Dickens began A Tale of Two Cities with "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." That was week 2 of my family's shelter-in-place. We spent the overwhelming majority of it inside, although we at times forced the kids outside in the form of wagon rides and chasing each other around … Continue reading Quarantine Update #2 (Or, Absence Makes the Heart…)
This little bastard, eh? Here's a quick mid-hiatus update! First of all, everyone in my family is doing well. None of us have any health issues as of now, and we're blessed to only have upturned schedules and routines to worry about. We're stocked up, still working (from home), and ready to ride this out. … Continue reading Once in a Lifetime
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com If you haven't followed my social media accounts (Twitter: joedonnewrites, IG: authorjosephdonne), then I have some bad and good news for you. BAD NEWS: I'm taking a break from blogging for a little bit. The combination of work and family time leaves me with only a scant amount of creative … Continue reading Blogging Break: Time to Write!
Introduction This is a book that's right in my wheelhouse (historical fiction) using real people from the time period to tell the story. It's book one of The Sertorius Scrolls, telling the story from the perspective of Quintus Sertorius and, occasionally, his lifelong friend, Lucius Hirtuleius. Sertorius (It's common to refer to people by their … Continue reading 5-Star Book Review: The Man with Two Names by Vincent B. Davis II
Photo by Dilyara Garifullina on Unsplash I gotta be honest: I've been struggling again with a few bouts of Imposter Syndrome (which I've previously documented here). In my quest to read while I prepare to write once again, I've been experiencing some really, REALLY good fiction. I'll be reviewing them later on, but suffice it to say they've … Continue reading MORE CAKE!
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com As I write this, it is Super Bowl Sunday. Now, I have no dog in the fight (My Panthers are, in fact, in the midst of blowing up and starting all over again). However, I do love the hubbub that surrounds the event: The millions (billions?) of people watching, the … Continue reading Football in Fiction
Introduction You know the usual stereotypes about unicorns, right? Happy, sparkly, wholesome kids stuff right? Three things often synonymous with one another are sunshine, rainbows, and unicorn poop (even that seems to be held with awe and wonder) Well, dear reader, I am about to present to you a different take on unicorns. And centaurs. … Continue reading Book Review – Nav’Aria: The Pyre of Tarsin by K.J. Backer
I'm writing this post from my shiny new laptop! If you haven't seen it yet, here it is: I think I might name it Dellbert. Ha! This week has been something of a disaster. Both kids caught varying stages of the flu from their Grandma, which made the house more of a triage center. Thus, … Continue reading Be Someone’s Light Giver
The clock. It laughs at me. I usually aim to post new stuff each Sunday, but yesterday took so much energy out of me that I just had nothing left at the end of the night. Sorry! I have the day off today, and so I shall update you all on what is going on … Continue reading I’m Late! I’m Late! And Other Musings
Jimmy Valvano once famously said you should do three things every day: laugh, think, and have your emotions moved to tears. I can say without exaggeration that the latest book I've read made me do all three over the course of the finale to this YA science fantasy series. It gets a five-star review from … Continue reading Book Review: Battle for the Valley by C.R. Pugh