Query

So, we did a daily art prompt in May for Mermay. And it was fun. Would anyone be interested in us doing a daily prompt for Sketchtember? Or Drawtober? Leave your thoughts in the comments and if we have enough interest we will see what we can do.

TBR Saturday

So we often have friends releasing new books. And we love to recommend them. Here’s our book recommendations. We try to get it done every Saturday but we are busy so we may have missed a few.

  1. Six Minds Fractured. Six Secrets Buried. One Unforgettable Box Set! 🩸

    TRUTH BENEATH THE BLOOD By Kiera Hunt

    Dare to enter a world where nothing is as it seems, and every truth hides a deeper lie.
    This gripping psychological thriller collection delivers six full-length, stand-alone novels packed with twisted minds, dangerous games, and shocking revelations.

    Each story peels back the polished surface of sanity to reveal obsession, betrayal, and the blood-stained cost of secrets. No one is safe. Nothing is certain. And the only way out… is through the darkest corners of the human psyche.

    💥 This set includes:
    🔸 Shattermark – Some scars never fade.
    🔸 Mindrift – When the mind turns traitor.
    🔸 Bloodrift – Trust bleeds easy.
    🔸 Shadowrift – Shadows don’t lie—people do.
    🔸 Mindtrap – The mind is a weapon—and it’s turned on you.
    🔸 Scarline – One scar. One secret. One shot at the truth.

    Six psychological thrillers.
    Endless mind games.
    And one question that haunts them all:

    How far would you go to survive the truth?
  2. Guardian of the Cursed Egg: Dragonis Academy – Year Two by Serenity Rayne                                                     Shadows twist around the ancient walls of Shadowcarve Academy—part fortress, part labyrinth of secrets. Last year, I barely survived its brutal trials, but I left with more than scars: three men, bound to me in a once-in-a-lifetime connection that feels ripped from a fairy tale. And then there’s the legendary red egg—coveted by countless students for centuries—and somehow it chose me.

    But survival here always comes at a price. Now, every step I take is under scrutiny, with a so-called “fan club” just waiting to watch me fail. This year’s trials promise even darker gauntlets and deadlier challenges, and the training has a reputation for breaking bones—and minds. My mates warn me that many will fall … and fall hard.
    Sometimes, I wonder if the cutthroat world of politics would’ve been safer than this savage art of war.

    As if I ever had a choice.
    Trial of the Cursed Egg – Year One
    Guardian of the Cursed Egg – Year Two
    Klauth – History of the Red Cursed Egg
    Progeny of the Cursed Egg – Year 3
    Thauglor – History of the Black Cursed Egg
    Queen of the Cursed Egg – Year 4
  3. The Case at Barton Manor: A 1920s Murder Mystery (Mrs. Lillywhite Investigates Mysteries Book 1) by Emily Queen                                                                                                             Where the 1920’s aren’t just roaring, they’re downright deadly…

    All widow Rosemary Lillywhite wants is to be left alone to drown her misery in a glass of gin and tonic, but when Grace Barton knocks on the door of her dead husband’s investigative office, she faces a choice: come out of hiding or turn away someone in need of help.

    As Grace recounts her tale of intrigue, Rosemary discovers a shared connection with the woman that has her accepting an invitation she’d just as soon turn down.
    With her best friend, bright young thing Vera Blackburn, by her side, Rosemary trades her widow weeds for a party dress and heads to a fancy do at Barton Manor.

    The drinks flow freely, but there’s an undercurrent of unease until, finally, the night ends in murder – one in which Rosemary’s brother becomes the prime suspect!

    What’s worse, the handsome chief inspector on the case is a man she knows well: he was her husband’s best mate, and he takes a dim view of lady detectives – or perhaps just of Rosemary becoming one.

    What will it take for Rosemary to solve the crime before her brother hangs for a murder he didn’t commit?
  4. Frostborn Omnibus One by Jonathan Moeller                                                                                      Combined for the first time in one volume are the first three books of the internationally bestselling FROSTBORN saga – FROSTBORN: THE GRAY KNIGHT, FROSTBORN: THE EIGHTFOLD KNIFE, FROSTBORN: THE UNDYING WIZARD, and the prequel novel FROSTBORN: THE FIRST QUEST.

    RIDMARK ARBAN was once a Swordbearer, a knight of renown. Now he is a branded outcast, stripped of his sword, and despised as a traitor.

    But he alone sees the danger to come, and undertakes the dangerous quest to stop the return of the Frostborn.
  5. Appetizers and Alibis by Erica Whelton                                        The first in the Alphabet Soup Mysteries and opening night is here!

    One recipe is included in each book!



    Opening night of Chef Jessica Vasquez’s new restaurant: The Crock Pot. With the media spotlighting the opening on the evening news and food bloggers featuring the restaurant online, the pressure is on.



    She thought she’d have to worry about burned food or slow ticket times, but nothing prepared her for a dead body by the dumpster.



    Suspicion is cast on Jess, and she’s taken to the police station for questioning. She doesn’t want to be compared to her father, so she’s thrust into the role of sleuth to clear her name, find her friend’s murderer, and save her business.



    But the more she digs into the murder, it becomes clear that someone has it in for her and her business.



    Along with her two besties, Sawyer and Vee, they find the murderer may be closer than they thought.

   

TBR Saturday

So we often have friends releasing new books. And we love to recommend them. Here’s our book recommendations. We try to get it done every Saturday but we are busy so we may have missed a few.

  1. Clichés By Robyn Hartling This comedic murder mystery is sure to have you in stitches!
    Join Jason as he finds himself smack dab in the center of an investigation, headed by the no-nonsense Detective Casey. Ten strangers must work together to find the killer who is still among them.
    The Victim: Miss Lotsariches.
    The Suspects: Ms. Widowmaker, Penny Plain, Dr. Graves, Mr. Mann, Connor the concierge, Ben the bellhop, Sam Adams the bartender, and Onya Back the waitress.
    The Weapons: Planter, Paperweight, Pen, Corkscrew, Telephone Cord.
  2. Mr. Wicker By David Viergutz In the heart of a Dallas summer, a menacing figure descends onto the concourse of the Mellows Subway Station, dragging a veil of darkness behind him. Escaping beyond the veil proves deadly: a woman loses her life upon crossing, while another loses a hand. The station is sealed off from the world—a private prison made of shadow and concrete. And there, shrouded by the gloom, the malevolent Mr. Wicker lurks, a spectral sentry whom none shall pass. Warren Dodd, an ex-con hoping to be reunited with his family after seven years behind bars, finds himself trapped in the company of a cluster of equally unlucky citizens—an insurance salesman with a chip on his shoulder, a duplicitous attorney, a busker in mental anguish, Warren’s wife and child, and a Chinese national running from her past. And nobody is entirely who they seem … The group faces a grim choice: decipher the meaning behind Mr. Wicker’s presence, or forfeit their lives to the dark. And with the veil drawing ever closer, time is running out …
  3. Naked Grace: A Quest for Clarity in a World Of Confusion By Lucas Kitchen
    The faith’s most important question, “What do I have to do to be saved?” Should have a simple answer, though no one in the piney woods seemed to agree what that simple answer should be. Despite growing up in the buckle of the Bible belt, confusion about the Christian faith plagued every step of Lucas’ journey. In NAKED GRACE, Lucas Kitchen uses wit, humor, and visual storytelling to invite you to join his life-long quest for answers. This multi-decade pursuit took Lucas to some laugh-out-loud places. When the stakes were as high as they could be, the simple answer came. The true life story in NAKED GRACE explores the confusion that many Christians quietly experience on a weekly basis. As this book demonstrates, just because someone is quiet doesn’t mean they understand. This self-deprecating tale will resonate with anyone who has wrestled with unanswered questions and is dying to know the truth.
  4. The Woman without Eyes By Micah Castle
    Cherry Brooke is gripped by fear. With the Southside Killer already stalking the city, leaving a trail of victims in his wake, Detective Wolfe has his hands full. Six months ago, a woman was found murdered in Refleski Park, her eyes missing. Now, another victim has been discovered, bearing the same horrifying signature. Yet another killer is on the loose. As Wolfe digs deeper, he uncovers a chilling pattern: a series of murders spanning decades, each marked by the ritualistic removal of the victim’s eyes. The only clue connecting the killings is a mysterious symbol branded on the victims’ bodies. Driven by guilt and a thirst for justice, Wolfe finds himself on the trail of a killer far more sinister than he could have imagined. His pursuit leads him to William Acerieas, a man consumed by his family’s dark legacy and a twisted obsession with an ancient book. Wolfe’s investigation plunges him into a world of ancient rituals, terrifying secrets, and a horrifying truth that will shatter everything he believes. But can he uncover the truth behind the Women Without Eyes before another life is claimed?
  5. Eventual Beginnings: Stories Short and Longer By Joe DeRouen
    Eventual Beginnings: Stories Short and Longer is Joe DeRouen’s second short story collection and contains sixteen all-new tales of magic, mayhem, and mystery. In the novella Connections, we’ll explore the mystery of Justy Friedman’s unexplainable possession by a spirit, and Emmet Sapp’s attempt to save her. In Next Time is Now, we’ll encounter Peter and Marnie and witness their attempts to circumvent a centuries-old curse, while in Beautiful Monster, we’ll see why sometimes looks can be deceiving. In Alternate Life, a young man is given the chance to right a wrong that hasn’t happened yet, and in Forks we’ll learn why it’s often best to leave the past in the past and move on. These are just a few of the tales that await you in Eventual Beginnings: Stories Short and Longer.

   

TBR Saturday

So we often have friends releasing new books. And we love to recommend them. Here’s our book recommendations. We try to get it done every Saturday but we are busy so we may have missed a few.

  1. Escape The Dollhouse By William Phillips Years ago, a newborn was buried in the desert—only to be discovered alive by two construction workers. The shocking act became a whispered Beverly Hills urban legend, fading beneath Tinsel town gossip and Hollywood glitz. But behind the gilded gates of the Doll family’s mansion, that terrible secret is alive and festering. Stephen Doll is a powerful movie producer obsessed with maintaining his empire and perfect image. Katie, his wife, drowns her guilt in pills and high-society parties, hiding dark knowledge of what truly happened in that desert. Their children, Jake and Jessica, cling to illusions of a normal life—until masked intruders invade, forcing every lie, affair, and buried betrayal into the open. In a world where ambition trumps conscience, the price of Hollywood fame proves deadlier than any rumor. Sometimes, chasing perfection isn’t just dangerous—it’s the one thing that can destroy you.
  2. The Fly Caster Who Tried to Make Peace With the World By Randy Kadish Making peace with the world, sooner or later most of us have to. But how? For Ian Mac Bride, his way begins almost accidentally when, in 1909, he watches a fly-casting tournament in New York’s Central Park, and begins to dream of becoming a great fly caster. But soon Ian experiences personal tragedy, and then is appalled by the unexpected slaughter of World War I. He retreats into the world of fly fishing and fly casting, and meets unforgettable anglers like: Doc, a Civil War veteran, who tells how, after he enlisted in return for drinking money, he was unexpectedly changed by the horror of war; Izzy, a mysterious immigrant, who, in his way, teaches Ian perhaps the most important lesson of long-distance fly casting; and George M. L. La Branche who, though torn by self-doubt, writes the book that revolutionizes fly fishing. And so, these anglers help change Ian’s hopes and values. Though his father questions his courage, Ian decides to become a teacher instead of a lawyer, and moves near the beautiful Beaverkill River, the birthplace of fly fishing in America. But tragedy still follows him. Torn by grief, he curses the world and loses faith in it – until, almost by accident, he finds a way to come to terms. How? The answer will surprise you.
  3. Wasteland Warlords 1 By James Hunter & Eden Hudsen Twenty years ago, the Merge brought armies of monsters flooding into the West Coast. Dungeons popped up in shopping malls, airports, and Starbucks. Walls were built to contain the spread, but the promise of priceless loot dropped by the creatures inspired a new type of gold rush. Magical weapons, powerful gear, potions to cure every ill… If you survive long enough to kill the mob, whatever they drop belongs to you. Clay Jaeger has nothing left outside the walls. Civilization took everything he worked for, chewed it up, and spat it out. Now Clay, his wife Alex, and his beer-loving, chainsaw-toting brother Joe are going west to try their hand at monster killing. The loot from the low-level mobs is enticing, but it isn’t the real reason they risked the Infested Zone. They need to kill a Dungeon Lord. Only one in ten thousand hunters pull it off. The rest become fertilizer for the wasteland. But the few who beat the odds gain riches, glory, and most importantly, the Dungeon Lord’s magical powers. They have nothing left to lose, and everything to gain. If they survive.
  4. Malice in Wonderland #1: Alice the Assassin (Malice in Wonderland Series) By Lotus Rose You’ve been misled. Lewis Carroll didn’t reveal the whole story…Alice never left Wonderland. She’s trapped. She’s angry. And she wants revenge. If you’re a fan of twisted fairy tales, you’ll love this dark comedy series, brought to you by the author of Dorothy vs. Alice. The truth is not what you were led to believe. It wasn’t all “just a dream.” It’s a nightmare. A nightmare she can’t escape, where formerly pleasant characters throw her unhappy unbirthday parties to torment her, while others like to make her cry so they can lick her tears. But one day after years of this unpleasantness, she loses her heart. Literally. Well, technically somebody steals it. And she has to get it back. By any means necessary. And it’s a lot easier to be ruthless now that she’s heartless. Alice is fed up with all the losers of Wonderland, from the sadistic Queen of Hearts to the goofy Mad Hatter to the bloodthirsty Cheshire Cat. And she’s tired of being so sweet and innocent, with all her dimples. She used to be a preteen, but today is her 13th birthday, and she’ll be singing “unhappy birthday” loudly as she delivers violent justice! Yeah, she used to be so sweet you could die. Well, now they all shall die…literally. It may be 1865, but Alice is about to go medieval. She will have her heart returned to her even if she has to kill all the citizens of Wonderland one by one…
  5. Widow’s Point: The Complete Haunting By Richard Chizmar & W.H. Chizmar New York Times bestselling author Richard Chizmar, “one of horror’s indispensable writers” (Paste), and his son W.H. Chizmar, critically acclaimed author of Them (hailed by New York Times bestselling author Josh Malerman as “one of the best debuts I’ve ever read”) present a riveting found footage narrative about doomed thrill-seekers trapped in a haunted lighthouse. “This is a bad place. I don’t think people are meant to live here.”
    Longtime residents of Harper’s Cove believe that something is wrong with the Widow’s Point Lighthouse. Some say it’s cursed. Others claim it’s haunted. Originally built in 1838, three workers were killed during the lighthouse’s construction, including one who mysteriously plunged to his death from the catwalk. That tragic accident was never explained, and it was just the beginning of the terror. In the decades that followed, nearly two dozen additional deaths occurred in or around the lighthouse including cold-blooded murder, suicide, unexplained accidents and disappearances, the slaughter of an entire family, and the inexplicable death of a Hollywood starlet who was filming a movie on the grounds.
    The lighthouse was finally shuttered tight in 1988 and a security fence was erected around the property. No one has been inside since. Until now. Told across two harrowing incidents from 2017 and 2025, those who enter the Widow’s Point Lighthouse searching for supernatural proof and the next big thing find themselves cut off from the outside world. And although no one has recently stepped foot inside the structure, they are not alone. In this remarkable collaboration, father and son writing team, Richard and W.H. Chizmar combine forces to tell a terrifying ghost story that will make you think twice about what’s waiting for you in the dark.

   

The Peaceful River

A wonderful Piece of art by Stevie Elliott

Beautiful day at the Park

A gorgeous photo from Stevie Elliott

Trains

Photos by Pyle Hazard

Mimosas in Bloom

Thanks to Joshua Elliott for sending us this lovely image of his Mimosa tree in bloom

poetry by Friday

WILL THEY SEE

Will my kids read them
My stories
My poetry
The random collected quotes
That may help them later in life
I don’t know
I hope one day they will

Art from Day one

those who are paying attention know that we are running a MerMay challenge and we got our first contribution from the challenge. It even came with an explanation of what the artist was doing …

Day 1 of sea-worthy responses to prompts. Clams. I thought what if the clams in the linguine grew legs and attacked?


From Jessica Raney

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