Happy fall

 

Today is the first day of autumn, my favorite time of year.

I love the crunch of leaves, the scent of pumpkin spice! How about you? What's your favorite thing about this time of year?

 

Bloody Prairie, a Solstice Publishing title by author Ryan Fleming

 

Hello everyone!

Ryan Fleming, a Solstice Publishing author based in Belton, South Carolina, has stopped by today to talk about his novel, Bloody Prairie. 

Here is Ryan's synopsis:

The Canadian Prairies are a land of endless skies, wild weather extremes, and endemic human trafficking. Saskatchewan high schooler Clint Carpentier takes matters into his own hands when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) drop the ball on investigating the abduction of his native girlfriend. 

A shocking betrayal and bloodbath leaves Clint fleeing to Montreal by way of Toronto with a bloodthirsty pack of traffickers hot on his tail. His ordeal will end the same as it began; in a hail of lead.

This is a neo western thriller that fits squarely with the works of Cormac McCarthy and Elmore Leonard. Horses are replaced with V-8 engines and motorbikes, revolvers and bandoliers with automatic weapons and magazines, but still there are the wide-open spaces, the dust, and the human greed that made—and makes—the west wild.

Ruthie L. Manier gave Bloody Prairie a five-star Amazon review, along with other reviewers. She said the book is action packed, full of gory murders, and love. 

"This is not a genre that I usually read but I was pleasantly surprised with ‘Bloody Prairie.’ Ryan Fleming is a convincing writer who uses a lot of detail describing events and making you feel like your there in the action! I think this book would make a great movie. And the love between Clint and Megan through all they went through was perfect!" 

Click on the links to go to Amazon to purchase a copy, or you can click on the book cover. Happy reading!

Solstice Publishing author, Ryan Fleming

 

From Saturday, Feb. 13, through Monday, Feb. 15, my paranormal romances are free! Find them here:  http://amzn.to/2MW7uXc.

The magical Rose witch sisters Miranda, Cassie and Lizzie are tasked with helping mankind. They never expected to find romance along the way.

Download these free novels for Valentine's Day so you don't miss out on the fun!

Old dogs, new books

I got a new dog for Christmas!

Well, she's a new old dog, really. Morgan is my son Jordon's pup and she's come to stay at my house before, so she knows her way around. A boxer, she has the funniest expressions! She's 12 and has a pretty saucy and sweet personality.

Morgan, AKA "The Morganator"

Ewok, my little 14 year old poodle Shih Tzu mix isn't terribly thrilled, but they have been sisters before and they get along well.

Also, I've got a new book out! Solstice Publishing released my third title in the Wysteria Hedge Haven witch sisters saga, "Witch Tease."

https://amzn.to/35Gk2Fu

It's a fun, romantic adventure about Elizabeth "Lizzie" Rose, the oldest of the seven sisters. She and her former flame, Kincaid McAllister, need to send a swarm of Scottish banshees packing in order to save her clan.

It just so happens that Kincaid is also part wulver, and when the need arises, he can transform into a wolf. At many points during their travels in the Faery Realm, his ability comes in handy. Yes, this is a fantasy romance, but sometimes isn't it great fun to set aside the realities of life and allow some magic into our worlds?

Thank you for stopping by and I hope you enjoy reading my work.

Steve Jobs, classroom success!

Today, I saw a short article about entepreneur Steve Jobs that made me stop and ponder what exactly drives people to achieve their dreams.

Jobs had very supportive parents. His mother taught him to read at an early age and he became bored in school, therefore, he said he became the terror of his classroom. He credited his fourth-grade teacher with understanding him and setting him on a pathway of learning.

His expectations were high and he challenged himself, along with those around him, to dream big and work hard to achieve. An inspirational man, he  learned about the world by questioning and exploring his interests.

Jobs was born in February, 1955. His family and the world lost him in October, 2011.

"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something--your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."  --Steve Jobs

For more information about Steve Jobs and his incredible journey, go to:

https://www.biography.com/business-figure/steve-jobs

A Witch at Midnight released by Solstice Publishing

You can purchase "A Witch at Midnight" 

at Amazon by clicking on the book cover.

Solstice Publishing has released the second book in the Wysteria Hedge Haven Clan sisters, "A Witch at Midnight."

I wrote this book and my previous Solstice title, "The Seven-Year Witch," because of a dream.

Yep, I dream in book format sometimes, and I like the idea of sisters since I have some very awesome ladies in my life who are also my sisters, sisters-in-law, sisters by friendship, etc. I also love the idea of family sticking together.

My witches aren't wicked witch of the west types like you find in "The Wizard of Oz." They are more of the Glinda the good witch type--witches who love nature spirits and are on Earth to assist mankind. In my witch books, there's also a twist of "Practical Magic," the movie Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman starred in years ago.

While the witch sisters get into trouble, they find unique ways to survive and save the day. There's romance, adventure and humor in these stories, which is my favorite kind of book to write.

I hope if you read my books, you can relax and suspend reality for a while. There's too much drama and conflict in the world that can't be resolved, so go on a journey with my witch sisters and enjoy life.

Have your dreams encouraged you to accomplish something? 

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT

Yarn scraps can be used for fun projects.

When I was a kid, that's what my parents always said. What they really meant was wise use of your resources helps your budget. Mom saved cottage cheese cartons, cans, plastic jugs and much more. She made our clothes and she made leftovers into great new meals. Dad saved screws, nails and scrap wood from building projects. Born during the Great Depression years and both World War II veterans, they wasted nothing.

I'm not as thrifty, but I still don't like to waste. Since I love to crochet, I found myself with a basket of yarn scraps. Winter snow and cold weather made me think "warm," so I knew my orphan yarn needed to cover something.

I began stitching it into double crochet strips 20 stitches wide. Each strip is the same length. I plan to sew them together and make “crazy” afghans for my granddaughters. I envision the girls in their college dorm rooms wrapping the blankets around themselves. 

I read, write, do crafts of all kinds, garage sale, I walk, I organize stuff and I like to clean. Yep, I've been the bane of my family's existence for years. And my dog barks like crazy at the very sight of my vacuum. My mom used to call me, "Old Dutch," like the cleanser brand.

In fact, I just found a simple homemade glass cleaner to try: 1 1/2 Cup water, 1 1/2 Tablespoons white vinegar, 1 1/2 Tablespoons rubbing alcohol and 3 drops peppermint essential oil. It sounds awesome! At the very least, the peppermint scent should keep away the creepy crawly bugs.

I'm always thinking about what to do next. My husband tells me to relax and take it easy. Try taking a nap. I tell him I'll sleep when I'm dead. There's no time to waste, I have a lot to do, even if I'm not sure what that is yet.

What are your hobbies?