Sandra Cox's Blog, page 9

IWSG Wednesday and Did You Know

 

 

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 

 

April/May Reviews in noparticular order.

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

 

BADLANDSby Jacqui Murray

BADLANDSis the second in Ms. Murray’s Savage Lands Trilogy. In it, prehistoric mantakes on nature in all her fury and survives.

WhileYu’ung’s tribe led by B’o, Yu’ung’s hunting partner, and Shanadar, a ratherunique young man😊, journey to a safer land, Yu’ung and Ocha, the proto-wolf,accompany Old One, the tribal elder, on his final journey.

Dangeris faced on all fronts by the split tribe. Stalked by predators both two-leggedand four-legged, they race to stay ahead of nature, whose rumblings are loud,long, and life-threatening.

Onceagain, the author delivers a fascinating fictionalized version of man’shistory, wrapped in fact. A must read for Jacqui Murray fans—of which I amone—and for those who love prehistoric fiction or just enjoy a good tale.

Available at Amazon

 

 

TAXMANby MK Alexander

Thisis a short fiction about the dangers of trying to improve on democracy,especially where money, politicians and special interests are concerned. Theauthor takes a simple idea for revising the tax code and leaves the reader wondering,what if….

Awell-written, thought-provoking read that I thoroughly enjoyed.  

Available at Amazon

 

 

 

 

 

 

MILLARDFILLMORE: AMERICA’S 13TH PRESIDENT (ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRESIDENTSSECOND SERIES) by Dan Santow

Ienjoyed learning about our 13th President. I knew very little about him. Let merephrase. I knew nothing about him. 😊

Mytake aways: He grew up very poor, had little schooling, and pulled himself upby the bootstraps. He read everything he could get his hands on and boughthimself a dictionary to familiarize himself with every word he came across thathe didn't know. AND he belonged to the Unitarian church, which I didn't realizehad been established in the 1800s.

Tosummarize, I found the book well-written, interesting and salient.

Available at Amazon

 

MURDERSHE GLAMPED by April Nunn Coker

Thisis book 34 of 34 in the Magnolia Bluff Crime Chronicles and take place at a campresort near Magnolia Bluff. As frequently happens in the Magnolia Bluffvicinity, people are getting murdered and it’s happening on Mamie’s watch whileshe temporarily manages the campsite.

Thereare plenty of interesting characters to go round in this latest addition of theChronicles, including two cute dogs and a hedgehog. Christian Cozy MysteryReaders and Christian Romance Readers will especially enjoy this one.

Available at Amazon 

 

 

 

SCANDALBROTH, M’LADY RIDES FOR A FALL, FORTUNES OF THE HEART, LADY HARRIET TAKESCHARGE, SIR SHAM, ESCAPADE, GEORGIANA, MISS OSBORNE MISBEHAVES by Marian Devon

Ihad a Marian Devon reading fest. In my humble opinion, no one wrote RegencyRomance like Marian Devon. The best in her genre, bar none. When I’m depressedor have jangling nerves from reading too many thrillers, I turn to these oldfriends. They are light, frothy, humorous and always well-written. Highlyrecommended if you are looking for fun escapism.

Ona personal note, I always love to hear about authors who taught at communitycolleges. This one taught at Central Piedmont.

Available at  Amazon

 

SANDCITY MURDERS by MK Alexander

Thisis the first of the Tractus Fynn Mystery Series

Tractusis a polite, well-spoken, time-traveling detective who soft and hard jumps backand forth through time in pursuit of the murderous Mortimer.  He makes friends with Patrick Jardel (again),a small-time reporter with an excellent memory, and enlists his aid in the huntfor Mortimer.

Solvingthe murders hinge on shoes…or lack thereof.

Besidescreating distinctive and well-developed characters, the author excels at world building,making the reader feel they are strolling down the streets of Sand City rightbeside its citizenry. The mystery is woven into Jardel’s daily life as he triesto solve multiple murders in a timeline that keeps changing. 

Recommended for folks that like their mysteries intertwined with small town goings-on or just enjoy a well-told tale.

Available at Amazon

 

And

 

Are you journaling or writing poetry on the back of a motorcycle like Denise does? There's all sorts of uses for this beautiful notebook. You can find it at the Gratitude Store.

And

Did you know, the term green-eyed monster came from Shakespeare?

150 Interesting Facts About Our Favorite Authors [Infographic]

 

 

 

 

Ketch-Up Day

 

How was your weekend and first day of the week?

Not too much going on here. We currently have Fox Sparrow hatchlings  in the garden area. They are not impressed when I try to water or weed.

This was their nest:

 I just don't understand the appeal of building your home in a thorny rosebush, but I guess it keeps predators away.

 

We now have pathways strewn with rose petals. Grin.

 AND

Berries coming:)

 I fixed sixteen bean soup for the first time in the crock pot. Wasn't too bad.

These are such a hoot. One of my bro's, SIL, and I had the digital concept on line action figures made. Have you done that yet? We did ours at ChatGPT.  I was very relieved when the HH said that my action figure didn't look like me. Heh.  Mine is not particularly attractive but fun. 

 That's it here, blogger buds. 

Have you had your online action figures done yet? Fixed bean soup lately?  How's your garden?  And last but not least, YOU have a grand week.

 

 

Weekend Wishes

 

Writerly Wednesday AND Did You Know

 What's your synonym, definition or sentence for:

 

Example: The librarian accused me of being a biblioklept. 

AND
 

If you plan on being a long-term resident of Villas Las Estrellas, Antarctica, you must have your appendix removed?

 

 

https://getpocket.com/explore/item/th...?

 

 

Ketch-Up Day

 

What's going on in your neck of the woods?

Same ole, same ole here. Take care of critters. Write. Garden. Repeat.  

And speaking of 

The Garden:

My special needs Irises:) See how low to the ground some of them are blooming?

 

The fairy was from the Easter Bunny:)

 

The Critter

And last but not least

From Colorado

Thanks, Julie.

YOU, have a grand one.

Christian Reads and Weekend Wishes

 

 

A vow broken. A covenant shattered. A duty she can’t escape.

Available at Amazon 

 

 

 

How to spark memories and write your spiritual memoir

Available at Amazon 

Writerly Wednesday and Did You Know

 What's your synonym, sentence or meaning for:

Example: She was my best kith.
 

AND

 

Did you know, tulip bulbs can be substituted for onions when you are cooking?

 

 

What Flower Bulb Can Be Used In Place Of Onion In Cooking? - Stellina Marfa

Ketch-Up Day

 

How was your Easter? Ours was quiet, but nice. We exchanged Easter baskets as we have been doing for forty-six years now and ate at IHOP:) What about yours? Was it spent with family and friends? 

 ANDIn The Garden  Azaleas for Andrew. 
If you're wondering about the wedging halfway up, it's where the roses have grown through the fencing.  You are probably tired of hearing this every spring but what I miss about the Midwest are the lilacs. These aren't as lush as typical Midwestern lilacs but they have a delicate, lovely scent.

  AND Our own personal ostrich dog. Instead of sand, she buries her head in a blanket.

 AND

Celebrating Earth Day AND our dear Elizabeth's Birthday

 That's all for now;)

Your Weekend Read: BADLANDS by Jacqui Murray

 

 

Please welcome good bud and acclaimed prehistoric novelist Jacqui Murray. She'll be sharing information about her latest series and little known facts about her life. Welcome, Jacqui.

 In Endangered Species, Book One of thetrilogy, Yu’ung’s Neanderthal tribe must join with Fierce’s TallOnes—a Homo sapiens tribe--on a cross-continent journey that starts in theSiberian Mountains. The goal: a new homeland far from the devastation caused bythe worst volcanic eruption ever experienced by Man. How they collaboratedespite their instinctive distrust could end the journey before it starts orforge new relationships that will serve both well in the future.

 

 

 In Badlands , Book Two , the tribes must splitup, each independently crossing what Nature has turned into a wasteland. Theystruggle against starvation, thirst, and desperate enemies more feral thanhuman. If they quit or worse, lose, they will never reunite with their groupsor escape the most deadly natural disaster ever faced by our kind.

Join mein this three-book fictional exploration of Neanderthals. Be ready for a worldnothing like what you thought it would be, filled with clever minds, brilliantacts, and innovative solutions to potentially life-ending problems, all basedon real events. At the end of this trilogy, you’ll be proud to callNeanderthals family.

 

Bookinformation:

Print, digital, audio available: http://a-fwd.com/asin=B0DFCV5YFT

 Genre: Prehistoricfiction

Editor: Anneli Purchase

 

Author bio:

JacquiMurray  is the author of the popular prehistoricfiction saga,  Man vs. Nature  whichexplores seminal events in man’s evolution one trilogy at a time. She is alsoauthor of the  Rowe-Delamagente thrillers  and  Building a Midshipman , the story of her daughter’s journey from highschool to United States Naval Academy .  Hernon-fiction includes 100+ books on tech into education, reviews as an  Amazon Vine Voice anda freelance journalist on tech ed topics.

 

SocialMedia contacts:

 

https://www.amazon.com/Jacqui-Murray/e/B002E78CQQ/

Blog:                                       https://worddreams.wordpress.com

Pinterest:                                http://pinterest.com/askatechteacher

X:                                             http://twitter.com/worddreams

Website:                                 https://jacquimurray.net

 

Badlands trailer: https://youtu.be/XZKpiAHNW1E?si=H1ihA...

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9Things You Probably Don't Know About Me Part II

Thank you for inviting me to your blogtoday, Sandra, to talk about a topic I rarely discuss: Me. I shared ten details about my backgroundlast year, here, to launch my last book, so I had todig around to find other odd tidbits that you-all might find interesting. SinceI'm not terribly open about my past, there are a lot of items that might beintriguing to ... someone!

Here is this year's list:

In third grade, my standardized IQ test came out so high, they made me retake it. They thought something went wrong. The second take was the same. I'm proof that IQ or standardized tests don't predict personal success and that third grade experience is one of the reasons to this day I don't believe the two are connected.My son got an almost perfect ASVAB score (99/100) when he applied for the Army. All of his future bosses said it was the highest they'd ever seen. He didn't care--he's a very easy-going guy. The American military is not a meritocracy so his score--like mine--also didn't fuel military success. The Army promotes on a schedule.I played violin through high school, trained by a member of the Pittsburgh Symphony. He had me practice about 90-120 minutes a day, which I didn't mind.I briefly trained with Chuck Norris in High School (as did my sister). I wasn't very aggressive at that time so I switched to the Debate society, but my sis got pretty good.I was robbed of my make-up while traveling in Russia (the USSR) on a college graduation trip.I talked my way into a job installing cell phone antennas by doing research, reading, and interviewing professionals in the field. I was hired and when I wanted to change fields (got tired of climbing onto buildings to find antenna locations), I tried a similar approach for a job in commercial real estate. That worked, too!I spent several years doing design-build child care centers for corporate clients. My job was to sell the project to mostly corporate or University clients (who wanted onsite childcare) and then mastermind the building of the center.I love Formula 1 racing, a hobby picked up from my daughter. I've gotten to know all the teams and racers. Attending, though--yikes! That is beyond expensive! The races take place all over the world and even the cheap seats aren't.I talk to my son every week, for at least an hour. What do we talk about? Well, space, the stock market, stuff. Surprises me too!

What are the oddest things you've donein your life? I'd love to hear them!

“The content presented in this blogare the result of creative imagination and not intended for use, reproduction,or incorporation into any artificial intelligence training or machine learningsystems without prior written consent from the author.”

 

Writerly Wednesday AND Did You Know

 What's your synonym, sentence, or definition of:

My sentence: His shady political activities made him a corrupt politician or as some would say a highbinder.

 

 AND

 

Did you know, flamingos' legs bend at the ankles not the knees ?

 

 How a flamingo balances on one leg