Celebrate: Squirrels & Giveaways

This week I'm celebrating that by the end of today, my Spring Cleaning will be done.

Well, mostly done.

Okay ... I'm just done.

Did I mention that this week we had 2 sand storms in 3 days? They had to close the airport. My newly-clean home looks like hundreds of dust-bunnies flew in through the windows and then exploded ...

Some squirrels for your viewing pleasure!

(Me, at the end of my Spring Cleaning.)

Congrats to all those who 

did the A - Z Challenge 

or even attempted it.

You ROCK!!

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=79cd691b-a101-48a4-8603-4d22bb6626d8"> </script>

** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **

 Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)

Foxy's Friday Freebies!

Foxy has been nosing around the net. 

When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Friday Freebies posts -

• Free short stories, novellas, and novels
• Giveaways for books and swag
• Free services for authors

Here are Foxy's suggestions for April 28, 2017:

Free Historical Romance Paperback – Win The Mark of the King by Jocelyn Green, about a convicted midwife branded with the King’s mark and forced to emigrate from France to Louisiana and the fellow convict she is forced to marry. Enter via rafflecopter on the Susan Heim on Writing blog. Few Entries – Good Chance to Win! (ends Apr 30)

Free Audiobook of All Female Thriller/Crime Collection – Win one of 10 audio copies of The Smoking Gun Sisterhood by Thad Brown, a collection of 10 short stories about tough, resourceful women heroes. The audiobook is 12 hours long and will be gifted through Audible.com (you don’t have to have an account to win). Enter via blog comment on the Mercedes Fox Books blog. Few Entries – Good Chance to Win! (ends May 5)

Free Non-Fiction Author Survival Pack of 27 Paperbacks – Win an Indie Author Survival Pack that teaches you how to write, edit, self-publish, and market your books, a $405.00 value, including books by James Scott Bell, Joanna Penn, Chandler Bolt, Sean Platt and Johnny B. Truant, Chris Fox, Derek Murphy, and Jackson Dean Chase. Enter via Entry Form on the Jackson Dean Chase blog. (ends May 1)

Free $25 Amazon Gift Card – To celebrate the release of Whiskers and Bear by Giacomo Giammatteo, a Life on the Farm Series Book, True Stories from an Animal Sanctuary, the author is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card. Enter via rafflecopter on the Terri Guiliano Long blog. (ends May 15)

Free Kindle e-Reader – The site E-Reader Obsession is giving away a Kindle E-reader – Black, 6” Glare-Free Touchscreen Display, a $79.99 value. An entry into this giveaway will sign the entrant up for the site’s newsletter featuring clean and inspirational books. Enter via Entry form on the E-Reader Obsession site. (ends May 1)


For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.

If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here!  Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com

Celebrate: MASKI, Chuck Wendig & Giveaways

This week I'm celebrating straight-up writing truth, pizza crust, and a new release from Joylene Nowell Butler!

Chuck Wendig is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, known for his Star Wars novel AFTERMATH, various novels, comic books, screenplays and a blog about his journeys in the writing world. This week, he has a post that I believe ALL WRITERS SHOULD READ. It contains the absolute truth about being an author gleaned from his years of writing over 20 books. Like do you have to write daily? Do you have to kill your darlings? What about originality vs trends? Seriously, I agree with every word he wrote, and I urge you to go read this post: "What I've Learned After 5 Years and 20 Books: 25 Lessons." 

(Note: Mr. Wendig doesn't have much of a filter and you may find swear words along with off-color and/or hilarious visual descriptions used to make his points. If you're sensitive, I suggest you read it but skim the naughty parts. Or say 3 Hail Mary's after it to alleviate any damage that may have been caused during reading.)

I know many of my readers aren't writers, so I wanted to think up something to interest you ... Hmm, what's the best thing that happened to me this week?  Easy!  I visited Ellen at The Cynical Sailor and His Salty Sidekick and she mentioned a pizza she made. 

I've been trying my hand at home-made pizza recently with uneven results (which just makes me more determined to master it). She mentioned she put basil and garlic in the crust, so I gave it a try. HOLY SUPER PIZZA CRUSTS, BATMAN! If you've never put spices in your home-made pizza crusts, do yourself a favor and add sweet basil and garlic to your next one! (Thanks also to Ellen for replying to my begging and sending me her recipe for Quesadilla Pie Casserole. You rock, Ellen!)

If you see a dish that looks good on a blog or on Facebook, do you ask the poster for the recipe?

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=79cd691b-a101-48a4-8603-4d22bb6626d8"> </script>

** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **

 Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)

NEW RELEASE FROM JOYLENE NOWELL BUTLER - 

MASKI

BROKEN BUT NOT DEAD

Maski: Broken But Not Dead
By Joylene Nowell Butler
(Psychological Thriller)
An IPPY Silver Medalist!

To the Breaking Point...

          When Brendell Meshango resigns from her university professor position and retreats to her isolated cabin to repair her psyche, she is confronted by a masked intruder. His racial comments lead her to believe she is the solitary victim of a hate crime.

          However, is all as it appears? After two bizarre days, the intruder mysteriously disappears but continues to play mind games with her. Taught by her mother to distrust the mainstream-based power structures, and with her stalker possibly linked to a high level of government, Brendell conceals the incident from the police. But will her silence keep her safe?

          Then her beloved daughter, Zoë, is threatened and Brendell takes matters into her own hands. To save Zoë, Brendell searches for the stalker and confronts not just a depraved madman but her own fears and prejudices.

Purchase Links:

Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maski-joylene-nowell-butler/1125994868?ean=2940154062012

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/maski-broken-but-not-dead

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/maski-broken-but-not-dead/id1216518807?mt=11

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Maski-Broken-But-Not-Dead-ebook/dp/B06XQMGMHW/

“Joylene Nowell Butler gets straight to the story, taking you from one happening to the next and keeps you turning the page.” - Martha A. Cheves, author

“A psychological thriller filled with suspense, action and drama...” - John Bell, 93.1  CFIS-FM: Prince George, BC

“Riveting and beautifully written. You won't be able to set it down.” Judith S. Avila, author

Joylene, Métis, is the author of Dead Witness, Broken But Not Dead, and Break Time. She and her husband and their two cats reside in Canada for the summers and Nayarit for the winters. They believe life should be an adventure. 

BLOG: https://cluculzwriter.blogspot.com/

Foxy's Friday Freebies!

Foxy has been nosing around the net. 

When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Friday Freebies posts -

• Free short stories, novellas, and novels
• Giveaways for books and swag
• Free services for authors

Here are Foxy's suggestions for April 21, 2017:

Free 2 YA Fantasy/Gamer/Adventure Paperbacks – Win Arena and Gauntlet by Holly Jennings, about a champion virtual reality gamer who’s fighting off greedy sponsors and dangerous cheating while trying to stay alive. Enter via rafflecopter on the It Starts At Midnight blog. (US & CA only; ends Apr 23)

Free Signed YA Fantasy Paperback – Win The Curse of the Sphinx by Raye Wagner, about a girl created by the gods who must escape those that killed her mother. The author is giving away 1 signed book (US only) and 3 of her ebooks plus swag (International). Enter on the rafflecopter on the YA Books Central blog. (ends April 29)

Free Historical Romance Novel – Win The Warrior by NY Times bestselling author Claire Delacroix, a Medieval Scottish romance about a stolen bride, enemies who learn to love, and reincarnation. Enter by commenting on the Deborah Cooke blog. (ends Apr 30)

Free $5 Amazon Gift Card – To celebrate the release of True North by LE. Sterling, a dystopian fantasy about a plague-ridden world and a girl who must join the “True Born” group of genetically enhanced humans and travel to Russia to find the cure and save her twin sister’s life. The author is giving away a $5 Amazon card. Enter on the YA Books Central blog. (ends Apr 27)

Free $25 Amazon Gift Card and a Contemporary Romance Novel – Win Exposure by Tracy Ewens, about a photographer and a movie star whose innocent kiss lands them in a media paparazzi storm, and a $25 Amazon card. Enter via Entry Form on the Fresh Fiction blog. (ends Apr 30)


For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.

If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here!  Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com

Celebrate/Don't Celebrate & Giveaways

It's an up and down week for me, so some things I'm celebrating ... and some things I'm not:

1) My husband's off to visit his family in Cairo. This means things are quiet on the home front, and I can get more writing done.
2) Despite the fact I have more time, I'm not getting as much accomplished as I want. Isn't that always the way?

3) The neighbors in my building are very polite and helpful. Like this morning I was carrying out 2 bags of garbage and the lady across the hall happened to go out at the same time. She immediately offered to carry one. I didn't let her, but I really appreciated the offer.
4) What's going on with my upstairs neighbors? I can hear every footstep. Are they wearing giant wooden clogs? Do they keep elephants up there?

5) I'm still doing Spring Cleaning, a little at a time.
6) I'm still doing Spring Cleaning.

When you look at your life, do you usually find more silver linings or black linings?

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=79cd691b-a101-48a4-8603-4d22bb6626d8"> </script>

** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **

 Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)

Foxy's Friday Freebies!

Foxy has been nosing around the net. 

When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Friday Freebies posts -

• Free short stories, novellas, and novels
• Giveaways for books and swag
• Free services for authors

Here are Foxy's suggestions for April 14, 2017:

Free 2 Signed YA Historical/Fantasy Paperbacks – Win Blackhearts and its sequel, Blacksouls, by Nicole Castroman, a re-imagining of the world famous pirate, Blackbeard. Enter via rafflecopter on the Riveted Lit blog. (US only; ends Apr 18)

Free YA Contemporary Novel – Win Zenn Diagram by Wendy Brant, about a math prodigy, and as if that’s not nerdy enough, she has a psychic ability linked to touch except for the new kid in school. Zenn. Enter via rafflecopter on the Too Fond of Books blog. (ends Apr 18)

Free 11 Romance Paperbacks - Win 11 romances by assorted authors:
Draw Me Close, Start Me Up, and Win Me Over by Nicole Michaels,
Affliction by Laurell K. Hamilton,
The Earl Claims a Bride and Last Night with the Duke by Amelia Grey,
Explosive Forces, Force of Attraction, and Primal Force by D.D. Ayres,
Atonement by B.J. Daniels,
Autographed copy of Break My Fall by Jessica Scott,
Swag and Black Avon tote (not pictured)
Enter via rafflecopter on the Book Binge blog. (ENDS SATURDAY, APRIL 15!)

Free $10 Amazon Gift Card & Signed Romance Novel – win Hopelessly Devoted by A. M. Myers, about a man with a haunted past and the lady he loves but must sacrifice if he wants to save himself. Enter via rafflecopter on the Romance Giveaways blog. (ends Apr 19)

Free $20 Amazon Gift Card – To celebrate the release of Looking Back on Forever by Kat Alexander, exploring romance and heartbreak, the author is giving away a $20 Amazon card via rafflecopter on the Romance Giveaways blog. (ends Apr 19)


For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.

If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here!  Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com

Celebrate: Spring Cleaning & Giveaways!

It's that time of the year again. Spring! Birds chirping. Flowers blooming. Blankets and winter coats going in storage. It's a time that makes you open the windows, let in the sun and then--YIKES!--you see what your house really looks like.

How did it get so dirty??

So guess what I was doing this week?  Cleaning, cleaning, and more cleaning.

Ugh. I'm tired. Muscles I haven't exercised in ages are killing me. My nails are chipped, grimy shadows of their former selves. My lower back is sending out SOS signals and begging for pain meds. I swear there were corners in some rooms that looked like alien landscapes. It was so bad I ran out of detergent. Twice! 

The thing I'm celebrating is that when I finally finish, I'll be so happy with my fresh, clean apartment! I'm not there yet, but I'm dreaming of it ...

Do you do Spring Cleaning every year or have to re-organize things?  What's the easiest job? Do you have one you really hate?


New Member for Celebrate--Update Your Blog Rolls:
Cloud Nine Girl -- https://erikabeebe.com/
Welcome Erika!

Member Taking a Break From Celebrate–Update Your Blog Rolls:
Julie Flanders -- http://julieflanders.blogspot.com.eg/
Julie is welcome back whenever she finds the time!

My kind and wonderful co-hosts of Celebrate the Small Things are:
L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The Edge
Tonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

Celebrate The Small Things Linky:



Grab the Linky html-code here:
<script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.simply-linked.com/listwidget.aspx?l=79cd691b-a101-48a4-8603-4d22bb6626d8"> </script>

** To see who’s posted for the hop look at my Celebrate The Small Things Blog Roll, left sidebar bottom **

 Celebrate the Small Things. To be part of this blog hop, all you have to do is visit the Celebrate page on Lexa's Blog for the rules, and then post every Friday about something you're grateful  for that week.  It can be about writing or family or school or general life.  This is the funnest and easiest blog hop ever! (Originated by VikLit)

Foxy's Friday Freebies!

Foxy has been nosing around the net. 

When she finds great FREE STUFF, she'll feature it on Friday Freebies posts -

• Free short stories, novellas, and novels
• Giveaways for books and swag
• Free services for authors

Here are Foxy's suggestions for , 2017:

Free Download of Sci-Fi Short Story – Download FREE “CassaDawn” by Alex J. Cavanaugh, the exciting prequel to his bestselling Cassa series, about  a top-of-the-class cadet whose inability to get along with others may ruin his chances to complete his training. (For more info go to the Alex J. Cavanaugh—CassaDawn Book page.)
Download "CassaDawn" FREE at: 
Amazon-- https://www.amazon.com/CassaDawn-Alex-J-Cavanaugh-ebook/dp/B01M8JNF3Y/
iTunes--https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/cassadawn/id1167006080?mt=11
Barnes & Noble-- http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cassadawn-alex-j-cavanaugh/1124893725?ean=2940153786919

Free Download of Christian Inspirational Book – Download FREE Finding Satisfaction in Christ by Lynda R. Young, a book to help you find revitalization and renewal in your Christian faith. 
Download Finding Satisfaction in Christ by going to Lynda’s “FREE” blog page HERE. Write your email address that will sign you up for Lynda’s mailing list, and the link to download the book (in PDF format) will be sent to your email Inbox. 

Free 1 Historical/Non-Fiction Novel and 1 Historical/Fiction Novel - Win Marie Antoinette’s Darkest Days: Prisoner No. 280 in the Conciergerie by Will Bashor, a non-fiction account of the ex-queen’s final 76 days in prison before her execution, and The Enemies of Versailles by Sally Christie, the third in the Mistresses of Versailles trilogy, about the mistress of King Louis XV. Enter via Entry Form on the France Book Tours blog. (ends Apr 30)

Free Middle Grade Supernatural Suspense Novel – Win Horizon by New York Times Bestselling Author Scott Westerfield, about a plane crash that strands eight young people in a strange jungle with no way to get home and little hope of rescue while cliques and rivalries tear them apart from the inside. Enter via Entry Form on the DOGO Books site. (ends Apr 18) 

Free YA Thriller Novel from Random House – Win Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar, about two young friends who escape a bully by going through the eerie woods—where people disappear. Enter via Entry Form on the DOGO Books site. (ends Apr 18) 

Free YA Adventure Dystopian Novel – Win Into the Air by A.K. Dowling, about a future world where everyone lives below ground, until the day when Mia and her father are invited to travel outside the confines and into the air. Enter via rafflecopter on the Beck Valley Books blog. (ends April 10)

Free Two (2) $100 Amazon Gift Cards – Two separate giveaways featuring $100 Amazon gift cards. Enter both rafflecopter giveaways on the SFF Book Bonanza site. (ends Apr 30)

For Foxy's other Freebies, go to the Freebie page.

If anyone has a FREE short story (for download or online at a free ezine), novella, novel, special giveaway, or author service, please let Foxy know so she can plug you here!  Write to: laura.6eg(at)gmail.com