing since she learned to hold a pen. An avid reader from a young age, Sadee Bee spent her time creating her own stories both on paper and in life. Diagnosed in her early twenties with Bipolar Disorder, Borderline Personality Disorder, and PTSD; she spent a long time trying to make sense of her own world and mind. Poetry, personal essays, and occasionally fiction have been an outlet for heavy feelings and past traumas. Sadee uses her work to shine a light on the hidden parts of mental illness and the effects of childhood trauma. She also speaks about her specific experiences regarding trauma and mental illness as a black queer woman in black communities. Sadee Bee is ever-evolving, as living with mental illness is never a straight line, and hopes to be a voice and advocate for those like her. Sadee Bee currently lives a quiet life with her husband and two cats. A chronic homebody, Sadee relishes in a day of silence to read, write, or sleep.
While former paramedic Emily tries to live a low-key life to cope with her PTSD, her new roommate has other plans and a long-held vendetta against medical personnel.
REVIEW
Written and directed by Lauren Barker in her feature film debut Barker does a pristine job with her drama thriller Cohabitation. We meet Emily (Tiffany Streng), a former paramedic who is battling PTSD. Ready to move on, deal, and heal, Emily moves into her a new place, putting an ad up for a roommate. After a fun montage of roommate hopefuls, Emily meets Sarah (Stephaine Rose Quinnell), who out of all seems the most normal, and bonus, they like the same book. The problem is something is not quite right with Sarah.
Reminiscent of the roommate from hell and Single White Female scenario, Barker reinvigorates it reminding us how much we love my roommate/babysitter/ coworker is a psycho motif. Also, a lesson reminder that we never know anyone, really.
Still shot from Cohabitation
Performance-wise the cast did well. Tiffany Streng gives a good performance as Emily. She even won the Best Actress in a Feature Film at the Milwaukee Twisted Dreams Festival. To do your best, you need good actors to bounce off of, and Carly D. Anderson (Heather) and Zachary Kruger (Cardyn) are two of my standouts. I especially loved Kruger and Streng’s believable chemistry together as siblings. In the closing scene, boy, they tugged at my heart strings with their performance in that scene. I felt it. Oh! Let’s not forget Dave Payton as slimy landlord Ron, who delivered creepy dirty to perfection.
Being Indie and filmed with a small budget Barker does a phenomenal job as Cohabitation flows well with nice edits and transitions that keeps you in your seat, even for this action-loving junkie, Yet I was left wishing for a bit more. Especially about Emily’s trauma and PTSD. It baffled me a bit as to why arriving at an emergency scene, which I am sure she had encountered before, caused her to leave. I think Barker leaves it up to us to conclude, and I theorized that maybe she never had someone die on her at the job before. When it did, it hit her out of the left-field, making her think she was not worthy enough of her job.
The ending was redemptive, though, and it made me smile. Therefore after the credits roll, I give Cohabitation 8 out of 10 stars.
Today I am spotlighting with R&R Book Tours this gorgeous dark fairy tale retelling by Hailey Jade called Her Dark Reflection! Read on with a chance to win a great giveaway at the end!
Her Dark Reflection (The Dark Reflection #1)
Publication Date: June 15, 2022
Genre: Dark Fantasy/ Dark Romance/ Fairytale Retelling
“They called me the Whore Queen. Some even called me the Evil Queen. But they could call me whatever they wanted. I was still queen.”
Rhiandra Tiercelin hungers for power and her charm has always been her sharpest weapon in hunting it. So when a brutal attack leaves her physically scarred, desperation drives her to make a deal with Draven, a magic-wielding stranger who is inexplicably compelling and definitely dangerous. She knows she can’t trust him, but he when he offers to make her a queen, the temptation is too enticing to resist.
Armed with a glamoured face and an enchanted apple, Rhiandra is determined to scheme her way into a crown, even if it means risking the deadly punishment for unsanctioned magic use. But Draven is playing a bigger game, and she is just one piece on the board.
Can she keep her wits about her long enough to uncover his secrets, or will he lure her down a path she will come to regret?
Her Dark Reflection is the first book in a new dark romantic fantasy series perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy, Jennifer Armentrout,and Sarah A. Parker. If you like cunning, ambitious heroines, morally ambiguous men, and romance that toes the line between love and hate, then you’ll love Hailey Jade’s dark reimagining of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.
The Winking Nymph was always flooded with patrons after the Burnings.
The atmosphere wasn’t the same as it would be on a busy night at a regular tavern; the dim lighting fed rather than banished the shadows, encouraging them closer, leaving pockets of space where patrons could lurk without being recognized. Men – and the occasional woman – drank, sometimes in groups, but for the most part they didn’t engage themselves with singing bawdy songs or telling dirty jokes. Perhaps the place was debauched enough on its own and so they didn’t feel the need.
Women drifted in and out of the shadows, flirting with the light as it caught on their spangled wrists and ankles and throats, and at the front of the room a beautiful redheaded girl sang with a voice as sweet as sun-warmed strawberries. It was going to be a big tipping night; the city was beginning to bulge with visitors attending the treaty celebrations, and the moon cycle holiday had beckoned them all to the streets, thrilled by the morning’s violence and drunk on bloodlust.
I was eager to get out on the floor, but Madam had saddled me with initiation duties, so I was instead lingering in a corner by the bar, doing breathing exercises with the novice.
Aalin’s perfume was thick, a ghastly confection of jasmine, violets and something sugary that made my head ache. I could pick a new girl a mile away – they wore thick makeup obscuring their faces, chains and sparkles everywhere one could hang a jewel, and gowns in gaudy colors that revealed more than they concealed. They thought they were channeling desirability, but in reality, all the decoration was just a screen to hide their nerves behind.
I was long past those sorts of naïve assumptions. I’d worked at the Winking Nymph long enough to know that calculated vulnerability earns more than donning the generic armor of maisera. Aalin wasn’t ready to hear that, though. That night she just needed to feel like she belonged, and all that perfume was a part of the uniform.
‘They’re just men,’ I soothed as she chewed on her lip and smoothed her dress over and over again. ‘And they’re mostly drunk men. They want to be pleased. And they’ll be excited to see a new girl.’ I tucked a lock of wiry hair back into her updo.
‘I don’t think I know how to be sexy,’ she admitted in a small voice. ‘I thought I did, but now that I’m standing here…’
Hailey Jade has tried to quit writing, but alas, the characters who live in her head will not stop yammering. She’s hoping that building them ink-and-paper homes will make them pipe down long enough for her to get some sleep. She likes creating fantasy worlds populated by complicated, morally-grey characters who try to resist their attraction to other complicated, morally-grey characters, but who inevitably fall in love because everyone needs a Happily Ever After.
Hailey has completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Teaching at Flinders University and spends her daylight hours trying to convince reluctant teenagers to love books. She lives in regional South Australia with her partner, bouncy baby boy, and feline overlord.
Hello readers it is a thirsty Thursday so today on Book Spotlight Thursday I shall quench your reading thirst with From The Deep by Kateri Stanley (which is currently on tour with R&R Book Tours.).
SECRETS LURK BENEATH…
Title: From the Deep
Publication Date: May 6, 2022
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Burton Mayer Books
Julian Finch, widower, and fisherman, awakes to learn that the bodies of two colleagues have washed up on the beach of Drake Cove. The close-knit community is under fierce public scrutiny due to a long-standing tradition called “The Culling”, the annual slaughter of pilot whales for consumption. An act which divides the nation.
The suspects are the extreme animal rights group, the Fighters Against Animal Cruelty (FAAC) who go wherever the politics is trending. They’ve been harassing the small fishing town for many years, smashing up their boats and sending vicious hate mail.
Tensions mount after a viral video, uploaded by the FAAC of Julian killing a pregnant whale, causes uproar online and in real life. In the aftermath, Julian becomes the victim of a hate crime. In order to avoid further life-threatening attacks, Julian and his daughter take refuge in the home of Frank Blothio: an ex-fisherman turned writer and political activist who does not have the best history with the animal rights movement or Drake Cove as a whole.
As Julian integrates into the Blothio way of life, he discovers heinous secrets and disturbing truths lurking beneath the skin of his hometown that will change his life forever.
Kateri Stanley is a pseudonym for the multi-genre fiction writer. Since being a child, Kateri has been inspired by the wondrous mediums of books, music, TV, and film. After working in the healthcare industry for eight years and studying for an Arts and Humanities degree, she made the decision to move cities to the West Midlands and live with her ever-suffering partner and their two cats. Her debut novel Forgive Me was published by indie press house, Darkstroke Books in 2021 and became an Amazon bestseller reaching #1 in the US Horror Fiction charts. She is currently working on her third novel, Bittersweet Injuries, and would love to pursue a full-time career in writing.
Welcome to Today’s Thursday Book Spotlight! As well as a stop on theR&R Book Blog book tour for From Brick & Darkness, a gritty Y.A. novel steeped in Djinn mythology. Read on for an exclusive excerpt and a chance to win a signed copy!
From Brick & Darkness
Publication Date: May 16, 2022
Genre: YA/ Modern Fantasy/ Retelling
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
The most powerful wishes aren’t said with words.
Bax always fantasized something remarkable would happen in his life. So when a decrepit man with glowing purple eyes offers him a ring intended for his estranged father, Bax accepts.
The ring speaks to Bax in a dream, tempting him with a vision of a powerful djinn. Desperate to make his fantasies a reality, Bax unleashes a creature called Ifrit but soon learns this djinn isn’t what the ring led him to believe. Feeding off the depths of his subconscious, the sinister demon fulfills what he thinks Bax wants by manipulating, threatening, and murdering. With everyone he loves in danger and a trail of crimes pointing back at him, Bax must scramble to solve the puzzle that will banish Ifrit forever.
Neck bones popped as his head rotated toward me, his face eclipsing the rays of the streetlight. His irises were dull purple, glazed over with a foggy film, and deep-set wrinkles radiated from the corners of his eyes like arrows drawing attention to them.
A shudder caused the keys to slip from my hand and clank on the ground. My face burned with shame that the poor man’s appearance had startled me. My rudeness would have disappointed Mom.
“I’m sorry, but really—” I snagged my keys.
His hand slithered out of the brick-colored sleeve as his arm rose, trembling as he strained to hold the weight of his own limb. Gloved in loose, veiny skin, his skeleton hand had yellowed fingernails, so overgrown they grew in on themselves like curly birthday ribbons. As his fingers unfurled, he revealed a ring nestled in his palm.
It was large. Too large. The ring resembled the toy jewelry Jason’s sister played with or something from a Halloween costume. Grimy gold with a single dull purplish jewel that matched his eyes.
His hand trembled under the heaviness of the ring. “Take it.”
Shifting my backpack to my other shoulder, I took it. “What is this?”
The corners of his thin lips curled into a grin as a gust of warm, dry wind cut through the chilly October night and swirled around me.
J.L. Sullivan writes young adult stories inspired by gritty urban environments and the tales that percolate within abandoned buildings and desolate alleys. He lives in St. Louis with his wife, two daughters, and a dog named Princess Penelope Picklesworth.
Ava has been with the love of her life for years living a lavish sheltered life. Overall she is happy and content. Then, in one moment, a tragic event occurs, and she finds herself navigating a world she never dreamed of.
Review
In Ava: A Twist In The Road, we meet Ava ( Catherane Skillen) and Bobby (Bill Lewis); together for 25 years, they are more in love than ever. And Ava’s adored and pampered life with Bobby is shown through a flashback where he gives her a beautiful emerald bracelet to show how much he loves and admires her being in his life. When tragedy strikes, we discover Ava is not Bobby’s wife but his lover of 25 years as she rushes to the hospital to see him, only to be kicked out by Bobby’s venomous son Bob jr. (Steve Dellatori). He is hell-bent on stripping her of everything, even taking her car that she loved that Bobby had gotten for her. With Bobby gone, Ava realizes she just really lived for Bobby. She didn’t have to work or pay bills, and all her clothes were bought residing in the quaint condo Bobby got for her. Her days were filled with shopping, luncheons with her friend Leanne (Tannis Benedict), charity work, and art classes. Her world is now shattered. Does Ava crumble, or does she rise?
Cathrane Skillen (Ava)
Ava: A Twist In The Road is an indie arthouse drama piece written and directed by Catherine Skillen, A winner of 8 film festival awards, including Toronto Film Magazine Fest (2021) and LA Sun Film Fest (2021). It is not a surprise, though, as Skillen unwillingly captures you as we follow Ava on her journey to regain herself. I enjoyed how we get a bit of Ava and Bobby’s love story more in flashback glimpses. Learning it was not what we may have perceived, how Ava’s predicament is her own doing, and the importance of talking and setting a plan of what would happen if a partner dies. Uncannily though, Ava’s sweet naivety and her love and relationship with Bobby are so beloved you sympathize with her. You do understand her.
Bobby (Bill Lewis) and Ava (Cathrane Skillen)
Performances-wise, the cast did a great job distracting from the minor in-synchronicities of the film’s shaky camera work in spots. Skillen is a triple threat, though, as she also plays Ava (Skillen directed and wrote). Skillen gives Ava a sweet naivety and likeability that is solid and believable as Steve Dellatori (Bob jr.) shines while being the complete opposite of Ava as her nemesis in the film.
Ava (Catherane Skillen) Partygoger Earl (Kevin Masterson)
While I am not much for drama films, Skillen manages to grip me with her elegant storytelling. I became invested in Ava and her journey, and Skillen did not disappoint. I did wish, though, that Skillen had chosen a different font for the film. I felt the font didn’t match the story, and I had a hard time reading the end credits of all the people who helped bring Skillen’s story to life. That is just me though.
My Rating 8/10
Ava: A Twist In The Road is available to watch on Prime Video and Tubi
Happy Book Spotlight Thursday! This Thursday, I am happy to hop on board again with R&R Book Tours to spotlight the YA Thriller Discovery of the Five Senses: The Urban Boys by K.N.Smith. Along with a chance to win one of two $50 Visa gift cards! READ ON!
Discovery of the Five Senses: The Urban Boys
Publication Date: September 15th, 2021 (Second Edition)
Genre: Young Adult Action-Adventure, Young Adult Thriller, Urban Fantasy, Mystery/ Thriller
Welcome or unwelcome. Fate has arrived.
“A captivating and poetic tale of mystery, fantasy, and reality tied together by action!” 5-stars, Lars Jackson, Amazon Customer
A suspenseful incident in a forbidden preserve heightens the senses of five friends. Sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell become super-gifts that forever change the world. But furious battles confront the boys as they try to understand their sensory super powers in a race to save mankind. With light beings and mysterious strangers complicating their plight, can the boys be able to defeat the evil Druth before it’s too late? Get prepared for the twisting and grinding of
this award-winning, action-adventure story — is an edge-of-your-seat narrative for young and mature readers alike.
K.N. Smith, winner of the “Best of” in the category of “Outstanding Young Adult Novel” at the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Awards, is an author and passionate advocate of literacy and arts programs throughout the world. Her lyrical flair sweeps across pages that twist and grind through action-adventure and urban fantasy in edge-of-your-seat narratives. K.N. has over twenty-five years’ experience in communications and creative design as an award-winning consultant. Reading is still her foremost hobby. K.N. inspires people of all ages to reach their highest potential in their creative, educational, and life pursuits.
Welcome back to Thursday Book Spotlight! Due to be released on June 4th, I got to join R&R Book Tours (They always got good books) with their book tour for the upcoming fantasy, In the Midst of Magic by Christian Cura! Let’s dive in along with a chance to win a fantastic giveaway!
In the Midst of Magic
Expected Publication Date: June 4th, 2022
Genre: Fantasy
And if you wrong her, shall she not revenge?
Meet Kara Hartman, a photojournalist who is hiding her magic from the world. Traumatized by her brother’s death, she wants nothing more to do with magic. But just when she thought she could neglect her gift, it becomes apparent that the universe has other plans for Kara. When she discovers that an old foe has broken out of prison, hellbent on destroying her new life, Kara has no choice but to embrace the only power that can stop her.
John’s gauntlet rattled as he fired into the swirling maelstrom. Dying shrieks pierced the air and corpses littered the ground. The snow beneath the carnage was streaked with crimson. His pulse pounded faster than the bullets streaming from his gauntlet. Sweat trickled down the sides of his face. Armor weighed on him like an anchor. Blood splattered his visor. Who had summoned the demons, and why was the compound under attack? The questions screamed in his mind although there was no time to ponder the answers.
Magical fire and lightning flashed in every direction. Enforcers fought on the ground, in the air, in the towers. Smoke and clouds of flame swelled into the sky.
A proximity warning whined in his helmet, and he turned just in time to see a gargoyle whirling around, its tail clearing a wide swath in its wake. Lunging over it, he aimed and fired, but his gauntlet only clicked harmlessly. He landed in the snow with a grunt. Before he could rip a fresh magazine from his belt, the gargoyle roared and stomped toward him, the ground shuddering beneath its feet. John rolled away an instant before he was trampled. Scrambling to his feet, he summoned a mace then ducked beneath a swiping claw. He bludgeoned the gargoyle’s knee, revolted by the crack of bone. The demon moaned, the disfigured leg buckling beneath its weight. He struck the other knee, and the gargoyle collapsed, its back facing him. Seizing the moment of agony, he pounded the demon’s skull, and it fell sideways with a thud.
John panted as he released his mace and slapped a fresh magazine into his gauntlet. He aimed at the nearest demon, then froze as a burst of static made his ears twitch.
“Sir, did you dispatch a unit of armored vehicles?” an enforcer asked. A cold weight sank in his gut. “No, why?”
“I have a bird’s eye view of a whole caravan leaving the compound.”
What the hell?
“Stand by,” John said.
He cast a Flight Spell and let the sky swallow him as he zoomed toward the hangar in the north. Trundling through a blasted gate, was a train of armored trucks. They were bulky vehicles with tires designed to endure any kind of terrain. The windows were made of bulletproof glass, and machine guns were mounted on the rear of every truck.
But his enforcers couldn’t be the ones driving them because they were all out here fighting. With a growing sense of dread, he muttered, “Magnify and x-ray.”
The nearest truck became nothing but a wireframe as his tactical visor identified five rogues equipped with enforcer armor and weaponry. He scanned truck after truck, all of them occupied with rogues.
His heart sank. How did they get out? Why were they driving away? Didn’t they know the ward would kill them? But ten trucks had already crossed the perimeter where the electrocution ward should have been. Tremors ran up his spine. Someone had tampered with the ward. Someone had set the rogues free while the enforcers were distracted with the demons. But why?
He splayed his fingers, interwove them, then curled them into claws as he turned his palms to face one another. “Elektrios,” he said his voice wavering.
A glowing fractal wove itself into a dome over the whole compound as an unlucky driver smashed into it, the truck exploding into flames. The caravan halted.
Within moments, auras glowed within the remaining vehicles. Although his ward held steady for now, it wouldn’t endure forever, not against the will of fifteen hundred rogues.
John commanded ten enforcers to maintain the ward at all cost, then summoned a squad of fifteen officers to his aid.
Within seconds, they were soaring in a ‘V’ formation over the wilderness, veering south as the stolen vehicles rolled through the forest. Although the enforcers were severely outnumbered, the majority of the escaped rogues hadn’t wielded magic in over a year. Which meant their stamina was gone. That’s why they stole the vehicles rather than flew. That’s why they stole the weapons and armor. That was also the reason why the rogues didn’t want a direct conflict with the enforcers.
Well, too bad. They were getting one.
With both fists punched forward, he flew toward the rear vehicle coming under instant gunfire. Sparks leaped from his armor, and cracks webbed across his visor. The dulled impact of bullets tingled his arms, shoulders, and head. He summoned lightning and struck the rogue behind the machine gun. His body convulsed as wisps of smoke curled in the air. An agonized scream tore through the sky.
The roof hatch sprang open, and a rogue took aim at him.Evading in a tight corkscrew motion, bullets grazed John’s armor. Lightning jumped from his fingertips, and the rogue screamed. His head disappeared beneath the roof of the vehicle. John accelerated until he was directly above the roof hatch and blasted a steady stream of electricity into the cabin. Orange light flickered from the windows amid a chorus of agonized cries. Bolts of lightning slithered beneath the hood, and the engine burst into flames.John squinted, turning his face away as a wave of heat enveloped him.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Christian Cura is a new author who also has a background in graphic design. He graduated from George Mason University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Art and Visual Technology. Inspired by the likes of Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, and Robert Jordan, it has always been a dream of his to write and publish a novel of his own. In 2019, he achieved that goal with his first book, Dreams of Fire. His most recent work, Temple of Ice, is perhaps his most notable achievement, garnering four and five-star reviews on Amazon. He currently lives in Northern Virginia, where he continues to write while procrastinating on finding an actual job. When Cura is not writing, he can be found creating artwork or getting beaten up at his MMA gym.
Say goodbye to tired, dull, old-looking skin and shine bright!
One of nature’s most prized skin cures is raw honey. It’s a well-known anti-inflammatory substance that can heal and soothe irritations to a high level. It’s high in humectants, so it’s great for hydrating skin without blocking pores. Honey masks are also known to help oily and acne-prone skin when used regularly. Micro-particles of rosehip and rose petals give a touch of exfoliating activity while also calming irritations.
Made with no harsh chemicals Shine Bright Raw Honey + Rose Mask uses what nature intended. Designed to refresh, repair and smooth revealing bright radiant skin after. Starling Skincare is complexly nut, gluten, and soy-free, featuring no synthetic fragrances.
Made With Ingredients You Can Pronounce
Raw Honey +Rose Mask features all-natural, all organic, and local ingredients, including:
• Raw organic wildflower honey
• Organic rosehip powder
• Organic jojoba oil
• Rose powder
Review
Today I am trying out another Starling Skincare product. (Check my previous one here on Vocal) This time it’s their Shine Bright Raw Honey + Rose Mask. As you twist open the lid, the whiff of pure honey fills your senses as you look down at what looks like a jar of creamy honey. Coming with it is a cute little golden spoon; you can scoop out some of the honey masks and apply it to your face, but you are going to have to get a bit sticky and use your fingers to spread it all over your face. It is not that horrible, and you can wash it off in warm water easily…
Happy Monday! Today I am joining in with R&R Book Tours once again to help celebrate the book trailer reveal of The Triangle of Hope by Michael Meyer. Read on for more details and have a watch!
Triangle of Hope
Genre: Literary Fiction/ Irish/ English Literary Fiction/ Romance
If one person can make a difference, just think what three can do. A tender story of love. Three strangers, each harboring a dark secret, become united by chance in a small Irish village, and the wonderful power of the human spirit comes alive.
If you believe that love and romance can happen in unusual circumstances, then this book is for you.
“If an author can make you cry for his characters, then want to hug them close and thenwant to do an Irish jig with them to celebrate overcoming that much pain, then you know you have read a book that will stay with you forever.” – Wanda Hartzenberg, Wanda’s Amazing Amazon Reviewers
“It is a “fantastic read that will pull at your heart.” – Lauren Alumbaugh, Goodreads librarian
Michael Meyer is the author of mysteries, thrillers, humorous fiction, and non-fiction: Love and romance, laughter and tears, thrills and fears.
He has resided in and has visited many places in the world, all of which have contributed in some way to his own published writing. He has literally traveled throughout the world, on numerous occasions. He has lived in Finland, Germany, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. He gained the wanderlust to see the world, to experience other cultures, at an early age, and this desire has never left him. If anything, it has only gained in intensity as he has aged. He has been chased by a family of mongooses (yes, that is the correct spelling) on the idyllic Caribbean island of St. Croix. And that is just the beginning of his long list of worldly adventures.
As a recent retiree from a forty-year career as a professor of writing, he now lives in Southern California wine country with his wife, Kitty, and their two adorable rescue cats.
Freelance Writer Janny(Jan Marie)C 