Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 4th – 10th July 2021 – 1970s Music, Green Kitchen, Poetry, Short Stories, Book Reviews, Children’s Books, Health and Humour

Posted on July 10, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed during the week.

I hope you are all well.. as in the UK, Covid cases are on the increase here as expected, although they have been quite strict about non-essential travel. That all changes later in July and thousands of Irish families are heading off on holiday… long awaited. I think we will be sticking around in our coastal backwater and keeping out of the way.

The garden has been watered naturally for the last two weeks without my intervention and despite the sparcity of sunshine…has continued to blossom.. I have a number of lilies that I have cultivated from bulbs over the years and then divide and repot at the end of the season. This last two weeks has seen them bloom and this year I used a different potting soil and instead of orange they have emerged as dark red…

I was delighted to be invited to join Rebecca Budd on her podcast Tea and Trivia to talk about memories, writing and book marketing. It was a wonderful experience and Rebecca did a wonderful job of making it seem like a chat between two friends. Her husband Don is also a technical genius who edits and produces the broadcast. I hope you will head over to join us.

I invite you to put the kettle on and add to this exciting conversation on Tea Toast & Trivia: Sally Cronin on Writing, Marketing and Telling your Story.

Recently I ran a series Public Relations for Authors which focused on how we are perceived by those who view our profile photographs, biographies and presence on social media. This included guest posts on other writer’s blogs. Here is an opportunity to not only promote your own blog or books, but those of someone you admire as well. Instead of Sunday Lunch with a guest, this year I have cut back a little on the food side, but you will get a slice of cake!!

Is there an inspiring individual, blogger or an author you would like to give a boost to who might enjoy joining you for a coffee and a piece of cake with us all?

For the first post in this new series, editor Alison Williams has brought author Norman Matheson as her guest. Norman as you will discover, is an inspiration to all of us who might think we are too old to take on a new challenge.

Details on how to participate are at the end of the first post in the series on Tuesday.

This week I was joined by my friends and collaborators William Price King, D.G. Kaye, Carol Taylor and Daniel Kemp and my thanks to them for their wonderful contributions.

William is off for the next few weeks on his annual summer break with family but he will be back in September. In the meantime he has left his selections and thoughts on the chart hits which will go out as normal on Tuesdays…Wishing him a wonderful summer.

Time to get on with the show….

Chart Hits 1973 – Part One – Billy Paul, O’Jays, Elton John and Helen Reddy

Carol Taylor’s Green Kitchen – July 2021 – Plastic Free, Buttermilk Bread, Buying Bulk, Stuffed Mushrooms, Grow Your Own, Conservation.

Elaine, A Shining Light

Chapter Nine – The Boy, his Dog and a Fairy Princess

#Historical – Sheep On The Somme: A World War I Picture and Poetry Book by Frank Prem

#Dystopian #Scifi – Megacity (Operation Galton Book 3) by Terry Tyler

Book Reviews Rewind – #1960s #Thriller – Paris Escapade by Ted Myers

Book Reviews Rewind – #Teaching #Memoir- They Call Me Mom by Pete Springer

Choka… Spices

Hip Dysplasia – A good reason to meet your puppy’s family

Antibiotic, Antioxidant, Aroma

Family Health – Nothing more common that a cold

#Poetry Balroop Singh, #Shortstories #Crime Jane Risdon, #Thriller Gwen M. Plano

#YAFantasy Deborah E. Bowman, #Psychological #Thriller Lucinda E. Clarke, #Adventure Audrey Driscoll.

#Contemporary Anne Goodwin, #Historical Joyce Hampton, #Family Saga Margaret Lindsay Holton

#Adventure Annika Perry, #Bears Sue Wickstead

#Biographical #Fiction – Ever Rest by Roz Morris

#NorthernIreland #Thriller #Romance – Stones Corner Turmoil by Jane Buckley

#YA #Magic #Mystery – Bloodstone (The Curse Of Time Book 1) by M.J. Mallon

#Fantasy K.M. Allan, #Fantasy C.S. Boyack, #Poetry Colleen M. Chesebro

July 6th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Handwriting and more Oddities

July 8th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Senior Jeopardy and even more oddities

July 9th 2021 – Another Open Mic Night with author Daniel Kemp – Brooms and Coffins

Thanks very much for dropping in today and I hope you will join me again next week…Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – June 13th -19th 2021 – The Doors, Backache, House Training, Author PR, Reviews and Funnies

Posted on June 19, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed this week.

Reasonably quiet here in our part of Ireland with some great sunshine during the week that prompted time in the garden reading and I have eased the strain on my TBR.. reviews to follow.

I had my first hair cut in a week on Monday after a year of home cuts. What bliss to walk out afterwards having had a good catch up with my hairdresser Sam and her family, a moan about the weather and the state of the world and a short but delightfully shaped hairstyle. I am hoping that unlike the last time I went to have a hair cut last year, they will still be open in six weeks for another trim!

I have been out and about this week but this time it was a lovely surprise feature by author Harmony Kent. A very thoughtful and kind gesture.

It would be lovely if you could head over for a peek: Harmony Kent and Sally

On with the show…

My thanks to William Price King, D.G. Kaye and Malcolm Allen for their amazing contributions during the week.. and to you for all your support and encouraging comments.. as always very much appreciated.

Chart Hits 1971 Part Two – Bill Withers, George Harrison, The Doors, Aretha Franklin

Celia – A Crisis of Faith

Chapter Six – Trouble in Paradise – Part Two

#DoubleEtheree – Night Creatures

Part Three – Hitting the Red Carpet

#Scottish #Historical – Fireflies and Chocolate by Ailish Sinclair

Book Reviews Rewind – #Family – The Sum of our Sorrows by Lisette Brodey

Book Reviews Rewind – #Paranormal #Mystery – This Second Chance by D.L. Finn

House training – reward not punishment for you or your dog

Family Health – Backache

Tuesday June 15th 2021 – #Fallacy Jim Borden, #Runes Jan Sikes, #LemonChicken Carol Taylor, #Guest Harmony Kent

Wednesday 16 June 2021 – #Writertips D.G. Kaye, #Shakespeare Paula R. C. Readman, #Bookbub/Offer Jacquie Biggar

Thursday 17th June 2021 – #IndieAuthors Timothy Pike, #BloggingTips Hugh Roberts, #Chocolate Eat Dessert First Greece

#History Mike Biles, #Romance Ritu Bhathal, #Journal #Memoir Jaye Marie

#poetry Annette Rochelle Aben, #Shortstories Karen Ingalls, #Fantasy Adele Marie Park.

#Thriller Carol Balawyder, #Scifi Sandra J. Jackson,#Fantasy Deborah Jay.

-#Memoir Brigid P. Gallagher, #Paranormal #Mystery Marcia Meara, #Dystopian Terry Tyler

#Fantasy D.Wallace Peach, #Afghanistan Mary Smith, #Poetry Frank Prem

New books on the shelves – Let’s Move and Wombat Digs In by Norah Colvin

#SciFi #SpaceOpera – Inside Out by Thorne Moore

Pre-Order – #Western #Romance Keeper Tyree by S. Cox

#Suspense #Thriller Cold Dark Night: Legends of Madeira by Joan Hall

#Western #Folklore Staci Troilo, #Shortstories Sian Turner, #Western #TimeTravel Sandra Cox

June 15th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Car sales and Divorce negotiations

June 17th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Posing and Lightbulbs

June 18th 2021 – Malcolm Allen – Book Groups and Bank Heists

Thanks very much for dropping in today and all your support.. I hope you will join me again next week.. Sally

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – April 25th – May 1st 2021 – Chart Hits 1968, Empaths, Irish Tales, Poetry, Reviews, Health and Humour

Posted on May 1, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.

I hope that everyone is doing well. From Monday we will have a few restrictions lifted and we can buy clothing again in the supermarkets and other non-essential items which is useful. Not that I buy many clothes these days as I have more than I could possibly wear in a lifetime along with bags and shoes… and some of them even fit! But, I do like their t-shirts and everyday clothes and it will be pleasant to be able to browse through them again. Of course I will be looking for just the perfect bikini for the summer lol.. I have no ideas what it would do the breeding cycle of the common garden sparrow if I wore that in the back garden!!

On another note.. Tales from the Irish Garden comes to an end next weekend and because I am currently spending weekends knee deep in the sequel for later in the year, I will be sharing another of my books. You can help me out please… Let me know which of these books you would liked shared again.. I know that regulars to the blog over the years might have read them before but hopefully newcomers might enjoy reading.

You can find reviews for the books if you are interested along with my other books:
My books and reviews 2019 – 2021

Book One – What’s in a Name? Volumes one and two – 36 short stories

Our legacy is not always about money or fame, but rather in the way that people remember our name after we have gone. In these 36 short stories we discover the reasons why special men and women will stay in the hearts and minds of those who have met them. Romance, revenge and sacrifice all play their part in the lives of these characters.

Book Two – Just an Odd Job Girl

Imogen was fifty! Life is unpredictable and will often throw you a curve ball that knocks you out of the park.

For Imogen this curve ball knocked her out of a twenty five year marriage and a lovingly renovated home into a single life at age 50. She had been a very contented wife and mother of two children, who for every one of those 25 years had thought her husband had been equally as happy. It was a shock to find out that she had been delusional and replaced so easily.

Her confidence was non-existent. She had forgotten any skills she possessed and was totally unprepared to enter the modern job market. Or so she thought.

Book Three – Tales from the Garden

Fairy Stories for children of all ages, from five to ninety-five that will change the way you look at your garden, forever. Set in my garden in the mountains of central Spain, the statues tell their stories and we meet Queen Filigree and her court for the first time before they have to seek sanctuary in the Irish Garden.

With over 80 photos/illustrations, “Tales from the Garden” by Sally Cronin,reveals the secrets that are hidden beneath hedges and trees.

You will discover what really happens at night as you sleep unaware in your bed. Stone statues and those hidden worlds within the earth are about to share their stories.

The guardians who have kept the sanctuary safe for over fifty years will allow you to peek behind the scenes of this magical place. They will take you on a journey through time and expand your horizons as they transport you to the land of fairies, butterflies and lost souls who have found a home here.

All you have to do is write Book One, Two or Three in the comments section.. otherwise I will pick one out of a hat!! (you will get them all eventually over coming months)

Time to get on with the posts from the week… thanks to William Price King and Debby Gies who are the main contributors this week.. and you will be delighted to know that Debby will be back with us on May 10th with her new relationshiop post that will touch your heart.

Thank you for all your comments of encouragement and interest over the week and have a wonderful weekend.. Sally

The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1968 – Part One

Rewind – Empaths and Spiritual Communication through Energy

Chapter Seventeen -Autumn: All Hallows Eve

chapter Eighteen – All Hallow’s Eve Part Two – Freakish Village prepares for the Zombies

#Photoprompt – #Double Etheree – #The Future? by Sally Cronin

Advance review – Amanda in Malta: The Sleeping Lady (An Amanda Travels Adventure Book 8) by Darlene foster

Smorgasbord #Children’s Reading Room – Book #Review – Tina Lost in a Crowd by Miriam H. Hurdle

Past Book Reviews 2020 – #Historical #Mystery #Chicago – A Child Lost by Michelle Cox

– Past Book Reviews 2020 – #Mystery #Humour – In Search of McDoogal by Mae Clair

What’s In a Name? And How Do You Choose One? by Marcia Meara

#Music Monday: So Many Genres by Leon Stevens

new profile

#Publishing – What about Books in 2030 by Jemima Pett

New Book on the Shelves – My Twin Sister and Me: A scout always does her best! by Emiliya Ahmadova

New books on the shelves #Paranormal Ghosts in Trouble and #Mystery Felix Finds Out by Elizabeth Merry

Dead Dry Heart: A psychological thriller by [Toni Pike]

Dead Dry Heart: A #psychological thriller by Toni Pike

#Medical #Thriller – Type and Cross (Cathedral Lake Book 1) by Staci Troilo

#BiographicalFiction – Flowers and Stone by Jan Sikes Posted on April 28, 2021 by Smorgasbord – Variety is the Spice of Life.

– New Author on the Shelves – #Psychological – House of Sorrow: Legends of Madeira by Joan Hall

New Book on the Shelves – #Horror #Occult Delilah Astral Investigator Infinity Series: Episode 2, The Boy Who Would Be King by Deborah A. Bowman

#Poetry Balroop Singh, #Fantasy Vashti Quiroz Vega, #Poetry Sue Vincent, #Mystery James J. Cudney

Monday 26th April 2021 – #Writing K.M. Allan, #Animals #Stories D.L. Finn, #Chutney Sowmya’s Spicy Corner

Tuesday April 27th 2021 – #Family Antoinette Truglio Martin, #Story Beetley Pete and Jim Webster, #LemonCake Dorothy New Vintage Kitchen.

Thursday April 29th 2021 – #Guest Post Robbie Cheadle and Jane Risdon, #Environment Carol Taylor, #Funnies The Story Reading Ape.

Family Health A-Z – Acidity in the digestive system – Acid Reflux – Triggers and Diet by Sally Cronin

April 27th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – #Domestic and #Court Humour

April 29th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – #Inflight Entertainment and #Life’s Laws

May be an image of text that says "They say we learn from our mistakes... That's why I'm making as many as possible. I'll soon be a genius!"

April 30th 2021 – Another Open Mic Night with author Daniel Kemp – Onions and other Favourite Things

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – 21st – 27th February 2021 – 1960s Pop Music, Short Stories, Poetry, Blog Stars, Books, Reviews and Funnies

Posted on February 27, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the weekly round up with posts that you might have missed during the week.

I don’t have a great deal to report this week which in many respects is a good thing. We are waiting to hear the government decision regarding lock down today or tomorrow but it looks like it has been extended to the end of April with certain services such as hairdressing being one of the last to open.

Just as well my husband has become so deft with the scissors and clippers and as my hair is short anyway it has not been too bad. I take the clippers to his hair too and after nearly a year we may continue after the restrictions are lifted.

I have been out and about however in the virtual sense which was a lot of fun. This week I was delighted to be the guest of author Hugh Roberts where I shared the story of my acting debut….I hope you will head over to read..

Watch Out For The Matador! – A True Story

As always my thanks to William Price King and delighted that the Breakfast Show is going down well, despite the fact that it is a little early for many of you to remember the songs.. If you do have memories and a favourite track from the 1960s we would love to include you in the Breakfast Show Special at the end of March.. details here The Breakfast Show 2021

Thank you also to you for all the visits, comments and shares again this week.. I do appreciate the support very much.

On with the posts from the week….

The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1963 – Part Two

Jane Risdon shares the background to one of her favourite tracks of the 1960s

What’s in a Name? – Prince Charming by Sally Cronin

Return to Tales from the Irish Garden.. Previously

Colleen Chesebro’s Weekly #Tanka #Poetry Challenge No 213 #Badger Hexastich x two – Beacon and Umbrella by Sally Cronin

#Paranormal #Romance – Ghostly Interference: (White Rune Series Book 1) by Jan Sikes.

#Cancer #Journal – Apple Blossom: my Hope…my Inspiration by Jaye Marie

Past Book Reviews 2020 -#Poetry Inner Rumblings: by Joyce Murphy

Past Book Reviews 2020 – #Thriller -Deep Cover by John L. DeBoer

Recipes that Pack a Punch – A Chicken Sandwich and how your body extracts the nutrients

Turning Back the Clock 2021 – Part Seven – Anti-Aging and Attitude of Mind

Archives 2021 – #Pot Luck – #AfghanistanAdventures #54 Winter travel by Mary Smith

Archives 2021 – #Pot Luck – #Writing – Author Bio Dos and Don’ts by K.M. Allan

Going West: The Accidental Tourist by Sue Vincent

Monday 22nd February 2021 – #Food Carol Taylor, #Home Chantelle Atkins with Jessica Norrie, #Bookreview Harmony Kent

Wednesday 24th February 2021 – #LakeDistrict Mike Biles, #AlooGobi Sowmya’s Spicy Corner, #Publishing Alison Williams

Smorgasbord Children’s Reading Room – New Book on the Shelves #Ghosts – Brody Cody and the Haunted Vacation House by Toni Pike.

Smorgasbord Children’s Reading Room – Author Update – #Nature Joyce Murphy, #Fantasy Maria Matthews

New Book on the Shelves – #Thriller – Shattered Lives: A Jo Naylor Adventure by Allan Hudson

New Book on the Shelves – #YA #Fantasy – Rites of Passage (The Rites Trilogy Book 1) by Doug Parker

New Author on the Shelves – #Family – Sisters of the Undertow by Johnnie Bernhard

#Reviews #Family Lisette Brodey, #SouthernCulture Claire Fullerton, #Fantasy Tyler Edwards

#Murdermystery Terry Tyler, #Meditation Sue Vincent, #Fantasy D.Wallace Peach

#Lockdown M.J. Mallon, #Poetry Balroop Singh, #Paranormal Marcia Meara

February 23rd 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – After Surgery and Shopping for a Husband

February 25th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Lost Glasses and Best Beer in the World

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines Extra – Host Sally Cronin – We are all going to the dogs!

Thanks very much for visiting today and I hope you will join me again next week.. have a great weekend.. Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Music Column – The Breakfast Show – 1960s Hits Part Two – Special Guests John W. Howell and Jennie Fitzkee

Posted on January 31, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

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Over the last four weeks we have been featuring the hits in the charts of 1960-1962. We have also included some of the notable events in those years for the up and coming stars who were centre stage at the time. You can find these posts:The Breakfast Show with hosts William Price King and Sally Cronin

We will be sharing the music of the 1960s until the end of May before moving on to the 1970s. Participate in the spin-off shows and share your memories of the music of the 60s. An opportunity to share your work and here are the details: The Breakfast Show 2021

The first guest today is John W. Howell who shares his wonderful memories of the 1960s and his time as a D.J on radio.

John in the 1960s

Thanks, Sally for allowing me to give my impressions of the decade of 60s music.

When I look back on the 60s, my memories always go to the very earliest part of that decade. I had graduated from high school and was off to college. I left a high school sweetheart behind, and of course, time and distance do not make suitable relationship binders. The relationship fell apart, and so there were plenty of songs to help balm the bruised heart. In May of 1960, Roy Orbison released his biggest hit, “Only the Lonely.” This song became my anthem for the rest of the year.

In addition to losing what I thought was the only love of my life, I was also serving as a class officer, so I tended to work hard to avoid thinking of my problems. The term ended, and it was time for the summer break. The biggest song that wouldn’t go away was “Theme from a Summer Place” by Percy Faith. I can still imagine us all at the drive-in restaurant with the radios up loud, trying to convince our dates that we were in love.

School came back into session, and around October 1960, Edith Piaf released her finest song Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien. Edith and I went way back. When I was ten, my father passed away, and I collected Edith Piaf records. They ended up almost unplayable after I listened to them hundreds of times. For some reason, her story and her songs gave me a lot of comfort. Her release of the record brought back the earlier sadness. More importantly, the song with Edith singing it had the effect of making me realize I had weathered the storm and had nothing to regret. So I offer as my favorite 1960’s song Edith Piaf and “Non Je Ne Regrette Rien.” ondrejtis

John Howell turned to writing as a full-time occupation after an extensive career in business. John writes thriller fiction novels and short stories. His story Cold Night Out won an honorable mention in Writers Digest Popular Fiction contest this year. He also won first place in the Kurt Vonnegut Kilgore Trout novel contest, celebrating Kurt Vonnegut as an author. His short story Never Give Inn was selected to be published in the Miracle E-zine fifth issue published in April of 2014. Since then John has published three books in the John Cannon thriller series, a novel Circumstances of Childhood, a collaboration with Gwen Plano, The Contract a paranormal thriller, and his latest release Eternal Road an adventure in the afterlife.

John lives in Lakeway Texas with his wife Molly and their spoiled rescue pets.

Books by John Howell

Read the reviews for John’s books: Amazon US – and : Amazon UK – Goodreads:John Howell Goodreads – Blog: John W. Howell. com – Twitter – @HowellWave

The final guest this weekend is Jennie Fitzkee who shares the music that she grew up with and which she now shares with the children in her class every morning.

A new generation discovering the music of the 1960s

My parents had a HiFi that was off limits to me and my sisters. I was fascinated by the record changer and being able to stack multiple records at one time. They loved playing albums, particularly Frank Sinatra albums. His music remains a favorite of mine to this day. Do you know that young children need to hear soft jazz in the background at school? Yup, I play Frank at school every morning.

And then it was 1962.

I discovered American Bandstand on TV. Every rock and roll song was played. Teenagers voted on the songs. And oh, the dancing! I was on my feet for the entire show. That fall I started in a new school, 7th through 12th grade. The lunch cafeteria was in the basement, and there was another room with a juke box. The juniors and seniors always played songs and danced. I walked in on my first day and listened to “Do You Love Me” by the Contours. That was it. I was in rock and roll Seventh Heaven, and still am. R&B was in my blood.

And then it was 1964.

The Beatles had made their first record album, “Meet the Beatles.” I remember going downtown to the department store and buying the album with my babysitting money. I have played it hundreds of times. I still play the album. It was “ I Want To Hold Your Hand” that sent me to the moon. I’ve been there ever since. February 9, 1964, I forced my parents to watch Ed Sullivan and even threatened anyone who dared talk. It was wonderful.

My love of rock and roll and R&B has never waned. As the music grew, I did too. From the Supremes to Janis Joplin, this was a decade of great music. Woodstock is still one of my favorites albums. I bring my 1960’s music into my classroom, playing my albums on a record player. This is fascinating for children. They love the music as much as I do. Most recently a Boston Massachusetts robotics company videoed their robots at Boston Logan Airport dancing to “Do You Love Me”. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw this! I showed this to the children many times, and we have written a letter to the company.
“One of my favorite songs is “Twist and Shout.” The original is by the Isley Brothers, and the redo is by the Beatles. Both are terrific! I danced and did the Twist in stocking feet till I had no stockings left on the bottom of my feet.”

Good music never goes away!

Here is the Beatles version “Twist And Shout” The Beatles

About Jennie Fitzkee

I have been teaching preschool for over thirty years. This is my passion. I believe that children have a voice, and that is the catalyst to enhance or even change the learning experience. Emergent curriculum opens young minds. It’s the little things that happen in the classroom that are most important and exciting. That’s what I write about.

I am highlighted in the the new edition of Jim Trelease’s bestselling book, “The Read-Aloud Handbook” because of my reading to children. My class has designed quilts that hang as permanent displays at both the National Liberty Museum in Philadelphia, and the Fisher House at the Boston VA Hospital.

Connect to Jennie – Blog: Jennie Fitzkee – Facebook: Jennie Fitzkee – Twitter: @jlfatgcs

Thanks for joining us today and as always we would love your feedback..you can all the Tuesday Breakfast Shows so far in the directory Here

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 24th – 30th January 2021 – 1960s music, America, Book Reviews, pH balance, Anti-Aging and funnies

Posted on January 30, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed on Smorgasbord this week.

A quick intro today as I have very little to report on the home front.. the weather is the same, lockdown extended to March 5th and more travel restrictions in place. On the bright side, we did binge watch the last four James Bond’s to get ourselves ready to watch the new one when it eventually gets released.

We are also enjoying our foreign language series,particularly the Scandinavian shows, and amazing how quickly you forget the subtitles. They are also very well made and thankfully missing so much of the unnecessary chit chat that the English speaking series seem to contain.. in one show we watched last week 20 minutes of a murder mystery was spent with two of the detectives bickering in a car on their way from one scene to another.. I must be getting old…or grumpy… or both.

Anyway.. thankfully there are some great people around to cheer me up including William Price King and the hits of the 60s.. four guests join us this week in the special shows.. the first today and one tomorrow.. Hopefully more of you will join us with your memories of the music of the time as we move through the decades.

Also of course Debby Gies who has been sending funnies my way to share with you.. she does a great job.. And thank you for visiting and sharing the posts, it is very much appreciated.

On with the posts from the week..

The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1961 – Part Two

– The Breakfast Show – 1960s Hits Part One – Special Guests Ann Patras, Darlene Foster

– Houston – June 1986 – June 1986 – Kittens, sit ups and water volley ball!

#Rescue Dogs – The Sanctuary

What’s In A Name – Theresa at the Checkout

Some clarification on the book promotion and my own book reviews here on Smorgasbord.

Book Promotion and Book Reviews 2021 Guidelines

#Thriller #Sci-fi- The Hitman and the Thief by Richard Dee

#Western #Romance – Gwen Slade: Bounty Hunter by Sandra Cox

Past Book Reviews 2020 – #Mystery – Examining Kitchen Cupboards by Stevie Turner

– Past Book Reviews 2020 – #Romance – Marriage Unarranged by Ritu Bhathal

-Anti-Aging and pH balance Eating Plan

– Main Meal – Brown Rice Pilaf – Multi-Vitamin on a plate

The Children’s Reading Room – New Author – The Runaway Schoolhouse by Maria Matthews

#TeddyBear Sue Wickstead, #Historical Antoinette Truglio Martin, #Traveladventure Darlene Foster

New Author on the Shelves – #Paranormal #Thriller Crescent City Moon: Book 1 in the Crescent City Series by Nola Nash

#Humour Lizzie Chantree, #Design Valentina Cirasola, #Writing Harmony Kent

New Release – #Romance #Saga The Heartstone by Judith Barrow, #Myths Barbara Spencer, #Teaching Pete Springer

#Guestpost Hugh Roberts, #Sociamedia Chuck Jackson, #Guestpost Marcia Meara

#WritingPrompts Frank Prem, Q&A D.G. Kaye, #Review by Claire Fullerton

Wednesday 27th January 2021 – #Coconutwater Carol Taylor, #Life Jane Sturgeon, #Release Stuart France and Sue Vincent.,

#FullMoon Joan Hall, #Poetry Robbie Cheadle, #CoAuthorship John W. Howell

January 26th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Roomba and Skipping

January 28th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Spiders and Gravestones

Thanks for dropping in and enjoy the rest of your weekend.. I hope you will join me again next week.. thanks Sally.

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – January 3rd – 9th 2020 – Breakfast Show, 1960s, Poetry, Book Reviews, Health and Funnies

Posted on January 9, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the round of posts you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.

A rollercoaster of a week on many fronts and hard to stay hopeful in a time of such unrest and the pandemic. Ireland saw cases rise to around 500 mark in May during the first wave but yesterday recorded over 8000 new cases. With only 5 million population the cases so far have shown that being a small nation makes it just as hard to contain.

This does not of course compare to the over 300,000 new case in the USA and similar horrific figures in Europe and other countries. Vaccines are slowly being rolled out but the logistics of vaccinating whole countries, to ensure that those in most need such as front line health carers, those most at risk. We are down the list without any underlying health issues and being under 70, and also I cannot have the Pfizer vaccine as I have a severe allergy to both Penicillin and Tetanus.

Allergy warnings have been issued by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) following reports of anaphylaxis among two recipients of the vaccine last week.

The head of the MHRA, Dr June Raine, said: “Any person with a history of anaphylaxis to a vaccine, medicine or food should not receive the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine.

“A second dose should not be given to anyone who has experienced anaphylaxis following administration of the first dose of this vaccine.” allergies and Covid vaccine pfizer.

I firmly believe in vaccinations but will wait until the Oxford variant is available.. and if you would like to know more about how the various Covid vaccines work with out bodies to help protect us then these articles are very helpful.

How the Various Vaccines Work – And – How does the Oxford Vaccine Work

Other news on the personal front.
Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries: Sometimes Bitter, Sometimes Sweet by [Sally Cronin]

One of the bright spots of the week has been the wonderful support of the writing community who have been kind enough to share their thoughts on Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries.. and if you would like to read their reviews you can find some on Goodreads and all of them on my book page. Thank you for the motivation.

And I do have more news on the book. We have always printed my books independently and uploaded to Amazon and paid them commission to sell the books. However, despite Ireland not being part of the UK and without VAT on printed books at the time, Amazon said that to continue to sell print books we would need to register for VAT.. so we removed my print books and I have sold them at fairs and via paypal.

So we decided to try out Amazon’s print on demand and so for those who would like the book in print it should be available in the next week. Looking forward to seeing how it works out.

On the blog and book promotion front for you….

Since this series began in January 2018 there have been over 1000 Posts from Your Archives where bloggers have taken the opportunity to share posts to a new audience… mine.

The topics have ranged from travel, childhood, recipes, history, family and the most recent series was #PotLuck where I shared a random selection of different topics.

In this series I will be sharing posts from the last six months of 2020

It is an opportunity to showcase your writing skill to my readers and also to share on my social media. Which combined is around the 46,000 mark. If you are an author your books will be mentioned too, along with their buy links and your other social media contacts.

How to feature in the series? – 2021 – Pot Luck – Posts from Your Archives

As always my thanks to William Price King, Debby Gies and Daniel Kemp for their contributions this week and so pleased that the new Breakfast Show is going down well.

And of course many thanks to you for visiting and leaving your comments and sharing around the usual haunts.. it is much appreciate..

This week’s posts.

The Breakfast Show with William Price King and Sally Cronin – Chart Hits 1960 – Part One.

The Sewing Circle Part Two

The Other Side of Heaven

Chesebro’s Poetry Challenge – Butterfly Cinquain – ‘Hope’ by Sally Cronin

April 1986 – San Diego – Trash Can Punch and Sea World

#Mystery #Paranormal – The Light (Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4) by Marcia Meara

Past Book Reviews 2020 – #SouthernFiction – Little Tea by Claire Fullerton

New Author on the Shelves – D.L. Cross – The Forgotten -Astral Conspiracy: (An Alien Invasion Science

New Release – #Western #Romance Sandra Cox, #Fantasy Vashti Quiroz-Vega, – Review #Poetry Balroop Singh

#YAMystery D.L.Finn, #Memoir Liesbet Collaert, #Family Judith Barrow.

Reviews – #PostApocalyptic Terry Tyler, #Fantasy C.S Boyack, #Memoir D.G. Kaye

#Chocolate Robbie and Michael Cheadle, #Fishing Dawn Doig, #Wolves Elizabeth Jade

Monday 4th January 2020 – Carol Taylor, Jennie Fitzkee, Judith Barrow

Wednesday January 6th 2021 – Stevie Turner, Mary Smith, Jean Lee

Friday 8th January 2021 – Carol Taylor, Joy Lennick, Patricia Furstenberg

Getting the year off to a healthy start – Part One by Sally Cronin

Getting the year off to a healthy start – Part Two

Smorgasbord Laughter Lines – January 5th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Pajamas and Word Games

January 7th 2021 – Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – Crafting and Teenage Imaginations!

January 8th 2021 – Another Open Mic Night with author Daniel Kemp – Poachers and Retirement speeches…

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – December 27th 2020- January 2nd 2021 – Happy New Year, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Books and funnies

Posted on January 2, 2021 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the round up of posts on Smorgasbord that you might have missed this week.

If I have not already wished you Happy New Year, then please accept my wishes for a fantastic 2021.. in the hopes that it will be better behaved than 2020.. I posted a little tribute to the heroes of the year, and to our pets who have been there with us all the way. There were a few funnies and music of course to mark the occasion..

Happy New Year’s Eve – 2020 in the rear view mirror

My thanks as always to you for visiting and sharing the posts.. and this year has been made special by the warmth and kindness of the writing community…something to be treasured.

On with the posts from the week…and I hope you will join William Price King and myself on Tuesday for the new Breakfast Show with music and news from the 1960s.

Get your rock ‘n’ roll boots on with my top five picks by Sally Cronin

March 1986 – Pool Parties, lost puppies, New Furniture

What’s in Name? Ifan and the Black Sheep by Sally Cronin

What’s in Name? – Kenneth – A Love for Life by Sally Cronin

The Sewing Circle Part One.

#Fantasy – Lords of Chaos (Unraveling the Veil Book 3) by D.Wallace Peach

Past Book Reviews 2020 – #Family #Mystery – Watching Glass Shatter by James J. Cudney

Past Book Reviews 2020 – #Fantasy – The Hat by C.S. Boyack

29th December 2020 – D.L.Finn, Elizabeth Merry, Jan Sikes

January 1st 2021 – #Books and more Books – Amy M. Reade, Jessica Norrie, Mary Smith

#Suspense Sandra J. Jackson, Reviews – #Supernatural Jessica Bakkers, #WWII Marina Osipova,

New Release – #Fairies Teagan Riordain Geneviene, #Family James J. Cudney, #1960s #Thriller Ted Myers

#Romance Ritu Bhathal, #Paranormal Romance Stevie Turner, #Poetry Denise O’Hagan

#NewAuthor Marketing Tips – Making the most of Twitter

The Children’s Reading Room – New Author – #Emotions – Feel Like Eggs by Jeff Goodman

New Release – #Dragons Janice Spina,- Reviews – #Turtles Cynthia S. Reyes and Lauren Reyes-Grange, #Bears Frank Prem

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – December 29th 2020 – Working out and Animal comedians

Enjoy the weekend and look forward to seeing you next week.. stay safe and thanks … Sally

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine – Weekly Round Up – 13th – 19th December – Christmas Party, Aretha, New Music Show 2021,Book Fair,

Posted on December 19, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Welcome to the round up of posts you might have missed on Smorgasbord this week.

I hope you are all doing well and despite the restrictions looking forward to Christmas next week.. Despite everything that has happened this year with Covid-19, US elections and Brexit, the time has flown which is a good thing as personally I cannot wait to get into 2021.

And on that note…The new Music Column begins on January 5th hosted by William Price King and myself

Each week we will select two top hits from the charts starting with 1960 for two weeks followed by 1961 etc..we will also include some of the notable events in those years for the up and coming stars who were centre stage at the time.

Every four weeks at the weekend there will be a spin-off show where we will feature four guests sharing their memories of the music of a particular decade we are working on.

I appreciate that some of you are not as old as I am …. and therefore have no memories of the 1960s, but your turn will come as we move through the decades. For those of you who can recall those distant years…..we would love to hear from you. It is an opportunity to strut your stuff in more ways than one. I will include your links to blog or books or both and social media and also play your 1960s track of choice.

To give you an idea of how it will look in the post here is my music memories of 1960s, my first record I bought and my links. We are looking for between 200 to 300 words rather than a couple of sentences.. so do give it some thought..Also if you have a photo of you in the 1960s please share too..

Music has always played a major role in my life in one form or another. My parents loved to dance so I grew up with the Big Band Sound and crooners such as Nat King Cole. My mother was a musical fan and every Saturday afternoon we would watch and sing along to the best of the 1940s and 50s showstoppers.

My father did not embrace the music of the 60s as much as my sisters and I did, and we were banished to the basement with our record player to play that awful ‘Pop’ music. The stereo combined cocktail cabinet, was tuned into the world news service and big band shows, and we were forbidden to touch the nobs. Then in the mid-1960s, pirate radio hit the airwaves, and I had a small portable wireless to tune into Radio Caroline. I attended a youth club dance every Saturday night from the age of fifteen and many of the groups such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were well established by then and dominated the playlists.

I played guitar for several years, sang in public on occasion and ended up plugging tracks as a radio presenter on local radio.

The first record I bought with my pocket money was an EP by Richard Chamberlain (Dr. Kildare who was the object of a major crush) in 1964 which included All I Do is Dream of You

A selection of books by Sally Cronin

Read the reviews and buy the books :Amazon US – And: Amazon UK – More reviews : Goodreads – blog: Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Twitter: @sgc58 – Facebook: Sally Cronin – LinkedIn: Sally Cronin

I think that gives you an idea of what your post will look like...

What I need from you

If you have featured here before… I just need your 200 to 300 words and your song choice, or first artist you bought in the 1960s.. A good idea to give me a couple of choices in case of duplication. If you have a photograph of you in the 1960s then that would be great.

Email me on sally.cronin@moyhill.com

And don’t forget we will be working through the decades so you if you were not old enough to remember the 1960s (lucky you) you can join in later in the series.

Time now for the posts from the week…

First a big thank you to D.G. Kaye, Debby Gies. I have not planned a bit launch for my latest book, but Debby invited me over for a chat about blogging, social media and to share a short excerpt from one of the stories.. I will reblog on Monday but in the meantime if you have time here is the link: Q & A with D.G. Kaye – Featuring Sally Cronin #Booklaunch – Life is Like a Bowl of Cherries

A thank you too to William Price King for another wonderful series, this time about Aretha Franklin. And as an extra treat this week, more international carols to ensure we maintain the festive spirit..

William Price King with Soul singer Aretha Franklin – The Finale

Christmas Music with William Price King – Carols from around the World #Italy, #Nigeria, #Sweden

Geoff Le Pard – Short Story – The Advent Calendar – Part One

Geoff Le Pard – Short Story – The Advent Calendar – Part Two

March 1986– Atlanta – Gone with the Wind

Christmas Party 2020 – Invite a pet with guests Noelle Granger, Victoria Zigler, Teagan Riordain Geneviene, Cathy Cade

Invite a pet with guests Diana Wallace Peach, Patty Fletcher, Mary Anne Edwards and Claire Fullerton.

The First Day of Christmas 2020 – Memories, Mince Pies, Music and Eggnog

The Second Day of Christmas 2020 – St. Stephen’s Day, Carols, Christmas Pudding and Margaritas

The Third Day of Christmas 2020 – Presents, Cranberries, Nat King Cole, Mulled Wine

The Fourth Day of Christmas 2020 – White Christmas, Singing Parrot, Champagne, Cava and Ginger Beer.

The Fifth Day of Christmas 2020 – Austria, Die Hard, Toboggans, Snowballs and Carols

The hills are closed : funny

The Sixth Day of Christmas 2020 – The Sound of Music, William Price King, Six Geese, Vegetarian Christmas

#Astronaut Jude Lennon, #Friendship Donald Lloyd Jnr., #History Barbara Ann Mojic and Jann Weeratunga

#Magic Laura Smith, #Adventure Annika Perry, #Turtles Cynthia S. Reyes and Lauren Reyes-Grange

#Thriller Colin Guest, #Shortstories Jude Lennon, #Vampires Susanne Leist, #Dog Andrew Joyce, #Suspense Sandra J. Jackson

#Dystopian Alex Craigie, #YA Angie Dokos, #Contemporary M.C.V. Egan, #SouthernCulture Claire Fullerton

New Release #History Mike Biles, Reviews -#Family Lisette Brodey, #Paranormal Roberta Eaton Cheadle, #Adventure Audrey Driscoll, #History Joyce Hampton

New Books – #FranceWWII Paulette Mahurin, #Fantasy Heather Kindt, #Reviews – #Pre-Historic Jacqui Murray, #Thriller Daniel Kemp, #Paranormal Cecilia Kennedy

New Release – Jan Sikes – Reviews – Fiona Tarr, Vashti Quiroz-Vega, Adele Marie Park, Deborah Jay

Romance Linda Bradley, #Paranormal Mae Clair, #Western Sandra Cox, #Stories/Poetry M.J. Mallon, #Poetry Miriam Hurdle

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – December 15th 2020 – Reindeer and Wise Words

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – December 17th 2020 – Elves Wanted and Christmas Shopping.

Hosts Debby Gies and Sally Cronin – December 18th 2020 – Xmas Spirit and Trampoline antics

Smorgasbord Blog Magazine Weekly Round Up – November 28th – December 5th 2020 -Partying, Aretha, Book Reviews, Aromatherapy and Funnies

Posted on December 5, 2020 by Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

final weekly round up

Welcome to the weekly round up with posts you might have missed this week on Smorgasbord.

As you will see it has been a busy week on the Christmas Book Fair front and it looks like I will have just enough time to include all the authors currently in the Cafe and Bookstore with recent reviews before Christmas. I won’t be taking any new authors until the New Year now and already have some terrific ones lined up.

The Cafe and Bookstore is seven years old now and time for a revamp for 2021. The book fair has been a great opportunity to update the authors on the shelves and I have some more details to add to them to provide more comprehensive information.

Next year I also want to go back to the Blogger Daily at least three times a week as I know I have neglected to get around your blogs as much as I would like. I am going to tie this in to the authors in the Cafe so that I can take another opportunity to promote your books.

Anyway more on that in the New Year..

In the meantime as I have been into author’s Amazon and Goodreads, I have noticed that there are some missed opportunities. Here is a quick check list.

Make sure that your bio is on both US and UK Amazon author pages. They will put books up, but not your bio from your country of origin.
Some books are missing from author pages and also on Goodreads and need to be claimed through your author central page.
Some authors are not linking their blogs to their twitter so posts about their books or promotions not going there automatically.
I found quite a few Twitter accounts without a pinned tweet, which is very useful to expand your profile, or to promote books or blog.

Just to let you know that the slots for the Christmas Party have all been filled and some wonderful pets have been brought along.. I am sure you will enjoy meeting them..thanks to all those who have participated.

On to the posts from the week and my thanks to William Price King, Debby Gies, Marcia Meara and Joy Lennick for their contributions.. and to you for all your support..

I was delighted to be a guest at Ani’s Advent party along with co-host Sue Vincent and there will be a new guest every day through December, something to watch out for… My post is about the food treats that your pets can enjoy at Christmas and those that might be toxic.. there is a lovely poem introduction from Ani.. and I hope you will head over to read in full: Ani’s Advent Party – Christmas Treats for Pets.

William new music column