Sandra Cox's Blog, page 215

IWSG Wednesday

Yup, it's that time again, IWSG Wednesday. The once a month post where we discuss our doubts, fears, struggles and triumphs. Today I'm posting on:
The Wonderful World Of CoversAs a writer and a reader I think covers are near and dear to us all. It's the face of our story, the photograph of our child. Covers may not be the deciding factor in whether a reader buys a book or not, but  it adds weight.  If  an individual likes a cover, he/she is more apt to pick up the book to find out what it's about. If the author is big enough, the cover is a nice bennie but its her/his name that's going to make the sale. And that's what every author strives for.  Unfortunately, we are not all at that point.
There's always a balancing scale when it comes to trad versus indie, but where covers are concerned the balance definitely tips in favor of indie. The author has complete control of his/her cover and can pick out the perfect portrait of his/her child. I've had publishing houses whose artists gave me exactly what I wanted and I couldn't have done better on my own. I've also been on the other end of the spectrum, where my cover ideas and CAF (cover art form)  were completely ignored and the final cover signed, sealed and delivered without any input from me. Have you ever had that happen? You look at a cover and wonder where's my story and the only option is to suck it up and deal with it.
I'm also superstitious about colors. I like a little red or purple in a cover. I think either color helps make the cover pop. There's also a color that I think washes out and leaves a generic feel, but since I am superstitious I'm not going to mention what it is, other than to say it's in some of my covers. Grin.
What about you? Do you have particular cover colors you like or dislike? Have you had a cover you didn't like and you felt it adversely affected your sales?
What do you think? How important are covers?
Interested in joining IWSG? Here's the link: http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html

Summer Foot Wear

SIRIously?

I am probably the only person in the world that does not find Siri helpful. Though I occasionally find her amusing. I'm always hitting the button by accident then it takes me forever to make her go away. The last time I accidentally brought her up, I said "Siri, shut up." And while that's actually not polite, it's politer than what I really said.
Her response: "My lips are sealed."

Welcome May

Happy Friday to All and Welcome May!
~*~
 “I have a theory I’m trying to prove.”
“Which is?” I narrow my eyes and angle away from him.
“That a girl lurks beneath that getup.” He reaches for my glasses.
I slap his fingers hard enough to make him back up and shake his hand.
“Ouch. Why’d you do that?”
“The sun hurts my eyes.”
“It’s behind a cloud.” He points out the obvious.
“You have every other girl in school, isn’t that enough?” I storm,
panting.
“Apparently not.” 

Love

'When an animal--or a human--feels love, the body releases oxytocin, a hormone that reduces anxiety, relieves pain and suppresses stress hormones." ~ The Healing Power of Love by Cimeron Morrissey,

I read this in Best Friends, an animal rescue magazine, and was struck by the quote. The article was talking about rescuing animals in need and how important that first touch of love is  to the healing process. And isn't that true for all of us?  It's easier to bear hardship and pain if someone loves and supports us than to do it alone.

Wacky Wednesday

Dogs Who Fail At Being Dogs

Date Night

Friday night is date night at the Cox household. We go out to eat then....drumroll...head to Walmart to do the grocery shopping. In our area you'll find more folks at Walmart than at the theater. This past weekend our excitement level notched up a bit. Instead of Walmart we ended up at ER where the hh had an unexpected appendectomy. When the doctor came out to talk to me after the surgery he told me the appendix was short, fat and inflamed. And my mind immediately jumped to...you guessed it, character description. So if you ever see a character in one of my stories that is short, fat and inflamed you'll know where he came from:)
What did you do interesting this weekend?

In His Corner

 Please Welcome Vina Arno, another great Lyrical Author(Be sure and checkout the giveaway) Title: In His Corner Author: Vina ArnoGenre: Contemporary romancePublisher: Lyrical Press, an imprint of Kensington Publishing Corp.Date of Publication: April 14, 2015
In His Corner: DescriptionWORK OUTNo sex for almost a year could kill a guy, but when you’re the boxer known as the Juggernaut, it’s the price you pay for turning pro. Tommy’s fully dedicated to his craft, until he meets the incredibly gorgeous Dr. Siena Carr. Now he’s looking forward to taking on this prim and proper lady in a wet and wild workout…KNOCK OUTSiena has seen many patients come through the ER, but none as sexy as Tommy Raines. With a nasty cut over his eye, she knows he needs stitches, but after he takes off his shirt, she needs some air. With rock-hard abs and taut biceps, it’s clear this man takes care of his body. And all Siena can think about is letting him take care of hers… In His Corner : Book ExcerptDr. Siena Carr dropped the clipboard on the counter and washed her hands. When she turned around, she gasped. “What are you doing?”The Juggernaut was undressing. Before she could say another word, he was naked. A glorious sight that sent her heart racing and her face burning. Did he know that he looked like a sculpture by Michelangelo? Except for the tattoo on his right shoulder, this man was Davidincarnate.She looked away abruptly, grabbing the clipboard. She didn’t even know his name! She looked at his paperwork. Tommy Raines. “Mr. Raines, please put on your clothes.”She continued scanning his form. Occupation: boxer. Age: twenty-two. Weight: 160 pounds. Height: six feet. Blood type: O positive. No pre-existing health conditions. His temperature and blood pressure were normal. Reason for ER visit: a cut sustained from sparring.She faced him. Thank God, he was clothed again.“Sorry about that,” he said. “I thought you’re supposed to check me out.”Did he just say check him out? “Mr. Raines, this is an ER, not a bar. I don’t check out patients. Do you mean to say check up?”He smiled. “Yeah, check up.”“I’m going to take care of your cut, but I’m not doing a checkup. If you need one, you should go to your primary care doctor.”“I don’t like doctors. I avoid hospitals and clinics as much as possible, but my cut kept bleeding even after I showered. So here I am.”Order NowIn His Corner by Vina Arno, published by Lyrical Press/Kensington Publishing, is available at:Amazon.comBarnes & NobleKobo BooksKensington BooksiTunesGoogle About Vina ArnoVina Arno is a pen name used by Cindy Fazzi, a Philippine-born American writer who has worked as a journalist in the Philippines, Taiwan, and the United States. Her short stories have been published in the Snake Nation Review, Copperfield Review, and SN Review.Read this Forbes article about Vina Arno: 3 Career Reinvention Tips From A Reporter Turned Romance Writer   Learn more about Vina Arno at:                   Web site: www.cindyfazzi.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cindy-Fazzi/779654065440439Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9800535.Vina_ArnoGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+CindyFazzi/aboutEnter a Rafflecopter Drawing:https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/f229a489166/Giveaway for U.S. and Canada only, from April 14-28, 2015 One grand prize: ·         $50 Amazon gift card ·         Electronic copy of In His Corner·         Siena keepsake box with the image of Siena, Italy, in honor of the book’s heroine, Siena Carr, who was named after the Italian city·         Italian cookies and chocolates

Sealed In Sin

Please welcome Urban Fantasy Writer Extraordinaire: Juliette Cross
Title: SEALED IN SIN
Series: The Vessel Trilogy, Book Two
File Size: 605 KB
Print Length: 276 pages
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Release Date: April 21, 2015


Tag Line: Sometimes sin looks an awful lot like heaven.
Full Description: One demon prince may be festering in the bowels of the soul eater Cocytus, but Genevieve’s troubles are far from over. Prince Bamal, demon lord of New York City, still wants her. But this time, he wants her alive, to control her inherent power as a Vessel of Light. 
With Jude Delacroix off searching for the prophecy, Thomas—a guardian angel with sea-green eyes and an aura of winter woods—steps into the gap, offering her the power to protect herself.
Yet she hesitates, for the transfer of that power comes through a kiss. While Gen’s love for Jude is true, Thomas stirs a desire where there should be none. Thomas also knows Jude’s darkest secret and plans to use it, if necessary, to win Gen for his own.
While her Vessel power grows and more demon spawn creep from every dark corner of the world, one thing is certain—the Great War between the angels and demons is quickly approaching. And Gen is in a race against time to awaken her full power before the storm breaks.
Warning: Contains a demon hunter with dark secrets, a sexy angel with ulterior motives, and demonic creatures running amok.
Buy Links:
Amazon  
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
Samhain


Author Bio:
Juliette calls lush, moss-laden Louisiana home where the landscape curls into her imagination, creating mystical settings for her stories. She has a B.A. in creative writing from Louisiana State University, a M.Ed. in gifted education, and was privileged to study under the award-winning author Ernest J. Gaines in grad school. Her love of mythology, legends, and art serve as constant inspiration for her works. From the moment she read JANE EYRE as a teenager, she fell in love with the Gothic romance--brooding characters, mysterious settings, persevering heroines, and dark, sexy heroes. Even then, she not only longed to read more novels set in Gothic worlds, she wanted to create her own.
Author Links:Website Facebook Twitter Pinterest Goodreads Newsletter

SHORT EXCERPT:“Hiiii, Juuude.” Mindy actually cooed his name as she crossed into the living room right before the man himself waltzed into my kitchen.
“Hello, Mindy.” As always, he sounded dark and rough, which did strange things to my insides.
Apparently, Dave let him in. Not that a door could or would stop Jude Delacroix from going wherever he damn well pleased. Still, it was nice when he pretended to be human, knocking and stuff, rather than appearing out of nowhere and scaring the bejeezus out of me. He had to put on the whole I’m-normal-and-walk-through-doors routine at my apartment when Mindy was home.
The moment he entered the room, all my senses rose to full alert. The man packed enough heat and power in his aura to melt a girl into jelly. A mere glance from his dark eyes or slight touch from rough hands, and I was lost.
I focused on flipping the pancakes on the stove, still trying to figure out how to tell him about our trip to the House of Hades, the near-miss with Gorham, and the brief and strange meeting with my guardian angel. Kat preferred asking forgiveness rather than permission, or just omitting the admission of any sins altogether. But I had trouble lying, though I seemed to do it often as of late. I especially had trouble lying to Jude.
“Want some brinner?” I asked, plopping another dollop of butter in the pan.
“Brinner? What might that be?” He leaned with his back against the counter next to the stove, splaying one huge hand on the countertop, watching me pour the batter into the pan. How did this man make watching me cook a sexy thing?
“You’ve never heard of brinner?” I glanced at the door to make sure Mindy was out of earshot. “For someone who’s been alive nearly two thousand years, you don’t know a whole lot.”
He slid a finger down my forearm. I nearly dropped the spatula. He leaned closer, his chest brushing my shoulder, voice dropping several decibels. “Educate me.” And just like that, my heart slammed into my rib cage, my thoughts scattering to the wind. I stared at him, knowing my eyes were no longer hungry for pancakes. He pressed warm lips, a feather-soft kiss, to the slope between my neck and shoulder. “Genevieve?” Another press of lips higher up my neck, melting me into goo.
“Hm?” Eyes closed, I welcomed a third kiss just under my jaw.
“Your brinner is burning.”