I am Queen

MY RHYMING POEM

My characters are born and I am their Creator
Love to watch them grow and become much greater
I put them against challenges to see which way they'll turn
Look forward to the outcome and discover what they'll learn

- By Sherry Hill

MY HAIKU

I am a true Queen
I know my abilities
Can't help but to grow

- By Sherry Hill

APPRECIATIONS

I believe it's important to not be so full of ourselves. People help you along the way. So let's not be lazy about giving thanks.

I appreciate the manager at Wendy's near my workplace. He always have a nice smile and knows how to engage in good, genuine small talk . He makes me feel special like a queen. His employees are nice, too. Even though I sometimes feel guilty for eating out, I look forward to his positivity.

THE CHILLING CORNER

Because sometimes you need to chill

Books 

Tempted by Elizabeth Kelly

I enjoyed this book. The elevator scene was a bit too coincidental and cliche, but the story was a good quick read. The pacing was great, and the steamy scenes made me smile. I connected with the characters even though it wasn't much depth. The author used good dialogue and humor. I felt the story was realistic (except the elevator scene) about the thoughts of office staff - especially about the bet and hidden emotions. The book needs to be edited, though. There were some missing commas. Overall, it was a good story, and I would like to read more from this author.

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For the following books, I received a free digital copy from www.storycartel.com in exchange for a review:

'Twas the Night by Robin Reed

I like the funny twists in the story. This story is a nice change from the traditional storyline, and I liked Nose's new purpose. The plot and pacing was good and the similes were original. I liked when the characters were described without telling the traditional name.

Coffee Crazy by Robert Galinsky

This is a quick read about the power of coffee. Some the entries and quotes were educational. Some humorous. I especially loved the quote by Elvira.

I thought the introduction was a bit long. I felt that it should have been condensed since it seemed to drag on.Overall the book was an insightful read about what coffee can lead to. Most of the quotes ring true.

Tempted by Paul Micheals

The book was well-written and engaging. The pacing was good, and I enjoyed the twist about the characters' capabilities.

The lack of scene breaks and the introductions to chapters were a bit distracting, but overall, the book was a good read. I would like to read more from this author.

Zeru by Phillip Vargas
 

I received a free digital copy from storycartel.com in exchange for a review.

I love the originality of using the zeru and baboons. The relationship between Gacoki and Abasi and the other weird characters made me want to read more..

The pacing was a bit slow - especially in the beginning. At some places, I was confused about the setting and sometimes had to reread sections.

I liked the way Abasi resolved the conflict at the end. The last chapter was cute and made me smile.

Cornered -Braving Love Trilogy #1  by Ariana Gael

The book was not bad. It was an easy read and fast-paced. The Phans were my favorite characters. Although their English was broken, they had powerful things to say.

I felt the characters need to be more developed, and I thought the plot could be stronger by adding more twists or slowing the pace to add depth to characters.

There were some grammatical errors and story needs to be polished.

Overrall, I liked the storyline - just wanted more depth.

Happy Every Day - Simple, Effective Ways to Better Days by Bryan Hutchinson

I enjoyed this book. Although the information was basic, it was to the point and valuable. I especially loved the related journal prompts. I realized finding happiness is a choice and being around negativity brings me down. I tried skipping (as the book suggested) in the park, and it works - I couldn't help but to smile. I plan to be around more positive people and enjoy happiness each day.

Fragments by H. Ross Irvine

I had to get used to the style of writing (because of the lack of quotation marks for dialogue), but it was worth it. The stories are extremely fast paced (which I think it was meant to be) and made my mind flood with images. I couldn't stop reading the stories for a breath, but that was okay because the content was thought-provoking. I connected with each story whether it was uplifting or sad.

Song

"I Hold the Crown" by Redman

Love this energetic song! Makes me feel like the queen I am.

THE LEARNING CORNER

Vocabulary

indefatigable (adj)

incapable of being tired out; not yielding to fatigue; untiring.

 "indefatigable." Dictionary.com Unabridged. Random House, Inc. 08 Nov. 2013. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/indefatigable>.

Sentence 

When Donna was training the zombies to be more civilized, her friends admired her for her indefatigable patience.

  Learning Moment

   A writing critique group member read one of my stories and pointed my characters are naked. This is not what I intended (at least not for that particular story). He stated I needed to dress my characters. Furthermore, he suggested I also "put them on stage", and that would help with positioning and gestures. His advice was valuable, and it helped me with revising. Now my story is great!

TOO MUCH Z-NESS?Do you find yourself getting lazy? Maybe someone called you lazy and that you need to get off your butt. Perhaps you're not accomplishing your goals like you should. Are you blaming the government for everything? Well, it's time for you to tackle your excessive Z-ness. I hope this tip helps you.

It's getting cool, and I don't want to get up. So many things I've got to do, yet I really don't want to face the chill. There's only so many times I could press that snooze button. Do you have this same problem? Here are some tips:

Wake up with some energetic music and put the alarm clock or cell phone across the room.

I can't program my clock radio to play energetic music, so I put songs in my head. Then I just want to dance, and that warms me up -  especially if the alarm is across the room. Try it! Might work for you.