Monday, January 31, 2011

The Crystal and Night Writers


The paperback version of The Crystal is on sale at Ellora's Cave for $3.

~*~

I'm pleased to announce the opening of Night Writers, a magazine style blog, on February 14th.
I'll be writing on all things cats; rescue, shelters, adoptions, etc
Sherry Gloag will be writing on meditation
Julia Barrett on recipes and the great outdoors
Rhobin Courtright on gardens and fantasy
Sherry Morris on hearth and home
Jewel Adams on romance writing tips
and
Kerri Nelson on parenting

Blogging with Charlene


Today I'm blogging with Charlene Wilson. If you have an opportunity, stop by and say 'hey'.

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Blogging with Voices


Today I'm Blogging at Voices of the Heart. If you have an opportunity drop by.

And don't forget the great blogs at:
Amarinda Jones'
Julia Barrett's
Anny Cook's
Cindy Spencer Pape's
and Mona Risk's
addies at bottom right

The contest is winding down, if you haven't entered yet and would like to, its at www.downtownya.blogspot.com

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Blogging with Rhobin



Today I'm at Rhobin's Rambles. I love the background color of her blog. If you have an opportunity stop in and say hey.


Don't forget the contest. There's still a few days left to enter.Just leave a comment and mention Moon Watcher at www.downtownya.blogspot.com. The winner will receive:
an autographed copy of Moon Watchers, a protective necklace and a Starbucks gift certificate.




For anyone who's been following the adventures of Dennis the Menace he went to a new home yesterday. Our other cats were quite happy. The hh said if they'd been in a cartoon they'd be dancing on their hind legs singing 'Ding Dong the A--hole's gone':) Needless to say, Dennis is a great cat, but he did tend to terrorize the group.

Other blogs to check out:
Amarinda Jones
Julia Barrett
Anny Cook
Cindy Spencer Pape
Mona Risk
Sherry Morris

Friday, January 28, 2011

Blogging with Anny


I'm bloggingwith Ms. Anny today. If you have an opportunity stop by and say hey.

And don't forget Amarinda Jones and Julia Barrett

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Versatile Blogger Award


I just received the versatile blogger award from pal Cindy Spencer Pape. Thanks, Cindy!
With the award comes certain expectations. I am to:
1. Share seven things about myself.
2. Pass this award on to ten other bloggers.
3.Notify the recipients
4. Link with the blogger who was kind enough to give me the award.

So here's seven thing about myself:
1. Unlike Cindy Spencer Pape and Julia Barrett, I like mayo.
2. Like Cindy Spencer Pape, I love popcorn.
3. I've never been able to decide on a favorite color.
4. I like thin crust pizza topped with green peppers, onions and pineapple.
5. My favorite chocolate is Fannie Mae
6. Someday when we aren't so inundated with pets, I'd like to get a greyhound from greyhound rescue
7. I've acquired a taste for black olives and white cheddar.

Here's my versatile blogger nominees:
Anny Cook, and Julia Barrett if you hadn't been nominated, you'd be on my list.
Amarinda Jones, if it weren't for the fact that you'd totally loathe it, you'd be on my list:)
1. Sherry (Pie) Morris
2. Hywela Lyn
3. Mona Risk
4 Tami Winbush
5 Rhobin Courtright
6 Sherry Gloag
7 Carrie Hinkel at Moonlight, Mayhem and Lace
8 Jewel Adams
9 Kerri Nelson at The Book Boost
10. Charlene Wilson

Misc Ramblings


I'll be at Misc. Ramblings today. Tammi always has info on contests and giveaway. Did I mention she's another cat woman....


~*~
Don't forget the fun blogs at Amarinda Jones' and Julia Barrett's.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Blogging at the Fuzzies




Blogging today at Pink Fuzzy Slippers. If you have an opportunity stop by.

Don't forget if you haven't entered the contest to win an autographed copy of Moon Watchers, a protective necklace and a Starbucks gift card, just leave a comment at downtownya.blogspot.com and mention Moon Watchers.
~*~
There's always something fun going on at Amarinda Jones and Julia Barrett's.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Blogging at the Book Boost


Blogging at the Book Boost. If you have an opportunity, drop in.

~*~
There's a lot of great blogs out there including: Amarinda Jones and Julia Barrett.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Mission: Rescue Dennis


Friday night started like it normally does. After I got home from work, I fed the cats then we went out to eat.
Dennis wasn't at his feeding station which was unusual. I thought I heard him crying then decided it was one of the other cats.

When we got back home, he still wasn't there. I went out around 10 p.m. and called for him. I could here him crying but didn't see him. So I went inside and got the hh and flashlights and we began our search. We looked for him for an hour. Finally, I located him way, way up in a tree.

The next morning he was still there. Our vet tech told us not to worry about us he'd come down. That was Saturday.

By Sunday we were getting concerned. He was way way up. Note the three prongs at the top of the tree. Yup that's where he was.

The hh went to Lowes and bought hardware and 2 x 4s with the idea of making a ramp for him to come down on. We worked on it a couple of hours but he was just too far up for our makeshift cat ladder. So Dennis spent another night in the tree.

By Monday (today) we were all freaked out.

I called the fire department. Nope, they don't do cats in trees.

So I called the animal shelter. Nope, liability issues, but they did put me in touch with a gentleman whose business was critter control. He kindly agreed to come out and get the kitty down.

When he got to the house, he put a long extension ladder up against the tree and began to climb. I very helpfully stood at the bottom of the ladder ringing my hands and begging him not to fall.

Dennis took it all in stride. Like a true gentleman, he didn't scratch or bite, even though he wasn't quite sure what to make of the stranger looking him in the eye in the tree top. The man scruffed Dennis and comes down the ladder from the top of the tree, one hand on the rung, one hand on Dennis' ruff, Dennis dangling in midair.

About ten feet from the ground, our critter control man starts yelling 'my hand's going numb',with Dennis swinging back and forth in the air, but he made it far enough down for me to grab Dennis.

Mr. Dennis was quite happy to see 'terra firma' after 4 days and 3 nights in a tree. And the hubby and I were pretty happy too.

A big thank you to our 'critter control' man. His job is not for the faint hearted. Thank you, J.

~*~

Check out what's going on at Amarinda Jone's blog and Julia Barrett's blog. Addies on right.

Blogging with Mona


Today I'll be blogging with the lovely and talented Mona Risk. If you have an opportunity, please drop by.





Other fun blogs: Amarinda Jones, Julia Barrett and Anny Cook

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Blogging with Julia


I'm blogging today with the lovely and talented Julia Barrett.
She always has an interesting blog. If you have an opportunity, stop by and say hey.



There's always something interesting going on at Amarinda Jones or Anny Cook's blog.
Links on right.

Friday, January 21, 2011

Roast and Toast


Today's my roast and toast day. If you have an opportunity, drop by.

There's always something of interest at: Amarinda Jones and Julia Barrett's. Link on right near bottom of page.

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Blogging at Sherry Gloag's


I'm blogging at Sherry Gloag's 18th, 19th and 20th. I'll be holding an ongoing interview with book characters.

~~

CONTEST:

To celebrate the release of Moon Watchers, I’ll be running a contest from Jan 15 and Feb 2. The winner will be announced Feb 5. To enter just leave a comment at www.downtownya.blogspot.com and mention Moon Watchers.

What do you win?

An autographed copy of Moon Watchers

A Starbucks gift certificate

And a fun necklace that has a protective cross to safeguard against creatures of the night, a blood drop stone to remind shape-shifters you are protected and a star since our winner will be the star of the contest

~*~

Happy 60th Anniversary, Robert and Norma.

~*~

Happy Birthday, Ralph Soney

Monday, January 17, 2011

Blogging with Cindy Spencer Pape


I'm blogging today with Cindy Spencer Pape. Cindy writes suspense, paranormal and mild erotica. If you have an opportunity, please drop by.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

Blogging at Hywela Lyn's


Today I'm blogging at Hywela Lyn's blog. If you have an opportunity, please stop by. She always has lots of fun graphics.

Other great blog spots: Amarinda Jones, Julia Barrett, Molly Daniels, Anny Cook. Addies on the right at bottom of page.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Moon Watchers Released Today

Moon Watchers, the second in the Hunter Series, is released today. To celebrate the release, I’ll be running a contest from Jan 15 and Feb 2. The winner will be announced Feb 5. To enter just leave a comment at www.downtownya.blogspot.com and mention Moon Watchers.

What do you win:

An autographed copy of Moon Watchers

A Starbucks gift certificate

And a fun necklace that has a protective cross to protect against creatures of the night, a blood drop stone to remind shape-shifters you are protected and a star since our winner will be a star in her own right

Blurb:
Some people think being a Were hunter is weird. For me it’s perfectly normal. What I see as odd is my attraction to the hunkalicious Braden Knight. Why? I think he’s a vampire.

Excerpt:

As the full moon rose above leafless black trees, an eerie howl shattered the night. I rubbed the goose bumps on my arms and felt the hair on my neck rise. Moonlight fell in shadowy patches across the living room floor of the cottage I’d inherited on my eighteenth birthday, last week to be exact.

Dad’s in Europe, tracking down a tip he got on a Weres pack. That’s how I’ve come to be alone deep in the forests of Minnesota where there is considerable werewolf activity.

I’ve hunted Weres since I was thirteen, but this is the first time I’ve been completely on my own.

A branched tapped against the window. I jumped then shook my head at my nerves. “Geez.” When my heart settled down, I leaned forward and peered out the window. My hand tightened on the long silver knife at my waist. Nothing moved outside. “Get a grip, Jo.”

I took a deep breath and started toward the kitchen. The tapping came again, this time louder. I whirled. It wasn’t the window, it was the door. Someone or something was on the other side.

My legs stiff, my knees locked, I took one slow step after another. My hand wrapped around the knife and tightened till my knuckles turned white. Who could be out at--I glanced at my watch-- ten at night in an isolated corner of the north. I crept through the living room into the tiny foyer.

I took a deep breath and cleared my mind, the way dad taught me. Nerves left me. The cold logic of the warrior set in. Making sure the chain was in place, I cracked the door, ready to slice anything too close to the opening.

“Hello, Jolene.”

My hand fell to my side. I gaped in astonishment. I removed the latch and stood in the doorway, one hand on the frame, stunned.

“Braden! What are you doing here?” I’d met Braden Knight briefly when I visited my distant cousin Zoe Tempest, vampire hunter extraordinaire. Perhaps you’ve heard of her. If not, I guarantee you will. She’s come to hunting the undead rather late in life--seventeen--but she’s taken to it like a pro, swift, vigilant and tough.

But I’m stalling. I’d felt an attraction for Braden Knight from the first moment I saw his bronzed pecs and thick chestnut hair.

“Zoe told me your dad was in Europe and left you alone in the middle of Nowhere Minnesota. May I come in?”

Damn good question. Zoe had confided her fears to me that the handsome man standing in front of me was of the undead variety. But whether of the pranic--that lives on other people’s energy and aren’t truly undead--or the blood--that survives on warm, red heart fluid--she wasn’t sure.

Zoe’s not even sure he’s a vampire. All she knows is that he has extraordinary powers for a nineteen year old human.

Suddenly, the decision was made for me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a huge black wolf rush forward, its lips drawn back in a snarl, its fangs gleaming, its eyes blood red.

Without thought, I jerked Braden inside and slammed the door. And just in time. The wolf lunged throwing its weight against the door as I locked it and drew the chain. For good measure, I slid an old-fashioned wooden bolt home.

Moon Watchers can be purchased in paper or e @ www.classactbooks.com

~*~

Don't forget the great blogs at: Amarinda Jones', Julia Barrett's, Molly Daniels', Anny Cook's and Mona Risk's. Addies on the right

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Winter


The memory of autumn's rage
Lies crumpled and spent
Under the echo of the honking of the last goose.

A young woman, walking alone in a winter garden,
Feels an icy grip seize her back.
She convinces herself it is only the breath of a dying white iris.

An elderly couple, carefully measuring each step,
Pause in their constitutional long enough
To reassure each other of their own reflections.

The cardinals are perched in the evergreen.
A sharp-shinned hawk waits on a barren limb.
Only the wind dances.

One man sat by the river's edge marking time in the creeping ice.
Another man, walking on the muddy bank, foresaw his own ruination.
"What are these to me?" scoffed the snowman.

One must have a mind of winter to find comfort in
The cracked limbs and crusted hills
And the blue stars swirling overhead.
Mike Cox

Don't forget the blogs at: Amarinda Jones', Julia Barrett's, Molly Daniel's, and Anny Cook's. Links on the bottom right.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Moon Watchers


Moon Watchers will be released Saturday, the 15th at www.classactbooks.com in paper and e. Moon Watchers centers around Jolene Sayer, Zoe Tempest's cousin and is the 2nd in the Hunter Series.

Intro.

Being a Werewolf hunter leaves little time for estrogen or emotion.

Why do I say this? Because I’m currently in a very odd situation, odder than normal.

My name is Jolene Sayer. I’ve hunted Were’s with my father since I was thirteen. He’s a good dad, just a bit distracted. His first and foremost responsibility, as he see’s it, is hunting Were’s. Same goes for me.

Some people think being a Were hunter is weird. For me it’s perfectly normal. What I see as odd is my attraction to the hunkalicious Braden Knight. Why? I think he’s a vampire.


There's always something entertaining going on at: Amarinda Jones', Julia Barrett's and Anny Cook's blog. Addie's on right.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Regrets, I've Had a Few

I had a few regrets when I left the Midwest. No, the weather wasn't one of them. heh heh.
I, of course, regretted leaving family and friends. But what was the hardest shock to absorb was reaching the South and finding there were no Fannie May Candy Stores. No one had even heard of it. Woe was me. Woe was me.
Now if you're from the Midwest, especially Illinois, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Fannie Mae candies has the best chocolate--to my mind--in this world or any other. Its smooth without being heavy, rich without overpowering, and compared to other fine chocolates, reasonably priced.
Easter in the Midwest found people lined up at the Fannie Mae stores to get their specialty Easter Eggs, items that could only be bought once a year: pink fruit and nut eggs and chocolate fudge eggs rolled in caramel and pecans. I kid you not, their chocolate can make you weak in the knees.
After serious withdrawals in the South when I no longer found Fannie Mae in my stocking and Easter Basket, I finally convinced the Easter Bunny how serious this situation was and he went on line to order it, only to discover they'd cut back their line and no longer carried their specialty items. Woe was me. Woe was me.
So there I was still stuck with no Fannie Mae. A few more years went by and the company saw the error of their ways and brought back their specialty Easter Eggs. Life was once again good. Santa and the Easter Bunny delivered via UPS.
So I've been in the South for ten years with no one having a clue what I'm talking about. I look at them pityingly. They have no idea what they're messing.
Then like a miracle, I walk into Walgreens about a month before Christmas and of course hit the chocolate aisle. And there they were: Fannie Mae Pixies and Meltaways individually packaged at a $1.49 per candy. I scoop up a handful and raced to the counter where the clerk informs me that a woman was in just a bit ago and bought a whole boxful. I laugh and say, "She had to have been from Illinois."

~*~
There's always something entertaining going on at Amarinda Jones', Julia Barrett's or Anny Cook's blog. Addies on the right.

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Cosmic Anecdote


The whole universe is singing!
The rhythm of its movements
Multiplies measure upon measure,
Exploding the silence of the deep,
Then tumbles back
Into a syncopate refrain,
Only to break free again
In a kaleidoscopic twist.

Parts of a part
Burst forth in the heat of the day,
Cool in the sea breezes
And fall back to earth
Under an evening star,
Only to rise again,
Under a different sky,

Did you think
You were not
A part
Of the pattern?
Mike Cox

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Strange Happenings

Have you seen the stories about the dead birds and fish?
Five thousand red-winged black birds died in Arkansas, recently. The cause of death: internal trauma and bleeding.
Eighty-three thousand fish died in Arkansas, recently.
They say the two are not related.....Hmmm.
Another five hundred black birds and starlings in Louisiana died.
Reasons suggested for the mass deaths:
Storms
Fireworks
Aerial Spraying
And the coming of 2012

I found the red-winged black bird story especially sad. I grew up in the mid-west where red-wings were a common sight. Seeing them always made me smile with pleasure.
Lets hope there are no more mass deaths of our wildlife.

There's always something interesting going on at Amarinda Jones', Anny Cook's and Julia Barrett's blog.

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Julia Barrett


With us today is my good friend and extraordinarily talented author, Julia Barrett. Welcome, Julia please tell us about your current release, Come Back to Me.

Come Back To Me…a descent into darkness.

This was not an easy book to write. Come Back To Me didn’t begin as a work for publication; it began as an exercise or rather, an exorcism. I had a few demons buried inside and they needed to see the light of day. I was fascinated by how easily the words flowed from my brain to my fingers to my computer screen. I expected the process to be much more difficult; I assumed I’d have to pry the words out, as the work is more or less autobiographical, but I didn’t.

Once I completed this unusual, emotional memoir, I decided to re-write and edit, make it a bit more commercial. After two re-writes, I sent if off, only to be rejected, twice, by publishers who told me that while they loved the story, readers will not buy a dark tale in dark times. Evernight Publishing picked the book up without hesitation. While Come Back To Me has a happy ending, which is real and true to life, the main theme of the book is personal growth, not a heroic rescue. Where does a woman, abused from childhood, find the strength to stand on her own two feet? How far will she allow herself to be pushed until she fights back for the sake of herself and her unborn child?

You can find Come Back To Me here: http://www.evernightpublishing.com/products/Come-Back-to-Me-by-Julia-Rachel-Barrett.html

Blurb:

Sometimes the safest path is to keep people at a distance…especially men.

Cara’s life has been one nightmare after another. Abused as a child and neglected by her parents, she’s quick to blame herself for every cruel thing that happens to her. And then there’s James, the only man capable of making her forget her misgivings and learn to love again.

James, a young doctor in training, is aware of Cara’s history. He’s determined to break through her barriers and build a life with her…and fails. Cara runs away in an attempt to reinvent herself and James fears he’s lost her for good. When she falls into the hands of a drug dealer and mob boss, life as they know it is about to get a whole lot worse.

Can their love withstand the demons of her past and present?

Read more on my website: http://juliarachelbarrett.net

~*~

And don't forget to visit Amarinda Jones and Molly Daniels.


Saturday, January 1, 2011

Happy New Year




Wishing You Joy in the New Year.

Blogs to visit: Amarinda Jones and Julia Barrett.