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A LIFETIME IS NOT ENOUGH FOR MUSIC
The second book I wrote, Eli’s Heart, is a love story and more. Krissy Porter and Eli Levin meet as young teens when Eli, who is a piano prodigy, visits his older sister in Krissy’s town in Tennessee in the summer of 1953. They become good friends and are on the verge of romance, but their relationship is ended by Eli’s over-protective family. They find their way back to each other while college students and marry on Krissy’s twentieth birthday. The story continues as each of them builds a career in the music world. While Eli was born with an unusual gift for music, he also was born with a seriously damaged…
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All Book Edition!
This month, we have three book reviews for you in three very different genres. First up, a review of Silent Legacies, by local author and fellow member of the Pocono Liars Club, John Abel: M.A. Moore John Abel’s Silent Legacies takes the reader on a gentle but powerful journey through the trauma of war, and the power of forgiveness and reconciliation for those who survive it. The American Civil War remains the bloodiest conflict our country has known, pitting brother against brother. Neighbor against neighbor. It left a wake of physical destruction, personal loss, and guilt in its aftermath. But the victims of war are not only those who fought…
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Dancing Under the Cobwebs
I danced myself dizzy to the rhythms of a bouzouki and guitar. I drank local wine from a carafe that never went empty. Even though completely sated by Greek starters, I ate succulent grilled lamb till I thought I would burst. Ever-present Greek salad with feta, long ropes of pasta with slow simmered beef, garlicky tzatziki, roasted beets, local salami, chunks of crusty bread, and plates of unidentified savories arrived unceasingly from the kitchen. Corfu! Definitely one of the most enjoyable evenings I had in Greece. You may be familiar with Corfu from last year’s BBC series about the Durrells. The Greeks call the island Kerkyra. Corfu is the anglicized…
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SDP Books Reaches Milestone!
It is with great joy and pride that we announce that Shaggy Dog Productions, LLC, the publishing imprint for The Lady Writers of the Poconos, has reached a new milestone: we have released-or have in the pipeline- 30 books! This is a momentous occasion for us all, and we want to take the time to celebrate all the wonderful achievements that have led to this major accomplishment. From our very first book back in 2015, Tressa’s Treasures, we have come a long way in our mission to bring the words of the Lady Writers to readers around the world. We have a wide variety of titles in our catalog, both…
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Mom’s Pantry
I’m not even home an hour before I’m leaning inside the pantry door, one hand hooked around the handle, my weight balanced so the hinges don’t whine. I’ve practiced this posture. Perfected it. My body knows how to fall into it without thought—until the hinges creak and I adjust, aware now of where I am and what I’m doing. I’m in the pantry and it hasn’t changed. The aroma of spice mingles with the earthier scent of potatoes wafting up from the bin on the floor. Onions. Cumin. The lingering hint of sesame from the time I dropped a bottle of oil. The shelves sag beneath the weight of food.…
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Euros From Heaven
The history of Greece can be traced to the Minoans almost five thousand years ago. And this presents problems for all sorts of infrastructure improvements in the cities. Everywhere they try to put in a new Metro line or construct a new building, they find ruins of structures from long ago, mosaics and/or pottery or grave goods. Everything stops while the archeologists document the site. But still, these ancient sites attract tourists from all over the world. And I do mean the entire world. On my way to the Acropolis the first morning hundreds of passengers from three cruise ships joined us. By late morning maintaining a safe distance between…
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First Day on the Job
The most experienced of our group is relaxing a few feet to my right, as are the other two worn-out old-timers who should have retired long ago. The other newbie is on my left. The room is packed. Occasionally someone asks a question, and often the class laughs at the instructor’s humorous remarks. I heard he has a friendly demeanor with a quick wit. Seems like forever until the first part of the lesson is over. We’re up next. I’m so excited. It’s my first day on the job and I’m grateful for the opportunity. Not too many jobs out there for someone missing a limb or two. Here they…
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Hidden Letters, One-Star Reviews, and Banana Bread
We have an interesting variety of reviews and recommendations for you this month! Books, tv, music, documentaries, even a favorite recipe. We’ll start with Hidden Letters, and Evelyn’s take on the PBS documentary on how modern women in China are keeping alive the tradition of Nüshu, a secret written language. Evelyn Infante I recently watched PBS’ Hidden Letters documentary: Modern Women in China Keep Alive the Tradition of Nüshu, a secret written language. For thousands of years in China, women were born to obey their fathers, husbands, and sons. The Confucian practice of the Three Obediences kept women confined to the home, their feet bound, and the only roles allowed…
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Where Had That Dog Gone?
Where had that dog gone? I vowed to buy that leash everyone insisted on as I stomped through the woods. Then Max’s desperate whine, intermingled with high-pitched voices, floated on the wind to me. I bolted toward the sound. Three Pixies flew around Max as his muzzle nudged a fourth who lay on the ground. I dropped to my knees to examine the tiny fae, resisting the urge to swat at the others now hovering around me. “Don’t hurt her!” they cried. Ignoring their distrust, I freed the Pixie from a web of discarded plastic. “Our hero!” they sang. A 99-word story featuring Sloan and her dog Max, from the…
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Don’t Go
I said it, and I meant it. Still, I wish I could have taken it back––made it up to her––made her understand. I watched helplessly as she lobbed makeup, brushes, and toiletries into a case at record speed. “You don’t have to do this,” I implored, trembling. I reached for her waist, but she anticipated the move and staggered to the side, almost tripping. “Get out of my way,” she snapped, shoving past me. “I have nothing left to say to you.” I wanted to yell, bang my fist through the wall, and force her to listen while I pled my case. Instead, I slunk onto the unmade bed, cupping…
