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A church, candlelight and Vivaldi
I've chosen a picture of the church as the opener to this story and I'm not sure that it needs any explanation. Such a splendid building, rearing up into the night; cool stone; majestic; an edifice that has stood and stood and stood but also a human place which has housed people to worship and pronounce their faith. This also makes it a place of music, the raised voices of the congregation along with the powerful pipes of the organ lifting their conjoined notes to the rafters! It will be filled with music again this night, although in a slightly different guise.
By Rachel Deeming12 months ago in Motivation
Rachel Reviews: In the Company of Knaves by Anthony Wildman
It is not often that I start a book I am reviewing and am immediately engaged but In the Company of Knaves managed to capture my attention from the outset. It helped that I love Shakespeare and historical fiction, of course, but these things offer no surety that I will enjoy the book in front of me.
By Rachel Deeming12 months ago in BookClub
Rachel Reviews: Unlikely Stories by T.R. McCay
I wondered what I was going to get when I started reading T.R. McCay's Unlikely Stories. I was pleasantly surprised. What you have here is a storyteller who is comfortable with tackling different genres; who knows just what is needed word-wise for description to capture a reader's attention but doesn't overdo it; who creates realistic characters with convincing dialogue - all the solid attributes expected in a well-written fiction piece - but who is also confident enough to take you into slightly surreal and disturbing situations and landscapes, treading the tightrope where balance is needed between conveying believability whilst also providing you, the reader, with something unique and memorable.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in BookClub
Meat (in Love)
When I was a kid, I could see faces in the wallpaper. This was not, and is not, unique to me. In fact, I think that I have actually read my first sentence of this story in someone else's story. Does that make it plagiarism if it is my truth?
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in Photography
Rachel Reviews: Casey's Island by Patrick Ford
There is something very solid about Patrick Ford's storytelling. It has pace; it is plotted so you are led, as a reader, convincingly and adeptly from scene to scene through crucial events, action and character encounters, all conveyed with no stutters or comprehension issues with which you, the reader, must contend; the dialogue reads truly; the purpose is direct and unwavering.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in BookClub
What does it mean to critique a story?
I entered a competition. I wasn't overly pleased with the story I submitted. Neither were the judges. Actually, that's not fair. One was enthusiastic. The other two sort of liked it, I think? All three had comments to make about it. I was happy to receive their feedback.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in Critique
The Music That Made Me: Wires by Athlete
This is a song that I can never listen to without crying. It has a potency for me like no other in terms of how it reaches into my very essence and squeezes my heart. It seizes me, like a long lost brother and takes me back to a period of my life which was hard. Very hard.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in Beat
The Power of the Brand
I'm going to write an article about fashion, even though I don't hold with it much. But once upon a time, there was a girl and then a young woman called Rachel who was much more concerned with appearance and clothing and its pedigree, scouring the pages of teen magazines and Cosmopolitan for tips and articles to keep à la mode, as it were.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in Styled
Rachel Reviews: The Adamantine Jewel by Jeffery Pears
Jeffrey Pears has written in The Adamantine Jewel a thriller which combines many elements to create something which is a unique read. It is set in Los Angeles, India and Tibet and presents a story to which we can all relate: a virus is taking hold of the world and it's a killer, threatening a pandemic and as a result, extreme loss of life.
By Rachel Deemingabout a year ago in BookClub
