Saturday, October 31, 2015

No Sunday Snippets Today...Something'smore important

Mom with her TN Moonshine last year...me and my siblings
Today is much more special than promoting my books...today is a day to celebrate the birth of the woman who gave me life and helped inspire me to write...especially in the western genre.

Today, my mom is 91 years old.  I took her to the doctor recently, and the report from her physician is she's in great health.  Yesterday, I took her to the eye doctor, and her vision is better than mine.  Her favorite hobby is sweeping leaves and when you live in TN...you definitely get lots of opportunity.  Of course when she lived in the Arizona mountains, she was constantly raking pine needles.  Yep...she's obsessive about things like that.  She's also the most unconfrontational person I know...and unlike my sister's, I inherited that trait.

So...Happy Birthday, Mom.  I love you more than you can imagine and I'm so thankful you're still with me.  Dad will just have to wait a little longer to see you again.


BTW...Today Starts a new month and a new blogging partner.  Say Hello to Roseanne Dowell when she starts blogging.  I'm tickled to have her here and I'm certain you'll enjoy her  posts.

Friday, October 30, 2015

Happy Halloween

Taken from Wikipedia
Today, I'm going to share the origin of what some consider an evil holiday, specifically one listed as celebrated most frequently.  Sadly, I outgrew celebrating when my children aged out, and I tend to hide in the basement to avoid answering the door.  Yet another sad fact...the doorbell hardly rings anymore, so hiding the past few years has been a total wasted effort.  I think stangers lurking in the dark who aren't part of the holiday, razor blades in apples, and poison candy or popcorn balls has spoiled what was once an opportunity to bring a smile to a young face.  While often deemed the "day of the dead", I don't think any youngster sees anything but candy in their future when October 31st rolls around.  :)  I know my grandson was really upset when the school deemed costumes could no longer be worn there...you know, we must be politically correct at all times. I have mixed emotions about this issue since the school thinks it's fine to have sock hops during school hours and charge admission.  It's not okay to make those who don't celebrate feel otracized, but it's okay to ostracize those who can't afford to attend.  Huh?  But I've gotten totally off topic.

I'm copying this directly from Wikipedia (sans the footnotes):

Halloween, or Hallowe'en (/ˌhæləˈwn-ˈnˌhɑːl-/; a contraction of "All Hallows’ Evening"), also known asAllhalloween,] All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve, is a yearly celebration observed in a number of countrieson 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Hallows' Day. It begins the three-day observance ofAllhallowtide the time in the liturgical year dedicated to remembering the dead, including saints (hallows),martyrs, and all the faithful departed believers.
According to many scholars, All Hallows' Eve is a Christianized feast influenced by Celtic harvest festivals,with possible pagan roots, particularly the Gaelic festival Samhain.Other scholars maintain that it originated independently of Samhain and has solely Christian roots.
Typical contemporary festive Halloween activities include trick-or-treating (or the related "guising"), attending costume partiesdecorating, carving pumpkins into jack-o'-lanterns, lighting bonfiresapple bobbing and divinationgames, playing pranks, visiting haunted attractions, telling scary stories and watching horror films. In many parts of the world, the Christian religious observances of All Hallows' Eve, including attending church services and lightingcandles on the graves of the dead, remain popular, although in other locations, these solemn customs are less pronounced in favor of a more commercial and secular celebration. Because many Western Christian denominations encourage, although most no longer require, abstinence from meat on All Hallows' Eve, the tradition of eating certain vegetarian foods for this vigil day developed, including the consumption ofapplescolcannonciderpotato pancakes, and soul cakes.

So...for those who participate...Happy Candy Gathering!!!!

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Sharing Reviews

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Ms. Simpson shows the result of someone being teased for something that they have no control over. As someone that had been teased all her formative years, I too know how it feels and give kudos to Ms. Simpson for writing about this sensitive subject.

This review was done by Carol Langstroth from Mindfog Reviews, associated with
http://www.authormeetingplace.com

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This book took me on a wildly emotional ride as I rapidly turned the pages until I had consumed the entire book down to the final satisfying sentence. The story is told in a straight-forward, matter-of-fact way that, for me, makes Carrie’s internal angst all the more powerful and believable. I feel like I was there with her, surrounded by dingy gray walls and cold steel bars. The various character interactions are portrayed realistically. All have well-defined motivations, and it was quite easy for me to picture the on-going action like a movie in my head. Speaking of which, this story would make an awesome movie! Highly Recommended!   


Thanks to Laurie at:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/firstdegreeinnocentbygingersimpson.html

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Odessa is like walking straight into a nineteenth century western town and trying to survive. The descriptive words used to explain everything from the smells, to the heat, to the surrounding decorations, and so much more are vividly told through Ms. Simpson’s voice. This is a romance that has a sweet and slow cadence and leaves you watching as Zach and Odessa fight for each other and search for a way to survive life in general. I did find it slightly odd that Odessa came across as strong before she met Zach and then later in the story after Zach leaves for his job, Odessa seems to kind of just wilt as far as her bravery goes. Overall, this is a great western novel full of believability and enough action to keep you reading.  This book is now called Arizona Sky and the new cover is below.  Released by Books We Love.

Thanks to Danielle from:
http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/BookReviews/odessabygingersimpson.html

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This story is one of seven in a collection now, and is entitled Discovery.  It's been released by Books We Love.


Ms. Simpson introduces us to Callie and builds the suspense at a nice pace from the first bump of turbulence to the final confrontation between her eye-candy cowboy and the surly, swarthy gentleman. The aircraft is definitely in trouble and Callie is right in the middle of it. I highly recommend this story as a great waiting room read—as long as you aren’t waiting for a flight. ;-)

Entire review found at:  http://rochellesreviews.blogspot.com/

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Your can find all my books listed on Amazon.

     

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Halloween Movie Quote Trivia Answers

Thanks to everyone who stopped by to check out Movie Quote Trivia on Monday. Here are the answers:

1) Easy ~ “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.” — Hannibal Lecter (Anthony Hopkins) The Silence of the Lambs, 1991

 

2) Medium ~ “I am your number one fan. There is nothing to worry about. You are going to be just fine. I am your number one fan.” — Annie Wilkes (Kathy Bates) Misery, 1990


3) Movie Buff ~ “Have you checked the children?” — Curt Duncan (Tony Beckley) Escaped madman, When A Stranger Calls, 1979



Bonus scary movie quote:

“There’s a monster outside my room, can I have a glass of water?” — Bo Hess (Abigail Breslin) Signs, 2002



Have a very Happy Halloween and stay safe! Due to time constraints, this is my last post on Dishin' It Out as a regular blogger. I will be back when my next release comes out to tell you all about it. And you can always find me here:


Thanks so much for your faithful following!

 

Monday, October 26, 2015

Lost In His Eyes - Reviewed by Cold Coffee Press


5.0 out of 5 stars Let Logan Carruthers Be Your Next Hero!October 25, 2015
Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Lost In His Eyes (Kindle Edition)
Homesteading in the Oklahoma Panhandle in 1894 is getting harder every day, “Hot winds drove a herd of tumbleweeds across endless acres of sod, broken and dried by the late July sun. The devastating drought in Oklahoma continued, leaving everything parched or dying.”

A small cast of well-developed characters bring the story to life as Miss Harlee Wagner accidentally falls into the family well while gathering a bucket of water. Days later and near death, was this stunning man a figment of her imagination, or was he, her long awaited hero?

Fast-pace action, adventure, mystery and romance keeps the reader turning the pages seeking answers to this most unusual mystery.

I quote a passage from the book to show Ginger Simpson’s writing style and the questions Harlee has on her mind. “Harlee took in the scenery again, but her mind wandered. Homesteads much like the one Pa had staked claim to, sat back from the trail, gardens withered, heat waves spiraling upward, and an occasional dust devil swirling in the distance. How did those twisting demons develop when the ground had turned stone-like from the absence of moisture? Could humidity cause enough dampness? Although the area hadn’t had rain for some time, some days were filled with ‘heat you could wear’, as Logan said. Today was one of those days. Harlee’s top clung to her like a second skin; perspiration beaded her forehead and dampened her hair. How she wished she had her old straw hat, but that had disappeared along with her family.”

Cold Coffee Press endorses Lost In His Eyes by Ginger Simpson as a warm, realistic, 1800 period romance published by Books We Love. Thirty plus books have given Ginger Simpson the notoriety that she has earned as a romance author.

I invite you to read (just to name a few); Lost In His Eyes, Ages of Love, Arizona Sky, Betrayed, Dancing Fawn, Destiny's Bride, Discovery, Ellie's Legacy, First Degree Innocence, Hattie's Heroes, Sarah's Heart and Passion, Shortcomings, Time Tantrums and Yellow Moon.

We were given this book in a Kindle/PDF format. This review was completed on October 25, 2015. For more information please visit Cold Coffee Press.

You can find a copy at http://store.payloadz.com/details/2383628-ebooks-romance-lost-in-his-eyes.html  YOU'REIN LUCK....THERE'S A BUY ONE GET ONE FREE SALE GOING ON RIGHT NOW!


Sunday, October 25, 2015

Movie Quote Trivia ~ Halloween Edition ~ by Jamie Hill

Time for another game of Movie Quote Trivia. This one is in honor of Halloween! I'll give you three quotes, ones I consider easy, medium, and Movie Buff! And this month I've included a bonus scary movie quote. Can you name the movie and better yet, the character who said the lines? Try not to cheat!

1) Easy ~ “A census taker once tried to test me. I ate his liver with some fava beans and a nice chianti.”

2) Medium ~ “I am your number one fan. There is nothing to worry about. You are going to be just fine. I am your number one fan.” 

3) Movie Buff ~ “Have you checked the children?”

Bonus scary movie quote:

“There’s a monster outside my room, can I have a glass of water?” 

Come back Thursday for the answers. Have a great week! 

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Sunday Snippets from Sarah's Soul *WIP* with Ginger #sundaysnips

Today I'm sharing a snippet from Sarah's Soul...my current work in progress.  Please know this is from an unedited version and is the first draft.  Things can change, and often do.

Sample:

The phone was ringing when Sarah unlocked the door.  The police had removed the tracking device right after George died so Sarah had had the telephone mounted to the wall.  She left the door open and rushed to pick up the receiver, hoping for good news.  “Hello.”

“You feeling safe, Sarah?”  A deep voice turned her blood cold.

“Who is this?” Her hands shook, but she made frantic motions toward the phone  to grab Marie’s attention.

“Someone who plans to finish the job poor ol’ George started.” His words send a shiver up her spine.

“Why?  Do you know me?”  Sarah’s fright drove her determination to discover who wanted her dead.  She put her hand over the mouthpiece.

“Marie,” she whispered. “Phone Daniel on your cell and tell him the calls are starting again.”

“Who am I? Oh, we're somewhat acquanted.  Enough for me to know Marie is still there and most likely calling the police, but they aren’t going to find me by trying to discover where this call originated.  I’m not that stupid.  I won’t call again because you alreadyvknow I’m going to make sure to take Sarah’s Soul.  See you soon.”

Sarah hung up and sagged into a dining room chair. “Not again.  Please Lord, not again.”  She covered her eyes to mask her tears.

Marie bent and hugged her. “Don’t cry Sarah.  Daniel is coming right over.  He’ll get to the bottom of this.”

Sarah jerked up her head. “There is no bottom.” She sniffed.  “The man on the phone said he won’t call again because I already know I’m going to die.  There’s nothing Daniel can do. Whoever is making these calls wants to torture me too.  Why else would he  warn me instead of just snuffing me out?”

*****
Now....please hop on over to the other gals who post on Sundays, and check out their offerings:







If you get a page that has an old post...just realize that life sometimes happens, and then check back next week.  I've missed a few myself and probably will again.  The holidays are almost upon us.  Thanks for checking in and we hope you keep coming back.  Sadly, we've lost Jamie Hill, but I'm seeking a replacement.  If anyone is interested in driving traffic to your own blog, please email me.



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