Connie Cockrell's Blog, page 11

Full Moon, Painting, Winter Storms : Monday Blog Post

Full Snow Moon by Randy Cockrell

Newest News:

Have you been enjoying the full moon the last couple
of days? Above is a pic my husband took.

In my last post I mentioned that hubby had decided to
paint the second bathroom. Well, it’s all done. He removed everything: Towel
racks, light fixtures, pictures, the whole lot. He spackled holes, let dry,
then painted the walls a light green, cucumber color. The he replaced
everything, bought a new towel rack and put it up, and replaced the toilet. Now
the whole bathroom is spanking new and clean. Love it. Thanks, hunny!

The weather is crazy, right? It’s been cold here, more
than usual. The weekend started to warm up. Now it’s turning again. Those in
the south and east are getting slammed with snow, sleet, power outages and
every other kind of craziness. If you know of elderly or others in your area
that could be in distress due to outages, icy sidewalks, or something else,
take a moment and check on them. Give a hand where you can.

Speaking of weather. Bad weather is a great time to
stay inside and read. I just finished London Bridges by James Patterson. Like all
of his Alex Cross books, this one is a thriller and a page-turner. Pick it up
at your local library or whereever you get your books. Hope you enjoy it.

Giveaways:

The St. Patrick’s Day giveaway will start soon. I’ll post links as soon as I get them.

Where will I Be?

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, April 27th at 1pm. More info to follow.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and
the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If
you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun
and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m
working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new
books are coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar, which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is still available. The beautiful pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on http://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

Super Bowl, Happy February, House Decorating, The Party : Monday Blog Post

In my backyard, a Rufus Sided Towhee

Newest News:

Apologies. I scheduled this for Monday the 3rd and I’ve spent all week trying to get it to post. So, given that, here’s the post.

So Sunday was Superbowl. We didn’t have big company or
anything, but I still made chicken wings but with an oriental-style orange ginger
sauce. I bought a half ring of shrimp to nosh on and made my own queso for the
tortilla chips. Pretty low key. What was your fav snack for the big game? Did
your team win?

Anyone else glad it’s February? I thought January
lasted an extra four weeks at least. Nothing bad happened to me or my family.
It just seemed like an extra long month.

Hubby has decided to paint the second bathroom. I
guess he wants a project. He’s decided to paint it a light sage green. My
feeling is that I don’t care, as long as it isn’t horrible. Anyone else let the
spouse do the decorating? It’s just really not my thing.

I’ve been giving a lot of thought to my serial story, The Party. I know I’ve missed the last two Fridays. I’m a little overwhelmed with ideas about it, to be honest. That means I should be writing, but it’s sort of like standing in the grocery store cereal aisle. Just so many choices! Anyway. I think I have at least one character’s future identified. There may also be some joining up of characters. A big surprise for them because aside from my destroyed family, none of the characters know each other. We’ll see how it goes. If you’ve been reading the serial, if you like it or have a comment, feel free to drop a line or two in the comments. I’d love to hear from you.

Giveaways:

The St. Patrick’s Day giveaway will start soon. I’ll post links as soon as I get them.

Where will I Be?

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, April 27th at 1pm. More info to follow.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and
the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If
you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun
and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m
working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new
books are coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar,
which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is still available. The beautiful
pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me
every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian
holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the
calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products
page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on http://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

Giveaway, TempeFanCon, Ottoman Empire: Monday Blog Post

TempeFanCon 2020

Newest News:

Saturday the 25th, I had a table at the
Tempe Library TempeFanCon. It was an outdoor event, but the weather was
absolutely perfect. There were 90 vendor tables with authors, groups like the
SCA, the Umbrella Society, and more. A large percentage of attendees came
dressed in cosplay costumes and it was a pleasure to see everyone walking
around, talking to the vendors and taking pictures of all the great costumes.
The above picture is of a particularly good group of Marvel characters. If you
get a chance to attend one of these events in your area, you should go. It’s a
lot of fun and you get to meet great authors, artists, and cosplayers!  

Last night hubby and I started watching a show on the Ottoman
empire. It’s presented as a mix of interviews with expert historians on the
empire and dramatizations of the events. The first episode was on the emperor’s
attempt to take over Constantinople in the 1400s. At that time the Roman empire
was still hanging on by its fingernails. The Eastern Roman Emperor ruled from
Constantinople and in actuality, controlled nothing but the city. The Ottomans
controlled all the rest of the area, clear up to Eastern Europe. My brain was
buzzing with questions. I’d heard of the Ottoman empire but to be honest, know very
little about it other than it controlled a huge area of eastern Europe and the
middle east, including Egypt, all the way to India. I just finished a history called
Edge of Empire, Conquest and Collecting in the East 1750 – 1850. The book talked
about, among other things, how the French and British, contending with each
other for dominance in the region, had to work with the Ottoman Empire to get
permission to dig for antiquities, set up embassies and the like. Now I’m very
intrigued. The Ottoman Empire lasted over 400 years. Where did they come from?
How’d they rise to power? And of course, ideas for stories began streaming
through my head. This was a very exciting time in history and the things that
can be discussed are nearly endless. So there you have it. Where do ideas for
stories come from? From TV for one, history for another. What are you reading
that stirs your imagination?

Giveaways:

The Christmas giveaway grand prize winner was Sara Zielinski. We’re so happy that Sara won the Paypal cash. I had two winners pulled, Richard Robinson and Caitlynn Clevenger. I am signed up for the St. Patrick’s Day giveaway. I’ll post links as soon as I get them.

Where will I Be?:

Pine Library,
6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, April 27th
at 1pm. More info to follow.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and
the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If
you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun
and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m
working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new
books are coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar, which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is still available. The beautiful pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on http://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

Mom’s Birthday, Martin Luther King Day, Women’s March 2020, The Party: Monday Blog Post

Newest News:

So, had she lived, mom would be 83 today. Her birthday
fell on what used to be Washington’s Birthday, but is now Martin Luther King
Day. To my mom, happy birthday. I miss you very much. I have no plans for this
three-day weekend, I’m retired after all. I do plan to remember the struggle of
our neighbors without white skin and to work so that everyone has the same
level of respect and opportunity throughout this nation.  

I attended the local Women’s March on Saturday. We had
some great speakers. Did a short march down our main street, and just felt
recharged and invigorated after spending the morning with such a wonderful
group of compassionate, involved women and men. Were you able to attend a march
near you? Leave a comment!

On the writing front. Last week did this blog post, another one for another blog, and did a chapter on The Party for Friday. It felt good to get back in the writing saddle after such a long break. I have some great ideas for The Party. I’m enthusiastic again.

Giveaways:

I missed the Valentine’s Day giveaway. I’m not sure how. However, I am signed up for the St. Patrick’s Day giveaway. I’ll post links as soon as I get them. I’ll post the Christmas winners as soon as I’m notified.

Where will I Be?:

Tempe FanCon. It’s this Saturday! January 25th from 10am to 4pm at the Tempe Public Library. Come in cosplay costume or not. It’s up to you. I’m at table 77 of over 90 author tables. So much variety. Panels, other entertainment, food vendors. Come on out and enjoy the lovely winter weather and find some great books. Check the website for directions, the site plan, and a list of the authors!

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson
AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and
the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If
you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun
and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m
working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new
books are coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar,
which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is still available. The beautiful
pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me
every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian
holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the
calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products
page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on http://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

The Party: Chapter 19 – Duncan Angelson

Yes, this is political. I offer you trigger warnings for language and sexual and racist slurs and comments. Future episodes may also contain rape, abuse, and other unpleasant things.

Chapter
19: Duncan Angelson

Duncan stood at the head of the conference table. As
President Master’s Chief of Staff, it was his responsibility to lead this
meeting. It was an assembly of the movers and shakers of the new party. The
People’s Party. More like the oligarch’s party he thought. But that would have
been bad branding. Joe Evans sat to his right. The leader of this committee of
blood-sucking bastards. Greed was the main goal. The only goal, really. As long
as the money flowed into their coffers, they didn’t care what kind of atrocity
they perpetrated on the land, air, water and especially the people. He didn’t
know what had happened. He’d been a firebrand in his college days. Power to the
People. Now. Now he didn’t know what he was. A turncoat. A traitor.

He pulled his thoughts from the self-flagellation and
pointed at the screen. He’d just played the video from Collinwood. Two hundred
and seventy-four people, men, women, and children were recovered from the town.
A few were driving out just moments before the bombing, the rest were refugees
from the town edges. They’ve all been interrogated, the children sent to the
reeducation centers. They didn’t know anything anyway. The adults have been sent
to the factories or in the case of the women, the uneducated sent to the farms
or the brothels, the educated to the research centers and computer farms. Low
end work, of course.

Heads around the table nodded. This group had decided
that women were to be homemakers or low-end admin workers. The move immediately
cut the workforce in half. Along with that move, girls had been taken out of
school after the sixth grade. They had enough education to read and write but
not enough to be a threat. Barefoot and pregnant, they’d laughed after they’d
voted on the restrictions. Duncan had heard an earful from his own wife when
the bill passed in Congress. A high-end lawyer, she was furious and gave him a
complete recitation on all of the laws this new bill broke. It didn’t matter.
She was kicked out of her firm and as a partner, received her share of the
business but of course it had to go into his account. Hers had been closed. Can’t
have the little ladies with their own money now. Could we?

Joe Evans grinned and slapped the table. “That’ll slow
down the insurgents, now, won’t it?”

The men around the table laughed. “Now, Duncan, What’s
the scoop? Anyone know about the insurrection?”

“A few had been stops on the underground. A place for
escapees to stop for rest and food. None of the people we gathered up were of
any importance.”

“Damn shame. It would have made some good TV to have a
couple of hangings.” Joe looked around the table then back at Duncan. “How are
you doing on the releases of the few we gathered up that weren’t really black
or chink?”

“We’ve run the criteria through the database. We have
about three hundred possible men to release. The first twenty-five have been investigated
and proven to be good candidates.”

“What do you mean by that, good candidates?”

Duncan looked to the right end of the conference
table. Rory Calhoun asked the question. Calhoun was the CEO of Agraland, a
conglomerate of factory farms, genetically modified seed production, and
pesticide manufacturing. He profited a great deal from the free female farm
labor and the forced servitude of men in the chemistry and manufacturing
fields.

“Just as your committee laid out.” Duncan said. “Miniscule
racially impure DNA, no problems in their assignments, good conduct at their factories.”

“Submissive, you mean,” the man next to Calhoun said.
The men all laughed.

Duncan smiled. “Yes. They have all conformed to the
requirements of the factories they were sent to, didn’t cause a fuss, and are
all healthy.”

“Should be.” Calhoun made a face of disgust. “My
racehorses don’t get treated that well.”

Duncan knew that the man from Kentucky objected
strenuously to the agreed upon treatment of the people doing the slave labor.
That’s exactly what it was and in his complaints said so himself. His ancestors
didn’t treat their slaves with state-of-the-art medical care and well-balanced
diets. He didn’t see why he should waste money on it for his own slaves. The
rest of the committee, thank all that was decent, disagreed. “Perhaps so, but
don’t you have the best productivity ever?”

He grunted. “That’s so. But it costs a fortune.”

“But less than before, right, Rory?” Joe Evans asked.

Cowed, Rory Calhoun agreed. Joe brought them back on
track. “So, Duncan. When are they to be released?”

“If you all are good with it, next week. We have a
whole media circus lined up for it.” He looked around the room. “What about
their wives and kids? It was never brought up.”

Rory Calhoun rolled his eyes. “For Christ’s sake,
Duncan. Now you want to release their families?” He shook his head. “Camel’s
nose under the tent if you ask me.”

Joe Evans nodded. “Perhaps. But if we release the man,
it will look bad on the TV if his wife and kids aren’t with him.” He thought
for a moment. “I say, let’s try it with these first twenty-five. Get the wives
and kids out of wherever they were sent and have them arrive just after the men
are released. It will make great TV.”

“It would make the party look benevolent.” Duncan
looked around the table. “Show of hands for releasing in a week with wives and
kids?”

Joe Evans was first with his hand up. The rest
followed. Last of all was Calhoun. “I still think this is a bad idea. You do
for one, we’ll have to do for all.” He raised his hand. “But let’s see.”

“Motion is carried,” Duncan said. “That’s all for
today, gentlemen.”

The men around the table began to stand up, chatting
with their neighbors. “We haven’t gotten you out to the farm for dinner yet,”
Joe said to Duncan. “Emily said Saturday would be perfect. Come out early. She
wants to brag about her garden to Monica. We can shoot some skeet before
dinner. Casual dress for the afternoon. Formal for dinner. I have some people
for you to meet.”

Duncan nodded. “Perfect. I’ll tell Monica. Anything I
should prepare for?”

“No.” Joe laughed. “I’m bringing the Eastern
Federation Defense Secretary, Illy Romanov. Thought some personal connection
would be helpful.”

Duncan inwardly groaned. “Sure. Some of our defense
people too?”

Joe slapped him on the back. “Of course. See you
there.”

Duncan watched him leave the room with Calhoun. Smarmy
bastards, both of them. Really, he thought. Where did I go wrong?

Thank you for reading.

Critters! CokoCon 2020, Payson Book Festival: Monday Blog Post

Not the actual rodent that jumped out of the engine compartment.

Newest News:

Critter in the engine compartment is no joke. Hubby
took the Prius to the garage for an oil change. They came and got him just
after they pulled the car into the bay. They pointed out a two-foot in diameter
nest. Apparently when they opened the hood the rodent critter jumped out and disappeared
into the recesses of the garage. I imagine it scared the tar out of the poor
mechanic. Anyway, the critter has apparently given up making nests in the glove
box and has moved to the car engine. Yay! Another place for us to check daily
to make sure nothing has moved back in. Sorry. No pictures.

I’ve spent the last week processing Payson Book Festival registrations. Nearly all of the tables are now full. It’s only the 12th of January! They go so fast. I’m glad, of course, that the festival has become so popular. I’m just sorry I can’t get more authors in to show off their work. Readers, be sure to mark your calendar for July 18th, Payson, Arizona, at the Mazatazal Hotel and Casino ballroom. You won’t be sorry! www.PaysonBookFestival.org.

Healthy eating!

Just some personal stuff. We all know that January is the month for many of us to try and get healthy. I don’t know about you but the holidays really make me ready for vegetables in January. Anyway, I’ve gone back on my Paleo routine and as of the 12th, I’ve lost 10 pounds. Most of that is water weight, but still, my pants fit better, I feel better and I’m ready to get back to some sort of exercise routine. A friend of mine is opening a gym and I’ve signed up for a free, “getting to know you” class on Friday. I’m so excited to see what she has done in her new business and to wish her well as well as get in some movement in the new year. What are you doing to get or keep healthy this month? Let me know in the comments!

Giveaways:

I missed the Valentine’s Day giveaway. I’m not sure how. However, I am signed up for the St. Patrick’s Day giveaway. I’ll post links as soon as I get them. I’ll post the Christmas winners as soon as I’m notified.

Where will I Be?:

Tempe FanCon. January25th from 10am to 4pm at the Tempe Public Library.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and
the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If
you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun
and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m
working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new
books are coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar,
which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is still available. The beautiful
pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me
every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian
holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the
calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products
page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on http://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

Computer Trouble, Back to Paleo, Giveaway: Monday Blog Post

Newest News:

Hey there. Hope your New Year’s celebration was
wonderful. Mine was quiet. TV at home and in bed by ten thirty. Real party
animals at my house. What the new year brought me right off the bat was a
computer problem. Our one year old desktop computer began issuing an error
message I’ve never seen before: “No Hard Drive Found.” This incites panic in
me, at least. I called the hubby in and we decided to reboot. No problem. Then
it happened again. We talked to computer experts and they said since we have a
solid-state drive, that was a very unusual error message. They could replace it
for us though. Lucky us to have such an unusual problem. And yay! They can
replace it. The estimate was nearly $500. Same price Costco is giving for
desktop computers on sale. We went to Costco. Hubby is configuring the new
computer and putting all of the programs and applications on it that we use.
We’ll transition sometime this week. So if I drop out for awhile, you’ll know
what happened.

Paleo Sandwich Bread

I talked last week about my writing and release plans for 2020. Today I’ll mention that I’ve gone back to my Paleo lifestyle. Last year I drifted off of the plan – comfort eating mostly, after my mom’s passing. But I regained 30 pounds and have felt sluggish and awful so I’m back to cleaner eating. I’m writing this on Sunday, so I’m four days into the new year and already feel better. The scale says I’ve lost 5 pounds already, but I know that’s just bloat. Even so, feeling better is the point here so I’ll keep it up. Will Paleo work for you? I don’t know. Everyone is different. All I can say is it works for me. I get to eat real, tasty food, nothing strange and I feel better. Are you looking for a healthier way to eat? What works for you? Let me know in the comments below.

Giveaways:

The Christmas giveaway is still open! You have time to jump in before it closes. For my giveaway I’m featuring an ebook copy of Slave Elf and a $10 Amazon gift card. There are 21 other great prizes available and a $72 Grand Prize in PayPal cash. I hope you can stop in and try for a prize here.

Where will I Be?:

Tempe FanCon. January25th from 10am to 4pm at the Tempe Public Library. This con, in its 6th year, is full of cosplay, activities, vendors, artists and more. A one-day event you won’t want to miss.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th which is Memorial Day weekend in Phoenix AZ.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ. This is a four-day event running over Labor Day weekend. I’ve not been to this specific event but the organizations hosting it put on the WorldCon a couple of years ago and did a fantastic job. Check out the link above to see what’s in store. I plan on giving away one of my membership tickets to a follower. Stay tuned to this blog and my newsletter for information on how to win my extra ticket!

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and
the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If
you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun
and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m
working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new
books are coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar, which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is still available. The beautiful pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on http://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Want to Donate?

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

It’s a New Year! CokoCon 2020, Christmas Giveaway: Monday Blog Post

Newest News:

Two days till New Year’s Day. You’ll notice I’m
posting late. Still Monday, but I didn’t write and schedule this post early as
I usually do. Part of it, I think, is that December 31st is the one-year
anniversary of my mother’s passing. It’s been a hard year for me, especially since
Thanksgiving. I’ve slowed down in 2019. I released two books, Slave Elf in
January and in May, Gold Dreams. They were already written, and Slave Elf was
already edited. Some of my ennui had to do with the current state of the U.S.
political situation. I spend a lot of time in outrage. Not the best place for
creativity. I just spent the year procrastinating, even though I did get words
written. Nothing was close to ready for editing even if I could have summoned
the ambition and energy to do so.

I’ve promised myself, though, that 2020 will be
different. Not only is it a new year, but a new decade. It’s amazing to me that
I’ve been writing since 2011. It doesn’t seem like I’ve been writing for 9
years, though I have the body of published work to prove I’ve been around
awhile. So, what’s in store? I have five Young Adult (YA) contemporary novelettes
that are written and after a month off, ready for me to begin editing. I call
this my All About Bob series. All of my main characters are named a form of
Bob, girls and boys. All of them are high school seniors. All of them have a
significant problem to overcome. The plan is to get them edited and released in
quick succession on Amazon KU. I’ve never put books in KU before, so this is a
big experiment for me. If possible, I’ll release them in paperback as well, but
only on Amazon. I hope you like them.

My other project is Mystery at the Reunion. I wrote the first draft of this fourth book in the Jean Hays series two years ago, but it just wasn’t right. I now have a new direction and I plan on doing a major rewrite and release it in the fall. My main character, Jean, has been nagging at me and I just need to buckle down and get the book done and out of the door. Those of you who have been waiting patiently, thank you. My 2020 is pretty well planned out and I need to let my grief and anger drift away and get back to work. If you want more info on what I plan for the new year and what the past has given me, check out my newsletter with the link below.

Last week I mentioned I’ve already signed up for a January event. the Tempe FanCon in January at the library. This con, in its 6th year, is full of cosplay, activities, vendors, artists and more. It’s January 25th from 10am – 4pm. A one-day event you won’t want to miss.

I’ve also just bought two memberships to the CoKoCon in September. This is a four-day event running from September 4th – 7th over Labor Day weekend. I’ve not been to this specific event but the organizations hosting it put on the WorldCon a couple of years ago and did a fantastic job. Check out the link above to see what’s in store. I plan on giving away one of my membership tickets to a follower. Stay tuned to this blog and my newsletter for information on how to win my extra ticket!

I’ll also be attending the Phoenix Fan Fusion over Memorial Day weekend in May and the Payson Book Festival in July. There might be others, I just don’t know which ones yet.

So that’s 2019 wrapped up and 2020 planned out. Of
course no one knows what life will bring to us but I am looking forward to this
new year and new decade. I hope you have the best ever new year.

Giveaways:

The Christmas giveaway is still open! You have time to jump
in before it closes. For my giveaway I’m featuring an ebook copy of Slave Elf
and a $10 Amazon gift card. There are 21 other great prizes available and a $72
Grand Prize in PayPal cash. I hope you can stop in and try for a prize here.

Where will I Be?:

Tempe FanCon. January25th from 10am to 4pm at the Tempe Public Library.

Phoenix
Fan Fusion, May 21st –
24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th
at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th,
DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100
S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and
the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If
you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun
and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m
working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new
books are coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar, which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is still available. The beautiful pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on http://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

Christmas on Wednesday! Tempe FanCon, Christmas Giveaway, 2020 Calendar: Monday Blog Post

Newest News:

Two days till Christmas. Hubby and I have a social
engagement this evening—a game night with local friends. Lots of fun snacks,
some drinks, and a game that doesn’t require a lot of brain power. LOL! Hope
you holidays are fun and safe.

I’ve already signed up for a January event. Last week I
said it was in February. Just checked my calendar and my acceptance email, it’s
the Tempe FanCon in January at the library. More details to come but if you
live in the Valley, come on over and check it out!

As an author, one of the things I need to do at the
end of the year is try and put a calendar together of what events I’ll be
attending. I know for sure of the Phoenix Fan Fusion over Memorial Day weekend
in May and the Payson Book Festival in July. There will be others, I just don’t
know which ones yet.

Did I mention earlier that I received a Bronze Award from Author Shout for the first book in my Brown Rain series, First Encounter? Well I did. There will be a write up, some electronic stickers and some other things the win will bring me starting in January. I’m pretty happy about this as it’s the 2nd book in the series that I’ve submitted for a contest and it’s won too. The other was a Silver Award from Military Writers Society of America for Tested. I’m pleased. Hope you are enjoying that series. I’m mulling around a fifth book in that series. It may get written this year (2020), but it won’t be out till 2021 or more, depending on when I get it written.

Giveaways:

The Christmas giveaway is now open! For my giveaway I’m featuring an ebook copy of Slave Elf and a $10 Amazon gift card. There are 21 other great prizes available and a $72 Grand Prize in PayPal cash. I hope you can stop in and try for a prize here.

Where will I Be?:

Tempe
FanCon. Few details as yet but I do know it’s January25th from 10am to 4pm at
the Tempe Public Library.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and
the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If
you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun
and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m
working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new
books are coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar, which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is now available. I love doing these calendars. The beautiful pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on http://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.

Christmas is Coming! Mesa Book Festival : Monday Blog Post

No snow for us right now. This is from a couple of weeks ago.

Newest News:

Nine days till Christmas. Presents are under the tree
or mailed to the appropriate people. I’ve decided on the Christmas Day meal and
my brother-in-law has said he’d like to come for that so Yay! I hope all of you
have preparations well in hand. Anything funny happen so far that you’d like to
share?

Mesa book festival was Saturday. I sold one of my 2020 calendars and a writing prompt book I had put together with four other authors. Not a great sales day but the weather was perfect and I was able to spend time chatting with the other authors.

My next event is in February and when I have further
details, I’ll post them.

Giveaways:

The Christmas giveaway is now open! For my giveaway I’m featuring an ebook copy of Slave Elf and a $10 Amazon gift card. There are 21 other great prizes available and a $72 Grand Prize in PayPal cash. I hope you can stop in and try for a prize here.

Where will I Be?:

February
Tempe Con. Few details as yet but I’ll let you know.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click
here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and
the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If
you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun
and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working
on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books
are coming.

Don’t
forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the
newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar, which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is now available. I love doing these calendars. The beautiful pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on http://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank
you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes
time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the
recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support
this blog.