Sandra Cox's Blog, page 264

BBT: How Not To Train A Zombie

BLURB:Up and down the hallway, students turned and stared at Chad and Max. Some pointed and laughed, but most just ignored them as if they didn’t exist.
“Sheesh! Can you talk a little louder? I don’t think they heard you in the band hall.” Max’s face turned several shades redder than the lockers lining the wall. This wasn’t exactly the kind of attention he wanted, especially not after yesterday’s Career Fair. How his mom found out about it, was beyond him. He had thrown away the first flyer asking for volunteers to speak to his class about their careers over a month ago, and he made sure to throw away every flyer he had gotten since then.
But somehow she found out.  And yesterday, she showed up in a bright pink flower shirt and her overalls and talked to the class about the joys of being a gardener. Max wanted to die. Gardening wasn’t even her career. It was her hobby! And everyone knew it. And then his mom singled him out when she left. Shaking hands would have been okay, but is that what his mom did?
Oh no!
She hugged him in front of the whole class. Even having Eddy Pratt’s dad talk about being a zombie exterminator couldn’t erase the embarrassment and humiliation Max endured the rest of the day.
AUTHOR Bio and Links: I live in Texas with my husband, son, and two cats who think they run the place. I read, write, play Texas Hold’em poker (I'm actually part of a local league), and occasionally I compete in BBQ competitions with my husband. Our team name is Outcast Cookers. I also teach in a public school.
My likes include: a wide variety of music (see my play list for book 2 on my blog), Star Trek (My son got me a signed picture of Patrick Stewart which sits on my desk.), Star Wars, Grimm (TV series), winter (though we don’t have snow), the holiday season, coffee, hot tea (with cream and sweetener), pizza (no anchovies though), puzzles, Edgar Allan Poe, Ray Bradbury, and JK Rowling.http://annierachelcole.blogspot.comwww.twitter.com/@AnnieRachelColehttp://pinterest.com/annierachelcole/Buy LinksAmazon (Kindle):  http://www.amazon.com/How-NOT-Train-Zombie-ebook/dp/B00BEB2YEY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362452994&sr=8-2&keywords=how+not+to+train+a+zombieAmazon Paperback:  http://www.amazon.com/Train-Zombie-Annie-Rachel-Cole/dp/1482348322/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1362452994&sr=8-2Barnes and Noble (Nook):  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-not-to-train-a-zombie-annie-rachel-cole/1114502583?ean=2940016367675KOBO:  http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/How-NOT-to-Train-Zombie-/book-nbRfqNj2ZEevgBkikZAqag/page1.html?s=YYcFvJjQx0CvQ7y1XEUBPg&r=1

The author will award a $25 Amazon GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
  he tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/virtual-blurb-blitz-tour-how-not-to.html
 

Wishing You TheBest of Mothers' Days

 Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms out there and the women who fill the role but don't have the title. Enjoy your day.

It's The Weekend

SBB: Midnight Special

BLURB:There. He still had it.
The ability to intimidate sweet women. He’d bet he could make babies cry and puppies whimper, too.
“You look grumpy.”
Hunter scowled.
“Really grumpy,” she decided, closing the lid of her laptop, setting it aside and getting to her feet. She glanced at the clock on the wall, then at her watch as if to verify the time. “I’ll bet you’re hungry. We haven’t had anything but coffee in two hours. Want to get breakfast?”
“Look, I can’t do this roommate thing. It was nice enough of you to offer to share, but it’s just not going to work.”
“So you’re leaving?”
“No, you are.”
Her cupid’s bow mouth dropped open and she stared for so long, he wanted to blow on her face to make her blink.
“It’s my berth. I was in it first. Out of the goodness of my heart, I offered to share it with you. So why would I give it up?”
Hunter considered flashing his FBI badge and going the national security route. But he was seriously tired. Tired and sore and empty. He needed a little downtime. He had a week to build a case that would put away the head of one of the biggest criminal organizations on the east coast. He wasn’t going to do that with people bugging him, asking FBI questions and passing him in the hallway muttering “the truth is out there.”AUTHOR Bio and Links: Tawny Weber has been writing sassy, sexy romances since her first Harlequin Blaze hit the shelves in 2007.  A fan of Johnny Depp, cupcakes and color coordination, she spends a lot of her time shopping for cute shoes, scrapbooking and hanging out on Facebook. 
Readers can check out Tawny’s books at her websiteor join her Red Hot Readers Club for goodies like free reads, complete first chapter excerpts, recipes, insider story info and much more.  And for a limited time, she has a few open spots on her Street Team!Social Links:Website – http://tawnyweber.comFacebook – http://www.facebook.com/TawnyWeber.RomanceAuthorTwitter –  https://twitter.com/TawnyWeberPinterest - http://pinterest.com/tawnyweber/ Midnight Special link:   http://tawnyweber.com/books/midnight-special/  Purchase Links:-   All About Romance-   Amazon-   Barnes & Noble-   Books-A-Million-   Harlequin-   Powells-   iTunes
Tawny will be awarding a bookmark goodie package to one commenter at each stop (bookmark, signed cover flat, post it pad, magnet) and a grand prize of a $25 Amazon / BN (or other bookstore of the winner's choice) GC to one randomly drawn commenter during this tour and her other Book Blast on May 14th .
The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/04/super-book-blast-1-midnight-special-by.html

BBT: Kill Shot

BLURB: Former combat medic Kory Wagner survived four war zones. Now she’s home and out of the Army for good and someone is trying to kill her in her own backyard. Just as disturbing is the handsome sheriff who’s on the case. Sheriff Sean Harding doesn’t quite know what to think of the decorated veteran that managed to outsmart an entire search party. What bothers him more is the body of a PI, whom she hired, was found dead in a building she owns. And Kory isn’t being very cooperative with helping him find the answers as to why someone would kill her sister and want her dead. Will he be able to keep her alive along enough to discover the truth?"I'm sorry," he murmured.
"Where's your cell phone?" Hers was in her backpack but she didn't want to waste valuable time digging it out.
"No time. Get out."
"Who did this, Mr. Urlik?"
He grabbed her right hand and squeezed it tightly. "You were right -- no accident."
His hand went limp.
Kory felt something in the palm of her hand, looked down and saw it was a key. She shoved it into her jeans pocket. A whizzing sound buzzed past her, followed by the unmistakable clink of a bullet ricocheting off metal. She instinctively threw herself over his body as another bullet struck metal. Kory felt for a pulse. There was none. She lowered her hand to his chest and felt under both arms and along his waist. I thought all PIs carried guns. Just my luck this one didn't.AUTHOR Bio and Links: Anne Patrick is the author of more than a dozen novels of Romance, Mayhem & Faith, including the award winning and bestselling WOUNDED HEROES SERIES, FIRE AND ASH, and TIES THAT BIND. Her books have garnered four-star reviews from Romantic Times, 'Top Pick' and 'Best Book' honors from Night Owl Reviews and Long and Short of It Reviews, and Five-Heart reviews from The Romance Studio. When she isn't working on her next novel she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and traveling to foreign countries to experience new cultures and adventures. Born and raised in Oklahoma, she now makes her home in Kansas.Contact links:Website: http://www.annepatrickbooks.com Blog: http://www.suspensebyanne.blogspot.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/anne.patrick.98Twitter: https://twitter.com/suspensebyanne Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/author/annepatrickBuy Links:
 Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Heroes-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0067DE258B&N:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wounded-heroes-book-one-anne-patrick/1111903857CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/wounded-heroes-book-kill-shot-ebook/anne-patrick/9781612521022/pd/24251EBPublisher: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com...Anne will be awarding a $50 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/03/virtual-blurb-blitz-tour-kill-shot-by.html

Ever wondered....

If the prize patrol is real?
WBTV 3 News, Weather, Sports, and Traffic for Charlotte, NC

We had a winner in my hometown. They went to the local florist and the local grocery store, for the champagne, before making the delivery.

Catching Fire

Lookee, lookee. Can't wait.........

It's The Weekend

dazzlejunction.com

New Family Member

We have a new grandpuppy. The boy and his wife adopted another Boxer from Blueridge Boxer Rescue. Pretty cute huh? She looks about six months but she's actually about two years old.

VBT: The Danger Game

This sounds like an interesting read. What drew you to computer programming for your premise?

The Danger Game is not so much about computer programming, more about a geeky girl who is a mix of MacGyver and genius programmer!
Flick is one smart heroine, always one step ahead of everyone else. Give her an algorithm to write and she’s on it, a cyber-war to stop, no problems, a hot guy helping her out of trouble… er…Okay, so the hot guy slows her down a bit!  If only there was some kind of formula she could apply.
Crime in the cyber world fascinates me. Reliance on the internet and computers is part of our modern lives, but it makes us vulnerable in many scary ways – and that’s why I like to write about it.
I also have a source of inside information… My husband.  Geek-extraordinaire.
He works every day to keep essential computer systems up and running.  From defense to banking to airlines.  My stories are based on thorough research and occasionally real world situations in which he has been involved.  Of course all embellished by me.  But there is always a kernel of truth (or conspiracy theory) in there somewhere.
I wrote The Danger Game over Christmas 2011.  The idea sparked when I read an article about cyber-war, and it inspired a plot about an unstoppable cyber-weapon. By early February I had the first draft done. It was also the first story I’d based in my home city of Sydney, and it was a real pleasure to write about the city I love.  The Danger Game was one of those sweet stories that just come together nicely.  I wish all my stories were as easy to write!  BLURB:1
 Flick likes computers. She’s good with them, and they do what she tells them, mostly. People, however, are more of a challenge.
But when a terrifyingly dangerous program is stolen, and her mentor killed, Flick finds herself on the run. The police are convinced she’s committed murder, and a sinister weapons developer will stop at nothing to force her to work for him.
In Ben’s line of work being suspicious keeps you alive. So when Flick turns to him, he quickly realises that she’s up to her neck in trouble and hasn’t fully grasped the danger she is in. 
First he has to keep her safe, and then, together, they have to figure out how to save the world from an epic meltdown.“I said I’d be there.” Flick didn’t bother to hide her irritation. “I just won the man a million dollar grant, what more does he want?”
“Your bubbly and fun personality?” There was amusement beneath Andy’s sarcasm.
Flick snorted. “All right. Okay. I’m leaving now.” She growled the words, and hit the off-button on her phone.
They both knew she lied.
She dropped the phone onto the desk. Then, scowling, she clicked on the icon that’d run the Bellona program.  It crashed instantly, and took the computer with it.
“Awesome.”  She threw herself back into her chair and stared at the ceiling panels, running the changes she’d made to the code through her mind.  Realizing it’d be a waste of time to unpick what she’d done, Flick rebooted her computer and went in search of a clean copy of the program on the backup server. 
There were two versions. Usually they only kept one, but she thought nothing of it, and after saving a copy to her hard drive, she opened it up.
She scanned quickly through the code, looking for the section she’d been working on, so preoccupied with figuring out how to manipulate it into doing what she wanted, she nearly missed the strange command, her eye travelled straight past it. But then she hesitated, and went back to the unusual group of letters.  They hadn’t been there before.
A logic bomb? Some little joke Andy was playing?
She ran the command and it brought up a whole section of Bellona that she’d never seen before.
“Bloody hell -” For a moment she simply stared at the screen. 
It was no joke. AUTHOR Bio and Links:I began writing in 2005. Exhausted, pregnant (sure I was going to expire from morning-sickness) and coping with a demanding toddler, I decided the time was right to embark on a writing career. (In hindsight I may have been suffering from a scorching case of sleep-deprivation).
Still, it kinda worked out. My debut novel - and the first manuscript I'd ever written - Running Scared, was published in January 2007.  My next book, Secret Intentions followed.  Then I had a short story published in the Mammoth Book of Special Ops Romance (MBSOR) in 2010 - my story is called The Grey Man.
In 2012 my novel Drive Me To Distraction was published, and my novella The Danger Game came out just before Christmas.  My next book, The Bunker, will be published in July 2013.Author LinksYou can find me online at: http://www.caitlynnicholas.com
My blog: http://www.caitlynnicholas.blogspot.comTwitter:http://twitter.com/CaitlynNicholasFb: https://www.facebook.com/CaitlynNicholasAuthorBuy linksAmazon http://www.amazon.com/The-Danger-Game-ebook/dp/B00AK3GTTI/Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Danger-Game-ebook/dp/B00AK3GTTI/
Kobo http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/THE-DANGER-GAME/book-4CHaOFNh70yB3UeAWKA7lg/page1.html?s=shBHL7QvTEeR0uGd3fnOsA&r=1Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-danger-game-nicholas-caitlyn/1114588729?ean=9780857990105Ibookstorehttps://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-danger-game/id585508156?mt=11

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/538b885/

Caitlyn will be awarding three prizes: a $25 Amazon GC and Caitlyn Nicholas gift bag to one randomly drawn commenter, and a Caitlyn Nicholas gift bag to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour.(International)