Tag Archives: reading

Are You a Book-a-holic? That’s right.

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pile of books My hair’s a mess and I’m still in my robe at 4:30 in the afternoon. I have dark circles under my eyes and around my arm pits. I’m surrounded by a guilty mountain of discarded candy wrappers and a pill-inducing Mount Everest pile of …

books.

That’s right– I’m a book-a-holic.

Lest you think my affliction is limited to the luscious inky smell of the print version of the seductive objects, not exactly.

I have two kindles, an iPad, an iPad mini and a Nook reader. I’m seriously considering buying a KOBO reader, but I would need to stop reading long enough to get my credit card, type in all that delivery information to order the thing.

That’s right–

It’s a serious affliction. And I love it.

Books are like my air. I breathe to read—wait—no—that’s not right. I live to read and I read to breathe. No. That’s not right either…

Whatever. You get the picture. It’s in a book.

That’s right–

I’m seriously crazy—about books.

The thing is—no one knows about my affliction. I hide it.

If someone’s comes over, I’ll dress. Comb my hair. Hide my book in my blouse.

If I go out, I read on my phone. Pretend I’m texting. I wear a hat and a long coat with deep book-filled pockets. It gets hot in the summer, but whatever. I keep my secret.

No one knows I chain read.

That’s right–

My basement is filled with old books and I built an addition to the garage out back to store them. I’m running out of GBs on my hard drive and I’ve taken to the cloud where I have a commercial storage package.

If Amazon had a VIP high roller club, I’d be a platinum member.

That’s right–

Amazon knows my name.

What are you reading?

That’s right–

I want to know what book you’re reading. Tell me. There could be a prize bribe not a thing reply to you…

Or, that’s right–a book.

A shiny new one: THE BIG PUCK – a grumpy single dad saved by the nanny hockey rom-com book-a-holic

Are you obsessed, passionate, or both?

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Are you obsessed, passionate, or both? I’m both. Not with a person, game, or money but with colorful plants. The house we bought in Oregon’s Mid-Willamette Valley in 2014 was built in 1900. It came with ¾ of an acre of deep topsoil, plenty of upgrades needed but loads of well-established perennials. Yup, with a handyman husband and lots of digging tools, I was in heaven.
I brought some of my own roses from Alaska and promptly purchased more from my favorite rose supplier, Burling Leong of Burlington Nurseries. I also planted a few rose seedlings I had started, happy to have a temperate site to evaluate my babies’ size and hardiness.

Less than 10% of the rose varieties I have grown in my Oregon yard in the last four years.

Why would I start seedlings when there are so many colors, shapes, and sizes of rose varieties available? Well, because I like to create. I used to sew, still crochet and cook, and have been known to write a book or forty, all without patterns, recipes, or outlines. I think it was Nike who said, ‘Just do it.’ I was all over that before they put out the slogan (although I’m not a runner).


Here are two of the rose babies I created. Both are rugosas. The blooms are three to four inches across. Both smell great, too.


What’s your passion? Did you know that working with it and finding a way to make it your own gives immense satisfaction? I remember my mother looking at photos of us kids and saying she was ‘Just admiring her greatest creations.’ Aww… Being a loving and caring parent or grandparent IS special, too.

Do you love birds? Check out the first book in THAT TWIN THING series, THE MIDWIFE’S SON. Two birdwatchers find each other fifteen years after meeting as children. Will they recognize each other or will Mom, the midwife, help them out? Twists and turns of emotions end in a Happy Ever After. Read separately or as part of THAT TWIN THING COLLECTION, all available to read for free with #KindleUnlimited.
If you would, please follow me on Amazon, Goodreads, and Book Bub to hear about my latest releases. I’d appreciate it.

Celebrating life choices and culture

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Hello, friends!

Today, February 17th, my husband and I would like to share a double celebration with you: six years ago we moved to the city of Timișoara (English pronunciation: tee-mee-shoo-a-ruh), and also today is the official date when Timișoara takes the crown and becomes this year’s European Capital of Culture.

This prestigious title is awarded to a different European city every year, and it serves as a celebration of the cultural diversity and richness of Europe. The title is awarded to a city that demonstrates excellence in culture and creativity, and Timișoara has certainly earned its place as Europe’s cultural capital for 2023.

Timișoara is a city with a rich and varied history. It is located in the western part of Romania, close to the borders of Serbia and Hungary. The city has been inhabited for thousands of years, and it has been part of the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and Communist Romania. This diverse history has left an indelible mark on the city, and it has resulted in a fascinating and unique culture that is ripe for exploration.

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The European Capital of Culture program was established in 1985, and since then, it has become one of the most important cultural events in Europe. The program is designed to showcase the cultural richness of Europe and to promote cross-cultural understanding and cooperation. Each year, two cities are chosen to be the European Capitals of Culture, and they are given the opportunity to showcase their unique cultural heritage to the rest of Europe.

The Timișoara program for 2023 is both exciting and varied. The city organizes a series of events that will showcase its rich cultural history, including exhibitions, concerts, theater performances, and workshops. Some of the highlights of the program include:

An exhibition on the history and culture of the Banat region, where Timișoara is located. The Banat region is a unique cultural and linguistic area that straddles the borders of Romania, Serbia, and Hungary.

A series of concerts featuring traditional and modern music from Romania and the surrounding countries. Timișoara has a thriving music scene, and the city is home to many talented musicians and composers.

A theater festival that will showcase the work of local and international theater companies. Timișoara has a rich theater tradition, and the festival promises to be a highlight of the program.

A series of workshops and conferences on topics such as architecture, art, and literature. These events will bring together experts from around Europe to discuss the latest trends and developments in their fields.

There were thousands of people today at the grand opening of the festivities, and the mild weather turned this into a perfect evening.

Photo credit: Dominic Fritz Facebook page

Photo credit: Dominic Fritz Facebook page

I love living in Timișoara, and it’s one of the best cities to experience Romania. In fact, two of my books take place in my homeland, more precisely in Transilvania, the place Romania is most known for. Transilvania is the central part of Romania, the land roughly surrounded by the Carpathian mountains. If you’d like a good romance, a dash of suspense, and a rich multicultural experience, I hope you will try my books, The Diary and International Affairs: London, which are free to read in Kindle Unlimited.

 

Fondly,
Melinda

My Favorite Place on Earth: Siesta Key, Sarasota

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It’s summertime, and I am currently in my favorite place on earth: Siesta Key, Sarasota! I fell in love with it back in high school when I lived in Sarasota for four years. The day my parents and I moved away, I cried for hours in the car. I was able to come back once, a few years later, for a friend’s wedding, but then it was years before I stepped foot back on the white sandy beaches.

For my 50th birthday, I brought my husband and my daughter to Siesta Key to see it for the first time. Both of them fell in love with the soft powder sand and beautiful greens and blues of the ocean. Now, today is my 53rd birthday, and we are back again. The older I get, the more I want to listen to the waves, kick back, and relax.

We have driven around town and checked out some places that bring back many memories. We have enjoyed shopping around St. Armand’s Circle and taking the trolley into Siesta Key Village. We also visited Turtle Beach and drove down to Venice, where we checked out Caspersen Beach, the home of shark’s teeth. We didn’t find any, but we found many beautiful shells! We hope to try again later in the week.

Each night, we watched the sunset and walked on the beach. It’s time away from the world’s stress and the chance to reconnect with my family.

If you are a beach person and enjoy reading on the beach, check out my short story series: Finding Love in Special Places.

Finding Love on Christmas Vacation

Finding Love on the Summer’s Surf

Finding Love with Dear Santa (Amazon Exclusive)

Finding love in a Champagne Toast

Finding Love on the High Seas (Amazon Exclusive)

Finding Love on a Dude Ranch