Several of the comments referred to fire ants that are found in the USA and, while tailor ants also inflict a nasty bite and are aggressive, they are not the same creatures. I decided to write this post and set out the differences between tailor ants and fire ants.
I’ve always been interested in army ants so I decided to include them in this post as well.
Primary differences between tailor ants, fire ants, and army ants
Nesting habits
Tailor ants live in trees. They ‘tailor’ or weave living leaves together to create nests. Worker ants form long chains to pull the leaf edges together while others carry ant larvae in their jaws and use the silk the grubs secret as a natural ‘glue’ to bind the leaves together.
Fire ants build nests that appear as irregular mounds of loose soil or flat patches ranging from flat piles to domes up to 45 cm high. The nests have no obvious entry or exit holes. Ants emerge from underground foragers or swarm out of the sides when disturbed. Fire ants nests are usually found in warm, open, and sunny areas such as lawns, garden beds, near water sources, and on newly disturbed ground.
Army ants do not construct permanent nests out of soil, wood, or leaves. Instead, they assemble temporary, living nests called bivouacs. Bivouacs are const-shaped structures that house the queen and larvae and are built from the living bodies of the worker ants by interlocking their legs and mandibles. Bivouacs have internal chambers and tunnels to control temperature and humidity. As army ants colonies are constantly on the move, a new bivouac is assembled nearly every night. The colony stays in a fixed location for several weeks while the queen is laying eggs and the larvae are developing.
Foraging and hunting
Tailor ants are aggressive and defend their canopy territories by biting and spraying formic acid. Tailor ants are omnivores and hunt and eat a wide variety of crop-destroying insects and other small arthropods. They ‘farm’ sap-sucking insects like scale buys and mealybugs, protecting them from predators in exchange for their sweet, carbohydrate-rich liquid excretions. Tailor ants also consume floral and extrafloral nectar, fruit juices and plant wound secretions.
Fire ants are highly aggressive, opportunistic omnivores that hunt and scavenge using complex underground tunnel networks that extend up to 10 metres from the central mound. Individual scouts explore the surface and when a large prey is found, the scout lays a chemical pheromone trail as it returns to the nest. The pheromone acts as a biochemical alarm and recruitment trigger. The resting ants (about two thirds of the nest) awaken and follow the trail forming a dense trail of thousands of ants that overwhelm and subdue the prey. Fire ants consume live and dead insects as well as immobile, sick, or helpless animals including baby birds and reptiles. Like tailor ants, fire ants ‘farm’ sap-sucking insects like aphids to harvest their sugar-rich secretions. Fire ants also collect and eat seeds.
Army ants are ground-dwelling, mass-raiding predators. During their massive daily foraging raids, the colony can overwhelm hundreds of thousands of prey to feed their queen and growing larvae. Army ants eat insects and arachnids including spiders, scorpions, crickets, beetles, caterpillars and termites. Army ants also raid the nests of other ant species and consume their eggs, larvae and pupae. Sometimes, army ants will overwhelm slow-moving or trapped smaller animals such as baby birds, lizards, and frogs. Army ants use their powerful, scissor-like jaws to slice their prey into transportable fragments which they carry back to their bivouacs.
Physical traits and defense
Tailor ants workers are uniformly sized and have excellent eyesight for navigating tree branches. The aggressively defend their canopy with painful bites combined with spraying formic acid directly into the wound.
Fire ants workers range in size from 2 mm to 6 mm. If a fire ants mound is disturbed or vibrated, workers immediately rush out and release alarm pheromones into the air to alert the entire colony to defend the nest. Fire ants immediately swarm vertical surfaces and will rapidly climb up legs, tools or structures in vast numbers. Fire ants sting in a highly synchronized, two-stage maneuver whereby the ant latches onto skin or clothing using its strong mandibles. The ant then tucks its abdomen under its body and inserts its stinger, injecting a toxic venom called solenopsin. The ant pivots its head in a circular pattern repeatedly stinging the victim multiple times from a single anchored bite site.
Many species of army ants are completely blind and they rely heavily on complex pheromone trails. The have highly developed mandibles for tearing prey apart. There is an extreme size difference between the workers and the much larger, scissor-jawed soldier ants used for defense.
The gallery below features my photographs of tailor ants taken at Cape Vidal in Kwa-Zulu Natal in January this year.
This is my YouTube video fo angry tailor ants. They shake when they are disturbed.
Roberta Eaton Cheadle, is a South African writer and poet specialising in historical, paranormal, and horror novels and short stories. She is an avid reader in these genres and her writing has been influenced by famous authors including Bram Stoker, Edgar Allan Poe, Amor Towles, Stephen Crane, Enrich Maria Remarque, George Orwell, Stephen King, and Colleen McCullough.
Roberta has two published novels and a collection of short stories and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories included in several anthologies. She is also a contributor to the Ask the Authors 2022 (WordCrafter Writing Reference series).
Roberta is also the author and illustrator of seventeen children’s books, illustrator to a further three children’s books, and the author and illustrator of four poetry books published under the name of Robbie Cheadle, and has poems and short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
Roberta’s blog features discussions about classic books, book reviews, poetry, and photography. https://roberta-writes.com/.
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This segment of “In Touch with Nature” is sponsored by the Midnight Anthology Series and WordCrafter Press.
Midnight Roost: Weird and Creepy Stories: 20 authors bring your nightmares to life in 23 stories of ghosts, paranormal phenomenon and the horror from the dark crevasses of their minds. Stories of stalkers, both human and supernatural, possession and occult rituals, alien visitations of the strange kind, and ghostly tales that will give you goosebumps. These are the tales that will make you fear the dark. Read them at the Midnight Roost… if you dare. https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Roost-Kaye-Lynne-Booth-ebook/dp/B0CL6FPLVJ
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Midnight Oil: Stories to Fuel Your Nightmares: 14 authors bring you 16 dark tales that explore your deepest fears. These are the stories which nightmares are made of. Tales of monsters, mayhem, and madness which will make you shiver in the dark. Read them while you burn the Midnight Oil… if you dare. https://books2read.com/Midnight-Oil
My mother used to research the genealogy of her family. This is a poem which she uncovered, which was written by one of my ancestors, John F. Garvin, in 1894, in Eustis, Florida. This account of an Indian attack, in which his mother, Mary Jane Garvin killed seventeen of her attackers, is said to appear in the History of the Great West.
An ambitious exec and a reluctant rock star sizzle in this workplace romantic comedy about music’s redemptive power, hogging the bed, and finding love.
Bright and ambitious Marin Collins sees her new internship with a prestigious PR firm as a stepping stone to a much-needed permanent position. But her plans for career success are derailed when she’s assigned to go on the road with rock band Kings Quarters, hailed by Rolling Stone as the next big thing. To gain full-time employment, she’ll need to stick to her “no workplace romance” policy and resist the sexy and nerdy rock star on the tour bus.
Enter Brad Osterhauser, the reluctant guitarist who would rather be coding computer games than penning Grammy-nominated songs. While grateful for the band’s success, he’s trapped on tour out of loyalty to the brother and bandmate who helped him escape a depressing home life. His outlook about the current tour improves immensely when he’s smitten by the smart and stunning PR executive who joins the tour.
Traveling by bus, city to city, with a group of practical joking bandmates and a greedy manager, Marin and Brad forge a friendship and forbidden romance over a shared love of Seinfeld episodes, stolen moments, and Red Vines.
Will Marin and Brad’s secret passions destroy both their careers, or take desire to the ultimate encore?
If you love a slow burn romance with laugh-out-loud moments, forced proximity, and sizzling chemistry, scroll up now to buy the book.
I purchased Starfish: A Rock Star Romance, by Lisa Becker and narrated by Sabastian York and Erin Mallon, through a Chirp Friday Freebie Deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
This book utilizes dual narrators, with Sebastian doing the chapters for Brad, while those for Erin were narrated by Marin. Although it made it easy to know which character’s head I was in, the differences in supporting character voices made it easier to get supporting characters confused my mind. i.e. Sabastian’s portrayal of Merin, doesn’t always mesh with Erin’s portrayal of the character, and likewise, Erin couldn’t be expected to match Sebastain’s deep baritone voice for Brad. Both are excellent narrators. It’s just that their voices didn’t match, so I wasn’t always sure which characters were in a scene. It was minor differences, and it didn’t make the story any less enjoyable. It just took a little more concentration to follow for me. Both are excellent narrators. It just took a little getting used to.
There was a time when I could have imagined myself in Marin’s place, with an opportunity to go on the road with a rock band and thought I’d be in heaven. Although, I’m long past the age where that would be appealing, I haven’t forgotten what it was to be young and eager. Ms. Becker managed to cast Marin in a female role that is not one of a mindless groupie. Instead, she is an eager advertising intern, smart and creative, and the band, King’s Quarters, is her first client.
Expecting an account which would station her in Seattle, Marin finds it hard to be excited about unexpectedly being thrown on the road with the rock band. She may be disappointed, but not enough to keep her from noticing the sexy hunk, Brad, who will be one her new bosses, as well as one of her traveling companions. Of course, she is a professional and she knows better than to mix romance with work, so those thoughts are quickly shoved to the back of her mind. Or are they?
Brad is not your typical rock star. At least not since he set eyes on Marin. He makes his intentions concerning her clear early on, warning the other band members off as he sets about winning her heart. He’s willing to take any opportunity to spend time with Merin, and being on the road together offers lots of situations where they are thrown together, even taking care of her when she’s sick. A guy can only take so much, but even when he’s tempted to the extreme, he uses restraint and doesn’t push too far too fast. Brad is a perfect gentleman, with an iron will, determined not to do anything to scare this woman away.
A true to form romance, with deep and likeable characters I wanted to root for. I give Starfish five quills.
About The Roll of a Lifetime
Things Rachel Groff needs: her daughter out of diapers, the back child support she’s owed, freedom from her devious, dirtbag ex-husband.
Rachel has inched her way toward financial security after three years of solo parenting. Clinging to her hard-won independence, she is on guard against the type of man who deceived her in the past. Men like the too-hot and too-charming divorced dad who claims to be nothing like her ex.
Things Theo Melis loves: kayaking along the bayou, baking pies, being with his son.
His big gamble paid off: His brewpub is in the black and garnering great reviews. Now, Theo’s focused on earning a favorable rating from his manager’s ex-wife. He’s taken with her strength and ferocity of purpose and proud when she allows him to help her escape the stresses of life. But one moment Rachel melts into him, the next, she jerks away, leaving him overheated and confused.
Theo longs to earn Rachel’s trust. Rachel’s heart yearns for him, but her instincts have devastated her before. Every step they take could be a disastrous misstep.
If they move in unison, can they discover a path worth taking?
I purchased The Roll of a Lifetime, by Meleanie Greene from a Chirp Freebie Friday deal. I’m offering an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own.
The first thing I’ve got to say about this book is that narrator Amy Rubinate absolutely nailed it. Her southern accent for Rachel is perfection, and her timing, impeccable.
This story is not what I expected in a romance. With the main characters both being divorcees with children, it felt odd to find things like potty training, Pokémon, and ex-inlaws in the romance story line. But, I must say, I found both the main characters to be likeable and enjoyable.
Rachel is a single parent who is overly defensive when it comes to her ex, Serge. When Serge’s boss, Theo, unexpectedly shows up to deliver their toddler, she becomes defensive, nearly pushing him out the door with her brash dismissal. Once she lets her bristles down, she finds herself attracted to the man, and we learn that she’s really a hot and horny honey, who doesn’t hesitate to let her needs be known. She’s not after romance, she just wants to get laid
The hot hunk, Theo, is physically attracted, to be sure, but he has visions of a long term hook-up, and is quick out the gate in making that happen. Not wanting to push to fast, he vows to let Rachel set their speed, but gets confusing signals from her. Until a broken condom forces them both to face the fact that this is turning into more than just a few fun roles in the hay; this could be turning into a real relationship.
A different type of romance I couldn’t help.bit fall in love with it. I give The Roll of a Lifetime five quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and Book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
Check it out! Find out what D.L. Finn has to say aboutPoetry Treasures 6: Seasons, from WordCrafter Press.
Shout out to all contributing authors: Robbie Cheadle, Colleen Chesebro, V.W. Sang, Joy Neal Kidney, Kevin Morris, Yvette Prior, Marsha Ingrao, Jean Jacques Fournier, Cindy Georgakas, Freya Pickard, Melissa Lemay, Michelle Ayon Navajas, and Nolcha Fox.
There are some movies that I can watch over and over and never get tired of them because they are so fun to watch. I’m sure certain movies are the same for everyone, in this respect. For “Everyone is a Critic” in 2026, I’d like to talk about my all-time favorites, because if you haven’t seen them, they are worth watching, and if you have, maybe this will remind you how fun they are, and you’ll give one or two another go. I’ve categorized them by the values I find in them, or the reason that I watch them. Many of them, I have watched so many times, I can quote them word for word through many parts. (And, yes, I am old, but they really don’t make them like they used to.)
Now, here, I will share them with you in the hopes that you will get the same enjoyment I have from watching them. For those who have seen the movie, the quotes will bring certain scenes alive in their minds. And if you haven’t seen the movie and you watch it, when you see the scene, you’ll understand why I chose the quotes that I did.
Westerns – Always a Favorite of Mine (Yep. I like Clint Eastwood)
The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976), with Clint Eastwood and Chief Dan George
Set during and after the American civil war, Eastwood plays Josey Wales, who looses his family to the Union red-legs, and joins up with Bloody Bill Cantrill with a vow to kill as many as he can in his vengeance. He becomes an outlaw after the war, when he refuses to surrender and runs from the Union troops, gathering a rag-tag following of colorful characters in the process.
This movie is quite long and there are too many great quotes to list them all here, but I’ve given you several.
I have this one in my personal movie collection.
Favorite Quotes: “I reckon in that war we all died a little.” – Fletcher (John Vernon)
“Get ready, little lady. Hell’s coming to breakfast.” – Lone Watie (Chief Dan George)
“I’m pert as a rutting buck.” -Kid (Sam Bottoms)
“Cures just about anything. How is it on spots?” -Josey Wales (Eastwood)
“You gonna pull them pistols or whistle Dixie?” – Josey Wales (Eastwood)
“Dying ain’t much of a living.” – Josey Wales (Eastwood)
“Reckon I’m right popular.” – Josey Wales (Eastwood)
“All I have is this piece of hard rock candy. But it’s not for eating, it’s just for looking at.” – Lone Watie (Chief Dan George)
“I’m glad you stopped me. I might have killed her.” – Lone Watie (Chief Dan George)
Favorite Scenes: Josey Wales meets and talks with Ten Bears, chief of the Commanche, to bargain for his friends’ lives. (I can quote the entire exchange, but it’s too long to feature here.)
The Missouri Boat Ride
Josey Wales and Lone Watie on horseback: “Any time I get to liking someone, they ain’t around for long.” – Josey Wales (Eastwood) “I notice when you get to disliking someone, they ain’t around for long neither.” -Lone Watie (Chief Dan George).
A Fistful of Dollars (1964) & For a Few Dollars More (1965), with Clint Eastwood
In A Fistful of Dollars, Eastwood plays a man with no name, a drifter who blows into town, looking for an opportunity to profit. He learns that the town has two bosses, the Rojos and the Baxters, vying for control and he positions himself between them and plays them against one another.
In For a Few Dollars More, Eastwood plays a bounty hunter named Manco, and Van Cleef plays an old war hero named Colonel Mortimer, who are both seeking the notorious outlaw, Indio, and his gang.
I watch both of these on Pluto T.V. for free.
Favorite Scenes (Fistful): The offended mule scene.
The final shootout, when Ramon thinks he’s losing his touch and the man with no name won’t die.
Favorite Quotes (Fistful): “When a man with a forty-five meets a man with a rifle, you said, ‘the man with the pistol is a dead man.’ Let’s just see if that’s true.” – Man with no name (Eastwood)
“You mean the American government on one side and the Mexicans on the other, and me in the middle? Uh, huh. Too dangerous.” – Man with no name (Eastwood)
Favorite Scene (Few Dollars): The final gun battle between Colonel Mortimer and Indio.
Favorite Quote (Few Dollars): “Two hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money. We’re going to have to earn it.” – Manco (Eastwood)
“No, old man. Thought I was having a problem with my adding. But it’s okay now.” – Manco (Eastwood)
“I generally smoke just after I eat. Why don’t you come back in about ten minutes.” – Colonel Mortimer (Van Cleef)
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (1966), with Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach
A civil war tale of survival and greed. This is a lengthy movie, but well worth it. There are so many great quotes, it is difficult to pick favorites. I have this one in my personal movie collection.
Favorite Quotes: “When you have to shoot, shoot. Don’t talk.” – Tuco Rameriz (Wallach)
“You know when I take a job, I always see it through.” Angel Eyes (Van Cleef)
“Take a swig of this, Captain. Keep your ears open.” – Blondie (Eastwood)
“Such ungratefulness. After all the times I’ve saved your life.” – Blondie (Eastwood)
“It’s good to know you’ve always got a brother who won’t deny you a bowl of soup.” – Tuco Ramirez (Wallach)
Favorite scenes: Sad Hill Cemetery (Cool Fact: Sad Hill Cemetery was built specifically for this movie. The set was just abandoned when they finished, but it was restored after fifty-five years by a dedicated group of film fans in 2015.)
Bridge Explosion (Cool Fact: They used three cameras on the first take, and the explosion blew the cameras up, so they had to reconstruct and do a second take using nine different camera angles to ensure success. No computer animation back then.)
The Unforgiven (1992), with Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman and Gene Hackman
When a bounty is posted to avenge a prostitute who is scarred for life, widowed pig farmer William Muney returns to his old killing ways to save his farm and feed his children.
An original and thought-provoking story line, accompanied by excellent acting from all players. I have this one in my personal movie collection.
Favorite Quote: “I ain’t like that anymore.” – William Munny (Eastwood)
“It’s a hell of a thing, killin’ a man. Take away all he’s got, and all he’ll ever have.” – William Munny (Eastwood)
“All right, I’m coming out. Any man I see out there, I’m gonna shoot him. Any sumbitch takes a shot at me, I’m not only gonna kill him, but I’m gonna kill his wife, all his friends, and burn his damn house down.” – William Munny (Eastwood)
“He should have armed himself if he’s gonna decorate his saloon with my friend.” – William Munny (Eastwood)
Favorite Scene: Confrontation between Munny (Eastwood) and Little Bill (Hackman).
The Quick & The Dead (1995), with Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, and Leonardo DiCaprio
This has to be Sharon Stone’s absolute best role as the strong female protagonist. A gripping storyline for her character necessitates our rooting for her to triumph. Gene Hackman plays Herod, the cruel villain through and through.
I watch this one on Pluto T.V. for free.
Favorite Quotes: “Today I am.” – The Lady (Stone)
“You need a bath.” – The Lady (Stone)
“Some people deserve to die.” – The Lady (Stone)
“The law’s come back to town.” – The Lady (Stone)
“Sorry, John. Changed the rules. From now on, all the fights are fair.” – Cort (Crowe)
“I’m so damned fast I can wake up at the crack of dawn, rob two banks, a train and a stage coach, shoot the tail feathers off a duck’s ass at 300 feet, and still be back in bed before you wake up next to me.” – The Kid (DiCaprio)
Favorite Scenes: The Lady puts the dirty old man in his place
Young Guns (1988) & Young Guns 2 (1990), with Emilio Estevez, Kieffer Sutherland, and Lou Diamond Phillips
This telling of the story of Billy the Kid and the Lincoln County War is brought to life by an all-star cast, in both the original movie and Young Guns 2. I have both in my personal movie collection.
There’s plenty of action and plenty of old west humor. Both are very quotable movies.
Favorite Quotes (First): “I’ll make you famous.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)
“If we’re caught, we’re gonna hang… But there’s many a slip twixt the cup and the lip.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)
“Did you see the size of that chicken?” – Dirty Steve (Dermot Mulroney)
“Many nights while you were sleeping, I could have slit your throat. Glad I didn’t kill you, Steve.” Chavez y Chavez (Phillips)
Favorite Quotes (Second): “Stop napping on the job, Bob.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)
“Best dollar eighty I ever spent.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)
“It’s the real lynch mob! Skin out!” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)
“I shall finish the game.” – Billy the Kid (Estevez)
“I’d rather drink turpentine and piss on a brush fire.” – Sheriff Kimball (Jerry Gardner)
“White Oaks, you can kiss my ass.” – Jane Greathouse (Jenny Wright)
“Let me tell you what you really are! You rode a 15-year-old boy straight to his grave, and the rest of us straight to hell… straight to hell! William H. Bonney! You are not a god!” Josiah ‘Doc’ Scurlock (Sutherland)
“You’ll get down below all right. You’ll get down below. You’re Billy the Kid, too, you know. You’re all Billy the Kid. Little Billy bastards.” – John Chisholm (James Colburn)
“Incumbered by idjits, I pressed on.” – Pat Garrett (William Peterson)
Tombstone (1993), with Kurt Russel, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton and Powers Boothe
This is a telling of the events leading up the shootout at the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona, October 26, 1881. The all-star cast brings the story to life, with Kurt Russell playing Wyatt Earp, and Sam Elliot and Bill Paxton playing brothers Virgil and Morgan. The notorious Doc Holliday is played by Val Kilmer and Curly Bill Brocious (Powers Boothe) and his cowboy buddies play the villains. I have this one in my personal movie collection.
Not historically correct on many aspects but entertaining none-the-less.
Favorite Scenes: The afternoon horse race & The faceoff between Doc Holliday (Kilmer) and Johnny Ringo (Michael Beihn)
Favorite Quotes: “I’m an oak.” – Wyatt Earp (Russell)
“You tell them I’m coming, and hell’s coming with me.” – Wyatt Earp (Russell)
“I’m your huckleberry.” Doc Holliday (Kilmer)
“You’re a daisy if you do.” – Doc Holliday (Kilmer)
“I’ve still got one good arm to hold you with, Ally-girl.” – Virgil Earp (Elliot)
About Author Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders and The D.I.Y. Author writing resource.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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This segment of “Everyone is a Critic” with Robbie Cheadle is sponsored by The Women in the West Adventure Series andWordCrafter Press.
Women in the West Adventure Series and a Digital Doubles Deal
Get books 1 & 2, Delilah & Sarah, both for one low price of $10.
I didn’t think my life could get any weirder, until the dreaded rollercoaster…
Amelina Scott’s destiny is to be a Krystallos: a magician of light, chosen to learn the ways of crystal magic on her 16th birthday. Located on a river pathway in a mysterious part of Cambridge, the Crystal Cottage is guarded by mythical beings.
Unfortunately, there are those who seek to harm this haven of light. Learning of Ryder – a Shadow Sorcerer with hypnotic powers – Amelina discovers that her own magic is now threatened, and that the Curse of Time might be unleashed again.
As secrets abound and the creatures of the Chronophage come alive, can Amelina become the true magician she needs to be?
A unique, imaginative mystery full of magic-wielding and dark elements, Golden Healer is a riveting adventure for anyone interested in fantasy, mythology or the world of the paranormal. NOTE: this book contains mention of self-harm, mental health issues and alludes to the potential dangers of sexual attraction, which may trigger younger/sensitive readers.
I received a digital copy of Golden Healer, by M.J. Mallon, from the author in exchange for an honest review. All opinions stated here are my own. I was excited when asked to review book 2 in Mallon’s The Curse of Time Series, as I recalled enjoying the first book in the series, Blood Stone. My review of Blood Stone: https://writingtoberead.com/2023/08/18/book-review-bloodstone/
I don’t have a lot of experience with magical realism, but once I get into the swing of it, and realize that magical happenings are an expected part of everyday life and just about anything is possible, the stories in this series start popping. Mallon writes magical realism with a skilled hand. Although the events of the story may seem a bit odd to the characters, they are taken as a matter of fact, they just are.
Amelina knows that something isn’t right. There are many strange things happening. Her friend Jade is determined to date Ryder, despite Amelina’s misgivings and her warnings that the boy is trouble. Jade thinks Amelina is just jealous and refuses to listen. Esme is still trapped inside the mirror and has lost her reflection, but Amelina doesn’t know how to free her. After taking her father’s youth and Krystalos powers by forcing him to ride the monster rollercoaster, the grasshopper has decided Amelina’s next on line for a ride. And the Crystal Cottage remains as mysterious as ever.
Rollercoasters with a high price, evil giant grasshoppers,mirror prisons, cats with human characteristics, evil shadow demons, magic welcome mats with attitude, and lots and lots of magic crystals. This story has it all.
This is one story you’ve to read to believe, and I do think reading the series in order could be helpful. A delightful and surprising story, which I truly enjoyed reading. I give Golden Healer five quills.
About Kaye Lynne Booth
For Kaye Lynne Booth, writing is a passion. Kaye Lynne is an author with published short fiction and poetry, both online and in print, including her short story collection, Last Call and Other Short Fiction; and her paranormal mystery novella, Hidden Secrets; Books 1 & 2 of her Women in the West adventure series, Delilah and Sarah, and Book 1 in her Time-Travel Adventure series, The Rock Star & The Outlaw, as well as her poetry collection, Small Wonders.
Kaye holds a dual M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing with emphasis in genre fiction and screenwriting, and an M.A. in publishing. Kaye Lynne is the founder of WordCrafter Quality Writing & Author Services and WordCrafter Press, where she edits and publishes two short fiction anthologies and one poetry anthology every year amidst her many writing projects. She also maintains an authors’ blog and website, Writing to be Read, where she publishes content of interest in the literary world.
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Kaye Lynne Booth does honest book reviews on Writing to be Read in exchange for ARC digital copies, (she also accepts print copies). Have a book you’d like reviewed? You can request a review on the Book Review tab above.
Today I am delighted to introduce you to poet and blogger Dwight Roth. Dwight has a beautiful blog which you can find here: https://rothpoetry.wordpress.com/roth-poetry-home-page/. Dwight shares poetry, his lovely paintings, and other craft work on his blog.
Welcome Dwight
Tell us a bit about your writing journey and how you came to write poetry
Reading and writing were very hard for me in primary school. It seems like it took me until I got to the fifth grade to begin catching on to how learning worked. Over the years I dabbled in writing. I wrote songs that I played on the guitar and some poems in freestyle. What little I about poetry, knew was what I learned in my literature classes in high school and college.
After I retired, I began to participate in a live poetry reading at the Indian Trail Cultural arts center in 2013. It was led by Kym Moore, whom some of you know from our Word press blog. I began collecting my poems and had them printed into a booklet form at the local Office Max. She encouraged me to post my poems on a blog.
She introduced me to Word Press and in 2016 I decide to try and joined the Word Press blogging group. It was there I found a poetry community of people who enjoyed my poetry and it took off from there. I made so many wonderful friends over the years and found d’Verse Poets Pub to be a great help in learning to understand poetry in its many forms.
Kym also connected me with Tom Davis, editor of Old Mountain Press, who was a great help in writing my memoirs. He publishes a poetry anthology quarterly which I have contributed to for the past ten years.
I posted my photos and poems every day for over five years. My poems were all written in digital form so I got them published in spiral bound books at the local Office Max. I now have published ten books of poems and several children’s book along with a few my memoirs. Some of them can be found on Amazon Kindle.
Writing poetry has change my life and added purpose to my retirement years.
What is your favourite style of poetry to read?
My poetry of choice is freestyle but I do love writing haiku as well. Saying a lot with a few words is a fun challenge.
Share your favourite poem by another poet and why
I love the work of Billy Collins. His freestyle approach to the ordinary and everyday is so enjoyable to read or listen to. This was the first poem I ever read of his work. There was an immediate connection.
Aimless Love by Billy Collins
This morning as I walked along the lakeshore,
I fell in love with a wren
and later in the day with a mouse
the cat had dropped under the dining room table.
In the shadows of an autumn evening,
I fell for a seamstress
still at her machine in the tailor’s window,
and later for a bowl of broth,
steam rising like smoke from a naval battle.
This is the best kind of love, I thought,
without recompense, without gifts,
or unkind words, without suspicion,
or silence on the telephone.
The love of the chestnut,
the jazz cap and one hand on the wheel.
No lust, no slam of the door –
the love of the miniature orange tree,
the clean white shirt, the hot evening shower,
the highway that cuts across Florida.
No waiting, no huffiness, or rancor –
just a twinge every now and then
for the wren who had built her nest
on a low branch overhanging the water
and for the dead mouse,
still dressed in its light brown suit.
But my heart is always propped up
in a field on its tripod,
ready for the next arrow.
After I carried the mouse by the tail
to a pile of leaves in the woods,
I found myself standing at the bathroom sink
gazing down affectionately at the soap,
so patient and soluble,
so at home in its pale green soap dish.
I could feel myself falling again
as I felt its turning in my wet hands
and caught the scent of lavender and stone.
What is your favourite of your own poems and why?
As I get older, I enjoy pondering on life, death, and theology trying to understand what it all means.This poem is one that came from one of those times.
When My Spirit Rises by Dwight Roth
When my spirit rises
Unencumbered and free
No weight or worry accompanies me
Interesting that I value things
When in the end the spirit flies
Leaving them all behind
How much I worry and fret
But this too shall pass when I am gone
My spirit rises out of this shell
A virtual butterfly reborn
From caterpillar to chrysalis
Reborn in the image of God
Spirit, Creator, Redeemer, Savior
Knowing there is no place for the earthly
In the spirit world beyond
I can’t take it with me
But then again… Why would I want to
When my spirit rises
Leaving it all behind
What poetry projects are you currently working on?
My last project was a self-published book of poems called Bones of Inspiration.
I started publishing my own books using my home computer instead of going to Office Max. I have done the last three poetry books this way. I got a punch and bindings on Amazon that works very well for me. I print books for friends and family. I usually have about a hundred poems to compile every year or so. It is time consuming but I love the process.
My review of Bones of Inspiration by Dwight Roth
Picture caption: gorgeous cover of Bones of Inspiration by Dwight Roth
Dwight Roth is my kind of poet. He writes powerful and impactful poems and flash fiction using simple words and phrases. I don’t need a dictionary to read his work and his meanings and content are clear and precise. Dwight also writes about everyday issues and circumstances that I experience every day. This makes his poetry very relatable for me.
This collection covers a wide range of topics including love, fear, aging, and many others. He uses a technique of questioning in some of his poems which I also enjoy very much. An example of Dwight’s usage of this technique is in his poem Color in the Dark:
“What happens to color when the light goes out
Is the rainbow still there, dancing all about
Or do the colors all congeal to dark black ghosts
Spectors of nothingness seeking a place to float.”
Another beautifully written and insightful poem is about a time when the poet was seven years old and his mother was ill. He perfectly captures the confusion and anxiety of a young boy who doesn’t understand what’s going on but knows its a serious event in his family’s life. An intense extract from this poem, Childhood Trauma:
“Being only seven years old I did not know what to thing as they
carefully carried her down the steps and loaded her into
the back of the hearse that had windows on each side that
read: Honsaker’s Funeral Home – Masontown, Pa
It was a great relief to know the poet’s mother survived and lived to reach a good, old age.
My favourite poem in the collection is Silence … or My Noise of Choice. Although I do not suffer from tinnitus like the author does, I am often overwhelmed by the noise pollution living in a big city. During Covid lockdown, when I went outside to hang out the washing it was delightfully silent. I could write a poem in my head or listen to an audio book on low to entertain myself. Now that we are back to normal life, I find being outside very noisy. I can’t listen to an audio book even with the sound turned up because I can’t hear above the cars and motorbikes racing up the road or an airplane flying overhead. The neighbours play noisy music or speak loudly as do pedestrians on the road. I find the constant noise pollution very stressful. This is a short extract from this poem:
“Sounds around me seem to compete for attention
floating through my head competing with my tinnitus
constantly buzzing like high-pitched cicadas and little twitters.
To my left the return fan for the AC hums off and on
drowning out the questions on Jeopardy and the Wheel.
Finally, the AC fan goes off, the TV is shut off … Ahhh … peace and quiet
But no, as I settle back with my laptop and blog the fridge drops its ice”
If you enjoy honest, easy to read and relate to poetry that is well written and engaging, you will enjoy this delightful collection.
Picture caption: Amazon author photograph of Dwight Roth
Dwight Roth is a retired elementary school teacher of 29 years, who grew up in the mountains of Southwestern Pennsylvania. He enjoys writing, poetry, painting, and music. He enjoys participating in the Indian Trail Cultural Arts poetry group and has had works published in, and recent omp.com Anthologies. He has self-published three memoirs and a book of poetry two children’s books and three “a word from the Word” daily meditation books. He and his wife Ruth live near Monroe, NC.
South African author and illustrator, Robbie Cheadle, has written and illustrated sixteen children’s books, illustrated a further three children’s books, and written and illustrated three poetry books. Her work has also appeared in poetry and short story anthologies.
Robbie also has two novels and a collection of short stories published under the name of Roberta Eaton Cheadle and has horror, paranormal, and fantasy short stories featured in several anthologies under this name.
You can find Robbie Cheadle’s artwork, fondant and cake artwork, and all her books on her website here: https://www.robbiecheadle.co.za/
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This segment of “Treasuring Poetry” is sponsored by WordCrafter Press and the Poetry Treasures series.
