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SAILING – THE DAY OF THE MONARCHS – A STORY RETELLING


Another amazing monarchs’ tale. This one’s from an amazing author/blogger friend of mine, Marilyn Armstrong. Enjoy andƸ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ Follow The Magic! ~Bette A. Stevens http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Serendipity Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth

We named our little craft “Gwaihir,” after the Eagle Wind Lord from Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings.” Really, she was a wind lady and a rather dainty girl at that. The name was perhaps a trifle pretentious for such a small craft, but I thought it would be a lucky name. Gwaihir was a 16-foot Soling with a centerboard, which is a retractable keel. With the board up, she drew only 16-inches. I used to tell friends that Gwaihir could sail on a wet hankie. I believe she could.

She was a surprisingly stable craft. We carried a 5 hp outboard motor so when tide and wind were against us, we could still get home. In the old days, sailboats had to drop anchor and wait for the tide, wind, or both to shift. Today, we have to get back in time for dinner … so we have outboard motors.

Sometimes, when the…

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Another 5✰ Review for DOG BONE SOUP by Bette A. Stevens


Poignant and Inspiring!

Dog Bone Soup by Bette A. Stevens is not just the story of Shawn and his struggle to get a decent life, it is a family saga of adventures, sacrifices, togetherness and resilience. It is inspiring as well as poignant, a rare combination to create. Henrietta emerges to be a wonderful mother, giving all the care and attention to her kids though she had zero moral support from her self-centered and alcoholic husband, more interested in watching T.V. than looking after his own children.

The story is set in the 50’s when moccasins could be freely used to discipline children! Despite the challenges of poverty and meagre food, nobody has any complaints except Mr.Daniels. Life was hard and Shawn being the eldest in the family suffers the most yet he stands like a rock when he is old enough to handle his father’s violence.

A streak of thin light shimmers throughout the story, assuring the reader that struggles bring the best out of us. The hope never dies, as kind people keep trickling in to provide work and life-time lessons to Shawn and Willie. Characterisation has been handled very well and one person who stands out is Mrs Ashley, an old lady with the heart of gold, a book lover who fed the poor boys, read stories to them and even taught them how to use a typewriter when they accompanied their uncle to help in cutting the trees.

This book is relevant for the present generation for two reasons—one it acquaints them with history and the way people strived to wriggle out of domestic violence, lack of love and tough situations. Two, how comfortable life is today for children with no fear of moccasins! ~Balroop Singh, author

This review is from: DOG BONE SOUP (Historical Fiction/Ages 11-Adult): A Boomer’s Journey (Kindle Edition)

  • Take a ‘Look Inside’ and grab a copy of DOG BONE SOUP (available in paperback $10.99 and eBook $3.99 OR purchase paperback and download eBook version for #FREE) at YOUR AMAZON today http://bit.ly/1HGpCsZ

  • Find out more about Maine author/illustrator Bette A. Stevens and check out her books (children’s literature, children’s activity book and fiction for ages 10-adult) at http://viewauthor.at/BetteAStevens

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Written

on 07/04/2017

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Two More Summer Reads: Blogger book reviews


I’ve just finished reading Mae Clair’s mystery “Eclipse Lake” and have Sally Cronin’s story collection “What’s in a Name?” on my TBR. You’ll want to heck out these awesome authors and get reading! ~Bette A. Stevens http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Myths of the Mirror

I usually read in bed at night and pass out after one or two chapters. One book can easily take a whole month to read. Not so while on vacation. Here are two more reviews of blogger books that I read during my trip to Colorado. Enjoy.

Eclipse Lake

by Mae Clair

A blend of mystery and romance with strong characters.

Eclipse Lake is one part cozy mystery and one part romance. The story focuses on Dane Carlisle, a teenage lost-cause who grew up and turned his life around to become a multi-millionaire. He returns to his hometown with his adopted son, hoping to make amends with his older brother. But memories of the teenage Dane persist, and the discovery of an old skull raises more suspicions about his past. Set against Dane’s dark history and the current turmoil is his fairytale romance with a spunky photo-journalist who’s in town shooting pictures…

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Written

on 06/30/2017

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With freedom…


So very happy! ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Sacred Touches

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**Signed image via Pinterest

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Written

on 06/01/2017

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Online Resource: Reading Free Rare Books


Happy Reading! ~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Kristen Twardowski

UB_Utrecht_-_Louis_Renard_-_1782_-_Natuurlyke_Historie_-_page_90 Louis Renard, Natuulyke Historie (1782): 90, Special Collections, University Library of Utrecht, via Samuel Fallours and Wikimedia.

Sometimes I get a hankering to read old books. Luckily I’ve found a website that allows me to explore some of the rarest books in the world for free.

The Rare Book Room is a website created by Octavo, a company that has digitized hundreds of rare books from the greatest libraries in the world. The collection contains books by Galileo, Copernicus, Shakespeare, Einstein, Wollstonecraft, and numerous others that cover subjects like art, exploration, history, and music.

Despite the obvious care that went into digitizing the books – the website proudly discusses the the resolution of each image – the site itself is very simple and lacks the bells and whistles of many of its contemporaries. Don’t let the project’s unadorned nature fool you though; the creators regularly add excellent new…

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Written

on 05/17/2017

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!


Wishing you all “A Beautiful & Blessed New Year!” ~ Bette A. Stevens

Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author

AMAZING NEW YEAR bas 2016Dear Friends,

Thanks so much for helping to make 2016 an amazing year for me. Your friendship and your wonderful blog posts, your visits here and the encouraging words you’ve left are gifts that I treasure. May 2017 be an amazing year for you.

Wishing you all  “A Beautiful & Blessed New Year!”

~Bette A. Stevens

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Written

on 12/31/2016

Sally’s Cafe and Bookstore Christmas Update – Wendy Janes, Bette A. Stevens and Annette Rochelle Aben


Happy Holidays & Happy Reading! ~ Bette A. Stevens, Maine author http://www.4writersandreaders.com

Category:

AMAZING MATILDA by Bette A. Stevens, DOG BONE SOUP by Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author, PURE TRASH by Bette A. Stevens, Reading with Children, Uncategorized

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