One More Day...

I love Autumn and I love Halloween - this is my favorite time of year. One of the things I like most is making costumes. This past week I've made a (replacement) Dorothy costume, as well as Wendy Darling, Tinker Bell, a Goth Gypsy, a Vampire Princess and an Executioner! I still have to make an anime style trench coat, but (minus the bout of flu yesterday) so far so good.

Maybe my annual sewing frenzy stems from my time spent in a theatre costume shop - that demented adrenaline-fueled rush to clothe 47 people for a period musical in three weeks and the resultant thrill of completing the last one...at 4:38 am. Between classes, I pretty much lived in my college's dressing room and costume shop. There were showers and a fabulous chaise lounge in the dressing room - best place to sleep, a phone and a washer and dryer in the costume shop, and vending machines in the scene shop - who needed to go home? Boy, I was young and stupid then...now I can't imagine trying to survive that!

In writing news, I got a wonderful review I'd like to share from Rachel C. at Fallen Angels Reviews - she gave Best Laid Plans 5 Angels!!! Here's my favorite part!

Best Laid Plans is a fast paced romance between two individuals with enough baggage to take a month long holiday. Every aspect of Zander and Tessa is alive and breathing on the pages, Bronwyn Green leaves no flaw, no matter how ugly, hidden. I loved the way they interact, it’s real and gritting, and the chemistry is hot. They’re drawing closer together even when their arguing and pushing each other away. I don’t know how she does it, but it’s a faultless glide that takes no effort to believe. With the added conflict of Zander’s job and Tessa’s stalker, the story has you on the edge of your seat waiting for the next thing to happen. And even when you think you know what it is, Ms. Green surprises you. Her skill at bringing the story to life is enviable. Vivid images flash through your mind as you read her words. Tessa is a hero that every one will love, she’s strong and tough but soft and vulnerable at the same time, very few authors can pull that off but Ms. Green does it with ease. Zander is a hunk and makes me want to head back to school if only all the professors were like him. No tweed coats in sight. Best Laid Plans is a wonderful book full of romance and suspense, and with every twist and turn you hold your breath, waiting for the next scene to unfold. I found this book so enjoyable it’ll be one of the ones I read again and again. After this I’d have no problems buying a book just because it has Bronwyn Green’s name on the cover.

Now, it's back to the sewing room and the last costume! Happy Halloween Everyone!!!!

Help!

Help, I want a fairy godmother to swoop down and wave her magic wand and fix our car. I confess it was my fault and I'm awash in guilty feelings. We drive a Lexus and our car is a sitting duck in parking lots where it's fun and games when it comes to whacking our vehicle. Thousands of dollars later to repair ... oh hell. This damage I did myself. I clipped the right side mirror and broke it. Repair bill - close to $1000.00. The side mirror itself is $750.00 add the labour and we're looking at ... Maybe we should trade in the Lexus for an old clunker. Forget that. I like a safe, well maintained car.

Okay enough about cars. I had to get it off my chest in order to feel more "goddesslike." Sam's Halloween blast sounds like fun. I love having the kids come knocking at our door, especially the little ones who are all agog and wide eyed while a parent hangs back to keep an eye on the proceedings. Unfortunately for us, we don't have a lot of kids in our neighbourhood. I always buy lots of good stuff (Bill and I eat the leftovers or I freeze them. Those little chocolate bars freeze beautifully). Last year I think we had 12 kids. I always enjoy the teenage girls who come last, usually in a group of four, all dressed up and giggling. I think it may be there last time out Trick and Treating. It's tough to give up Halloween and have to behave like sensible older teens.

Nothing new in my writing world. I'll put up the covers of my two books, A Very Difficult Man and Isabelle's Diary. The more I show them, the more likely someone will buy them.

On my next Goddess day I promise not to whine and whimper but even goddesses must have bad hair days when they should pull the covers over their heads and go back to sleep. Perhance to dream of a dark prince in shining armor come to the rescue or a really good hair stylist. Who would you choose?

Anita

www.anitabirt.com

Halloween Contest at Sam Cheever's House

Cheever's House

Sam Cheever is sponsoring a Trick or Treating Bash on a street near you. The street is inexplicably filled with your favorite Fantasy and Paranormal Authors and they will be waiting by the door with tricks and treats for you. All you need to do to play is visit Sam's site anytime between October 29 and October 31 and select an item from the goodie bag posted there. Then send a note off to Sam with your selection and move on to the next Author's house on the list, where another Author will be waiting with a goodie bag for you to choose from. The Contestant who selects the most correct items from the goodie bags will win a Halloween Bag that's just bulging with wonderful donations from the Authors who live on Sam's street.
Come and join the fun and play for a chance to win a bag of goodies. You might be surprised to learn who lives on Sam's street.
Only one trip down the street per contestant.

www.samcheever.com/Halloween%20contest.htm

If your any reason you have trouble getting there just stop by my blog: sandracox.blogspot.com

CURSES Available now!

After a year of struggles, it's finally back! Curses, my very first book, first came out with Triskelion last March. Now it's re-edited and dressed in a striking new cover, and best of all, available in PRINT and e-book from the wonderful folks at The Wild Rose Press. www.thewildrosepress.com

Blurb:
Some people are really cursed when it comes to love! For innkeeper and witch Melissa MacRae, a family curse means that falling in love is the ultimate bad idea. Author Jonas Pierce is a werewolf, who has seen too much evil to even consider passing on his curse to another generation. So why does a hot summer fling have them both thinking about happily ever after?

Excerpt:

“So tell me about yourself,” Joe began after they’d claimed a corner booth at Rosa’s. The drive into town had been accomplished in silence while Mel chewed nervously on her thoughts. One look at Jonas in his soft black shirt had her palms sweaty and her mouth going dry. His long hair was loose and shining, and it was she could do to keep her hands from running through the strands. She sure hoped Hattie’s advice had been sound, because otherwise, she was in a whole lot of trouble.

His question caught her by surprise. A man who actually wanted to talk about her? She couldn’t tell him everything, of course; she didn’t want to scare him off, but she did give him vignettes. Stories about growing up in Sanctity, her college years at Lake Superior State in Sault Ste. Marie, and the trials and tribulations of a wilderness innkeeper. He was a great listener, Mel discovered, and their food was set in front of them before she realized time had passed.

“I spent the afternoon doing plumbing.” She showed him her ragged fingernails. “It’s not exactly a glamorous life, but I like it. How was your day?” She forked up a bite of Rosa’s Mexican specialty, closing her eyes to better enjoy the explosion of flavors.

“I took a walk in the woods.” He paused to take a bite of his own meal, then smiled and nodded his approval. “Then did a little shopping here in town, spent some time getting to know the area.”

“That should have taken all of five minutes.” His white teeth flashed in response to her quip, and she swallowed hard as her stomach fluttered.

“Actually, you’d be surprised how much you can learn about a place chatting at the local hardware store.” There was an almost feral gleam in those amber eyes, and Mel suddenly had the sensation of being hunted. She didn’t know whether to be thrilled or frightened.

“So did you learn anything interesting?” She licked her suddenly dry lips.

“You could say that.” His grin reminded her uncannily of the wolf she’d seen this afternoon.

“When I mentioned that I was staying up at Whispering Pines, Jerry at the store felt obligated to warn me about you.”

Her fork clattered against her plate as she dropped it. “Really?” She was pretty sure he wasn’t buying her feigned nonchalance.

“Umm-hmm.” He sipped his coffee slowly, dragging out the suspense.

“Why?”

“Why what?”

“Why did Jerry warn you off?” Jerry Svensen had never much cared for Mel, not since the day she’d trounced his daughter Jenny at the sixth grade spelling bee. Still, he’d never been overtly disparaging to the tourists before, at least not that she knew of. This thing with the Talcotts was apparently stirring up even more dissension than she’d realized.

“Oh, nothing unexpected,” Jonas purred, his deep voice sending shivers down Mel’s spine. “Rat-trap cabins, overpriced and understaffed. He even hinted that you might be after my virtue.”

“He did?” Ouch! That one hit uncomfortably close to home.

“Yep. I assured him that that wouldn’t be a problem.”

It wouldn’t? Drat!

Joe continued with a twinkle in his eye and a lazy grin. “Of course, there was one more thing he thought I ought to know.”

“And what was that?”

“According to the good Mr. Svensen, the lovely Miss Melissa MacRae is a witch.”

Yep, another year older and another year . . .

more forgetful! Yesterday was my day to post, so I hope whosever day this is will forgive me for encroaching.

I will keep it short. I said I would have my website up by now. . . well, I'm closer but not yet. My web designer and his wife have a newborn son, so he's a little busy -- and tired! So, I will wait patiently. And I will let everyone know as soon as it's up. I love the artwork -- Eilean Donan (sp?) castle in Scotland and beautiful thistles.

I'm getting very excited about NaNoWriMo. This year, they have local get-togethers and write-ins. Maybe they have always had them but I didn't know about them. This year, I plan to participate and really meet the challenge. Can't wait to get started, but I don't have time to jump the gun because . . .

I am packing for a cruise to Bermuda!! WOO-HOO! I have never been there and I am really looking forward to it.

See you next month -- rested, relaxed, and cranking out the chapters!
Kate Poole

Excerpt from Boji Stones

The big oak tree by the house threw eerie shadows across the lawn as a screech owl hooted nearby, and even though Maureen had heard them all her life she shivered. A big full moon lit up the sky and helped dilute the menace of the night.

He picked up the gun. “Somebody’s got to make a move and it sure as shit isn’t going to be our uninvited guest up there, with Wolf waiting by his door.“ He gestured toward the big SUV and trailer. “Nobody but a fool or someone with a death wish would step out of that cab.

“Well, I’ll be damned.” The truck door opened and the stranger stepped out of the cab.

Wolf crouched his lips curled back showing deadly white fangs that gleamed in the moonlight.

The stranger held out his hand, palm up, for Wolf to sniff.

Without thinking, Maureen reached for the door handle. She couldn’t just sit and watch a man get savaged.

Hank shoved his arm out in front of her. “Wait.”

She could feel rigid cords stand out in his arm muscles and hear the strain in his voice. Her own vertebra felt glued together disc by disc. Tension built like the incoming tide beneath the soothing pull of the amulet.

She gasped in surprise as Wolf sat down.

With long determined strides the stranger walked toward the pickup Wolf trailing at his heels.

The bright moonlight illuminated his features, a strong chiseled face, a thin hawk-nose and dark hair drawn back in a pony tail. He wore faded jeans and a white Tee shirt.

Hank whistled softly. “What do you make of that?”

Glancing over, she noticed Hank’s hand still rested on the gun. “I don’t know what to make of it. But I guess we’ll be finding out.”

Her heart thumped as the stranger’s approach. Friend or foe?

Strange but True

Well a doctor in town has a new story to tell today thanks to me. Last weekend I was volunteering at the nature center as a handler for a photo-shoot. It’s a fundraiser for our animal rehab work. We tether a bunch of the birds to perches and photographers pay big bucks to come take their pictures. Each bird has its own personal bodyguard/servant the entire time. This day I was in charge of Igor, the turkey vulture. He likes to pick apart his jesses (tethers) and so every so often I’d have to step in and put my (gloved) hand between his beak and his feet to make him stop.

When I was trying to remove his jesses, back in his enclosure at the end of the day, I didn’t bother with gloves, since there were no visitors to see. Four years of working with this bird and never even a red mark on my skin. But this time he nipped.

Their beaks aren’t very strong, but he managed to pinch a flap of skin on the back of my hand and wouldn’t let go. Then he twisted, and managed to tear off a small bit of skin—about the size of a small sunflower seed. No big deal right? I’ve been bitten by far bigger beaks and teeth in my years of working with animals.

But of course this one decided to resist the peroxide, alcohol, tea tree oil, and Neosporin that make up my home arsenal against infection. So today I had to go into the walk-in clinic to get antibiotics for an infected vulture bite. She was most amused. Gave me the prescription. Said it will also clear up the sinus infection I hadn’t even told her about. Gave me a tetanus shot too, just for fun.

So as I was leaving, what did she say? “Oh I’ve gotta write this down…won’t ever have this one again…vulture bite…”

Happy Halloween, huh?