Category Archives: Seasons

Weather, Pandemic Update, Pinterest, On-Line Interviews: Monday Blog Post

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My back yard after the storm.

Newest News:

Last week was eventful for my neck of the woods. We received about 2 feet of snow and cold, well below freezing. Not something that usually happens around here. The town managed to get at least one lane of street plowed in most neighborhoods and kept the main arteries in town cleared. A job well done considering that they don’t have many plows. At my house we were prepared and other than the fact my husband wanted to get out and about town to take snow pictures, we were content to stay home. We still have a few inches of unmelted snow, especially in the shady areas, but it will be gone in a couple of days. Temps here have been in the 40’s and it will stay that way, making the snow melt pretty quickly. I do hope any adverse weather you’ve had is now over and everyone is safe and sound.

Coronavirus update. Arizona has divided the population up by age, disability, and essential workers, so, while I am over 65, I have not yet qualified for an immunization. Like many others, I’m still self-isolating and when I go out, I mask up. Also like many others, I’m ready to get back to my normal life: meet up with friends, lunch out, go to conferences. Already a planned conference for June is being discussed as too soon to be held. Since I was already postponed from last year, I was excited to go but we’ll have to see if it will be postponed again. If you’re in the same situation, stay strong. This will be over eventually and we’ll be able to get out and about safely.

I saw an article I wrote for my local paper in the January 26th, edition. It was about the Martin Luther King Jr., Day of Service. I took the accompanying picture as well. You can see the article at https://www.paysonroundup.com/events/a-day-of-service-in-payson/article_428f2c99-4264-5ed9-8749-f1fbe379a101.html. Enjoy the article.

A New Start: A Gulliver Station Story

In other writing business I made a Pinterest pin about my Gulliver Station series. This was one of Pinterest’s new options, a story pin. I put together a six-slide pin with a buy link. You can see it here. https://www.pinterest.com/conniecockrell Look on the Pages & Ink board for the new Gulliver Station pin. One thing with this new option, I wasn’t able to add a clickable link, so I apologize for that. Otherwise, it was pretty user friendly to put the pin together. If you are a Pinterest user, give it a try yourself for a group pin, an ad (which is what mine is), a family get together or something else. I can think of a lot of ways to use this option. Have fun!

Please be careful out there. Weather can turn nasty, accidents can happen, illness can overtake us. Till we can meet in person, stay at home when you can and wear a mask when you go out.

Giveaways:

The Christmas giveaway has ended. I’ll post my winners and the Grand Prize winner as soon as they’re drawn.

New, is the Valentine’s Day giveaway. This is a small one with just eight authors so there’s a $24 Grand Prize of Paypal cash and 16 other prizes. Check out the link at https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ to enter.

Where will I Be?

I set up and completed an interview with Linda Thompson of The Authors Show on Thursday. I’m still waiting to see when the interview will air. At this point, it will be after February 7th. As soon as I know, I’ll post it on my Facebook page and announce it here as well. I’ll send out a newsletter too, to catch my readers who aren’t following my Facebook or blog.

I have my interview with Brenda Whiteside on Wednesday March 3rd on her blog, https://brendawhiteside.com/blog

On May 13th at 2pm Arizona time, I’ll be on the podcast with Laurie Fagan on her show, AZ Creates. It’s a lovely podcast and as soon as I have the link for my interview, I’ll put it up. In the meantime, enjoy her show at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teajmtQ4-90&feature=youtu.be. Note, Karen Landau is a mystery author right here in my town! How great is that!

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming. Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

Creature in the Night, a short Halloween, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Fantasy story has been published. It is up on Amazon, in Kindle Unlimited or for purchase at $.99. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe, I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

January, Accomplishments, Just Where Will I Be?: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

The 11th of January already. We’re in full winter here. It freezes overnight and we need to take in the hummingbird feeder to keep it liquid for the couple of little guys who are over-wintering. The birdbath also must be cleared of ice in the morning for the flocks of birds who come for water. It hasn’t really rained here for months and this part of Arizona is in a severe drought. The water we provide is a life saver for the birds and chipmunks who frequent it. This week my husband captured a pic of western bluebirds at the bath. This hasn’t happened very often before. Another signal, I think, of the drought. I hope your winter is going well and everyone is staying safe from the pandemic and warm and cozy inside.

What have I accomplished, writing wise, this last week? I applied for an interview on TheAuthorShow.com. It’s something I’ve been meaning to do for years now and just never made time to do it. Now I have. I’m waiting for word on whether I’m approved as a subject and if so, when I am scheduled to record the interview, and then show it. I have received word from another author and artist, Laurie Fagen, of AZ Creates, a podcast, that I’ve been accepted for an interview on her show. That will be in May and I’ll get the date and time up on my website soon. Another author, Brenda Whiteside, (a mystery author!), has set up a blog interview on her page for March. That will be March 3rd, and more info will be coming out on that soon. Both Laurie and Brenda’s interviews were requested in December. But fun for me, scheduled for this year. I’m excited about them all.

As I mentioned last week, I was going to be updating any front and back matter in my Gulliver Station series this month. Well, I did. But by the time I got through all three versions(paper, Amazon, Smashwords) of all four books, I was a bit fuzzy headed. I now need to go back and and make sure I have all the correct links in all of the right books. Then on to the next step, load the new versions up on Amazon and Smashwords. These will not be new editions, as I haven’t changed the interior stories in any significant way. They just now link one book to the next and at the last book, to my Brown Rain series. I suppose I should update those next. Sigh. Work is never done.

I also, last week, updated my Pinterest page to a business page. You can find it at https://www.pinterest.com/conniecockrell/. Stop in and take a look around. Fun reading stuff can be found on my Pages & Ink board. Enjoy your new found reading!

Giveaways:

The Christmas giveaway is still live! There’s a $75 Grand Prize of Paypal cash and 30 other prizes. Check out the link at https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ to enter.

Where will I Be?

Unfortunately, I’m self-isolating, so right now there are no scheduled in-person events for me for now. But as I mentioned above, I have my interview with Brenda Whiteside on Wednesday March 3rd on her blog, https://brendawhiteside.com/blog

On May 13th at 2pm Arizona time, I’ll be on the podcast with Laurie Fagan on her show, AZ Creates. It’s a lovely podcast and as soon as I have the link, for my interview, I’ll put it up. In the meantime enjoy her show at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teajmtQ4-90&feature=youtu.be. Note, Karen Landau is a mystery author right here in my town! How great is that!

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming. Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

Creature in the Night, a short Halloween, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Fantasy story has been published. It is up on Amazon, in Kindle Unlimited or for purchase at $.99. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe, I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Happy New Year, Smashwords Sale, Planning 2021: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

I hope your Christmas was very merry with Zoom calls, video chats, texts, or phone calls to family and friends. Now it’s time to do the same to welcome in the New Year. If you’re a first responder or group care home resident, I hope you already have had your Covid19 shots. If, like me, you’re in a later group, please be safe until your turn comes, and it will. I plan on getting my shot as soon as I can. I’ll wear a mask and stay socially distanced until 2 weeks after my second shot then, hoo boy. Can anyone say, nice dinner out? I wish you all a very Happy New Year.

The annual Smashwords End of Year Sale started December 18th, and runs through January 1st. Books I normally don’t put on sale are on sale for this event. At either 50 or 75% off are Recall, Troubled Streets, The Gulliver Station Box Set, and Gold Dreams. You can find all of my books on my Smashwords author page. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/conniecockrell. I hope you can buy a few books not only for yourself but for friends and family as gifts, as well.

Planning was my profession, back in both the Air Force and after I retired and worked for Computer Sciences Corp. So I’ve spent the last week or so thinking about what I want to accomplish, writing wise, in 2021. First on my list, needs to be Mystery at the Reunion. You Jean Hays fans have been waiting so patiently. I appreciate that. But now it’s time to get that story done and out into your hands. I poked around at changes throughout this year, but the story isn’t quite done. However, if I buckle down, I’m sure I can get it out pretty soon. I also have five YA books I call my All About Bob series, that are all but done. The final one needs to be finished and all of them need editing. If I can do that, I could possibly get six books out in 2021. Wow! Stay tuned for more.

Giveaways:

The Christmas giveaway is still live! There’s a $75 Grand Prize of Paypal cash and 30 other prizes. Check out the link at https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ to enter.

Where will I Be?

Unfortunately, I’m self-isolating, so there are no scheduled events for me for the rest of the year. I do hope you have a very happy New Year, and we’ll see each other in 2021.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming. Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

Creature in the Night, a short Halloween, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Fantasy story has been published. It is up on Amazon, in Kindle Unlimited or for purchase at $.99. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Local Shop the Grid, Shopping Amazon, Please Stay Well: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

Just in time for cyber Monday and if you’re looking for Christmas gifts, shopping small businesses is the best! I’ve joined other local, Payson retailers for a Shop-the-Grid event hosted by the Payson Chamber of Commerce. Spend $200 (collectively) at any of the participating vendors and be entered to win a Nintendo SWITCH Game System. Shopping must take place between November 23rd, 2020 and December 18th, 2020 and receipts must be submitted to the Chamber of Commerce during that time. The drawing for the winner of the SWITCH will take place on December 21st. I’m excited to be one of the vendors. You can shop online on my Amazon page, https://www.amazon.com/Connie-Cockrell/e/B009O6199C, or at https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/ to go to other online outlets. Any way you buy, you just have to show the receipts! Here’s a copy of the grid and the contact info for all of the vendors. I’m also posting this on my Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts. Good luck and have fun shopping local, small businesses!

So what have I been doing if I wasn’t writing in the Nano challenge? I’ve been taking Amazon Ad courses. I have ads up for both my horror Christmas story, Creature in the Night, but primarily for Mystery at the Fair. Perhaps you’ve seen them if you’ve been clicking around in the Amazon pages. I’m planning on making some ads for my SciFi series, Gulliver Station but I have to make a few tweaks, first, to the back matter of the books. In the meantime, you don’t have to wait for the ads. Use the links above to my Amazon page or my website, and get the books now!

You’ve probably heard that Corona Virus rates are now sky-rocketing all across the United States and the world. Please take care to stay home when possible, or wear a mask and maintain distancing when you must go out. You are all valued by friends and family. Stay safe. Stay well.

Giveaways:

The Christmas giveaway is now live! There’s a $75 Grand Prize of Paypal cash and 30 other prizes. Check out the link at https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ to enter.

Where will I Be?

Unfortunately, I’m self-isolating, so there are no scheduled events for me for the rest of the year. I do hope you have a very happy Christmas and New Year, and we’ll see each other in 2021.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming. Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

Creature in the Night, a short Halloween, Winter Solstice, Christmas, Fantasy story has been published. It is up on Amazon, in Kindle Unlimited or for purchase at $.99. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Writing, Gardening, Lifestyle Change: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

About 7 chapters lightly edited. At this point I’m checking for the continuity issues that are most certainly being added as I add the flashbacks to Afghanistan. I’m also pulling the stupid, just for words only, stuff I put in the story in Dwight’s point of view. Not that Dwight, Jean’s ex-husband, is stupid. Just the repetitive crap I put into the story in his POV. It’s a work in progress, people. Emphasis on work.

Zucchini madness is still upon me. Friday I foisted, er, uh, gifted, my author friend Sue a bag full of zucchini. She claims to love zoodles, so there she is. Unfortunately, Saturday I found 2 large zukes and 3 small ones hiding under the leaves. Ugh. Sunday I turned the big ones into grated zucchini and froze them. Zucchini patties and zucchini bread for the winter, I guess. Others I turned into zoodles for more zoodles and spaghetti sauce on Sunday. I’m closing in on getting the veggie drawer emptied but I know there are at least 5 of the little green guys growing in the garden. Probably at harvestable stage on Monday.

In other garden news. The hummingbirds are in a feeding frenzy for their migration. The pic at the top is of one of the little guys loading up. Above, this bug, bee?, appeared on my oregano as I was watering Saturday. Not the best picture, I know, but still, he’s quite a distinctive looking little fellow. Anyone know what it is?

On my new diet, no weight loss last week. Still at 218. I knew the rapid weight loss was just water, but it was nice while it lasted. I certainly feel better. I’m just thinking about how much better I’ll feel when I drop another 20ish pounds. I’ve changed up my first thing in the morning celery juice for a more mixed green juice. If you’ve ever seen Fat Sick and Nearly Dead with Joe Cross, you’ll know what I mean. My friend Debbie is a certified trainer and swears by the stuff. See her story here, https://thehealthygrandma.wpcomstaging.com/my-family-and-our-story/. At any rate, it’s a wider variety of vitamins and minerals and a different flavor from straight celery juice, so I’m liking it. Have you tried Green Juice? Drop a comment below!

Stay safe. Stay well.

Giveaways:

The Summer giveaway is now in progress! Check it out here: https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/. As always, each author is giving away at least 2 prizes and there’s a Paypal cash grand prize.

Where will I Be?

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting,is October 26th, still at 1pm. So, if you happen to be in Pine, AZ on that date, come on by. I’ll have some books available for purchase and signing.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming. Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

The Garden, Navajo Flatbread, Appearance News: Monday Blog Post

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My nectarine tree in full bloom

Newest News:

So, finally cleaned up the 3 backyard raised garden beds. They only had a few stems and dead leaves in them. I have no idea why I kept putting it off since November. It took all of five minutes to clean. Sigh. I also went to the front yard and pruned off the dead stems from the lavender plant. I hate that job and it took me about an hour. Now though, it’s done, and the plant is all ready to put out new flower shoots. The weather here is getting warmer, even though we can still get frosts and maybe even a late snow. No matter. I’m going to put in some lettuces and maybe even the peas. I’m certainly going to put in my Swiss Chard. It’s a mild kind, all green, that substitutes really well for spinach, which I can never grow. With luck, the chipmunks will leave it all alone. The bunny from last year must have moved on when it ran out of my garden veggies to eat. I haven’t seen it in months.

I found this easy bread recipe on-line for Navajo flatbread and I made it for supper last night. https://templehousegallery.com/pioneer-plate-blog/2020/3/18/bread-shortage-easiest-kind-of-bread-you-can-make It was quite easy to do, and I substituted a mix of cassava, tapioca and a general-purpose gluten free flours for general all-purpose flour to make it. Came out wonderfully. It calls for a cast-iron pan but I used my non-stick frying pan and they came out perfectly. Very tasty. I served it with a chicken tikka masala with broccoli and peas. I’ll make it again.

The St. Patrick’s Day giveaway is done. I’ll post my winners as soon as I get them. In the meantime, prepare for the Spring giveaway which will be starting in the next day or two.

See below for cancellations and changed dates for my appearances.

Stay safe. Stay well.

Giveaways:

The St. Patrick Day giveaway is now over but the Spring giveaway hasn’t quite started yet. I’ll post my winners as soon as I get them.

Where will I Be?

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, April 27th at 1pm. This event hasn’t been officially cancelled though the library is closed through April. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ. This event hasn’t been cancelled yet. I’ll keep you posted.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ. This event hasn’t been cancelled yet. I’ll keep you posted.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th. This event has been postponed until the end of September. Current dates are now September 25th through Sunday the 27th. Note that it’s a day shorter, starting on Friday rather than Saturday. For people who have special Thursday passes and other special tickets, check out the Fan Fusion website for details on how those will be handled.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Busy week, Kitchen deep clean, Giveaway: Monday Blog Post

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Our wedding. Such goofs.

Newest News:

Newest news is that I’m busy this week! LOL! I know. Everyone is busy. But I have something or two somethings going on every single day. I’m retired. I shouldn’t have that many appointments. But I do, so there we are. I hope your week is suitably busy and not stressing you out. What’s on tap? My book festival meeting and a neighborhood ladies lunch on Monday. Tuesday is the town Chamber of Commerce luncheon which I’m attending as the chamber is bringing back the guy from Google to teach business people how to use the app. There’s also the Girls Night Out group meeting at happy hour. Can’t miss that. Wednesday brings the Arizona Professional Writer’s state officer’s meeting. I’m the Membership Chair and the President of the Rim Country Chapter. That will end up being an all day event because it’s being held in Phoenix. Thursday is the Gila Community College board meeting and I’m now on that board. The evening is Bunko and it’s at my house. I started cleaning last week. The cupboards were a disaster and I’ve tossed a lot of stuff out. So that makes me feel good. I have a meeting with the venue where the book festival is going to be held on Friday morning. After that, it’s our Anniversary on Sunday. Forty-five years. Whew! I’ll try to keep up!

Above I mentioned that I decided to do a deep clean of the kitchen this last week. It was long overdue. It’s amazing how junk builds up in the cabinets. Lot’s of stuff has hit the storage area for a yard sale. Lots of other stuff went directly into the trash. Hubby has been an awesome help. Otherwise we’d still be doing the tops of the cabinets. I still have the bottom cabinets to do but there’s not so much stuff down there to be moved, cabinets washed, the stuff put back. And again, I’ll have my eyes peeled for pots, pans, etc., that can be tossed!

Giveaways:

Hooray! The St. Patrick Day giveaway is now live! This is one of our shortest giveaways so be sure to click on the link right away. As always, we ask that to win, you follow us on one or more of several social media, or our newsletters, or our websites. You don’t have to join all of them, but to find out more about the many wonderful authors, you’ll want to do that. Here’s the link. https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ or go to https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2703c98f110/  Sign up today!

Where will I Be?

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, April 27th at 1pm. More info to follow.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

I’m Literary! Giveaway Opens, Fruit Trees Pruned: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

Just after I posted last week, I received news that a story I wrote last August, had been accepted and was just published. The way it happened was that I met a woman, Rosemary Dombrowski, a poet from Arizona State University, who was doing some pre-book festival work with sixth-graders here in Payson for us. She has this literary magazine she and some of her students and other instructors work on, called Writing For Peace. https://writingforpeace.org/gardens-in-the-desert-cultivating-awareness/ It turned out they were accepting short stories and poems and art for the upcoming Winter 2020 edition. The theme was Gardens in the Desert, Cultivating Awareness. Even though my fiction isn’t considered literary, an idea immediately popped into my mind and I wrote it up.  After I sent it in, I just forgot about it. Then a few days ago, I was contacted by the staff to check my story for correctness. A week later, boom, I have a link to the electronic copy. I hear an actual paper version will be published later this year. I’m looking forward to that as there are wonderful stories in there and stunning artwork. Want to check it out while it’s free? Click on the link above and it takes you right to it. My story, A Little Bit of Light, is in the Fiction link. Enjoy it and the other stories, art, and poetry.

Peach tree from 2019

I mentioned last week that it was time to prune my fruit trees. I actually got it done. I managed to sprain my wrist in the process but the two pears, the peach, and the nectarine trees have all been cut back, crosswise branches trimmed and the trees are now ready for spring. The rosebushes and the lavender bush all still to be done but that will get done eventually too. How about you? Are you able to garden yet or do you still need to wait for the snow to leave?

Giveaways:

Hooray! The St. Patrick Day giveaway is now live! This is one of our shortest giveaways so be sure to click on the link right away. As always, we ask that to win, you follow us on one or more of several social media, or our newsletters, or our websites. You don’t have to join all of them, but to find out more about the many wonderful authors, you’ll want to do that. Here’s the link. https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/ or go to https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/2703c98f110/  Sign up today!

Where will I Be?

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, April 27th at 1pm. More info to follow.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Happy President’s Day, Cooking : Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

Happy President’s Day. The holiday kind of caught me by surprise. We went to breakfast Saturday morning and the town traffic was heavier than usual. I couldn’t understand why till I happened to check the calendar. So. Hope you are having a great three day weekend and staying safe, as well.

Anyone reading this also on Facebook? Sometimes a meme comes through that just sticks with me. A few weeks ago was one that read: Hardest thing about adulting? Deciding what to make for dinner every night for the rest of your life. I so understand that. I didn’t when I was younger. I loved buying cookbooks, trying new recipes—now, if I can’t make it from memory or requires more than one pan, I’m out. So for those of you still enthusiastic about dinner, yay! For me, I’m still struggling along.

The weather here has been getting warmer. The rose bushes and fruit trees are starting to bud. That means I’m late at pruning. So to all of you gardeners out there, time to prune!

Giveaways:

The St. Patrick’s Day giveaway will start soon. I’ll post links as soon as I get them.

Where will I Be?

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, April 27th at 1pm. More info to follow.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.

Full Moon, Painting, Winter Storms : Monday Blog Post

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Full Snow Moon by Randy Cockrell

Newest News:

Have you been enjoying the full moon the last couple of days? Above is a pic my husband took.

In my last post I mentioned that hubby had decided to paint the second bathroom. Well, it’s all done. He removed everything: Towel racks, light fixtures, pictures, the whole lot. He spackled holes, let dry, then painted the walls a light green, cucumber color. The he replaced everything, bought a new towel rack and put it up, and replaced the toilet. Now the whole bathroom is spanking new and clean. Love it. Thanks, hunny!

The weather is crazy, right? It’s been cold here, more than usual. The weekend started to warm up. Now it’s turning again. Those in the south and east are getting slammed with snow, sleet, power outages and every other kind of craziness. If you know of elderly or others in your area that could be in distress due to outages, icy sidewalks, or something else, take a moment and check on them. Give a hand where you can.

Speaking of weather. Bad weather is a great time to stay inside and read. I just finished London Bridges by James Patterson. Like all of his Alex Cross books, this one is a thriller and a page-turner. Pick it up at your local library or whereever you get your books. Hope you enjoy it.

Giveaways:

The St. Patrick’s Day giveaway will start soon. I’ll post links as soon as I get them.

Where will I Be?

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, April 27th at 1pm. More info to follow.

Phoenix Fan Fusion, May 21st – 24th.

Payson Book Festival, July 18th at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ.

CokoCon 2020, September 4 – 7th, DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Phoenix Tempe, 2100 S Tempe, AZ

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. I’ve put sign-up gifts on the regular and the SciFi/Fantasy and the Cozy Mystery newsletter sign-ups. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. Be prepared for fun and contests! Click on the video link for a short video from me. Hear what I’m working on. Join my “A” Team to be the first to read my books and hear what new books are coming.

Don’t forget to follow my blog, too. Different material goes in the blog as in the newsletter. You can share both, so spread the word!

Newest Releases:

My 2020 Calendar, which I’ve titled Arizona Reflections, is still available. The beautiful pictures of Arizona wildlife, insects, reptiles, and landscapes relaxes me every time I look at them. The wall calendar has both U.S. and Canadian holidays listed and blocks for keeping track of appointments. You can find the calendar for purchase at: http://www.lulu.com/content/legacy-lulustudio-calendar/arizona-impressions/25183877. Alternatively, you can go to my website, at my Books and Other Products page and it’s the first thing you see. I hope you enjoy it.

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is up on Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, (Direct link doesn’t work, copy the URL and paste it into your browser, or go directly to Kobo.com and search for Gold Dreams, Connie Cockrell), and Smashwords. The print version is available on Amazon. You can also see all my books on https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/my-books-and-other-published-work/. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a short, honest, review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads or BookBub. Your review is critical to help me promote the books to other readers. Thanks in advance.

Thank you for reading my blog. Like all of the other work I do as an author, it takes time and money. If you enjoy this Monday blog and the Friday free story and the recipe I put up on the 25th of every month, consider donating to https://www.paypal.me/ConniesRandomThought. I appreciate any donation to help support this blog.