February IWSG - Who's Missing?

February 2 question - Is there someone who supported or influenced you who perhaps isn't around anymore? Anyone you miss?

The awesome co-hosts for the February 2 posting of the IWSG are Joylene Nowell Butler, Jacqui Murray, Sandra Cox, and Lee Lowery!

This is an easy question...EVERYONE.

Just months before starting my membership in the Insecure Writers Support Group I moved a thousand miles away from everyone I ever knew. All the people who molded me into the shape I am today are greatly missed. The grandparents who always saw the possibilities inside me, the parents who made sure those possibilities had a chance to blossom, the aunts, uncles, and cousins who influenced my thoughts and ideas, the friends who allowed me to be myself; all of them are far away.

The hardest part of leaving so many behind is knowing that my children will not have those same amazing influences in their lives. The best part about knowing this is I appreciate every memory and embrace each one so it can shine through my being. My kids will know those influences through me, and my readers will catch glimpses of them, too.

Thanks for visiting me today. While the void is not completely filled by it, hearing from you does mean a lot to me. Thanks for your support and influence!

Laugh for the day:  Grammarly wanted to correct "so many behind" to "so many behinds." Yes, there are a lot of behinds in my family, and they would all get a kick out of that.

Book Review: Trust by Jean Davis

Trust by Jean Davis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fast-paced, good read. Jean Davis’s 'Trust' is my favorite type of SciFi: foreign worlds, multiple races, and intriguing abilities and technology. I picked this book because I enjoyed another book by Davis (The Last God). I would recommend both books to anyone who enjoys traveling to other worlds and tales about the complications of love and war.

Vayen is a survivor and always has been. No matter what women, partners, or secret government agencies throw at him, he finds a way to rise above. (Not that he doesn’t hit rock bottom on more than one occasion.

It was difficult to put this book down. I will definitely be following the rest of the series.

The title is an interesting connection to the story. I find myself wondering why 'Trust?' I think it does push me to reflect on the characters’ arcs. In that capacity, the title is perfect.

I noticed a couple of editing errors, but none were distracting or annoying. The first-person perspective is perfect for the story and the reader feels everything as the characters do. The world-building is weighted mostly towards systems and technology and not as much environment or scenery, but there were enough details to give me a picture of how each world was different, particularly the architecture. (Same with ships.) I have a feeling more of this will be visualized in later books in the series as the author further explores the Narvan.

I am mostly satisfied with the ending, I think the story wraps up well, if not a little too quickly. But that matches the overall pace.

I do read for pleasure but also to study the craft of storytelling. I think Davis is an excellent science fiction storyteller and a good inspiration for other writers.

Final Note: I love her cover art!

View all my reviews

I read this book as part of my SpaceTime Reading Challenge. To view my progress or sign up, visit the post.

Read Space/Time Travel - CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Here I am, minding my own business, doing my first discussion board post for an online course I'm taking, reading through some of my favorite blogs, and out of nowhere I discover there are reading challenges for specific types of books!

Even better, I find that writers I know and love are participating. And an author I know and love is the creator! AND it involves space *and* time travel books!

And I was thinking the only luck that I would see in 2022 would be that 41st bagel bite that came in the box of 40 I just bought for my kids. (Thanks, mom, for teaching my kids what bagel bites are.)

This is fantastic news!!!

I'm IN! Challenge accepted. Let's do this. I'm only ten days late. I have been reading a book already this year, but I do not think it counts. It is an anthology, but technically the stories I've read so far are not space or time-related. (But very science fiction.) I shall have to find another.

If reading about space and time travel is also your cup of tea, go sign up! You don't need to have a blog, but you will need a place to post your reviews. Perhaps on Goodreads? (If you don't have Goodreads, make that another challenge for you this year. It is a great place for readers!)

Use the image below to find out about the challenge and sign up!

Updates on my progress:

Complete:

Planned:

Oops, IWSG a little too late...

Now I'm in trouble, not just a day late and a dollar short, but two!

Happiest New Year to everyone. I hope you have a moment to take a deep breath and feel the biting chill of winter (or the golden heat of summer depending on your hemisphere). I hope you feel the world spinning and admire the changes of our beautiful planet as it turns through its cycle of life.

I hope you enjoy your favorite tea and hear birds or water or wind. And I hope you find that tiny fire inside you that keeps you in motion, that burns with the desire to create.

Apologies for my delayed participation and my continued absence from writing.

January 5 question - What's the one thing about your writing career you regret the most? Were you able to overcome it?

My only regret to date is that I often confuse my critical mind with my insecure, imposter-fearing mind. The two are so entangled that an attempt to make improvements quickly turns into self-doubt and even fear. I hope I am overcoming it by persevering.

I got to go home for the new year and see my family for the first time in over a year (or more). It felt good to be on familiar ground and to talk to familiar faces. My heart swelled to hear that someone was following my blog, reading my work, or even looking forward to some of my other stories being published. It was a renewal of passion for me. One cousin joked that he expected me to be a rocket scientist by now. What on Earth was I doing working at a childcare center? I laughed. I'd like to see a rocket scientist try to do my job! Perhaps I just developed another story... CHILDCARE IN SPACE! But honestly, I have too much interest in people and Earth. The closest I will ever get to a rocket is writing about one.

Thank you for stopping by, and thank you for your continued support. Your reading gives me a reason to continue writing. 

All the best!

The awesome co-hosts for the January 5 posting of the IWSG are Erika Beebe, Olga Godim, Sandra Cox, Sarah Foster, and Chemist Ken!

As always, follow the link by clicking the badge below to view more writers' blogs.

Congratulations to all the Anthology Winners this year. I can't wait to read it!