Mary Cunningham's Blog

A 70+ year bucket list adventure was fulfilled!

Hubs and I added a first to our (almost) 40 years of marriage.

Witnessing a live space launch at Cape Canaveral!

This has been a dream of mine since I wrote this poem (?) when I was eight years old.

“When I was a little girl like you, I went up in Sputnik # 2”

Elizabeth Barrett Browning, I’m not.

I realize I’m giving away my advanced age with the mention of Sputnik. (You youngsters need to google)

However, thanks to a timely visit with my BFF on our (almost) mutual birthdays, and thanks to her dear friend for inviting us to view the launch at his high-rise condo on the Atlantic, not far from Coco Beach, we had the adventure of a lifetime. Not only did we see a Space-X rocket blast off, we got to see it return to the launch pad!

Returning to launch the pad! Also in February (a banner month!), Book # 2, Sazerac, Sleuth & Slay – An Andi Anna Jones Mystery, was published!

In April, 2023, thanks to the fabulous group of angels at Releash Atlanta, we added sweet little Murphy to our family. A Bichon/poodle mix, he never ceases to make us laugh. He’s the silliest, yet most loving furkid we could hope for.

As you can see, he’s settled in quite nicely without a care in the world, or a shred of dignity. Ha!

May brought a special gift! Our THIRD GREAT-GRANDSON!

Malachai Walter Scott Owens

Summer brought the usual complaints from yours truly:HEATMOSQUITOSLAST YEAR’S BATHING SUIT TRY-ONMY ATROCIOUS GOLF GAME

Also during the heat of summer, our 18-year-old fridge went on the fritz. Ken had installed new parts three times, but this time the diagnosis was fatal. Off we went to buy a new one. Ugh!

Meanwhile, I loaded a large rolling cooler filled with frozen food and made several trips to our kind neighbors to utilize their spare freezer. This was on a Friday. The new fridge was delivered on Monday! Yay! After a cooling period and several more trips back to the neighbors’, we were finally able to load all the frozen food and the perishables into our new, modern, French door refrigerator. All was right with the world…until the next morning.

The new refrigerator wasn’t cooling. Back to the store to buy a new one. Back to the neighbors with all the frozen food. Two days later, we finally had a working appliance and (fingers crossed), it will continue to run.

That, some unexpected doctor and dental bills, and, of course, inflation, hit hard. I know…I’m preaching to the choir.

All-in-all, the year was good to us. We were blessed with (mostly) good health, and lots of great neighborhood get-togethers. To our great relief, a couple of family issues were mended along the way. And, in November, we had a fabulous visit with our oldest daughter, Stephanie, for Thanksgiving. She also gave us fresh haircuts!

I can’t leave without some Book News!

I’m excited to announce I’m in the process of writing the 3rd Andi Anna Jones Mystery Series book! Bedlam, Brew & Bloodshed is in the works. Andi has taken her sleuthing skills, and inevitable ability to find trouble, to the beautiful city of Savannah, GA!

Ancient stolen relics, secret tunnels, and maybe a pirate, or two, could make an appearance. Throw in some shrimp & grits, chicken & waffles, and sweet potato pie, and what more is there?

I’ll keep you in the loop as to when the new book will be available. In the meantime, don’t forget to read the first two, if you haven’t already. If you have, please consider writing a review on Amazon, or just post a rating!

Authors appreciate that, ya know.

Download or buy the paperback:

Andi Anna Jones Mysteries from your favorite online retailer.

https://books2read.com/u/mezYvg

To sum up 2023, I have no complaints. I’m still here, still writing, and still having loads of fun communicating with y’all! Hope you feel the same! If not, the unsubscribe button is below.

‘Til next time, stay safe, enjoy life, and keep your pets warm and cozy!  

Here’s to a fabulous, peaceful 2024!

I’m truly honored to be included in the fabulous Jean Rabe’s new release and Blog Tour! I’ve read all of Jean’s books in her Piper Blackwell Mystery Series, and haven’t been disappointed, ONCE! Book Six, The Dead of Sled Run, is no exception. (My review is below)

Blurb:

A raging fire sweeps through the decorated landscape of Sled Run, destroying the home of Chief Deputy Oren Rosenberg and killing two.

An accident? Or did something toxic fuel the flames?

Sheriff Piper Blackwell and Detective Basil Meredith believe Oren was targeted and are tasked with finding motive and means before more than the holiday burns bright.

With many clues reduced to ashes, can Piper and Basil catch the culprits before they strike again? Or is this blaze just the start of the most murder-filled time of the year?

About the Author:
USA Today best-seller, Jean Rabe’s impressive writing career spans decades, starting as a newspaper reporter and bureau chief.
From there she went on to become the director of RPGA, a co-editor with Martin H. Greenberg for DAW books, and, most notably, Rabe is an award-winning author of more than forty science fiction/fantasy and murder mystery thrillers.
She writes mysteries and fantasies, because life is too short to be limited to one genre–and she does it with dogs tangled at her feet, because life is too short not to be covered in fur.
Find out more about her at www.jeanrabe.com
​​

My Review: The Dead of Sled Run

The Dead of Sled Run is the 6th book in the Piper Blackwell Series by author, Jean Rabe. I’ve read all six, and believe me, this installment is as fantastic as the rest.

If you like reading books that leave you breathless from the very first word, this book is for you. The story starts with a roaring blaze, in the home of Chief Deputy Oren Rosenberg, with such vivid descriptions your eyes will water, and your nose will burn from smelling the thick gray smoke.

When Piper Blackwell, Spencer County (Indiana) sheriff, arrives at the burning house, Oren has already been taken by helicopter to a burn center in Indianapolis, so she knows the outlook isn’t good. The young Army veteran won the election for sheriff when her dad had to step down due to illness. Ironically, she had beaten Rosenberg for the job a year earlier.

Determined to find the cause of the fire, that also spread to a neighbor’s home, she’s stunned to learn arson is suspected. Not only is Oren severely injured, two bodies are discovered next door leading to speculation of a hate crime since both homeowners were of Jewish descent and neither house was decorated for the upcoming Christmas holiday.

The twenty-two year-old sheriff, Piper, feels the weight of the community on her shoulders. Self-doubt haunts her when whispers, along with downright accusations begin to surface that her dad, former sheriff Paul Blackwell, would’ve already solved the case. Was she really up to the task? Especially when she finds out her dad, along with injured deputy, Oren, are being sued by a recently released inmate for false arrest for the murder of the former prisoner’s brother.

Jean Rabe weaves a story with enough twists and turns to rival any country road in Southern Indiana. The characters capture the reader’s interest, immediately. From Oren’s daughter, Millie who works for the department, to Basil, who moves his wife and family from the diversity of Chicago to “lily-white” Spencer County, Indiana, to Piper’s new husband, Nang, who hopes to become the county’s next big culinary entrepreneur.  Not to mention the string of arson suspects!

If you haven’t read the full series of Piper Blackwell books, don’t let that stop you from reading The Dead of Sled Run. It’s a downright gem of a whodunit.

However, do yourself a favor and read all six books from beginning to end!

Publisher: ‎Boone Street Press (November 13, 2023)
Publication date: ‎November 13, 2023
Language:  English
Print length:‎ 316 pages
Buy link: http://mybook.to/DeadSledRun 

The Dead of Sled Run is book six of the Piper Blackwell Series. Want to read the series in order? Check it out on Amazon.

Prefer audio? The Piper Blackwell series is in audio, read by Catherine Wenglowski. Start with book one of the series, The Dead of Winter

Love the Piper Blackwell Series and want to keep up with Jean’s latest works? Sign-up for her newsletter here and follow her on Amazon or Bookbub.

a Rafflecopter Giveaway

I simply knew author, Susie Black (Holly Schwartz) and I were bound to cross paths. After all, we have a lot in common.

She writes cozy mysteries.

I write cozy mysteries

Her series, Holly Swimsuit Mysteries, is based on her own experience in apparel sales.

My series, Andi Anna Jones Mysteries, is based on my own experience in the travel business.

But, the fact we both write with a considerable amount of sarcastic wit, is what I like most.

She writes with a huge amount of sarcastic wit, which I appreciate, completely since I do the same.

In fact, I believe we both enjoy a certain amount of satirical banter in our daily lives. I certainly couldn’t live without dishing out a few prickly phrases now and then, and I suspect she feels the same.

But, back to Susie Black and her cheeky, hilarious mysteries. She’s just released book 4, Death By Cutting Table.

Synopsis:

Mermaid Swimwear CEO Butch Oldham was an equal opportunity scoundrel who screwed anyone and everyone in his wake. So, the question wasn’t who wanted the bastard dead. The question was, who didn’t?

After Mermaid sales exec Holly Schlivnik finds colleague Queenie Levine standing over Oldham’s battered corpse nailed to a fabric cutting table with a pair of cutting shears plunged deep into his chest, the cops soon recover Queenie’s hidden blood-soaked sweater, discover her stormy relationship with the victim, and her public threats to make Butch pay for destroying Mermaid by stealing it blind.

When Queenie is arrested for Butch’s murder, Holly jumps into action to flesh out the real killer. But the trail has more twists and turns than a slinky, and nothing turns out the way the wise-cracking, irreverent amateur sleuth thinks it will as she tangles with a clever killer hell-bent for revenge.

Susie Black Biography:

Named best US author of the year by N. N. Light Book Heaven, award-winning cozy mystery author Susie Black was born in the Big Apple but now calls sunny Southern California home. Like the protagonist in her Holly Swimsuit Mystery Series, Susie is a successful apparel sales executive. Susie began telling stories as soon as she learned to talk. Now she’s telling all the stories from her garment industry experiences in humorous mysteries.

She reads, writes, and speaks Spanish, albeit with an accent that sounds like Mildred from Michigan went on a Mexican vacation and is trying to fit in with the locals. Since life without pizza and ice cream as her core food groups wouldn’t be worth living, she’s a dedicated walker to keep her girlish figure. A voracious reader, she’s also an avid stamp collector. Susie lives with a highly intelligent man and has one incredibly brainy but smart-aleck adult son who inexplicably blames his sarcasm on an inherited genetic defect.

Looking for more? Reach her at mysteries_@authorsusieblack.com

Having read the first three, I can’t wait to delve into book four to see how protagonist, Holly, gets herself in and out of trouble.

Find out more about Susie Black’s books on her Amazon author page:

Amazon.com: Susie Black: books, biography, latest update

We recently adopted a dog. Our third rescue.

Molly, a sweet three-year-old, twenty-pound chocolate terrier with the hunting prowess of a full-grown Labrador Retriever, was our first. She came from the Miami Animal Shelter after her “mom” suddenly died leaving Molly alone in the house.

She loved to run. Oh, how she loved to run! On occasion, we’d take her to an empty field near our home in South River, NJ, and watch her go, flat out across the landscape. Ears plastered to her head, feet barely touching the ground.  

Molly was with us for thirteen years, through three moves. I don’t think she ever recovered from our final move to Georgia when she was fourteen.

Next came Lucy, a mostly black with white markings Shih tzu, Llasa Apso mix. We spotted a picture of her on a rescue site in Hialeah, FL. Funny how the state gave us another sweet girl to love. Lucy (named Gigi at the time), was abandoned at a pet store. I guess her previous owner couldn’t care for her and, thankfully, left her where she’d be taken care of. Anyway, it was love at first sight.

Through some sort of higher power, she was delivered from South Florida. to our doorstep in Northwest Georgia, four days after we saw her picture. Like her sister, Molly, Lucy also had that hunting spirit. She chased squirrels, rabbits, chipmunks, birds, and even the occasional wandering kitty cat, until she learned through years of frustration she couldn’t catch any of them. Still, the thrill of the chase, I guess.

We lost her very unexpectedly. Two days earlier on a Thursday, she was fine. By Saturday, we were given the only humane choice to stop her fear and suffering. We were both broken by her sudden departure.

Flash forward almost a year. Hearts on the mend, we decided to start the adoption/rescue process, again. I joined every rescue site in the greater Atlanta area. Even some out of state. One organization, Rescue Atlanta, was having a fundraiser. An afternoon event with food, drinks, and the chance to meet and greet dogs that were being fostered until being veterinarian and socially cleared for adoption.

We’d had our eye on a little fella I spotted on their website. He’d had a horrendous few years, but was recovering nicely. And, he and his foster mom would be at the event. We soon realized he was way too small for our lifestyle. Our home had double decks with posts he could’ve easily slipped through falling twenty feet. Disappointed, I walked over to a couple to find out if they knew which dogs were for adoption since the afternoon was also attended by pet parents and their adoptees. They sat on a sofa with a small white dog between them. He immediately stood up, wagging his tail and greeting me. His foster mom said, “Well, I’m not sure which dogs are ready for adoption, but Butters will be next week. Why don’t you sit down and get to know him.”

I did, and the rest is history. Butters (We renamed him Murphy) came home the next weekend. I can’t say it was smooth sailing because I used a whole bottle of Resolve puppy carpet cleaner, he ran out the door twice with two senior citizens with bad knees chasing him through the neighborhood, and he had no clue what, “sit – stay – come – no” meant.

However, he’s made huge progress in the past month. Not only that, he’s the sweetest, most affectionate dog, ever. Not to mention the silliest! The uncertainty about his age makes it difficult to know how long he’ll be with us, but I can guarantee, the coming years will be filled with joy.

One last message:

DON’T SHOP! ADOPT!

Recently I joined a site to help promote authors and let readers know what books we enjoy. I began my first list with some old favorites. A couple of Newbury Award books from two of my favorite authors, a couple of fantasy favs, and a classic from Steinbeck. Click on the link and discover why I chose these five books.

So, what’s Shepherd all about?

Discovering a new book should be a magical experience where the search is part of the fun. That is what we are creating. We give readers fun ways to find amazing books.

And, we help authors sell books. Authors face a massive battle to get their books in front of interested readers. We want to make that easier.

We launched on April 19th, 2021 and here is our story!

Last month we had 413,000+ visitors! Up 348% year over year.We launched book pages! One for individual books like Dune and one to help readers find books like one they already know and love (try books like Kitchen Confidential).We launched genres and age groups on the website! Try our bookshelves on science fiction or books for young adults. We also added filters to help readers hone in on the type of book they want. Next, we are adding genres to the front page, search, and other parts of the website.

Here is the complete 2023 roadmap to see what we are building.

Please visit the Shepherd site and discover your favorite authors’ favorite books!

Sign up for the Readers & Authors Newsletters

Thanks for visiting!

~Buy from your favorite online retailer~

Blurb:

Hunted by the Black Widow Queen, Issylte–a healer with the verdant magic of the forest–must flee Avalon with the two finest knights in the Celtic realm, both wrongly accused of treason. The trio travels to Bretagne, where Issylte heals a critically injured wolf and obtains fiercely loyal, shapeshifting allies.

In mystical Brocéliande, Issylte becomes a warrior priestess of the Tribe of Dana and otherworldly mate of the Blue Knight of Cornwall, discovering with Tristan a passion that transcends all bounds. When she becomes the Lady of the Mirrored Lake, sworn to defend the sacred waters of the Goddess, Issylte must undertake a perilous quest to discover what priceless object lies hidden in its murky depths.

As a nascent evil emerges in a fetid cave, Issylte and Tristan must face a diabolical trio that threatens their lives, their love, and their kingdoms.

Enchanted. Enflamed. Entwined. Can their passion and power prevail?

My Review:

The Lady of the Mirrored Lake is Book 2 of the paranormal romance trilogy by Jennifer Ivy Walker.

Issylte must leave here Irish homeland to save her life after it is clear her stepmother, Queen Morag, is determined to kill her. Escaping with Sir Lancelot and his protégé, Sir Tristan just in the nick of time, they team up to save their homelands from Viking invasions and the evil queen and her dark guard, Lord Morholt.

After reading Book 1 (I’d suggest starting with The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven), I couldn’t wait to delve into the second installment, and I wasn’t disappointed. While I’m a huge fan of paranormal fantasy, Ms. Walker went above and beyond my expectations.

The story involves a romance between the pair, but the reader will find plenty of excitement and danger from other sources such as evil dwarves and wizards. Arthurian mythology and plenty of magical herbs and healing move the story along at just the right pace.

The characters, description, and storyline, along with the author’s descriptive writing, will keep the reader wanting more. I know I do! Highly recommended.

I received an advanced review copy of this book, however, my review is unbiased.

About the Author

Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.

As a high school teacher, she took her students every year to the annual French competition, where they performed a play she had written, “Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête”–an imaginative blend of the medieval French legend of “Tristan et Yseult” and the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast”, enhanced with fantasy elements of a Celtic fairy and a wicked witch.

Her debut novel, “The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven”–the first of a trilogy– is a blend of her love for medieval legends, the romantic French language, and paranormal fantasy. It is a retelling of the medieval French romance of “Tristan et Yseult”, interwoven with Arthurian myth, dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, and otherworldly elements such as Avalonian Elves, Druids, forest fairies and magic.

Jennifer Ivy Walker – Award-winning author of paranormal romance and medieval French fantasy

Website: https://jenniferivywalker.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/bohemienneivy

 

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the link for a chance to win!

 

Blurb:

She failed to save her brother and her best friend from destructive forces. Could she topple the most sinister villain of all time?

2037 was a really bad year. Lexi Brennan’s best friend was killed in a plane crash. Two weeks later, an intergalactic crisis threatened the fate of humanity. Authorities responded by launching a genocide. Lexi opposed this vicious attack. Then again, what could she do? An eccentric flight attendant drawn to glamorous trysts, she felt powerless to incite change. Until tragedy struck close to home. Suddenly, Lexi was forced to acknowledge the widespread atrocities. She uncovered a network of lies along with an opportunity to restore basic human rights. To protect others, Lexi would have to launch a movement that could destroy everything important to her, including her promising new romance?

Lisa Wilkes has flown for a major airline since 2010. In that time, she has composed 12 internal articles and revised the company’s 500-page flight attendant manual. Her romance novel, Flight Path, was published in January of 2020. That same year, Lisa published a short story, Six Hours or So, in a charitable anthology. Mid-Flight is Lisa’s first foray into the realm of science fiction. Her internship in a Behavioral Health Unit, while attaining her Master’s in Social Work, shaped this futuristic thriller.

My Review:

I haven’t read much dystopian fiction, so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. The story begins in 2037-a very bad year, according to the foreboding description of the novel.

Lexi Brennan’s best friend was killed in a plane crash. Two weeks later, an intergalactic crisis threatened the fate of humanity. Authorities responded by launching a genocide.

Horrified by the events, she sets out to do her part to correct a terrible wrong, even if it means her own destruction and the annihilation of her world and those close to her.

I found the storyline and the characters compelling. While the author’s insight into the future is science fiction, she creates a world that is chillingly believable to her readers.

This is a fast-paced journey with compelling dialog and realistic description. Even if you’ve never read science fiction, Mid-Flight will leave you wanting more. Highly recommended.

Links:

Website: https://www.lisamichellewilkes.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Travelisa1984/

Amazon Author Page: https://amazon.com/author/lisawilkes

Pleased and honored to share the blog tour for the fabulous Jennifer Ivy Walker.

GENRE:  Paranormal Medievel Romance

BLURB:

In this dark fairy tale adaptation of a medieval French legend, Issylte must flee the wicked queen, finding shelter with a fairy witch who teaches her the verdant magic of the forest. Fate leads her to the otherworldly realm of the Lady of the Lake and the Elves of Avalon, where she must choose between her life as a healer or fight to save her ravaged kingdom.

Tristan of Lyonesse is a Knight of the Round Table who must overcome the horrors of his past and defend his king or lose everything. When he becomes a warrior of the Tribe of Dana, a gift of Druidic magic might hold the key he seeks.

Haunted and hunted. Entwined by fate. Can their passion and power prevail?

Read an Excerpt!

Healing the Wounded Warrior

With all her verdant magic as a forest fairy, the Emerald Princess poured her spirit as a guérisseuse celtique into healing the wounded warrior from Cornwall.

Finally, on the fourth day, when the morning sun glistened in the sparkling waters of the fountain, Tristan’s eyelids fluttered. Issylte leaned over him, his brow cool now that the fever had broken. He opened the brilliant blue eyes that she’d seen in the vision.

As she gazed into them, the earth tilted. Her heart raced; her bearings were lost. In the depths of his eyes, she glimpsed a fountain in a forest. The turquoise waters of the ocean. An underground well encased by sacred stones. She, the forest fairy, was immersed in the blue waters of the warrior’s eyes, the waves emanating from him flowing through her, cleansing her. Beckoning her.

In Tristan’s eyes, Issylte glimpsed a black bird—a sea raven—soaring over an open sea, hovering now before her. A small dove fluttered in her breast, called forth from her soul. White wings unfurled as she took flight, rising into the azure sky alongside the black seabird—-floating together through the diaphanous clouds scattered over the vast ocean.

In the breadth of an instant, Issylte was bound to this warrior, the Blue Knight of Cornwall, as if fate had indeed entwined them. Through the windows of his eyes, she peered into his soul, her own blending with his, as if they were the forest and the ocean, encircled now within the three layers of protective stones, the holy trinity of sacred elements of the Goddess.

My Review:

I’m a huge fan of Paranormal Fantasy. The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven did not disappoint.

She had no desire to be a princess. The fourteen-year-old was content living in a castle with her dear father, King Donnchadh, and her dear nurse, Brangien, or “Gigi” who cared for Issyte after her mother died in childbirth.

Her contentment would be gravely disrupted when her father remarried Morag, the Queen of Scotland. From the beginning the young girl and her new stepmother clashed, especially when the new queen’s guard Morholt lurked around.

Soon, dark forces conspired around her. The young princess was forced to flee to other lands where she hid her identity and endured several name changes in order to save her life.

This retold Arthurian tale is a pleasure to read. The descriptions of medieval lands and legends are both vibrant and somber. The characters that enter Issylte’s journey, such as Maiwenn, Lancelot, and Tristen, are well-crafted and blend into the storyline with ease, purpose, and passion. Her foray into herbal poisons and remedies are interesting, descriptive and easy to follow.

I was sorry to read the last page of The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven, but am eager to jump into the next book in the trilogy, The Lady of the Mirrored Lake.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.

As a high school teacher, she took her students every year to the annual French competition, where they performed a play she had written, “Yseult la Belle et Tristan la Bête”–an imaginative blend of the medieval French legend of “Tristan et Yseult” and the fairy tale “Beauty and the Beast”, enhanced with fantasy elements of a Celtic fairy and a wicked witch.

Her debut novel, “The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven”–the first of a trilogy– is a blend of her love for medieval legends, the romantic French language, and paranormal fantasy. It is a retelling of the medieval French romance of “Tristan et Yseult”, interwoven with Arthurian myth, dark fairy tales from the enchanted Forest of Brocéliande, and otherworldly elements such as Avalonian Elves, Druids, forest fairies and magic.

Explore her realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you.

Website:  https://jenniferivywalker.com/

Goodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22671046.Jennifer_Ivy_Walker

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-wild-rose-and-the-sea-raven-by-jennifer-ivy-walker

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JenniferIvyWalker

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/bohemienneivy

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/jenniferivywalkerauthor/

Series Amazon link:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9QFJX94

The author will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly chosen winner.Click on the link below! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Please follow Jennifer’s Blog Tour with Goddess Fish Promotions through the month for the next two books in her Wild Rose and the Sea Raven trilogy.

https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2023/02/review-tour-wild-rose-and-sea-raven.html

I still remember the words author, Cynthia Lord posted when her sweet Milo crossed the Rainbow Bridge. She told her husband, “I can live without a dog, but I don’t want to.”

A couple weeks later, she was the proud mom of the most adorable little white fluff-ball.

We lost our “heart” dog, Lucy, last summer. It was sudden and traumatic. We took her to the Westside Animal Hospital in Lithia Springs, GA, for what we thought was a pulled or strained muscle. Lab work, an MRI, and ultrasound later, we heard the devastating news. Hemangioscarcoma of the spleen, along with heart failure and liver damage. According to Lucy’s regular vet, this type of cancer is insideous; coming on very silently and quickly.

The other night Lucy’s dad said, “I want a dog on my lap.” His lap was Lucy’s go-to position every night after dinner. She loved her dad and he loved her. She was his Little Buddy. She was my Baby Girl.

I’ve had dogs most of my life, as you can see, below.

First was Valentine, a border collie, shepherd mix, and still the smartest dog I’ve ever known. She was my 14th birthday present, although Mom and Dad loved her as their own. We all did.

Next was Sam. His breed is a mystery but he was my buddy. He loved to sneak out of the yard and visit our neighbor. She’d always have a sugar cookie waiting at her back door.

Finally, Molly. She’d been turned in, at the age of 3, to the Miami Animal Shelter after her owner died. She was probably some kind of terrier, but one vet swore she had bird dog in her, and oh, how she loved to run! And, oh how we loved her.

So, here we are. Almost a year since Lucy crossed the Rainbow Bridge. I’ve started an investigation into adopting another rescue dog. It’s been two whole weeks now, and we’re no closer than we were. But, I’m sending messages out into the Universe, so I know the perfect little companion will show up at our door, any day now.

So, Universe! Do your job!

Adopt! Don’t Shop!

How often do you:

Laugh until you snortLaugh until you cryLaugh until your sides hurtLaugh until you whinny like a horse

Guilty. Guilty. Guilty. Guilty.

From our late teens to our mid-70’s, my BFF and I have marched to the beat of a different drummer. We laugh at circumstances no one else thinks are remotely humorous.

We once dressed up like a horse (I was the head, since I procured the costume from the Louisville Zoo, therefore Diana was the rest of the horse) for my husband’s birthday. We thought we were hilarious! Our apartment neighbors, who happened to see us pawing the ground outside the door, while vocalizing our best “equine” whinny, were seconds from calling the police until the birthday boy rushed into the hallway and explained the situation. He swore to us that he was thrilled with the surprise, but he kept a low profile around the  complex for the next few weeks.

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We also loved to dress up. Let me rephrase that. We loved to dress SILLY! On a visit to Diana in Morton, Illinois, I was invited to a summer party with some of their friends and co-workers. Nope, we couldn’t arrive in the usual outdoor casual attire. We had to make a statement.

At that time, Saturday Night Live was a huge part of our TV viewing. The Steve Martin/ Dan Aykroyd’s skit about the “Festrunk Brothers” from Brataslava (fictious country, I think!) were a huge hit, at least with us. So how could we resist dreaming up the Festrunk Sisters? 

In hindsight, we should’ve resisted. In our minds, we were hilarious. In the minds of friends and partygoers? Not so much. Oh well, we had a great time and a lot of laughs. Btw, you young’uns will probably have to google…or not. 

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

We did know how to dress properly, however. I once donned my best Eunice (Carol Burnett) attire one evening when we were going out to dinner. Yes, I did change before stepping out the door. 

(Diana looks unimpressed. Can’t figure out why)

 

Yes, we’ve had a lot of laughs, and continue to do so. If you have a friend that makes you laugh uncontrollably, consider yourself extremely lucky.

I know I do!