Friday, October 30, 2015

Happy Halloween

The Jack-o-Lantern at the other Cox Household
Err, borrowed from CJ's Blog

A repeat that screams Halloween 
I'm still trying to figure out if this is Christmas or Halloween.
 
 

Thursday, October 29, 2015

No Tricks Just Treats

  

Just in time for Halloween....If you haven't read Ghost For Sale and would like to, there's a giveaway going on. The landing page is at Kensington Publishing.

Got your Halloween candy bought yet?  It's getting down to the wire.....
And the giveaway for the Cake Book is still going on under the contest age.

From Kobo:
Use the below promo codes to get 50% off selected titles.

 Canada

October 28th – October 31st
Promo Code: CA50SALE

United States/Australia/New Zealand

October 27th – October 30th
Promo Code: GET50SALE

United Kingdom

October 30th – November 2nd
Promo Code: UK50SALE

Monday, October 26, 2015

Monday

So how was your weekend, my blogster buds? Friday night turned into pizza and a movie night for us. We rented the Avengers. I love the actors in the Avengers, love the Iron Man series and the Thor series, but unfortunately neither the HH or I enjoyed Age of Ultron. The back and forth dialogue between them was good, snappy.  But the plot just didn't do it for me. Enjoyed the pizza:)
Saturday night we went looking for toys since the babies will be in next weekend.   And...had pizza.
Give me pizza, chocolate and a bestseller under my belt (Isn't that a odd phrase?) and I'll die a happy woman.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Just In Time For Halloween....Psychic Vampires




Is there a Psychic Vampire in Your Life?
Vampires have come a long way from the old black and white stills of Count Dracula in movies of the 1930s and 1940s.  If someone came to your door looking like that cartoonish stereotype—unless it was a Halloween costume party—I expect you wouldn’t invite them across your threshold.  
In modern-day media, vampires are somewhat prettier and more alluring---a la True Blood, The Originals or even Buffy and its progeny.  (Whether vampires should sparkle in the sunlight or not is a debate for another time.) But there’s no question that the appeal of the dark, mystical vampire sits well across the generations.
Whatever they look like, though, one of the traits they tend to share in common is that they drink the blood of others to replenish their own vitality.  As Louis says in Interview with the Vampire: “Blood, I was to find, was a necessity as well. I woke the next evening with a hunger I had never felt.”
But the literature also tells of a kind of vampire that never has to take a drop of blood from its victim: the psychic vampire. What this sort of vampire seeks out is the xi, or the life force energy inside a person. In the same way that a “traditional” vampire sucks blood to strengthen himself, a psychic vampire will drain her victim of energy, leaving them with “general debility, lack of motivation and energy, an emaciated physique, a pallid complexion, and an overall sense of weakness,” according to Dr. Bruce Goldberg.
Dr. Goldberg finds five types of intentional psychic vampires, as well as those who don’t intend harm, but inadvertently suck up their friends’ positive energy, a state he calls “psychic parasitism.”
Have you ever felt like the person you’re talking to is absorbing your energy, your very breath? We’ve all met someone who just leaves us feeling exhausted and without resources after a meeting or conversation. Perhaps it’s that woman in your office who always has major drama going on and she can’t wait until you step into work to tell you her latest tale of woe. Five minutes into your day, and you’re already wiped out. Or if we’re service providers, clients can also leave us feeling the same way. People who thrive on drama every moment can debilitate those of us who have achieved calm in our own lives.
For those who are intuitive, or empaths, this may set you up as a victim, especially in places full of people, like sporting events, shopping malls or other crowded venues.
Dr. Judith Orloff has written often on this issue and how people might protect themselves from psychic vampires:  the easiest one is just walk away. She also suggests that you visualize an energy shield of bright white light around you that you can use at “family dinners or social events where you're trapped.”
Georgia MacLeod goes so far as to suggest that carrying an amulet might be appropriate as a defense.
Does this feeling sound familiar? Take notice of how people around you make you feel, and then take steps to strengthen yourself, set proper boundaries and feel better.
LOVE ME, KISS ME, KILL ME excerpt
Running away isn’t necessarily the answer.

In her mad rush to escape a failed marriage, Sara Woods takes the first job available and lands in the middle of a mystery. Her first assignment as a news reporter for the Ralston Courier is the investigation of a string of deaths, all young women, all her age.

She becomes a patient at the Goldstone Clinic, a local mecca of healing, to deal with chronic pain from her past. But all is not as it seems at the Goldstone, its doctors and nurses are all the picture of perfect beauty and health. Patients at the clinic first seem to get better, then they deteriorate. Sara enlists the help of Dr. Rick Paulsen, who teaches her how to access her internal power, skills she never knew she had, revealing secrets from her past. Police officer Brendon Zale also takes an interest in Sara, but he acts like a stalker, watching her every move, and he won't leave her alone.

As she digs deeper into the story, and more young women die without explanation, she tries to choose allies wisely, but not till the last confrontation does she discover the identity of her true enemy.

By then, it’s too late.
Find out more at http://lyndialexander.wordpress.com
  Looks like a great read!
~*~
If you're in the vicinity, I'm blogging at ARe today about things that go bump in the night.

Monday, October 19, 2015

Blue Ridge Parkway

We took advantage of the beautiful fall weather this weekend and went into the mountains, ate at Canyons then meandered to the Tanger Outlet.Though not as evocative as Valerie's and EC's, below are pics I snapped with my phone on the drive.

~*~
Dina Bushrod won the drawing for the wristlet and charm bracelet.
Congrats, Dina.

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

This is the big one boys and girls. With over two hundred participants that means over two hundred prizes, each valued at ten dollars or more. I'll be giving away a ten dollar amazon card and since it is the season...a copy of Vampire Bay in paper or e, winner's choice. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment, WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDIE. If you'd like to follow me on twitter: twitter.com@Sandra_Cox or like me on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SandraCox.Author 
that would be great but it's certainly not necessary to enter or win.
Next on the list is Practical Frugality
The entire linky list can be found here:I Am A Reader.
Good luck Halloween Hopsters.

THERE'S ALSO A CAKE BOOK GIVEAWAY GOING ON UNDER THE CONTEST PAGE. FEEL FREE TO ENTER.
 

Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Schools The New Ghettos

This is such a sad commentary on our times. Last week the school my daughter and SIL teach at was locked down because of a shooter threat. Luckily, neither she nor her husband were there. And luckier yet, no one was hurt. The last article I read, the authorities weren't even certain there was a gun on campus. But prior to this there was an anonymous internet threat of a mass shooting so
the authorities were taking no chances. In this country, your safety is no longer insured when you go to church, school or the theater.  Some people want to arm our faculty. (Can't you just see that in the job description. Besides having a masters in your chosen field, you must be willing to pack heat.) Some now carry guns to church. Where does it end? 

Monday, October 12, 2015

Gone To The Dark Side


In a household of rabid Cub fans, I have managed to maintain my distance from baseball for the length of our marriage. Last week I broke down. I watched the Cubbies take down the Pirates 4-0 Wednesday night. And then instead of going out Friday we ordered a pizza and watched them lose to the Cardinals 0-4. Last night it was Burger King and watching them win over the Cardinals 6-3.
Tonight....hopefully we'll be clicking bats.

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Myth and Magic

Greetings, Blogster Buds.
Today I'd like to welcome special friend and author Mae Claire and introduce you to her new work, Myth and Magic. I read this one and was blown away. It was a taut, suspenseful read, loaded with plenty of internal and external conflict, and written in deep POV. And what a perfect story for Halloween.
Thanks for joining us, Mae.



 I’m grateful to be here today with my most recent release, MYTH AND MAGIC, a romantic suspense novel set during Halloween and centered on a creepy corporate lodge. It’s on sale now across retailers for just $.99 through 11/4/15.

One of the questions writers get asked frequently is “Where do you find the inspiration for your characters?

I think most writers will tell you characters find us before we find them. They have a way of hunting us down and popping into our heads, loudly demanding attention. Some are more forceful than others. All have a unique voice, but there are always a handful that nag repeatedly until their story is told.

My characters usually have romance in their future, but it is always intertwined with a healthy dose of mystery and suspense. And they rarely have normal happy family relationships.

In MYTH AND MAGIC, my hero has to make amends with a great many people from his past. He’s estranged from most of his family, has hurt the only woman he ever loved, and is motivated by a tragic circumstance that claimed the life of his closest childhood friend. Simply put, the guy has a lot of baggage—and it all comes to a breaking point on Halloween.

When Caith Breckwood showed up in my head, lugging all of his past sins, I knew I had to tell his tale. Or maybe, I should say, he convinced me. He doesn’t resemble anyone I know. He wasn’t inspired by news events or someone from history. He just “appeared” as most of my characters do. I guess I have my muse to thank for that. Either way, I’m happy I met him, and the people who populate his world. You can find out all about them in MYTH AND MAGIC! J

Blurb for Myth and Magic:

AS CHILDREN THEY PLAYED GAMES OF MYTH AND MAGIC…
 
Veronica Kent fell in love with Caith Breckwood when they were children. As a teenager, she was
certain he was the man she was destined to marry. But a traumatic event from Caith's past led him to fear a future together. He left Veronica, hoping to save her from a terrible fate. Twelve years later, Caith, now a P.I., is hired to investigate bizarre incidents at the secluded retreat Veronica manages. Returning to his hometown, Caith is forced to face his nightmares—and his feelings for the woman he’s always loved.

THEN ONE DAY THE MONSTERS BECAME REAL.

After the callous way Caith broke her heart, Veronica isn’t thrilled to see him again. But strange occurrences have taken a dangerous toll on business at Stone Willow Lodge. Forced to work together, Veronica discovers it isn’t ghostly apparitions that frighten her, but her passion for a man she has never forgotten. Or forgiven. Can two people with a tarnished past unearth a magical future?

~ooOOoo~

Buy Links for MYTH AND MAGIC…Just $.99 through 11/4/2015

Mae Clair Bio
Mae Clair opened a Pandora’s Box of characters when she was a child and never looked back.  Her father, an artist who tinkered with writing, encouraged her to create make-believe worlds by spinning tales of far-off places on summer nights beneath the stars.
Mae loves creating character-driven fiction in settings that vary from contemporary to mythical. Wherever her pen takes her, she flavors her stories with mystery and romance. Married to her high school sweetheart, she lives in Pennsylvania and is passionate about cryptozoology, old photographs, a good Maine lobster tail and cats.
You can find Mae Clair at the following haunts:
Twitter (@MaeClair1)
Google+