New Format: Monday Blog Post

Owl_using_Computer_by_RedPigeon via DeviantArt.com

Owl_using_Computer_by_RedPigeon via DeviantArt.com

Newest News:

I’m trying out a new format for my Monday blog posts. I’ll still do my free flash fiction on Friday, though I’m thinking about changes for that, as well. But for Mondays I’m going to change to something shorter. The majority of my news is going to move to my newsletter. So if you haven’t already signed up for it, see the end of this post where I tell you how to sign up.

Giveaways:

SpringIntoReadingGiveawayPromo

That said, let me tell you that the Spring Into Reading giveaway is halfway done. I have links to it on my facebook, twitter, and website pages. This giveaway I offer a free ebook or for second prize, a $5 Amazon card. There are other prizes as well. Over a hundred prizes plus a grand prize. It’s not hard to enter and there are multiple times to enter. You could easily win a prize. Enter today and every day.

Shoutout:

An author friend of mine, Selena Laurence has released her newest book: The Kingmaker, the first of her Power Play series. She calls herself an author of edgy contemporary romance. I’ve read Laurence’s series Lush, and the first book in her Foreign Exchange series, Speaking Greek. Her writing is quick, and the love scenes hot. I haven’t had a chance to read Kingmaker yet but I’m sure it will be better than ever. Here is a quick blurb of The Kingmaker.

He’s America’s golden boy. A power broker. A Kingmaker.

She’s America’s dirty little secret. A sex broker. A scandal maker.

Together they are headline news.

Lies, deceptions.

 A Presidency hangs in the balance.

Selena can be found at https://selenalaurence.com/.

GardenNews:

Saturday I picked my first three strawberries. I didn’t think to take a picture, I ate them too fast, LOL! Anyway, Sunday we had hail so I was glad I didn’t have the tomatoes outside. It’s been very cool all weekend. My oregano is about ready to cut for drying. If you don’t have a patch in your garden with oregano, you should. I bought one pot of oregano for less than three dollars five years ago and haven’t bought oregano since. Just think about how much dried oregano costs in the store! Anyway, I cut it, wash it and hang it in small bundles from a medium large picture frame that I stapled bird netting to the back. Tie the bundles on the frame or the netting with kitchen twine and put up on top of your cupboards. That’s where mine lives. It’s warm and dry up there and it only takes a couple of weeks for the herbs to dry. Then take them off the netting, spread wax paper on your table and strip the stems of the leaves. Put into air tight bottles or jars. I have used baby food jars, jam/jelly jars, canning jars and even fancy metal tins made for storing dried herbs. You’ll feel good about yourself. I promise.

Where Will I Be?:

Mystery Con Flyer

June 3rd and 4th I’m at the Scottsdale MysteryCon, Death and Deception in the Desert. I’m giving a presentation there as well on writing a mystery. Tickets for both days are only $35. I do hope you can make it to that one. Here’s a flyer telling all about it. Register in advance on the site then email me or comment here that you registered. I’ll put your name in for a drawing of a special prize on Friday night and/or Saturday. The prize? A bracelet, hand made by me, with Kindred Spirits as the theme. I might even make two and have a giveaway both Friday and Saturday. What do you think?

Color Color Arched Book Logo w Event Date 2016

July 23rd is the Payson Book Festival. I’ll be at my table all day, ready to talk to YOU! I hope you can make it as we will have over 70 authors attending as well as music, food, author presentations and workshops. It will be stupendous! www.paysonbookfestival.org and click on the Meet the Authors tab.

Want more details about these events? Click here for more information.

Newsletter Sign Up:

Click here to sign up for my newsletter. If you are a Brown Rain series fan, I’ve created a list just for you! If you join my regular newsletter, that’s all right too as I’ve put sign-up prizes on both. That’s right. If you sign up for my newsletter you get a free story from me. My next newsletter is being drafted so sign up today. The YouTube video I just made about Kindred Spirits will be in the newsletter. Just a note. I’m going to be sending out newsletters more frequently. Be prepared for fun and contests!

Newest Book Release:

CS Front Cover Kindred Spirits V1

Kindred Spirits released on March 14th! I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy it and my other books at: Apple, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, Gumroads  or Chatebooks today! You can also see all of my books on www.ConniesRandomThoughts.com. If you’ve read any of my books, please drop a review on the site where you bought it or on Goodreads. It’s a big help to me in the book rankings each vendor uses to promote the books on their sites. Thanks in advance.

Join My Team and Other News

I’m finalizing my Christmas Tales collection. Would you like to be among the 1st to read it? I’m looking for beta readers. If you’d like to be “in the know” and a critical part of my next book, sign up for my Newsletter. You can do that two ways. There’s a link at the top right of the page and a Newsletter tab where you can sign up. In a week or so, I’ll be sending the draft out and looking for critical feedback on punctuation, missing or misspelled words and any other mistakes to be found in the stories. Sign up today!

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Other news, NaNo starts on Friday. My writer friends and I are gearing up, finalizing our outlines, cleaning our desks and stocking up on snack food. It will be 30 full days of writing madness.

Halloween Tales released September 30th! I’m pretty excited about it. You can buy at: Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Amazon or Smashwords today!

Links:

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/halloween-tales-a-collection-of-stories

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/halloween-tales-connie-cockrell/1116995365?ean=2940045288972

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Halloween-Tales-Collection-Connie-Cockrell/dp/1492783072/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380515780&sr=1-2&keywords=Halloween+Tales

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/359689

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/halloween-tales-collection/id716418558?mt=11