Today’s blog promotes Assault on Saint Agnes. It also talks about Stormy the Shetland Sheepdog. Hauling gravel, nice sales people, and Sidney Poitier are also included. At the very end we give some stuff away. Or, maybe that’s up front. I’m not sure any more. You have to read the thing to figure it out. Kind of random, no? Nothing new to the usual readers. But lots of new people are here this week. To all of you I bid welcome!
Please follow me on Twitter, and “Like” the Facebook author page. Don’t forget to subscribe (the box is on the right side of the page) to be eligible for free e-books and other benefits! Oh yeah – grab a copy of Assault on Saint Agnes if you’re of a mind.
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Who am I kidding? Many of you are here because of the book. That means it’s time to give away some free stuff. Let’s start with the audio book giveaway.
See? That was easy. I hope you buy the book. I hope you buy the audio book. I hope you like the Facebook page and follow me on Twitter. I hope a lot of things. I do know that someone will win those audio book files. Get cracking. (Yes, you do have to do something to win. It’s free only in that you don’t have to cough up cash. I’m sneaky that way.)
Now, on to the rest of this blog.
Last night we experienced another first at the house: Stormy hopped up and snuggled in for no reason at all. For new readers, Stormy is my rescue dog/beloved Sheltie. She’s about 11, has major anxiety issues, scared of anything loud, and wouldn’t come near me for a few months when we adopted her. (Quit laughing in the back. Yes, you the cryptologic types. I am a changed fellow and shouldn’t scare dogs anymore.)
Why is this a big deal? Because it means she’s getting closer to our goal of being totally relaxed around us. Her time spent hiding is down to almost nothing, and she returns to the room right away after most noises. If you’ve ever had an animal in your life who was abused/neglected, you will glow knowing how good it feels for them to feel safe. Hopping on my bed, unnoticed, without any thunderstorm activity is a huge deal. It feels like we’re almost there…
Sidney Poitier. Just watched an old movie, A Patch of Blue. Once again, I marvel at his amazing skills on camera. Handsome, articulate, great facial expressions – the whole package. What a pleasure to watch.
Sunday I had major errands to run, including obtaining some sound-proofing material for the room in which I record. Not only was the sales clerk at Home Depot a nice young woman, but she aimed me right at the place to buy my room dividers. (A blanket thrown over the top allows me to muffle the sound from the street when I record. Way cheaper than building temporary walls.)
Off I went to At Home. Wowsers. More stuff than I’d ever want to look at, but they had almost a dozen room dividers to look at. (Yeah, I know …. don’t end a sentence…) Good prices. Best of all, the Svengali at the checkout somehow knew I was a veteran. (The Casper Society ballcap was a giveaway.) She gave me a very nice 10% discount.
Finally, gravel. With the destruction of the house next door I was forced to put up a privacy fence. That meant either I’d have to weed whip it for the next ten years, or put a gravel base around it. Since the demolition had scrabbed away my lawn on that side of the house, the area for the gravel was already there for us to use. When I say “us” I mean my friend who did 99% of the work. It looks great. Kind of. Dang it, we were at least a cubic yard short.
Today I went to Leitner’s, my local spot for all things garden/rock/cement/paver. Not only did they steer me to the right way to get the gravel, but they gave me a good price on the delivery. And showed up within the 1/2 hour with it on the truck.
Today (Tuesday) I will be the fat, sweaty guy in the yard moving rock. Some said, in my younger years, that I was destined to work breaking rocks. This is as close as I plan to get. Now, get yourself over to that rafflecopter.com thingie and get yourself an audio book for free.
What? You can’t stand my voice? I guess you’d better just settle for the Kindle version give way. That’s right here See, I know you too well. Please do me a favor and share that link with everyone you know in the universe. Or, possibly on Facebook. It’s a random drawing by Amazon.com and they award prizes to every X entrants. More entries means more winners. I like giving them away. Help me spread the word. Here’s the “naked” link for Facebook, Twitter, etc. https://giveaway.amazon.com/p/e1e7a4c0eb6b3afd
Come back later this week for some actual blogging. I’m sure by Thursday something will have stuck in my craw. Until then, be blessed.
Assault on Saint Agnes is now available. Just click this link to find all the options! (I recommend the autographed copy. It’s cheaper than from the big stores, I scribble in it, and you get it mailed within 5 days. We all win.
When you finish reading any book (especially mine) please review it at www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and www.goodreads.com. Your review increases the chances of someone looking for a new book greatly. Authors appreciate your review, even if it is just “I thought this was a good read and will give it to my dog to chew.” Those few words, and a 1-5 rating, make or break how the search engines find us. Thanks in advance.
