Smiles, Laughter, Love and a Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #225!

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Click on my photos to see them at their best!

Every weekend I post something different along with original photos. Last Sunday we were at the manager's home of the Karoo Desert National Botanical Garden. I took a photo of their wall art outside their front door. That photo inspired today's post. I've also included another poem of mine below.

Plant Smiles
Grow Laughter
Harvest Love

Give a Smile

Give a smile to those you meet

A friendly look when you greet

It may be just what they need

Planting hope as a seed

It’s the sunlight through the trees

A bit of warmth on a cool breeze

Open your heart just a little

Then it won’t become brittle

Why not give it a try?

There’s no need to be shy

Find a twinkle in your eye

Be the sparkle in the night sky

It will come back to you by and by

Christina A. Morley

The photo above is of their entrance hall taken a previous year. I liked the balance of everything. They have a different painting hanging there now.

*********************

My Latest Book Reviews:

Talon, On the Wing
Talon Series Book 2




The Ex-Pacifist
Matsumoto Trilogy Book 1




The Splitting
Matsumoto Trilogy Book 2

*********************

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
• Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
• Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
• Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
• Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

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Weekend Linky

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link-ups I take part in.

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The Splitting

The Splitting

Matsumoto Trilogy Book 2

About the Book:

Title: The Splitting (Book 2 in the Matsumoto Trilogy) | Author: Sarah K.L. Wilson | Pages: 263 | Genre: A Young Adult Science Fiction Thriller | Recommended Age: Young Adult

Book Description:

Vera is no longer a passive, brain-washed teen. Now she’s on a prison planet filled with shadowy aliens and ‘allies’ who want her dead. There’s only one thing she wants: escape. But to get it, she’ll have to become bolder than she ever dreamed was possible.

A young adult science fiction thriller with epic themes of family, duty, and conscience, a diverse cast, non-stop action and romantic sub-plots that echo the work of S. J. Kincaid’s “The Diabolic” or Suzanne Collins’ “Hunger Games.”

Purchase on Amazon

Kindle | Paperback

Get a FREE eBook when you
join Sarah's mailing list!

My Review:

The Splitting is another fast paced science fiction novel in the Matsumoto Trilogy. The teenage heroine, Vera, is fighting to survive on a strange planet with deadly shadows. What experiments were being tested here and why are the aliens so hostile? Why did the Emperor, her cousin, want to "colonize" this planet? She knows that all the colonists, including herself, are really prisoners.

There are a lot of interesting characters in this second book. Most of the people Vera meets want her dead. Vera is learning how to think for herself now that she has decided to embrace her ex-pacifism. The connection between her and her ex-bodyguard, Roman, is still strong, although there is less romance with the two of them being separated.

I enjoyed the witty dialogue, especially Vera's retorts. She is always in a tough situation. If she's not fighting for her life, she is probably being misjudged. You can't help rooting for her. Roman too, even though he features a lot less in book 2.

I have to warn you that the second book, like the first one, does not have a satisfactory ending. It will leave you in suspense. The first book is only $0.99 and the second and third books are reasonably priced at $2.99 on Amazon Kindle, so budget for that before starting the series.

Here are two great quotes from the book:

Quote 1: Smiles were shared all around, and once again I was the only person not in on things. I was starting to think that I was such a square peg that I'd never find a hole that fit me. Even the hole marked "Matsumoto" wasn't shaped right anymore, although everyone I met kept trying to hammer me back into it.

Quote 2: It turned out I was a Matsumoto after all. Who would have thought I’d be so good at it?

My Review of Book 1:
The Ex-Pacifist

The Ex-Pacifist (Book 1)

is only $0.99 on
Amazon Kindle!

About the Author:
Sarah K.L. Wilson

I believe that fiction can help us find our true roots. I write cross-over SFF YA fiction that draws out philosophy and deeper themes. I'm a Canadian self-published author with a great network of other writers and readers backing me. Come join my tribe and share your thoughts with me!

Website | Twitter

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of this book for my honest review.

Please Note: All prices were correct at the time of posting. Please check as these prices may change.

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Birthday Celebrations and a Linky

Welcome to my Picture Perfect

Party Linky #246!

My husband, Robbie, celebrated his birthday at the end of May. We went out for lunch at the Bergsig Wine Estate and Bistro. You can visit that post on my travel blog, 1camera1mom.

Robbie got two bottles of his favorite wine from his parents, Diemersfontein Coffee Pinotage 2016. The "Aged to Perfection" card was also from them. They also paid for his birthday outing to Bergsig.

The birthday card below came from my mom and step-dad in the States.

The flower photos below were taken at Bergsig. The strelitzias and proteas are indigenous flowers of South Africa. The protea art was made by Amanda at school last year.

This blog is best viewed in Google Chrome.

Click on the images to see them at their best.

We were given a red alert storm warning earlier today and schools across the Western Cape are closed tomorrow. We have been warned to stay off the roads. The wind is already blowing furiously outside my window and this is just the beginning. We have been having a year or more of drought, so we do need the rain.

***************************

Here's a peek at
my latest post

on 1camera1mom:

Bergsig Wine Estate
and Bistro

*********************

My Latest Book Reviews:

Talon, On the Wing
Book 2 in the Talon Series




The Ex-Pacifist
Book 1 in the Matsumoto Trilogy

*********************

Now on to my blog hop...

Come link up your Wordless Wednesday

(with or without words) or any picture post

at this Picture Perfect Party Linky.

Join me on this fun and easy blog hop!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free
to link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

and

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow me on one or more links above or via email.
• Link-up your post with a picture and follow as many new blogs as you like.
• If possible, copy the button code below and add it on your linked post or blog's side-bar.
• Tell others about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.

The Button Code:

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This is a Wordless Wednesday blog hop.

Visit my Blog Hops page to see the hops that I often link up to.

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The Ex-Pacifist

The Ex-Pacifist

Matsumoto Trilogy Book 1

About the Book:

Title: The Ex-Pacifist (Book 1 in the Matsumoto Trilogy) | Author: Sarah K.L. Wilson | Pages: 337 | Genre: A Young Adult Science Fiction Thriller | Recommended Age: Young Adult

Book Description:

Vera and her bodyguard, Roman, are connected by the computers in their heads. They can silently co-ordinate and comment on the world around them. The downside? They’re on an impossible mission set by a vengeful emperor who would prefer to see them both dead. Not many sixteen-year-olds have to fight an entire empire for survival – and not many would be so good at it.

A young adult science fiction thriller with epic themes of family, duty, and conscience, a diverse cast, non-stop action and romantic subplots that echo the work of S. J. Kincaid’s “The Diabolic” or Suzanne Collins’ “The Hunger Games.”

Only $0.99 on
Amazon Kindle!

Or get it for FREE when you
join Sarah's mailing list!


My Review:

The Ex-Pacifist is a fast paced science fiction novel. It's an exciting coming of age story where the teenage heroine's life is constantly being threatened. With all the action, I could easily picture it on the big screen. There is also a lot of violence, so be warned.

I loved the heroine, Vera. She is such an interesting character who is strong, but not too strong. She is caught in a dilemma and trying her best to survive. I just didn't like her name. It's the first time in a long time that I wished the main character had a different name, but that's easily overlooked.

Roman, her new bodyguard, is the right guy for the story. He helps her to see things from a different point of view. He is everything you would hope for in a love story. Of course, Vera doesn't see the connection right away. I could read all day long about the two of them together. They are a dynamite team.

This action-packed thriller is also partly philosophical. There are plenty of interesting things to consider when it comes to the politics, laws, and government of the planets like the Blackwatch Empire and the pleasure planet of Capricornia. How far is Vera willing to follow the Matsumoto Treaty Laws? She is a Matsumoto after all. It's in her blood. The Emperor is her cousin, no less, and he rules the Blackwatch Empire.

I really enjoyed the bits of sarcasm in the book. For example, the easy-to-remember list of Matsumoto Treaty Laws has an even easier list of punishments to remember. I don't want to give anything away, so you will have to find out for yourself.

I also appreciated how race was handled in the story. Is there really such a thing as a perfect race? Personally, I like rooting for the underdog.

I have to warn you that this book does not have a satisfactory ending. It leaves you in suspense. The second and third books are reasonably priced at $2.99 each on Amazon Kindle, so budget for that before purchasing the first book at only $0.99.

About the Author:
Sarah K.L. Wilson

I believe that fiction can help us find our true roots. I write cross-over SFF YA fiction that draws out philosophy and deeper themes. I'm a Canadian self-published author with a great network of other writers and readers backing me. Come join my tribe and share your thoughts with me!

Website | Twitter

Disclosure: I purchased this eBook when it was on sale on Amazon. This is my honest review.

Please Note: All prices were correct at the time of posting. Please check as these prices may change.

Read More

Talon, On the Wing

Talon, On the Wing
Book 2 in the Talon series

About the Book:

Title: Talon, On the Wing (Book 2 in the Talon series) | Author: Gigi Sedlmayer | Publisher: Aurora House | Genre: Survival Story | Pages: 422 | Recommended Age: 10 and up

Book Description:

This highly entertaining story about a girl with a disability that keeps her trapped in a shorter body of a two-year-old is a treasure to read!

Her personality will delight you, and the Indians add to the entertainment.

The condors are the real characters here. It is like watching a cartoon as you read the mischief and the adventures of these birds.

What challenged Matica has dreamed ever since she first saw and befriended the condors, Tamo and Tima, is actually happening with their offspring Talon she and her father had rescued from poachers. And now the incredible, unbelievable, remarkable and wonderful adventures with Talon begins after the incident that happened in Matica's hut.

This is a coming-of-age story where Matica is learning patience, forgiveness and trust.

Again, another story about friendship and freedom, about intercultural aspects in South America, and the dilemmas the main character is facing.

During the ride there is adventure and suspense.

Purchase on Amazon

Kindle | Paperback

My Review:

I read a chapter of Talon, On the Wing almost every night to Amanda. The book has 80 chapters, so it took us a few months. Some chapters got a giggle out of Amanda, others were more contemplative, and a few were suspenseful or even tragic.

This is the second book in the series. It was a more reflective and introspective book about Matica's relationships with herself, her family, the villagers in their small town in Peru, and the magnificent condors. Two main themes were forgiveness and acceptance.

Gigi has the ability to draw us into the story and live it along with Matica who is a 10-year-old girl with a growth defect and the daughter of missionaries. Matica learns to embrace her differences and to discover that her small stature isn't a limitation. In fact, adversity can come as a blessing in disguise. In Matica's case, it makes it possible for her to fly on Talon, the condor that she raised from an egg. Gigi blends reality with imagination with the condors who are able to communicate with Matica with grunts and looks. They are also able to understand Matica's words.

This story was very long for a children's book with 422 pages. Some of the content was repetitive, so it could have been shortened without losing the message. I thought that it was sweet that Matica had a love interest in the story, but I thought that the professed love between them was too deep for their age. There were also a few parts that were not appropriate for all ages. These included suicidal thoughts (which were hinted at), child sacrifice that was practiced by the Incas was mentioned, and child abandonment resulting in death when a child was born with a disability (which was still being practiced by some villagers).

My Review of Book 1:
Talon, Come Fly with Me

About the Author:

Gigi Sedlmayer

Gisela (Gigi) Sedlmayer was born on 19 May 1944 in Potsdam, a suburb of Berlin in Germany.
Her family escaped to the West just before the infamous wall went up. They moved around in Germany, wherever her dad got work. That meant she had to change schools 9 times! In the end she stopped making friends for fear that she would lose them again.

Finally they settled in Munich where Gigi studied architectural drafting and met Albert in 1965, marrying in December 1967. She worked as a civil draftsperson in various private consultancies in Munich.

Since her uncle was a writer, she tried to write short animal stories herself. Nothing further came of it, but she developed a love for the written word and started to consume books.

In May 1975, Gigi and her husband moved to New Zealand. Because of language challenges, she started a handcraft business. As a specialty, she made colourful parrots in several sizes of which she sold thousands in a few years.

In 1988, they decided to adopt and became adoptive parents of twin girls the year after. They lived in New Zealand for eighteen years and moved to Australia in September 1992.

Two years later Gigi was diagnosed with cancer. After operations and radiation, she withdrew, thinking that she would probably soon be dead, like her friend who died of cancer, but her two little girls gave her the courage to keep going. After a few years, still among the living, her brain started to work again, so she thought, 'Get a grip on yourself and do something good with your life'.

She remembered the time she wrote short stories and got inspired again, seeing her husband Albert writing the story of their adoption. Her English became increasingly better so she pressed on to develop her creative writing.

Albert taught her how to use a computer and she wrote many short stories. She entered them in competitions and often got very good reports back, which gave her confidence to go on writing. One day the idea for the TALON series came to her and she spent the next several years bringing the story and the characters to life.

She now loves writing and spends most of her time at the computer, developing new story lines. She also loves travelling, 4x4 touring, swimming, gardening, handcrafting, reading, fossicking and enjoys good adventure DVD's or going to the movies.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | LinkedIn

Disclosure: I received a free digital copy of this book for my honest review.

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A Poem and a Weekend Linky

Welcome to my weekend blog hop -

Make My Saturday Sweet #224!

Every Friday I host my weekend blog hop, Make My Saturday Sweet. You are always welcome to link anything that is family friendly and I hope you visit at least one or two other bloggers in the linky.

I always post something too on that day. Sometimes it's a recipe, or something about my family. Today I'm sharing with you one of my poems and this one was inspired by a poem that a friend wrote for me. Mine is titled, "Alpha and Omega."

Alpha and Omega

He is the Alpha and Omega

The beginning and the end

He is Creator and Caretaker

Our Comforter and Friend

He laughs at the impossible

He knows it can be done

All power and authority

Belong to the Son

Now if you didn’t get it yet

And if you haven’t heard

He always keeps His promises

It’s written in His Word

So whatever He has done before

He can do again

Remember He’s Creator, Caretaker

Your Comforter and Friend

~ Christina Morley ~

*********************

My Latest Book Reviews:

I Hate Reading

for Beginner and Reluctant Intermediate Readers

Chicken Does Not Want to be a Chicken

for Beginner Readers

Introducing the Path of Zaan Series

Fantasy Series for New Adults

*********************

Make My Saturday Sweet is a weekend blog hop for all family friendly blogs. You are welcome to link your favorite post from the past week(s) and to visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment. It's a really easy and fun way to make new friends and to catch up on old acquaintances.

Now on to my blog hop...

It's time for another Make My Saturday Sweet blog hop!

Join me (your host) for this fun and easy hop.

All family friendly blogs are welcome!

If you host your own blog hop(s), then feel free to

link them on my Blog Hops page!

I would love for you to follow me on

Google+

Twitter 

Facebook
Instagram

Here are the easy rules:

• Follow Tina (your host) on one or more links listed above.
• Link up a post from your family friendly blog.
• Please try to add my hop button on your post or side-bar.
• Share about this hop on Twitter, Google+ or Facebook.
• Visit the last link before yours and leave a sweet comment.

Blog Button Code:

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Weekend Linky

Visit my Blog Hops page to see
what link-ups I take part in.

Read More

I Hate Reading

I Hate Reading

About the Book:

Title: I Hate Reading | Author: By Arthur & Henry Bacon as told to Beth Bacon | Publisher: Pixel Titles | Genre: Beginner to Intermediate Reader | Pages: 112 | Ages: 5 - 11

Book Description:

Winner of Library Media Connection Editors' Choice Award

A laugh-out-loud funny book for beginning to intermediate reluctant readers. Two brothers who hate to read offer hilarious tips on how to get out of their daily reading requirement. Their outrageous plans involve shoestrings, bathroom breaks, and man-eating animals. Guaranteed to get kids giggling as they learn how to read. Kids from level one beginner readers to intermediate high-low readers will laugh out loud as they discover they, too, can read on their own.

Purchase on Amazon Kindle

(Sorry, this eBook is no longer for free.)

My Review

I Hate Reading will entertain the reluctant and non-reluctant reader. Amanda, age 9, read the book easily to me in one sitting. Even though it's not a picture book, the pages are bright and colorful with only a few words on each page. She laughed out loud a couple of times and told her dad her favorite parts from the book. She liked it so much that she feels it deserves an extra star to the five star rating that we're giving it on Amazon.

Disclosure: We got a copy of this book when it was for free on Amazon Kindle. This is our honest review.

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