A recipe from Janice’s Kitchen Corner – Stuffed Peppers!

I made this recipe at my husband’s request. He loves my Stuffed Peppers. I like a red pepper while he wanted a green pepper. I hope you enjoy this recipe too. I made two stuffed peppers and had 1 lb of ground beef but saved half of it for hamburgers for a lunch or dinner.

Ingredients:

  1. 1/2 lb of ground beef or chicken
  2. 3 Tbs of chopped onion
  3. 1/2 can of black olives chopped
  4. Salt & pepper to taste
  5. 1/8 tsp of garlic powder
  6. 1/2 cup of rice
  7. small can of tomato sauce (I used some spaghetti sauce that was frozen from a previous spaghetti dinner.)
  8. 2 medium to large peppers (your choice of color)

Directions:

  1. Brown chopped onions and beef or chicken in frypan with or without a tablespoon oil (if your pan needs it) until cooked.
  2. Cook rice while meat is browning.
  3. Season meat with salt & pepper and garlic powder.
  4. Add chopped olives to browned meat and mixed together and set aside.
  5. Add cooked rice to meat and combine.
  6. Parboil cleaned peppers (remove seeds and cup off top and save it to place on top of peppers)
  7. After peppers are tender remove from water and let cool enough to stuff.
  8. Stuff peppers and place tops onto peppers
  9. Pour warmed tomato sauce over peppers in baking dish (peppers should stand up firmly to keep the rice mixture inside).
  10. Heat in 375 degrees oven for 20 minutes until heated through.
  11. Remove from oven
  12. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese over the top of the peppers.
  13. Enjoy!

If you are making this for more than two people, you will have to use the whole pound of meat for four large peppers and increase the rice to one cup. Adjust your seasoning to taste. It is filling and delicious. I hope you and your family enjoy it. Happy eating!

Check out all the recipes at Janice’s Kitchen Corner. There are plenty to please your family.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please feel free to come back again soon. There is always something 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!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Posted in Janice’s Kitchen Corner, Recipes, Recipes from Janice’s Kitchen Corner, Sharing Recipes, Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels | Tagged , , , , , | 11 Comments

The last hurrah of the summer flowers!

It is sad to see all the flowers slowing disappearing and drying up as the summer slowly moves into autumn. Luckily I have some inside plants that are flowering well. I hope they cheer you up while they are still looking lovely,

Of course I have some photos for you. Did you doubt that?

Now for the inside flowering plants.

I love to see my plants doing well for a change – the African Violets . I had to cut them back and now they are doing beautifully! I haven’t even used any Miracle Gro. Now all I have to do is try to fix one of my Christmas Cactus. I have one that is gorgeous. I think the other one is root bound. I don’t want to show you, it is so sad to look at. If I can fix it and it is beautiful once again, I will definitely snap some photos.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Come back again soon. there is always something 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!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Posted in flowers, Summer flowers | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Books Read and Reviewed in September 2025!

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 2025. Here are the 11 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.

The Fourth Girl is a mystery that is full of suspense and many suspects. There are several characters who are flawed and varied in their personalities. Four of them have been friends since they were younger. They are involved in keeping a dark secret most of their lives between them. What they know affects everyone around them in their hometown.

One of them, Midge, becomes an officer in the local police department and is drawn into the drama when a local person she knows dies in a suspicious way. She must come to terms with how the secret she shares with her three friends may be connected somehow to this death. Midge is torn between doing her job in order to solve the mystery of this death and not going against her promise to her friends.

The mystery continued until the surprising conclusion. This was an enjoyable read.

The Weber House is a thrilling mystery full of suspense and a haunted house to keep the reader hooked from beginning to end.

It is similar to a Nancy Drew mystery but only better! Two young teens, Nicole and Alice, are the main protagonists who meet in school when one moves to a new school and home. When they get to know one another, they become fast friends who share all the secrets and strange things that are happening in Nicole’s new house which is supposed to be haunted.

There are plenty of adventures for the two girls who exhibit their bravery, courage, and determination to solve the mysteries of this old house and find the treasure that they learn is hidden somewhere on the property.

An enjoyable adventure for teens and adults alike. I highly recommend this book!

A fabulous history lesson for kids!

Little Miss History Travels to MOUNT RUSHMORE is a wonderful way to teach children about the historical places in the USA.

The illustrations are amazing and perfectly fit the story. Even as old as I am, I learned something new about Mount Rushmore.

Schools should have this complete series in their libraries to help children learn history in a fun, educational and creative way. I would have enjoyed history more learning it this way.

I look forward to checking out all this talented author’s books in this series.

One Step too Far is a thriller of a read with an intriguing character, Frankie Elkin, who roams from place to place to find missing persons. She is a troubled woman who can’t settle down in one place.

The story builds up as each character is introduced and has a role to play. They search for a young man who was lost after spending time on a hiking trip in a national forest with his four good friends before he gets married. Each year after that the young man’s father travels back to the forest in hopes of finding his son alive or his remains. The boy’s mother is on the brink of death and wants to see her son before she dies.

Frankie hears about this missing boy and joins the search party. There are some memorable characters like the Bigfoot Hunter, and the woman, Luciana with her dog. The dog is trained to search for bodies alive or dead. Frankie discovers by talking to each person in the party, she finds how things are connected and fall into place. But what happens next is not what she or anyone else expected would happen.

It is a gripping story of adventures, dangers, and the art of sheer survival for each one of the search party. It was difficult to put down and kept this reader engrossed until the conclusion.

I highly recommend this thriller.

Believe Me is a psychological thriller with a shocking conclusion. The story built slowly keeping the reader in suspense.

The main protagonist is the daughter of a women who had a difficult life with a man who was abusive. She also suffered from pains that could not be explained or diagnosed by many doctors she had seen. This woman had two daughters and one son who suffered along with her. The eldest daughter carries the story as she tries to solve the mystery of her mother’s death and the doctor who treated her.

There are many twists and turns in the story that keep the reader engaged until the final chapter. It was an interesting storyline.

Lapses of Memory was a free audible book I received when I signed up. I found it had too much suggestive and sexual situations that were graphic. I couldn’t finish it. The first six chapters did not have these situations. I read until the seventh chapter and that is when it became too graphic for me. I do not recommend.

No One’s Home is a haunting tale of a house that involved several families who lived within its ghostly walls. It involves many strange happenings that affected the lives of these families who were dealing with dysfunctional issues in their lives.

The story is told in different timelines involving each family as the families relate their time living there and what strange issues they encountered.

I found this to be a gripping story that kept me reading late into each night.

Death Row is gripping story that kept me guessing to the end. Afterward I still had doubts about what happened.

It was a short read but filled with plenty of mystery and suspense making the reader question everything they read.

The One That Got Away is a quick read full of romance, rejection, and finding happiness.

The main protagonist is in love but is he really in love? The woman he loves does not believe in love. Will they get together or forever flounder?

Loving someone may not be enough.

Not Our Daughter is a non-stop action thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat. When a couple is forced to take their foster daughter and run after the birth mother dies on their doorstep, they find that their lives are in danger every minute of the day. They do all they can to protect their daughter who they were supposed to adopt, but things didn’t turn out the way they expected.

This story was a memorable tale of the love and sacrifices of parents and how far they will go to protect their children. Love conquers all and knows no bounds or borders.

The author has created an unforgettable tale that was heart stopping. It was difficult to put down until the satisfying conclusion.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B8JY1HCH/?bestFormat=true&k=the%20maid%27s%20diary&ref_=nb_sb_ss_w_scx-ent-pd-bk-d_k1_1_12_de&crid=3A8OEOPVOAG1&sprefix=The%20Maid%27s%20D

The Maid’s Diary is a shocking mystery thriller that chronicles a maid’s journey through her client’s lives. Kit Darling uses a diary to record her work as a maid in the houses of the rich and privileged.

She can’t help herself as she snoops through the rich client’s homes. What she uncovers at her latest job is shocking and unexpected. She decides to do something about her discovery that involves her unsettling past that has destroyed her.

The author details what Kit plans to do but keeps the reader on edge as the scenes play out in an unexpected twist.

I found this to be gripping and disturbing but couldn’t put it down.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post. Come back again soon. There is always something 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!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Posted in Books read and reviewed, Monthly book reviews, Monthly Reads, Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Mom’s Choice Awards – Gold Medal – Return of the Dragons: Gateskin Chronicles!

I am honored to announce that my book, Return of the Dragons: Gateskin Chronicles Book 4 has earned the prestigious Mom’s Choice Award. Having been rigorously evaluated by a panel of MCA evaluators, Return of the Dragons is deemed to be among the best books for families.

Thank you so much, Mom’s Choice Awards, for this award!

MOM’S CHOICE AWARDS GOLD MEDAL WINNER!

The adventures continue with dragons, creatures, and more magic. The Medallion is uncovered and something else is discovered that may have escaped from this box.

There will be more difficulties with the Quintaroons who plan something unexpected. Spindle, King Gateskin’s Head Guard, has his work cut out for him when he must keep an eye on not only the Quintaroons but also King Kaposkaran who is up to his usual evil deeds. Also, the dragons and their mistresses have returned with problems of their own on Dragonaria that will test even the power of King Gateskin.

ABOUT THE MOM’S CHOICE AWARDS

The Mom’s Choice Awards (MCA) evaluates products, and services created for children,,families, and educators. The program is globally recognized for establishing the benchmark of excellence in family-friendly media, products, and services. The organization is based in the United States and has reviewed thousands of entries from more than 60 countries.

Learn more about Mom’s Choice Awards by visiting their website: www.MomsChoiceAwards.com.

PROMO BY BMGN

https://animoto.com/play/U4jX91w7dpNnljTixX7bQA

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please review books for authors everywhere. We appreciate your efforts to help spread word about our work.

Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!

READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Posted in Gateskin Chronicles, Mom’s Choice Awards - Gold Medals, Recommended by Mom’s Choice Awards, Return of the Dragons: Gateskin Chronicles Book 4, Search for the Medallion (Gateskin Chronicles Book 3), The Legend of the Taken Ones (Gateskin Chronicles Book 1), The Unknown Territory (Gateskin Chronicles Book 2), Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Newest Promos by BMGN of JemsBooks!

My newest children’s book. Thank you BMGN for these wonderful promos!

Book Banner For Family and Friends: Tales for Children by Janice Spina

Family and Friends: Tales for Children by Janice Spina.

Novels by J.E. Spina – multi-genres

JemsBooks has books for all ages and in multi-genres.

If you are looking for a short story collection – An Angel Among Us, Wishes

If you are in the mood for a mystery/suspense/thriller – Hunting Mariah, Mariah’s Revenge

If you are hankering for a paranormal/romance or a clairvoyant/mystery/romance – How Far is Heaven, In a Second

If you long for a memorable historical/romance – Lubelia Alycea

If you crave a good-feeling series/good against evil/angels – Branyrd the Angel Series Books 1-4

If your children need a book that will reinforce good behavior – all 23 of my children’s books carry important lessons about kindness, accepting differences, love one another, bullying is never tolerated or accepted, family and friends are important –

Louey the Lazy Elephant, Ricky the Rambunctious Raccoon, Jerry the Crabby Crayfish, Lamby the Lonely Lamb, Jesse the Precocious Polar Bear, Broose the Moose on the Loose, Sebastian Meets Marvin the Monkey, Colby the Courageous Cat, Jeffrey the Jittery Giraffe, Clarence Henry the Hermit Crab, Lucy the Talented Toy Terrier, The First Star

If your Young Adults need something to keep them off of phones and video games grab copies of this award-winning fantasy series – Gateskin Chronicles Books 1-4 (two more coming in 2026)

For your middle-graders/preteens, they will love these mystery/detective/magic series – Davey & Derek Junior Detectives Series Books 1-6, and the mystery/ghost/haunted house/magic series – Abby & Holly Series Books 1-6.

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.

Jemsbooks Children’s books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

MG/PT/YA books are available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Purchase YA books here.

JEMSBOOKS NOVELS FOR 18+ are available on Amazon as paperbacks, Audiobooks, and ebooks (Kindle) and Barnes & Noble as paperbacks.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please review books for all the hard-working authors out there who rely on you to spread word about their books. I welcome and appreciate any reviews I receive. I thank you in advance for your efforts.

Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!

READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Posted in award-winning children’s books, Books for MG/PT/YA, Jemsbooks for all ages, multi-genres, Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How do you stay positive?

Some days it is difficult to stay positive with so many negative things happening around us in our lives and in our world.

Photo by Pixaby

What do you do to stay positive? Here is a link to staying positive.

Here is another link where I found some positivity to share.

Here is the definition in the dictionary:

  1. the practice of being or tendency to be positive or optimistic in attitude.”pupils draw power from the positivity of their teachers”
  2. 2. the presence rather than absence of a certain substance, condition, or feature.

This is how I stay positive each day.

  1. Hug someone
  2. Make as many people as I can smile.
  3. Tell my loved ones what they mean to me.
  4. Thank God every day for my blessings
  5. Think of what makes me happy
  6. Do things that I love to do
  7. Read and watch positive shows or movies
  8. Think of positive thoughts
  9. Spend time with my husband
  10. Call my kids and catch up
  11. Call a friend who I haven’t seen in a while
  12. Write a positive story
  13. Sing, dance and listen to upbeat music

These things are not necessarily in the right order but I try to do all of them often to stay positive. My husband would not want to see himself at #9 or my kids at #10! Yikes!

I also enjoy traveling to a place where I feel peaceful and close to nature like my recent visit to Ogunquit Maine at Perkin’s Cove. My second favorite place to travel is Aruba. It is so relaxing and beautiful.

All I can say is try to stay positive, do the things you love to do, spend time with your loved ones and dance, sing and enjoy life every day.

I feel blessed every day to be able to do the things I love – writing, spending time with my loving husband, singing and dancing like no one is watching me, and praying to God that HE will give me more time to do all this.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. I love to hear from readers and read your reviews. Please come back again soon. You are always welcome!

Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!

READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Posted in Laughter is good for your brain, love, stay positive, Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

New promos by BMGN!

I wanted to share some of the new promos that were created by BMGN. Theodocia McLean does a beautiful job of creating promos for me. She has promoted my books since 2014.

Here is my page on BMGN.

I will share more promos soon of other books.

Thank you for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Come back again soon for more news about books, reviews and whatever else 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!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Posted in Books for all ages, Jemsbooks for all ages, Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Review of Gateskin Chronicles Book 1: The Legend of the Taken Ones!

Read Mike’s 5-star review of The Legend of the Taken Ones by Janice Spina

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7937683536

I was thrilled to receive this wonderful review of Book 1 of my fantasy series. Thank you, Mike!

MOM’S CHOICE AWARDS – GOLD MEDAL
BOOK EXCELLENCE AWARD – FINALIST
READERS’ FAVORITE BOOK AWARDS – 5-STAR REVIEW


 
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 haven’t read any of this series, now is the time to grab your copies and LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN AND CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE SERIES. You will not be able to put it down.

BMGN Promo

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Come back again soon. There is always something 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!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Posted in Gateskin Chronicles, Return of the Dragons: Gateskin Chronicles Book 4, Search for the Medallion (Gateskin Chronicles Book 3), The Legend of the Taken Ones (Gateskin Chronicles Book 1), The Unknown Territory (Gateskin Chronicles Book 2), Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A trip to Ogunquit, Maine – Perkin’s Cove!

Each year we take a trip to one of our favorite places – Ogunquit, Maine at Perkin’s Cove. There are restaurants with wonderful food and shops with all kinds of things indigenous to Maine to purchase. I always buy another sweatshirt from one of the stores there. I now have five of them. They are so nice and wear well. Can’t help buying another one each year.

These photos are of our trip there over the Piscataqua River Bridge. There was a little color along the way too. It was wonderful to get away to recharge and refresh ourselves. Now I am ready to get back to work on the next WIP.

This year we stayed at a different place, Anchorage by the Sea, because I couldn’t get a room at our usual one at Auberge by the Cove. It is lovely and so convenient to go shopping and dining in Perkin’s Cove. It is quaint and a perfect place to take a stroll as you shop or dine. There is even a couple of boats to take you on a tour of Nubble Lighthouse or on a lobstering trip to demonstrate how they catch and retrieve lobsters.

Anchorage by the Sea is at the opposite end of Marginal Way. It is located on Shore Road which leads to the center and more shops and restaurants.

We dined at two Barnacle Billy’s Restaurant next door to each other. One is more for lunch with an ice cream stand on one end. I had to have a Death by Chocolate cone the first day after dinner. Well worth the calories! Loved it!

The other restaurant belongs to them too but is a little more polished and also overlooks the boats in the Cove. The prices are up there everywhere you eat in Perkin’s Cove. One restaurant, Oarweed, burned down last December. We hope to see it up and running next year. It serves food that is delicious but less pricey than the other restaurants. That could change next year after they are opened again. They have to pay for the new building. We open our wallets each year to enjoy our time away. We will save up again for next year. It is well worth the price just to be there. We have wonderful memories and a lovely time.

I have shared many photos below of our trip. It was only for a few days and two nights but it was enjoyable. We had good weather the first day and a half. It began to rain after we had already taken our walk on the Marginal Way which is a mile long one way alone the ocean. It was so beautiful and picturesque. There were many other people taking the walk at this time with the warm weather in the 70’s. We were all bundled up thinking that it was going to be cool and had to cast off our jackets.

It is well worth a yearly trip to experience the beauty of Maine.

Here are some photos of our walk on Marginal Way. The first phot is of a lovely couple we met on our Marginal Way walk. We stopped to take a picture of them when they asked and started a conversation. After several minutes we were still talking about everything and anything. Carole and I really hit it off and hope to keep in touch. We found we had so much in common. I look forward to speak with her again soon.

Photos above are all the beauty around Anchorage by the Sea and along Shore Road shopping area.

We stopped for breakfast at our favorite place – Egg and I. I loved their pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream! I would share a photo of it but I ate most of it due to hunger! Haha!

Here are a few photos of the place and our waiter who was a character.

We were fortunate to have some beautiful weather until later on our second day. The day we left was rainy and overcast. We didn’t mind that since we were on our way home. I snapped some photos of the changing colors along the road and the evidence of the beauty that is still to come.

I love traveling, but it is always wonderful to return home to my comfy bed and pillow and familiarity of my personal things. Also, I will most likely eat less too. Sigh! I had my fill of lobster! So delicious! Nothing like it in Maine.

I hope you enjoyed my photos and will one day visit beautiful Maine. It is one of the most beautiful states in the northeastern part of USA.

Thank you so much for stopping by to read this post and for your continued support. Please come back again soon. There is always something 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!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

Jemsbooks.com

Jemsbooks.blog

Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

AMAZON.CO.UK

BARNES & NOBLE

Posted in Maine, Ogunquit, Perkin’s Cove, Writing, book reviews and publishing, poetry, children's books, YA and novels | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Two reviews of my new book – Wishes!

It’s always a pleasure to receive a review of my books. I am grateful for each one. Thank you, Michele, for your kind review. Thank you, BMGN, for the editorial review.

5.0 out of 5 stars HMM I Wonder…

Reviewed in the United States on September 21, 2025

Format: Kindle

These Wishes stories really make you go, “What just happened?” After reading these stories you will really be careful what you wish for. Janice really knows how to get in your head & make you think about what you wish for.

BMGN PROMO

This is an eclectic short story collection of six stories.

Sometimes the things we wish for in life are not always what they seem. We have good times and bad but try to make the best of it all. There are occasions when we make wishes without thinking.

Like the saying goes, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ While other times, things work out for the better, much to our surprise.

This collection will make you think about the next time you make a wish.

Book Endorsement and 5 Stars From Book Marketing Global Network!

This is an eclectic short story collection of six stories.

Sometimes the things we wish for in life are not always what they seem. We have good times and bad but try to make the best of it all. There are occasions when we make wishes without thinking.

Like the saying goes, ‘Be careful what you wish for.’ While other times, things work out for the better, much to our surprise.

This collection will make you think about the next time you make a wish.

I awarded 5 Stars to Janice (J.E.) Spina for ‘Wishes’. I loved this short story collection. This book will cause you to be more mindful when making a wish. Each short story gave me the opportunity to reflect on life, friendships, relationships, the world around us and the supernatural. Let me share my impressions:

THE HOMESTEAD: After 30 + years, Calvin and Amelia had earned the right to retire. They longed to leave the big city and find a peaceful place to live out their lives in safety on a land they could call their own. They didn’t expect this!

A TEEN’S LIFE: Marcus was on a downward spiral. His life, his school, and saw no hope for his future. Everything would change when he met Zeus. A wish can be granted in the strangest of ways.

THE MAGICAL PEBBLE: Shiloh was the oldest at sixteen. Her twin brothers were ten and her sister was eight. Circumstances had forced Shiloh to become the sole bread winner of the family. One day, while walking to work, a pebble got lodged in a hole in one of her worn-out shoes. Sometimes hardship can spring with unexpected blessings.

ONE MORE CHANCE: Gregory had been in the Army and served in Afghanistan. Homeless, dirty, and bedraggled, he secretly wondered if someone would give him one more chance. Sometimes things happen in life that can’t be explained but they give you the chance to begin again.

THE ROAD TO NOWHERE: Newlyweds, Roman and Meara left their unexpected, broken-down car and started walking. The more they walked, the more things changed. This is what they had always wished for – an adventure before beginning a life together. They promised to be together always no matter what happened. They never expected this!

ONE MISTAKE: Hope had to put her big news on the back burner as she and her mother spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for her sister Esme’s surprise birthday party. Esme was staying at her best friend’s house until her mother called and told her to come home. An unexpected call changed the course of their day. Sometimes we make one mistake in life that can change everything!

This is Janice (J.E.) Spina’s 50th book. She has published two mystery series of six books each, one for boys and the other for girls which is enjoyed by both boys and girls, and a fantasy series for young adults. She has published twenty-three stories for young children. I encourage you to purchase Janice Spina’s books for Young Adults (18 and Up), teens and children of all ages.

Editorial Review and Endorsement by Book Marketing Global Network.

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Blessings & Hugs! Stay Safe, Stay Well and God Bless!

READING GIVES YOU WINGS TO FLY! SOAR WITH JEMSBOOKS ALL YEAR THROUGH! HAPPY READING!

Janice Spina aka J.E. Spina

Award-Winning Author

Jemsbooks for All Ages!

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Jjspina(at)comcast(dot)net

AMAZON.COM AUTHOR PAGE (All books)

AMAZON.COM JE SPINA NOVELS PAGE

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