#AlertTheMedia – #AmazonSale – #Wake-RobinRidge and #SwampGhosts

/ Marcia Meara / 12 Comments

For anyone who’s been considering reading either of my series, the print versions of Book 1 of each is currently being featured on an Amazon Sale!

Wake-Robin Ridge is marked down to $4.28 for the print version (reduced from $13.99) and the print version of Swamp Ghosts is now available for $7.23 (also reduced from $13.99).

These are great deals and could expire at any time, so if you’re interested, head on over to take advantage of these bargain prices. Remember, Amazon can end their sale whenever they choose, so don’t delay! (And sharing the news would be great too, if you possibly can. Thanks!)

You can buy the books here:


Wake-Robin Ridge

BLURB
“A PHONE RINGING AT 2:00 A.M. never means anything good. Calls at 2:00 A.M. are bad news. Someone has died. Someone is hurt. Or someone needs help.”

On a bitter cold January night in 1965, death came calling at an isolated little cabin on Wake-Robin Ridge. Now, nearly 50 years later, librarian Sarah Gray has quit her job and moved into the same cabin, hoping the peace and quiet of her woodland retreat will allow her to concentrate on writing her first novel. Instead she finds herself distracted by her only neighbor, the enigmatic and reclusive MacKenzie Cole, who lives on top of the mountain with his Irish wolfhound as his sole companion.

As their tentative friendship grows, Sarah learns the truth about the heartbreaking secret causing Mac to hide from the world. But before the two can sort out their feelings for each other, they find themselves plunged into a night of terror neither could have anticipated. Now they must unravel the horrifying events of a murder committed decades earlier. In doing so, they discover that the only thing stronger than a hatred that will not die is a heart willing to sacrifice everything for another.

Swamp Ghosts

BLURB

Wildlife photographer Gunnar Wolfe looked like the kind of guy every man wanted to be and every woman just plain wanted, and the St. Johns River of central Florida drew him like a magnet. EcoTour boat owner Maggie Devlin knew all the river’s secrets, including the deadliest ones found in the swamps. But neither Maggie nor Gunn was prepared for the danger that would come after them on two legs.

On a quest to make history photographing the rarest birds of them all, Gunnar hires the fiery, no-nonsense Maggie to canoe him into the most remote wetland areas in the state. He was unprepared for how much he would enjoy both the trips and Maggie’s company. He soon realizes he wants more, but before he can win her over, they make a grisly discovery that changes everything, and turns the quiet little town of Riverbend upside down. A serial killer is on the prowl among them.

Happy Reading!
And thanks for checking this out!

#This&That&TheOtherThing – #PublicServiceAnnouncement – #Update

/ Marcia Meara / 36 Comments

THIS

THAT

I did NOT understand the difference, and discovered that a whole lot of folks I knew were also confused. As it turns out, the intermittent health problems I’ve been having for several months have NOT been caused by my diabetes (which is completely under control now, with my A1C test well in the normal range) or residual damage from my fall some time back. NOPE. It turns out I apparently have Long Covid! For those who may have been as confused as I’ve been, here’s what my doctor and the CDC have to say about how this annoyingly persistent problem differs from actual Covid. 

Check with CDC for more Info HERE

THE OTHER THING

My Long Covid symptoms have mainly been extreme fatigue, brain fog/inability to focus my thoughts, and frequent dizzy spells, often accompanied by tingling and numbness in my right leg.  Yes, all three of those are among the 19 symptoms listed on the CDC website. Fatigue and brain fog are very annoying, and often prevent me from accomplishing anything while they last. But the scariest to me are the dizzy spells. Having received a serious concussion with my afore-mentioned fall, I’m truly afraid of having another. Believe me, I’m being very, very careful when I’m up and about on days when these symptoms start showing up. 

Also, there is no pattern I can establish as to when the next episode is going to happen, nor how long it will last. Sometimes I feel fine for 2 or 3 weeks in between Long Covid episodes, and sometimes one will return within 2 or 3 days of the last one. And sometimes they last for only a couple of days, while at least one has lasted for TEN days! 

If you have had Covid at some point and have any random symptoms such as described above, you might want to talk to your doctor to see if you are actually experiencing Long Covid. Not everyone has these episodes, but many do. As for myself, I feel infinitely better knowing what the heck is going on, and finding ways to cope with it, with the fervent wish that it will soon disappear forever!

At least it wasn’t Rapid-Speed Senility shoving me over the edge! 😂

Hope this info has been helpful to some of you, but mainly, I hope most of you never have to deal with either Covid OR the Long Covid after-effects. 

Stay Safe and Stay WELL, Everyone!

#CapybaraAppreciationDay – #WhoKnew? – #MikeAllegra That’s Who!

/ Marcia Meara / 32 Comments

“Almost Ready for Your Close Up, Capy!”

Yes, it really is a THING, and July 10 is it! If you don’t believe me, head on over to read Mike Allegra’s wonderful post on this very topic, with some of the cutest pics you’ve ever seen: https://mikeallegra.com/2022/07/07/is-there-a-capybara-appreciation-day.

I confess, I am a longtime capybara fan, but I know many of you may not really be familiar with this wonderful critter, let alone his very special DAY, so I thought I’d share Mike’s post. Do stop by. You’ll love it! (And you can find out more about Mike’s books there, too, especially his upcoming release, Sleepy Happy Capy Cuddles. I can’t wait to get this one for my granddaughter. And me! 😁

Capys heading over to the big
Capybara Appreciation Day Party!

#TenThingsYouMayNotKnow – About #JackieLambert

/ Marcia Meara / 86 Comments

Today, I’d like to introduce author Jackie Lambert, whose #TenThings List just might knock your socks off! I know you’ll enjoy it, so we’ll get started right away! Jackie, you’re on!

Thanks, Marcia!

Ten Things You May Not Know About Me
by JackieLambert

  1. I used to work as a beer taster for Truman’s Brewery on Brick Lane in East London, where Jack the Ripper used to patrol the mean streets. The brewery was founded in 1666, just after the great fire, and was once London’s largest brewery. In fact, Truman’s became one of the largest brewers in the world. These days, the Black Eagle Brewery building is an arts centre.
  1. I have cuddled a tiger and been bitten by a lion.
  1. I did the first ever commercial white water rafting descent of red rock canyon in Colorado, near where Butch and Sundance jumped in the famous film, Butch Cassidy And The Sundance Kid.
  1. I once sat on a swing with ‘The Blackburn Bullet’ – Carl Fogarty, World Superbike Champ. He lived across the road from me when we were both about nine years old!
  1. I can fly a light aircraft.
  1. Mark and I got married outside a lighthouse, so our marriage started on the rocks!
  1. I did the two highest bungee jumps in the world (at the time); Victoria Falls Bridge in Zambia (111 m / 364.5 ft) off the, and Le Pont de Ponsonnas (103 m / 337 ft) near Grenoble in France. I am afraid of heights, and loathed both experiences! I did the first jump to show I could master my fear. It was so awful, I wasn’t sure I could do it again, so I had to show myself I could. Now, I don’t feel I have anything further to prove!
  1. I love travel and adventure and have visited six continents and forty-three countries. By the end of 2022, I hope to have added six more; Albania, Macedonia, Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Luxembourg. That said, Mark and I are not great at sticking to plans. We once set off for Spain and Portugal, but decided to turn left, and went to Romania!
  1. I have always loved writing. My aunt once said, “Jacqueline can write pages and pages about absolutely nothing!” I took it as a compliment, of course. I wrote my first short memoir/travelogue aged 14. It followed a horseback ride across England’s Lake District with author Bob Orrell. He entered it into a national competition, open to all age groups, and it came second!
  1. During a windsurfing lesson just before London 2012, I almost dropped my sail on Olympic silver medallist Nick Dempsey’s head. Had he not ducked, I would have brained Team GB’s best hope of a medal in the RSX windsurfing!

Jackie With Nick Dempsey and Peter Hart

I have just published my fifth book; the fourth memoir in my Adventure Caravanning With Dogs series, which follows the story of how hubs and I gave up work, rented out the house, and became perpetual caravan (trailer) nomads with four dogs in tow.

Buy It Never Rains but It Paws HERE

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Five years after giving up work to travel full time, Dog-ma Jacqueline (Jackie) and Dogfather Mark race against time to leave the UK before Britain exits the EU. If Brexit happens, their four Cavapoos (Cavalier/Poodle cross) Kai, Rosie, Ruby, and Lani will lose their puppy passports, and the Lambert Family will be unable to travel together. But Brexit isn’t their only obstacle: a few months into their adventure, the pandemic suddenly shatters their plans, and leaves them trapped in the epicentre of Europe’s No. 1 coronavirus hotspot.

The fourth road trip Europe adventure in author Jacqueline Lambert’s “inspirational and hilarious” series of true travel memoirs invites you to join the couple as they discover even more amazing and little-known places, this time in France and Italy. However, this isn’t just a priceless escape travel story filled with humorous mishaps and mountain adventure. The coronavirus pandemic separates the family from their loved ones at home, and leaves Jackie stranded alone during a blizzard in a remote Italian village, with Mark thousands of miles away, back in the UK.

Between terrible weather, political mayhem, and a global pandemic, Jackie and Mark try to take lessons from each hardship. Yet, even with a positive attitude, a sense of adventure, and a caravan full of loved ones, you can’t stop all the obstacles life rolls your way. These “amusing and informative” travel stories are certainly proof that It Never Rains… But It Paws!

Jackie’s Fur Babies

Author Jackie Lambert 

Fans of Jacqueline (Jackie) Lambert’s doggie/travel blog, www.WorldWideWalkies.com said, “You should write a book!” So, she did. In fact, she’s written five…

If you’ve ever considered giving up work to head off into the sunset with surfboards on the roof–or you just like dogs, travel and humour, her Adventure Caravanning With Dogs books are for you.

The first, Fur Babies in France, was described by one reviewer as, “Laugh out funny and a great travel guide”. It tells how she and husband Mark gave up work, accidentally bought their first ever caravan, then decided to rent out the house, sell most of their possessions, and tour Europe full-time with four dogs in tow.

Dog on the Rhine; “An inspirational travelogue” follows this intrepid couple as they get more adventurous, and head into Germany, The Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. But just to prove that Living the Dream is not all sunshine and rainbows, they return home to a huge Fidose of reality…

Dogs ‘n’ Dracula; “Armchair travel delight” gives the full low down on how Jackie and Mark set off for Spain and Portugal, but decided to turn left…

Pups on Piste is a “Fun and interesting book” about the trials and tribulations of their first ski season in Italy, during which a ski instructor tells them, “Don’t miss the turn, or you’ll go over a cliff.”

In her latest memoir, It Never Rains But It Paws, released on 6th May 2022, Jackie and Mark race against time to leave the UK before Britain leaves the EU. Brexit could mean their four precious pups would be unable to travel. Then, a few months into their trip, the pandemic leaves them trapped in the epicentre of Europe’s No. 1 coronavirus hotspot…

She is currently working on her sixth book, To Hel In A Hound Cart – A Road Trip Through Poland In A Pandemic, which will be published later in 2022.

In her first year as a published author, Jacqueline was delighted to receive multiple five-star reviews, a letter from Prince Charles, an invitation to Bucharest to collect an award for Dogs ‘n’ Dracula, and Amazon No. 1 Bestseller status in the German Travel category for Dog on the Rhine. Some of her travel tales BC (Before Canines) have been featured in travel anthologies, alongside other bestselling and award-winning authors.

You can check out all of Jackie’s books on her Amazon Author Page HERE.

Or grab them one at a time here:

Year 1 – Fur Babies in France
Dog on the Rhine
Dogs n Dracula
It Never Rains but It Paws

And you can reach Jackie on social media here:

Blog: WorldWideWalkies.com
Email: jackielambert07@gmail.com
Facebook
Goodreads
BookBub

This & That & The Other Thing – Update – And a Poem by Hunter Painter

/ Marcia Meara / 25 Comments

THIS

Just a quick update to let you folks know I’m still here, though I’ve had a lot on my plate of late. Between endless appointments for this or that and some annoying health issues to deal with,  I’m continuing to run behind, but I do think I see a dim glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel. Can’t wait for things to return to normal.

THAT

I know I’ve promised I’d be writing on my Blog Break days, but so far, that isn’t working out as well as I’d hoped. (See above for reasons why.) However, I’m not giving up on my Cole, Cole, & Dupree novella. I’m determined to finish that, and very hopeful to make more progress in the next week or two. Don’t count me out, yet. My brain is jam-packed with ideas for this one, and somehow, I WILL get them down on paper. (Well, down in a Word document, anyway! 😀 )

THE OTHER THING

Was going through some clutter today, trying in vain to get my desk area organized and useful again, and I found this little poem I came up with while working on Finding Hunter. Hunter Painter is a writer. One who marches to a different drummer, as many writers do, but also one who has been in love with Willow Greene since high school, though he never had the nerve to explore his feelings. (Except in his dreams, of course, or scribbled on scraps of paper here and there.)

This is a poem he wrote while in 11th grade, though he never showed it to a soul. I debated including it in my book, but ended up not doing so. It does, however, appear on the cover, if you look closely enough at the page shown there. When I saw it this morning, I decided to post it for you today. This is the first time I’ve ever shared it, and I hope you enjoy taking a look.

Emeralds and Silver

No emerald pulled from
  darkest earth holds
    light so warm, so
      full of life, as the
          green in those eyes.

No precious metal
  curled or curved in
    filigrees of man’s design
      offers half the sheen of that
        spun-silver hair.

Who would trade her
  incandescent glow for
    emeralds and silver
      lonely and cold,
        joyless, both, next to her
          bright sparkle.

~~~

And on that note,
I’ll get back to work.
Enjoy the rest of your day, everyone!

#ThorsDaySmile – #Humor – #AmLaughing

/ Marcia Meara / 36 Comments

Are you ready for a few smiles this morning? Thor thinks you are, so let’s get right to it! Here is a bit of a mixed bag for you, and I hope you find a couple of things you enjoy!

 DREAM BIG!!!

That’s it for today, folks. Hope you found a couple to make you smile.
(Smiling is a good thing, you know.)