Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Haunted Lighthouses I Dare You To Spend A Night In and Tell Me Something Tuesday: Who Do You Want on Your Team During the Zombie Apocalypse and Why?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Welcome to the final Tuesday of October. We are only four days away from Halloween, my second favorite holiday. It's truly a shame I haven't decorated for it. I might try on Wednesday or Thursday, but my work schedule is weird this week. 

Today is a Halloween freebie, and I wanted to be creative, so I asked AI for a few ideas. Then I tweaked the best idea to my liking. Here are the...

Top Ten Haunted Lighthouses

 I Dare You to Spend A Night In

1. The lighthouse on a Scottish remote island from The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke: Nothing like spending some time in a lighthouse built over a cave that was once used as a prison to house women accused of witchcraft. 

2. The Maiden Rock Lighthouse from The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex: Would you spend a night in a lighthouse in a remote area miles from the Cornish coast where three lighthouse keepers have disappeared? 

3. The lighthouse in The Widow of Pale Harbor by Hester Fox: Now, this would be an interesting place because the area is home to a reclusive widow accused of witchcraft, a transcendentalist preacher haunted by the memories of his former life, and a killer inspired by Edgar Allan Poe. Doesn't that lighthouse give you the warm and fuzzies? 

4. The beacon at Lizard Light Cottage from The Ghost of Lizard Light by Elvira Woodruff: You could share your space with a ten-year-old boy who died in a shipwreck and help him solve the mystery of his father's death. That sounds tame enough.

5. The lighthouse from The Watch House by Robert Westall: Would you spend the night in an abandoned lighthouse in a seaside village filled with a treasure trove of history and strange writing that appears in the glass display cases?

6. The lighthouse in The Forlorned by Angela J. Townsend: Imagine having the fun of staying the night in a house the newest resident calls "damned." You will visit with ghosts and learn more about the island's evil past. Doesn't that sound inviting?

7. The lighthouse in Shadows Over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft: Spend the night in a decaying Massachusetts town with deformed inhabitants with bulging eyes and scaly skin where the villagers are prone to human sacrifices. Would you even cross the border into that town? 

8.  The lighthouse in Haunted Lighthouse by R. L. Stine: How about packing an overnight bag to stay in a lighthouse on Cape Cod that is said to have nearby boats filled with singing ghosts? Did I mention you might disappear?

9. The Cape Lookout light in The Haunting of Cape Lookout Lighthouse by J. D. Ricks: You had to know an OBX lighthouse would make the list. Here, you could hang your hat in a lighthouse with doors that lead where they shouldn't, stairways shift under your feet, and the dead whisper through radios and hidden rooms. Doesn't that sound charming?

10. The beacon from The Lamplighter by Crystal J. Bell: Wouldn't a nineteenth-century whaling village known for its lucky ship figureheads and people disappearing into the night fog make you want to extend your stay? Maybe not. 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics, from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday prompt asks: Who do you want on your team during the zombie apocalypse and why?

This was an easier question to answer than I was anticipating for Halloween week. In the early years of my blogging life, I discovered Karina Fabian's Neeta Lyffe, Zombie Exterminator. From California to Utah to sometime in the future, Neeta Lyffe is exterminating zombies. Who else would I possibly need? Though Vern, who is a dragon private investigator, can handle demons pretty well. I wonder what he thinks of zombies. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Things That Make Up My Perfect Day and Tell Me Something Tuesday: If You Could Have Any Office Supply in Unlimited Quantities, What Would It Be?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Happy Tuesday! Hope you are having a good week. I am tired, but it is all good stuff. This week's Top Ten Tuesday asks us to share the things that would make up our perfect day. I am eager to read everyone's answers. Here are mine:

1. Waking up rested. I've always struggled with sleeping. When I was younger, I could have five hours of rest and function. Not these days. Since I am a night owl, on my perfect day, I don't rise before 9 am. 
2. A slow morning routine. I would love to ease into my day instead of getting up, getting dressed, and rushing off to my desk or out the door to work. Spend time in prayer and maybe journal a bit.
3. A few minutes in the garden. I've promised myself I will get outside at least once a day (driving in my car does not count). I would love to spend a few minutes pulling weeds or harvesting fruits first thing in the morning. 
4. Late morning writing time. After a cup of tea and a bite, I feel productive, so I would sit and write for an hour.
5. Take a walk. Then it would be time to walk the dog, preferably along the shore. Not realistic at home, but it is great on the Outer Banks. 
6. Light lunch while reading. I love snacking while I read, so sitting in my reading room--which I still need to design--or on the front porch with a light lunch will make a good book even better.
7. Afternoon of writing and/or crafting. I need more writing time if I plan to finish my works in progress and secure an agent. I also want to get back to crafting. I am not great at it, but I can always learn.
8. Time in the kitchen. I truly enjoy time in the kitchen, whether it be baking or cooking. Feeding my family makes me feel wonderful and inspired.
9. Game time. I grew up with board games and card games. I wish we did this more often. 
10. Put the house to rest and plan for the next day. There is something wonderful about having everything in its place before you turn in for the night. Planning for the next day, which I often do anyway, creates a more peaceful morning. 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics, from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday prompt asks: If you could have any office supply in unlimited quantities, what would it be?

I would have to say notecards. I send them out to people regularly. They are also one of the things I often buy at gift stores and bookstores while on vacation. I love me a good notecard. 

That's it for me today. Enjoy your day!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Covers with Black Cats and Tell Me Something Tuesday: What Animal Do You Think Best Represents Your Personality?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Here we are at Tuesday again. Hope your week is going well. I start today with a closing and hosting a broker's open. 

Top Ten Tuesday asked us to share books with autumnal covers, but since I posted about book covers that inspire me to take a fall road trip recently, it seems like another idea would work better. So, in honor of our black cat, Travis, here are...

Top Ten Book Covers with Black Cats

Hex the Halls by Mindy Kalsky et al.

A Whiskered Perspective by M. G. Spear

Halloween Murder by Leslie Meier

Splat the Cat by Rob Scotton

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper

Pete the Cat Saves Christmas by James Dean and Eric Litwin

The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

MEOW! by Vanessa Morgan

Where Did Panther Go? by Vivian Zabel

M is for Magic by Neil Gaiman

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics, from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

This week's Tell Me Something Tuesday prompt asks: What animal do you think best represents your personality? Try not to be unnerved by my answer. LOL!

This is where my love of cartoons shines through. Since my days of watching Looney Tunes in front of the only television in our childhood home, Taz has been my favorite character. Like the Tasmanian devil, I am social in groups where I am comfortable. I consider myself passionate, expressive, and full of life. However, I am also feisty, loud, and impulsive, so I can be a bit unpredictable... though I don't think I am quite as unpredictable as Looney Tunes Taz. 

Looking forward to reading your blogs later today. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Inspire Me to Take a Fall Road Trip & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Sweet or Salty?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Happy Tuesday! Seems fitting that I participated in Top Ten Tuesday on September 1 and Top Ten Tuesday at the end of the month. September certainly flew by. That's okay. I am a fall kind of girl. The garden is mostly harvested. The hoses are tucked away in the shed. I will attempt to bring the herbs into the house for the winter soon. 

When this time of year rolls around, I plan to take road trips. I want to explore apple orchards, farms, and fall fairs/festivals. Do I? Rarely. Though I can say I went to The Apple Place in East Longmeadow for the first time last week. They have an Apple Fest this weekend. Olde Mistick Village also has an Apple Festival mid-October. But I digress...

With all the talk of fall, I thought it would be a great idea to share the Top Ten Books That Inspire Me to Take a Fall Road Trip. Here they are in no particular order.

Doesn't the cover of The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate inspire you to drive and find that place?

Would you travel to witness a wedding in an apple orchard like the one pictured on the cover of A Surprise Harvest Bride by Wendy Klopfenstein?

New England has lots of pretty Main Streets to explore, like the one featured on the cover of Falling on Main Street

by Tara Grace Ericson.

Doesn't Picture Perfect Autumn by Shelley Noble inspire a photo-taking trip this fall?

Would Katharine's Remarkable Road Trip by Gail Ward Olmstead encourage you to get in your car and drive down a tree-lined road?

I would drive to a place called The Pumpkin Spice Cafe, like in Laurie Gilmore's book. Wouldn't you?

October Kiss by Kristen Ethridge could inspire a hand-in-hand walk through the park after you've driven to your destination. 

And If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia might encourage you to load your furry friend in the car to go and explore a walkable downtown. 

A fall road trip to a unique venue like you see on the cover of Autumn at the 

Star and Sixpense 

by Holly Hepburn might be fun. 

Though many of us get away during the summer, an Autumn Getaway like Jennifer Gracen writes about might be just the thing to refresh your soul.

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

This week's prompt for Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is all about food, a particular kind of food--snacks. I've always been a huge snacker. Inquiring minds want to know whether we prefer sweet or salty snacks.

I am mostly a "sweet snack" kind of person, because I don't allow myself many sweets these days. I can't eat the way I used to, but a piece of dark chocolate dipped in peanut butter is a nice treat after supper. I also love chocolate chip cookies, ice cream, and strawberry rhubarb pie. Not that I have them very often. 

I'm prone to eating salty snacks more often: various nuts, potato chips, and pretzels are almost always in the house.

How about you? Do you like your snacks sweet or salty? 

Looking forward to visiting blogs today. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books with Nationalities in the Titles and Tell Me Something Tuesday: Which books are you looking forward to reading this Fall?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Welcome to Tuesday and the first day of September. I am ready for fall, y'all! My mantle has been cleaned off and is just waiting for me to have time to decorate it. My fall decorations can't quite rival my Christmas decorations, but they are trying. 

No real news from the doctor, so more bloodwork tomorrow. How fun. 

Let's talk books. Such a neat topic this week. I will do my best with it. 

Top Ten Books with Nationalities

 in the Titles

French Letters: Virginia's War: Tierra Texas 1944 by Jack Woodville London

(Makes this list because I despised every character)

French Illusions by Linda Lovic-Skow

(Loved working as an editor on this project)

Loss of Innocence: A Novel of the French Revolution by Anne Newton Walther

(One of the first books I reviewed)

American Prophet by Jeff Fulmer

(I enjoy politics)

American Gods by Neil Gaiman

(An online quiz said I wrote like him. LOL!)

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

(One of the books I still desperately want to read)

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

(The title alone makes me want to read it)

Everyday Italian by Giada De Laurentiis

(Might be the most used cookbook in my house)

The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas

(This one sounds adorable)

Under a Greek Sky by Francesca Catlow

(If I didn't have a Greek book on the list, the family might disown me)

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday's first prompt of the "ber" months asks us to share which books we are looking forward to reading this fall. Honestly, with my schedule lately, any book will do. I've been sneaking in moments here and there, but certainly not enough. Though it might seem like I am rushing the holiday season, here is what I want to read.

A Christmas Carol Devotional by Rachel Dodge

The Christmas Yes List by Melissa Ferguson

A Castle Christmas by Jimmy Bennett

Belle's Christmas Carol by Michelle Griep

Looking forward to reading your lists today!

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Book Series I Want to Catch Up On or Start

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Tuesday has come around again. We only have two more Tuesdays before August is done. Then my favorite months, the "-ber months," arrive. Here in New England, we are blessed with four seasons. There is something magical about watching nature's transformation from winter to spring to summer and fall that reminds me that life is always renewing itself. Just as invigorating as it is to haul the tools out after the long winter and spend time in the garden, harvesting the fruits of your labors and preparing the beds to rest as the weather grows colder is a reminder that every season offers its own kind of beauty and gentle transition.

Let's talk about books. This week's Top Ten Tuesday is about book series, those we want to catch up on or start. This is a hard one for two reasons: there are series I will never catch up on, so I don't know that I want to try, and I tend not to read as many series books as I used to. I will give it a shot.

1. Cedar Cove by Debbie Macomber - Discovered this one thanks to the Hallmark Channel series, but there are enough books that catching up is unlikely right now.
2. A Prairie Legacy by Janette Oke - This is a four-book series that continues with the saga of the Davis family, whom we meet in her Love Comes Softly series. I bought these books on eBay in 2024. Would love to read them next year.
3. Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer - I read the first two books with my girls when they came out. Not my typical genre, but I enjoyed them. Complete with four primary books, a prequel, and an anthology, I could probably read this one. It's just not on my mind these days.
4. Caitlin Strong by Jon Land - When Land was touring with his Caitlin Strong novels, I read some of them. However, life got in the way, and I never finished reading this eleven-book series. I own several of them. I don't read as many books like this these days, but they are superb.
5. Deputy Tempe Crabtree by Marilyn Meredith - I can't believe I am even admitting this. Marilyn, I hope you're not reading this. Marilyn and I met when I worked with Dorothy, owner of Pump Up Your Book. I ended up promoting several of these books and creating video trailers for some of them. I just never went back and read the books before Smell of Death, even though I own them.
6. Daughter of the Mayflower by various authors - I loved everything about this series, but I couldn't keep up with how quickly the books were coming out. So, I stopped requesting them. I think I own the entire series. Really need to make time for them. 
7. Murder, She Wrote by Jessica Fletcher et al. - I loved this as a television series, so one would think I would have discovered the books decades ago. Nope. I only own three of them--the last two that Jon Land wrote and another that I picked up from a library book sale. I've read Land's books. Considering there are now 64 books in the series, there is no way I will ever read them all.
8. Lighthouse Library Mystery by Eva Gates - I bought the first two books in the series because they are set on the Outer Banks. Have I read them? No. My schedule is always so crazy. With 13 books in the series, it is not looking good for me.
9. Lucy Stone Mystery by Leslie Meier - I met this author at a local writers conference decades ago. I bought one of these books, but have never read it. So far, there are 32 books. No hope of catching up with this one.
10. Secrets of the Blue and Gray by Vanessa Lind - This one caught my eye recently, and I would love to read these four books. Have you read them yet? 

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday is on hiatus until September. Check back for more prompts then.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Make Me Think of Summer & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Do you have any summer plans? If not, what would you like to do?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Dropping in to say hi and attempt to participate in this week's Top Ten Tuesday. Though we are supposed to share books on our summer to-read lists, I have been in such a reading lull that there seemed to be no value in talking about the same books again. However, I would love to share something I heard while listening to a book yesterday that will forever change how I approach reading. 

While listening to Meditations for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman in my car, my ears immediately perked up when he said that instead of seeing the unread books in our TBR piles as sitting in some collection bucket to be emptied, we should treat our TBR piles like a river-- a flowing stream of possibilities you can dip into and choose what you feel like reading, letting the rest float on by. Why have I not thought of this before? Just think how freeing that would be. 

In honor of this new enlightenment, I am simply sharing books that make me think of summer, because vacation is inching closer to reality, and these books make me want to embrace summer even more than I did a week ago.

Top Ten Books That Make Me Think of Summer

1. The Beach Trees by Karen White

2. Sunset on Moonlight Beach by Sheila Roberts

3. Summer of Secrets by Charlotte Hubbard

4. Beach Read by Emily Henry

5. The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

6. A Summer to Remember by Mary Balogh

7. The Summer of Lost and Found by Mary Alice Monroe

8. The Summer Cottage by Viola Shipman

9. The Bookshop by the Shore by Jenny Colgan

10. The Secret Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams

Photo credit to articular on Magnific (formerly FreePik)

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday asks: Do you have any summer plans? If not, what would you like to do?

My goal this first week of summer is to stay out of jail if someone’s chewing is so loud I might commit a felony. Do I sound stressed? 

In all seriousness, I am looking forward to our annual family trip to the Outer Banks. We leave Friday evening, will stay in a hotel, and then finish the trip to the OBX Saturday. That is the joy of taking two weeks off--well, as off as a totally connected real estate agent can pretend to be. But working from the beach house is definitely different. Now, if I learn how to carry back home some of those vacation boundaries and implement them here, I will be much better off. 

How about you? Any plans this summer? Any day trips? Those can't be overrated. They can often be just what we need. Any family reunions in the plans? Inquiring minds want to know. 

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Bookish Wishes & Tell Me Something Tuesday: Have you ever been surprised by a book that you didn't expect to enjoy?

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. 

Typical Tuesday, I am out the door early. Looking forward to visiting your blogs later.  

This is a popular recurring Top Ten Tuesday. Participants share the books they are wishing for, and sometimes their blogging friends grant those wishes. I have been blessed with a granted wish in the past, though I never expect it. As you know, I have a ton of unread books here. 

Top Ten Bookish Wishes

These all appear on my Amazon wish list

Until the Snow Clears by Nina York

Under the Mistletoe by Penny Zeller

Christmas Promises by Shelley Shepard Gray

The Santa Claus Girl by Patricia P. Goodin

Stupid TV, Be More Funny by Alan Siegel

Tempest at Annabel's Lighthouse by Jamie Jo Wright

From Little Houses to Little Women by Nancy McCabe

Night Falls on Predicament Avenue by Jamie Jo Wright 

A Grand Old Time by Judy Leigh 

Apparently There Were Complaints by Sharon Gless

Thanks to Freepik (now Magnific) for the image

Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST) is hosted by Jen Twimom at That's What I'm Talking About. TMST is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Participation is optional, and you can leave your comments in the weekly post when you participate. Check it out if you're interested in joining.

Tell Me Something Tuesday asks: Have you ever been surprised by a book that you didn't expect to enjoy?

It has been a while, but this has definitely happened to me. Never expected to enjoy The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins as much as I did. Jeff Hirsch's The Eleventh Plague was another dystopian novel I surprisingly liked. The Kensei by Jon F. Mertz was a vampire novel that I highly recommended back in 2013. I don't read vampire novels very often. Finally, proving that if you are a great writer, you can attract readers who openly profess not to read your genre, one of my favorite authors, whom I have known since I started blogging, is Karina L. Fabian, who writes fantasy and sci-fi. Now, I don't actively search for those genres, but I have enjoyed her Dragon Eye PI books, her zombie exterminator book, and her space anthology. She has also written Christian fiction and nonfiction, which are genres I regularly read. 

What book(s) have surprised you?