Sandra Cox's Blog, page 55

Writerly Wednesday: Synonym Day

 What's your synonym for:

 Mine: Glad

Ketch-up Tuesday

 Greetings Blogger Bud,

As threatened promised:more rocks.

* I said last week this exhibit was at the Natural Science Museum. Apologies.  It's the Natural History Museum.

More to come. Did I just hear a collective groan?

Your Weekend Read: DEADLY VERSE

 

Excerpt:

            A tall woman strolled from the front door. She wore platform sandals and a flowered tunic of some material that seemed designed to show off curves and long legs. A pale pink jacket was slung over one shoulder. A straw tote bag hung from her other shoulder, and the hand resting on its strap showed off nails painted in a deep pink. Her red hair was pulled up in a topknot.      

She glanced around the shop appraisingly, taking in the glass cases, the book-lined shelves, as she neared the counter.     

            “May I help you?” Adriana asked.

            The woman’s mouth, perfectly outlined in the same shade as her nails, pursed. “Do you know a Hugh Wintahs?” she asked in a throaty voice.

            A pucker appeared between Adriana’s brows. “Oh. Hugh Winters. Yes,” she said after a pause. “Why?”

            “Thank Gawd! I’ve been to fo-ah bookstores. The last one sent me heah.”

            “Are you from New York?” Carla couldn’t help asking.

            “That’s right.” The woman’s upper lip raised slightly in what must be her version of a smile, revealing sharp eye-teeth. She treated Carla to a frosty stare.

            That was a conversation stopper. Carla simply eyeballed her back.

            “Yes, I know Mr. Winters,” Adriana repeated.           

            “So, where can I find him?”

            “He is not available,” Adriana said.

            “Look, I’m a booksellah, and I need to see that bum ASAP. He has something that by rights is mine.”

            Carla thought back to Hugh’s comment about the woman who had sold him the poem in Marseille. A bookseller from New York. After an awkward silence, Carla said, “He’s dead.”

            “Dead! You can’t be serious!” The woman looked from Carla to Adriana and to Carla again.

            They both nodded.

            “I am so sorry if he was a friend of yours,” said Adriana. Her voice was kind, but her glance drifted to the books on the counter, and she picked up a pencil, a notepad, and a book from a towering stack as if to end the conversation. 

            The newcomer’s face suggested personal affront. “Dead dead?”

            “Somebody . . . shot him,” Carla said, wincing at the memory of Hugh’s lifeless form.

            “Damn.” Making a little moue with her perfectly lipsticked mouth, the woman folded her arms. “That son of a bitch!”

 

Blurb:    

“In the tradition of Hitchcock, this mystery takes you to the bookstores and cafés of Portugal while investigating a valuable poem that inspires murder. Follow this suspenseful story of bibliophiles who care for literature more than they care for life itself.”

     David Hagerty, author of the Duncan Cochrane crime series set in Chicago

 

Bio:

Elizabeth Varadan is a former teacher who writes children’s fiction, and adult mysteries. She and her husband divide their time between Sacramento, California, Braga, Portugal, and Galicia, Spain.

 Varadan’s previous stories, flash fictions and poems have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies. Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, a middle grade mystery featuring Sherlock Holmes, was published in 2015 by MX Publishing. Her story, “Kidnapped” was included in the 2016 Holmes-related story collection, Beyond Watson, by Belanger Books, and “What the Raven Knew,” was included 2019 in Sherlock Holmes, Adventures in the Realms of Edgar A Poe . In 2017 Belanger Books published her picture book, Dragonella, both in English and in Spanish,followed in 2018 by a children’s story collection, Carnival of the Animals.

 Deadly Vintage, a cozy mystery for adults, released in November, 2019, also published by Belanger Books, is set in Braga, Portugal, as is Deadly Verse, its sequel. At present, she is working on a third book in the series and a collection of poems, Dreaming of Galicia.

 

3aracter or author facts (fun or foodie)

The things authors will do for their stories:

1.      I once climbed out of our living room window and then back in again to see how hard it would be for a character I had in mind to escape a house where she was hostage. We were new in the neighborhood, too! I was so glad this was a weekday and the neighbors were all at work and wouldn’t be tempted to call the police if they saw me.

2.      In Book One of this series (Deadly Vintage) I asked my husband to push me up against the wall and hold one hand behind my back and put his other hand at my throat to see what Carla’s options were in a certain scene. You would have to know how gentle my husband is to know what a lot this was asking of him! (He did it, though, and I got my scene.)

3.      I once ate part of a dog biscuit just to see why dogs find them so good. (I, uh, abandoned that story.)

 AND

 We've got three Elizabeths. So things can get a bit confusing:)

 

Did You Know

 Did you know, Ulysses S. Grant's first name was actually Hiram? His second name was Ulysses.

 

IWSG Wednesday

 

 

The first Wednesday of every month is officially IWSG day. IWSG was formed by Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh. Members post about their doubts and fears, discuss struggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.

The awesome co-hosts for the August 3 posting of the IWSG are Tara Tyler, Lisa Buie Collard, Loni Townsend, and Lee Lowery!  Thanks, folks.

August 3 question - When you set out to write a story, do you try to be more original or do you try to give readers what they want?

When I write a story, I'm hoping my readers want original.

AND

July/August Reviews in no particular order.

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

 

THE SISTER PACT: HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS by Jacquie Biggar

Holly Tremaine is sick. A fact she’s kept from her dysfunctional family.

After being betrayed by her boyfriend and sister, Holly left town and never looked back. Now she wants to heal the rift with her family and heads home.

Her homecoming is rocky. She and her sister are at odds and her parents aren’t getting along. Thrown into the mix is Levi, Holly’s ex boyfriend’s twin who she definitely shares chemistry and history with.

There are plenty of obstacles thrown in her path for a reconciliation with her family and a lot of tension-filled moments with the handsome Levi. All of which, the author scoops up and weaves into a very satisfying HEA.

Ms. Biggar has an amazing talent for breathing life into her characters and making the reader forget the protagonists aren’t real people and that the reader hasn’t physically stepped into the story.

I was so enthralled with this tale I read it one sitting. Another winner for the author.

Available at Amazon.

 

 

AFTERMATH by Jeff DeMarco

As the name implies, AFTERMATH takes place after the world has been decimated. Most of the population live in domes. Many have Armed Robotic Crafts that are piloted by the humans that own them. The governments: corporations. And isn’t that a chilling thought?

Colin Willard, heir to Imperial Geo Industries, is determined to reverse the damage his family has caused but he’s unprepared for the burden of power and how it will affect his plans. He soon finds out that everything isn’t black and white but varying shades of gray. Now, he must decide whether to forge on against harsh odds or become part of the system he’s fought against all his life.

This is a well-written, thought-provoking sci fi thriller. DeMarco has built a world that strikes close to home with its environmentally-challenged dystopia. Pointing out the horrors that await us if we don’t make a serious effort to save the planet AND a reminder for people of power to keep their greed in check.

This book is highly recommended for those who love sci fi post-apocalyptic thrillers. Kudos to DeMarco on a well-told tale.

Available at Amazon .

 

OATHBREAKERS’ GUILD, THE ROSE SHIELD BOOK TWO by D. Wallace Peach

Caught up in political intrigue and danger, Catling now serves the queen.  She’s made deadly enemies but offset them with two close friends. Things go horribly awry when she goes after the man who destroyed her family and is threatening the throne.

This is the second book of the series and like all other D. Wallace Peach stories, it is filled with fantasy, exciting worlds, complex characters and an ending that leaves the reader wanting more. I look forward to book three.

Available at Amazon .

 

 

 

TALES FROM THE IRISH GARDEN by Sally Cronin

Once again Ms. Cronin creates a heartwarming story for the young-at-heart.

Queen Magia must move her court from her beloved Spain to Ireland. In the process she encounters love, new friendships and magical challenges that the author tells in vivid detail bringing the story to life.

I can picture this story in a beautifully illustrated hardcover. Though, I need to add, it does have lovely black and white drawings. For folks that are Sally Cronin fans you won’t be disappointed in TALES FROM THE IRISH GARDEN. And if you happen to read this while sitting under your favorite shade tree, keep a look out for fairies.  You just never know when one might pop out.

Available at Amazon

 

Shelley Ward is a beautiful woman with a quick wit and fighting spirt, but absolutely no sense of self-worth. Then she bumps into an old high school classmate at the airport, where she’s just been thrown off the plane by a flight attendant whose husband cheated on her with Shelley, and her world begins to revolve again, as she fights to find her place in it.

Done in Ms. Seckman’s quick-witted style ABOUT HER holds interest from beginning to end. A must read for Seckman fans.

Available at Amazon

 

 

 

Trad:

JAMES MADISON A LIFE RECONSIDERED by Lynne Cheney

This is a well-written, well-researched biography of James Madison that touches on his poor health, his marriage to Dolley, his intelligence, patriotism and how he fought to hold a newly established country together. Like the presidents before him, he abhorred slavery yet kept slaves.  He was also the writer of the second amendment, which some of us may appreciate and some of us may which he would have clarified that he was writing about state militias—versus a professional army—protecting the United States. That aside, he was an excellent writer and was heavily relied on for the writing of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Recommended for history buffs, especially those interested in the early days of our country.

 

AND

 

FYI: Please note. TCK Publishing has been hacked. If you receive an invoice from them that you know is not yours, do not open. Delete.

 

AND

If so, just leave a comment or drop me a line in the form box on the right. Thanks!

 

AND 

 

So what about you? Read any good books this month? Written any...... 

 

 

 

 

Ketch-Up Tuesday

 So how was your weekend, blogger buds? What did ya do?

We spent the weekend in Bethesda and DC with the daughter and SIL. More  to come about the DC visit, but for now a visit to the gem room in the Museum of Natural Science. I felt like a kid in a candy store I have many, many more pictures of crystals for later postings. (You've been warned;)

So many rocks. So little time.

Can you believe it's August?

Weekend Wishes

 

Did You Know

 Did you know, John Steinbeck's dog Toby ate the first draft of Of Mice and Men?

 

It's Synonym Day

 Today's word:

 What's your synonym?

  Mine's: Goofy

Ketch-up Tuesday

 Greetings, Blogger Buds.

 How much would you pay for a pair of gloves?

So, I saw a cute pair of gloves on Etsy. Didn't need them but they had cats and flowers, need I say more?:) So I clicked on the link, saw the price and mentally reeled back, clutching my heart. Go on, guess. How much do you think they were? 

One hundred and twenty-eight dollars. $128.00. 

Didn't see that one coming.  Needless to say, I decided I could do without kitty/flowers gloves.

AND

Another critter pic provided by my SIL.

AND

I've been playing in the rocks. Though, I must say, given the heat it wasn't one of my better ideas.

Note how sparse the grass is. Spring it was lush. The heat is just devastating the grass and plants.  I give it a light sozzle every night, but it's just not enough.

 

 Got dogs? Expensive gloves? Rocks? Rain?