Tory Richards's Blog, page 173

Two down and two to go! I'm trying to capture my cats to ...

Two down and two to go! I'm trying to capture my cats to give them a wipe down with these fragrant anti-dander cat wipes and you'd think I was beating them with a stick! The two that I managed to get are sleeping contentedly on the cat tree. The other two are in hiding:) 

An elderly lady was invited to an old friend's home for d...

An elderly lady was invited to an old friend's home for dinner one evening. She was impressed by the way her lady friend preceded every request to her husband with endearing terms such as: Honey, My Love, Darling, Sweetheart, etc. The couple had been married almost 70 years and, clearly, they were still very much in love.

While the husband was in the living room, her lady friend leaned over to her hostess to say, 'I think it's wonderful that, after all these years, you still call your husband all those loving names.'

The elderly lady hung her head, 'I have to tell you the truth,' she said, 'his name slipped my mind about 10 years ago, and I'm scared to death to ask the cranky old asshole what his name is.'

Wasted Day

I know I'm a freak  (another word for perfectionist) when I spend a day on one thing trying to make it perfect. Only I can't figure out how to make it perfect and it's driving me crazy!!! I hate giving up but I finally admitted defeat at 9:13 tonight. And now I have heartburn...

Maxine is so Smart!

Here's the way it should be:
1 Let's put the seniors in jail and the criminals in nursing homes.
2 This would correct two things in one motion:
3 Seniors would have access to showers, hobbies and walks. 4 They would receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medicalTreatment, wheel chairs, etc.
5 They would receive money instead of having to pay it out.
6 They would have constant video monitoring, so they would be helped instantly... If they fell or needed assistance.
7 Bedding would be washed twice a week and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.
8 A guard would check on them every 20 minutes.
9 All meals and snacks would be brought to them.
10 They would have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.They would have access to a library, weight/fitness room, spiritual counseling, a pool and education...and free admission to in-house concerts by nationally recognized entertainment artists.
11 Simple clothing - i.e.. Shoes, slippers, pj's - and legal aid would be free, upon request. 12 There would be private, secure rooms provided for all with an outdoor exercise yard complete with gardens.
13 Each senior would have a P.C., T.V., phone and radio in their room at no cost.
14 They would receive daily phone calls.
15 There would be a board of directors to hear any complaints and the ACLU would fight for their rights and protection.
16 The guards would have a code of conduct to be strictly adhered to, with attorneys available, at no charge to protect the seniors and their families from abuse or neglect.17 In addition, it is a great gated community

As for the criminals:
1 They would receive cold food.
2 They would be left alone and unsupervised.
3 They would receive showers once a week.
4 They would live in tiny rooms, for which they would have to pay $5,000 per month.
5 They would have no hope of ever getting out.

"Sounds like justice to me!"

Welcome K.J. Dahlen

Hello friends! Today I'm hosting a tour for author K.J. Dahlen. The author will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. So please follow and leave comments on all posts to up your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 
http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/08/virtual-book-tour-blood-memories-by-kj.html

What I like about being a writer-

Everyone tells me that being a writer is a solitary career, that you have to be alone to do it, but I don't think so. When you’re writing you are never alone. You are in a world you created with characters you brought to life. Boy doesn't that sound strange! Nevertheless it is true and while you are visiting their world you control what they do and say, unless you're like my character and they take over the script, like mine do.

For me it’s normal to get carried away with my characters. They seem so real. I can see them in my mind and I know all their strengths and flaws. I know what they look like and what they will do in certain situations, I also know their weakness.

It sounds like I'm a control freak, doesn't it? But it’s not the case, I did tell you that in most of my stories the characters take over at some point, didn't I? It’s usually at the point where I think nothing more can happen that’s when I lay down on the couch for a minute. As soon as I do that my characters whisper a new twist in the story to me and I'm up and running for my keyboard. I just love when that happens…

As a writer I try to let my readers experience the story by becoming one of the characters. If I can do that, then I’ve done my job as a writer and when the reviews come in I’m always thrilled. It’s a lot of hard work sometimes getting the words just the way you want them, but there is no bigger reward, at least for me when a publisher tells me they want to print my story.

Blood Memories came to be from the idea of a young girl who witnessed a tragedy. At three years old her mind blocked out the traumatic event . Only when she goes back to her home does her memory return, but now she can handle the rush of memories that go with it and she has two guys to help her.

All my books are written from pure imagination. People always ask what kind of research I do for my books. I might look up little things but most of what I write is from creative thinking. That’s what I love about being a writer, the only obstacle is the one you make, the world is yours all you have to do is imagine it, to make it so…



AUTHOR Bio 
Kim lives in a small town (population495) in Wisconsin. From her deck she can see the Mississippi River on one side and the bluffs, where eagles live and nest on the other side. She lives with her husband Dave and dog Sammy. Her two children are grown and she has two grandchildren. She loves to watch people and that has helped her with her writing. She loves to create characters and put them in a troubling situation then sit back and let them do all the work. Her characters surprise even her at times. At some point in the book they take on a life of their own and the twists and turns become the story. Of all the stories she could write she found she liked mystery/thrillers the best. She likes to keep her readers guessing until the very end of the book.

Email: kjdahlen1@yahoo.com
Web site: http://www.kjdahlen.com
I am on facebook and twitter as kjdahlen
My blog is on facebook at K.J.’s blog



Blood Memoriesby KJ Dahlen
BLURB:

When an accident turns out to be not an accident but murder Savannah must solve a double murder that happened over twenty years ago to find the truth. She was the only witness to her parent’s murder and now their killer is after her. She puts her trust into a man her aunt has known and all these years but evidence soon points to him being involved with the man she thinks killed her parents. Will she prove him innocent or fall prey to his intent? Her life and over two million dollars in diamonds is at stake.



EXCERPT:

Savannah was about to walk down the hill to her car when she saw him. He was leaning against a tree not too far from where she stood.

She was sure she didn't know him yet he seemed very familiar to her. She tilted her head and studied him for a moment. Bits and pieces from her past flashed through her mind as she tried to place him, but it wasn't until he smiled she remembered where she'd seen him before. A few years ago when she was coming home from school, he was leaving her aunt's house. His smile was as warm then as it was now. He pushed away from the tree and began walking toward her.

Savannah waited until he reached her to hold out her hand. When he took her hand in his, she had to say, "I don't think we've met before, but I've seen you somewhere."

He smiled. "I've known you most of your life. I was a friend of your aunt's." He shifted his gaze to the disturbed ground of Donna's grave. "I'm sorry I didn't get here in time. I only arrived this morning. When I read the paper, I found her obituary. I had to come, at least to say good-bye.

Savannah smiled. "I remember you. I'd see you leaving as I was coming home. I asked her about you, but she wouldn't tell me who you were."

He smiled. "I'm sorry, my name is Charlie Manning."

Savannah shook his hand. "I'm Savannah George."

Charlie glanced away for a moment then looked back at her. "If Donna didn't tell you who I was, then she wouldn't have told you what I am."

"Excuse me?" Savannah said. "I don't understand. What should she have told me about you?" Savannah was intrigued now. She was finding her aunt had kept a number of secrets over the years.

Charlie leaned back on his heels. "You may not remember me, but I'm a cop from Chicago. We met once when you were three years old."

Savannah felt a chill run down her spine. She lived in the Chicago area with her parents until she was three years old. Taking a deep breath, "I think we should talk, but not here. Let's go back to my aunt's house. I have some questions for you. I think it’s time for me to know the truth."

Charlie stepped back and allowed her to lead the way down the hill. He got into his car and followed her back to Donna's house. The drive only took minutes but seemed longer.

Savannah glanced at the package sitting on the passenger seat. Whatever her past was, maybe the answers she'd sought all these years would finally be revealed. She checked her rear view mirror as Charlie Manning pulled in the space behind her.

Grabbing the package, she opened her door and walked to the front door. Once they were inside Savannah made a pot of coffee. A few minutes later she sat down at the kitchen table and stared at Charlie.

"Ok, mister policeman from Chicago, tell me what happened twenty two years ago that caused my aunt to take me and run." Savannah said.

Charlie studied her for a moment then decided to tell her the truth. "There is no easy way to say what I came here to say."

"Just spit it out then."

"How about the fact that at three years old, you might have been the only witness to the brutal double murders of your parents?" Charlie finally told her.

Say it ain't so!

Just thought I'd give you all something to freak about!

Woohoo! I Love Reader Reviews!

Just saw this first review on Amazon for Passionate Encounters! 
This is my first Tory Richards book and while I usually hesitate to buy unrated books from authors unknown to me - this was a pleasant surprise. I was looking for a pleasant read, nothing requiring dictionary look ups or too much effort on a lazy day and came across this book. I am pleased to report that this is an engaging story of two people who are not looking for love, but find it none the less. The story is about the relationship between Emma, who is divorced and not actively looking for Mr. Right, and Mike, a cop and single dad who tries (in vain) to keep his emotional distance from Emma and keep his focus on his 13 year old daughter. While there is no doubt that Emma and Mike have serious chemistry between them, they can steam up a room, or a boat or hallway in no time at all - ahem - the strong and sexy cop tries his very best to keep his emotions out of the action. I won't give away then ending, but the HEA was happy for all. But I must say the ending was somewhat abrupt, although it does not deter me from giving an enthusiastic 4 stars! I will be reading other books by this author.

The Morning I Lost Control

This picture reminded me of something so I thought I would share it. I was working and it was my birthday. Since I usually left for the day before anyone else on my team they decorated and did some pranks that I would walk in to the next morning. The obvious were the streamers and balloons. 

The real prankster on my team was Steve. There was confetti everywhere. He even put some on a sheet of paper and slid it into my locked drawers. It took me weeks to clean them out. He then took black paper and put it over my computer screen. I had one of those dark privacy covers on it so I didn't notice the paper behind it at first. When I turned my computer on and nothing happened I just thought the system was down. 

I called IT to report the problem and halfway through our conversation I noticed what Steve had done. Felt like a complete fool! LOL The guy on the other end of the phone thought it was funny, too.

So, I removed the paper and began typing. I don't need to look at the keys to type but for some reason I glanced down as I placed my fingers on what should have been A-L. That's when I noticed all the keys were in the wrong place. What the heck? I don't know how long I stared at the keys trying to make sense of what I was seeing.

I began to mumble, were the keys always like this, and I'm just now noticing? It didn't take long before I realized Steve had taken the keys off and rearranged them on the keyboard so that they spelled out a message. I can't recall now, but it was something about getting old.  

My team laughed their butts off when they came in and I told them what kind of morning I had. The first thing I did was make Steve put my keys back in the right place. During my years there everyone knew you didn't touch my desk. One pencil out of place and I knew it. 

It's funny how the littlest thing can bring back a fond memory:)

Thought it was time for a little more inspiration. These ...

Thought it was time for a little more inspiration. These pictures don't have to inspire you to write. They can inspire a lot of things. But for me, I can see a story in all of them.

First I want to say thank you to all of you who showed up...

First I want to say thank you to all of you who showed up and left a comment.

Eva's Flowers
Regina Ross
PAdoglady

Congratulations! You each win a download of Hot Spot! I will be in touch.
Want a chance to win a download of my new erotic release HOT SPOT? All you have to do is leave a comment between 9/10 and 9/17 on this post to be entered into the drawing. Three (3) winners will be announced here on 9/18.

Good luck!