Sandra Cox's Blog, page 22

Ketch-up Day

 

March is famous for the Ides of March and Spring. Here's what it looks like in some of the states.

 

March in North Carolina

 

 

March in California

Thanks, Denise

March in Florida

Thanks Sonya and Shane

 

March in Illinois

Thanks, Allison

 
 AND

March in Colorado

Thanks, Julie.

What's March look like in your neck of the woods?

Your Weekend Read: MYTH STALKER

 

Coming March 26th

Myth Stalker: Wendigo Nights, byShannon Lawrence

Warrior Muse Press

 

A latenight call from her mentor sends Selina Moonstone on a mission to Canada,determined to track down a Wendigo and exterminate it.

Accustomed to facing off with the all too realcreatures of Native American lore, Selina discovers the Wendigo is someoneclose to her, forcing her to change gears from destruction to frantic searchfor a cure. There's no known way to rid a person of the Wendigo spirit once ithas begun the consumption of the victim's soul, a lesson she learned the hardway in her youth.

With her loved one's transition to Wendigoimminent, Selina must fight her own lifelong training as a Myth Stalker andfind another way. She gathers a mismatched group of allies, including acharming Sin Eater and a conceited mercenary Cryptid hunter from her past, andembarks on a mission to find a solution before it's too late.

 

Link:

Availablein paperback and e-book, from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and more. Findthe book at your favorite store using the universal link: https://books2read.com/u/4AaOJd

 

 Bio:

A fan of all things fantastical andfrightening, Shannon Lawrence writes primarily horror and fantasy. Her storiescan be found in over fifty anthologies and magazines in addition to hercollections. Her nonfiction title, The Business of Short Stories, isavailable now and her debut urban fantasy novel is releasing March 2024. Youcan also find her as a co-host of the podcast Mysteries, Monsters, &Mayhem. When she's not writing, she's hiking through the wilds of Coloradoand photographing her magnificent surroundings, where, coincidentally, there'salways a place to hide a body or birth a monster. Find her at www.thewarriormuse.com.

 

 

1. Nachos arebest when bought from a food stand. Bonus points if it’s the middle of thenight.

Selina and afriend grab nachos from a local food stand here in Colorado Springs after a

strenuousassignment. While I don’t name it in the book, it’s inspired by a real standnear my

house that hasTHE BEST Mexican food we’ve found in our city. And it’s open 24 hours! Greatfor

an insomniac (ornot great, depending upon how you look at it).

2. Just likehumans, fish need a certain amount of protein in their diet, which they usuallyget from

a wide array ofsources, depending upon their size, from worms and insects all the way up to

mammals.Fresh-caught fish is good for you and tasty, too! Selina’s mentor likes tocatch his

own fish at alake near his house. He even catches one each time for a friendly localmountain

lion named Rocky.Selina herself is not a big fan of fishing, but she’s happy to sup with her

mentor when hedoes the work.

3. Did you knowthe U.S. Department of Agriculture has a rule about sandwiches that they canonly

be 50% bread andmust have at least 35% meat? Selina has sandwiches (somewhat reluctantly)

with a certainfellow in the book. They’re portable and convenient! But I’m pretty sure someof

my sandwicheshave not been within the rules.

 

Did You Know

 Did you know, flamingos can sleep standing on one leg?

 

For more information: The Real Reason Flamingos Stand on One Leg | Nature and Wildlife | Discovery

 

Writerly Wednesday

 What's your synonym, example or definition of:

Example: Politicians spout bunkum.

Ketch-Up Day

 

We have several of these guys hanging around the neighborhood.  Do you have bluebirds in your area?

How is your week going? Feeling okay? Doing anything exciting?

Same ole, same ole here. Read, write, reset.

AND.....

Frank overseeing the unloading of groceries.

Lots of rain last week.  

Added to the water that was already in it and the rain 'barrow' overflowed.

Does anyone grow rosemary? Mine blossomed this year. I've had rosemary for years, as you can tell by the size of my 'bush', and it's never flowered before. I didn't even realize they had flowers. The heavens and the climate must have aligned this year.

 

March calendar shots.

I got to see my bro and SIL from Illinois last week and on another day went out to lunch with buds. Definitely a good week. Hope yours was. 

That's all, buds.

Weekend Wishes

 

Did You Know

 

Did you know that when Andrew Jackson, the seventh president of the United States, took office at age sixty-one, it made him the oldest president that had held the office to that point.

IWSG Wednesday

 

The firstWednesday of every month is officially IWSG day. IWSG was formed by NinjaCaptain Alex Cavanaugh. Members post about their doubts and fears, discussstruggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.

 

Twitter handle: @TheIWSG  

Hashtag: #IWSG 

The awesome co-hosts forthe March 6 posting of the IWSG are Kristina Kelly, Miffie Seideman, Jean Davis, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

Every month, we announce a question that memberscan answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice,insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question inyour IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with somethingto say. 

Remember, the question is optional

March 6th question: Have you"played" with AI to write those nasty synopses, or do you refuse togo that route? How do you feel about AI's impact on creative writing?

Good question.  I’ve used AI for guest posts but I haven’ttried a synopsis. In fact, I’m not sure how to even approach that. It seemslike by the time you’d given it the information, you would have written it yourself.I’m anxious to hear from folks that have used it for a synopsis and how itworked out. I feel like AI is here to stay so we might as well take advantageof it. On the other hand I hope it doesn’t put us out of business.

For those pitching: #IWSGPit March 27th.

AND: Saturday, April 13, 2024:
Beyond the Pen all-day workshop at Brier Creek Community Center, Morrisville NC
Register here!

 

                                                                                   Bookbrush Image

Four souls shrouded in darkness…

A wary vampire relying on the assistance of a young woman to guide his clan to an ancient fortress. A talking shark with no knowledge of his earlier life who befriends a girl with issues of her own. A werewolf trapped by his secret smitten with a young woman battling trust issues of her own. And an alien devoid of all emotions pledged to a Terran woman determined to keep her own feelings intact.

These souls must discover the power of love if they hope to escape the darkness surrounding them…

LINKS:

Amazon print –

Amazon eBook - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CWYM915Q  

iTunes - https://books.apple.com/us/book/x/id6476887107

Barnes & Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/2940167675377

Kobo - https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/Search?Query=9798988625155\

Gardners - https://www.gardners.com/Search/KeywordAnonymous/eBook?Keyword=9798988625155

Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/206112336-in-darkness

 

February/March Reviews inno particular order.

*Disclaimer. If I run into an occasional typo, I ignore them and don't factorthem into my review.

 

DEPTHOF WINTER by Craig Johnson

InBook #14, Longmire is traveling deep into Mexico to save his daughter Cady, whohas been kidnapped by Bidarte, a vicious drug lord and Longmire’s sworn enemy.

Available at Amazon

LANDOF WOLVES by Craig Johnson

InBook #15, While Cady is trying to recover, in Cheyenne, from her harrowing kidnappingexperience, Walt is back in Absaroka County, trying to recover from near mortalwounds. But there’s no downtime from murder and once again Walt is on the job.

NEXTTO LAST STAND by Craig Johnson

InBook #16, with the help of several scooter riders in the Veteran’s Home Walt ison the trail of a murderer and art thief.

 

THESOUL WHISPER’S DECISION by Gwen Plano

SarahJameson is in a deadly accident and has the rare opportunity to either join herchildren, who died in the accident, in the afterlife or stay on earth with hergrieving husband who is already suffering from PTSD before his family is rippedfrom him.

Thisis a story geared for those who enjoy Christian Faith, Spiritual Faith, andFaith and Spirituality reading. The author’s background in counseling andreligion are in evidence in this thought-provoking story.

Writtenin first person present.

Available at Amazon

 

 

THEWYVERN, THE PIRATE, AND THE MADMAN by Lou Kemp

Celwynthe magician, Professor Kang the automat, Bartholomew the scientist, Nemo and JulesVerne board the Nautilus for another adventure. Tara and Valentine, bothvampires, round out this steampunk fantasy. The sea and the lands visited,while chasing a pirate ship, are well-described and evocative. Many decisionsare made over a cup of tea and sumptuous meal. Unfortunately, while the friendsare on the high seas saving folks captured by the pirates, danger is lurking athome. 

Thissteampunk fantasy could almost be called a steampunk opera.

Available at  Amazon

 

 HOMEFOR THE HOLIDAYS by Jacquie Biggar

Ifyou are looking for stories to lift your spirits, this is a heartwarmingcollection that is geared for Christmas but can be enjoyed all year long. Theauthor effortlessly draws the reader into the stories and her vivid descriptionsbring them to life. SILVER BELLS, MISTLETOE INN, LOVE ME, and A MAGICALCHRISTMAS are all feel good holiday romances that will leave you with a smileon your face and a warm heart when you finish. So, grab your hot chocolate,curl up on the sofa with this lovely collection and enjoy. AND Jacquie has a new release coming this month.

Available at Amazon

 

 

Weekend Wishes

 

Did You Know

 Did you know, President Warren G. Harding's dog Laddie Boy had his own seat at cabinet meetings? Supposedly, the dog howled for the three days prior to the President's death.

For more infomation: Laddie Boy - Wikipedia