Sandra Cox's Blog, page 265

Retired Military Leaders Demand A Plan

Black Opal Giveaway

 
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    Goodreads Book Giveaway
 

   
       
   

   
     
          Black Opal
     
     
          by Sandra Cox
     

     
         
            Giveaway ends April 18, 2013.
         

         
            See the giveaway details
            at Goodreads.
         

     
   
   

      Enter to win

The Host

It's going to be out 3.29.13. Can't wait! Has anyone else out there read The Host?

Kiss A...

I thought this was a great commentary on life:

"All of us are subjected to somebody else's power at some point. So once in awhile you kiss ass. So what? Either you make your peace with that early, or you end up living your life as a crank and a misfit."
~*~H Is For Homicide, Sue Grafton

Good-Bye Granny Cat

Our nineteen and a half year-old cat passed on last week while I was holding her. I've got to believe that whatever cycle of life she's on its a new beginning.
Whether its a relative, friend or pet, death is never easy. Not for the recipient or those left behind.

VBT: Dylan's Song

Psychic Spies in the U.S. Government
When Vicki’s Key was first released, some of my fans questioned the leap from my normal realistic heroines to one who is a CIA psychic spy. One fan asked me if I intended to continue my “science fiction” series. But the role of a psychic spy was based in hard facts—and on real declassified documents straight from our own government.
During the Cold War, our Intelligence agencies intercepted information regarding a psychic program that the Soviet Union was putting into place. The concept was to use psychics to sit in, completely undetected, on our highest level cabinet meetings; to tour our nuclear facilities in their minds; and to view documents such as those detailing our weaponry capabilities. Our Intelligence passed the information to the highest levels of government with a simple request: to fund a similar psychic program here.
At that time, they didn’t know if the Soviet Union would determine that all their psychic missions would turn out to be hocus pocus. But they didn’t want to learn twenty years down the road that it was possible—and that our enemies had mastered it while we hadn’t even begun to explore the possibilities or uses.
Since that time, declassified documents have shown that Jimmy Carter was aware that psychic spies were being used during the Iran Hostage Crisis. The psychic spies were able to pass information to our Intelligence agencies regarding the approximate locations of the hostages, when they were all held together, and when they were separated. The information was passed to ground operatives, who verified its accuracy.
The most recent declassified mission was in the use of psychic spies to find Saddam Hussein. The best psychic spies can locate a person or facility right down to the longitude and latitude. They can draw the surrounding terrain, which is passed to ground operatives who then match the terrain with their knowledge of the area. They can draw diagrams or blueprints of facilities, which have proven to be remarkably accurate.
When psychic spies are used within government agencies, the approach is very scientific. There are steps used to train the spies, which eliminate those who think they’re psychic but simply have overactive imaginations. The steps become increasingly more difficult until only the best of the best remain.
When their missions are undertaken, there is always a leader who monitors via audio or video and takes notes as well. There is always a team of analysts who take the information obtained—whether it’s orally presented or diagrams are drawn by the psychic spy—and they process it to determine its accuracy. Every piece of information presented is taken through a verification process.
As we learn more about the capabilities of the human mind, the missions can expand. It is mind-boggling to consider the possibilities of astral travel in order to obtain classified information from our enemies, particularly in times of war.
With the Black Swamp Mystery series, Vicki Boyd travels in her mind under the direction of her handler and boss, Sam, to places where a ground operative couldn’t go undetected. In Vicki’s Key, she traveled to a remote Afghanistan village on the border of Pakistan, for example. In the most recent release, Dylan’s Song, she finds a missing CIA operative and coordinates with Dylan Maguire, the CIA ground operative, to extract him and get him to safety.
The concept of a psychic spy not only lends itself to limitless possibilities in the real world but in a fictional series as well.
BLURB:  
Dylan Maguire returns to his native Ireland with psychic spy Vicki Boyd. Their mission: to locate and extract a CIA Agent who disappeared in Dublin while on the trail of a known terrorist. But when Dylan receives word that his grandmother is dying, he is plunged into a past he thought he’d left behind forever. His mission and the dark secrets he’d sought to keep hidden begin to merge into an underworld that could cost him his life. He must now confront his past demons and the real reason he left Ireland—while Vicki harbors a secret of her own.
Suspense Magazine says, “p.m.terrell’s writing is powerfully written and masterfully suspenseful; you have to hang on for the ride of your life.” Midwest Book Review says the Black Swamp Mysteries series is “page-turning action, unforgettable characters, breathtaking descriptions and unexpected plot twists.” And syndicated reviewer Marcia Freespirit says the series is “riveting, spell-binding, sexy and intense!”
EXCERPT:
The bogs were no place to be during the witching hour.
Dylan had grown up with stories of the bogs at night. The ground percolated; it lived and it breathed. There had been many a time when he was harvesting peat in broad daylight that he’d heard a whisper at his ear or felt hot breath on his neck, only to find there was no one near. Now as he rode his horse in silence, he felt that presence tenfold; there were eyes watching them. The intermittent tuffs of heather swayed in the growing storm and he found himself watching them with narrowed eyes, waiting for the plants to morph into sinister creatures that claimed this land after the sun went down.
He knew there was a simple reason why animals were required in lieu of an all-terrain vehicle and he was glad Sam had taken this unique land into consideration when planning the mission. He could feel the hooves beneath him sinking into the spongy earth; a wheeled vehicle wouldn’t have stood a chance, especially as they ventured from the area farmed for its peat to one far less stable.
A mist began; a slow, fine spray that he knew well. One moment the air was still and dry and the next, as though they’d passed through a curtain, the air swirled around them, the moist haze further inhibiting their ability to see. It was said many a man lost his internal compass in the Irish mist; it taunted as it grew into monstrous shapes, turning the landscape into something foreign and active.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
p.m.terrell is the award-winning, internationally acclaimed author of more than 16 books. Vicki's Key, one of the first books in the Black Swamp Mysteries series, was one of five finalists in the 2012 International Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense) and 2012 USA Best Book Awards (Mystery/Suspense.) River Passage, an historical work based on her ancestor's migration to Fort Nashborough in 1779-1780, won the 2010 Best Fiction & Drama Award. The Nashville (TN) Metropolitan Government Archives determined it to be so historically accurate that they entered the original manuscript into their Archives for future researchers and historians.
Prior to becoming a full-time author in 2002, terrell founded and operated two computer companies in the Washington, DC area. Her clients included the United States Secret Service, CIA, Department of Defense and federal and local law enforcement. Her specialty is in the areas of computer crime and computer intelligence. Her experience in these areas have greatly influenced her books' plots.
She is the co-founder of The Book 'Em Foundation, whose slogan is "Buy a Book and Stop a Crook" and whose mission is to raise awareness of the link between high crime rates and high illiteracy rates. She founded Book 'Em North Carolina Writers Conference and Book Fair, an annual event to raise money to increase literacy and reduce crime. For more information on Book 'Em North Carolina, visit www.bookemnc.org and www.bookemnc.blogspot.com. p.m.terrell's website is www.pmterrell.comand her blog is www.pmterrell.blogspot.com. She can be found on Twitter @pmterrell On Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/author.p.m.terrell and https://www.facebook.com/pages/pmterrell/129318810431554.  p.m. will be awarding a Celtic Key Necklace identical to the one Dylan gives to Vicki in Dylan's Song to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 

Dead Penguins--I Never Knew This

Did you ever wonder why there are no dead penguins on the ice in Antarctica ?
Where do they go?

Wonder no more!
It is a known fact that the penguin is a very ritualistic bird which lives an extremely ordered and complex life. The penguin is very committed to its family and will mate for life, as well as maintain a form of compassionate contact with its offspring throughout its life.

If a penguin is found dead on the ice surface, other members of the family and social circle have been known to dig holes in the ice, using their vestigial wings and beaks, until the hole is deep enough for the dead bird to be rolled into, and buried.

The male penguins then gather in a circle around the fresh grave and sing:

"Freeze a jolly good fellow."
"Freeze a jolly good fellow."


You really didn't think I knew anything about penguins, did you? 

I'll be back Monday.

SBB: The Art of Change

BLURB:
The Art of Change is a funny, smooth reading romance, which deals with bridging differences in gender,  education,  social milieu, in an insane but pragmatic, modern fairytale, set in New York City. The twists of the plot are written without an ounce of cynicism but simply acknowledging that life is neither here nor there, neither black or white and all can be dealt with in real friendship and love.
Excerpt:
“Vai, Pipino, a year ago, who would have thought we would be going to a ritzy art show—that’s high society, top-shelf society, Pipino!”
Pino Napoleon Castagnasis had been stacking his famous meatballs in his special aluminum container, one by one. He paused, meatball in hand.
“As caterers, Aurora, as caterers—hired help. Don’t you go filling your head with hot air. Mrs. Nellie, she’s a lovely lady, but we got to get everythin’ right for this artist guy—his big opening. He is the star!”
Aurora smiled fondly. “My Pipino will be a star, too, wit his cooking.”
Pino also secretly believed his meatballs were a work of art, so they had to be presented like a work of art. He refused to pour them in from the big pomegranate ceramic platter. Pino Napoleon—Pipino only to his wife—was meticulous to say the least, though his looks did not give that away.
He was a burly man with wavy dark hair, which always fell across his left eye. He would rake it back with his long sinewy fingers. Without the dark hair, he could have passed for a Scandinavian lumberjack. Instead, he looked more like a windblown fishing boat, banged ashore in Astoria Queens, straight from the Liguria Sea in the Mediterranean.
Content with his carefully piled “neatballs,” he snapped the last corner of the aluminum top closed with a smirk. The tablecloths were already in the van, ironed and folded, side by side with the appetizers. They were all in their individual shiny containers, coded by cover: yellow for the Dijon mustard–flavoured crackers, red for his classic bell pepper spread.
“Where are the light blue ones for our mini–spinade poofs? Come on, do not stick them in your mouth—now of all times, my Aurora Horora!”
“I am so in love wit dem! Warm, crunchy and puffy . . . just like when I see you in your red silk undies, my puffy Pipinusko. I see dem and I become naughty, horrible Horora, I know . . .”
Each container bore the label INSTROCTIONS so that Aurora would get everythingright.
Pino looked sideways at Aurora: cobalt sequin clutch in her lap, she held up a little round mirror as she applied her plum lipstick. Once again he admired her indifference in the midst of his panic. Aurora had the ability to block out the world when she enjoyed herself, which she did regularly. She derived pleasure from mundane daily activities in an endearing way—simple meals, a TV show, spoonfuls of peanut butter, applying her Pond’s night cream, even ironing the pleats of his treasured chef’s hat.
All substitutes in a life without sex, thought Pino. If they had little else between them, at least they lived their parallel lives in relative harmony, seeking comfort in the common habits they had acquired over the years—cooking, catering jobs, Corsican festivals, tango lessons, and, of course, eating. Together they could polish off four pints of homemade ice cream on top of orange tartelettes or demolish the mini–square napoleons, prepared with Pino’s amazing handmade puff pastry dough. Pino sighed at the memory.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Kelly Andria is the pen name of two very close friends who decided to write a story to make people laugh. The two authors, although different in many ways and viewpoints, have a lot in common. Both Greek Americans coming from conservative vibrant families, they learned to speak and act as they believe. Fair but always kind. Their passion for art, food and romance led them to become authors of a comedy that redefines the “boy meets girl” norm.  The wacky one of the group knew that they had the stories in them. The other half quickly became convinced as their quirky characters took shape and form and gained a voice of their own.
Website: http://www.kellyandria.com/
Buy Links:
Xlibris: http://bookstore.xlibris.com/Products/SKU-0115730049/The-Art-of-Change.aspxAmazon Kindle Edition:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Art-of-Change-ebook/dp/B008PEXGQ8Amazon print:  http://www.amazon.com/Art-Change-Kelly-Andria/dp/1477120025Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-art-of-change-kelly-andria/1111961653

Kelly will be awarding a $25.00 GC for either Barnes & Noble or Amazon, winner's choice, to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
 The tour dates can be found here: 
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/01/virtual-super-book-blast-art-of-change.html

SBB: Russian Dolls

BLURB:   Alexandra Neve is a student at University College London whose world suddenly falls apart. When her best friend jumps from the university’s rooftop, she can’t stop herself from asking, ‘Why?’ The police rule her friend’s death a suicide and for them the case is closed — so whom can she turn to for help?
Sometimes the person you need the most is the one you least expect to find, and in this case it’s none other than Ashford Egan, a blind middle-aged history professor, who’s more willing than most to listen to what she has to say.
Neve and Egan are as different as they come. She’s restless, careless at times, and fearless when the need arises, while he’s almost the complete opposite: a deep thinker with an analytical mind, a highly rational and collected individual.
As they enter the violent world of the Russian mafia, they must overcome their differences and learn to work together. It’s their only chance if they want to survive. EXCERPT:Life, death. Two concepts, two words.
You don’t think about them unless you’re forced to. You take the first for granted and try to forget the second.
You get on with your life, worry about meaningless things and you simply stop thinking about death, even though you see it every day on the telly, in the papers you read.
So long as it’s happening to others, you continue to go on with this comforting lie that says it’s never going to happen to you. The Reaper won’t come anywhere near you — until the day he does.It could be a car crash, it could be a stroke. Or it could be your best friend jumping from the rooftop of the university you both attend. And suddenly you remember that death is very real and there’s no way of knowing who is going to be called next. You’re forced to face the frailty of life and accept your own mortality.
My best friend recently passed away and I almost died twice myself in the past couple of weeks. My name is Alexandra Neve. I’m a student who used to live in a reassuring bubble. It burst, and now I finally see the world for what it truly is.

AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, somewhere between Geneva and Lausanne, where she still resides.
Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.
She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.
Russian Dolls is her first new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the series.
Find out more at www.cristelle-comby.com
Cristelle will be awarding an autographed print copy of Russian Dolls to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 
The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/01/book-blast-russian-dolls-by-cristelle.html

Water Wheel Chair For Goldfish