Hello Everyone,
I hope everyone had a great Christmas. We had a winter wonderland here and the kids in the neighborhood have been out sleighing in our driveway. lol Remember doing that as a kid. Brrr! No way could you get me out there now. lol
This will be one of shortest blogs, but I wanted to wish all of you a healthy and Happy New Year.
For some good news, my book, Addiction, received a wonderful review from BK Books, and I'm absolutely thrilled with the five stars they gave me.
Review by BK Walker - Addiction by Sandra K. Marshall is one of the best books I've come across this year! A must read for those that love a true murder and mystery.
If you wish to read more of the review you may go to this link:
http://bkwalkerbooks.weebly.com/1/post/2009/12/-read-review-of-addiction-by-sandra-k-marshall.html
Thank you to all who have visited my blog this year. Even to those who didn't leave a comment. Wink! I know you are there. Smile.
Happy New Year! Stay safe and may there be peace even if it's just in our little corner of the world.
Next week, I'll post the winners of my contests.
Sandy
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Favorite Childhood Christmas Traditions
Hello Everyone,
Today, I'm going to tell you about my favorite childhood Christmas traditions. On Christmas Eve, I loved going to church because all of the children enacted the nativity scene that night to celebrate the birth of Christ. At the end of the services as we streamed out of the church wishing everyone a Merry Christmas we were handed a string bag with candy and nuts in it before we walked out into a winter wonderland to see snow falling and the glow of streetlights.
That wasn't the end of the evening. After church, we drove just a few blocks to Grandma and Grandpa's house. The Christmas tree sitting in front of their picture window brightly lit welcomed us and the excitement built in my cousins, sister, brother and me knowing what was inside. Grandma had hot chocolate and cookies ready for us when we went through the door. One look at all the gloriously wrapped gifts and the ones that weren't wrapped drove that from our minds.
Of course, we always got to unwrap gifts first, then we had the hot chocolate and cookies before leaving sleepily to go to our own homes. It was a lovely tradition and one I have missed. It was a time when families were close no matter what issues they might have with one another.
There were other Christmas traditions that I liked very much. We opened gifts at home on Christmas Day, and then we went to Grandma and Grandpa's to open more and for dinner. The whole day was spent cooking, eating, playing games, laughing and talking. I usually found time to sit in a corner reading the latest Trixie Belden or Nancy Drew book I had gotten for Christmas.
Another thing I liked about Christmas as a kid was the carolers who came to visit our house on a cold wintery night. We lived in the country and the snow was deep. Always, the carolers were invited in to warm themselves and drink a cup of chocolate while they sampled cookies. The carolers went to all the farms in our community. It was wonderful.
Remember January 1st, I'll be announcing the winners of my contest.
Thank you for visiting and feel free to tell your favorite Christmas, Hanukkah, or other religious traditions at this time of the year.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Peace!
Sandy
Today, I'm going to tell you about my favorite childhood Christmas traditions. On Christmas Eve, I loved going to church because all of the children enacted the nativity scene that night to celebrate the birth of Christ. At the end of the services as we streamed out of the church wishing everyone a Merry Christmas we were handed a string bag with candy and nuts in it before we walked out into a winter wonderland to see snow falling and the glow of streetlights.
That wasn't the end of the evening. After church, we drove just a few blocks to Grandma and Grandpa's house. The Christmas tree sitting in front of their picture window brightly lit welcomed us and the excitement built in my cousins, sister, brother and me knowing what was inside. Grandma had hot chocolate and cookies ready for us when we went through the door. One look at all the gloriously wrapped gifts and the ones that weren't wrapped drove that from our minds.
Of course, we always got to unwrap gifts first, then we had the hot chocolate and cookies before leaving sleepily to go to our own homes. It was a lovely tradition and one I have missed. It was a time when families were close no matter what issues they might have with one another.
There were other Christmas traditions that I liked very much. We opened gifts at home on Christmas Day, and then we went to Grandma and Grandpa's to open more and for dinner. The whole day was spent cooking, eating, playing games, laughing and talking. I usually found time to sit in a corner reading the latest Trixie Belden or Nancy Drew book I had gotten for Christmas.
Another thing I liked about Christmas as a kid was the carolers who came to visit our house on a cold wintery night. We lived in the country and the snow was deep. Always, the carolers were invited in to warm themselves and drink a cup of chocolate while they sampled cookies. The carolers went to all the farms in our community. It was wonderful.
Remember January 1st, I'll be announcing the winners of my contest.
Thank you for visiting and feel free to tell your favorite Christmas, Hanukkah, or other religious traditions at this time of the year.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
Peace!
Sandy
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Interview With Villain
Hi Everyone,
It's Sunday, and I'm blogging. Smile. Okay, I'm doing something a bit different today. My heroine, Jolene, is going to interview the villain of my story, ADDICTION. Yay! Just beware though, that the hero might just pop in at any time. There's no stopping that man.
Jolene: Why do you kill women?
Villain: They are evil bitches.
Jolene: Huh! Why do you say that?
Villain: They are never there for you. They are supposed to protect their kids.
Hero: Humph. He's evil, not women. I should amend that, not all women.
Jolene: Why do you say women should protect their kids? Don't they usually?
Villain: The old witch who was my mother didn't. She deserved to die.
Jolene: Gasp! Did you kill your mother?
Hero: That was probably his first kill, that's where it started.
Jolene: Oh no. How horrible!
Villain: Turning to hero. You think you know it all, but you don't know me. Not at all.
Hero: I know your type. I've seen your profile. If you are not stopped, you'll continue to
kill innocent women.
Villain: Ha! None of these women are innocent.
Jolene: Why do you say that? What did they do that was so bad.
Villain: Um, uh. They allowed their children to be abused.
Jolene: Your crazy. All of the women you've killed have been single.
Villain: Sneering, I've seen their type. I saved their children from being abused in the
future.
Jolene: You don't know that they would allow that to happen. Why do you want to kill
me? I haven't done anything to you.
Villain: You! You're the worse of all. You're an alcoholic, he said, contempt dripping
from his tone.
Jolene: I've quit, she said tearfully.
Villain: Yeah right. That's what she said.
Jolene: I want to live. Don't I deserve some happiness?
Villain: Hell no! He sprang forward, his hands reaching for her. You never showed me
any happy times.
Hero: Hey, wait just a moment. He stepped behind the man, wrapped his arm around
his chest. This chat is over.
Jolene: She stared into space hoping that it could really end like it had in her
imagination. Would she live to find love? She hoped so.
Okay, folks, don't forget the contest that started December 1st. The details are on my November 29th post. Also, the contest that started December 6th is an easy one, all you have to do is leave the most comments for the month of December.
Vicki Wurgler is the winner of my Author Island contest at http://www.authorisland.com and she won a big basket full of goodies. Among them is a DVD of casino games, candles, lotion, etc.
That's all until next Sunday. Keep warm and safe.
Hugs,
Sandy
Buy link for Addiction: http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/addiction.htm
It's Sunday, and I'm blogging. Smile. Okay, I'm doing something a bit different today. My heroine, Jolene, is going to interview the villain of my story, ADDICTION. Yay! Just beware though, that the hero might just pop in at any time. There's no stopping that man.
Jolene: Why do you kill women?
Villain: They are evil bitches.
Jolene: Huh! Why do you say that?
Villain: They are never there for you. They are supposed to protect their kids.
Hero: Humph. He's evil, not women. I should amend that, not all women.
Jolene: Why do you say women should protect their kids? Don't they usually?
Villain: The old witch who was my mother didn't. She deserved to die.
Jolene: Gasp! Did you kill your mother?
Hero: That was probably his first kill, that's where it started.
Jolene: Oh no. How horrible!
Villain: Turning to hero. You think you know it all, but you don't know me. Not at all.
Hero: I know your type. I've seen your profile. If you are not stopped, you'll continue to
kill innocent women.
Villain: Ha! None of these women are innocent.
Jolene: Why do you say that? What did they do that was so bad.
Villain: Um, uh. They allowed their children to be abused.
Jolene: Your crazy. All of the women you've killed have been single.
Villain: Sneering, I've seen their type. I saved their children from being abused in the
future.
Jolene: You don't know that they would allow that to happen. Why do you want to kill
me? I haven't done anything to you.
Villain: You! You're the worse of all. You're an alcoholic, he said, contempt dripping
from his tone.
Jolene: I've quit, she said tearfully.
Villain: Yeah right. That's what she said.
Jolene: I want to live. Don't I deserve some happiness?
Villain: Hell no! He sprang forward, his hands reaching for her. You never showed me
any happy times.
Hero: Hey, wait just a moment. He stepped behind the man, wrapped his arm around
his chest. This chat is over.
Jolene: She stared into space hoping that it could really end like it had in her
imagination. Would she live to find love? She hoped so.
Okay, folks, don't forget the contest that started December 1st. The details are on my November 29th post. Also, the contest that started December 6th is an easy one, all you have to do is leave the most comments for the month of December.
Vicki Wurgler is the winner of my Author Island contest at http://www.authorisland.com and she won a big basket full of goodies. Among them is a DVD of casino games, candles, lotion, etc.
That's all until next Sunday. Keep warm and safe.
Hugs,
Sandy
Buy link for Addiction: http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/addiction.htm
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Help for Those in Need
Hi Everyone,
I have decided to have another contest before the first one is finished. lol This one is going to be for the rest of the month, and it's going to be easier. All you have to do is make the most comments for the rest of the month of December starting today. Easy. Right! We'll see.
Once again, I'm not telling you the prize. It's going to be another surprise. Wink!
Before I close today, I want to remind you of pet shelters, nursing homes, children, food banks, Salvation Army, and homeless shelters that need our help. This is the season for giving, so please help where ever you can. I know everyone is needing something and none of us can do everything, but just one present to a person in a nursing home or to a child can make a huge difference in their lives. One dollar in a Salvation Army kettle can do so much.
Thank you. Until next Sunday.
Sandy
http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/addiction.htm
I have decided to have another contest before the first one is finished. lol This one is going to be for the rest of the month, and it's going to be easier. All you have to do is make the most comments for the rest of the month of December starting today. Easy. Right! We'll see.
Once again, I'm not telling you the prize. It's going to be another surprise. Wink!
Before I close today, I want to remind you of pet shelters, nursing homes, children, food banks, Salvation Army, and homeless shelters that need our help. This is the season for giving, so please help where ever you can. I know everyone is needing something and none of us can do everything, but just one present to a person in a nursing home or to a child can make a huge difference in their lives. One dollar in a Salvation Army kettle can do so much.
Thank you. Until next Sunday.
Sandy
http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/addiction.htm
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Holiday Contest
Hi Everyone,
I'm having a contest for the month of December. It will start December 1st through December 31st. Won't it be fun to receive a present in the mail after Christmas? I would love it myself. lol
Here's what you have to do. There are two questions to answer: 1. Give description of young woman at the Regional Laboratory. 2. What did the tautness of Jake's arms tell Jolene?
The answers can be found at http://www.skaymarshall.com/ and at http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/ by reading both excerpts of ADDICTION.
Remember the answers can't be posted until Tuesday, December 1st. For those who want to leave an answer but don't know how just use anonymous and put your name under the comment.
Good luck.
See you next Sunday.
Sandy
I'm having a contest for the month of December. It will start December 1st through December 31st. Won't it be fun to receive a present in the mail after Christmas? I would love it myself. lol
Here's what you have to do. There are two questions to answer: 1. Give description of young woman at the Regional Laboratory. 2. What did the tautness of Jake's arms tell Jolene?
The answers can be found at http://www.skaymarshall.com/ and at http://www.eirelander-publishing.com/ by reading both excerpts of ADDICTION.
Remember the answers can't be posted until Tuesday, December 1st. For those who want to leave an answer but don't know how just use anonymous and put your name under the comment.
Good luck.
See you next Sunday.
Sandy
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Me and the Author
My name is Sandy, and as an author, I write under the name of Sandra K. Marshall. Under my façade of laughter and fun, I’m mostly a serious person; therefore you’ll find that most of my stories deal with serious issues.
As a child, I often wondered about people and what their lives were like. For instance, in the eighth grade, I often watched a friend of mine and wondered what she was thinking as she stared out the window. There was something about her that caused me to worry about her even though I didn’t know why. She was a cheerleader and very popular, but she was very kind and not one of the mean cheerleaders you hear about today. We moved to another town that year, and I learned a few months later that Barbara had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Had she known? I believe she had a premonition that she might not be on this earth long.
Going back to that small town for holidays, I would call Barbara to talk to her, and she would talk about her visits to the hospital for treatments. The last time I talked to her I could tell that it might be the last one, and I was right. A couple of days later she was taken to the hospital and did not come home. Her family distraught over their loss moved away a year or two later.
When I started working for an airline in 1962, after a couple of years of spreading my wings and having fun, I decided there were more important things to do than have fun. I thought about the type of volunteer work I would like to do and decided I wanted to work with orphans. Not knowing of any orphanages, I looked them up in the telephone book and found one not to far from where I was living, east of main street. I called to make an appointment to visit, and when I went there I learned it was an all black orphanage. The man who ran the orphanage asked if it made a difference to me. I said, “no” as I’d had a close black friend in high school.
I got involved with reading programs at the orphanage, took the girls on excursions to movies and museums in an attempt to show them there was more out there than what they had experienced so far. I was able to teach these kids a lot, but they knew so much more than I did in certain areas of life. Many of these kids had been abused sexually, beaten physically and mentally. These kids didn’t open up immediately; in fact they challenged me, wanting to know why a white girl would come into their lives. All I could tell them was that I was meant to be with them for a time.
It turned out to be a short time too, because not many months after that the riots started in our city. One day after they started I was at the orphanage, the guy who ran it pulled me aside to tell me, he didn’t want me to come back. He felt it was too dangerous, and he couldn’t be responsible for me. I had had a good day with the girls and didn’t want to tell them good-bye, so I told him I would be back one more time in order to explain to the girls why I wouldn’t be working with them any more. However, I never got a chance to explain because of something that happened when I left there.
At a stop sign, a few blocks from the orphanage, a group of men stood on the corner with angry faces. They started toward me and a couple of guys started pushing my car, and I hurriedly stepped on the pedal and took off. Some of them chased me, and it made me fearful to go back.
(One of these days, I'm going to blog about something pertaining to this section of my post, but it's controversial and though it's on my mind I've been putting it off. I'm sorry for being such a chicken).
None of these things have deterred me from wanting to do something to help others. Now, in my stories, I hope some day to make a difference. I will always write about topics that concern me.
Okay folks, you’ve learned a little more about what makes me tick. Have a good week, and I’ll see you next Sunday.
Remember as always, all comments are welcome even if you disagree with any of my opinions.
Sandy
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=e684nldayz0
As a child, I often wondered about people and what their lives were like. For instance, in the eighth grade, I often watched a friend of mine and wondered what she was thinking as she stared out the window. There was something about her that caused me to worry about her even though I didn’t know why. She was a cheerleader and very popular, but she was very kind and not one of the mean cheerleaders you hear about today. We moved to another town that year, and I learned a few months later that Barbara had been diagnosed with Leukemia. Had she known? I believe she had a premonition that she might not be on this earth long.
Going back to that small town for holidays, I would call Barbara to talk to her, and she would talk about her visits to the hospital for treatments. The last time I talked to her I could tell that it might be the last one, and I was right. A couple of days later she was taken to the hospital and did not come home. Her family distraught over their loss moved away a year or two later.
When I started working for an airline in 1962, after a couple of years of spreading my wings and having fun, I decided there were more important things to do than have fun. I thought about the type of volunteer work I would like to do and decided I wanted to work with orphans. Not knowing of any orphanages, I looked them up in the telephone book and found one not to far from where I was living, east of main street. I called to make an appointment to visit, and when I went there I learned it was an all black orphanage. The man who ran the orphanage asked if it made a difference to me. I said, “no” as I’d had a close black friend in high school.
I got involved with reading programs at the orphanage, took the girls on excursions to movies and museums in an attempt to show them there was more out there than what they had experienced so far. I was able to teach these kids a lot, but they knew so much more than I did in certain areas of life. Many of these kids had been abused sexually, beaten physically and mentally. These kids didn’t open up immediately; in fact they challenged me, wanting to know why a white girl would come into their lives. All I could tell them was that I was meant to be with them for a time.
It turned out to be a short time too, because not many months after that the riots started in our city. One day after they started I was at the orphanage, the guy who ran it pulled me aside to tell me, he didn’t want me to come back. He felt it was too dangerous, and he couldn’t be responsible for me. I had had a good day with the girls and didn’t want to tell them good-bye, so I told him I would be back one more time in order to explain to the girls why I wouldn’t be working with them any more. However, I never got a chance to explain because of something that happened when I left there.
At a stop sign, a few blocks from the orphanage, a group of men stood on the corner with angry faces. They started toward me and a couple of guys started pushing my car, and I hurriedly stepped on the pedal and took off. Some of them chased me, and it made me fearful to go back.
(One of these days, I'm going to blog about something pertaining to this section of my post, but it's controversial and though it's on my mind I've been putting it off. I'm sorry for being such a chicken).
None of these things have deterred me from wanting to do something to help others. Now, in my stories, I hope some day to make a difference. I will always write about topics that concern me.
Okay folks, you’ve learned a little more about what makes me tick. Have a good week, and I’ll see you next Sunday.
Remember as always, all comments are welcome even if you disagree with any of my opinions.
Sandy
http://www.YouTube.com/watch?v=e684nldayz0
Saturday, November 14, 2009
ADDICTION Trailer
Hi Everyone,
Today, you get to see the Trailer I intend to put on YouTube. I admit that I didn't make this video, instead a very good friend, Willie Arrowood made it for me. She doesn't know it, but I'm already thinking of another for her to make. lol Thank you, Willie, for doing this for me. Monster hug for you. Smile.
Just click on the lower left corner of the video to see the trailer. I hope all of you enjoy my video and it makes you want to read ADDICTION.
Until next Sunday, have a good week.
Sandy
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