Sandra Cox's Blog, page 219

For Those of You on The Time Clock

I won't be posting next week. But when I get back, I want a full report of what's been going on in your world. Enjoy the weekend and the upcoming week, my friends.

News Briefs

Items That Caught my Eye

Thumbs Up: Hotel Matches Guests with Dogs
http://blog.exploreasheville.com/2015/02/asheville-hotel-matches-guests-with-dogs.html 
I think this is lovely and Asheville is the place to make it happen.

Thumbs Down: Saturday Night Isis Skithttp://news.yahoo.com/snl-isis-skit-dakota-johnson-video-154431536.html
Really? Nothing about ISIS is remotely funny.

Instead of Wacky Wednesday It's IWSG Wednesday

Reviews, do you love them or hate them?I have yet to reach the zen state where a negative review doesn't affect me. That thick skin writers are suppose to grow...I'm afraid I shed mine before it gets any layers to it.
Reviews can be great teaching tools and should be approached as such. (And yes I need to listen to my own advice:) One comment on what you did or didn't do and it can be put down to a reader's opinion or preference. Three or more..maybe you should give serious thought to addressing it in your next manuscript.
Oddly enough, reviews also vary from site to site. Silverhills has been my most extreme. On Amazon it got a negative review and not many reads. Thankfully, down the road it got a few reviews that offset the negative, but its sales are still so-so. On the other hand at Barnes and Noble its had thirty-one unsolicited reviews (which for me is huge),the majority of them fives, and it continues to sell. Weird huh? What makes the difference on these two sites?  Why does a book do well on one site and not another? Do you think the reviews factor into it?
I was bemoaning a less than stellar review to the hh and his response was, 'If they bother you why do you read them?'  I found this question to be both simple and profound. So until my skin thickens--and they say with age it gets thinner--or until I find my zen state, I'm ignoring the negatives and concentrating on the positives. And you dear reader/writer: What's your approach to a less than stellar review?

National Anthem Sung By Two Year Old

Did you see this? The National Anthem sung by a two and a half year old? He did a better job than I would have.

Cover Reveal And Winners

Happy Monday everyone! And now I can say that with a smile. Here's my new cover for Danger, to be released in August. What do you think?

~*~The winners for the Love, Lattes and Mutants contest are: Lysa JoBarbaraandPat Esden (host)Congrats, ladies.
~*~
Blogging bud, Gina Stoneheart is helping me today with promo for Love, Lattes and Mutants.
Thanks, Gina!
 

Griffin's Secret

The Griffin’s Secretby Cate Masters

In this contemporary re-telling of Grimm’s classic fairy tale The Griffin, two people must risk everything to free themselves from the invisible prisons that keep them from love…
Jackson Grant had it all—the girl he loved, his Harley, and his guitar. Until a tragic accident stole it all away. Now, more than scars and a tattoo remain. Jackson has a secret. Cursed by his dead girlfriend’s mother, he can never fall in love again or his beloved will die. With his heart on lockdown, he keeps to himself—until a roadie gig with Malcontent, the world’s most popular band, entwines his fate with sweet, wounded Layla’s…
Music is what Layla lives for. She has no choice. She’s bound by magic to serve Malcontent, cursed to propel them to stardom with her musical powers. Then Jackson appears and gives her hope that he’s the hero who will save her. A reluctant hero, yet one she can’t resist. But freedom will come at price—and who will pay…?ExcerptThe faint scent of an exotic flower on an ocean breeze hit him the second the girl walked in. Every part of his body stood at attention, taking in the way she moved. The curve of her slender hips. Those long legs…they’d wrap around the back seat of his Harley perfectly. Wrap around him perfectly, too.A flip of her onyx-silk hair sent it behind her shoulder as she sat opposite. “Who are you?”Good question. He’d been seeking the same answer for too long. “Jackson Grant.”Her eyes darkened, deep brown to charcoal diamonds. “Why are you here?”“For the roadie job.” Was she the first gatekeeper? A gate she kept locked, he’d bet. Or maybe she was another test. Kev had warned him there’d be tricky questions and to answer straight. Something told him she asked out of curiosity.“You think you’re up for such a demanding job?”Again, the impression hit him she was making these questions up as she went along, ad-libbing off his replies.He’d play. “I’m strong. Dependable. I follow orders, keep my head down, and stay out of trouble.” And he liked his privacy.Her features smoothed, hard as porcelain. “Do you.” Not a question.He’d answer anyway. “Yes.”Did disappointment curl her lip? Or boredom? Why did he care? If he could, he’d blast out of there before his own curiosity got the better of him. Already, she’d gotten under his skin. Crazy how the tat no longer singed him, but now twisted like a trapped animal.With a plastic smile, she batted her eyes, and the false flirtation didn’t suit her. “So. You’re a yes-man.”The way she said it, he’d be no different than any other roadie serving the great rock star, Malcolm Fetterman. Fine by Jackson. The less he stood out, the better. Except for her. He hated to think of her glossing over his presence, but that would be better, too.He drummed his fingers on the table. “I need the job.” Where the hell was Malcolm anyway? The longer he stayed with her, the more he wanted to. Definitely couldn’t afford that kind of trouble. He glanced at the open door, hoping he wouldn’t have to go through the same interrogation again.She tapped the table. “You’d have to travel constantly.”“Perfect.” No different than his usual way of life. Except this time, his paycheck would remain steady.“You wouldn’t miss your family?” She dipped her head. “Your girlfriend?”He curled his lip this time. No one’s business but his. He shifted in his seat. “They’re better off.”Her brows knit, and then her expression became unreadable as the Sphinx. “The hours are long, and the equipment’s heavy. Everything has to be exactly as Mal orders.”Did he imagine it, or had she winced at her own words?He shrugged. “It’s his show.” Someday, Jackson would have his own roadies. And would treat them much better than Malcolm Fetterman did, if the stories proved true.Her steely focus cut into him. “Mal doesn’t hire musicians except for those in the band. And there aren’t any openings in Malcontent.”He didn’t allow himself to blink. “No problem.”“But you play, don’t you?” Her gaze dropped to his callused fingertips drumming the tabletop.He drew his hand down. “No.” A necessary lie. She might suspect, but couldn’t possibly know the truth. Almost like leaving one of his limbs behind, he’d locked his Fender in storage in New Jersey with his paltry possessions for six months. By then, he’d know whether this gig worked out.The Griffin’s SecretReimagined fairy tale/fantasy romance novellaISBN: 9781616507053Publish Date: 5/12/2015About 33,000 words Amazon  | Barnes and Noble  | Kensington About the AuthorCate Masters has made beautiful central Pennsylvania her home, but she’ll always be a Jersey girl at heart. When not spending time with her dear hubby, she can be found in her lair, concocting a magical brew of contemporary, historical, and fantasy/paranormal stories with her cat Chairman Maiow and dog Lily as company. Look for her at http://catemasters.blogspot.com and in strange nooks and far-flung corners of the web.Contact DetailsWebsite: http://catemasters.blogspot.com Email: cate.masters@gmail.com Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Masters/89969413736?ref=tsTwitter:  @CateMasters

This Is It

This is it. The last day at my day job before retirement. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked what I'm going to do now that I'm retiring. Since a picture is worth a thousand words--though those of us who write may not necessarily agree with that sentiment--here is what I plan to do:

PARTY!

My retirement reception was the best reception ever. 
The man who hired me,  became and remained one of my most steadfast friends, made the trek back to Statesville to celebrate with me. My surprise guest was my son. Since his school had been closed for two days due to weather,  and he has twin responsibilities, and lives three hours away, I didn't really expect him. When I saw the flowers from him and his lovely wife, I was certain he wasn't coming. Then I turned around and there he was, my baby boy.
I wasn't expecting many folks. (Not only was it frigid outside, but there were workshops going on and I'd received several messages from people who weren't going to be able to attend.) It turned out I was wrong there too. The number of friends and co-workers who showed up to wish me well both surprised and humbled me.
My Flowers
A Beautiful Handmade Gift
Tomorrow is D Day....

Erin Fanning and Wacky Wednesday

I'm very pleased to have Erin with us today. Doesn't her book sound exciting and don't you love that cover? Here's a mini review:
In Blood Stitches, Fanning takes a unique topic and weaves it into a fun yarn. It has everything from magic tapestries to a man dressed like a candy corn. Things really start hopping when Gabby and her best friend Frank get spirited away to a demon ball where they must prevent an apocalyptic disaster.  Want to kick back with an entertaining adventure? Try Blood Stitches.To read more-  Blurb:It’s called El Toque de la Luna—The Touch of the Moon. At least that’s how nineteen-year-old Gabby’s older sister, Esperanza, refers to the magical powers she inherited from their Mayan ancestors. Esperanza says women with El Toque weave magic into their knitting, creating tapestries capable of saving—or devastating—the world. Gabby thinks Esperanza is more like touched in the head—until a man dressed like a candy corn arrives at their Seattle home on Halloween. But “Mr. C” is far from sweet…
Soon, Gabby and her almost-more-than-friend, Frank, find themselves spirited away to a demon ball, complete with shape shifters—and on a mission to destroy Esperanza’s tapestries before they cause an apocalyptic disaster… And before it’s too late to confess their true feelings for each other.Excerpt:A gust of wind scattered leaves across the University of Seattle campus. My hair tangled over my face. New contacts tortured my eyes, and books weighed down my backpack. It didn’t matter. A tornado could have snatched me up. As long as it carried me home and put an end to the anniversary of the worst day of my life.
“Watch out, Gabby.” My best friend Frank thrust his hands deep into the pockets of his pinstriped suit. “We’re being followed by a giant candy corn.”
“Giant candy corn? Yeah, right.” If I turned around, Frank would laugh and say, “Gotcha”, or some other dorky thing. The mind-numbing boredom of Calculus I, our last class of the day, always set Frank off, making him zanier than usual.  “I mean it. We’ve got a candy corn on our tail.” Frank whistled a Lester Ruben song as he sauntered ahead.
“Okay, okay. Let me see this Halloween wonder.” If I didn’t give in, Frank would never leave me alone. I whirled, ready to hear Frank’s laugh, and almost ran into a man. His face glowed orange, like someone who’d spent too much time in a tanning booth, and he wore a white cap pulled down to his ears. A yellow scarf hid his neck and chin. For once, Frank wasn’t kidding. The man resembled a giant candy corn.
Shredded paper and a postage stamp poked out of his scarf, and a moon decorated an edge of the knitting, like one of my older sister Esperanza’s creations. It didn’t seem possible, but no one else I knew added garbage and a signature moon to their knitting. A wool coat covered the rest of him, except his face and steel-tipped boots.
“Sorry.” I jumped back.
Frank’s chuckles mixed with squirrels chattering in a nearby tree. Drizzle moistened my forehead, and a cold dampness seeped into my bones. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion, like watching Esperanza unravel her knitting one stitch at a time to fix a mistake. About the author:Erin Fanning spends her summers on a northern Michigan lake, where her imagination explores the water and dense forest for undiscovered creatures. In the winter, she migrates to central Idaho, exchanging mountain bikes and kayaks for skis and snowshoes. She’s the author of Mountain Biking Michigan, as well as numerous articles, essays, and short stories.

Links
Website: www.erinfanning.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Stitches-Erin-Fanning-ebook/dp/B00ONTR8I6
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23450191-blood-stitches
Lyrical: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/31335

~*~WACKY WEDNESDAY


~*~This one's for CJ.

Love, Lattes and Mutant Release

LOVE, LATTES, AND MUTANTS
Sandra CoxCover Reveal and Release
Blurb: Finding love is hard, even when you aren’t a mutant.Like most seventeen-year-olds, Piper Dunn wants to blend in with the crowd. Having a blowhole is a definite handicap. A product of a lab-engineered mother with dolphin DNA, Piper spends her school days hiding her brilliant ocean-colored eyes and sea siren voice behind baggy clothing and ugly glasses. When Tyler, the new boy in school, zeroes in on her, ignoring every other girl vying for his attention, no one, including Piper, understands why...Then Piper is captured on one of her secret missions rescuing endangered sea creatures and ends up in the same test center where her mother was engineered. There she discovers she isn’t the only one of her kind. Joel is someone she doesn’t have to hide from, and she finds herself drawn to the dolph-boy who shares her secrets. Talking to him is almost as easy as escaping from the lab. Deciding which boy has captured her heart is another story...
Bio:Multi-published author Sandra Cox writes YA Fantasy, Paranormal and Historical Romance, and Metaphysical Nonfiction. She lives in sunny North Carolina with her husband, a brood of critters and an occasional foster cat. Although shopping is high on the list, her greatest pleasure is sitting on her screened in porch, listening to the birds, sipping coffee and enjoying a good book. She's a vegetarian and a Muay Thai enthusiast.
Links:Ekinsington($2.99 at) Amazon($2.99 at) Barnes and Noble($2.99 at) KoboBlog: www.sandracox.blogspot.comTwitter:  http://twitter.com/sandra_coxFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandraCox.AuthorGiveaways:First prize:A Piper-approved necklace and $10 Starbuck Card


Second Prize:A Piper-approved bracelet
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Or go to this addie to enter:http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/927e5e0011/
Featuring the release today is: 
Dawn Baca
Cate Masters
Cd Brennan 
Dani Lyn Alexander
Erin Fanning
April Vine
Desiree Holt
Nina Crespo
FEBRUARY 18th:
Mae Clair
Jen Colly 
Calissa Rhose 
Pat Esden
Andrea Mansue
Shelley Munro  
Stephanie Judice
FEBRUARY 19th:
Sherry Gloag 
Robin Bossseau
Julie Lindsey
FEBRUARY 20th
Hywela Lyn
FEBRUARY 21st: 
Stephanie Faris  
YA Tracker 
FEBRUARY 22nd:
Sherry Silver 
 FEBRUARY 23rd:
Kelly Hathaway
FEBRUARY 24TH:
Lorelei Buckley