Photo by BoliviaInteligente on Unsplash Happy New Year to everyone. Let me start by wishing a not so fond farewell to the dumpster fire that was 2024. Rather than dwell on the year that’s now behind us, I want to suggest a few tunes to help welcome the new one. Let’s start with one of the few U2 songs I can listen to without cringing: Next, I want to lighten the mood with a catchy Bruno Mars tune: How about a live performance…
Image by Sabrina Belle from Pixabay I have a confession to make. As the years pass, Christmases from the past hold even greater meaning for me. Every memory shines bright, unmarred by flaws. Though some must have been less than perfect, I cannot recall them and feel no shame in admitting it. Some of them, however, are more vivid than others, for various reasons, often humorous. I remember vividly the year my father, in what he probably thought was a fantastic idea, brought…
From me to all of you, a Merry Christmas and all the best in the New Year. As the holiday season can be hectic at times, it can be difficult stop and catch your breath. The season is a wonderful time, when everything seems a little brighter, the world seems a kinder place, and even if that is only my perception, I still appreciate it. It is important, in my opinion, to keep in mind the true reason that we…
As this Tuesday Tunes post is conveniently a week before Christmas, it seems a good time to post about the season. If you know me, then you know that I am a sucker for piano music. So let’s combine these both for today’s post! To be honest, I don’t really know anything about Daniel Blomberg, but I stumbled across some songs on YouTube. He has several really nice arrangements of well known Christmas hymns that I fell in love with…
As an author, I’m always trying to find new ways to reach potential readers. It can be a bit to manage, as each vendor has their own rules, back offices, and the like, which can become burdensome if one does not take care. Until now, my standard practice has been to release new works on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited, and then to put that content up on other vendors when the Kindle Unlimited term has run its course. My standard…
Image by Claximoli from Pixabay December is here, so in keeping with Rowland family tradition, I’m going to start celebrating the season early. To be honest, I’m far from the first of my brothers and sisters to do this; my eldest sister started decorating before Halloween. But don’t worry, I have no plans to get sentimental right out of the gate. Instead, I came across an AI joke generator that I decided to try out. While the results aren’t side-splitting, with a few…
As Colin mentioned in his last post, it’s time for Merry Mischief! For anyone who has read the blog since it began, you may recollect that we wrote a Christmas story to celebrate the launch of this very site. It’s short, only six chapters long, and tells the story of an obtuse (isn’t he always?) and determined Mr. Collins, Elizabeth’s attempts to fend him off, and Mr. Darcy’s scheming to take Mr. Collins’s supposed place as Elizabeth’s suitors. After a…
In honor of the approaching creepiest night of the year, I thought it would be fun to do a post with some of your favorite Hallowe’en tunes! Hallowe’en is admittedly not one of my favorite holidays, but I still remember trick-or-treating as a kid, or more recently going out with my children. The sudden infusion of tasty sweet treats is fine, though I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, and it’s certainly not good for my waistline or general…
Today I want to share three of what I think are the prettiest Christmas songs of the past sixty years. They are not carols, but they do bring the spirit of the season. The first is “I Believe in Father Christmas” by Greg Lake. A bit of interesting trivia about this song is he did not compose it as a celebration of the season, but rather as a protest over what he saw as the increasing commercialization of the holiday….
Today, in honor of Remembrance Day here in Canada and Veteran’s Day in the US, I wanted to express my appreciation for all who have served their country in past conflicts and those who do so now. I thank you for your sacrifice and acknowledge the debt I, and millions of people living in freedom all over the world, owe you. My thoughts go to my father, who served in the South Pacific as a US Marine in the Second…