Good grief...has it really been since May that I've had time to sit down and rattle off in my blog? In all fairness to myself, I have been pretty darned busy! I started a new job in the middle of May, then moved on to my annual trip to Wild Deadwood Reads in June, then it was time to try to fit in some barefoot gardening and on to opening up the lake place. Oh, not to mention, finishing my newest release Third Time Lucky which will hit your favorite eBook retailers in the next few days. 
Time to sit down and take a breath and bring you all up to date. I have booked another year at Wild Deadwood Reads for next June and am going to be staying in a HAUNTED BROTHEL with a group of other authors. Speaking of haunted, I had a couple haunting experiences in Deadwood this year. While taking the Twisted History Tour one evening, I was joined in the alley by a young woman in a flowing white gown. No, I'm not imagining it because my traveling companion heard a girl's voice singing at about the same time. Then, while on my second tour of the historic Fairmont Hotel, I had a warm hug from what I sensed was an older woman. So, it seems fitting that I jump in with both feet next year and see what sleeping in a haunted brothel has to offer in the way of spirit visitors. This year, I also made a trip to the Full Throttle Saloon for a shot and a drink. If you ever get the chance to go there, I highly recommend it! And of course, I did my annual trail ride at Andy's Trail Rides with a group of wonderful folks. The day was beautiful and the company extraordinary.
Upon my return, I managed to get some gardening done. Unfortunately, we have had tons of rain here in Indiana and of the things I planted, I now have only 6 tomato plants, 4 cabbages, 3 green beans, 4 peppers and 5 hills of cucumbers. Harvest this year is going to be rather skimpy but there is always next year. Right? And I do still have some beets, carrots, sauerkraut, green beans and tomato sauce from last year's haul.
I think I mentioned I went on the Keto diet some time back in one of my other blogs. Well, that has fallen by the wayside but I'm getting back on track this week. It's rather hard to stay on Keto when you like to day drink at the lake on the weekend, right?
Speaking of the lake, I have gotten to spend three weekends up there and enjoyed Independence Day weekend with my beautiful daughter and granddaughter and my amazing chef of a son-in-law. The weather was beautiful except for a short period of time on Saturday afternoon when it rained and I took the opportunity to work on Third Time Lucky.
Third Time Lucky has really kicked my butt! Originally, it was supposed to have released at the beginning of July but I had to push it out to this coming weekend. It's a romance with three separate stories...the first part takes place in Colonial Virginia with Thomas and Maggie who are married to other people but manage to fall in love and have a heated affair, not necessarily in that order...the second part takes place in the Dakota Territories where Hawk and Honor experience a tragic young love...then the third part takes place in the Modern Day Midwest with Jake and Maggie who are met with betrayal and redemption. There's something for everyone...some erotic sex in part one...tender young adult romance in part two...and a later in life second chance romance in part three. Keep an eye on my Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TeresaAKeefer for the buy links.       
Geez...what else can I tell you? I have acquired a weather hound who hides in the dryer or the closet during storms (or fireworks)...her name is Kate and she's a beautiful Redbone Coon Hound that I just love to pieces...and even Oscar has become fond of her...too fond if you catch my drift. I have to say, it made for an interesting night when she went into heat...one 5# neutered dog raring to go a round with an 80# female who had no idea what he was trying to do...nothing like an evening of explaining to the 5# dog that he didn't have the equipment to do his thing and would need a ladder of sorts to reach the target even if he did have the equipment. Sigh.
I also got to go to my first concert in a long time when my cousin asked me to tag along with her to see Alice Cooper at the Honeywell Center. Great show and to be honest, it was the 4th time I had seen him and it was a little different this time. No less dramatics though!
So, you may ask what I have going on in the near future...well...I'm going to be at Indies in Indy on September 14th and am going to have a couple amazing giveaways at my table. I picked up some book boyfriend shirts with my logo from Good Human who was also responsible for my awesome banner at Deadwood. You should check them out on Facebook...they have some fantastic designs and will do custom work as well for a very reasonable price! That's GOOD HUMAN on Facebook! I will also be working with a group of amazing authors on an anthology to benefit homeless veterans that is set to release in November and the next book of my Magick collection will wrap up my year around the holiday season with The Magick Quilt (in honor of my travel companion to Deadwood this year and an aspiring author herself). Other than that, I'm gearing up for 2020 and will release some of my book signing dates as my plans are finalized. I'm looking at a couple new locations for 2020 in addition to Deadwood.
Okay...six o'clock in the morning comes rather quickly, so I'm going to wrap it up for tonight. Have a wonderful remainder of the summer and stay tuned...I promise not to make you wait so long for a blog entry next time!

I've been extremely busy adjusting to my new day job, so this is the first I've been able to sit down and write about a fabulous weekend I just spent with a group of awesome ladies at the Spirit of Sisterhood retreat at the beautiful and peaceful Camp Chesterfield!  
I finished up my previous job on May 10th at around 5 pm...went and fed my best friend's dogs...and headed south for the meet and greet where we were given our fascinators to wear for the weekend like crowns!

The first night I had dinner with a new friend and found out she is a seamstress...oh my goodness what a talented lady she is! Ate pizza at Pizza King and chatted like we knew each other. A fine older gentleman came in for his pizza pick-up and after he left, the waitress told us that lovely man bought our dinner because we reminded him of his deceased wife who used to buy dinners for people all the time. God bless his soul! 

Saturday we got up and had breakfast in the cafeteria and moved on to another dear friend who taught us about essential oils. We got several samples and gathered some nature items outside as an activity to see if which of the four elements we were drawn to the most. I gathered some bark, a pine cone, a lilac bloom and a wish maker (dandelion)! Then we made bath salts!  I can't wait to try mine! If I ever get some breathing time! That workshop was followed up with a lovely lady who I respect very much talking about how to live our best life. How to take control of our lives. She's a fantastic teacher! Then I was off to feed the dogs and my own livestock and dogs to return to play with mandalas. Since I was late getting to that workshop, I didn't get to hear the history of them but will certainly take some time to learn in the near future. And I have two that I need to finish coloring! Finally, we got up and moved around and learned to belly dance. Just the basic stuff...and me being the uncoordinated klutz I can tend to be was rather pleased as I moved around the circle with the other ladies brandishing my tablecloth "scarf". Church services that night was lovely and following that, we had a tea party where our hostesses read our tea leaves.

Sunday morning after breakfast we did a drumming circle and gathered as a group while our hostesses did tag team mediumship readings. Alas, it was then lunch and time to say goodbye until next year's retreat...even though a lot of the ladies I'll see many times before then!
​
I have to tell you, this was a first for me! I've never gone to a retreat for a whole weekend with ladies outside my own writing circle but I will certainly do it again!

​Tell me what makes Alexis “tick” as an author or a person or both:
As a person, I think my beautiful family makes me “tick.” I have two beautiful children, and they give me joy every day. As an author, I think I’m inspired by the natural world. I like to take long walks, and I start thinking about nature and the cosmos, and that’s where I get many of my ideas!


If you could go anywhere in the world to live, where would you go and why? Describe your residence once you get there:
Hmmm, that’s a tough question! I think I’d live in the Pacific Northwest, maybe somewhere near Olympic National Park. I actually went backpacking through Olympic years ago, and I think it’s stuck in my mind as a fairytale wonderland. I’d love to have a house nearby, something comfortable and homey with a nice fireplace and a beautiful view.

Do you have a muse or a person who inspires you to write? Tell us about them:
I think I have a lot of muses! In particular, I think my writing group, especially my friends and fellow writers Sarah Mensinga and Gerardo Delgadillo, have really inspired me and helped me out along the way. Even having a regular writing meetup has definitely made a difference in terms of keeping me writing and working, even when I’m frustrated.


What book are you working on right now? Do you have a release date you can share with us?
I do have a second (and a third!) book I’m working on! My next book is a collection of fantasy short stories, and it should be out by early summer. My WIP is a MG/YA fantasy, and I’m hoping to finish a rough draft by the end of the summer.

Other than writing, what else are you passionate about?
I love classical music. I was a musician for many years, and I still love playing in the symphony. I also love the outdoors.

What have you found to be the most difficult part of being an author?
I was surprised how much time and effort went into marketing! It’s difficult, and can definitely cut into writing time.

We want to come visit your library. What books might we find on your shelves that we wouldn’t expect to find?
I have a rather large amount of classic poetry and other writing from Ancient Greece and Rome. I actually love reading ancient writers like Homer, Ovid, or Virgil.

If money were no object, what philanthropic contributions would you make and why?
I would donate to two things: promoting the health and safety of women and girls worldwide, and protecting the environment. I’m passionate about women’s health because there are still so many horrifying human rights abuses perpetrated against women and girls, and many horrible medical conditions they suffer as a result. For example, obstetric fistula or female genital mutilation. As for the environment, I deeply love and value the natural world, and I think we have a moral imperative to protect and preserve it.


Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert? Why?
I’m definitely an introvert. I’m not shy or afraid of people, but I need time to recharge if I have to spend time in a crowd, or with people I don’t know that well.

You’ve got a whole weekend to do whatever you want to do, how are you going to spend it?
I think I’d go an a walking tour of the Rhine with my family. We’d stop at lovely castles, quaint little inns, and beautiful scenes along the river. At night, we’d stay in lovely inns that serve authentic German food.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give a younger version of yourself?
Don’t date that guy!


Where can readers find you? Please list your social media, website, and other links you’d like to share below:
Amazon Link for Sapience: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N74LCGH
Website: https://www.lunarianpress.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Alexis-Lantgen/e/B07PBTPD97/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/alexislantgen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alexislantgenauthor
​ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LunarianPress

Tell me what makes Mark J. Engels “tick” as an author or a person or both:
Telling stories by which I can share my own experiences, interests and passions--those parts of my past I myself don’t want to ever forget. Like growing up amongst Polish-Americans near Detroit. My love of Great Lakes lore and legend. Ice hockey. Staring out through a tractor-trailer's windshield at the passing countryside. Practice in and appreciation for traditional Korean fighting arts.  Combining my interested in trains and electronics into a career as an electrical engineer. And, of course, my several decades now in various anime, manga and anthropomorphic fandoms.

If you could go anywhere in the world to live, where would you go and why? Describe your residence once you get there:
Białowieża Forest and Belovezhskaya Pushcha, straddling the border between Poland and Belarus.  I'd take up housekeeping in a one-room stone cottage near the end of an abandoned railroad line last used by the Nazis to ship out rough-sawn timber westward toward the Reich's factories.  Maybe, just maybe I'd be lucky enough to spot a werecat from the Forest Clan out on a hunt.  Luckier still if they allowed me to live to tell about it.

Do you have a muse or a person who inspires you to write? Tell us about them:
Late one night while working on a job site on a rail transit system startup my muse accosted me, slashing away at my subconscious without even having the decency to tell me her name.  Jerk. I tossed and turned on my rack back at the hotel all the following day trying to ignore her.  ‎My muse she be a werecat, you see, and she demanded I write.  Employed fangs and claws to make her argument without a moment's hesitation.  Demanded I recount her struggles, her family's struggles, as if her very life depended on it.  Which, of course, it did.  Without me...there would be no her.
Before long Pawly told me she and her clansmen lived under their Affliction's constant berserker threat, hostages within their own bodies.  Forced to live as societal outcasts while hiding in plain sight.  Not quite fitting in anywhere in society, yet dependent upon it for their survival.  Not so different than my own lifelong struggle with mental illness.  Like them, I move through my days passing myself off as "normal", anxious and fearful of what might happen if people really knew me. 
She persisted.  Pawly wasn't about to let me give up on her, give up on my ability to tell her story.  She was much more certain than I was, excising my every doubt:
"I don't know how!"
"You can learn."
"But what if I fail?"
"You'll learn what not to do, then. "
"I don't have time!"
"You have twenty-four hours in a day, just like everyone else.  Spend your time doing fewer things, and you'll have all the time you need."
"But what if no one wants to read it?"
"Write the books you have in your heart to write.  Even though they might well not be the books any one person has in their heart to read.  You’re not writing for them anyway."
Pawly was right on all accounts.  A year writing the story, a year revising and editing the story following reader feedback, a year to pitch the story to agents and editors, nearly another year waiting for the book to release following a contract signing.  Even in my darkest moments, facing dozens of rejections, she was with me.  Goading me on.  Ensuring I wouldn't quit.  Even despairing after agent/editor submission guidelines stating "no vampires, no werewolves!" in this post-Twilight world meant "no shifter characters of any kind" (well, except for paranormal romance--but I hadn't written a paranormal romance.)  “The right people will get it,” Pawly reminded me, quoting Joel Hodgson of Mystery Science Theater 3000 fame. 

Of all the books you have written, tell us about your favorite one and why it was your favorite:
ALWAYS GRAY IN WINTER, my debut novel and first paranormal sci-fi thriller in my werecat family saga series.  Because holding the book in my hands made me realizes--my dream of giving Pawly and her family tangible form had finally become reality.  I've got books left to write, but they would not have reason to be had not ALWAYS GRAY been written and published first.

What book are you working on right now? Do you have a release date you can share with us?
The next paranormal sci-fi thriller in my werecat family saga series is named FOR WHILE THE TREE IS GREEN.  It's a prequel, taking place while a teenaged Pawly and her twin brother Tommy are Growing Up Werecat.  She learns of her secret werecat heritage after she unexpectedly morphs for the first time one fateful Halloween night. Together with their blended human-werecat family, she and Tommy struggle come to terms with their "Affliction".  Their uncle Ritzi, a scientist and a werecat both, must take up his deported father’s research to help contain the twins' ascendant bloodlust.  An investor approaches offering to fund Ritzi's endeavors after the Affliction turns on Pawly's werecat mother and begins to ravage her body.  A man whom Pawly and Ritzi will come to learn the hard way is no angel. 
No release date as of this writing to share, but the manuscript is currently under publisher consideration.

Other than writing, what else are you passionate about?
I've been a train buff since boyhood and an electronics geek since Dad convinced Mom I could be trusted to wield a soldering iron and not burn the house down.  Today I make my living as an electrical engineer designing, constructing, testing, and commissioning railroad and rail transit signal & communications systems across the United States.  I love the work I do and am grateful I can provide a decent living for me and my family doing it.  I'm not much of a "camera-totin' railfan" anymore, but I have been known to work on the track gang at a nearby 15"-gauge "live steam" tourist railroad... http://dellstrain.com/

What have you found to be the most difficult part of being an author?
Knowing what advice to take give serious consideration to and, more importantly, what advice not to.  Everybody's path, everybody's success metrics are different--what worked for them/there/then might well not work for me/here/now.  I've come to understand that advice and feedback are important, and I'm grateful to receive it.  And that I'm under no compunction whatsoever to do any of it.  Because, like it or not, I am the final arbiter of what advice is actionable and what advice isn't.  What will help me tell the stories I have in my heart to tell and get them to my readers, and what won't.  Like martial arts legend Bruce Lee counsels "Adapt what's useful, reject what's useless, and add what is truly your own."

We want to come visit your library. What books might we find on your shelves that we wouldn’t expect to find?
A lot of shoujo manga!  Though I suppose that might not be completely unexpected, given my werecat family saga's de facto protagonist is herself a young woman.  And a fighter to boot.  Reference my collected Sailor Moon and Fushigi Yuugi graphic novels.
If money were no object, what philanthropic contributions would you make and why?
 
 
Tell us about your most memorable moment as an author:
The first time I signed a copy of my first book.  Though, looking back on it now, the experience was more than a little anticlimactic.  Kinda like when I reached "THE END" in my manuscript, when I finished those many rounds of edits, when I first received a publisher offer, when I opened the box containing my author copies.  Those were all treasured moments, sure, but they don't seem nearly as momentous now as they did then.  More like "okay, achievement unlocked, now on to the Next Thing."  Because there will always be a Next Thing until the last book of the story I have to tell has been published.
Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert? Why?
At one time in my life I was quite the extrovert.  But now, not so much.  I've discovered that my work, my interests, my ambitions, my writing make me boring company around many people.  It's far to exhausting for me and them both with all the explanation I have to undertake just so they have a frame of reference to understand just what I'm on about.  I live in a place where nearly everyone likes football, hunting, and/or fishing, and I'm passionate about none of those things.  When I'm around my kindred spirits, however, I'm very outgoing.  But when I'm not around them, I'm not.  "Cast ye not thy pearls before swine," and all that.  It's challenging for me to expend energy around people I don't know well enough to know whether they indeed march to the beat of the same drummer I do.
You’ve got a whole weekend to do whatever you want to do, how are you going to spend it?
The shore of Bois Blanc Island's "West End", gazing out over the Straits of Mackinac and the Mackinac Bridge.  While seagulls cry, the lake breeze blows, and lake boats pass by close enough to skip a rock off their hulls.  I'll sleep in late, walk in the sand all day, roast weenies and marshmallows by the fire every night.  And do little else.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give a younger version of yourself?
Yes, you should enlist in the Navy.  Or the Coast Guard.  Don't let people in your life talk you out of doing something simply because they're close to you.
The sky is the limit…tell us anything else you would like to tell us…
Buy my book.  Buy other "indie" authors' books.  Review them on Amazon and Goodreads.  Talk them up with your friends, especially those on blogs and social media (and make sure you tag the author so they know!)  Our books need to reach their audiences--copies need to get into the hands of the people who will most appreciate them.  And when our readers buy our books, review our books, and blog/tweet/post/talk about our books to others, they're helping us do just that.
Where can readers find you? Please list your social media, website, and other links you’d like to share below:
https://www.mark-engels.com/
https://twitter.com/mj_engels
https://www.facebook.com/mark.engels.39
http://mjengels.deviantart.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mjengels

We finally got some much needed sunshine here at the farm today but with it is a lot of water just sitting on the ground because there is nowhere for it to go. I've mopped floors and washed dog feet like a boss and my Justins are water logged and caked with mud to the ankles. I don't know when we will be able to get the garden tilled...the lawn mowed...or my herb bed expanded for my adventure into making my own essential oils. And you would think with all the rain there would be an abundance of morel mushrooms in my woods but after traipsing through there this afternoon, I didn't find a singe mushroom!
Other than the rain, my rooster suffered a loss this week. As I was getting ready for work on Tuesday I heard him making a racket out in the lawn outside my window, but when I looked out I didn't see anything unusual so I went back to getting ready for work. Then...out the corner of my eye I saw movement along the fence and there was a grey fox slinking toward the barn. I threw on my robe and boots and grabbed the Remington from beside the dresser and went out on the front porch. By this time, he had my black hen at the far end of the pasture so I looked through the scope and got him in my sight as he stared up at me with a mouthful of bloody chicken feathers. I pulled the trigger and...NOTHING...in my haste, I forgot I had unloaded the rifle when my granddaughter was here visiting. So, I get the pistol and managed to scare him off but he will live to see another day. Poor Moe the Rooster was so upset he could barely crow and he would walk around the barn like a desolate old soul. Until Thursday. Thursday, I went and picked him up 10 hens. I pulled in the driveway with my secret cache of girlfriends and got the first one out of the crate and stepped around the side of the Jeep and called him. When he realized what I had, he puffed his feathers up and jumped up on the fence and crowed like I had never heard him crow before. He ran to meet us and when I sat her down inside the fence he did his little dance moves and jumped on her back to introduce himself then back up on the fence to crow again. And he did this little ritual with each and every one of the 10 new girls who have now been dubbed "Moe's Hoes". I think I'll even make a sign for the coop that says that!
Other than farm stuff, there's a couple of other things going on and coming up. I will be starting my new day job on May 13th and I'm really excited about that. My oldest grandson graduates the 2nd of June and I'm really proud of him...he's made the sports section of our newspaper twice in the last week with a game where he struck out 16 players! Then it will be time to go on my annual trip to Wild Deadwood Reads! If anyone out there is in the area or within driving distance...you should come see me! I'll have some nice giveaways as well as my last 7 published books and I'll also be giving away 10 signed post cards of the cover of my upcoming reincarnation romance Third Time Lucky which will also come with the ebook on release date!
Don't forget to watch my blog this week on Wednesday when I will be spotlighting Mark Engels author of paranormal and sci-fi thrillers!
​Have a great week everyone!!

​Tell me what makes Jen Davis “tick” as an author or a person or both:
As a person, I am blessed with an amazing husband and kids—plus a day job I really enjoy. As an author, I love creating the kind of characters I seek out as a reader, usually damaged people with an arc where they learn to value themselves through the eyes of someone who loves them.
 
If you could go anywhere in the world to live, where would you go and why? Describe your residence once you get there:
If I could live anywhere, I’d probably return home to New Orleans. We’ve moved a lot with my job, but NOLA will always be home for us. There is nowhere else like it.
 
Of all the books you have written, tell us about your favorite one and why it was your favorite:
I think I will always have a soft spot for Brick. I know authors like to say their current WIP is their favorite, but I love a good anti-hero. Brick does some terrible things, but he does them because he feels he has no choice. When he allows himself to connect with someone and to love, his entire world changes.
 
What book are you working on right now? Do you have a release date you can share with us?
I am working on final edits for Robby, book 3 in the Cooper Construction series. It’s my first m/m book. (The other two in the series are m/f.) It releases July 2.
 
Other than writing, what else are you passionate about?
I care deeply about social justice and what is happening in the world around us.
 
What have you found to be the most difficult part of being an author?
Finding time! With a full time job and two kids, I am in awe of authors who can write every day. That, and marketing. I never would have believed how much time and effort marketing takes. No matter how good your book is, without marketing, no one would ever know it even exists.
We want to come visit your library. What books might we find on your shelves that we wouldn’t expect to find?
Ha! I am so predictable. All my books are romances.
Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert? Why?
Extrovert—all the way! I love to talk. There is not a drop of shyness within me.
You’ve got a whole weekend to do whatever you want to do, how are you going to spend it?
Read! And write.
Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give a younger version of yourself?
You can’t strong arm people into your point of view.
The sky is the limit…tell us anything else you would like to tell us…
I’m a writer, but at the end of the day, I’m a reader—just like you. I believe in true love and happy endings where the good guys win and the villains get what they deserve.
Where can readers find you? Please list your social media, website, and other links you’d like to share below:
http://jendavis.net
https://www.facebook.com/authorjendavis/
http://twitter.com/redhotbooks
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/jen-davis
https://www.amazon.com/Jen-Davis/e/B07MTNQDLX/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3360642.Jen_Davis
 
 

Floating away is putting it mildly. We have had so much rain these last couple weeks, I'm beginning to think I live in a swamp. With a garden to till, a lawn to get mowed, and a pasture to sow with some clover and alfalfa I just don't have time for this!
It's been a busy couple of weeks and I'll have a major announcement coming soon, but I can't share just yet. But stay tuned...
With the month of April being designated Indie Author April, I have some great new authors coming up in my Wednesday features starting this week. I shamelessly pimped the Twitter feed and got some Indie authors to share their stuff, so be sure and dial in on Wednesday nights for the latest author features.
I had probably one of the best experiences in my life on Friday! I was blessed to have gotten tickets to the NRA2019 Legislative Forum and got to hear our President and Vice President speak. It was an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime experience that I will never forget. To actually see and hear both a sitting President and a sitting Vice President in the same day. Of course, after the event I traipsed around with a couple of my friends to see all the displays in the NRA Exhibit Hall. I kept a tight rein on myself and only bought a tee shirt, hat, and a magnetic holster for under my dash to hold my Taurus .22 when I'm traveling alone.
I also have a new addition to the homestead. Her name is Kate or Katie as I'd like to call her and she is Oscar's new friend. After some initial growling and grumbling on Oscar's part, he seems to have adjusted to her except when her big feet step on him in the middle of the night while he's snuggled under the covers with me. She's a sweet and pretty girl as long as she's not chasing the chickens or disappearing back in the woods and getting in the creek.
Today, the dandelion's are in full bloom and I discovered a way to use them. Essential oil. So, in a little bit I'm going to go out and gather some of their sunny blooms and stuff them in a jar with some olive oil and let them sit on a windowsill for a couple weeks. Dandelion oil is good for aches and pains, chapped skin, swelling...the list goes on. So...that's what I'm going to do as soon as I finish up this blog post.
I do want to give you the heads up that on May 6th I'll be doing a takeover on Wild Deadwood Reads page on Facebook with some giveaways. On May 15th the first book of my Summers Sisters Trilogy will be on sale for 99 cents. On May 17th Vincent-Blood Retribution will be on sale for 99 cents. And If you haven't read my latest novella yet, Treasured Memories will be FREE on May 27th.
Okay...I'm going to get off the sofa and gather dandelion blooms...happy Sunday to all!

Today as I was driving to my bill-paying job, I was at a slow simmer due to a couple of below the belt hits I took on Twitter. Then it struck me. How dare someone insinuate I’m a bad author or imbecile merely because I have an opinion? How dare they say I’m killing my writing career because I don’t agree with other peoples’ opinions? Come on, just because we are authors doesn’t mean we aren’t individuals. We don’t all fit into the same tidy box that everyone seems to think we do. Just because we speak out about the things that are important to us doesn’t mean our books aren’t worth reading.

Let me give you a prime example. I love reading Stephen King and Anne Rice. I have a collection of their books in my library because I enjoy their work. However, their political opinions and outspoken criticism and downright ugliness toward our President stick in my craw. Because I happen to be proud of our President and all he has done to keep our country the greatest in the world. I’m not going to go out and burn my collection or donate it to Goodwill and I’m not going to stop buying their books just because I disagree with their comments. They are wonderful authors and they are entitled to their opinion just like I am. It doesn’t make them shitty authors or shitty people. It makes them uniquely THEM. Just like I’m uniquely ME.

The unique me is a pretty laid-back individual with some strong opinions about several topics. I won’t go into those topics but I do want to tell you a little bit about myself and hope that along the way I pick up some friends and readers that share some of the same interests other than romance novels.

I enjoy gardening along with growing and canning my own food. I also try to only purchase organic foods. My cousin and I went to a presentation by Jillian Michaels from the Biggest Loser and after that event, I walked out thinking to myself…now why in the world would I want to put growth hormones, GMOs, antibiotics, and other chemicals in my body? I don’t! So, when I garden I use only seeds guaranteed to be non-GMO. When I buy meat it has to be grass fed without hormones or antibiotics. What the heck? Is the FDA trying to kill us all off or what?

I’m a Spiritualist studying at the Historic Camp Chesterfield where I have met some very like-minded friends as well as friends who don’t necessarily have the same opinions as me. But I still love them for who they are. I believe in one Creator or Source or Alpha…whatever you want to call Him or Her…and I believe everyone goes to Heaven or the Spirit World when their souls are no longer part of their human bodies. I believe the only evil which exists lie in the hearts of humans who have little regard for their fellow person. And as hard as I try not to dislike anyone, there are a few certain people I wish would go crawl back into the hole they crawled out of. I’m working on that. Not putting them in a hole but trying to understand that sometimes there are people of the female persuasion who are just greedy gold-diggers who try to use other people for what they have rather than loving them for who they are. And that’s going to be their karma someday.

I’m proud to be a mother and a grandmother and I have some of the most amazing family. I love the individuality of my three daughters because it’s like having the best part of myself in each of them with the even better parts of their own personalities. My grandchildren are each precious in their own way and I feel blessed to have been able to move back close to them when I was downsized from my high-paying job during the economic crisis. My only regret is not having enough time to do all the things that a lot of grandparents get to do because I work a full-time job,  write full-time, and I have my gardening, studying, and a home to take care of. But my heart is with them everywhere they go and through everything they do. I just hope they know that.

I believe in earning everything myself and doing as much for myself as possible. My father taught me to be independent and I am able to do basic wiring, carpentry, and plumbing, change brake pads or oil in my car…but sometimes I like to play the damsel in distress and let someone else do it for me. Seriously, I love being a woman even when it means being strongly and fearlessly feminine. But I’m not a feminist. I truly feel there are some things women do better than men and things men do better than women. We should embrace that men and women aren’t equal in everything. It’s called being unique. I love cooking for that special person…or doing things to lighten the load on their plate...that's not subservience, that's treating someone the way they should be and showing them they are cared about. And I don't mind working side by side with a man either. As long as they do the heavy work and don’t shout orders too loud. Just kidding.

That’s just a little about me…it looks like Part 2 this story might be in order next week because I’m running out of time here. Or, if you want to know more about me and can’t wait until the next blog post you can always email me at [email protected]

I look forward to chatting again soon!

 
Tell me what makes Lynda Cox “tick” as an author or a person or both:
A couple of things can really speed my heart rate and keep me keepin’ on—When I’m not writing or researching for writing, I show dogs. Collies, specifically. Looking at a litter of puppies, evaluating them, pinning a few dreams to them, that makes me smile. Showing those dogs makes me happy. In my writing life, research makes me happy. It can be frustrating, but it also makes me happy. And, my readers are the biggest reason I keep doing this. If I can make one person smile with something I’ve written, I’ve accomplished something. Meeting readers at conventions and book signings is the best part of being an author. Even if those readers don’t read in the genre I write in, we can usually find books we’ve both read and share those books. Writing and reading might be solitary pursuits, but the act of talking about favorite books is a shared experience.
Do you have a muse or a person who inspires you to write? Tell us about them:
That fully depends on the hero and that changes from book to book—though I have noticed a trend. Most of my heroes tend to be dark headed and blue-eyed. Henry Cavill has been one of the muses. I think he’s been a muse for a lot of authors. I first took notice of him in The Tudors. I’m showing my age with a few more of the muses—but Clint Walker was another of the muses. Harrison Ford (the Han Solo version) was another muse.
Of all the books you have written, tell us about your favorite one and why it was your favorite:
Smolder on a Slow Burn is my heart book. I know, as an author, I’m not supposed to have favorites (it’s rather like asking which kid of mine is my favorite), but that this question is here says a lot of authors have favorite books. Smolder started life many, many years ago as a contemporary romantic suspense. The hero was based on a Marine officer I met while I was dating a Midshipman at the United States Naval Academy. That officer simply exuded pure, raw animal magnetism and put a fit, confident man in a formal dress uniform—dangerous combination to an impressionable seventeen-year-old. For NaNaWriMo one year, I pulled the original manuscript out and thought about revamping it. It was much too dated. It could almost pass as a historical at that point. So, I started playing the “What if…” game with myself. What if I turned it into an actual historical? What if they both had a past one of them was running from and the other was avoiding? I threw them on a train headed in the right direction—AWAY—and started writing. When I wrote A.J.’s first line of dialogue between him and Allison, as he tells her to go sit down before she knocks him out the door of the moving train, I knew it would work. I love these two so much, I wrote a sequel which is now my fifth book published through the Wild Rose Press.
What book are you working on right now? Do you have a release date you can share with us?
I’m working on three at this moment. One is for a series I’m writing with Kari Trumbo and Christi Corbett. The other two are for the Brokken Road series with Abagail Eldan and P. Creeden (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07K2L3VDD ). Of those two, one is a Christmas novella for an anthology and the other is a stand alone within the series. These will all be self-published, and I don’t have a firm release date, other than November 4 for the anthology.
Other than writing, what else are you passionate about?
I’m passionate about my dogs and the push back against the animal rights activists. I’m all for animal welfare. Don’t get me wrong, but there is a HUGE difference between animal welfare and animal rights. Our rights as pet owners, as farmers, as ranchers have been steadily eroded over the last several decades and it frightens me.
What have you found to be the most difficult part of being an author?
Bad reviews. I try not to take them personally but those are my babies someone didn’t like. I have to laugh though about one really bad review I received. It was a one-star review for my first book with the Wild Rose Press. The reviewer admitted she hadn’t read the book, she couldn’t remember ever buying it but there it was on her Kindle, and because it wasn’t even in a genre she would read, she blamed me for that book being on her Kindle. Seriously? For the most part, I don’t look at the bad reviews, but that is one I still look at to remind myself common sense doesn’t grow in everyone’s garden.
If money were no object, what philanthropic contributions would you make and why?
First of all, I’d donate a boatload of money to a scholarship maintained by the English Department at my alma mater, Indiana State University. The Pfenning Scholarship is for declared English majors and when I was the first ever freshman to earn that scholarship, it guaranteed I could afford to continue my program. Secondly, I’d donate to Gary Sinese’s Foundation for members of the armed services. Lastly, I’d donate to Adam Driver’s Foundation which encourages the arts for service members.
 Tell us about your most memorable moment as an author:
Wow. This is a tough question. There are so many. The moment I got the e-mail from the Wild Rose Press offering me a contract on my first published book. The first time someone other than my family and close friends contacted me and wanted to buy my book and asked me to autograph it. (That was a total head-rush!) Getting nominated for the RONE with Smolder on a Slow Burn. Being a finalist for the RONE and ultimately being the runner up for the RONE with West of Forgotten. Self-publishing my first book—so I guess that makes me a hybrid author.
Do you consider yourself an extrovert or an introvert? Why?
I’m an introvert. I’m horribly, horribly shy. Big surprise there, considering I taught college freshman composition for two years and I’ve been showing dogs for almost 40 years, but I really am very shy. Book signings and conferences are very difficult for me because I tend to hang on the edges, prefer to not be noticed, and suffer from extreme anxiety in large groups of people.
The sky is the limit…tell us anything else you would like to tell us…
To aspiring authors, I have some advice. Write, write, and write some more. Read, read, and read even more. Read in your genre to learn the standard tropes, then note how established authors take the standard tropes and twist them and turn them on their heads.  You can take the rules and bend and twist them, but you have to know what the rules are first before you can do that. And, if you do bend and twist the rules, you have to know why you did that.
 
 
Where can readers find you? Please list your social media, website, and other links you’d like to share below:
My webpage: www.lyndajcox.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/lynda-j-cox
Author Persona on FB: https://www.facebook.com/LyndaJCox/
My Street Team on FB: https://www.facebook.com/groups/273089652815599/
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Lynda-J.-Cox/e/B009LW3JZ6
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