Sandra Cox's Blog, page 78
June 10, 2021
June 9, 2021
Did You Know
Did you know, although seldom represented in fictional books and movies a quarter of the Old West cowboys were black?June 8, 2021
Writerly Wednesday
Thanks to EC for helping me get the word out on KEEPER.
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FYI: C. Lee McKenziee is running a fun giveaway on Wednesdays. Check it out.
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June 7, 2021
It's Tuesday
Bad hair day flowers. Heh.
Lazy Callie
ANDLooky. Looky. Author and excellent bud, D.L. Finn surprised me with a copy of her wonderful new book.
Got flowers? Cats? Good books? Birthdays?
June 3, 2021
June 2, 2021
Did You Know
June 1, 2021
IWSG Wednesday
The first Wednesday of every month is officially IWSG day. Members post about their doubts and fears, discuss struggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.
June 2 question - For how long do you shelve your first draft, before reading it and re-drafting? Is this dependent on your writing experience and the number of stories/books under your belt?
My approach is a little different. I try to keep three stories in the hopper. I'll work on a story one month then move to another the next, etc. When I rotate back to a story I reread what I've written, clean it up and continue on. So I get a fresh perspective every time I approach it. What about you?
The awesome co-hosts for the June 2 posting of the IWSG are J Lenni Dorner, Sarah Foster, Natalie Aguirre, Lee Lowery, and Rachna Chhabria!
AND May/June reviews in no particular order
GIRLS SUCCEED! Stories Behind the Careers of Successful Women by J.Q. Rose
This book was just wonderful and very motivating. It shows young women they can become anything they want. What was really fun about these motivational stories, the women didn't have the typical nine to five jobs and included a horse trainer, an Olympic winner, a personal chef and so on. Girls from nine to ninety will love this book and feel inspired. Available at Amazon
TREE FAIRIES AND THEIR SHORT STORIES by D. L. Finn
This is a warm, wonderful tale about humans whose world intersects with fairies, when two children—Danny and Colette—discover and are drawn into the world of tree fairies. What’s really special about this book is the emphasis on the environment and the creatures of the wild, and the lesson that protecting both is a trust we are called upon to honor. Another treat in this story is that it includes one of D. L. Finn’s delicious poems. It entwines perfectly with the story. A lovely read for children and adults alike. Available at Amazon
TREAD: INSURRECTION by Jeff Marco
Military melds with Sci Fi
INSURRECTION takes up where FALLEN NATION ends. This chiller’s focus is not only on a viral outbreak but a military coup and civil war, as well. What I found particularly frightening, especially in the times we live in, is that the premise is entirely credible.
The descriptions are well done and the characters believable. Every time I read this author I am struck by his military and arms knowledge. His field artillery expertise shines through in his writing. This story will appeal to readers with a military background or just enjoy a believable, apocalyptic tale. Available at Amazon
CHROME PINK by Sherri Hollister
This story successfully weaves a steamy romance, drama and suspense into an edge-of-your-seat story. It follows Ray Lynne Grimes, a rape survivor whose trauma takes her on a journey of too much alcohol and one night stands to pulling herself together and fighting whoever is trying to destroy her and cripple the town she lives in.
The story really hooked me and I ended up staying up way past bedtime;) The writer's character development and world building was amazing.
I've got the next book in the series sitting on my Kindle. Available at Amazon
TRAD
HIDEAWAY by Nora Roberts
I occasionally like to read Nora, not just for the storyline, but because her writing style fascinates me. She has a unique bold way of describing her characters’ surroundings and the characters themselves. This story is typical Nora and centers around Cate, a young woman whose childhood nightmare carries over into modern day. Spoiler alert: The heroine’s mom isn’t going to win any June Cleaver awards.
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I have a new release coming out. I'm doing Cover Release till June 25th, then book release till July 25th. If you can help me get the word out just shoot me a note in my contact form. Thanks to any and all who are willing to help. Appreciate ya.An aging bounty hunter and a woman bent on vengeance form an unlikely alliance.
https://tinyurl.com/KeeperTyree
ANDEvery suffer from Writer's Block? This has got some helpful tips to work through it. Thanks to Sherri Hollister for tweeting it.
May 31, 2021
It's Tuesday
Did you have a wondrous Memorial Day Weekend? Ours was quiet which worked just fine for me.
My son sent me this pic of the little guy.It's officially my favorite picture.
A few garden pics.
It's day lily season.
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An aging bounty hunter and a woman bent on vengeance form an unlikely alliance.
If you can help me get the word out just drop me an email or use the contact form. Many thanks.Thanks to D.L. Finn, author of FOREST FAIRIES, https://wp.me/p88dPL-lrG for the shout out today.
May 27, 2021
Friday's Great Read
I am so pleased to have my good friend and fellow author, D. L. Finn with us today to tell us about her newest work TREE FARIES AND THEIR SHORT STORIES. Since I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak, I can tell you it’s a keeper just as D. L. is herself.
Thank you, Sandra, for having me here today to talk about my latest release, “Tree Fairies and Their Short Stories.”
In my stories, I mention a few things that are dear to me, including my love of trees and nature, which usually shows up in my writing. There is a lot of debate going on right now about how to fix our state’s fire danger. I won’t debate the theories, but I will share what we’ve done on our property.
Over the years, we’ve selectively cut trees on our property, and more recently, we’ve cleared further away from our house for safety and insurance purposes. The only downside I’ve seen to getting rid of the underbrush and natural plants is weeds with stickers on them replace them. I’ve picked many stickers out of my socks.
But it was nice to open things up and explore more into our forest, or as we call it, the Magical Trail. It’s here we’ve put up some housing for our local fairies.
Although we’ve never seen a fairy living in the houses, I know they are there and keeping us safe.
Fun Finn Facts:
1. I believe in fairies.
2. I’ve stood inside a redwood with my entire family in complete darkness.
Blurb:
When reality and magic meet in the forest
It’s 1969, and twelve-year-old Daniel Burns is camping in the redwood forest with his family. Danny wants to listen to his music and read, but his family has other plans. S’mores around the campfire and stories end their first day. The family is sleeping soundly in their secluded tent when Danny wakes up and finds his sister, Colette, is missing. Assuming she went to use the outhouse, he goes after her. When he finds his sister, they discover there is a thin veil between reality and fantasy.
Two bonus short stories offer a glimpse into the magical world that finds Danny and Colette. These hidden beings not only share our world but have a role in protecting their forest.
Excerpt from a short story:
Roselle
2004
Roselle stopped midair to admire the pink, orange, yellow, purple, and red that filtered through the redwood forest as the sunset. She carefully scanned the area to make sure no one was watching, and then, with a huge grin, she dove into a double roll.
“Woo-hoo!”
Her twirling skidded to a halt when an older fairy from the school office flew directly under her. Her always-braided gray hair had yellow flowers woven in like she was meeting someone special. The fairy made a sharp turn and shot out of sight without acknowledging Roselle’s childish frolicking.
Roselle couldn’t hold back a smile. It was hard to contain her exuberance because the forest was the best place to live. Everything about the redwood trees was amazing. They made tannin, a natural insect repellent that gave them that wonderful red tone and protected them from fires.
The only downside to a smaller number of insects was fewer birds, which she loved the most. The bright yellow Wilson’s warbler was her favorite. They added so much color to the deep green forest, and the male had a little black cap that she found endearing. Right now, her warblers and many others were on their way south as fall left summer behind, which also meant they would have winter bird visitors soon.
She found the year-round birds, the great horned owl and red-tailed hawk, beautiful but annoying. Those birds could ruin a peaceful moment like this. Both seemed to forget fairies weren’t their meals. Roselle reminded them with a powerful jolt that felt like a mini lightning strike. It didn’t hurt them, but they didn’t like it, either.
Her carefree moment quickly passed when she flew by her school. She sighed deeply and headed for the forest floor. “Darn paper’s due tomorrow. Why did I wait to write it?”
The paper stood between her and the upcoming fall break. It was normally a time when she could roam the forest uninterrupted and take in the deciduous trees as they burst into red, orange, and yellow. However, this break wouldn’t be the same without her human friends, Wren and Sierra. Roselle missed their company and all their silly jokes, including the ones about her putting off getting things done.
Sierra would say, “If they had an award for procrastination, you’d win first place.”
Wren would add, “But you’d be late and miss the ceremony.”
Okay, maybe she did put things off until the last moment and might be late for school now and then, but at least, at some point, it all got done. When Wren and Sierra left for college two months ago, it was like she lost a part of herself.
Author Bio:
D. L. Finn is an independent California local who encourages everyone to embrace their inner child. She was born and raised in the foggy Bay Area, but in 1990 she relocated with her husband, kids, dogs, and cats to Nevada City, in the Sierra foothills. She immersed herself in reading all types of books but especially loved romance, horror, and fantasy. She always treasured creating her own reality on paper. Finally, surrounded by towering pines, oaks, and cedars, her creativity was nurtured until it bloomed. Her creations include adult fiction, poetry, a unique autobiography, and children’s books. She continues on her adventure with an open invitation to all readers to join her.
D.L. Finn Links:
May 26, 2021
Did You Know
Did you know legend has it that diamonds sprang from thunderbolts? Another diamond legend is that they fell from the sky after a fight between dragons.
