Sandra Cox's Blog, page 8

Weekend Wishes

 

 

Today I'm posting on Wister's famous classic  THE VIRGINIAN, considered by many to be the first American Western novel.  If you're interested, please drop by. Love to have ya.

https://cowboykisses.blogspot.com/2025/03/the-virginian.html

 

Writerly Wednesday AND Did You Know

 What's your sentence, synonym or definition of:

 

Example: I'm a factotum to all the critters in the house.

 AND

Did you know, a cronut is a cross between a croissant and a donut? 

 

95 Fun Facts Everyone Should Know | FactRetriever.com

Ketch-Up Day

 

Anyone got crocuses coming up?  I gotta get some bulbs.  Have you been working outside? I'm mulching the garden, 12 bags and counting;)

How's your weather been? I hope none of you have gotten caught in the nastiness that Mother Nature threw out recently.

In The Garden and In The Crockpot;)
 

 

That's it for now. Enjoy the rest of your week.

A New Venture

 Good bud and fellow author D.L. Finn is branching out.  She's opening an online shop with all sorts of goodies.  Want to browse a bit? Here's a few of her offerings.

 

 

 

 

  AT:

https://dl-finns-gratitude-store.printify.me/products/1

 

Writerly Wednesday AND Did You Know

 What's your synonym, meaning or sentence for:

 Example: Nonsense

AND

 Did you know, "Every Tuesday you can find many items on sale for a penny at Dollar General?" AND "You have to find them on your own."

This week's Did You Know brought to us by Ro.

Ketch-up Day

 

How are you?

Not much going on here.  I'm doing my last comb through of Reuben before he comes out the end of this month:) 

Here's a few spring garden pictures. Hope you are having good weather and are in good health.

Sandra 

 

Your Weekend Read: IMMORTALS BEHAVING BADLY Free March 7 and 8

 

Immortals + Boredom = Catastrophe

Something old and dangerous is awake and influencing theimmortals to act in ways they’d only imagined.

First, small things like Odin, Anubis and Mab going onseparate vacations and leaving their seats of power open for the taking. Then,Yue Lao, Cupid, Bast, Apollo and a Kitsune messing with the lives and memoriesof mortals. It grows to pandemonium when Pan and Poseidon upend the world,creating the Warp – and a free-for-all where it comes to the immortals’ wildestfantasies. Especially the twisted fantasies of Baba Yaga and her Nightmares,Morrígan and her love of War, and Isis who has no qualms unleashing hell onEarth to get Osiris back, plunging mortals even deeper into danger.

Thankfully, some immortals are older and wiser than others,catching on that everything isn’t as it seems… But damage control, trying toavoid the Apocalypse of all realms, and discovering who the ancient evil is,takes more magic, wit, and sacrifice than they could’ve dreamt possible. Canthe unlikely grouping of Hel, Aphrodite, Set, Thor, Loki, Apollo, Freyja, Raand Ammit save the realms?

Scroll up to buy now and enjoy the hilarity, disaster andmore that ensues when bored immortals let loose.

Universal Book Link

https://books2read.com/u/mYk6AG

 

Excerpt

Shadows stretched across her garden. From the darkestshadows, two forms appeared. Lion feet emerged, followed by the body of a lionmerging into the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. The head of a crocodilesomehow stayed concealed in the shadows. But Baba Yaga knew it was there. Ammithad come to visit. The black form next to her could only be Anubis.

‘Ammit the Devourer, as I live and breathe!’ She set downher book, stood up and walked towards them. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure ofyour company?’

Anubis stepped from the shadows. Wisps of darkness clingingto him. Ammit joined him, her yellow eyes glowing unnaturally in the sunlitgarden.

‘You cannot do this, Baba Yaga,’ Ammit said in her hoarsevoice. ‘Think of the death toll.’

Baba Yaga burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it. Theearnest plea of someone who caused a second death for those who failed to provetheir worth against the feather of Ma’at for her not to kill anyone waslaughable.

‘Please, Baba Yaga.’

She stopped laughing. She’d never heard Anubis plead withanyone, ever.

‘What’s going on?’

‘After what those blethering idiots did, what the humanscall the Warp, we’ve been swamped with the casualties. Charon would have come,but he and Hermes have even more to do than Ammit and I.’

‘Ah, yes, the theatrics.’

Anubis scowled. Ammit, though, giggled.

‘What does it have to do with me?’

‘You and your sisters are known to devour naughty children.Do you know how much paperwork that will cause us?’

Baba Yaga rolled her eyes. ‘Since when have you botheredwith paperwork, Ammit?’

The goddess glared at her.

‘The truth, if you will. Otherwise, I’m off to join mysisters.’

Ammit and Anubis shared a look that she didn’t like.

‘The humans cannot take another bombardment of magic. Setand Thor are in agreement,’ Anubis finally said.

‘It must be dire if those two are agreeing on something.’She narrowed her eyes. ‘What did you do?’

‘Me? Nothing!’

Ammit snorted. ‘He took time off and everything nearlyended. That’s the short of it.’

‘So you finally lived down to human expectations.’

‘Nope. I just had some fun on a beach. But that’s not thepoint!’

‘No. You’re telling me that immortals have been using magicon humans to alleviate their boredom, played out some stupid apocalypticfantasy, and now there are more human spirits in need of being ferried to theafterlife than any of you supposed death deities have capacity for. In short:everything can blow up in the faces of all immortals because of the stupidityof a few.’

‘Yes, the usual,’ Ammit said.

Baba Yaga sat down and a chair appeared from nowhere so shewouldn’t land on the ground. Her servants truly anticipated her every need. Onehanded her an iced coffee. As she sipped the delicious brew, the problemspresented to her mulled over in her thoughts.

‘I made a bargain to do my job again – and I won’t go backon my word. Besides, Anubis,’ she stopped him when he opened his mouth. ‘A bitof cannibalism is good for the soul. To fix your problem, I have a simplesolution: send the excess souls to join the Host until you can work throughyour backlog.’

‘This goes for all pantheons?’ Ammit asked.

‘Of course.’

A song about girls running the world started to play. AtAnubis’s glare, the music stopped.

‘What was that?’ Baba Yaga asked, intrigued.

‘Beyoncé’s “Who Run the World”,’ Anubis said with a scowl tothe invisible servants who had played the music.

‘I like it,’ Ammit said, swaying.

‘You would.’

 

Author bio

Award-winning Dark Fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuurenwrites about kick-ass heroines, the duality of being human and loves to usefolklore to underscore her point.

She’s a Rottweiler pack leader, chicken wrangler and horseservant.

All of her books are available for purchase from majoronline retailers.

Find Ronel online: https://linktr.ee/miladyronel

 

 

There are a lot of main characters in this series, so Ichose to focus on Hel as she’s the weirdest.

She drinks pickle juice to re-hydrate after using a lot ofmagic. (Yes, the juice left over in a bottle of gherkins…)

Her favorite dessert is vanilla cupcakes with pinkstrawberry frosting.

She enjoys giblets and other such dishes as she sees it as adelicacy (and believes that if you’re going to eat an animal, you should eatthe whole beast).

 

Tagline for this series: 

They’ve been alive forever. They’ve been bored for some time. And now they’re showing it.

 Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AICr5qc6QOU&t=1s&authuser=0

 

IWSG Wednesday

 

The firstWednesday of every month is officially IWSG day. IWSG was formed by NinjaCaptain Alex Cavanaugh. Members post about their doubts and fears, discussstruggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.

 

Twitter handle: @TheIWSG  

Hashtag: #IWSG 

 The awesome co-hosts for the March 5 posting of the IWSGare Ronel Janse Van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post.These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experienceor story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let itinspire your post if you are struggling with something to say. 

Remember, the question is optional

 

March 5 question - If for one day you could be anyone or *thing*in the world, what would it be? Describe, tell why, and any themes, goals,or values they/it inspire in you.

For one day, I would love to be a bird. To soar in the clouds andenjoy soft breezes and warm sunlight while I glided in the sky.

 

 

February/MarchReviews in no particular order. * Disclaimer. If I run into an occasional typo, I ignore them and don't factorthem into my review.

 

CHAIN REACTION by JamesByrne

James Byrne has created afascinating character in Dez Limerick. Very unique. Both tough guy and softie,and he always apologizes for bad language around ladies;) He’s not tall, likemost protagonists, but barrel-chested. And it’s a big barrel.

CHAIN REACTION, is third inthe series and has mega twists and turns. Several neither Dez nor I sawcoming:)

For those who have read thefirst two in the series, you will want to read this one.

 

 

 

RENDER and REBELLION by K.A. Riley

In book two and three, Cressand her friends become more embroiled in the fight against the government.

At the end of book two, oneof the characters took a turn that wasn’t really credible to me and took me outof the story. I finally came to grips with the role the author had assignedthis character and still found both book two and three enjoyable but book oneis my favorite.

Available at Amazon

 

 

 

SHADOW AND BONE, SEIGE ANDSTORM,  RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo
This trilogy is a reread for me. I love this series and think it's one of thebest YA fantasies written.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STARLESS CROWN by JamesRollins

This one was too dark forme. Though I have to admit I read it till the end, hoping for some positiveclosure. It's well written and if you like fantasy and don't mind dark, youwould probably enjoy it.

One bit of personalinformation that fascinated me is that the author is a practicing veterinarian.

 

 

 

AND

Did you know, that author Dan Brown of DA VINCI CODE fame was once a pop singer?

For more info:

100 Interesting Facts about Famous Authors – Interesting Literature

 

 

 AND

LAST BUT  NOT LEAST--Denise is hosting Reuben and I at her place today (March 5). If you have an opportunity, drop by and join us.

https://wp.me/p88dPL-p5V  

 

 

 

 

Ketch-Up Day

 

 

 

How are you?  Are you enjoying these hints of spring Mother Nature is sending our way?

 For the cat folks out there. Have you ever seen one of these attachments to a scratching post? I ordered a new post since Callie is up to her old tricks of scratching on wood furniture and the door frames. Grrr. I saw the attachment and thought, 'What the...'? It's a self-brusher for cats to rub against and each post at the end of it has an opening to pour catnip in.  Even more amazing the cats use it and seem to like it:)

 

AND

Snow

 

AND

Sunshine

 That's it for now. Enjoy the rest of your week, my friends. May it be filled with sunshine.

Weekend Wishes