Category Archives: Contest

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, Snippet of my NaNo Fantasy, Smashwords Sale, Please Stay Well: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

My local, Payson retailers Shop-the-Grid event hosted by the Payson Chamber of Commerce runs through December 18th. Spend $200 (collectively) at any of the participating vendors and be entered to win a Nintendo SWITCH Game System. Shopping must be submitted to the Chamber of Commerce before the end date. 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!

Energy Ball 001 by ISO Stock via www.deviantart.com

I thought it would be fun to give you a snippet of my NaNoWriMo fantasy. It is a totally raw piece of writing, so be warned. For lack of a title, I’ve been calling this story, Fantasy of Light.

I waited, stomach churning, as Pica Longstream stared at me. It wasn’t my fault. No one’s fault, really. It’s just the way it is. I tried to keep my whole body still, relaxed, but ready. Ready for a scream, a blow, anything. He was clenching his fists. A blow was coming, perhaps. He was breathing heavily. A trained warrior, I could see, and he was struggling to control his emotions. I had delivered a heavy blow, after all.

It was his father, Gren Straightwood, though, who answered. “Witch. You gave an oath that you’d never return.”

He glared at me, his remaining eye burning with the same fire as I remembered from our youth. I briefly wondered how his left eye had been lost then pushed the thought away. He was a warrior. Explanation enough. “I did make that oath, Gren, When I passed the child to you.” I spared a quick glance for Pica. He’d suppressed his surprise and shock. What I saw now was both anger and hurt. He had his father’s glare. I took a deep breath. Half the village was now standing behind Gren. Some were puzzled or curious. Those my age though, they were just as angered as Gren. I swallowed. “There’s a danger to us all that I must warn you about.”

The mumbling from the crowd grew louder. A shout from the back from someone I couldn’t see came flying forward. “All your doing, witch?”

I knew this was going to be difficult. “Not mine. No.” I kept my focus on Gren. “An evil is spreading across the land. It must be fought.”

Gren’s hand went to his sword hilt. His left rested on his dagger hilt. Wearing full armor in the village seemed unusual to me. Unless he already knew of the danger or it was already sniffing around the village. I could see Pica do the same, as well as Gren’s men, lined up behind him. He scowled. “Come to the hall in an hour.” He nodded at the soldier standing next to me. “Take her and her horse to the stable. See the animal is cared for then return to your post.

The man gave a quick bow.

“Thank you, Gren.”

Gren gave a short grunt and turned away. The public excitement over, the villagers drifted away, still giving me the eye. I was used to it though it did sting that the village where I had grown up would treat me so and turned to lead my horse to the stable. I knew where it was, but followed the soldier anyway, just to keep the peace.

I’m also involved in the annual Smashwords End of Year Sale. This starts December 18th, and runs through January 1st. Books I normally don’t put on sale will be on sale for this event. At either 50 or 75% off will be Recall, Troubled Streets, The Gulliver Station Box Set, and Gold Dreams. You can find all of my books on my Smashwords author page and on December 18th, see the sale prices. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/conniecockrell. Again, the sale begins Friday, December 18th, just as the Shop the Grid event ends. I hope you can buy a few books not only for yourself but for friends and family as gifts, as well.

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.

Booksweep Winners, National Novel Writing Month, Local Shop the Grid, Christmas Market: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

My Booksweeps giveaway ended on November 11th. Here are my winners. Elisheva Thoreen was the giveaway’s grand prize winner and Michael Goldberg won a copy of my book, A New Start. Congratulations to both of them.

It’s National Novel Writing Month and I have written over 11,000 words. It’s looking more and more like I will not make my 50,000 words goal. With 9 days left in the month, I’d have to write 5,000 per day to finish on time. While that is certainly possible, it’s not likely that I can summon the discipline to do it. It will be my first Nano incomplete. Not failure, as I do have a very good start on this new fantasy story. So there’s that.

Looking for Christmas gifts? Shopping local is the best! I’ve joined other local 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. Anyway you buy, you just have to show the receipts! Once I get a copy of the grid from the Chamber, I’ll post it on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/ConniesRandomThoughts. Addresses and links to all of the vendors will be on the grid form. Good luck and have fun shopping local!

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, 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 Halloween giveaway winner’s list is available. My winners were Kayla Harmon and Angela Carrillo. Their prizes have already been sent. Congratulations to them both!

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?

With a sad heart, I’ve cancelled my appearance at the Twilight Tuesday Christmas Market on December 1st. The Corona virus rates in my town are skyrocketing and I’m deciding to stay at home. I love Christmas Markets. My husband and I attended many when we were stationed in Europe. I’m sorry to miss this one but there will be next year.

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.

Fund Raiser, Creature in the Night, Bush Fire: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

Hi there! It’s a little less than a month until my birthday. It’s the big 65, and I thought I’d try something different to celebrate. I’m asking that people donate to my favorite 501c3 non-profit, the Payson Book Festival. Cancelled this year for the Coronavirus, I thought I’d try to get a jump on earning money so that the 2021 Payson Book Festival will be even better than before. So if you’d care to, pop on over to Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/donate/952277878565180/10217646111446962/, and drop a little money into the kitty. You can find out more about our festival at www.PaysonBookFestival.org.

I finished editing my horror short story, Creature in the Night, and sent it in to the contest. I think it’s a pretty good story and I hope that I win. The anthology will be released on the 31st of October. If I get into the book, I’ll post a link. If I don’t, well, I’ll post the story on my blog for Halloween for you to enjoy!

The weather here has been hot and dry and windy. The Bush Fire seems to be under control. The Tonto Basin neighborhood is being allowed back into the area. The remaining burning areas where the Hot Shots are letting the fire burn out are being monitored. The wind has died down a lot and that has certainly helped though the air is still smoky. I want to give a big shout out to the Forest Service, the Hot Shot crews, the firefighters, the police, the Red Cross, and everyone involved in keeping our area safe. To everyone else, please be careful if you’re out camping or picnicking. Pay attention to any No Burn orders and have a safe and happy summer.

Stay safe. Stay well.

Giveaways:

The spring giveaway, Spring Flings and Book Things, is now open. You can get to it here, on my Giveaways page.

Where will I Be?

Phoenix Fan Fusion, September 25th – 27th. This event has been postponed until the end of September. Note that the event is a day shorter, starting on Friday rather than Thursday. 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.

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, has been officially rescheduled. The new date for my appearance 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.

Super Moon, Self-isolating, Horror Short Fiction, ebook Sale: Monday Blog Post

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Super moon, May 2020

Newest News:

The other day was the last supermoon of 2020 and my hubby went out and took some pictures. Above is one. I hope you had a chance to enjoy the view!

Another week of self-isolating. The state of Arizona has been opening things up slowly but at this point, everything is open. People are still supposed to be wearing masks and self-distancing. I haven’t been anywhere in the past 2 weeks, but hubby says only about 50% or less are masking. This is why I’m staying home. I hope you are all well and protecting your family to the best of your ability.

Moon and Clouds by Randy Cockrell

I finished my horror short story and sent it off to the editor. She has gotten back to me with a plan for the edits. I agreed to the plan. So in the next day or so, I’ll get the first, content edits back. I’m feeling good about this story. I may even try and pick up one of my unfinished works and try and get that done. Baby steps, you all. Baby steps.

I should mention here that I have a sale going on over on the Smashwords site. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/conniecockrell This is my author page and as you scroll down, you’ll see all of my books. Since I make my books as inexpensive as possible right from the start, I don’t usually do sales but because of the lockdown, I did put some on sale for 60% off. You’ll see the sale prices listed on the ones on sale. This runs through the end of the month, so hop on board an get some reading in. Prices will return to normal June 1st so don’t delay.

Stay safe. Stay well.

Giveaways:

The spring giveaway, Spring Flings and Book Things, is now open. You can get to it here, on my Giveaways page.

Where will I Be?

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, September 25th – 27th. This event has been postponed until the end of September. Note that the event is a day shorter, starting on Friday rather than Thursday. 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.

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, has been officially rescheduled. The new date for my appearance 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.

Mother’s Day, Horror Flash Fiction, ebook Sale: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

I love the way this red-orange one has only opened the outermost petals. The rest is still a bud!

The tenth was Mother’s Day and like pretty much everyone under stay at home orders, I had a lovely day at home. Hope you had a great one. I lazed half the morning away reading emails, watching Food Network shows and having breakfast. Then I watered the garden, had a shower, and took some time to macerate some strawberries for strawberry shortcake. I found a Paleo Lemon Pound Cake recipe and made that as my shortcake base. Dinner, however, is less elegant. I have a fridge full of leftovers, so we’ll be having left over pork scallopini, Cauliflower rice with asparagus, and the afore mentioned shortcake for dessert. Not bad, right? The rest of my rose bushes are blooming. Above is a picture of one of the red ones. It’s an orangey red. Below is a coral peach color one. I love both of them.

This one is a coral peach color, which in full sun, the camera on my phone didn’t capture very well.

I found a contest for a Horror Christmas/New Year/Solstice short story contest and I’ve been working on a story. I think I’m doing well on the scary part. My ending is a happy one though. Those of you who like to read horror, would a happy ending be disappointing? Comment back if you have an opinion, I’d really like to know.

I should mention here that I have a sale going on over on the Smashwords site. https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/conniecockrell This is my author page and as you scroll down, you’ll see all of my books. Since I make my books as inexpensive as possible right from the start, I don’t usually do sales but because of the lockdown, I did put some on sale for 60% off. You’ll see the sale prices listed on the ones on sale. This runs through the end of the month, so hop on board an get some reading in. Prices will return to normal June 1st so don’t delay.

Stay safe. Stay well.

Giveaways:

The spring giveaway, Spring Flings and Book Things, is now open. You can get to it here, on my Giveaways page.

Where will I Be?

Payson Book Festival, at the Mazatzal Hotel and Casino, Payson AZ. This event is now cancelled the next festival is July 17th, 2021. The danger to our authors, volunteers, and guests just seemed too great to hold the event. I’m disappointed, as are the committee, volunteers and authors already scheduled to attend. With luck, next year will be much better.

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, September 25th – 27th. This event has been postponed until the end of September. Note that the event is a day shorter, starting on Friday rather than Thursday. 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.

Pine Library, 6124 W. Randall Place, Pine AZ, Friends of the Library meeting, has been officially rescheduled. The new date for my appearance 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.

Phoenix Fan Fusion T’s, Book Sale, Giveaway, Payson Book Festival: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

After the show, I began showing some of the t-shirts from the Phoenix Fan Fusion. Above is one for this week.

What a deal. For the month of July, I’m offering many of my books either 50% off or free! That’s right, the entire month of July is Smashwords’ Summer/Winter Sale and I’m participating. If you decide to pick up one of my books, I hope you enjoy it. If you do, a small review would be greatly appreciated.

One more giveaway if you are a SciFi, Apocalyptic/Dystopian fan. Starting today! I’m with a group of authors offering just that. The giveaway is called World’s End and is through Book Funnel. You’ll be asked to join author’s newsletters. This giveaway is over at the end of July so don’t wait too long or you’ll miss it!

Our front yard lizard, an earless lizard, seems to have lost part of his tail. I’ve shown him before—a handsome fellow, but life out in the yard is tough. I’m happy to see he won his battle and is free to continue to sun himself on his favorite rock.

Giveaways:

The Summer Giveaway is open! There are 33 participating authors with 33 book prizes and 33 summer gift prizes. The Grand Prize is $100 in Paypal cash. This is certainly a giveaway to get involved with.

Where will I Be?:

The Payson Book Festival 2019. Mark your calendars for this Saturday, July 20th. Go to www.paysonbookfestival.org for all of the details! We have nearly 90 authors, lots of speakers in both the Fireside and Maple rooms, and again, the silent auction. Want to just make a donation? Go to our Paypal.me page, Payson Book Festival.

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 Book Release:

Gold Dreams released May 13th, 2019. It is only up on Amazon, at the moment. I’ll let everyone know when the print version is up and is up on the other platforms. 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 Easter, Family Visit, Giveaway Winners: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

I hope everyone had a safe and Happy Easter. The weather in my neck of the woods was just super—low to mid-seventies, clear sky and just too wonderful not to spend at least some of the days outside.

Andrew and me at Montezuma’s Castle

My brother left last Tuesday and my nephew, Andrew, came on Friday afternoon. We had a good time seeing Jerome, Cottonwood, the Tonto Natural Bridge and some American Indian pictographs. He had to leave us on Sunday afternoon to drive back to Ft. Huachuca to finish his E6 training.  

Giveaways:

Still up for grabs! If you’ve looked at my “Where Am I” page on my website, you’ll have noticed that I’m going to be at the Phoenix Fan Fusion over Memorial Day weekend. (May 23rd – 26th) I’ve decided that I should do a giveaway. A free exhibitor pass for one of those days. I know that not everyone can take off for Phoenix at the drop of the hat. But if you’re in the area, and you’d like to come see me at my booth and spend the day at the event, sign up by emailing me at [email protected]. Post a picture of you with one of my books. Use the subject, PFF Ticket. I’ll draw a name on May 10th and contact the winner with directions for picking up the pass.

The St. Patrick’s Day giveaway winners have been drawn. I’ve contacted my winners already. They are Judy Thomas from New Zealand and Sarah Mayer from the USA. Congratulations to both of them. I’m not in the Spring giveaway, time just got away from me, but I will be in the Summer giveaway. https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/

Where will I Be?:

If you are a fan of most any genre, I’m participating in an on-line cyber conference here: http://owscycon.ourwriteside.com/about-ows-cycon/. The event is May 17th through May 19th. There are discussion forums, author giveaways, and so much more. Check out the link and sign up to participate. Sign up also gets you news on what’s happening and when. So sign up today. You might just be the person we want to have in our panel discussion!

Phoenix Fan Fusion! Oh My Gosh! If you haven’t ever been to this event you need to check it out. The catalog of things to do is humongous! I’ll be down in Artists Alley, Four Carat Press, booths AA930 and AA932. Come check it out. If you’ve never been, it will blow your minds. It’s May 23 – 26th. Come see me!

The Payson Book Festival this year is going to be more exciting than last year. Mark your calendars for July 20th. Be in Payson for the book festival. Go to www.paysonbookfestival.org for all of the details!

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 Book Release:

Slave Elf released February 19th, 2019. It is finally up on all of my other retailers in ebook format. You can buy it at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords today. 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. It’s 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.

Stephen King, Gold Dreams, Family Visit, Giveaway: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

A friend introduced me to a new Stephen King book, Elevation, last week. It’s a very quick read and not scary at all. Kind of SciFi, kind of literary, it’s still a good story and heart-warming, in a way. Don’t want to tell you too much and ruin the book for you. But take a look at it. I put up reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and Bookbub. If you use those sites, take a moment to follow me as well.

I’ve finished revisions on Gold Dreams. My book cover designer, J.A. Marlow, has come up with an initial cover. There’s some tweaking to be done but this is close. I like the old-fashioned, kind of dime novel western look it has. What are your thoughts?

Kyaker Memorial

I’m prepping for my brother’s visit on Thursday. Spare room has been cleaned. Getting food in for us to prepare. Thinking about what fun things to show him. A hike is most certainly in the line-up.

Giveaways:

Still up for grabs! If you’ve looked at my “Where Am I” page on my website, you’ll have noticed that I’m going to be at the Phoenix Fan Fusion over Memorial Day weekend. (May 23rd – 26th) I’ve decided that I should do a giveaway. A free exhibitor pass for one of those days. I know that not everyone can take off for Phoenix at the drop of the hat. But if you’re in the area, and you’d like to come see me at my booth and spend the day at the event, sign up by emailing me at [email protected]. Post a picture of you with one of my books. Use the subject, PFF Ticket. I’ll draw a name on May 10th and contact the winner with directions for picking up the pass.

The St. Patrick’s Day giveaway is now over. I’ll be contacting the winners as soon as they’re drawn. There are 38 prizes and 38 books to be given away and $114 in Paypal cash as the grand prize. https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/

In the meantime, I’m in a promotion with 19 other women writers on Book Funnel. You can check out the books here. There are romances, mysteries, shifter stories and even a non-fiction. Don’t miss out. These are all free for a short time.

Where will I Be?:

If you are a fan of most any genre, I’m participating in an on-line cyber conference here: http://owscycon.ourwriteside.com/about-ows-cycon/. The event is May 17th through May 19th. There are discussion forums, author giveaways, and so much more. Check out the link and sign up to participate. Sign up also gets you news on what’s happening and when. So sign up today. You might just be the person we want to have in our panel discussion!

Phoenix Fan Fusion! Oh My Gosh! If you haven’t ever been to this event you need to check it out. The prices for entry are so reasonable! Three days is $75 at this point but that goes up April 12th! The catalog of things to do is humongous! I’ll be down in Artists Alley, Four Carat Press, booths AA930 and AA932. Come check it out. If you’ve never been, it will blow your minds. It’s May 23 – 26th. Come see me!

The Payson Book Festival this year is going to be more exciting than last year. Mark your calendars for July 20th. Be in Payson for the book festival. Go to www.paysonbookfestival.org for all of the details!

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 Book Release:

Slave Elf released February 19th, 2019. It is finally up on all of my other retailers in ebook format. You can buy it at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords today. 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. It’s 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.

April Fools Day, Gold Dreams, New Giveaway: Monday Blog Post

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Newest News:

It’s April Fools Day. We don’t do this holiday at our house. Neither the hubby nor I think scaring each other, or getting them to eat nasty food, is very funny. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the pranking if that’s what your family likes. Have fun but be safe!

Last week I mentioned that I had a writing to do list. There was a lot of stuff on that list. Over the course of last week, I made it even longer. Sigh. One of the things on the list was to get Gold Dreams moving. I finished going over it, printed it out and handed it off to a proof-reader. They’ll go through it and point out strange turns of phrase, do a fair job of catching spelling/grammar/punctuation errors, and give it back. Once I have a draft final, I can tell my cover designer how many pages this book is and she can finish my cover. So many steps to getting a book out. But, it’s lovely at the end to hold a new book in my hands.

Yesterday was the last day of my ebook, Slave Elf, at .99. The price is now $4.99.

Giveaways:

Me at last year’s Phoenix Fan Fusion

Something new. If you’ve looked at my “Where Am I” page on my website, you’ll have noticed that I’m going to be at the Phoenix Fan Fusion over Memorial Day weekend. (May 23rd – 26th) I’ve decided that I should do a giveaway. A free exhibitor pass for one of those days. I know that not everyone can take off for Phoenix at the drop of the hat. But if you’re in the area, and you’d like to come see me at my booth and spend the day at the event, sign up by emailing me at [email protected]. Post a picture of you with one of my books. Use the subject, PFF Ticket. I’ll draw a name on May 10th and contact the winner with directions for picking up the pass.

The St. Patrick’s Day giveaway is now over. I’ll be contacting the winners as soon as they’re drawn. There are 38 prizes and 38 books to be given away and $114 in Paypal cash as the grand prize. https://conniesrandomthoughts.com/giveaways-and-prizes/

In the meantime, I’m in a promotion with 19 other women writers on Book Funnel. You can check out the books here. There are romances, mysteries, shifter stories and even a non-fiction. Don’t miss out. These are all free for a short time.

Where will I Be?:

If you are a fan of most any genre, I’m participating in an on-line cyber conference here: http://owscycon.ourwriteside.com/about-ows-cycon/. The event is May 17th through May 19th. There are discussion forums, author giveaways, and so much more. Check out the link and sign up to participate. Sign up also gets you news on what’s happening and when. So sign up today. You might just be the person we want to have in our panel discussion!

Phoenix Fan Fusion! Oh My Gosh! If you haven’t ever been to this event you need to check it out. The prices for entry are so reasonable! Three days is $75 at this point but that goes up April 12th! The catalog of things to do is humongous! I’ll be down in Artists Alley, Four Carat Press, booths AA930 and AA932. Come check it out. If you’ve never been, it will blow your minds. It’s May 23 – 26th. Come see me!

The Payson Book Festival this year is going to be more exciting than last year. Mark your calendars for July 20th. Be in Payson for the book festival. Go to www.paysonbookfestival.org for all of the details!

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 Book Release:

The Slave Elf story released February 19th, 2019. It is finally up on all of my retailers in ebook format. You can buy it at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Smashwords today. 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. It’s 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.