• Hello Again, Autumn! - A poetry reading by Perri Dodgson, performed by Sue Cook - image of autumn leaves in oranges, reds, and yellows, at back, with a dark orange-red square stacked on top, with another layer now with autumn woods scenery, then finally a triangle-shaped image of a cabin on a lake at autumn

    Hello Again, Autumn

    Hello again Autumn. I thought it was you.When I opened the windows like I always doThe curtains went wild, dancing into the room.Arms sprouting goosebumps, I […]

  • Textured background in light off-white, with bats as corners and edges. TEXT: Best Halloween Books - Rita Mock-Pike

    Get Your Spooky Reading On With the Best Halloween Books

    It’s that time of year — when the ghouls come out to play with the creepy twins in the shadows of that old house on the hill. You know the one. Where the family gets all “creepy, kooky, mysterious and spooky…” Yes, it’s October and time to get your ooky Halloween books list ready to indulge in some spooky fun!

  • Cover of book: The Other Emma, with an image of a pensive young woman amid falling snow - TEXT: Historical Fiction Novel Review, Julie Sara Porter

    The Other Emma: A Book Review

    As Rose ascends higher in society, she has to weigh what her own identity, status, and newfound wealth and influence can do for those women who are what she once was. Can she aspire to be the beneficial influence to them that others have been to her?

  • Image of a man and woman in an old photograph, cheek-to-cheek, in a heart-shaped cutout frame. Film strips editing the image. TEXT: Oklahoma! - Trelawny Welles - Oklahoma the Musical - a Film Review

    Film Review: Oklahoma (1955)

    Unlike some movie musicals, such as My Fair Lady which placed dramatic actors in the main roles and either allowed them to do their singing best (Rex Harrison, who talked his way through most of his numbers) or actually dub, as in Marni Nixon’s singing over Audrey Hepburn’s lip-synching, Oklahoma placed actual singers in most of the roles.

  • Book cover image with a creepy house in a red haze -- it's set askew. Outline of Ohio behind the image, with a rolled up newspaper above the book cover. TEXT: Supernatural Thriller Review, Julie Sara Porter - The Bellfeontaine Haunting by Marie Wilkens

    The Bellefontaine Haunting — A Supernatural Thriller Review

    The Bellfontaine Haunting by Marie Wilkins is a suspenseful and gripping supernatural thriller and murder mystery. It held me from the first page to the last with its story of the ghost of a deceased woman haunting a reporter and the cold case surrounding her death suddenly becoming hot and open.

Quarterly & Special Issues

  • Poetry Special 2022 cover
  • Introspection issue cover
  • Sleeper of R'Lyeh cover
  • cover image of the MockingOwl Roost, Volume 1, Issue 4: Community
  • giant elephant in forest with a man standing in front of the elephant
🦉 Submissions next open from June 1 to August 31 2024
May 27, 2025
Watercolor painting of yellow roses
Published by Cyndi Lublink at May 27, 2025
Categories

It Was Supposed to Be About Being Well-Loved

Love is a risk every single time. A worthy one. One I have by His grace been able to go all-in on. When we love, we jump. We risk it all for the hope, the promise, the forever. It feels like a miracle to be able to do this when you have been hurt mentally, emotionally, and physically. To me, it reveals God’s grace, his mercy, his healing, and the tenacity He created me with. I have been told many times that I have a gift of love. There’s a reserve within me with which only He could have gifted me.
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3 Read more
May 25, 2025
The Forger's Forgery Audio Book Review
Published by Rita Mock-Pike at May 25, 2025
Categories

The Forger’s Forgery, an Audio Book Review

Overall, The Forger’s Forgery is an exciting, intriguing literary fiction novel that keeps a reasonably quick pace, as long as you’re not expecting an action or thriller. The characters are vivid and memorable (even after a couple month gap at one point, the characters were still extremely present for me, even if the plot needed reminders!).
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6 Read more
May 24, 2025
image of Bible pages as background - text:Writing Theology Papers - Positivity Corner - Rita Mock-Pike
Published by Rita Mock-Pike at May 24, 2025
Categories

Positivity Corner: Writing Theology Papers

You see, writing theology papers isn’t just a school task for me. It’s an exploration of what I’m learning, how I’m growing, how I’m changing, how I’m developing as an adult human. So much of youth was spent regurgitating rote memorization and trying to make a grade. But now, in seminary I’m synthesizing and expanding the knowledge I’m gaining. And it is an utter delight!
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May 22, 2025
Book cover for Iphigenia Murphy by Sara Hosey - Fiction - Book Review - Rita Mock-Pike
Published by Rita Mock-Pike at May 22, 2025
Categories

Iphigenia Murphy, a Coming-of-Age Novel Review

Sara Hosey does a beautiful job of painting the settings for readers and giving us a real look into the soul of a young woman who’s seen too much and known more than a girl should ever know. Being someone who’s experienced some trauma, I found it a little hard to read in places, but ultimately, it was worth the journey.
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1 Read more
May 21, 2025
Tea set in pink with butterflies - Twinings English Afternoon Tea review
Published by Rita Mock-Pike at May 21, 2025
Categories

For An Elegant Cuppa: Twinings English Afternoon Tea Review

I can drink this tea on its own or with a meal, be it sweet or savory, heavy or light. It doesn’t have to cut through like the Scottish Breakfast blend or dance around the edges of flavors like a fruit tea must.
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May 20, 2025
Woman open arms
Published by Rita Mock-Pike at May 20, 2025
Categories

Breath Prayers and Reflections – Positivity Corner

This past couple of years, I’ve stumbled into a lovely way to reflect, calm, and breathe. It’s something the leadership team at my church has encouraged […]
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May 17, 2025
View of the Tower of London from the water at sunset - Tower of London tea from Harney & Sons - a Review - Rita Mock-Pike
Published by Rita Mock-Pike at May 17, 2025
Categories

An Elegant and Whimsical Moment: Review of Harney & Sons Tower of London Tea

I have a thing for British tea. After Scottish Breakfast Tea for January and English Afternoon Tea for February, I wanted to try something with a more colorful flavor profile. So when I bumped into Harney & Sons Tower of London Tea, I immediately decided this was the one to try for March.
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May 12, 2025
Published by Sue Cook at May 12, 2025
Categories

The Gold Persimmon, a Book Review

The Gold Persimmon by Lindsay Merbaum is riveting and surreal. At times, I found myself so caught up in the characters' actions that it actually took my breath away, and had me yelling at my Kindle. This book was not what I was expecting from its title.
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6 Read more
May 6, 2025
woman seated at easel, painting - creative outlets for joy
Published by Rita Mock-Pike at May 6, 2025
Categories

Creative Outlets for Pure Joy

Creativity is my day job. I mean that seriously – I earn my living by creating content in various forms. Editor, writer, photographer, and much more – and it’s all about putting food on the table and keeping a roof over our heads.
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2 Read more
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