Sandra Brannan's Blog, page 4
July 4, 2012
Independence Day
Happy 4th of July! I love this country and I’m proud to be an American!
So grateful to all the veterans who have made it possible for us to celebrate this wonderful day each year. This is a special time for me and one of my absolute favorite holidays for many reasons.
One, I love being an American and having adopted my youngest from a Communist country, I am so happy to know he is free and will enjoy the fruits of democracy and capitalism as well as understand a greater responsibility of helping others seek the independence everyone deserves in life.
Two, I brought another son into this world on this day many years ago and am thrilled that he, too, understands the huge opportunity he has been given being born in America on the 4th of July, free to choose, free to be, and free to live as God intended.
Three, my awesome sister — one of eight siblings — actually hired the local pyrotechnician crew for the Mt. Rushmore fireworks that used to be displayed during this awesome holiday. Lucky me, that I was a part of that! Although the awe-inspiring display may never happen again, I am so incredibly grateful to her for letting me work with explosives on one of our most revered national monuments for many years as part of her crew.
Four, I am humbled by my loved ones dedication to this great country. My wonderful husband served during the Vietnam War. My dad served during the Korean Conflict and WWII. My grandpa served during WWI. And my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew have served as well.
So, so grateful this Independence Day to them and all of you who have made me free to write this blog!
June 12, 2012
Sneak Peek for Widow’s Might
August 7th, 2012 is the official release date for Widow’s Might and I am so excited!
Not only is August 7th the launch day for my third book in the Liv Bergen Mystery series, but it is also a key date in the book, a date that will help FBI Special Agent Streeter Pierce solve the Crooked Man case. Don’t worry. Liv Bergen is definitely by his side helping as an amateur sleuth and a hopeful candidate for Quantico, but once again she is personally involved with the latest victim, thanks to one of her eight siblings. Meet Elizabeth, an older sister to Liv, and quite the character. Tough edit on this book, since Elizabeth is such a strong character, nearly overshadowing the beloved Liv. I’ll let you fans decide!
The question posed to readers in Widow’s Might is who in their right mind would try to throttle an eighty-year-old woman in hospice, as she’s losing her battle with cancer? Helma Hanson, the widow of Erniff who was killed in Lot’s Return To Sodom, the second in the Liv Bergen Mystery series, is the heroine of this book. And she’s stronger than you think, so don’t underestimate the power of an octogenarian!
Join me on my virtual book tour this year and hopefully I’ll see you at one of my personal visits around the country as well.
Oh, and about Liv and Streeter? Let’s just say, there is a kiss….
March 29, 2012
Winning The Lottery!
The odds of winning the mega million lottery this week are 1 in 175 million. I heard I have a better chance of dying from a flesh eating disease than winning the near half billion dollars at stake. Yet so many of us keep trying, right?
I am so glad I didn't know the odds of getting published, which are rumored to be 1 in 1,000 writers, or the odds of selling more than 2,000 books, which is less than 7%, or to earn an Indie NextPick Notable recognition, which is less than 1%.
But I didn't know all those statistics before I started in on this adventure as novelist and I'm so thankful I didn't. I might have been discouraged. Yet so far, I'm beating the odds. And the agents, editors, publishers, distributors, booksellers, and journalists have been amazingly supportive and helpful.
Hopefully all you wonderful writers who are certainly better than me will stay encouraged to keep trying. Ignore the odds. Better yet, beat the odds and keep writing. Typing 'The End' must feel very similar to matching the lottery winning numbers.
March 19, 2012
Advanced Reader Copy – Widow’s Might
Thank you to all you reviewers, booksellers, and bloggers who have asked to receive an ARC for the third in the Liv Bergen Mystery Thriller series. Before they are even printed, the ARC copies in the initial print run have already been spoken for so the Publisher is adding an additional 200 copies. Yippee! Who knew? I am so grateful to all of you for loving Liv so much! She’s a pistol, isn’t she? Hopefully you’ll love her even more in book #3, Widow’s Might, as she takes off running right where book #2, Lot’s Return To Sodom, left off. And infatuation leaps into bloom, but shhhh… I don’t want to spoil the surprise.
Widow’s Might, a story of an incredible 80-year-old widow who overcomes her losing battle to cancer while in hospice just long enough to save a life or two from the deadly Crooked Man, takes place along the Mickelson Trail near Rochford, SD, nestled in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Stay tuned to the reviewers, bloggers, and booksellers opinions about Liv’s third adventure with FBI Agent Streeter Pierce as the unusual yet dynamic crime solving partnership in Widow’s Might.
I can’t wait to find out what they think! And hopefully, their recommendations will inspire you to pick up a copy when it releases August 7th 2012. Thank you for choosing Liv!!
Advanced Reader Copy – Widow's Might
Thank you to all you reviewers, booksellers, and bloggers who have asked to receive an ARC for the third in the Liv Bergen Mystery Thriller series. Before they are even printed, the ARC copies in the initial print run have already been spoken for so the Publisher is adding an additional 200 copies. Yippee! Who knew? I am so grateful to all of you for loving Liv so much! She's a pistol, isn't she? Hopefully you'll love her even more in book #3, Widow's Might, as she takes off running right where book #2, Lot's Return To Sodom, left off. And infatuation leaps into bloom, but shhhh… I don't want to spoil the surprise.
Widow's Might, a story of an incredible 80-year-old widow who overcomes her losing battle to cancer while in hospice just long enough to save a life or two from the deadly Crooked Man, takes place along the Mickelson Trail near Rochford, SD, nestled in the beautiful Black Hills of South Dakota. Stay tuned to the reviewers, bloggers, and booksellers opinions about Liv's third adventure with FBI Agent Streeter Pierce as the unusual yet dynamic crime solving partnership in Widow's Might.
I can't wait to find out what they think! And hopefully, their recommendations will inspire you to pick up a copy when it releases August 7th 2012. Thank you for choosing Liv!!
December 16, 2011
Holiday Gifts From You, Reviewers!
Tis the season to be grateful to all of you who have taken the time, not only to read my books, but to post reviews, blogs, and comments.
Hard to imagine, but when my first book in the Liv Bergen Mystery Series released September 2010, I chose not to be tempted to jump onto various websites like Amazon, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, GoodReads (…breathe…), etc. etc. to read posted reviews of In The Belly Of Jonah. I simply didn't think I had thick enough skin to read comments about my "babies". So FINALLY this Christmas season I decided to read each and every post for my first book and Lot's Return To Sodom which released June 2011.
THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart for speaking your mind about Liv Bergen and for your encouragement in me to keep writing. I truly enjoy brigning Liv to life for all of you. I learn from each comment made, good and bad. Please know I really do appreciate what you've done for me and I'll work hard to earn your comments on the next book.
And you three book clubs who volunteered to be the beta readers of my first books, THANK YOU for all your advice, comments, and suggestions. The books are better because of you. A special thanks to the book club who read Widow's Might, now in production for relase in August 2012. Not only didn they NOT shoot me when I hijacked their book club, but they also gave me great advice in final edits before I sent my manuscript to the publisher. Mwahhhhhh (electronic kiss) to Ruth, Sarah, and friends for being so helpful!
So many blessings this holiday season!!
Keep up the critiques and thank you for maintaining credibility by not being anonymous!!
June 5, 2011
Cloud Nine After Launching Book Two!
Thrills have carried me through this sleepless week as I launched my second Liv Bergen mystery thriller, Lot's Return To Sodom, on Wednesday, June 1st. It's been like Christmas Eve for me, especially Tuesday night, waiting for morning to come. And I awoke in the Smokey Mountains of South Carolina, stopped to thank 10 independent booksellers along my way to Franklin, North Carolina, where Suzanne of Books Unlimited hosted my book launch. What a party! And what a great welcome from the wonderful people of Franklin! Thank you all so much!!
How appropriate that my first book launch was in the Black Hills of South Dakota, my second in the Smokey Mountains. Liv Bergen must be guiding me to do these launches at these mountain locations, since her name in Norwegian means "Life as a Mountain Dweller". How appropriate!
Thank you all for the wonderful comments about loving Liv even more in book two than you did in book one… although she's a figment of my imagination, she's sending you all a big mwahhhhhh!!
(That's an air kiss, in case you missed it.)
Enjoy Liv! Enjoy Life!! I sure am, thanks to all of you.
April 8, 2011
Return To Liv Bergen’s World!
Liv Bergen returns home to the Black Hills of South Dakota in Lot’s Return To Sodom, the second in the mystery thriller series, available June 1st 2011. My book tour for In The Belly Of Jonah has been so exciting and incredibly rewarding, particularly to learn how so many of you are upset with me for keeping you up all night and scaring the pants off you with my crazy bad villian, the De Milo Murderer. Stay tuned because in Lot’s Return To Sodom it gets a little gritty with an inside look at the motorcycle gangs and their connection with the Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally… what was I thinking to ask my Mom to read my first draft!
A HUGE thank you and BIG HUGS to retired Special Agent Mick Sherer for all his advice and expertise over the years that made this story so real to me, it made ME lose a few nights of sleep. As always, my goal is to make you, my avid readers, lose a night of sleep or change your plans… then I know I got it right!
Return To Liv Bergen's World!
Liv Bergen returns home to the Black Hills of South Dakota in Lot's Return To Sodom, the second in the mystery thriller series, available June 1st 2011. My book tour for In The Belly Of Jonah has been so exciting and incredibly rewarding, particularly to learn how so many of you are upset with me for keeping you up all night and scaring the pants off you with my crazy bad villian, the De Milo Murderer. Stay tuned because in Lot's Return To Sodom it gets a little gritty with an inside look at the motorcycle gangs and their connection with the Annual Sturgis Motorcycle Rally… what was I thinking to ask my Mom to read my first draft!
A HUGE thank you and BIG HUGS to retired Special Agent Mick Sherer for all his advice and expertise over the years that made this story so real to me, it made ME lose a few nights of sleep. As always, my goal is to make you, my avid readers, lose a night of sleep or change your plans… then I know I got it right!
