Kassandra Lamb's Blog, page 19

February 8, 2021

Special Days in February (and Last Days of Our Contest)

Wow, there are a LOT of special days in February.

We started off the month with National Dark Chocolate Day on the 1st. Did you know that chocolate was first served as a food in 350 BC?

And we had Groundhog Day on the 2nd. Sorry, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, so six more weeks of winter.

special days in February -- Valentine's Day photo by Amanda, CC-BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

Friday, the 5th, was National Wear Red Day, to raise awareness about women’s heart health. And today is both National Pizza Day and National Toothac...

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Published on February 08, 2021 23:22

February 2, 2021

Off Week Reminders

photo by Johntex CC-BY-SA 3.0 Wikimedia Commons

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Since Valentine’s Day is not far away, it seemed like a good time to remind you all that we have several Topic Pages on relationships.

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Also, don’t forget to ENTER our Winter Wonderland Contest HERE.

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Coming up next week, a discussion of the “rules” of writing — aimed at both readers and writers. And yes, “rules” is in quotes for a reason.

The post Off Week Reminders appeared fi...

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Published on February 02, 2021 09:56

January 25, 2021

To Covid or Not to Covid in Our Fiction Stories

by Kassandra Lamb ~ There’s been a debate going on in the writerly world over whether we should include references to Covid in our fiction stories going forward.

There are three schools of thought:Ignore the pandemic completely in our fiction, because after all it IS fiction.Project our timelines slightly into the future and just refer back to the pandemic occasionally as an event in the past.Realistically include the pandemic in our writing, even develop plots around it.

Personally, I...

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Published on January 25, 2021 22:44

January 18, 2021

An “Off Week” Goodie Honoring Our Country

by Kassandra Lamb ~ The blog is “off” for the week, but I thought I’d share this video with you. It combines three things I love: Pentatonix, my country and my hometown of Baltimore, where this was performed and recorded in 2014.

The second song is not as good as the first. I adore the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, but Pentatonix is supposed to be a cappella. The orchestra drowns a couple of them out some. However, Let Freedom Ring is great!

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And Don’t Forget to Enter Our W...
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Published on January 18, 2021 22:01

January 11, 2021

Darkness and Light (and a New Release and Contest!)

by Kassandra Lamb ~ Philosophers and artists are very aware of the contrast between darkness and light. But we normal mortals go about our lives, weathering the ups and downs, without thinking about such things all that often.

the contrast between darkness and light photo by Mel Elias on Unsplash.com

This past year, however, has brought the contrast between darkness and light into sharp relief. I don’t know about you, but 2020 was the darkest of my 68 years on this planet. It was a major challenge to remain optimistic and hopefu...

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Published on January 11, 2021 22:05

January 4, 2021

Goodbye 2020, Hello 2021!

Never before have we been quite so happy to ring in a new year! With glee, we say “Goodbye 2020, hello 2021!”





Feeling hopeful about this coming year, we thought we’d share with you some of our goals, resolutions, and/or themes for 2021.









First up is…





Kathy (K.B.) Owen



Each new year, I reset my personal reminder to search for one aspect to appreciate whenever I’m tempted to feel stressed by something minor.





goodbye 2020 hello 2021



(I tend toward the anxious side…if there were a super power for it, ...

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Published on January 04, 2021 23:56

December 21, 2020

HAPPY HOLIDAYS From Misterio Press!!

We at misterio press wish you all a wonderful holiday! photo by Jorge Dominguez on Unsplash.com



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The blog is on hiatus until January 5, 2021, but we at misterio press wish you all a wonderful holiday season!





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And here’s a little treat for you, the absolute perfect Christmas song for this year. Jon starts out slow but the build up is worth it.





And then a more light-hearted rendition of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen by Pentatonix. Enjoy!





See you all in the New Year!



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We blog here at misterio press ab...

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Published on December 21, 2020 23:06

December 20, 2020

And we have winners!

We have winners to announce… Drumroll, please!









First, for our Happy Holidays Contest that ended last Sunday, the winner is Vaunda B.





Yay, Vaunda!!





And for Emily James’s giveaway of a free ebook during her interview, the winner is Michael N.





Congrats, Michael!!





For more giveaways, join our Facebook group, misterio’s Magical Mystery Ride!





And stay tuned for our Winter Contest, which will be announced in early January.






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Published on December 20, 2020 14:42

December 14, 2020

Crime Writers Interview: Emily James (and a Giveaway)

crime writers inteview



We love introducing you all to authors whom we enjoy ourselves. Here’s one of my favorites, cozy writer Emily James.





Crime Writers Interview: Emily James



Emily James grew up watching TV shows like Matlock, Monk, and Murder She Wrote. (It’s pure coincidence that they all begin with an M.) It was no surprise to anyone when she turned into a mystery writer. Alongside being a writer, she’s also a wife, an animal lover, and a new artist. She likes coffee and painting and drinking coffee while painting. She also enjoys cooking...

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Published on December 14, 2020 22:22

December 7, 2020

Christmas: It’s the Most Stre-ess-ful Time of the Year!

by Kassandra Lamb ~ Christmas is indeed the most stressful time of the year. So Ive compiled, from previous posts, the most helpful hints for dealing with holiday stress.

And just for fun, Ive created some new lyrics for this old classic!  See below and sing along.

Its the most stre-ess-ful time of the year!
Therell be much to and froing,
And tempers a blowing
When loved ones are near.
Its the most stre-ess-ful time of the year.

Its the crab-crabbiest season of all!
With the holiday shopping
and...

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Published on December 07, 2020 22:41