Sandra Cox's Blog, page 92
August 17, 2020
It's Tuesday
How are you blogger buds? We've had a lot of rain here and some wonderful fall-precursor days. We had a bud over for lunch last week. I served vegetable soup, bread, salad and, of course, ice cream.
August 13, 2020
August 12, 2020
Did You Know
Did you know, novelist Fanny Burney (1752-1840), author of Cecilia, Camilla and Evangelina, served as lady-in-waiting to Queen Charlotte?
August 11, 2020
August 10, 2020
It's Tuesday
It's Tuesday and on the foodie front:
Have any of the vegetarians out there tried Dominoes Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich? It's quite tasty.
And we got our third and final (sob:) care pack from the daughter and son-in-law filled with all kinds of goodies. If you look closely, you can see Frank putting his seal of approval on the olive oil.
Anyone tried cookie butter? As the name implies, it's sweet.
I added the grilled artichokes to my salad.
AND...
In the garden:
AND...
We finished Robin Hood and are watching Hamish Macbeth. I'm a huge Robert Carlyle fan. Both the HH and I are enjoying it. It's a laid back, feel good series with plenty of humor. What about you? What are you watching? Bingeing? What on?
Belated
August 6, 2020
Friday's Great Read
I’m so excited to have good bud and pre-history author Jacqui Murray here today to share info on her latest and the third in the CROSSROADS TRILOGY. I had the privilege of reading the arc and it’s every bit as good as it sounds.
Xhosa’s extraordinary prehistoric saga concludes, filled with hardship, courage, survival, and family.
Summary
A million years of evolution made Xhosa tough but was it enough? She and her People finally reach their destination—a glorious land of tall grasses, few predators, and an abundance that seems limitless, but an enemy greater than any they have met so far threatens to end their dreams. If Xhosa can’t stop this one, she and her People must again flee.
The Crossroads
From prehistoric fiction author Jacqui Murray comes the unforgettable saga of a courageous woman who questions assumptions, searches for truth, and does what she must despite daunting opposition. Read the final chapter of her search for freedom, safety, and a new home.
A perfect book for fans of Jean Auel and the Gears!
Book information:
Title and author: Against All Odds
Series: Book 3 in the Crossroads series
Genre: Prehistoric fiction
Available digitally (print soon) at: Kindle US Kindle UK Kindle CA Kindle AU
Author bio: Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Laws of Nature, Book 2 in the Dawn of Humanity
Social Media contacts:
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Jacqui-Murray/e/B002E78CQQ/
Blog: https://worddreams.wordpress.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacquimurraywriter/
LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/jacquimurray
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/askatechteacher
Twitter: http://twitter.com/worddreams
Website:
Excerpt:
August 5, 2020
How to Survive Rejection
How to Survive Rejection
By Jacqui Murray
An efriend writer originally published this as a guest post on their blog to help me launch Against All Odds August 2020. In case you missed it there, here are my anecdotal thoughts on how to add drama to your story:
***
I have a lot of experience with rejections. I sent queries to agents for my first three books. I made sure these busy folk represented my genre, that I followed their website directions, that I referenced books they already represented so they'd know I spent time preparing my query. I set a goal of 100 queries--100 agents--before deciding I wasn't going to get to yes. That's a lot of rejection. You probably wonder how I survived it. With a dollop of humor and a strong belief that no agent can shape my future. Here are my tips for you:
When you get your first rejection--or 100th--say this: Well there it is, the stupidist thing I'll read all day. You got five rejections in one day. You want to leave a nasty Tweet on each of their Twitter feeds and then scream about them on your Facebook page. You don't care if you burn the relationship. Don't! Smile knowingly, that they missed the best book to cross their book in years, and self-pub. Crawl under your bed with the rejection letters and whisper to the agents, "Any dumber, you'd be jellyfish. Or rocks! How could you not see my brilliance!" Getting upset about rejections is like inviting a pin to a balloon party. What did you expect? Given the choice of a rejection letter or a recreational colonoscopy, which would you choose? See, there are worse things. S/he probably didn't even read it. You don't want to work with him/her either. Rejection is when theory meets reality, the agent's theory about what will sell and the reality that they're wrong. Their loss. Get over it. Rejections have the charm of a car alarm but at least car alarms have a purpose. You thought your mss was a twelve-alarm fire. They called it a sparkler. They're wrong. They used hyperbole to reject you, like, "This is the worst story I've ever read". As though ‘worst’ is all the explanation necessary. Not.My favorite survival tip is distraction. I have a lovely dog who thinks he's pack leader of our family. I don't disagree which puts me at his beck and barkanytime he chooses. That helps to distract me. Maybe you have a similar dog... or cat... If you do, you are nodding along with me.
#amwriting #IndieAuthor
Jacqui Murray is the author of the popular Building a Midshipman, the story of her daughter’s journey from high school to United States Naval Academy, the Rowe-Delamagente thrillers, and the Man vs. Nature saga. She is also adjunct professor of technology in education, blog webmaster, an Amazon Vine Voice, a columnist for NEA Today, and a freelance journalist on tech ed topics. Look for her next prehistoric fiction, Laws of Nature, Book 2 in the Dawn of Humanity trilogy, Winter 2021.
Look for Jacqui’s upcoming release tomorrow on Friday’s Great Read.
AND...
AND....BELATED
ELIZABETH
August 4, 2020
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.
The IWSG monthly question can be found under the IWSG Sign-up tab on the
August question: Have you ever written a piece that became a form, or even a genre, you hadn’t planned on writing in? Or do you choose a form/genre in advance?
Good question. These days I keep my writing in the Western genre. Since I also write paranormal I sometimes have to get creative. Basically, I wiggle my ideas into my settings.
AND…
July/August reviews in no particular order.
AGAINST ALL ODDS: Book3 of the Crossroads Trilogy by Jacqui Murray
“Riveting.”
The saga continues. With the help of her co-leaders and wolves, Xhosa leads her people through lands that harbor cannibals, are riddled with wild animals, fire and ice. Through famine and other perils, they journey to their new home.
This figure from our distant past has learned to fight and hunt as an equal with the men of her time, is strong, and leads with courage, strength and compassion.
Like the first two stories, I’ve enjoyed this book immensely. When it comes to prehistory, you can’t beat a Jacqui Murray novel.
I WOULDN’T BE SURPRISED, a short by D. L. Finn
"Words Matter."
This story is particularly chilling when words uttered without thought take on a Twilight Zone effect.
Evildwels—evil beings that battle angels—have become synonymous with D. L. Finn. If you haven’t tried this author yet, a short story is a great way to be introduced to a new writer.
Both the read and the author are highly recommended.
EMERGING FROM SHADOWSby Balroop Singh
These poems truly show us an emergence from shadows, traversing from gut-wrenching lows and uncertainty into the sunlight of joy and self-reliance. Each page is a journey in discovery. The verse is beautifully written, leaving the reader both at peace and inspired.
NEITHER SEEN NOR HEARDby Alexander Pain
I am not a zombie fan. But I am an Alexander Pain fan. Even though he writes on a subject that I'm lukewarm on at best I really enjoy his stories. His characters are so well-developed I'm drawn in from the first page and held to the last. In this short an eighty-year old must keep his great-grands safe from zombies. One of the things I enjoyed the most in this short: in one scene, his grandsons use skateboards to outrace the zombies. I recommend this read for zombie fans and anyone that just wants to lose themselves in a great short story.
Trads:THE WINEMAKER’S WIFE by Kristin Harmel
An amazingly crafted novel that blends the past with the present and held my interest. Here’s the first sentence: “The road snaked over the lush vineyards of Champagne as Ines Chauveau sped southwest out of Reims, clouds of dust whipping ferociously through her chestnut hair.”
SKYWARD and STARSIGHT by Brandon Sanderson
My favorite genre, if it’s well crafted, is YA paranormal, fantasy or sci fi. These two stories fit the bill.
Spensa thinks she’s the only person on earth with special powers till she meets the new boy, only to discover he’s from another world.
These books kept me reading much later into the night than I had planned
August 3, 2020
It's Tuesday
Poor FauxPaw had a rough day. I took her in for her summer cut. She's eighteen and has problems cleaning herself, plus it keeps her cooler. She's blind and deaf and doesn't enjoy getting out of her normal environment and if that wasn't bad enough I dropped her. The carrier lid flew off, so I had to cobble that together. Then when I got home, it fell off, so I had to toss it in with her and carry her in with the carrier upright. She survived, but it definitely wasn't her favorite outing.
Is anyone else having problems with their font size? My font is set at normal but I'd call it small. I haven't figured out how to get a better size without going large.
We've received not one but two Trader Joe care packages from our daughter and SIL. So exciting.
Have you ironed out all the kinks in the new blogspot design? Got or sent any care packages? Have you or one of your critters gotten your summer cut?
July 30, 2020
Friday's Great Read
Blurb:Do you ever wish you could take back your words? Janice and Dale Hart sat around the dinner table laughing at silly “I wouldn’t be surprised” jokes that included UFOs, Bigfoot, hand-delivered food, and serial killers. A week later, an innocent plate of food is left on Dale’s truck in the middle of the night. That’s only the beginning, and the presents go from harmless to life-threatening. Will the Harts find help in time to survive an evil bearer of “gifts”? Find out in this paranormal thriller.
Excerpt:
Did you ever wish you could take back something you said, even if it was just a joke? One of those moments happened while sitting around the Easter celebration table in our dream house, only the two of us. The world was spinning out of control. The news was glum, and we missed our family, so in true Janice-fashion, I tried to add some lightness to the meal.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Bigfoot came to our door with a plate of food.”
Dale paused a second from devouring his favorite turkey meal and burst into laughter.
Encouraged that I was in a brilliant comedic mode, although I’m sure the wine had more to do with it, I added, “I wouldn’t be surprised if a UFO landed in our front yard.”
Now I was laughing too. I sucked back a giggle. “I wouldn’t be surprised if a herd of serial killers stampeded down our driveway.”
I continued throwing out my zingers until I ran out of ideas. Our good spirits lasted through dessert. Soon reality’s somber mood crept back into the day.
A week later, I found out my comments might have been taken seriously when someone or something visited us.
“This looks good, thanks,” Dale peeked in from the garage late Sunday morning.
I frowned. “What does?”
“This plate of bread.” He held up a foil-covered paper plate.
“Not mine. Where did you get it?”
Dale’s graying brows pulled together over his puzzled brown eyes. “It was sitting on the back of my truck. Must have been out there all morning. I just noticed it.”
His look of longing at the plate of bread worried me. Dale’s celiac disease meant no gluten or wheat flour. “Set it down, and I’ll see who brought it to us.”
He nodded and left the present as I scanned the security camera on my cell phone, thinking a neighbor dropped it by earlier in the morning. Nothing. I checked each motion recording until I found what I was looking for. My mind clicked into the opening narration of an old crime show, Dragnet. “This is the town, Greenville, California. It is a sleepy mountain community where people still leave their doors unlocked. It was a Saturday, April 18, at 11:30 p.m., when an uninvited guest walked down the dark, football-field-length driveway. The unidentified person carried a circular item. They proceeded to place what appeared to be a foil-covered plate on the back corner of a truck and retreated into the night…”
I shook my head. I doubted my crime would have made it onto a show that used real police files, but I did have a little mystery on my hands. Although I was not a detective, I sometimes edited books about them. That wasn’t helpful, and neither was the small phone screen. Minus my reading glasses, I couldn’t tell who the person was. Too lazy to walk through the house to get them, I started texting.
Fun Finn Facts:
1. I’m a huge fan of room service.
2. I love to watch old black & white sci-fi movies. The last movie watched was 1958, "Earth vs the Spider."
3. I have taken up rock painting. These colorful rocks are added to our Magical Trail.
