Monday, May 27, 2013

Memorial Day: Remembering Those Past

A political cartoon in the paper this morning . . .

Memorial Day is a day to remember our ancestors and soldiers who have served in peacetime and war . My mother faithfully delivers flowers on this day to all the family graves in Tacoma. I did this once with her and it was a wonderful experience. 

Memorial Day is also a time for celebrating the present with family and friends. My son is off camping with his young family in California woods somewhere today. No family here in eastern Washington, so my husband and I will enjoy a day off from normal work activity and maybe take a bike ride this afternoon with friends if the weather permits.  

Hope your day is as pleasant!



Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Africa Mercy - Africa Wedding: One Nurse's Journey

Hi, 
Another email update from "M" (Marilyn) in Africa, and as requested, pictures of the wedding she described in her last email! Aren't they beautiful?
  

Guinea, Africa Wedding

Marilyn in middle with other nurses on the Africa Mercy



The Happy Couple. Oh what a joyful day!

Bride on right at wedding table. 
Marilyn in rear (4th over, L-R)






Click here to learn more about the nurses and doctors on board the Africa Mercy.




Thursday, May 23, 2013

Sunshine Award for Shells . . .

One of the pleasant surprises in the blogging experience are the occasional awards that bloggers give to each other. The Sunshine Award gives a lift and a smile to one's day and I couldn't think of a better blog gift on a cold spring day. We had snow in Eastern Washington today!

Thank-you SO much, Jai (And then . . .), for sending sunshine my way. I wish you flowers and bright sunshine in return! Be sure to check out Jai's interesting Writer's blog if you have never visited. She was my faithful 'constant' in the A-Z challenge. 

So here are the rules:
--Feature a picture of this award in a post on your blog.
--Answer 10 random questions about yourself.
--Nominate 10 other bloggers. Be sure to link to their blogs and let them know. 

Ten Questions:

1. What inspired you to start blogging?
  • I like playing with words and expressing myself, but I was hesitant to jump into something that had all the appearances of a time waster. I was trying to write a novel, and not doing a great job maintaining a writing schedule. But Cathy Ensley at http://wordsworldandwings.blogspot.com/ convinced me I needed to learn more about social media if I was serious about writing and being published one day. It began to make good sense. I jumped into 2013 April A-Z Challenge and never looked back. I discovered a world of like-minded bloggers and it's also been a lot of fun. Definitely not a time waster!
2. How did you come up with the name of your blog?
  • This was so much fun to figure out, but here's basically what it means. Shells---the things we collect that bring joy and give meaning to our lives. Tales---the stories we tell in life that define who we are. Sails---the journeys we take in life that show where we have been and where we are headed.
 3. What is your favorite blog to read?
  • I can't answer this. My interests vary: writing, gardening, crafts, travel and family history to name a few. I do love to peek in and visit now and then and chat with bloggers. Others I discover randomly. Random blogs tend to be sites related to the writing field that offer something I need at the time, for instance, information regarding agents and publishers or writing software.
4. Tell us about your dream job:
  • To have several published novels on the market that are doing really well, and another one in the process. God willing, I plan to write for the rest of my life. 
5. Is your glass half-full or half-empty?
  • Definitely half-full. Life is too short to be negative.
6. If you could go anywhere for a week's vacation, where would you go?
  •  A week really isn't long enough for a vacation, but if I had a month, I would go somewhere I've never been before. India, Australia, New Zealand, Africa, Vietnam, China, Paris, London......the list is endless. Stateside, I would travel up the east coast. I want to see U.S. historical sites.
7. What food can you positively not eat? 
  •  Sushi. Something about 'raw' really bothers me. (I once ate a raw oyster on a dare. I've never recovered.)
 8. Dark chocolate or milk chocolate?
  • I prefer the taste of milk chocolate, but eat dark for my health.
 9. How much time do you spend blogging?
  •  I'm a new blogger, so probably more than I should. The A-Z Challenge was crazy. I spent hours a day. I have no idea how much. My husband threatened to turn me into 'bloggers anonymous' (do they exist?). Now around two hours a day, but I'm starting to ease back. I really need to finish my novel.
10. Do you watch TV and if so, what are your favorite shows?
  • Sure. I like Public TV. I sometimes watch the news, business reports, Charlie Rose, and documentaries. I also watch TV series on Netflix (without commercials). Some of my favorites have been Doc Martin, Downton Abbey, Life Unexpected, Eureka, Warehouse 13, Lost, and Gifted Man. Right now I'm watching Star Trek's Next Generation and Flying Alaska.


Here are the 10 bloggers I have nominated:
(Check out their wonderful blogs :) 

Warning to nominees below. This is a time-consuming post. I understand if it takes awhile or if you are simply too busy. Just wanted you to know you are on my 'good' list and I thought the award fit  :-) 

Fe -  http://felicityburnett.blogspot.com/ 
Mary - http://mary-anderingcreatively.blogspot.com/
Liz - http://lawsofgravity.blogspot.com/
Diana - http://dianawilder.blogspot.com/
M.J. - http://mjjoachim.blogspot.com/
Kim - http://kimharristhacker.com/
Maria - http://delightdirectedliving.blogspot.com/
Sally - http://breaking-cover.blogspot.com/
Rhonda - http://www.laugh-quotes.com/
Jenn - http://j-scribbles.blogspot.com/

(same questions as above)

Monday, May 20, 2013

Weekly Recap: Finding Time to Write

Hi, Another busy week. I've been trying to increase my writing output, not on the blog....but my novel. During the A-Z Challenge I read an interesting post on Stephen King's writing schedule and was favorably impressed. He writes 4 hours a day, which means he writes only 28 hours a week. I have since read variations of this schedule, but the idea stuck. Four hours a day......Can I do it?

 As it turns out, I can to some degree. I wrote 21 hours and 30 minutes last week, up from my average 11 hours. However, the plan failed over the weekend. I admit that weekends are precious to my husband and me. It is our playtime, catch-up time, church time, relax time, shopping time, and occasional 4-day travel weekend. I try to do bills, housework, gardening and other activities during the week. (It helps that I no longer need to work outside the home).   

So on Friday we went to Thai Ginger for dinner (phad with eggplant and tofu for me; chicken with peanut sauce for hubbie). We have been in love with Thai food for a long time. We first ate Thai Jasmine rice while living in Malaysia ('95-96). We thought it funny at the time that this rice was technically illegal to purchase in Malaysia, but everyone skirted the rule. We were later stranded on a Thai train over night (another train had crashed ahead of us!), where we were treated royally and served the best lemon grass soup and other Thai courses we have ever had!

Top: train that derailed and crashed on a track parallel to ours! 
Bottom: Vince and me.....safe and sound in Bangkok (1995)


 The poster shows a flaming starship falling towards Earth, with smoke coming out. At the middle of the poster shows the title "Star Trek Into Darkness" in dark grey letters, while the production credits and the release date being at the bottom of the poster. We also saw the new Star Trek movie over the weekend, Star Trek into Darkness. This movie is mostly for younger viewers, with lots of ear-popping loud action in 3-D, but we are hard core Star Trek fans. We accept any bone Hollywood is willing to give us, and the actors they have picked for young Kirk and Spock are well suited for the roles.

 We watched the original Star Trek in the 1970s. I still remember being concerned with my two young children watching this series. I issued a ban on all Star Trek viewing, which was then nixed by the family over time. Ha! The original series seems so innocent now. We also watch Star Trek (Next Generation) on Netflix during the week. Yep, we're hard core.

So, how about you? How was your week?

Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl




Sharon M. Himsl

Writer/Author. Blogging since 2011. 
Published with Evernight Teen: 
~~The Shells of Mersing

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Africa Mercy - Neat Story: One Nurse's Journey


Hi . . . Here are two more emails from my friend on the Africa Mercy ship. This is a running post about her work in Africa as a nurse. It is difficult to comprehend the type of tumor she describes in the first email. They appear to be quite common in Africa and one wonders why. Is there something in their environment or the food they eat? I wish I knew. At any rate, this ship has been a real miracle to many Africans

The second email describes the African wedding she was invited to attend . . . 

 
Click here to learn more about the nurses and doctors on board the Africa Mercy.





3/15/13

Neat story

One of my fellow nurses told me a neat story about one of her former patients.  He had surgery a couple of years ago when Mercy Ship was in Sierra Leone.  He'd had a huge tumor on his jaw, an ameloblastoma.  It is not cancerous, but it just keeps growing and can be very disfiguring, distorting the mouth, displacing the teeth, etc.  He apparently was so ugly and scary-looking that he was shunned by everyone.  He couldn't hold a job, of course, so he would go out at night to scavenge what he could.  Then one night, an old woman saw him scavenging and was so frightened of him that she fell and broke her arm.  After that, he didn't feel that he could go out even at night.  Then Mercy Ships came and did surgery, and his life was restored.

With this surgery, the surgeon generally has to remove a good bit of jawbone and replace it with a titanium plate.  That's good, but eventually the plate can wear through the soft tissue, especially if the patient doesn't strictly adhere to a soft diet for the rest of his life.

So, once the first surgery is thoroughly healed, we do a second surgery to take bone from the hip and put it around the titanium plate.  The bone actually fuses to the plate and protects it, enabling the patient to return to normal eating patterns and a fully recovered life.

This fellow traveled from Sierra Leone to have this second surgery.  He needed 14,000 Guinea Francs to pay for the trip.  (That's worth about $2.00 USD). He didn't have the money, so he prayed.  In due time, a complete stranger handed him 10,000 Francs, a good start, but not enough.  He prayed some more.  Another stranger in a fancy car stopped and offered him a ride all the way to Mercy Ships.  He gave that person the 10,000 Francs, all he had, and so he arrived for his second surgery.

When my friend encountered this patient a couple of days ago, he had finished recovering from the second surgery and was about ready to go home again.  He looked great, and he was so pleased.  He didn't know how he was going to pay for the trip home, but he was confident that the Lord would cook up something.  Can you imagine living with moment-to-moment faith like that?  Can you imagine not having $2.00 to your name, with a life-changing surgery hanging in the balance?  I can't even wrap my mind around what it would be like to live at that level of poverty. 

The story sounds so melodramatic... and really, it is.  The tumors here really are that melodramatic, and so is the poverty. People get these tumors at home, too, but they are dealt with when they're tiny, and it's no big deal.  We have a level of health care and social services, even for the indigent, that essentially precludes this scenario from happening at home...and yet, it is not at all unusual here.  I'm just glad Mercy Ships can help some of these folks, and glad I get to play a part in it.

M 


18 May 2013

The wedding

Ramata, one of our translators in Admissions, was married today, and we were all invited.  It has been a drama for weeks, because her father has not been happy about this marriage.  Ramata is Christian, but her family is Muslim.  Ramata wanted to marry a Christian man in a Christian ceremony; Papa was offended.  He canceled the wedding twice before, and now he threatened to cancel it again.  Ramata agreed to a Muslim wedding, then planned to have a Christian wedding before the reception the next day.  She tried to keep it a secret, but Papa found out, and another fracas ensued.  An older man, friend of the family, apparently intervened to calm Papa down; he was the one who gave the bride away. Papa didn't come, but at least he allowed the wedding to proceed.

The fun started some time back with the wedding attire.  Ramata picked a fabric for us all to use in having our wedding dresses made.  It was quite colorful--all yellow and orange and brown and black and white in a busy pattern.  Definitely distinctive.  There were probably a dozen people dressed in this fabric, but each with her own dress design and finishing touches.  From Mercy Ships, five of us set out, walking through the port to the taxi place.  We caused quite a stir, dressed alike in African garb.  A couple of the police even wanted to take our pictures!

The wedding was scheduled for 12:00, with reception to follow.  The church was an hour away--or half an hour, or two hours...depending on traffic.  We left at 10:45 to meet the taxi at 11:00.  He came at 11:30.We arrived at the church at 12:45...but not to worry, we were among the first guests to arrive.

The church was small, maybe 15 x 20 feet, with a side room of maybe 15 x 15.  Fully packed, it held about 30 people.  While we waited, the electric keyboard player entertained us with "Jingle Bells", "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", "Oh, Christmas Tree", and other familiar tunes. 

Actually, I think they were pre-programmed into the machine by the manufacturer, and he just triggered them to play for us.  Next, they hauled in a huge amplifier and sound mixer equipment...that was a clue for things to come.

At 1:30, five women got up and started to sing, all with microphones amped to the max, because we could hardly hear them over the full drum set, the African drum, the African gourd shaker, and electronic keyboard that accompanied them.  They sang a song for 45 minutes.  A song, not songs.  Well, actually, five women began the singing, but various people came and took a turn leading.  African worship songs tend to be responsive, with a lead singer singing a phrase and the group singing it back to him.  The same phrase, over and over.  With enthusiasm.  Loudly.


 Accompanied with swaying and mild dancing.  It was a rock concert, African style.  They take their worship seriously--but joyfully.

Around 2:15, the ceremonies began, sort of.  Various pastors were introduced and greeted at length.  One offered a prayer; another preached for half an hour.  He preached in English, but between the accent and the distortion from amplification, I couldn't understand a word he said.  Everything was translated into French, phrase by phrase, also at full volume.

By 3:00, the bride and groom had arrived, so the wedding proper could begin.  It was conducted in English, with translation, and actually was quite similar to what we have at home.  Same vows, exchange of rings, wedding kiss, confetti as they left, etc.  And yet, it wasn't all solomn and "proper" like it would have been at home.  The pastor was teasing the groom and everyone seemed to be having a good time.  It felt unrehersed, and probably was.  After the ceremony, when it was time for the couple to leave, the groom started off down the aisle without the bride...he forgot her.  No problem...a few laughs, and off they went.

Sometime after 4:00, we all packed into cars to travel to the reception. 

 Ramata had told us it was close, walking distance.  We drove at least five miles to get there.  Sure glad I didn't opt to walk!  We didn't stay long at the reception.  More loud music, so you couldn't talk to anyone.  They planned to serve food, but it would probably have been hours later, after the walkers arrived.   We were all hot, tired, hungry, and full up to our ears with loud music, so we left before the reception got properly underway.

Going back to the ship, there were six of us piled into a taxi.  That, apparently, was illegal, so one had to lie down across our laps and one lay behind the back seat, trying to look invisible.  But, hey, we were all dressed in the same fabric, so we blended together quite nicely.

None of the police even looked twice as we passed.

A quick supper, a shower, a two hour nap, and several glasses of water later, I am fully recovered.  I think that Ramata was blessed by our coming, and I am very glad I went...but I wouldn't like to attend a wedding every weekend!  It is definitely an all-day affair, and quite tiring, with the heat and the noise.  But wow!  When they celebrate, these Africans really do it up brown, as my mother would say.  I was reminded of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", feeling a bit like the stiff, somber parents of the groom caught up in the raucous Greek wedding crowd of the bride.  Bottom line...it was "different," but it was fun.

M





Thursday, May 16, 2013

The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQueery: Book Review



 
The Peculiars 
Author: Maureen Doyle McQueery
Publisher: Amulet Books, 2012
Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Age level: Young Adult, 12 up
Pages: 368



I love a good adventure and McQueery certainly does a good job of that in her recent book, The Peculiars. This is steampunk fiction fantasy, a sub-genre of science fiction that places readers in an alternative 19th century world fascinated with steam-powered technology and its machines.

Peculiars are a people who have been disenfranchised from the rest of society based on their unusual physical defects. (Hitler's assault on people with birth and mental defects during WWII comes to mind). As a result, peculiars are often forced into hiding and must fend for themselves. Eighteen-year-old Lena Mattacascar struggles with the realization that she too may be a peculiar. She has been told she only has a birth defect, but the signs of goblinism are obvious . . . extra long fingers and feet, and one member of the family, Nana Crane, is certain she is a peculiar. If this is true, then it is also true Lena is without a soul.

Lena has also been told that her father was a peculiar. He left the family years ago when she was young and is thought to be in Scree, a northern wilderness where both peculiars and convicts live. It is a dangerous, unruly region, but on her eighteenth birthday Lena leaves home to find him. Enroute she meets Jimson Quiggley, a young librarian who has been hired by inventor Mr. Beasley who lives in a town on the Scree border. 

Mr. Beasley meets Lena and offers to hire her until she can find safe passage over the border. What she doesn't know is that Mr. Beasley has been secretly helping peculiars, including a woman with angel wings she soon meets. When the town's law enforcer Marshal Saltre discovers Mr. Beasley's operation, Lena and Jimson escape with him into Scree in Mr. Beasley's steam powered aerocopter.

Chased by Marshal Saltre and random bounty hunters, Lena is introduced to the world of peculiars and comes to terms with her identity, and that of her father’s. Without giving the plot away, as a reader I am disappointed in the fate of Lena’s father, since he was the main reason she left home. However, Lena is about to embark on a journey of leadership and who knows what else. If McQueery plans a sequel, and I hope she does, there is more to discover in this world and for Lena to overcome.

Overall, there is much to love in The Peculiars, including Jimson who becomes romantically involved with Lena. Mr. Beasley’s cat Mrs. Mumbles is adorable. Cat lovers will like her feisty temperament and loyalty.  


Copyright 2013 © Sharon M. Himsl

Monday, May 13, 2013

Weekly Recap: Diving in Again

Well, it's been 130 weeks since I started rewriting my novel (again). Based on ten critiques, I had decided it needed major work. So where am I now? I have 94k plus words and I am somewhere between chapter 18 and 21 (24 total). Two of my supporting characters, Eric and Meagan, needed a redo, that is, their romance needed to be reinstated. I sometimes laugh about this. I actually deleted Meagan from the story in the beginning when her romance with Eric started to dominate the story. So here I am, working everything back in, but with a full understanding (now) that their story is relevant to my main character's development. Does that ever happen to you...where you delete a character and then have to work he or she back in? My goal is to finish the manuscript by June, but with family activity and summer coming, I'm not sure how that's going to work. One step at a time....one step at a time. Progress is progress, I keep telling myself. I'll dive in like I always do. 

Gardening has taken over: Yesterday I gardened nearly eight hours. Now don't me wrong....I actually love gardening. It is my other place to unwind and where creativity takes a different turn. Sometimes I feel like an artist with my pallet. What would look good in that spot? A small tree or a hedge, flowers? I have a fairly new yard, so it's been fun having bare soil to work with...all since 2008. And then there was the grow light experiment. Remember that? Wonderful news....the seeds grew! Sure hope the neighbors love squash and tomatoes! 

Books to read: More to read than a sane person should tackle, but I love to read, so what else can I do? Some I am reviewing and need to take notes. I'll fit it in somehow.

Helping family: My mother recently moved into an apartment but her old house is still being sold. I have made three trips in the last few weeks (5 hours away) trying to help. Now an unexpected crisis with social security has arisen--an overpayment of some sort. Eeeh....as if she didn't have enough to worry about on a limited income.....now this? Okay, deep breath, deep breath. I do like others I know. I help, I wrestle the problem to death, and pray. 

Travel plans: Many this year! Sometime in June and July my husband and I plan to travel to Utah and California to see our children and grandchildren. Then comes a wedding this fall in Hawaii. Ooh...that sounds nice...have never been there before.

So how about you this beautiful Monday morning? It's sunshine and mostly blue sky in eastern Washington today. Have you had a good week?

Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Happy Mother's Day

I have done many things over the years I am proud of, but my two adult children remain my greatest accomplishment. What more can I say? God has blessed me immeasurably. Was it easy raising a daughter and a son? Did I transition through this period of life without the usual scrapes and bruises? Of course not. Would I do it again? Absolutely! My husband and I have six grandchildren now, and although they live far away, we are proud of our little brood. So enjoy your day, Moms, young and old! The rewards in the end are far greater than any sorrow or tribulation.

As an ancient philosopher once said: 

"Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life." (Sophocles)

Copyright 2013 © Sharon Himsl




Africa Mercy - Goodbye Guinea: One Nurse's Journey

Another email from my friend on the Africa Mercy ship!  This is a running post about her work in Africa as a nurse. Click here to learn more about the nurses and doctors on board the Africa Mercy. 

  

9 May, 2013
Goodbye, Guinea

Greetings...one of my last greetings...from Guinea, anyway.  This field service is so quickly coming to an end.  There is excitment in the air for the impending sail (well, we use diesel, but they call it "sail").

There are already lots of goodbyes, with many more to come in the next two weeks.

Some of the hardest goodbyes will be with the day workers.  Wherever we go, Mercy Ships hires several hundred day workers, giving them employment for the ten months we are in their country.  Many serve as translators; others work in support services in various capacities.  We have four who work with us in the admissions tent, translating into French, Susu, Pular, Malinke, and sometimes Creole.  Each of them speak several languages--but it's all Greek to me!  Today, I had a patient who actually spoke good English--what a thrill, to be able to talk directly to a patient!  On the other hand, I also had one for whom my translator had to conscript a bystander to do a three-way translation.

Communication is, and always will be, a big challenge.

Because the economy of Guinea is not strong, many people are unable to find work.  We ask survey questions during the admission process, and by far the majority say that they are "traders."  They work every single day, trying to sell whatever wares they have to sell.  I keep wondering, if everyone is selling something and no one is manufacturing anything, how does anyone have money to buy what the traders are selling? It's a bit mysterious...  But, our day workers will face this dirth of jobs once Mercy Ships leaves.  Some looked for a job for more than a year before we came, and even with French and English skills, they hadn't been able to find employment.  It certainly makes our goodbyes difficult, knowing what difficulties they will face when we leave.

There continues to be some level of unrest in Conakry.  It does occasionally get violent enough to cause a few deaths, but for the most part it is peaceful marching, maybe some rock throwing and window breaking.  The president has been delaying the elections--they are now rescheduled for sometime in June--and the opposition is showing some muscle.  At least, that's my best understanding.  They schedule demonstrations every Thursday, and "dead city" (work stoppages) most Fridays.  Not that I've seen any hint of trouble myself--Mercy Ships imposes travel restrictions when trouble is expected, to keep us out of danger.  The day workers and patients seem to know how to navigate through the city to avoid the trouble, although sometimes it comes pretty close to home for them, depending on where they live.  Rumor has it that UN peacekeeping forces have arrived in Conakry, and peace has broken out.  Travel restrictions were lifted today.  Guinea has never had a civil war, which is a tradition certainly worth perpetuating.

I'll be glad for this country if the elections go well; perhaps then they will be able to attract investors and get the economy moving.

Rainy season is upon us.  It has been raining at night, sometimes quite forcefully.  Not that I can hear it at all, coocooned in the ship as I am.  Soon, however, it will be raining cats and dogs both day and night (or does it rain giraffes and elephants here?).  We are hoping it will hold off long enough to get things packed up for the sail, a process that starts a week from now.

One of our day workers is a Christian woman planning a big wedding a week from now.  Her family, however, is Muslim, and they are not happy.

Her father has canceled her wedding twice already, and is threatening to cancel it again.  The word today is that the wedding is still on...but we're on tenderhooks for her until the deed is done.  Everyone in admissions is invited to the wedding, so next time I write, perhaps I'll have wedding stories to tell.  Meanwhile, the bride has chosen material, and everyone coming to the wedding is supposed to have a dress made for the occasion.  Several of us had a tailor come for measurements last Sunday.  If the dress arrives in time, will it fit?  And will I have occasion to wear it?  Stay tuned...


Friday, May 10, 2013

Never Say Die by Will Hobbs: Book Review



Never Say DieNever Say Die
Author: Will Hobbs
Publisher: Harper, 2013
Reviewer: Sharon M. Himsl
Age level: Middle Grade, 8-12
Pages: 212 

Life is about to change for fifteen-year-old Nick Thrasher, a half-Inuit boy who lives in the Canadian Arctic. Nick is invited by his older half-brother Ryan Powers to take a raft trip up the Firth River in search of the caribou herds. Ryan is a professional photographer and wants to write an article on the effects of climate change on their migration and numbers. It is also an opportunity for Nick and Ryan to get to know each other. They were raised separately by different mothers and have the same father, a man they never really knew. 

Nick hesitates to leave his dying grandfather behind, but Grampa Jonah urges him to go. It is too great of an opportunity. Grampa Jonah has taught him a lot about the Arctic, its wildlife, climate, and life as an Inuit. Nick leaves with a heavy heart, drawing hope from his high school’s motto, “Never Say Die.” It is a motto he thinks a lot about over the coming days, because only one day into the trip, the raft flips over and Nick and Ryan are separated on opposite shores. Now they must find each other and survive in a brutal environment with limited supplies. Never Say Die is a survival story reminiscent of Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet, but also the story of two brothers who learn to trust each other. 

Readers learn about Arctic life and see the strange effects of climate change as the story unfolds. One change the Inuit worry about is the breeding of grizzly with polar bears. Grolar bears, as they are called, are dangerous and have been sighted twice—once by Nick in a life-threatening attack. Now with few supplies and no rifle, Nick worries about the monstrous bear. When it appears, and then attacks, Nick and Ryan must fight for their lives. 

Never Say Die is for readers who love outdoor adventure and the wilderness. Memorable descriptions of caribou in the thousands, ice cold rapids, a powerful thunderstorm and flood, and swarms of mosquitoes fill the pages. Hobbs’s personal experience in the Arctic and on the Firth River are an added bonus and give authenticity to the story. 


Copyright 2013 © Sharon M. Himsl

About Me

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You could call me an eternal optimist, but I'm really just a dreamer. l believe in dream fulfillment, because 'sometimes' dreams come true. This is a blog about my journey as a writer and things that inspire and motivate me.