Sandra Cox's Blog, page 248

Babies Are Here!

Still out town but had to post baby pics. Emily and Marshall arrived yesterday morning. I'll catch up soon. Promise.

 Dad and babies in delivery room. We've had a big day.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas, dear friends. Later today, the hh and I will be heading out of town to await the arrival of our grandbabies. 
I will be posting and visiting blogs soon.

Christmas Eve

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house     Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;     The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,  In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;  The children were nestled all snug in their beds;  While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;  And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,  Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap,  When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,  I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.  Away to the window I flew like a flash,  Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.  The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,  Gave a lustre of midday to objects below,  When what to my wondering eyes did appear,  But a miniature sleigh and eight tiny rein-deer,  With a little old driver so lively and quick,  I  knew in a moment he must be St. Nick.  More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,  And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:  "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now Prancer and Vixen!  On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blixen!  To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!  Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"  As leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,  When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky;  So up to the housetop the coursers they flew  With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too—  And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof  The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.  As I drew in my head, and was turning around,  Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.  He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,  And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;  A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,  And he looked like a pedler just opening his pack.  His eyes—how they twinkled! his dimples, how merry!  His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!  His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,  And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;  The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,  And the smoke, it encircled his head like a wreath;  He had a broad face and a little round belly  That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.  He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,  And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;  A wink of his eye and a twist of his head  Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;  He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,  And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,  And laying his finger aside of his nose,  And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;  He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,  And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.  But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight—  “Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”~Clement Clarke Moore who wrote it for his children

Santa And His Reindeer

It's The Weekend

It's the weekend and it's almost Christmas. Have a good one.

Released Today: Tall, Dark and Undead

It's out.....  His eyes glowed bright as brimstone. The tips of fangs were visible even under his closed lips.  “Give me a moment,” he whispered in a hoarse voice. As I stared, the glow subsided. From the wash of the street light his eyes shone a stormy gray. The tips of the fangs retracted. I walked to him, unafraid. “That’s twice now you’ve saved me.”“You use up lives quicker than a cat.” His voice had returned to its normal melodious cadence. He watched me approach.“Thank you, again.” I held out my hand. “I’m Suzanne James.”The hand that swallowed mine felt cool and hard. “Adrian Caine.”  His touch drew me. His eyes compelled me. My heart beat quickened. My breath grew shallow. I took a step closer then closer yet, my only awareness: his magnetic gaze and the sweet peppermint of his breath on my upturned face. His eyes were stormy as thunderclouds on a dark night. “You conflict me.” He breathed that sweet scent on my face as his head lowered toward mine.“Friend of yours?” Cal’s voice startled me and broke the spell I had fallen under. I took a deep breath and a step back. “Yes. Cal Royce, Adrian Caine.”The men sized each other up. From the expressions on their face, neither was much impressed with the other.“You should do a better job protecting her, policeman.” Adrian spoke in a soft voice but it carried a sting like a whiplash.Cal’s head jerked back. His hand tightened around my purse. I grabbed it before the contents spewed out from the force of his grip. “What the hell does that mean and who the hell are you? How did you know I was a detective?”“Where were you when she was attacked just now?” Adrian countered.Cal whipped around. “Is that true, Suzanne?”“Yes.”  I felt a headache coming on. And my eye began to twitch.
Available Nov 28, 2013http://www.amazon.com/Tall-Dark-and-Undead-ebook/dp/B00DR146TU/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379370444&sr=1-3&keywords=sandra+cox
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tall-dark-and-undead-sandra-cox/1116110460?ean=9781419945373

VBT: Cassie Scot Paranormal Detective and Secreets and Lies

BLURB:Book One Cassie Scot: Paranormal DetectiveCassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.Book TwoSecrets and LiesCassie Scot, still stinging from her parents’ betrayal, wants out of the magical world. But it isn’t letting her go. Her family is falling apart and despite everything, it looks like she may be the only one who can save them.

To complicate matters, Cassie owes Evan her life, making it difficult for her to deny him anything he really wants. And he wants her. Sparks fly when they team up to find two girls missing from summer camp, but long-buried secrets may ruin their hopes for happiness.I've been called a lot of things in my life: normal, ordinary, and even a disappointment. After the Harry Potter books came out, a couple of people called me a squib. Since I haven't read them, I have to assume it's a compliment.
Personally, I prefer normal, which is why the sign on my office door reads: Cassie Scot, Normal Detective.  You have to understand that around here, when your last name is Scot, people are easily confused. Not only are my parents powerful practitioners, but I have six talented brothers and sisters. Plus, my family hasn't always been known for its subtlety. When weird stuff happens around here, the people who are willing to believe in magic are prone to suspect the Scots.
The day I opened for business I got a call from an old woman who swore her cat was possessed by the devil. She also swore she'd read my web site, which clearly stated the types of work I did and did not do. Exorcisms were on the No list, and while I hadn't specified pet exorcisms, I would have thought it was implicit.AUTHOR Bio and Links:Award-winning author Christine Amsden has written stories since she was eight, always with a touch of the strange or unusual. She became a “serious” writer in 2003, after attending a boot camp with Orson Scott Card. She finished Touch of Fate shortly afterward, then penned The Immortality Virus, which won two awards. Expect many more titles by this up-and-coming author.
Website: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/Blog: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/?page_id=200Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristineAmsdenFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664?ref=hlGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1030664.Christine_AmsdenGoogle+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/117845642477854934607/posts http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e43430 Enter to win a $50 Amazon or BN

Lions, Tigers and Bears, Oh My

Vanilla Brandy, err Vanilla Extract

Greetings everyone, yes it is Monday, but it's getting closer and closer to the holidays where we'll be home even on Mondays.
My Vanilla Extract is bottled and ready to go.  I ordered the bottles and labels on line. Next year I'm going to start in July so those beans can get good and saturated, and my vanilla will smell more like extract and less like brandy:) I'm giving them out with a Christmas spatula and chocolate covered pretzel.

Babies are still in holding pattern, which is just fine with the hh since he is in the middle of giving and grading finals. I kept the ceramic planters from when my babies were born and I'm recycling them for the next generation.  I took the planters to the local florist and had them put plants in them and when our little peas in the pod decide to make their entrance I'll take them to the hospital and give to the DIL.  It's hard to tell from the picture but the one plant is a pink Christmas Cactus.

But enough about me. How was your weekend? Wondrous? Of course, it was.

Friday The 13th

Are you superstitious? The good news is it's Friday. The bad news is it's The Thirteenth.

~*~
VAMPIRE BAY is on sale for 99 cents at Amazon.