Vocal Expressions

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Women’s History Month’s Feature: Joy Harjo, Author, Poet, Performer, Activist, and Educator

Hello, book lovers! In honor of Women’s History Month, I’m excited to introduce you to Joy Harjo—an acclaimed author, poet, performer, activist, and educator. In 1975, she published her first poetry collection, The Last Song , featuring nine of her poems. From 2019 – 2022, she served as the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, becoming the first Native American to hold this prestigious title. She is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation (Este Mvskokvlke) and belongs to Oce Vpofv (Hickory Ground). Harjo’s work spans poetry, books, plays, and music, earning her numerous awards, accolades, and honors. As Poet Laureate, her signature project, Living Nations, Living Words: A Map of First Peoples Poetry focused on “mapping the U.S. with Native Nations poets and poems.” Her work often draws on Native American oral history, exploring themes of defining self, the arts, and social justice. Her poetry is included on a plaque on LUCY, a NASA spacecraft launched in Fall 2021, and the firs...

A Review of Under My Skin by A. M. Kusi

This was my first time reading a romance short story by the husband-and-wife duo A. M. Kusi, and I found their writing style captivating. The story follows Tessa Matthews, a newly divorced woman, and her undeniable attraction to her Irish tattoo business partner, Roy. Tessa accompanies Roy as his plus-one to his cousin’s wedding, set against the scenic backdrop of Shattered Cove’s seacoast and the lush Emerson farmland. Their friend and receptionist, Bella, also attends as the unofficial third wheel, still grieving the loss of her husband. Encouraged by the idea of moving forward, Bella strikes a deal with Tessa: she’ll muster up the courage to talk to a handsome stranger if Tessa promises to finally let Roy give her the tattoo she’s always wanted. They both agree. At the wedding, Bella meets her mystery man at the bar—describing him as “hotter than Hades”—while Tessa shares a dance with Roy. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and after a deep, passionate k...

A Review of Revenge by Emily Josephine

This is the first contemporary short story I’ve read by Emily Josephine and I found her writing style engaging. The storyline revolves around Rachel and her two kids who are staying at her cousin Joe’s house for the past month while waiting on her husband to return and pick them up. She’s enjoying Marilyn’s (Joe’s wife) mid-summer pool party when she’s approached by some snooty and condescending country club woman who immediately start judging her appearance—her sloppy ponytail, lack of makeup, no nail polish, and unshaved armpits. They even question whether her kids are adopted based on their skin tone and their names (Natalia and Diego). Their mean-girl vibes are enough for Rachel to want to roll her eyes, but she squeezes them instead during the awkward conversations. However, when a song by pop star Julio Estrella plays on the radio and the women start swooning over how hot he is, she can’t help but smile inwardly—because she knows something they don’t. She patient...

It’s A Book Thing Presents: An Interview with Linda Murphy Marshall, author of Immersion: A Linguist's Memoir

Author’s Bio: Linda Murphy Marshall has a Ph.D. in Hispanic Languages and Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing. She was a multi-linguist for the government for 30 years, working with more than a dozen languages, going on dangerous work assignments to Africa. She worked as a Senior Research Scientist at the University of Maryland’s Center for Advanced Study of Language/CASL, a language think tank, specializing in African languages. Her 2022 memoir, Ivy Lodge: A Memoir of Translation and Discovery received a starred review from Kirkus. H er second memoir, Immersion: A Linguist’s Memoir , was published in 2024. She is an Associate for the National Museum of Language and a docent at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. Her essays have appeared in more than two dozen publications, including the Los Angeles Review, Dorothy Parker’s Ashes, The Catamaran Literary Reader, Maryland Literary Review, Brevity’s Nonfiction Blog, and elsewhere. Deliah Lawrence: Who or ...

It's A Book Thing Presents: An Interview with Moxie Gardiner, author of Virgin Snow

Author’s Bio: “Moxie Gardiner” is the pen name of a writer, blogger, and traveler. The name “Moxie” was first bestowed upon her during a rare visit long ago to an upscale bar in her native Buffalo, where posh regulars attempted to describe her rather rough West Side edges. She does have a soft side, however. She loves the smell of warm wood, the sound of insects in the evening, and the flashing underbellies of airplanes flying above the setting sun. After graduating from Buffalo State University, she moved to Washington to pursue a career in journalism that resulted in countless magazine articles. She later became a speechwriter and eventually a policy “wonk.” To date she has visited 46 countries and all 50 states, and still has a lengthy bucket list of places to see and things to do, including books to write. Virgin Snow is the first novel in her planned trilogy. Deliah Lawrence: What inspired you to write your book? Moxie Gardiner: From the time I was in high ...

A Review of Christmas Hostage (FBI Christmas Trilogy Book One) by Jane Blythe

This is the first romantic suspense I’ve read by Jane Blythe, and I found her style to be captivating. The storyline revolves around a jewelry store robbery, a traumatized store owner, a crazed stalker, and an ex-husband/FBI agent assigned to track down the culprits. Let’s meet Hannah Buffy, a divorced jeweler trying to rebuild her life after a traumatic event that shattered her marriage to FBI Agent Tom Drake. Three years ago, they both endured immense pain and decided to go their separate ways. Fast forward to just a few days before Christmas, when Hannah’s jewelry store is robbed at gunpoint. Overwhelmed by her fear of guns, she fails to give the robbers the safe’s code, resulting in oner of her employees being shot. The FBI is called in to investigate a string of jewelry store robberies across the city, and to Hannah’s shock, the agent assigned to the case is none other than her ex-husband, Tom. Their reunion is fraught with tension, as Tom’s instinct to protect Han...