It’s always exciting to see the trees shed their greenery and put on their autumn colors of red, yellow and orange. It is breathtaking!
On one of our trips around town I snapped some photos of all the color that is sprouting up around us.
The last few photos are of Mack’s Apples with all their colorful pumpkins that add to this lovely kaleidoscope of color.
We are so blessed to live in New England where there is so much beauty in the changing of seasons. God gives us all this beauty in the fall and prepares us for what will come next as the weather slowly changes as it grows colder. We stay resilient through winter for we know that spring is coming and the weather will get better and everything will be green again.
I hope you enjoyed my photos and that wherever you live that you are having nice weather.
Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please come back again soon where something is always brewing at JEMSBOOKS!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
Here it is already the end of another month. Where does the time go? I have been busy as usual reading some wonderful books for the month of September of 2026. Here are the 5 books I read and reviewed for September. I might have read even more if I didn’t have a few WIP. But I always seemed to have a WIP! That fact never stops me! I hope you enjoy reading these reviews.
I love sharing my eclectic reads in this Jemsbooks Segment, Books Read in the Month. I hope you will get a chance to look over these books soon. Thank you for your kind support of my work and that of my fellow authors.
If you are an avid reader, as I am, please review the books you love on Amazon or wherever you purchased them for others to enjoy your reviews. Reviews are one way for readers to know about an exceptional book. We indie authors love to receive reviews and appreciate the efforts of readers to do them. Once again, I thank you for your kind support of me and my books and for supporting my fellow authors too.
When I wrote these reviews I rated them on Amazon, Goodreads and sometimes Barnes & Noble. I did not include the ratings here though. It is best to share my thoughts with you about how I felt about the book without the rating. Ratings can be deceiving at times.
We all feel differently about books. Sometimes we love them, sometimes we like them and still other times we may dislike a book. Some other books are so memorable they take your breath away! While still others are sweet, sensitive, and enjoyable reads that we soon will forget. But all these books I have reviewed were lovely reads as you can see from my reviews. I hope you enjoy my reviews and that they will help you to decide what will be your next read.
What the River Took is a moving story about a backwoods town in Tennessee that is still living in the past holding onto their traditions, emotional and ancestral connections. When the government enters and wants to put in a dam and relocate the families from their homes, things begin to rev up causing angers to be raised.
This was a beautiful written story with plenty of family situations and heartfelt emotion. A moving and unforgettable story of resilience throughout struggles and changes iIn one’s life. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and did not want it to end. I highly recommend this!
If You Tell a Lie is a thriller that threatened my sleep each night until I finished the book. Four teens make a terrible mistake by listening to one of them, making all four suffer the consequences much later in life when this mistake comes back to haunt them in surprising ways.
The author created a tense and unforgettable story line that was surprising and shocking. It was frightening to think that something like this could possibly happen when others do not use common sense and look closely at their friends and not be so gullible. A frightening tale!
The Sky Beneath Her is a story told in dual timelines about the sinking of a ship back in the 1940’s and the present time where a woman is trying to discover why her mother died in a dive to this sunken ship. Is there a correlation between the two?
The mystery continues throughout the story as the woman who lost her mother tries to overcome her fear of the ocean and refuses to dive again. Can a man who comes into her life help her find her way back to her love of the sea?
An intriguing story.
The Tomorrow Tree is a story about family relationships and friendships amongst three childhood friends. These three childhood friends have the same sitters since they were just babies. They become close knit like a family even though they are not related. They learn that sometimes those who are not family are just as important as family.
A sweet story about family and how children need support if not from their own family but from others who give them love and support unconditionally that they need. It is also a sad story about how parents can be neglectful toward their children.
A memorable story that touched the heartstrings of this reader.
The Wild Card is an intriguing tale of a woman, Carla Wilson, who was lost in an addiction that has encompassed her life. When a fluke happens with her gambling, she ends up in a small Texas town of tumbleweeds to discover life again.
The author has created some strong but flawed characters who each have their own demons to fight. They work together to find peace and friendship together. Will Carla be able to fight her addiction and find new meaning to her life in this tumbleweed town? Is there a chance for her to find love and peace?
A lovely story of how an addiction can overpower one’s life and the power of friendship.
Thank you so much for stopping by this post and for your continued support. Please come back again soon where something is always happening at JEMSBOOKS!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
If you are looking for some entertaining children’s books that have won many book awards, look no further because you will find 23 books that you children will love and want to read often at JEMSBOOKS!
Hop on JEMSBOOKS EXPRESS to find books for your children that will delight, entertain, and keep them engaged and happy as they read my award-winning books. These books have colorful illustrations created by my husband, John, verses in rhyme with important life lessons, and family values that parents will appreciate.
Please consider giving books to all the children on your list for all occasions. There is nothing better than to see a child’s eyes light up when you give him/her a book – even more so when you read the book to them. You are giving them so much more than you could ever imagine, e.g., you spark their imagination, heighten their creativity, lift their spirits, increase their vocabulary, open up a whole new world to them, enhance their health and wellbeing and encourage them to love reading. The gift of a book is worth more than gold to our children, grandchildren. Keep reading and gifting books to children. Let’s bring up a generation of readers and thinkers. Thank you for your support!
Reading is important not only to keep your children’s reading levels up all year long but also it can increase their vocabulary, spark their creativity, enhance their health and wellbeing, and encourage them to become lovers of books. Let’s bring up a generation of readers and thinkers who will become successful and confident adults one day.
Here are the life lessons your children will learn from my children’s books:
Louey the Lazy Elephant – Louey teaches children the importance of not being lazy and always listening to your mother.
Ricky the Rambunctious Raccoon – Ricky teaches children to always listen to their mother.
Jerry the Crabby Crayfish – Jerry teaches children that it is okay to be different, be the best you can be and be happy with who you are.
Lamby the Lonely Lamb – Lamby teaches children to accept differences and to be kind to others.
Jesse the Precocious Polar Bear – Jesse teaches children that friends are important, and mothers know best.
Broose the Moose on the Loose –Broose teaches children to be kind and accepting of others who are different than you are.
Sebastian Meets Marvin the Monkey – Sebastian teaches children how important it is to be kind to animals, that animals have feelings too like humans and deserve our respect.
Colby the Courageous Cat – Colby teaches children to love one another and take care of their siblings.
Jeffrey the Jittery Giraffe – Jeffrey teaches children to be brave and help others in need.
Clarence Henry the Hermit Crab – Clarence Henry teaches children to work hard and do the best you can do and be happy with who you are.
Lucy the Talented Toy Terrier – Lucy teaches children to be kind to pets, how important a pet can be and how much this pet loves us unconditionally.
The First Star – teaches children that love of family is more important than all the riches in the world.
Drystan the Dragon Series Book 1: Drystan and Durward Save the Day – Drystan demonstrates to children that being kind and helping others is important and the right thing to do.
Drystan the Dragon and Friends Series, Book 2: Damara Helps Drystan Find His Roar – Drystan demonstrates the importance of friendship, being kind to others and helping others in need.
Drystan the Dragon and Friends Series, Book 3 – Delbert Finds Himself – Drystan teaches Delbert, a shy dragon, the importance of loving yourself as you are and that all colors are beautiful!
Drystan the Dragon and Friends Series, Book 4: Delfina Solves a Problem – Delfina helps Drago love himself and teaches him to be kind to others.
Drystan the Dragon and Friends Series, Book 5: Drago Does a Good Deed – Drago finds a rabbit in need of his help. He learns that it is better to be kind to others.
Drystan the Dragon and Friends Series, Book 6: Dragana Helps a Fairy – Dragana helps a fairy who is injured and in need. She doesn’t hesitate to help in any way she can and goes above and beyond to help this fairy. Being kind and helping others is what Dragana learns.
Make Believe: Bedtime Stories for Children Book 1: These six stories promote good behavior, encourage children to be kind to others, friends are important, differences should be accepted, and we are all unique and special.
Make Believe is Fun: Bedtime Stories for Children Book 2: These six stories help children to realize the importance of friendship, family, helping others in need and that it’s okay to be different.
Make Believe Again: Bedtime Stories for Children Book 3: These six stories promote good behavior in children as they learn valuable life lessons to be kind to others in need, family and friends are important and it’s okay to be different.
Make Believe Once Again: Bedtime Stories for Children Book 4: These six stories promote good behavior in children as they learn to be kind to others, it’s okay to be different, family matters more than riches or being famous, friends are important and be the best you can be.
Family and Friends: Tales for Children: These six stories teach children the importance of family and friends, that they matter, bullying should never be tolerated or accepted, help others in need, be the best you can be and never give up.
My goal in writing for children is to encourage them to read daily to enhance their life through good health and increase their creativity. Please read to your children daily even after they can read by themselves. This is a wonderful time to bond, cuddle, and get closer to your children. They will love and remember fondly the times you spent with them. Please keep reading and I will keep writing! Happy Reading Everyone!
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please come back again soon where something is always brewing at JEMSBOOKS!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
I try each to think of something that I am thankful for each day. There are so many things that come to mind.
Positive/ Negative Word Art
Here is what my list looks like:
God’s blessings daily
I am loved by my wonderful husband and family.
Good health for me and my family
I can still do most of the things that I enjoy doing – writing, exercising and just moving
I feel blessed to wake up each morning and live another day.
Try to smile every day at others to cheer them, it cheers me too!
Compliment at least one person a day to awaken their positivity and bring a smile to them. It lightens my heart too.
Find something that you love to do and do it every chance you get.
Think of others before yourself.
Be thankful for God’s love and blessings!
What are you thankful for and how do you stay positive?
Compliments of FREE CLIPART LIBRARY
I received a positive message from a fortune cookie that I have kept and think about often. Here it is:
Stay positive, even when faced with challenges, they are steppingstones to growth.
We all have challenges that we must deal with daily, but they shouldn’t deter our spirit from continuing on and facing them with God’s help. He is always there for us.
KEEP SMILING! THINK POSITIVE, LIVE POSITIVE, STAY POSITIVE!
SMILING HORSE OIP ONLINE
Here are more positive quotes from others online:
Inspiring Positive Quotes to Lift Your Spirit
Here’s a curated selection of uplifting quotes from trusted sources to brighten your day, share with others, or use as daily affirmations Wisdom Quotes+3.
Short & Powerful
“Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” — Elbert Hubbard Keep Inspiring Me
“One small positive thought can change your whole day.” — Zig Ziglar Wisdom Quotes+1
“Try to be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud.” — Maya Angelou Real Simple+2
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson Wisdom Quotes+1
Motivational & Resilient
“Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible.’” — Audrey Hepburn Real Simple+1
“Believe you can and you’re halfway there.” — Theodore Roosevelt Keep Inspiring Me
“You can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.” — Stephen King Wisdom Quotes+1
“A dead end is just a good place to turn around.” — Naomi Judd Real Simple+1
Kindness & Optimism
“If you see someone without a smile, give ’em yours!” — Dolly Parton Real Simple
“Happiness is not by chance but by choice.” — Jim Rohn Southern Living
“Be the light in the dark, be the calm in the storm, and be at peace while at war.” — Mike Dolan Wisdom Quotes
“With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” — Eleanor Roosevelt Wisdom Quotes
“The most important thing is to try and inspire people so that they can be great in whatever they want to do.” — Kobe Bryant Southern Living
“Accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, latch onto the affirmative.” — Bing Crosby Keep Inspiring Me
Tip: Keep a favorite quote in your phone’s notes, on your desk, or as a wallpaper to remind you of your positive mindset throughout the day Wisdom Quotes+1.
These quotes draw from leaders, artists, and everyday wisdom, offering a mix of resilience, kindness, and optimism to help you stay inspired.
I hope these quotes will inspire you and cheer you up.
Thank you for stopping by today to read this post and for your continued support. Keep smiling and the world will smile with you (hopefully). Please come back again soon where something is always brewing at JEMSBOOKS!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
Are you in the mood to be gripped by an unputdownable thriller/mystery/suspense/serial crime? If you haven’t read Hunting Mariah and Mariah’s Revenge my two-book series that will have you turning pages late into the night. You will be hooked from the first page and will not be able to put it aside to do your housework, laundry or cooking.
MAINCREST MEDIA AWARD – CRIME FICTION! AUTHORSDB FIRST LINES CONTEST – FINALIST!
An insane killer, obsessed with blood and death, seeks revenge with those he perceives wronged him. He is now on the loose. His next victim may be Mariah.
Mariah has lost her memory. Will she remember what has transpired in her past? Can Mariah escape this deadly killer’s grasp. Will she finally be safe? Will the killer be apprehended?
AUTHORSDB FIRST LINES CONTEST – FINALIST!
This book begins where the first book, Hunting Mariah, left off. This suspense/thriller/crime novel will keep you turning pages as the tension grows. There will be twists and turns and some surprises. Many of the same characters will be in play to give support and encouragement to Mariah along the way. A new man comes into Mariah’s life that reminds her of someone she wants to forget. He threatens to bring back the horrors that she and her family once endured. While the one she wants to forget suffers from a horrendous attack that puts his life in jeopardy. Mariah must draw on her strength and resilience to survive danger at every turn. How much more can Mariah endure? How far will Mariah go to protect her family?
Here are the book trailers of these books:
Here is what readers are saying about this series:
Hunting MariahHunting MariahMariah’s Revenge
The first book, Hunting Mariah, was created in 2014 and was not supposed to be a series until I received a request from a reader to know more about what happened to Mariah. In 2018, I published the sequel, Mariah’s Revenge.
It was difficult getting into the mind of the serial killer once again since he invaded my sleep during the first book until I completed it. Now he was there once again to torment me until I told his story. It was a relief to finally be through with him at the completion of the sequel. I hope readers are pleased with the complete series now. I do not ever plan on adding a third book.
Once I complete a series I like to move onto another genre and age group to mix things up a bit and spark my creativity with a challenge.
I hope if you haven’t read this series yet that you would pick it up soon and get into the mind of the serial killer. I hope he won’t bother you as much as he did me!
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please come back soon where something is always brewing at JEMSBOOKS!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
My husband, John, is 84 today! He is such a wonderful husband, so supportive and thoughtful of my every need. He is the sole support of my writing and helps me by illustrating and creating my book covers. I couldn’t complete each book without his support. I thank God every day for bringing him into my life.
John at Barnacle Billy’s in Ogunquit Maine with a rum punch!
He never asks for anything for his birthday, but I felt I had to do something! Please wish him a happy birthday and I will show him all your comments. He isn’t online anywhere.
John has been having back issues and is in pain often, but he doesn’t complain too much, just enough! Haha! He is currently having PT but that doesn’t seem to be helping much. We hope to see a surgeon soon after he has an MRI. He has already had a few cortisone injections and procedures without much relief. Please say a few prayers for him. We will be going on a trip in the fall and hope he can walk around without too much difficult, God willing.
We are going out to a lunch/dinner today at one of his favorite places, Super Wok, where he loves to have their Mai Tais. He said they are the best! I have had one on occasion but am out of it for the rest of the day! That is how strong they are. I am not used to drinking much – only have a glass of wine once or twice a week or socially. Sigh!
Here are a few pictures of John. I didn’t realize how often he takes pics of just me or we do selfies together. I have to change that and take more of him.
In ArubaAt homeAt home New Years EveAt Piccola Italia in Manchester, NH
Aruba 2024
I feel blessed to have this special man in my life and I thank God every day. He has made me so happy. I treasure every day that we have together for we don’t know how many we have left! Sigh!
Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your kind support. Please send along your birthday greetings to me here for John. He will get a kick out of them! Please come back again soon where something is always brewing at JEMSBOOKS!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
It was nice to see our latest visitors to our back yard – two grateful and beautiful deer. I enjoy seeing them every time and never tire of their visits. My husband snapped these two photos recently before they ran away.
Today I noticed the leaves are changing and snapped these two photos through my kitchen window since it has been stormy for two days with rain – a nor’easter.
These two maple trees always change first. The rest of the neighborhood trees follow but a little later. I promise to have more photos as the other trees join in the fall celebration of color.
Our local apple orchard, Mack’s Apples, is having their yearly fall activities. Here is their flyer that they recently posted. I have never visited their corn maze – claustrophobic and fear of getting stuck there. Yikes!
In Londonderry there used to be seventeen apple orchards but now there are only a few left. Mack’s is the largest one left and close to us. We recently visited, before all the above was set up, to purchase some apples. My favorite apple there is the Honey Crisp. It is sweet, juicy and delicious!
They also have an ice cream stand that is probably closing soon if not already since we left there. My favorite ice cream is Death by Chocolate! It is dark chocolate ice cream with chunks of dark chocolate and pieces of brownies! It is decadent and a killer! I only have this ice cream once a year! I love it!
There are animals – young goats or sheep for children to see or pet. Don’t have a photo but here is a photo of the pond on the property where we usually sit and enjoy our ice cream. it’s lovely. It was also the inspiration for the cover for my book, In A Second.
The above photo was taken on a beautiful day. The weather here has not been good lately with the Nor’easter that has passed through New England bringing plenty of rain, wind and flooding in areas by the coast. We didn’t have any flooding, thank God, not too close to the coast but have had plenty of rain and wind.
Hopefully the weather will improve soon. At least we won’t have to worry about drought like we have in the past. It’s better than the snow that will come soon enough.
I hope you have enjoyed my photos. Please come back again soon where something is always brewing at JEMSBOOKS!
Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
There are plenty of delicious and easy recipes at Janice’s Kitchen Corner. Check them out for something new and different to offer your family.
Here is what I have prepared recently in my kitchen for John and me and my son and daughter-in-law. This Portuguese Seafood Stew was a winning meal for all. There was plenty of seafood – clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari, scallops. I have on occasion added lobster tails and cod. It’s delicious with either or not. I also made turkey pie for John and me on another day.
FettuciniPortuguese Seafood StewApple PieJohn eating turkey pie
I love pie but my favorites are still pumpkin, apple, blueberry and custard. Soon I will be making a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. For Christmas I sometimes make a custard pie. My grandchildren and son love apple pie which I made recently for him when he and his wife came for dinner.
Soon I will be preparing crockpot meals for cooler nights while we watch football games – beef stew, chili with beef or chicken, and pot roast.
What do you like to cook in the cooler weather? Please share your recipes.
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please come back again soon where something is always brewing at JEMSBOOKS!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
I finally got the fall decorations up. It feels more like fall now as I look at all of them. I always share my decorations with you, so here they are.
I hope my decorations put you in the mood for the fall season. Can you smell the pumpkin pie and spices in the air as the leave begin to change and soon fall? I look forward to making a pumpkin pie, one of my favorite pies.
Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please come back again soon where something is always brewing at JEMSBOOKS!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
This is the time to snuggle under an afghan and grab a cup of coffee, tea or cocoa and a good book! I have plenty of afghans and good books to cozy up and read. Do you?
I don’t know what it is about fall but it instills in me a need to grab one of my afghans and find a comfortable chair to curl up. I always have my iPad and iPhone with me where I have plenty of books to read. I used to have the physical books but now I have so many books that I don’t have room to store them anymore. How about you?
One of my book shelves
Having a Kindle or Nook is a good way to store tons of books without needing the room to keep them. I take my Kindle with me when I travel. It’s light and easy to read in different lights or at night without light. Whoever created them, thank you!
Promos below are by using WORDART.
Angel Word Art
I do still agree that there is nothing like the physical book in your hand, the feel of the pages, the smell, yes, books have a smell (a good on), and the weight in your hands. The feeling of accomplishment when you turn the pages and reach the end. Ahh! I try to imagine that feel as I finish a book on my Kindle. I have a written list on which I cross off each book that I read. That is where I get the ahh feeling! Haha!
Did you know that reading is good for you? Reading is not only important for children but it’s also very important for adults. It not only increases your word vocabulary and stimulates your mind, but also gives you a feeling of wellbeing and promotes good health, dispels feelings of loneliness, improves your memory, promotes better patterns of sleep, and don’t forget – it brings families closer when they share and read books together.
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