Wednesday, November 6, 2019

IWSG Wednesday


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

Thanks, as always, to Alex Cavanaugh, founder and Ninja Captain extraordinaire and our awesome co-hosts.

The IWSG monthly question can be found under the IWSG Sign-up tab on the Insecure Writer's Support Group Blog.

This month’s question—What's the strangest thing you’ve ever googled in researching a story. 


Nothing sexy comes to mind for this month’s answer. What crops up the most for me is firearms of the era, which my brother researches for me. Recently, I was looking for a short rifle barrel and D loop lever for my female bounty hunter. He got so excited about the D loop, he ordered one for his rifle.😊  And yes, even though I write shoot ‘em ups, I'm a gun control commonsense advocate. As previously mentioned, I'm the only one among the sibs that doesn't own firearms.

AND…

I’ve read several great books this month in a variety of genres. 
In no particular order:


C. Lee McKenzie’s NotGuilty. A young man whose star is on the rise is falsely accused of a crime.  If you’re a McKenzie fan you won’t be disappointed. 











D. L. Finn’s Elizabeth’sWar.   A young girl must take on the responsibilities of an adult when the men in her family go to war.  This is set in the World War 1 era and will appeal to history buffs, young adults and young at heart.










J.Q. Rose’s Girls Succeed: Stories behind the Careers of Women.  A great motivational read for girls and women alike. The women in these stories don’t just hold typical nine to five jobs. To name a few, the stories include a horse trainer, a horticulturalist and a personal chef. 









Alexander Pain’s ZombieComplex. I don’t like zombies but thoroughly enjoyed this story about a regular guy, with Republican leanings that gets caught up in the zombie wars. Recommended for folks that like all things zombie.


AND last but not least


Elizabeth Seckman’s Second Chances ARC.  In this tension-filled romance, Elizabeth proves she’s still unparalleled in creating characters we either love or love to hate. Keep an eye out for it.






43 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

Not Guilty was great wasn't it?
And thank you for the heads up on the other books too.

Valerie-Jael said...

Sounds like you've been reading some exciting stuff. Good for you for being for gun control! Nice of your brother to help you, too. Hugs, Valerie

Pat Hatt said...

Gun common sense sure isn't bad indeed.

nashvillecats2 said...

Excellent books you have read of late Sandra.

Yvonne.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

I had my father's old pistol for a while (finally sold it) but I never shot it. I did learn to shoot a BB gun when I was a kid. Aiming is not my thing though.

Heather R. Holden said...

I don't own firearms, either, but sometimes have to research them for artwork I draw. That's great how your brother helps you when you need some info!

Jamie Ghione said...

Love that last one. It's so true!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

I know nothing about guns and wouldn't have had a clue about the D loop.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

First, I DO NOT GOOGLE anything. Google is a product that has been turned into process. I do INTERNET SEARCHES and never use google because they track our very movements. Then they target their ads based on your searches.

Second, I want to read Elizabeth's War. Not so much for the name, but for the historical aspect.

Chrys Fey said...

I'd done research on antique firearms for one WIP a long time ago. I had enjoyed it. And that's coming from someone who also doesn't own a gun.

Jacqui Murray--Writer-Teacher said...

Good answer but wait a minute--A female bounty hunter? I can't wait. There aren't many. There's one in Thomas' Jess Williams series (Cat) and she's wonderful. But not many more. This book will be great.

D.L. Finn said...

Thanks, Sandra, for including Elizabeth's War here:) All great reviews and I can see I need to add to my TBR list! Hugs:)

Elizabeth Seckman said...

I get my gun info from my husband and kids. They're the sporting types. I'm for common sense in all areas of life, but I will admit, I got a gun for Christmas after a rash of break-ins in my area. One was a lady who'd been recently divorced and living alone and people found out from Facebook that she was alone and took advantage. A few shots fired above their heads and they were off and running. West Virginia is not the place you want to be a burglar.

cleemckenzie said...

I love it when I get suggestions for reading. I'm always on the hunt for my next one. And thank you for including Not Guilty in the mix. That is quite an honor.

I agree with gun commonsense. We have a lot of laws on the books about guns; now we need to enforce them.

Christine said...

Thanks for these interesting book reviews!

Truedessa said...

Not Guilty looks interesting, I have seen a lot of blogs promoting it.

Truedessa said...

ps - Wishing you peace in your week.

emaginette said...

Looks like a great reading list. Thanks for the heads-up. :-)

Anna from elements of emaginette

Birgit said...

You would need to research guns because of your novels. I know I have looked at weird stuff but my brain is not functioning yet. Kudos to all the people who wrote their books.

Jeanie said...

I don't know about strange, but most interesting was the confectionery business of the late 1800s!

Sandra Cox said...

Indeed, it was, EC:)
Most welcome. I enjoyed them immensely.

Sandra Cox said...

No two stories alike in the group and they were all excellent.
Hopefully, someday we'll get our gun issues under control in this country.
I'd be lost without my bro.
Hugs received and returned.

Sandra Cox said...

Agreed, Pat.

Sandra Cox said...

They sure are, Yvonne;)

Sandra Cox said...

I did too, Di. I shot my toe:)

Sandra Cox said...

It's amazing what we end up having to research isn't it, Heather?
Agreed. He's a huge help to me.

Sandra Cox said...

Did you ever watch reruns of the Rifleman when you were a young'un? The D Loop is what allowed him to spin the rifle.

Sandra Cox said...

Indeed, Jamie:)

Sandra Cox said...

The number of companies tracking us are quite unnerving.
I think you'd really enjoy Elizabeth's War.(Excellent name:) I learned a lot from reading it.

J.Q. Rose said...

Thanks for including Girls Succeed! in your list of books read. It was so much fun to interview those 15 amazing role models for girls. I KNOW you do a lot of research for your books after having read your Westerns. Loved them and so many touches that enrich the stories. Divided skirts for riding and the many herbs to stop bleeding! wow Yee Haw!!!

Sandra Cox said...

Heh. You sound like me, Chrys.

Sandra Cox said...

They are definitely amazing authors, as are you, Anna.

Sandra Cox said...

Heh.We'll see. The muse keeps hiding in the underbrush on me:)

Sandra Cox said...

I second the kudos. They're great books.
My brain must be taking a page from yours. It doesn't seem to be functioning either:) Heh.

Sandra Cox said...

Completely, my pleasure, Denise. I thoroughly enjoyed Elizabeth's War and learned a lot. Thanks for stopping by.

Sandra Cox said...

Sounds like WV burglars beware:)
I don't use or trust FB. Though, I know the rest of the world is on it. Heh:)

Sandra Cox said...

You are most welcome, C Lee. It was my honor to get to read it:)

Sandra Cox said...

I bet that was interesting!

Sandra Cox said...

I think the stories in Girls Succeed are just awesome, J.Q.
So glad to hear you like the Westerns. Yee Haw indeed;)

Sandra Cox said...

It is very good.
Thanks, True. I could use it.

Sandra Cox said...

My pleasure, Christine. I enjoyed each one.

Ronel Janse van Vuuren said...

Great books! Added some to my TBR :-)

Magic Love Crow said...

Good for you and how you feel about guns!
Thanks for the shout out with the new books!
Big Hugs!