Back in late June, I mentioned I would be taking part in the 30 books in 90 days, hosted by Written Magazine. Well, I wanted to share my progress.

I have only read 7 books, thus far. It’s hard doing this kind of a challenge. I don’t know how the people who complete it do it. I have until mid-September to finish, but I’m not sure I will. I’m still reading. Currently, I am reading Under the Dome by Stephen King and Somebody Pick Up My Pieces by J.D. Mason.

These are the books I have completed:

3 Mosaic Stones

4 Mosaic Stones

4.5 Mosaic Stones

4 Mosaic Stones

4 Mosaic Stones

5 Mosaic Stones

5 Mosaic Stones

I hope I can add a lot more books to my final challenge tally.

Until Next Time
Happy Ready & Writing!

I remember when author and educator, Tayari Jones, mentioned tidbits of her writing process and taste of her then work in progress, now a completed novel, titled Silver Sparrow. The smidgen, she fed us, was enough to get my imagination running.

What could it mean to be a silver sparrow? I can’t actually say I’ve ever saw one. That was my analytical mind working it’s dominate position in the way I think. Once I opened the book, I did not need that side of myself to understand the quintessential meaning of the heart of the story.

You have two daughters to one man, two different mothers. Did you notice I didn’t call him a father? Anyway, one is known about by everyone, while the other is a big secret. What kind of person hides their children? A person who is clearly only interested in his/her own happiness.

A friend and I decided to read this book together and discuss it as we went along. She found it just ok, but I enjoyed it a lot. I connected to those girls, especially the hidden daughter. I got why she did some of the things she did. (I won’t divulge the things, because I would ruin the story for those who didn’t read it.)

Silver Sparrow reminded me of my own family life, a little. I have a half-brother, who when I first spoke to him cried about not having our father around during the time he was growing up. He wanted the things that I had and I would have preferred the life that he had. Meaning I didn’t necessarily want my father in my life, too much heartache and pain. For the daughters, Dana and Chaurisse, they saw something in the other that they wanted for their self.

Ms. Jones wrote with grace and portrayed the 1980s era very well. I grew up in that era. The descriptions were vivid and made imagining the place and time easy. I believe that people with half-siblings, could benefit from reading Silver Sparrow. They get to see the impact of lies and secrets, from both sides. Remember the children are always innocent in the matter, because the adults made the choices. As siblings, we should be mindful of the way we treat one another. It’s not our fault…it’s theirs.

I gave it 4.5 Mosaic Stones.

Heading: Intimate Portrait

APOOO: 4

Amazon: 4

Poetry is the lyrical essence of my soul; the same thing can be said about poet Rebecca Johnson. In Moonflower Dreams, Ms. Johnson uses the footprints of her life to construct a black and white memory of experiences, good and bad, to forever be remembered by all. These poems will make you think, shake your head, even take a deep breath releasing it in a drawn out sigh. “Unsuccessful” is a poem that will make you do the latter with lines like “A brush with death/awakened you to life.” Then there are the poems that regular everyday people could identify with; such as “Sleep,” for the person who suffers from insomnia. “Crushed Velour” speaks of a lost friendship. How I understand the emotions within the lines of this piece.

There were a few pieces that were my favorite for different reasons. “Precious Jade” because not only was it written in 26 words (one word for each letter of the alphabet) but it spoke of a life being more important than any worldly, material possession. “Angel” is another poem about friendship. Camaraderie in which, one person puts more of an effort into keeping the relationship intact. This reminds me of an unyoked marriage. The last of my favorites is “Acceptance.” It means exactly what the title says; accepting people for who they are and their potential for doing great things. Instead of being envious we can admire them with a simple compliment, letting them know they are pure awesomeness.

Ms. Johnson did something that I have never seen done before in any volume of poetry. She took the time to tell the meaning of the poems. In some instances, she mentioned the inspiration behind the piece. I recommend Moonflower Dreams to poetry lovers. They will not be disappointed with this collection.

The author provided an electronic copy of this book for review purposes.

Jennifer Coissiere
APOOO BookClub

Title: Ruthless by Shelia Goss
Amazon: 5 stars
5 Mosaic Stones

Heading: How Far Will You Go?

The second book Shelia Goss has written, where the main characters are from the Bible, is Ruthless. The first was Delilah; which left me with my mouth hanging wide open at the end. I could not wait to find out what happened to her, but Delilah was not the main character in this new book. Bathsheba “Sheba” Richards, a sophisticated, sexy nurse is married to Uriah Richards, who is trying to give her everything she wants and needs are the focus of this story; and so is David King, Uriah’s boss. The night Uriah introduces Sheba to his boss things change.

Sheba only has eyes for Uriah and the finer things in life. As much as she wants those finer things, she is not thrilled when David selects Uriah to go to Afghanistan to assist in opening another office. David uses this opportunity to try to snake his way into Sheba’s mind and heart. While Sheba is dealing with the time she left alone, another pressing matter is still hanging in the balance. She has been searching for an important person and may have a huge lead on where this person may be. Although Uriah is against it, Sheba cannot let this opportunity of getting to know this person pass her by. Who is this mysterious person? Will this distraction help David win Sheba over?

Lots of unexpected things happen throughout this book. By far, this is my favorite book penned by Ms. Goss. My emotions were on a rollercoaster ride, up and down. I enjoyed the plot and the characters. Ruthless is a dramatization of how far a person is willing to go to attain the very things that are not his to begin with. I recommend this book to readers of romance, faith-based stories, and avid Shelia Goss fans. You will not be disappointed!

The author provided an uncorrected electronic copy for review purposes.

Jennifer Coissiere
Words Mosaic Reviews

Can the the lyrics of this song be anymore correct? “Time keeps on slipping into the future…” What am I doing while time is getting away from me?

Mostly, I’m wasting time doing nothing. I do the mother-wife thing. I go to school and try to be a good student. (Side note (SN: I’m not really feeling the class I’m in right now, so I am barely trying. I can’t wait for my next class.) My teacher said something that resonated with me, this past Thursday. Her words have been dancing in my mind ever since.

She said: There is no such thing as not enough time. People who don’t manage their time well and that’s why they don’t get things done. (SN: Notice I didn’t use quotation marks, because I might have changed a few of her words around. But you get the gist of what she said.)

When she said this it slapped me in my face like never before. I scanned over a typical day in my life and I noticed I waste so much time doing nothing, but thinking. Even at night my brain is wandering all over the place; hence my insomnia issues. No matter how late I go to sleep, I still wake up fairly early. My poor body is drained.

I will say I get projects and assignments done as early as possible, so I don’t have to think about them as a due date approaches. I don’t like being in panic mode. My life is already very stressful for me. It’s not busy, but it is stressful.

Anyway, time management is a skill I don’t think I possess. I need to figure out a way to do everything I need and want to do in one day, without feeling as though I waste an entire day doing nothing. Or, I was ran through the ringer. I have stories I want to finish reading and books I need to finish writing. Through all that, I want to make sure I never neglect my family. They mean the world to me.

I’ve never been a planner. I like spontaneity. However, I need to find away to plan my days, even if it’s a small portion of my day. This will help me in the longer run.

30 Books in 90 Days Challenge Update:
I’ve finished the first book so far. I gave it 3 Mosaic Stones. Check out my review on Amazon for

I am currently reading

Until Next Time
Happy Reading and Writing! (and using time wisely)