Yesterday July 7th was my birthday. Of course I am in double numbers, big time now!!
I want to send out my deepest gratitude to all who sent me kind birthday wishes. They touched my heart and they filled me with joy and brightened my day. THANK YOU!!!
Today was the first time I noticed all these lovely wishes. I have been dealing with some eye issues – on a pre Glaucoma watch and had to have my first laser surgery of my left eye. I was on the side of the unusual because I had a lot of pain and discomfort from this procedure. This doesn’t happen often.
Overview
This is from Google.
Laser surgery for glaucoma is a common procedure used to lower eye pressure, either by improving fluid drainage or reducing fluid production. It’s often used when medications aren’t sufficient or have intolerable side effects. There are several types of laser procedures, each targeting a specific aspect of fluid dynamics within the eye.
I will be having the right eye done next month and pray that I don’t have any pain like that again. It is frightening to say the least since my vision was cloudy which scared me half to death. I went to see the doctor and he took care of the inflammation and pain by prescribing medication which greatly improved my situation. I have the best doctor and feel I am in good hands.
During this time I was expecting to complete another edit of my WIP and send it along to my beta readers. This has set me back a little but I will persevere and complete this today. Please keep me in your prayers that my next eye surgery will go well and that I will not lose my vision. Thank you.
I send blessings to all my online friends who need prayers to help them along their journey. We all have our issues to deal with on a daily basis. I have been graced with good health and will deal with whatever comes my way. Thank you all for your kind thoughts.
Thank you for stopping by and for your kindness in remembering me on my big birthday. Blessings to you all. I will let you know when I complete my WIP and supply a link. Fingers crossed.
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 a post from 2020 that I thought was meaningful for this special day! HAPPY 4TH USA! Happy day to everyone whether you celebrate something special or not. God bless you all!
Our flag flying with light at night!
American Flag flying proudly – Photo – wikipedia
Here is a link to learn more about Independence Day!
Photo from Wikipedia – link above – The Spirit of ‘76
Thank you for stopping by this holiday. Thank you to Wikipedia and Woman’s Day for the photos and quotes.
MY THOUGHTS: WE ARE ALL ENTITLED TO BEING FREE! PLEASE DO NOT TAKE FREEDOM AWAY FROM OTHERS BY PUSHING YOUR IDEAS ONTO THEM. LISTEN, LEARN, AND BE KIND TO EACH OTHER. WE ARE ALL THE SAME NO MATTER WHAT COLOR OR RELIGION WE ARE!LET’S WORK TOGETHER AS A PEOPLE AND MAKE OUR WORLD A BETTER PLACE THAT IS SAFE FOR EVERYONE!
Stay safe, stay well, my friends throughout his holiday! Take care of your family and your country – let’s keep it clean and safe. MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA AND ALL THE WORLD DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME OF UNCERTAINTY IN MANY LANDS. LET’S PRAY FOR PEACE FOR ALL PEOPLES OF THIS WORLD!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
Another strange occurrence in our fish tank! It never ends! The starfish is gone!!
As I have mentioned in previous posts, our starfish was doing well and eating all the detritus and algae on the walls of the tank. Well, one day our busy starfish disappeared!
I looked everywhere for it and finally spotted it in the back of the tank near the anemone. It didn’t look good though. Its legs were pale pink and dried out. Not a good sign. John cleared out the tank and couldn’t find it. It appears that the anemone ate it – the whole starfish leaving nothing behind. Yikes! The anemone is looking larger and healthier than ever!
It was getting cozy with the anemone as shown in the photo above. It probably died after it moved itself next to the anemone. The anemone couldn’t have moved it nor could the Clown fish. Sad to say but the anemone was happy. Sigh!
So sad to lose another thing in our tank. It is getting lonely in there until we purchase some more fish. We only pray that others that we buy will live longer than what we have had so far. Only two fish are in there now – Clown fish and Gramma Basslet and the anemone.
I will keep you abreast of any new additions to the tank. Hopefully the anemone, Clown and the Basslet do well from now on.
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please come back again soon.
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 June of 2025. Here are the 8 books I read and reviewed forJune. 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 our breaths 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.
Cold Bloodied is a riveting and suspenseful thriller that kept me turning pages. This was book 2 in the Carly Phoenix series.
Carly is troubled by a new cold case she is working on that turns out to be more convoluted than she expected from the evidence that keeps piling up as she searches for other cases that are similar in nature.
Her supervisor, Agent Grayson, works with her to help solve this case. Their partnership becomes closer and they begin to trust each more with each new development. Carly begins to confide in Gray about her concern over her mother’s death and how it is now a cold case with no outcome. Will Gray take over solving this case. Time with tell in the next installment or more.
This was an enjoyable read. I look forward to more in this thriller series.
Guardian: An Angel Story is full of love, devotion and caring as angels who are guardians of us all watch over us. The author portrays what angels look like and how they are dedicated to doing their life’s’ work as instruments of God.
Do you feel like you have an Angel watching over you? Read this story that chronicles the life of one man and his descendants and the trials, triumphs, loves, fears, and temptations of his life.
It was a tender story of love that may make you a believer of Angels.
The Drowning Game is the first book I have read by this talented author, Barbara Nickless. I will be looking for more of her work soon.
This story is full of suspense, intrigue, and danger at the hands of Chinese groups who stop at nothing to gain power and leave no witnesses behind. Designing and building ships is what this family has done for generations. Two sisters are at the helm as their father’s health wanes. They find themselves in the dangerous clutches of the Chinese when they go after a scientist who has developed an AI system. This scientist hires the sisters, Nadia and Cass, to design and build a ship for him and his family to escape China.
What Nadia and Cass don’t realize is that by taking on this job they are endangering their own lives to assist in this escape. So many things happen that keep the suspense at a high level enough to keep the heart pounding and nerves tingling to find out what would happen next.
A thrilling and enjoyable read and I would highly recommend!
Counting Miracles is a sweet, beautiful story of love, heart wrenching loss and awakening. The main protagonist Jasper is a loner who has suffered unimaginable loss of his whole family, wife and four grown kids. He and his dog, Arlo, somehow survive and keep moving forward in a life full of memories that break Jasper’s heart each time they flood into his mind.
The story is also about a man, Tanner, who when he discovers his long-lost father’s name goes in search of him. His mother died at his birth and he was raised by his grandparents with no knowledge of who his father was or where to find him. At the death of his grandmother she leaves Tanner a message with his father’s name and the place to find him. Tanner is a lost soul and travels far and wide during his time in the service of his country and afterward until he finds himself busy in the town of his father. What he finds there is a woman who stops his heart at the sight of her and two children who capture his heart. Now all he has to do is make up his mind whether he wants to pursue her and still look for his father while his plans are to leave this town and go to Cameroon as an escape.
This was an unforgettable tale that brought tears to my eyes as I prayed that Jasper would survive and Tanner would find love and his father. This author did it again – gripped my heart and didn’t let go until the ending. I can see this as a movie in the future which I will readily view with plenty of tissues handy.
The Bequest is the first book in this series that is full of family interactions, finding love, learning how much one can handle in the multitude of different situations that can break someone who is not as resilient.
The characters are well defined and varied in personalities and temperaments. Can two sister-in-laws and their six children get along and handle all the issues and challenges that they will face running a ranch that is given to their children to handle for a year?
They learn how different life can be on a ranch in a small town in Utah and how much the community comes together to help when called. Will they be able to adjust to all the different problems that they will face during the year?
This was a great beginning to the series that I couldn’t put down. I look forward to the next book in this interesting series.
The Vow is book 2 in The Birch Creek Ranch Series that is engrossing and habit forming. I can’t get enough of the intriguing and varied characters, the storyline, the scenes of the ranch and all the animals there.
The author did such a wonderful job of creating this series that I feel as if I know these characters and have come to feel at home and comfortable with them. I don’t want to see each book end but at the same time I look forward to what will happen next to them.
I look forward to the next book in the series and highly recommend this wonderful series who love stories about family life, love and how difficult it can be to be a parent and make the right decisions for not only yourself but also for your family.
The Stranger is a short and intriguing read about a woman who has a dream. Is the dream a portent of what is to come? When she wakes up she is confused because the dream is still clear and she can’t get it out of her mind. When her husband shares something with her she doesn’t know what to believe. Is this reality or is she still in a dream.
A quick and interesting read that had me debating about dreams and wondering do they ever come true?
A Beggar’s Bargain is a beautiful story about one man, Layken, and his farm determined to keep it as his father had once asked him to do. When he returns from serving his country he finds that he may not be able to keep this land for there are many things that are against him. How will he keeps his promise to his father and make the land prosper?
This story was a touching tribute to the resilience of one man, the power of believing in oneself, and the strength of having the love and support of a family to make his life full and rich. Things come together once he finds a woman who becomes his wife in an unusual arrangement. There are many trials and tribulations that come his way. Will he be able to overcome all these and survive?
Others come into his life that test his resilience. But he finds that sometimes people become your family even if they are not your blood.
A thoroughly enjoyable and touching story that I highly recommend. I look forward to the next book in this series by this talented and creative author of stories that grip the hearts of her readers.
I hope you enjoy all my reviews and check out these books of my fellow authors. Please review books for all the hard-working authors out there who will appreciate your efforts to spread word about their books to other readers.
Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please come back again soon.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
I have so many books that I sometimes forget about my previous books when I have a WIP like my fantasy series which is an epic series of six books. It has been all encompassing with my time and thoughts. But I can’t forget my MG/PT books for your kids.
Get your MG and PT reading this summer to keep them busy and away from all the technology that can harm them and take away from their reading levels and creativity. Kids need to read to learn important life lessons that are in all my children’s and middle-grade and preteen books. I take different scenarios that involve kids and problems that they may encounter in school and out. My characters solve these problems in a kind and caring way. Introduce your kids to these two series for MG/PT that will enhance their reading levels and creativity and teach them valuable family values and life lessons. Parents read these books too and have written some wonderful reviews on Amazon.
This Abby & Holly Series has won 8 Book Awards – 6Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards and 2 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards – Bronze Medal, and an Honorable Mention, and five-star reviews from Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.
Abby & Holly Series Books 1-6 with 8 awards (promo by John Spina)
Abby & Holly Series provides more fun and ghostly adventures with cousins, Abby & Holly, as they discover things in their old Victorian and go back to the past to solve mysteries. There are ghosts, a haunted house, time travel, mysteries, and magic. Life lessons will also be learned about friendship, family, respect, love and caring for one another, and bullying will never be accepted or tolerated! MG/PT/YA will be hooked and parents will feel good about the quality of books their children are reading! Adults are reading and enjoying them also!
PINNACLE BOOK ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER! READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK AWARDS – BRONZE MEDAL!
This is Book 1 of a series of Abby & Holly books. These two girls were first introduced in Book 5 of the Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series. The girls are first cousins on their mothers’ side. They moved to the quiet town of Lindon, New Hampshire and live in a grand old Victorian which is haunted. The cousins are excited about attending the 6th grade dance. When their friend, Justine, is bullied, Abby and Holly, along with the help of a ghost and Davey & Derek, work together to formalize a plan to put a stop to the bullying.
All my books for MG/PT carry life lessons that I hope kids will remember and carry with them for a lifetime, e.g., friendship is important, family matters, bullying is never accepted or tolerated, be respectful of elders, be kind to others in need, lend a helping hand to others and show kindness at all times.
My goal in writing for MG/PT/YA is to encourage all ages to read daily to enhance their creativity, increase their vocabulary and enable them to live healthier and happier lives. Keep reading and I will keep writing. Thank you! Happy Reading!
Hop over today to Amazon or Barnes & Noble or click on the covers to the right of this post of the books you choose to purchase and let your MG/PT/YA begin adventures that will lift their spirits, make their hearts soar and spark their imagination! Give gifts of books today and you will give them more than just a book, you will give them wings to fly!
I wrote these books to provide some entertaining reading for your kids. Each book is a stand-alone story involving the same characters and some added ones, including valuable life lessons and some situations that kids may find themselves in. Each situation is provided with a kind and caring solution, one involving a bully. Your kids and you will love these books and want to read them all. Both series are enjoyed by girls and boys.
This Davey & Derek Series won (11 book awards) – 5 Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards, 3 Readers’ Favorite Book Awards – an Honorable Mention, a Silver Medal, and a Finalist, a Book Excellence Award Finalist, a Silver Medal in the Authorsdb Cover Contest, Top Shelf Awards – First Place and Finalist in Red City Review Book Awards and many 5-Star Reviews from Readers’ Favorite Book Awards.
BMGN PROMO
PINNACLE BOOK ACHIEVEMENT AWARD WINNER! READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK AWARDS – HONORABLE MENTION!
Davey and Derek Donato are twins, but not identical, who love to play detective. They are always ready for adventure living in the sleepy little town of Lindon where nothing happens. The twins overhear about a sixth grader who lost her cell phone. The fifth grader twins kick into detective mode to solve their first case with the help of their friend, Mickey Catonni, aka cat. Things don’t seem to add up when a bully gets into the mix.
Here are some reviews on Amazon from happy readers.
Davey & Derek Book 1Davey & Derek Book 2Davey & Derek Book 3Davey & Derek Book 4Davey & Derek Book 5Davey & Derek Book 6Abby & Holly Book 1Abby & Holly Book 2Abby & Holly Book 3Abby & Holly Book 4Abby & Holly Book 5Abby & Holly Book 6
I hope if you haven’t read this series or introduced it to your kids, that you will soon this summer and add some fun and entertaining reading to your children’s summer libraries.
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Come back again soon for more news about books, publishing, reviews, and anything else that pops into my already overcrowded head.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
I saw an adorable pattern to make this latest crochet project that I know kids will love. Who doesn’t love STITCH? He even has a movie out now that is doing well.
This pattern is from Disney Marvels designed by Vania Marvely. I began with one and soon there were more! I had planned to only make five but I liked the first one so much I wanted one for myself.
I work on this pattern every night and have completed one Stitch every few days. Each one is a little different because I watch TV at the same time and find that I make too many rows or forget how many stitches I made. Yikes! But they are cute! I am not a faultless crocheter but I try and enjoy doing it.
First there was one!
I love crocheting and doing it every day. Of course, I worked on my book during the day and only crocheted at night. My next project is making a baby Yoda for myself. If it comes out good maybe I will make one for the great nieces and nephews for Christmas. I also plan to make some afghans for them. I have managed to make pillows and afghans for everyone in the family from our kids to the grandkids. Now I am going to work on some for the great nieces and nephews. Sigh! Each time there is a new baby in the family, I make a sweater, hat and afghan.
Then there were six!
I am working on one more Stitch for myself. I love these little amigurumi guys and I’m sure the kids will too!
Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please feel free to come back again and again.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
I am working on my second editing of my WIP. Life has gotten in the way of working on it daily but I will do my best to finish it as soon as I can and pass it onto my beta readers and editor.
If you haven’t read any of this series, Gateskin Chronicles, then now is the time to LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN! There are three books in the series available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble for your reading pleasure.
BMGN PROMO
MOM’S CHOICE AWARDS WINNER – GOLD MEDAL!
BOOK EXCELLENCE AWARD FINALIST!
This is Book 1 of a fantasy series that will have six books in all. In this book learn about the three children of King Gateskin and his wife, Queen Solinara. The children have had powers since they were quite young..
Serena was three years old when she learned of her power to move objects with her mind. Her brother, Simon, can fly and their sister, Catalina, can become invisible or blend into her surroundings. They live with their parents in Sovorotskina, the Land of Light.
With these powers comes responsibility. The children must try to use their powers for the common good and responsibly to help others. The three children befriend a Sprite named Spindle who accompanies them on their adventure. Along the way they meet up with their aunt and uncle, their mother’s brother and his wife, Wizard Hotenfaran and Fairy Procelina. The group must travel into the evil land of Parotovina, Land of Darkness, to save King Gateskin, who was kidnapped, and also rescue some of the descendants of their friends and fellow Sovorotskinans who were captured and taken by the Evil Ones. These descendants have been waiting a long time to be free to return to the villages of their ancestors.
The children have many trials and adventures along the way. Will they be able to rescue their father and fellow Sovorotskinans without endangering their own lives? Will the evil King Kaposkaran and his Queen Beregina stop Serena and her siblings from being successful or will they turn Serena and her siblings to their dark ways?
If you are looking for a series to keep you enthralled all summer long? Look no further than GATESKIN CHRONICLES, an award-winning series that will keep you turning pages and wanting more. Watch for Book 4 coming this summer!
Here are some reviews from Amazon on this series.
The Legend of the Taken Ones Book 1 Gateskin ChroniclesThe Legend of the Taken OnesGateskin Chronicles 2Gateskin Book 2Gateskin Chronicles Gateskin Chronicles
Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please come back again soon.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
Roses always cheer me up. I hope these roses will do the same to you! I love to keep flowers in the house every week. When we go to the grocery store we pick up a bunch of flowers. These roses are from our anniversary. Some of them are still looking good while others I had to throw away. Sad! But nothing lasts forever.
Since I lost my BFF, I try to keep positive every day. Flowers help to keep my spirits up. Soon there will be a memorial for her. It will be a difficult thing to attend. But it will be a somewhat private one for the neighborhood in my friend’s home. It will be a quick stop over and I will try to keep my tears at bay. It gets easier each day but she is never far from my thoughts. Life is too short. We need to treat each day as if it is our last. One day it will be.
Thank you for stopping over to read this post. Please come back again soon.
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
We have bird feeders on our back deck. One of them is for bluebirds and is filled with dried meal worms. There is only one hole on the front for entrance and exit. Some birds get confused and do not know how to get out once they are in. John had to rescue one by lifting up the lid.
Well, one day recently John noticed that there were several sticks inside the feeder on top of the meal worms. He watched it every day as a bird kept bringing sticks and placing them inside. It was trying to build a nest. John removed the sticks twice and refilled the worms to no avail. The next day it was refilled again with sticks.
He finally gave out after clearing it out twice. Today we saw a bird, sparrow, sitting guarding the so-called nest inside the feeder. I snapped a few photos of it. The bird was quite clever by guarding the entrance to prevent my husband from clearing it out once again. It probably took a lot of effort to fill it numerous times and it didn’t want to do it again. Haha!
If and when the bird’s mate lays eggs, we will be able to watch them hatch through the window. I will definitely snap as many photos as I can of this. It will be quite remarkable to witness. I only pray that no other birds get inside and disturb the eggs. This bird looks like a sturdy mate who will stay close by to guard its nest. I guess no one ever told it that this is a feeder and not a nest! Sigh!
Well, I will keep you abreast of what transpires next. I can’t wait!
Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. See you soon!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
I always check on our fish in the tank daily to see how they are doing, especially after the last incident with the Brown Tang that got stuck on the water intake/outtake valve. Sad! If you haven’t read that post click here.
On this particular day I noticed something strange sitting on the gravel at the bottom of the tank. I thought it was a snake. I knew we didn’t have any snakes in there, but it certainly looked like a snake until my husband put on the light.
I had to snap some photos right away to share with you. I have never seen anything like this before. I will explain after you look at the photos below. Amazing, huh?
It’s a clam from our Anniversary feast that John saved to throw into the tank for the fish to enjoy. We have always done this for all the fish when we had a Trigger fish that had teeth and could open the clam shell and eat the inside shredding it all around the tank for the other fish to enjoy also.
Now that we don’t have any large fish, it did not bury itself or try to hide. It felt safe and spread out its nose or leg to grab some nourishment in the water. The Clown, Anemone, Starfish and Gramma Basslet are together in the back and keeping an eye on it. They may not know what to do with it! Haha! If the clam can get enough nourishment from the water, then it can live a long time. It will eventually dig itself into the gravel and pull out some leftover food that it can find there. I never knew it could stretch that long!
Having a fish tank is fascinating. You never know what will happen next. I will keep you informed how the clam is doing and if anything gets near it or harms it. We may be getting some more fish soon. One fish may be curious enough to check it out more closely.
Thank you for stopping by to read this post. I hope you found this as intriguing as I did. Stop by again soon!
PS The clam didn’t make it! I guess it wasn’t getting enough to eat. So sad!
Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!
READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!
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