Sandra's Place

Friday, July 4, 2025

Weekend Wishes

Enjoy the weekend, Blogger Buds, and if you are in the United Happy 4th of July.

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

IWSG Wednesday and Did You Know Thursday

The first Wednesday of every month is officially IWSG day. IWSG was formed by Ninja Captain Alex Cavanaugh. Members post about their doubts and fears, discuss struggles and triumphs, and offer words of encouragement to others who are struggling.

Twitter handle: @TheIWSG

Hashtag: #IWSG

Let’s rock the neurotic writing world!

Our Twitter handle is @TheIWSG and hashtag is #IWSG.

The awesome co-hosts for the July 2 posting of the IWSG are Rebecca Douglass, Natalie Aguirre, Cathrina Constantine, and Louise Barbour!

Every month, we announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.

Remember, the question is optional!

July 2 question - Is there a genre you haven't tried writing in yet that you really want to try? If so, do you plan on trying it?

Nope.

When I first started writing, I was all over the board. I wrote whatever genre tickled my fancy. Fiction (of various genres). Non-fiction, you name it. A writer friend suggested I find a genre and stick with it. I didn’t pay any attention to that sage advice until I started writing Westerns and realized I’d found my niche. I do occasionally meander in to time travel and shapeshifting😉 but whatever I write must have a Western theme. Don’t misunderstand me. My sales aren’t anywhere near where I’d like them to be, but more solid than any other genre I’ve ever written in. What about you, have you found your niche or is there something new your muse is urgently whispering you try?

June/July Reviews in no particular order.

* Disclaimer. If I run into an occasional typo, I ignore them and don't factor them into my review.

GRATITUDE AND NO FAIRY TALE by D. L. Finn

This is such a wonderful collection of poetry. It both concentrates on nature and shares a part of the author’s inner self, the poems written with a delicate, expressive style.

I loved all her works but my absolute favorite was The Door.

The opening lines:

“You thought you had found it;

Your forever home,

As they carried you through the door.

You ate, you slept, you loved them,

And there’s much, much more in this vein.

I’m a Finn Fan and highly recommend this addition to her collection of poetry.

Available at Amazon

AUNT SOPHIE’S DIAMONDS by Joan Smith

This is a reread for me and to my way of thinking one of Ms. Smith's best. I love a good regency when I'm after escapism reading. To my way of thinking Joan Smith and Marian Devon were the best authors of this genre. Their style: witty and entertaining, with just the right amount of romance sprinkled in.

Highly recommended. Available at Amazon

WILES OF A STRANGER by Joan Smith

Another great Joan Smith read filled with her classic wit and humor, with just the right amount of romance thrown in. Highly recommended. Available at Amazon

NIGHTSHADE by Michael Connelly

Another winner.

Some of Connelly’s books, I really enjoy. Others I’m lukewarm on. NIGHTSHADE turned out to be a ‘really enjoy’. The author has introduced a new character, Detective Stilwell who has been transferred to Catalina Island because of inner office politics. The rural setting suits Stilwell to a T. Then the country quiet erupts, as murder raises its ugly head. Now its up to Stilwell to bring justice to the deceased.

Connelly has created a character who is a bit more subtle and less in-your-face than Bosch. Though thankfully, he retains Bosch’s refusal to quit until the crime has been solved, regardless of the consequences, attitude. Highly recommended.

Available at Amazon

PIONEER SUN by MK Alexander

Insightful.

Calvin Hobbes, from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, visits retired engineer Henry Humes. What he learns there upends his life and sends him questing for answers about a magnetic field in interplanetary space. And modern algorithms may help him find them.

While Calvin’s team is searching for what’s out there, what’s out there is keeping an eye on earth, where political unrest has only gotten stronger and is spreading throughout the world. Now earth must figure out if there are aliens among us and do they mean us harm….and vice versa.

MK Alexander is a master at world building and character development. I found PIONEER SUN to be a very insightful read—especially considering the times we live in—with some unexpected twists. Highly recommended for MK Alexander fans. If you enjoyed his other works, I suggest you add this to your TBR list.

Available at Amazon

AND

Did you know, Washington Irving (author of Rip Van Winkle) first used the term "Gotham City" to describe New York?

150 Interesting Facts About Our Favorite Authors [Infographic]

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

Ketch-up Day

Elbows Up It's Canada Day

Per usual, not too much newsworthy here. We lost a colleague, which was distressing. They had her visitation and celebration of life at the community college, which I thought that was a lovely idea.

The weather has dropped from flirting with 100 to the 80s, so that goes on the plus side of the ledger. How's Mother Nature treating your area and have you done anything fun and exciting?

We got some sun bunnies here:)