Sandra Cox's Blog, page 173

Wink and A Nod Thursday

This week's Wink and A Nod Recipient is Trout Talking Tabbies.   
This blog is told from a cat's perspective with help from the Food Service Girl.  It's particularly favored by folks that like cats and know cat-speak.  It also  plugs some wonderful animal charities.
Wink, wink, Tabbies.
So many blogs. So little time.

IWSG Wednesday

The first Wednesday of every month is officially Insecure Writer’s Support Group day. Members post about their  doubts and fears, discuss struggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.
February’s question: How has being a writer changed your experience as a reader?
When I first started writing, I read strictly as a reader.  I didn't look below the  surface or story line. Over the years that has gradually changed. One thing I noticed is that many of the kings and queens of our favorite genres had developed their style before the  'rules' became  applicable, which makes me question the validity of the 'rules'. I find myself agreeing with Nick Wilford's  assessment that rules are merely guidelines or suggestions.
I also find myself wondering how much of the author's view points, beliefs,  characteristics or expressions creep into his or her writing.  Case in point. One of the authors I follow has a specific phrase that his series character usually says several times in every novel.  I grin whenever I see and think to myself I bet the author uses that phrase himself with regularity. It's not unusual to find a white cat, vegetarian, or political opinion in some of my books.  What about you? As a reader, who has a writer friend, do you see anything of them in their work? Or do you lose yourself in the story and not even think about who's writing it? As a writer, do you see yourself creeping into your fiction?
My news for the month:Sundial is going to be featured on Book Bub.

He came through time for her.
Amazon
Happy February 1st. 

In Remembrance

A friend of mine recently passed.  She was diagnosed with cancer one week and gone the next.
At one point in time, the staff and faculty where I worked were considered family.  Donna added to that by always having the coffee pot on, cookies available and a kind word for anyone that needed it.
She was sixty-six when she got her PhD.  Her standing joke was she bet it really confused the mailman to deliver mail, with doctor in the title, to the trailer park.
She made a home for, and took care of her mother, until her mom passed.
She came from Virginia coal country and never forgot her roots.
She was a friend to many and held out a hand to anyone that needed it.

Donna:

On Your Journey
May the bagpipes playMay the sun’s rays warm youMay the birds fly with you...As the breeze catches your wingsAnd carries you home.
Your Friend
Alexas_Fotos, Pixel Bay
 

Lion Loves Weiner Dog

Happy Birthday

Allison

Also...The Raven was published in 1845.

It's The Weekend

Wink and A Nod Thursday

pixelbayOur Wink and A Nod recipient this week is Yvonne at Nashville Cats(2) Poems by Yvonne. Like our pal Pat Hatt, Yvonne's posts are done in verse and often entail life's daily events.
Wink, wink, Yvonne.

So many blogs. So little time.

Wacky Wednesday

Tsunami Crimes

With us today is our writer pal Chrys Fey to talk about her latest release.  Welcome, Chrys.  I asked our friend to tell us how she develops her characters and this was her response:I typically do three things. The first is finding someone I can model my characters after, which tends to be actors/actresses. This doesn’t mean my characters are these people, but rather that I use their images when I first create my characters. This gives me a solid foundation to build upon. With actors in mind, it’s easy to visualize my characters doing and saying things. They seem alive, and from that point on I can mold my characters into who they truly are.To do that, I give them parts of myself. I pretend my characters, with the faces of actors, are me. This helps me to give them emotions and depth. What would I do? How would I feel? Everything they do, I put myself in their shoes. I am looking out at the world through their eyes. Sometimes, my characters come from my dreams, which makes it that much easier for me to believe we are linked.Finally, I treat them as if they are real people. I do everything I can to make them three-dimensional. I don’t create a spreadsheet of facts for them, although that is a great idea. Instead, I just peel back their layers in my mind and uncover who they are. What makes them unique? How can I make readers identify with them? With these answers, I can develop well-rounded characters.
BLURB: Beth and Donovan have come a long way from Hurricane Sabrina and the San Francisco earthquake. Now they are approaching their wedding day and anxiously waiting to promise each other a lifetime of love. The journey down the aisle isn’t smooth, though, as they receive threats from the followers of the notorious criminal, Jackson Storm. They think they’ll be safe in Hawaii, but distance can’t stop these killers. Not even a tsunami can. This monstrous wave is the most devastating disaster Beth has ever faced. It leaves her beaten, frightened. Is she a widow on her honeymoon? As she struggles to hold herself together and find Donovan, she’s kidnapped by Jackson's men.Fearing her dead, Donovan searches the rubble and shelters with no luck. The thought of her being swept out to sea is almost too much for him to bear, but the reality is much worse. She’s being used as bait to get him to fall into a deadly trap. If they live through this disaster, they may never be the same again.

On SALE for $2.99!
BUY LINKS:Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon CANOOK / KOBO / The Wild Rose Press
P.S. Hurricane Crimes and Seismic Crimes are on sale for 99 Cents!

BIO:Chrys Fey is the author of the Disaster Crimes Series. She is a blogger, reader, auntie, vegetarian, and cat Lover. Get Lightning Crimes (Disaster Crimes 2.5) for FREE!
FIND CHRYS:Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Website / Amazon / Goodreads


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