Sandra Cox's Blog, page 257

Men, Women and Money...and Raccoon Man

   MONEY
                     
 A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs.
A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn't need but its on sale.

~*~Happy Birthday, Mother. I trust wherever you are, you're hitting the sales.Ruth Blanchard  1929-2010.
By the way, there was a Ruth Blanchard Titanic survivor. Not the same Ruth Blanchard, but an interesting little bit of trivia.
~*~Wondering about last week's video starring: a raccoon, a gentleman with a long white beard and plenty of shampoo?  Here's the story behind the vid.
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It's The Weekend

Prove You're Not A Robot and Pride and Prejudice

Does anybody else have trouble making out those letters me when you have to prove you're (wo)man not machine? It usually takes me two or three times before I get the secret password correct. And to add insult to energy, half the time it's at my own blog.
~*~Show of hands. Have you read Pride and Prejudice? I blush to admit I've just recently read it. Surprisingly, it was the HH who convinced me to. He went back to school several years ago to get his masters in English Lit and it was required reading for one of his classes. Before that he probably would have let himself be robbed and beaten before reading a Regency Romance. Okay, I exaggerate....kinda. He's now a Jane Austen fan. Her scenes and characterizations drew him completely into the story. He found it to be a true classic and the author an outstanding novelist.

"Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion."Pride and Prejudice~Jane Austen.

Cat Shark

~*~As you might or might not remember, the house is on the market. Eight o'clock Sunday morning the phone rings for a 12:30-2:30 showing. We run around like crazy cleaning the house and getting the yard in shape. Of course, if we'd stayed on top of the house and yard we wouldn't be in frenzy mode but where's the fun in that?  We leave the premises at 12:30.  At 2:30 the phone rings again. The call service tells us the realtor is running behind and needs to move the showing back to 2:45-4:45. We've cleaned for four hours, been out of the house for two hours and looking at staying out of the house for another two hours, and all we want to do is go home. So I ask if we can narrow it down to either 2:45-3:45 or 3:45-4:45. The attendant says, 'Oh that won't be necessary. She's just running about fifteen minutes late, she'll be out of the house by 3:00."  Shoot me now.

Dog Wisdom From A Cat Person

Handle every Stressful situation like a dog.If you can't eat it or play with it,Wet on it and walk away               

VBT: Gold Manor Ghost House

BLURB:   Anna thought life was going to be awesome.  She was right…and wrong.
Won her dream job acting in a hit TV series.  Check.
Working with her best friend.  Check.
The set’s haunted and she’s in the middle of a supernatural war.  Uh, check?
Anna Rose Ellington is sixteen and living in Hollywood, hoping to be a star. Anna just landed a major role on Ghost House, TeenTV’s new fall drama.  A show promising to be so hot, Meg Sweet (the reigning teenage diva), signed on for the lead, and Adam Lewis (international rock sensation) is a principal player.
Her dreams are falling into place until she gets on set and begins questioning her sanity.  It’s true she has an unusual dream life, where once in a while her dreams literally come true.  But it’s been a while.  On top of her dreams not staying put in her brain, including the guy she’d been dreaming of for years, the house they’re filming in, Gold Manor, might actually be haunted.  But that’s the least of her worries. EXCERPT:“Keep your hands off her,” Corey yelled as he pulled his fist back for another hit.  A second before Corey’s hand made contact with his face, Adam’s eyes opened and quick as lightning he grabbed his fist.  Forcing it up and throwing Corey off balance, Adam jumped to his feet.
“I’m going to kill you, Lewis,” Corey growled.
I cleared my mind of everything but one thought, please don’t hurt him, please don’t hurt him. Adam instantly moved from retaliation mode to defense only.  Out of nowhere, Dom was standing in front of Adam, hands on Corey, trying to push him back and calm him down.
I was by his side, coaching him, reminding him, “Breathe, Corey.  In and out.  In and out.”
“No,” he spit back and lunged at me.
I barely escaped the blow to my jaw, but my thigh was not so lucky.  Going down with a scream, I wasn’t on the grass long before Corey was beside me, knocked out cold with Adam standing over him.
It didn’t seem possible for Adam to take Corey in a fight.  Corey was bigger, had more muscles, built like a line-backer to Adam’s thinner frame.  But no one could deny the evidence of Corey out by Adam’s fist.
My leg ached from the punch.  I’d have an ugly bruise for weeks.
“You okay?” Adam asked with an indifferent voice, but I wasn’t fooled.  I saw the hatred burning behind his eyes.AUTHOR INFORMATION:Born and raised in Bakersfield, California, Merry Brown now lives in the northwest corner of Tennessee with her husband, three boys, and Daisy the cat. She teaches philosophy at the University of Tennessee, Martin, where she counts it a great privilege and joy to introduce students to perennial questions about the nature of the universe, meaning, morality, and the human condition. Merry Brown's love of philosophy and young adult paranormal and dystopian literature inspired her to write THE KNOWERS, the first book in the Exiled Trilogy. GOLD MANOR GOLD HOUSE is her latest YA paranormal romance book.My contact info:http://www.merrybrown.comtwitter: @merryebrownFacebook: Merry BrownLink to book: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=gold+manor+ghost+houseOne randomly drawn commenter will win a $25 Amazon gift card. 

The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/05/virtual-book-tour-gold-manor-ghost.html

Weekend

Hello, friends. What's been happening in your corner of t...

Hello, friends. What's been happening in your corner of the world? Any news?
My tidbit: I received the Excellence in Education Award last week where I work. And no I'm not an instructor. I received it in the staff category. But enough about me, what's going on with you?
~*~ What the Owls Said
On those nights when the owls are singingI linger outside attempting to distinguish
Whether the Great Horned owls areOr the Long-eared owls areOr the Barred owls areOr whether they all areHere to accompany each other,Filling the night air withA dazzling chorus of improvisation.
And the Great Horned owl said,Sing, brothers, of the glories of the night.And the Long-eared owl said,Yes, Yes.And the Barred owl said,Sing brothers; it is thy birthright.
Here I am, a paltry audienceTrying to write lyrics forMusic that transcends my voice.                                                  
                                                            Michael Cox

SBB: Shadow of Perception

 BLURB:What happens when negligent plastic surgeons receive a taste of their own medicine…?
Chicago investigative reporter, Eden Risk, receives an unmarked envelope containing a postcard ordering her to watch the enclosed DVD…or someone else dies. No Police. After Eden watches the DVD, a gruesome, horrifying surgery, she turns to the private criminal investigation agency, CORE, for help. Only she hadn’t expected that help to come with a catch. Her former lover, Hudson Patterson, has been assigned to the case.
Hudson would rather have another CORE agent handle the investigation. Two years ago, he’d screwed things up with Eden…bad. And as more DVDs arrive, Eden and Hudson find themselves not only knee-deep in a twisted investigation, but forced to deal with their past, and the love they’d tried to deny. Hero’s POV:
Hudson cleared his throat and eyed Eden’s cat. “I’ve only seen cats that size at the zoo or in the jungle. What the hell is it? Besides big and ugly.”
“Don’t talk like that.” She cupped Fabio’s only ear. “He’s sensitive.”
Eden had to have snapped at some point during the past two years. Literally. Since when did this woman, this no bullshit, headstrong woman, become all sensitive?
“Whatever, Dr. Doolittle,” he said, hiding his irritation. She could let her guard down, shed her hard as nails persona for a frickin’ cat, but she’d never bothered to make the effort with him.  During those months they’d been together, she’d come willingly to his bed, or she’d invite him to hers. Their pillow talk had been fun and sexy. They had exchanged stories, but never secrets. And after a while, that had bothered him. For the first time…ever, he’d been intrigued by a woman and he’d begun to trust enough to want to give more of himself than he’d ever been willing to in the past. Unfortunately, despite the intimate moments they’d shared, she had kept herself guarded. Instead of trying to find a way to break through her barriers, he’d gone and screwed everything up with her. He’d regretted that night for over two years. And the mistake she’d promised him she would never forgive.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:I didn’t pick up my first romance novel until I was in my late twenties. Immediately hooked, I read a bazillion books before deciding to write one of my own. After the birth of my first son I needed something to keep my mind from turning to mush, and Sesame Street wasn’t cutting it. While that first book will never see the light of day, something good had come from writing it. I realized my passion, and had found a career that I love.
When I’m not writing contemporary romances and dark, romantic suspense novels (or reading them!) I’m chasing after my four kids and two neurotic dogs.
LINKS: FACE BOOK: http://www.facebook.com/kristine.maso... TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KristineMason7 WEBSITE: Books available on: Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Perception-Book-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00E3HM1B2/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374931089&sr=1-4
Barnes & Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-of-perception-kristine-mason/1116149995?ean=2940148591887
Kobo:http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/Shadow-of-Perception/book-bUl_8rgW00W8Khqylc8qag/page1.html?s=1KDtUTJKv0yLseFvGlBsoQ&r=1Kristine will be awarding $5 Amazon gift cards to four randomly drawn commenters during the tour as well as print books to six other randomly drawn commenters during the tour (3 of Pick Me, a contemporary romance, and 3 of Shadow of Danger, book one of the suspense series. [US ONLY on the books]). The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/07/virtual-super-book-blast-shadow-of.html

SBB: Bama Bride

BLURB:Neal Sinclair meets David Bankston in a college town bar. He’s tall, dark, and handsome, and wears a Stetson like nobody’s business.
When they dance, inner passion heats up while inhibitions melt away. Neal quickly discovers David’s not a Southerner at all. He’s a Boston architect, in Tuscaloosa for only one night. The next morning, they struggle to walk away from something that caught them both by surprise.
Time doesn’t diminish the ache they feel in each other’s absence. Unable to stay apart, David arranges to take Neal to watch her beloved Crimson Tide play in a football bowl game. Reunited, they’re determined to make it work. When separated, they perfect the art of open communication. They each know that true love is a long shot.
But distance isn’t the only thing standing in their way. Unbeknownst to her, Neal’s overprotective father is, too. With so much conspiring against them, can a natural disaster turn the odds in their favor?EXCERPT:“Hey, cowboy. How about a dance?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she cringed. Wow, even to my own ears that sounded way too cheesy.
She looked him over as he stood with the sole of one boot propped against the wall, and a Stetson perched atop his head. He had sinfully good looks, and his olive complexion and wavy black hair gave him a swarthy, pirate-like appeal.
“Evening.” He nodded, but his gaze remained focused on the room, never lingering in one place too long. Clearly, she had been dismissed.
So much for my skill at playing the vamp. This is shaping up to be an epic fail.
With each swig he took from that long-necked beer bottle, however, she found herself wanting nothing more than to offer to lick off the moisture that clung to his mouth after every swallow. She decided not to give up so easily.
“You’re about empty. How about a second round? My treat?”
He locked eyes with her then, and humor glinted in his. The gorgeous stranger rewarded her with a dazzling smile even as he shook his head in polite refusal.
“Thank you, but no.”
His fingers were long, and his hand was broad. He exuded sex appeal. But she wasn’t used to these games of pursuit. It was usually the other way around, and she was fending off the unwanted advances.
Jeez, I must look utterly pathetic to him just standing here with doe eyes. I don’t know what possessed me to think I could ever stand a chance with someone like him.
She started to back away when suddenly the band began to play the first strains of “Sweet Home Alabama.” She took it as a sign that this might be her lucky night after all. She quickly downed the rest of her sour apple martini to bolster her courage and then deposited the empty glass on a nearby table.
“Are you just passing through?” She spoke loudly to be heard above the cacophony of their surroundings.
“I only came in for a beer—nothing else. I leave town in the morning.”
“I get it. No entanglements, right? But it’s just one dance. And judging by your accent, you aren’t from around here. So I’m willing to overlook the fact that you don’t know it’s an unwritten law that when that particular song comes on, it’s lady’s choice. She can ask any man to dance, and he can’t say no.”
“Can’t, huh? Is that a fact?” A playful grin toyed at the corners of his mouth.
“It is when you’re in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. That song’s a sacred anthem around here. So, cowboy, I’m asking you once again. You wanna dance?”AUTHOR Bio and Links:Joan Chandler is a Florida native who has lived in the Deep South all of her life. She is married with two children who are her pride and joy. She lives a double life of sorts, holding down a nine-to-five job during the day, and writing steamy romance at night—often with her black cat curled up in her arms as she types.
When she’s not spending her spare time working on her next novel, she loves to go camping, sharing girls’ night out with her friends, walking her two dogs, and watching college football.BUY Links: AMAZON:   http://www.amazon.com/Bride-BookStrand-Publishing-Romance-ebook/dp/B00CT35YFW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369583017&sr=8-1&keywords=bama+bride
BOOKSTRAND PUBLISHING:    http://www.bookstrand.com/bama-brideBLOG:  www.joanchandler.wordpress.comtwitter account:   @joanchandler1 Find me on facebook:  Joan Chandleremail:  joanchandler13@gmail.comJoan will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/06/virtual-super-book-blast-tour-bama.html