[Poetry] The Altar of Imagination

Posted on May 5, 2011 by ajkstocks

Stories are the food of my soul,
the written word its medium.
I am a keeper of tales,
a teller of yarns,
a worshiper at the
altar of imagination.

I do not know a time
when my mind was not filled
with discordant dialogue and
unlikely ploys and plots.

From alien worlds to magical plains
Where dragons and sorcerers roam
with equal status.

I have walked through grimy streets
as a noir detective, following up leads.
I have been beggar and princess,
hunter and hunted,
vampire and god.

I have sailed the oceans and crossed galaxies.
I have saved the world and destroyed it.
I have been ordinary and extraordinary.
I have experienced love and heartbreak.

I have seen ghosts and fought off monsters.
I have thwarted evil and discovered passion.
I have been a lover, a fighter, a sister and a mother.
I have been a brother, a father, a husband and a king.
I have tripped the night fantastic
and woken broken in a dark alley.
I have killed and I have saved.
I have seen and I have hidden from sight.

My pen is my sword and my mind is my magic.
I am a keeper of tales,
a teller of yarns
and I worship at the altar of imagination.

All poetry is my own. All rights reserved.

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[Running] Time flies and so do I

Posted on May 4, 2011 by ajkstocks

I can’t believe it’s already May! Wasn’t it just Christmas? I mean, a third of the year is gone already! Insane!

Okay, that’s probably enough exclamation marks for one day.

If you remember, when we last spoke I wasn’t doing very well on my running training program. Not very well at all, in fact. But since then I upped my game and actually got some training in (go me!) and then completed the Two Oceans Half marathon (www.twooceansmarathon.org.za) on April 23rd.

2 Oceans Start

It was perfect race weather, clear and cool, and I honestly had one of the best races of my life. Over 14,000 of us lined up at the start. I finished in 2 hours and 42 minutes (line to line, my official time is about 4 minutes slower as it took a while to get across the start line because of all the people), which is a personal best for me. It is ten minutes faster than my 2 Oceans’ time last year, and seven minutes faster than my all time best. Needless to say I am super pleased about it.

The first 14km were fantastic, doubly surprising as the BIG hill starts at the 11km mark. The rest was okay, and I was pretty sore by the time I crossed the finish line (read: wanted to crawl into C’s arms and cry), but a Powerade and a big hug sorted me out in no time.

The race was superbly organised with lots of refreshment stations (although a couple of there weren’t that well organised – frozen powerade and not enough people handing out water, runners were grabbing there own from the storage bags on the ground), and the atmosphere and support were unbelievable. The latter is why Oceans is my favourite race of the year.

After the race we had an awesome breakfast overlooking the city. I think there were 16 of us at breakfast, of whom 11 had run the race, about a third of whom were first timers. Let me tell you, there is little to beat bacon and eggs after a long run.

My next race is probably the Knysna Half Marathon on July 9th, unless I find another of interest before then. I’d love to get close to 2 hours and 30 minutes in that race, which means training, training, training. Now if only my stupid cold (which began almost as soon as I crossed the finish line) would go away so that I can run again.

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[Poetry] Refuge

Posted on May 4, 2011 by ajkstocks

It’s been a while,
Since I’ve seen you here,
Between the dunes and sunset of my imagination.

It’s been a while,
And though I’ve been gone
I’ve never been further than the memory of a kiss.

It’s been a while,
And I see you smile,
And I am home in the shelter of your arms again.

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[52in52] #36-40 – Fever Series – Karen Marie Moning

Posted on April 1, 2011 by ajkstocks

Hello blogosphere

I just popped in to tell you that Karen Marie Moning’s Fever Series (Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever, Dreamfever, Shadowfever) is awesome and you should all read it. I was given the first two books on Monday, started reading on Tuesday and by yesterday (Thursday) I had devoured the entire five-book series (thanks Kindle!).

It’s an urban fantasy set in Dublin (mostly) with Fae (Seelie and Unseelie), sidhe-seers (those who see fae) and a host of other lovable (actually no, usually not so lovable) creatures and characters. MacKayla Lane is a fantastic female protagonist (the world is seen through her eyes, first person narration) whose growth from book 1 where she is a fun-loving innocent to book 5 where she is pretty kick ass is some of the most believable character development I’ve seen.

The plot is intriguing, the men are sexy, brooding and powerful (Moning is a paranormal romance writer after all) and I was gripped from the start. I plan to go back and read them all again to see find all the details and nuances I missed the first time.

For those interested, these were 52-in-52 books 36 – 40, and I give the series a thrilling 9/10.

Blurb

“MacKayla “Mac” Lane is a small-town southern girl living a life of suntans and shopping. All that changes when her sister dies in Ireland and a cryptic message on Mac’s cell phone raises disturbing questions about the nature of her sister’s death. Mac follows the lead to Dublin and the strange life her sister led, on to the darkly dangerous book-dealer Jericho Barrons, and a burgeoning war with deadly Fae that humankind doesn’t even realize has begun.” (from Amazon.com)

Where to buy

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Fever+Series&x=0&y=0

http://www.take2.co.za/list.php?type=&qsearch=karen+marie+moning

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It’s been a while

Posted on March 10, 2011 by ajkstocks

I haven’t posted for a while – what can I say? It’s been a busy month.

Since the last time we spoke (relatively speaking) I have read at least four more books (it could be more, I’m sure I’ve missed one or two somewhere). This is quite a small number of books for the time period, but I do go through phases where I don’t really feel like reading. So Book Review Friday will resume tomorrow.

I have done absolutely no running. None. Nada. Zip. The Two Oceans Half Marathon is 6 weeks’ away – help?

I have been surfing, although not as much as I’d have liked. Had a truly awesome session this past Sunday though.

We’ve also been very busy. We’ve been away for a weekend for a family birthday, my mom had a major knee op so have been helping out at home.

C and I also got engaged two weeks’ ago :) So there may well be some wedding planning posts coming up.

Anyway, it’s good to be back. I’ll see you tomorrow for Book Review Friday.

Cheery bye!

A/

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[Poetry] Dreams

Posted on February 9, 2011 by ajkstocks

I hoped for a dream
A dream that would be reality
But it was only a dream
And hope,
Sweet, bitter hope,
Cannot makes dreams real

All poetry is my own – all rights reserved
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Teaser Tuesday – February 8th, 2011

Posted on February 8, 2011 by ajkstocks

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

  • Grab your current read
  • Open to a random page
  • Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
  • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
  • Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

“For a moment it was soft, and it was warm. And it was everything.”

Nora Roberts, Heaven & Earth, p. 170

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[52in52] #26 Gone Away Lake – Elizabeth Enright

Posted on February 7, 2011 by ajkstocks

(For those of you wondering what happened to #25, I’m still reading it so its review will appear out of sequence)

Description

“Portia and her cousin Julian discover adventure in a hidden colony of forgotten summer houses on the shores of a swampy lake” (from take2.co.za)

Mini Review

I have alway loved Return to Gone Away, Elizabeth Enright’s sequel to this book, but it has been years since I read the original, Gone Away Lake. My mom unearthed her copy recently and passed it on to me, and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised.

The book is beautifully written, barely dated, and carries the wonder of discovery, the joy of old stories remembered, and the satisfaction of story development and appropriate endings. This is the story of a memorable summer and of the children at the heart of it. It will be enjoyed by old and young alike, far more than you would expect.

I give Gone Away Lake 7.5/10, a good lark in the best sense of the phrase

Where to Buy

http://www.take2.co.za/books-gone-away-lake-paperback-804941.html

http://www.amazon.com/Gone-Away-Lake-Books/dp/0152022724/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1297063328&sr=1-1

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[52in52] #23 Blood Lines – Eileen Wilks & #24 Night Season – Eileen Wilks

Posted on February 7, 2011 by ajkstocks

Description

“FBI agent Cynna Weaver teams up with sorcerer Cullen Seabourne to help identify elected officials who have accepted demonic pacts. But the passion simmering between them-and their investigation-spiral out of control when an ancient prophecy is fulfilled.” (from Amazon.com)

Mini Review

I read this on the plane (and in my hotel room) while away at a conference last week and I loved it. I couldn’t wait to get back to my room during breaks to see what happened next.

Eileen Wilks is really hitting her stride with book three (and four for that matter) in the World of the Lupi series. The characters are now known and are being developed in a mostly believable and well-rounded fashion; former plot points are revived and expanded upon, and new relationships are explored.

I am particularly enjoying the burgeoning relationship between Cullen and Cynna. Also, this book sees the return of Grandmother, and something major is revealed about her in the book’s epilogue. All in all a stunning read. I enjoyed it so much that I immediately had to start book 4, Night Season, which was even better than this one (see below). I happily give Blood Lines 8/10.

Where to Buy

http://www.take2.co.za/books-blood-lines-paperback-2135312.html

http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Lines-World-Lupi-Book/dp/0425213447/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1297062680&sr=8-1

Description

“Lupine sorcerer Cullen Seabourne and FBI Agent Cynna Weaver are just coming to terms with having a baby, when they are lured to another realm where magic is commonplace and night never ends. Their only way home lies in tracking down a missing medallion-one also sought by powerful beings who will do anything to claim it.” (from Amazon.com)

Mini Review

Loved it, loved it, loved it! This book was all about Cullen and Cynna, and it was fantastic. The story follows them through the realm of Edge, where they must find an ancient artifact if they ever hope to be allowed home.

While the book focuses on the relationship between this unlikely pair, and their differing reactions to Cynna’s pregnancy, there is also plenty of magic, action and mythology to keep things interesting. In previous books we have seen demons, dragons, werewolves and witches, this book introduces us more fully to gnomes, as well as elves and ork-like warriors.

I give this book 8.5/10, and it is my firm favourite in the series thus far.

Where to Buy

http://www.take2.co.za/books-night-season-paperback-3178139.html

http://www.amazon.com/Night-Season-World-Lupi-Book/dp/042522015X/ref=pd_sim_b_2

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Quick Update

Posted on February 5, 2011 by ajkstocks

I haven’t updated the blog in a few days (did anyone notice? Nobody? Damn.); but in my defence I have been out and about having a marvellous time (Thursday notwithstanding). So yes, I missed Book Review Friday – in recompense this week shall have Book Review Friday AND Book Review Monday.

So, what have I been doing? Well if you follow my twitter feed you’ll know I’ve been doing a lot of surfing (which is awesome), I’ve now been surfing for a little over two months and I’m now standing up on most waves I catch, and catching most waves I try for. It’s really cool that I can see the improvement from one session to the next.

C and I have also been very sociable this week, lunches and dinners with friends (several of whom we haven’t seen in months or longer), as well as going to the theatre on Wednesday. On Thursday I had a migraine, so that was the only downside to my week. It was my first full-blown “oh god the pain” migraine of the year, but fortunately most of the effects had dissipated by Friday afternoon.

I’ve also read a few more books this week, so plenty of catching up to do for Book Review Friday (and Monday).

I haven’t done any running, and I desperately need to. This week (she says optimistically).

I also haven’t done any writing since my previous writing post. Oops.

So all in all while this hasn’t been a great week for challenges, it HAS been a great few days for me, which is as or more important.

Til Monday!

A/

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