Sandra Cox's Blog, page 207

Gone To The Dark Side

In a household of rabid Cub fans, I have managed to maintain my distance from baseball for the length of our marriage. Last week I broke down. I watched the Cubbies take down the Pirates 4-0 Wednesday night. And then instead of going out Friday we ordered a pizza and watched them lose to the Cardinals 0-4. Last night it was Burger King and watching them win over the Cardinals 6-3.
Tonight....hopefully we'll be clicking bats.

Happy Weekend

Myth and Magic

Greetings, Blogster Buds.
Today I'd like to welcome special friend and author Mae Claire and introduce you to her new work, Myth and Magic. I read this one and was blown away. It was a taut, suspenseful read, loaded with plenty of internal and external conflict, and written in deep POV. And what a perfect story for Halloween.
Thanks for joining us, Mae.



 I’m grateful to be here today with my most recent release, MYTH AND MAGIC, a romantic suspense novel set during Halloween and centered on a creepy corporate lodge. It’s on sale now across retailers for just $.99 through 11/4/15.
One of the questions writers get asked frequently is “Where do you find the inspiration for your characters?”
I think most writers will tell you characters find us before we find them. They have a way of hunting us down and popping into our heads, loudly demanding attention. Some are more forceful than others. All have a unique voice, but there are always a handful that nag repeatedly until their story is told.
My characters usually have romance in their future, but it is always intertwined with a healthy dose of mystery and suspense. And they rarely have normal happy family relationships.
In MYTH AND MAGIC, my hero has to make amends with a great many people from his past. He’s estranged from most of his family, has hurt the only woman he ever loved, and is motivated by a tragic circumstance that claimed the life of his closest childhood friend. Simply put, the guy has a lot of baggage—and it all comes to a breaking point on Halloween.
When Caith Breckwood showed up in my head, lugging all of his past sins, I knew I had to tell his tale. Or maybe, I should say, he convinced me. He doesn’t resemble anyone I know. He wasn’t inspired by news events or someone from history. He just “appeared” as most of my characters do. I guess I have my muse to thank for that. Either way, I’m happy I met him, and the people who populate his world. You can find out all about them in MYTH AND MAGIC! J
Blurb for Myth and Magic:
AS CHILDREN THEY PLAYED GAMES OF MYTH AND MAGIC…
 
Veronica Kent fell in love with Caith Breckwood when they were children. As a teenager, she was certain he was the man she was destined to marry. But a traumatic event from Caith's past led him to fear a future together. He left Veronica, hoping to save her from a terrible fate. Twelve years later, Caith, now a P.I., is hired to investigate bizarre incidents at the secluded retreat Veronica manages. Returning to his hometown, Caith is forced to face his nightmares—and his feelings for the woman he’s always loved.

THEN ONE DAY THE MONSTERS BECAME REAL.

After the callous way Caith broke her heart, Veronica isn’t thrilled to see him again. But strange occurrences have taken a dangerous toll on business at Stone Willow Lodge. Forced to work together, Veronica discovers it isn’t ghostly apparitions that frighten her, but her passion for a man she has never forgotten. Or forgiven. Can two people with a tarnished past unearth a magical future?

~ooOOoo~
Buy Links for MYTH AND MAGIC…Just $.99 through 11/4/2015AmazonBarnes and Noble KoboiTunesKensington PublishingGoogle
All Romance eBooks
Mae Clair Bio
Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back.  Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:WebsiteBlogTwitter (@MaeClair1)
Google+Facebook Author PageAmazon Author Page Kensington Books Author Page
Goodreads   Pinterest 

IWSG Wednesday

It's that time again. When we as writers express our doubts and concerns, share our experiences and encourage others.
First a reminder of the short story contest IWSG is offering. A 5 to 6 K short story with the theme of a parallel universe/alternate history. Send your story to theIWSG@gmail.com by November 1. Visit the IWSG website for the rules.  So who's planning to enter?
One of the banes of writers is poor reviews. When discussing this with a fellow writer bud, she mentioned that another writer had said that if Stephen King, Nora Roberts and J.K. Rowling could get 1 star reviews why shouldn't we. I was much struck that anyone would give the royals of the writing world 1 star reviews. It did put things in perspective. And since I'm currently into memes I created the following:


Feel free to grab it.
 I'm also into buttons. I've doing the I heart buttons with my book covers in the background. If you'd like an I heart Ghosts or Diamonds or Vampires button, shoot me an email @ sandracox1@gmail.com.
Ghost For Sale made its debut in time for Halloween.
http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/31737 That's about it at my place for now, what's going on in your world? Hope your muse is singing stridently in your ear.

Best Trailer Ever

Have you seen this one. I think this may be one of the best I've seen. What do you think?

And The Rains Came.....

And came...We had flash flood warnings all weekend.  We've been deluged. The roof sprung a leak in several places.Sigh.  Alex Cavanaugh's area was hit too.
en.wikipedia.orgBesides a wet week and weekend, it was also a foodie week last week. Wednesday was free pie at O'Charley's. I'm going to go a little off track here. Pie sounds so southern but after living in NC for nearly twenty years,  it seems more of a Midwestern  thing. No Perkins. No Bakers Square. And its not offered that much on menus outside of O'Charleys. From the crowd they pull in on Wednesdays, I would think some of the chains might want to rethink that. Our waitress told us that last Wednesday they ran out.
Thursday, a bud took me to Olive Garden which I hadn't been to in years. They were doing two-fers. One for there and one to take home. OMG. The food was wonderful.
But enough about food....
After setting out buckets to catch the leaks we headed to the east part of the state to see our babies and help the boy, who was on babysitting detail while his wife took a much needed weekend away.
I'm happy to say that when we got back home Sunday evening, the ceilings were still intact. Not that I was worried.....much.
How was your  weekend. Did anybody else deal with the rains?


~*~
Crystal Collier's birthday wasn't last Monday it's today! So once again....Happy BDay, Crystal:)

Cover Reveal: Reid's Deliverance

Cover Reveal! REID’S DELIVERANCE, The Song #2
Nina Crespo
Release Date:  15 March 2016
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy/Paranormal (contains erotic elements)
Tag: Can their bond withstand the test of time?
Blurb:  Lauren isn't looking for love when she spends a scintillating night with Reid, the sexy keyboardist of Thane's Redemption. While their passion may be off the charts, her trust issues--and Reid's secret life as a time-traveling covert agent--makes any chance for a relationship impossible.
When operatives involved in a mysterious project begin dying, Reid defies orders and travels alone into the future to find the cause. But when things go dangerously awry, it takes all of his strength to get himself back to safety--and directly onto Lauren's doorstep. While neither of them remembers their night of passion, their intense connection leads Lauren to help him. But as Reid's memories reignite, will he be forced to sacrifice everything to finish his mission--including the woman he loves?
Pre-order and backlist links:   Amazon *  About the Author:  Nina Crespo lives in Florida where she indulges in her favorite passions -- the beach, a good glass of wine, date night with her own real-life hero and dancing.
Her lifelong addiction to romance began in her teens while on a "borrowing spree" in her older sister's bedroom where she discovered her first romance novel.
Curiosity about people and places, including what's beyond the stars, fuels her writer's imagination. Let Nina's sensual contemporary stories and steamy paranormal tales feed your own addiction for love, romance, and happily ever after.
Find Nina here:  Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads
Giveaway:
Prize one: Nina Crespo’s limited edition The Song Series charm set, eBook copy of Thane’s Redemption, The Song #1, 15.00 Amazon Gift Card and this necklace (Follow Nina on Amazon required)
Prize two: Signed copy of a book from Nina’s backlist, eBook of Thane’s Redemption, The Song #1, 10.00 Amazon GC 
Prize three: 5.00 Amazon GC, eBook Thane’s Redemption, The Song #1 
Prize four: eBook copy of Thane’s Redemption, The Song #1
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Excerpt:
Reid’s Deliverance, The Song #2 
Chapter 1
The lead singer of Thane’s Redemption jumped on stage. He grabbed the mic and blended his rich baritone with the edgy rock beat.
Waves of sound filled The Song, and the packed audience of mostly women cheered.
Up-tempo guitar riffs and pounding drums brought them to their feet.
Lauren Blake danced. Audible sweetness and the dark-haired keyboardist intoxicated her.
Muscles flexed underneath the clean-cut hottie’s navy button-down shirt. The rock and thrust of his jean-clad hips inspired fantasies of holding on for a sinful ride. As he played a rapidly building chord, he scanned the crowd. His gaze lingered where she jammed with Ari and Celine.
Her heart rate ticked up.
Silly, he’s not staring at you. Interacting with the crowd was part of the gig.
The band launched into a cover of a popular song.
Lauren plopped down in the curved, faux leather chair at the table.
Celine sang the lyrics along with the band. Dark hair skimmed her shoulders as she shimmied to the beat. Finally, she was enjoying life.
As Lauren fanned her face, she winked at Ari.
Plum-colored lip tint complimented her friend’s light brown complexion along with her smile. “Mission accomplished.”
Celine had given them hell about going out tonight. Still, they’d zipped her into a killer red dress and dragged her from the apartment. Her having a good time now made up for the massive attitude. Not to mention, she’d snagged Thane. The tall lead singer had a silky-looking mane most women would die for; a muscular build, and, from what she’d heard, mesmerizing golden eyes. He was the sexiest guy in the band. Well, one of the sexiest.
Thane sat down on a stool center stage with an acoustic guitar. He dedicated the next song to Celine.
The sensual rumba-styled melody captivated most of the women in the audience. The rest shot eye-daggers in their direction. Lauren flipped her hair and gave the haters pointed looks. Please. They needed to get over it. Celine more than deserved the attention.
Lauren immersed herself in the lyrics. They were an invitation for one night of passion. The chords hummed through her veins. Images drifted in of the keyboardist wrapping her in his arms. His caresses floating over her. His wicked, tantalizing kisses weakening her knees.
Prickles gathered along her spine.
He looked her direction.
Her face grew hot. It was dumb to entertain the illusion, especially with her good-man indicator on the fritz. Hadn’t she learned her lesson after consistently picking out so many duds? Her handy hell-no list did ferret out the worst. Mama’s boys and cable sports junkies. In-between-jobs types who wanted to use her as their personal ATM. Commitment-phobes who didn’t “do” relationships. Courtesy of the last loser, double hell-no to self-centered pricks. And, of course, no heroes committed to protecting the world—military, police, not even those cute firemen at the local station. Nothing against dedication, but the sacrifices they made for their jobs ruined relationships.
The ballad ended to thunderous applause.
At the end of the show, a server dropped an envelope next to Celine. She opened it and pulled out three blue tickets.
Ari’s brown eyes widened. Lights from the stage shimmered in her metallic top as she wiggled in her seat. “We’re going to the after-party!”
“It’s late. I need to go home.” Celine shot up from her chair and rushed out.
Bright fluorescents flickered, erasing the muted glow of bar neon. The Song transformed into gray walls, dark floors, and steel. The lingering crowd skirted past round, red tables littered with used glasses and crumpled napkins.
“Shit.” Ari swept dark bangs into her short cut. “I thought we’d made a breakthrough. You know what this means—we have to convince her to go to the party and hook up with Thane.”
“Nope.” Lauren finished the last of her tangy-sweet mangotini. “You heard her snap my head off earlier when I suggested she talk to that guy at the bar. I’m done with matchmaking. It’s your turn.”
Ari sighed and grabbed her purse. “Wish me luck.”
Lauren stood and picked up her green clutch. No need to hurry. She had the keys. Hopefully, World War III would end before she got to the car.
---
**Want more of REID’S DELIVERANCE, The Song Book 2? Pre-order is now available. Read the rest of Chapter 1 on Nina’s website www.ninacrespo.com. Start the series with THANE’S REDEMPTION, The Song Book 1, on sale for a limited time. Pick up your copies today!

The First Friday of October

Happy, spooky Friday. It's not too early to be watching out for ghosts and goblins.
~*~ Congratulations to Jessica Marie on her new job.  

Back Porch Visitor

This little guy must have thought he was a catbird since he came in the cat door. Even after I propped opened the porch door it took him several hours to figure out how to gain his freedom. Birdbrain.

~*~ Happy first of October! Can you believe it?  

Wacky Wednesday

And a belated Happy Birthday to our very own Crystal Collier.