Sandra Cox's Blog, page 85
February 3, 2021
Did You Know
Did you know, when President Joe Biden was in the senate he would sit by his friend John McCain in the senate till both the republican and democratic parties objected.
February 2, 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.
Thanks, as always, to Alex Cavanaugh, founder and Ninja Captain extraordinaire and our awesome co-hosts: Louise-Fundy Blue, Jennifer Lane, Mary Aalgaard, Patsy Collins at Womagwriter, and Nancy Gideon.
The IWSG monthly question can be found under the IWSG Sign-up tab on the Insecure Writer's Support Group Blog. Remember it’s optional.
February 3 question -Blogging is often more than just sharing stories. It’s often the start of special friendships and relationships. Have you made any friends through the blogosphere?
Oh yes. Friends that I hold near and dear in the writing community and outside of it. I am most grateful for each and everyone.
AND…
In no particular order, January/February reviews.
THE SHIFT CHRONICLES by S. M. Gaither
What I love about a good YA fantasy is it moves at a fast pace and seldom stalls. This series is no exception. Alexandria Layton, is your average seventeen-year-old dealing with a number of serious setbacks that include the loss of her father and finding out maybe she’s not so average afterall as she’s drawn into a world of werewolves, Lycans and magic.
Not only is this a good series, it’s reasonably priced. In fact, the first book of the series is free—or was the last time I checked—if you want to try it out and see if you like it.
Available at Amazon.
Trads:
A MINUTE TO MIDNIGHT Book 2 and DAYLIGHT Book 3 of the Atlee Pine series by David Baldacci. I enjoyed the first as well as the second book in this series. With his usual masterful flair, he created a flawed character with a strong moral compass that we can get behind and root for. The third, no so much. I was okay with the first half of the book but by the end I really regretted starting it. It touches on child torture. I loathe anything that relates to that particular subject. It also felt like some of the scenes came away as a means to show how physically strong she was. It might have been worth it, if there had been closure in this series but it’s just one more book in the series. I really did not care for this one. To be fair, thousands of his readers disagree. I’m in the minority. Mr. Baldacci’s DAYLIGHT has over twelve thousand reviews and a 4.5 average. That’s not small potatoes.
JOHN ADAMS by David McCullough
This book isn’t for folks who like a quick read, weighing in at over 750 pages. But it’s well worth the time. We learn about a family man who is passionately in love with, not only his wife, but his country as well and spends his entire life serving it. John Adams wasn’t a perfect person, he had his flaws as we all do, but he did his level best for America and Americans. He was a big believer in education for all and felt it would help the poor earn a better living. He was vehemently opposed to slavery.
The book is filled with all sorts of fascinating trivia that I didn’t know, such as he and Thomas Jefferson, who were friends—even when they weren’t, both died on the fourth of July, the same year. I also didn’t realize until I read this book that women developed breast cancer back then and that mastectomies were not only performed but performed without anesthesia. Ack.
If you’re a history buff, and even if you’re not, I strongly recommend this one.
AND…
The HH’s thoughts on writing:
MJCox
Encumbrance
Trying to make
Sense of spinning
Thoughts.
Timing and order
Never quite
Right.
Like taking a seat
At a slot machine,
Just after it was
Hit:
Always on the take,
Never putting out
While
Somewhere some
Lucky so-and-so
Is living it up,
Unencumbered.
AND...
February 1, 2021
It's Tuesday
Greetings, Blogger Buds. What's going on in your corner of the world? We've been trying to get THE vaccine. Our last attempt: Went to a drive through that was slated to start at 10:00 a.m. Got there at 8:00 a.m. and they'd already shut down. So we'll be trying again this week.
Last week Birgit at BB Creations suggested I name Mr. Fox Frederick or Franklin.
Since we already have a kitty Frank:
And a turtle Frank:
Mr. Fox will go by the moniker Frederick Fox. Thanks for the suggestion, Birgit;)
AND...
Christine at Christine's Blog showed a Where's Bernie at the Beach which I thought was hilarious and Jeanie at The Marmelade Gypsy had a Bernie pic, so I thought I'd share the Bernie meme my son sent me. Bernie has taken social media by storm. What a fun change from all the political tension.
AND...
It's February. Turn the page. (If you haven't already:)
Got your vaccine yet? Are you a Big Bang fan?
January 28, 2021
January 27, 2021
Did You Know
Did you know, legend has it that amber contains the soul of tigers?
January 26, 2021
January 25, 2021
It's Tuesday
Greetings, blogger buds.
This wasn't expected to arrive until early February. I took it as a good omen when it arrived January 20, 2021.
As you may know, Jon Meacham is a presidential historian. I've heard him speak several times on MSNBC and I'm anxious to read him. I was also thrilled to note this one is only around 550 pages, a couple hundred shorter than JOHN ADAMS.
And...Some garden pics.
Mr. Fox in his new home.
A garden gift from my walking bud.
I love seeing purple kale, offsetting winter brown.
AND where the heck is the gardener? She missed some weeds.
AND...
I had just written a draw down and was still deep in the old West when the HH handed me this.
For one horrified moment I thought he'd gotten me a knife, which made no sense since we are both gun control advocates and I don't like sharp objects. Then sanity returned and I realized it was a garden trowel.😆
Isn't it a beauty? Purrfect for tulips and other bulbs.
AND...
Look what arrived in the mail. This was such a lovely surprise. Thanks so much, Denise.
What about you, blogger buds? What are you reading? Have you read DOLPHIN'S CAVE or THOMAS JEFFERSON THE ART OF POWER? What's going on in the garden?
January 21, 2021
Great Reads Friday
For lovers of the Disaster Crime Series, book six is now available.
Who is Amanda?
She is a survivor of abuse.
She is Beth’s self-defense assistant.
She is the god mom to Beth and Donovan’s kids.
She is the woman who has Thorn head-over-heels.
She is traumatized by her past and deals with daily neurosis.
She has become stronger because of the hardships she’s overcome.
She has feelings for Thorn but is afraid of what that means.
She wants to help other survivors to grow and learn.
She drinks craft beer and eats medium steak.
She is a fan of romance novels.
She likes the color pink.
She loves daisies.
She’s AMANDA.
Pages: 154
Genre:Romantic-Suspense
Heat Rating: Hot
BLURB:
*A FIGHTING CHANCE is Book 6 in the Disaster Crimes series, but it’s a spin-off featuring a new couple, so it can be read as a standalone.*
Thorn has loved Amanda from afar, giving her whatever she needs as a survivor of abuse—space, protection, and stability. He yearns to give her more, though, to share his feelings, kiss her, love her, but he's worried the truth will frighten her away.
And Amanda is afraid. She’s scared of her attraction for Thorn. Most of all, she’s terrified of her ex-boyfriend, who is lurking nearby where no one can find him. When she grows closer to Thorn, Damon retaliates, jeopardizing their happy ending.
Up against an abusive ex and Mother Nature, do Thorn and Amanda have a fighting chance?
Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes
EXCERPT:
Amanda looked up from the current list of up-to-date payments for classes. A movement outside the glass storefront caught her eye. She tilted her head to see a man coming up the sidewalk from the side where the picnic bench sat. Through the vertical blinds, she glimpsed a square face—a short, rugged beard and long, dark hair pulled into a man bun. Her breath fled from her lungs. Her body went from icy cold to flaming hot in the span of a millisecond. She dropped to the floor and slid under the counter, beneath the ledge where they put their purses and cell phones.
“What—” Beth peeked at the windows. Then she snapped her fingers at April and pointed at the stools.
April jumped into action. She pushed the stools in so they blocked Amanda. The bell attached to the door jingled as April removed the jacket she wore and draped it across the stools, creating a curtain to shield Amanda.
From a crack, Amanda watched Beth move to stand in front of the twins, who were in their walkers playing peacefully. “I’m sorry, but we’re going to be closing.”
“I don’t give a shit. I’m here for Amanda.”
The sound of Damon’s voice had her heart beating even harder. That voice had haunted her nightmares, had come back to life in her memories.
Beth cocked her head to the side. “Who? There’s no one by that name here.”
“Don’t bullshit me. I know she works here.”
His voice was closer now.
***FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME***
THE DISASTER CURSE
Book Links: Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / iTunes
Author’s Note: I wrote The Disaster Curse to answer a few lingering questions readers may have after reading A Fighting Chance, and to tie the whole series together with a neat, shiny, perfect little bow. Plus, there was one disaster that I hadn’t written about yet. *wink*
The Disaster Crimes Series:
*The Crime Before the Storm (prequel)
Hurricane Crimes (novella, #1)
Seismic Crimes (#2)
Lightning Crimes (free short, #2.5)
Tsunami Crimes (#3)
Flaming Crimes (#4)
Frozen Crimes (#5)
A Fighting Chance (spin-off, #6)
The Disaster Curse (short story, #7)
*Free exclusive story to newsletter subscribers.
***LAUNCHING A WEBSITE***
TheFightingChance.org is a website dedicated to domestic violence and sexual assault awareness. Inspired by the Disaster Crimes series.
***GIVEAWAY***
Prizes:Hurricane Crimes (Disaster Crimes 1) and Seismic Crimes (Disaster Crimes 2) eBooks (mobi or epub), Hurricane Crimes Playing Cards, Girl Boss Sign, and a Volcanic Blast Scented Candle
Link: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/23d974a92670/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Chrys Fey is author of the Disaster Crimes Series, a unique concept that blends disasters, crimes, and romance. She runs the Insecure Writer’s Support Group Book Club on Goodreads and edits for Dancing Lemur Press. https://www.chrysfey.com
Author Links:
Newsletter / Website / Facebook Group /Blog / BookBub
Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads / Amazon
January 20, 2021
Did You Know
Did you know that on July 4 ( a day so important to these two men), 1826 both Thomas Jefferson and John Adams died. The people surrounding Adams' bedside said as he lay dying thunder boomed and sullen clouds hung low. The moment his spirit passed the sun came out and shone in all its glory.
