Cynthia D'Alba's Blog, page 21

Bullying-A Scary New World

I’m participating in an Anti-Bullying blogfest today. There are lots of other authors joining in, telling their stories, sharing their experiences. I encourage you to follow the links at the bottom of my post and read theirs today.

Today we see or read horrifying stories about kids being bullies. They may be bullying a classmate, a bus monitor, or even a teacher. The crazy thing is how many of the bullies film their attacks, proud to post them to Facebook and YouTube. And the incidents of bullying via Facebook is alarming to say the least.

In my own town, we have a situation where a bus driver (an adult) was pushed and threatened by a high school student, a male. The driver did as she was supposed to. She reported the incident to the principal. Now, you’re probably thinking the principal immediately pulled the high school boy in for at least a chat about the incident and maybe even some type of punishment, but that’s not what happened. The student was a major player on the football team. There was a big game coming up. They needed him to play. Nothing…and I mean NOTHING…was done. The bus driver still has to drive this bully to and from school every day. She’s scared. She went to the sheriff’s office and made a report since the principal refused to take action. The incident is under investigation. I hope the superintendent of the district is looking seriously at the conduct of this principal.

I’ll confess to being from an older generation. We didn’t have Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, YouTube, etc. Heck, we didn’t have computers way back in the dark ages. So am I saying that bullying is a new development of today’s media-hungry teens?

Not at all. Bullying goes back for generations. We will always have bullies. The difference today is…we don’t have to take it anymore.

Take stand against bullying. Speak up when you see it. Report it to the proper authorities. Don’t let a bully hide. Only by shinning a light on this dark subject can focus and attention to the problem.

Now, go see what others have to say on the subject.

Mandy M. Roth
Yasmine Galenorn
Lauren Dane
Michelle M. Pillow
Kate Douglas
Shawntelle Madison
Leah Braemel
Aaron Crocco
NJ Walters
Jax Garren
Shelli Stevens
Melissa Schroeder
Jaycee Clark
Shawna Thomas
Ella Drake
E.J. Stevens
Ashley Shaw
Jeaniene Frost
Rachel Caine




Kate Rothwell
Jackie Morse Kessler
Jaye Wells
Kate Angell
Melissa Cutler
PT Michelle
Patrice Michelle
Julie Leto
Kaz Mahoney
Cynthia D’Alba
Jesse L. Cairns
TJ Michaels
Jess Haines
Phoebe Conn
Jessa Slade
Kate Davies
Lynne Silver
Taryn Blackthorne
Margaret Daley




Alyssa Day
Aaron Dries
Lisa Whitefern
Rhyannon Byrd
Carly Phillips
Leslie Kelly
Janelle Denison
Graylin Fox
Lee McKenzie
Barbara Winkes
Harmony Evans
Mary Eason
Ann Aguirre
Lucy Monroe
Nikki Duncan
Kerry Schafer
Ruth Frances Long
Julie Chicklitasaurus

Great Reads for a Great Cause!

Last fall, my local Arkansas chapter (Diamond State Romance Authors) went as a group to a conference in northern Arkansas. We stayed at a local B&B at a wildlife rescue compound. We fell in love with the big cats, the grizzly bear (rescue from a home where the owner thought having a grizzly as a pet was a good idea!) and the coyote (who thinks he’s one of the big cats!). The staff is so caring and loving and so underfunded. How could we not get involved?

So, DSRA produced two anthologies (one adult, one YA) to raise money for TCWR.. a very worthwhile cause - Turpentine Creek Wildlife Refuge.  Awesome place.  Their mission statement is “To provide lifetime refuge for abandoned, abused, and neglected “Big Cats” with emphasis on Tigers, Lions, Leopards, and Cougars.”  You go actually go there, see the animals they have saved.

The authors involved in this project get nothing personally. Everything goes to TCWR. We could use some “likes” to keep up bumped up. Take a look at these gorgeous covers designed by Elle James, Photos by Scott Smith from TCWR. The cool thing is that while they look like true cover models, these are big cats currently living at TCWR. Beautiful, huh? Click on each cover to be taken to the appropriate Amazon page.

While we appreciate the “likes”, I also encourage you to buy a copy while you’re there. You’ll get great reads for a great cause. Can’t lose on that deal!

Vol. 1
Adult Romance

Vol 2
YA Stories

Thank you for your support.

Lowcountry Boil by Susan Boyer – A Review

From the back of the book:  Private Investigator Liz Talbot is a modern Southern belle: she blesses hearts and takes names. She carries her Sig 9 in her Kate Spade handbag, and her golden retriever, Rhett, rides shotgun in her hybrid Escape. When her grandmother is murdered, Liz high-tails it back to her South Carolina island home to find the killer.

She’s fit to be tied when her police-chief brother shuts her out of the investigation, so she opens her own. Then her long-dead best friend pops in and things really get complicated. When more folks start turning up dead in this small seaside town, Liz must use more than just her wits and charm to keep her family safe, chase down clues from the hereafter, and catch a psychopath before he catches her.

I found this book to be a totally charming read. The author’s voice and writing style are cozy-mystery in tone but the protagonist here is a professional private investigator (as opposed to a nosey heroine we find in so many cozies!)

The story opens with Liz coming home for her grandmother’s funeral, only to learn from her brother, the local chief of police, that the death is far from natural. She also discovers that her grandmother has bequeath her house to Liz. Liz’s first inclination is to solve her grandmother’s death then head back to her home in Georgia. But she finds herself on the local city council and neck-deep in small community gossip and politics.

I really liked this heroine. I love that the author didn’t give us another bumbling heroine who keeps her gun in a cookie jar! Liz is strong, confident, carries a gun in her purse (and knows how to use it!), can give a round kick that will lay an attacker on his back  and keeps a golden retriever as a body-guard. But if you’re familiar with goldens at all, he’s not the most vicious dog around! I loved the southern feel that the author captures on every page.

I’m looking forward to the next books in the series as we didn’t get to spend much time with Liz’s PI partner…and I’m interested in learning more there. We did get an introduction to Liz’s ex, Michael, a married man who still carries an Olympic-sized flame for Liz. Lots of potential for some future romance for Liz but with which one?

And one more thing…Liz’s dead friend is still keeping her company!

So we have a ghost, a strong heroine, a hunky ex, a hunky PI partner, a golden retriever, small town gossip and politics, a murder mystery and a southern setting. What’s not to like?

Join me on Friday when I interview the author, Susan Boyer.

Pick up your copy of Lowcountry Boil at any bookstore or click one of the stores below:

 Amazon | Indiebound | B & N | Powell’s | Borders

 

Master Bedroom – Florida House Renovations

As you can tell from this slew of posts today, my contractors need my colors ASAP. EEK!

BUT at least if I hate a color I pick, I can always repaint, right?

Okay, on to the master bedroom.

Here is a picture of that room. Yes, we can all agree this bedspread (which isn’t mine!) is G-O-N-E!

Master Bedroom

There cabinets and the chair rail are sort of close to this even those they don’t look like in the picture above.

Color of cabinets and trim

I want to brighten this room some. I’m thinking one color below the chair rail and one above.

I’m thinking Valspar Sea Exposure below the rail..

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Valspar Sea Exposure

And the same color I used in the master bath above the chair rail

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Valspar Rain Puddle

So, what do you think?

 

Dining Room and Kitchen – Renovations

I don’t have a picture of my dining room table. It’s almost white…not quite “off-white” but sort of a creamy white. The colors in the chair covers are brown and blue streaks on the same creamy white.

My husband wanted more blue in this house. Our current house has green walls. Our previous house had green walls. Our house before that had mostly white walls. So I want to put blue in the dining room and the kitchen.

Kitchen
Where the couch is sitting in this picture is now the dining room.

The cabinets and new granite counter tops will be these colors

Color of cabinets and trim

Giallo Fiorito Granite

I’m thinking this color might brighten the area…

Valspar Icy-Blue

What do you think?

 

 

 

Master Bath – Florida Renovations

So I’m working on the master bath. It’s small. Not much light so a dark color might look much darker and could make the room feel even smaller.

The cabinet and granite will be the same as in the half-bath.

Color of cabinets and trim

Giallo Fiorito Granite

The vessel sink for this room looks like this

Side view of sink for master bath sink

Top view of master bath sink

I’m thinking this color for the walls

Color is Valspar Roth & Allen RAIN PUDDLE

What do you think?

 

 

 

 

Florida Home Renovations

I ended up dropping out of the photo of the day because I have soooo many other things going on.

One of them is a house renovation in Florida. No, I don’t live in Florida. What that means is that I’m picking out paint colors, tile, sinks, accessories from 1000 mile away! I could really use some help.

I’m going to post what I’m using in the room and what the room is. I’m going to post some possible colors. I would love comments!

First up…the 1/2 bath and guest room.

My husband will be using the 1/2 bath as he “every day” bathroom unless we have company. He picked out the sink and all the accessories.

The countertops are this

Giallo Fiorito Granite

The cabinets aren’t this dark. They are officially named “Pickled Oak” and look like this

Cabinets – Light colored. Pickled Oak

But in the natural wood world, the color is closer to natural maple, like this:

Color of cabinets and trim

The half bath is small. It has a small window, so there is some light. Husband wants this sink:

Top View

Sink Side view

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

He’s picked rubbed bronze accessories like this:

Half Bath Faucet

Half Bath Toilet Paper Holder

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I’m trying to decide the wall color for this room. The entry to the half-bath is in the guest bedroom so these two paint colors need to at least compliment each other. I’m looking at this color palette. NOT the purple one. Ignore that.

I’m thinking the 4th color for the bathroom. Then use it as the bottom color in the bedroom up to the chair rail, then a bright color, like the first one or the third one.

Opinions?

Photo of the Day – Day 4

EEK! We’re only on day four and I’m behind!

Today was a picture of something from the mailbox or in the mailbox. Here is today’s mail…piled up on the counter by my DH for ME to deal with…even if most of it has his name on it!

 

See you tomorrow! …if I can remember what tomorrow’s assignment is!

Photo of the Day – Sept 3

Today’s assignment was a picture from far away. I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I thought I’d share a picture of downtown Hot Springs, from the top of West Mountain.

West Mountain View of Hot Springs

See you tomorrow!

Photo of the Day!

Today’s challenge is take a picture of your DAD or a dad. My dad went the Un. of Arkansas Razorback football game yesterday and hasn’t gotten home yet. So no “fresh” picture is available.

I dug these two out of our trip to Florida with mom and dad.

Me and Dad in Florida.

 

Dad – In deep concentration while taking a picture

So that’s my dad! Can’t wait to see your dad!