Friday, March 14, 2025

A New Venture


 Good bud and fellow author D.L. Finn is branching out.  She's opening an online shop with all sorts of goodies.  Want to browse a bit? Here's a few of her offerings.




 




 



 

 

 
AT:
AND....
The lovely and talented Sally Cronin is hosting Reuben and me at the Smorgasbord.  If you've never visited Sally, it's worth a look see, she's got something for everyone. Sally not only writes fiction and nonfiction, she has also helped many on their weight loss journey. Sally is very supportive of fellow authors.
Available at Amazon
 

Wednesday, March 12, 2025

Writerly Wednesday AND Did You Know

 What's your synonym, meaning or sentence for:


 Example: Nonsense

AND

 Did you know, "Every Tuesday you can find many items on sale for a penny at Dollar General?" AND "You have to find them on your own."

This week's Did You Know brought to us by Ro.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025

Ketch-up Day

 

How are you?

Not much going on here.  I'm doing my last comb through of Reuben before he comes out the end of this month:) 

Here's a few spring garden pictures. Hope you are having good weather and are in good health.

Sandra 


 



Friday, March 7, 2025

Your Weekend Read: IMMORTALS BEHAVING BADLY Free March 7 and 8

 


Immortals + Boredom = Catastrophe

Something old and dangerous is awake and influencing the immortals to act in ways they’d only imagined.

First, small things like Odin, Anubis and Mab going on separate vacations and leaving their seats of power open for the taking. Then, Yue Lao, Cupid, Bast, Apollo and a Kitsune messing with the lives and memories of mortals. It grows to pandemonium when Pan and Poseidon upend the world, creating the Warp – and a free-for-all where it comes to the immortals’ wildest fantasies. Especially the twisted fantasies of Baba Yaga and her Nightmares, Morrígan and her love of War, and Isis who has no qualms unleashing hell on Earth to get Osiris back, plunging mortals even deeper into danger.

Thankfully, some immortals are older and wiser than others, catching on that everything isn’t as it seems… But damage control, trying to avoid the Apocalypse of all realms, and discovering who the ancient evil is, takes more magic, wit, and sacrifice than they could’ve dreamt possible. Can the unlikely grouping of Hel, Aphrodite, Set, Thor, Loki, Apollo, Freyja, Ra and Ammit save the realms?

Scroll up to buy now and enjoy the hilarity, disaster and more that ensues when bored immortals let loose.

Universal Book Link

https://books2read.com/u/mYk6AG


 

Excerpt

Shadows stretched across her garden. From the darkest shadows, two forms appeared. Lion feet emerged, followed by the body of a lion merging into the hindquarters of a hippopotamus. The head of a crocodile somehow stayed concealed in the shadows. But Baba Yaga knew it was there. Ammit had come to visit. The black form next to her could only be Anubis.

‘Ammit the Devourer, as I live and breathe!’ She set down her book, stood up and walked towards them. ‘To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?’

Anubis stepped from the shadows. Wisps of darkness clinging to him. Ammit joined him, her yellow eyes glowing unnaturally in the sunlit garden.

‘You cannot do this, Baba Yaga,’ Ammit said in her hoarse voice. ‘Think of the death toll.’

Baba Yaga burst out laughing. She couldn’t help it. The earnest plea of someone who caused a second death for those who failed to prove their worth against the feather of Ma’at for her not to kill anyone was laughable.

‘Please, Baba Yaga.’

She stopped laughing. She’d never heard Anubis plead with anyone, ever.

‘What’s going on?’

‘After what those blethering idiots did, what the humans call the Warp, we’ve been swamped with the casualties. Charon would have come, but he and Hermes have even more to do than Ammit and I.’

‘Ah, yes, the theatrics.’

Anubis scowled. Ammit, though, giggled.

‘What does it have to do with me?’

‘You and your sisters are known to devour naughty children. Do you know how much paperwork that will cause us?’

Baba Yaga rolled her eyes. ‘Since when have you bothered with paperwork, Ammit?’

The goddess glared at her.

‘The truth, if you will. Otherwise, I’m off to join my sisters.’

Ammit and Anubis shared a look that she didn’t like.

‘The humans cannot take another bombardment of magic. Set and Thor are in agreement,’ Anubis finally said.

‘It must be dire if those two are agreeing on something.’ She narrowed her eyes. ‘What did you do?’

‘Me? Nothing!’

Ammit snorted. ‘He took time off and everything nearly ended. That’s the short of it.’

‘So you finally lived down to human expectations.’

‘Nope. I just had some fun on a beach. But that’s not the point!’

‘No. You’re telling me that immortals have been using magic on humans to alleviate their boredom, played out some stupid apocalyptic fantasy, and now there are more human spirits in need of being ferried to the afterlife than any of you supposed death deities have capacity for. In short: everything can blow up in the faces of all immortals because of the stupidity of a few.’

‘Yes, the usual,’ Ammit said.

Baba Yaga sat down and a chair appeared from nowhere so she wouldn’t land on the ground. Her servants truly anticipated her every need. One handed her an iced coffee. As she sipped the delicious brew, the problems presented to her mulled over in her thoughts.

‘I made a bargain to do my job again – and I won’t go back on my word. Besides, Anubis,’ she stopped him when he opened his mouth. ‘A bit of cannibalism is good for the soul. To fix your problem, I have a simple solution: send the excess souls to join the Host until you can work through your backlog.’

‘This goes for all pantheons?’ Ammit asked.

‘Of course.’

A song about girls running the world started to play. At Anubis’s glare, the music stopped.

‘What was that?’ Baba Yaga asked, intrigued.

‘Beyoncé’s “Who Run the World”,’ Anubis said with a scowl to the invisible servants who had played the music.

‘I like it,’ Ammit said, swaying.

‘You would.’

 


Author bio

Award-winning Dark Fantasy author Ronel Janse van Vuuren writes about kick-ass heroines, the duality of being human and loves to use folklore to underscore her point.

She’s a Rottweiler pack leader, chicken wrangler and horse servant.

All of her books are available for purchase from major online retailers.

Find Ronel online: https://linktr.ee/miladyronel

 

 


There are a lot of main characters in this series, so I chose to focus on Hel as she’s the weirdest.

She drinks pickle juice to re-hydrate after using a lot of magic. (Yes, the juice left over in a bottle of gherkins…)

Her favorite dessert is vanilla cupcakes with pink strawberry frosting.

She enjoys giblets and other such dishes as she sees it as a delicacy (and believes that if you’re going to eat an animal, you should eat the whole beast).

 


Tagline for this series: 

They’ve been alive forever. They’ve been bored for some time. And now they’re showing it.


 Link to trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AICr5qc6QOU&t=1s&authuser=0








 

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

IWSG Wednesday

 


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 

 The awesome co-hosts for the March 5 posting of the IWSG are Ronel Janse Van Vuuren, Pat Garcia, and Liza @ Middle Passages!

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

 

March 5 question - If for one day you could be anyone or *thing* in the world, what would it be? Describe, tell why, and any themes, goals, or values they/it inspire in you.

For one day, I would love to be a bird. To soar in the clouds and enjoy soft breezes and warm sunlight while I glided in the sky.

 


 

February/March Reviews in no particular order. * Disclaimer. If I run into an occasional typo, I ignore them and don't factor them into my review.

 

CHAIN REACTION by James Byrne

James Byrne has created a fascinating character in Dez Limerick. Very unique. Both tough guy and softie, and he always apologizes for bad language around ladies;) He’s not tall, like most protagonists, but barrel-chested. And it’s a big barrel.

CHAIN REACTION, is third in the series and has mega twists and turns. Several neither Dez nor I saw coming:)

For those who have read the first two in the series, you will want to read this one.

 

 

 

RENDER and REBELLION by K. A. Riley

In book two and three, Cress and her friends become more embroiled in the fight against the government.

At the end of book two, one of the characters took a turn that wasn’t really credible to me and took me out of the story. I finally came to grips with the role the author had assigned this character and still found both book two and three enjoyable but book one is my favorite.

Available at Amazon

 

 

 

SHADOW AND BONE, SEIGE AND STORM,  RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo
This trilogy is a reread for me. I love this series and think it's one of the best YA fantasies written.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE STARLESS CROWN by James Rollins

This one was too dark for me. Though I have to admit I read it till the end, hoping for some positive closure. It's well written and if you like fantasy and don't mind dark, you would probably enjoy it.

One bit of personal information that fascinated me is that the author is a practicing veterinarian.

 

 

 

AND

Did you know, that author Dan Brown of DA VINCI CODE fame was once a pop singer?

For more info:

100 Interesting Facts about Famous Authors – Interesting Literature

 

 

 AND

LAST BUT  NOT LEAST--Denise is hosting Reuben and I at her place today (March 5). If you have an opportunity, drop by and join us.