Showing posts with label Sunflowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sunflowers. Show all posts

Monday, September 8, 2014

Life is Good: Tiny Downey Tribute



Today's post is in honor of Tina Downey who went to be with the Lord before I had a chance to know her very well. To read what others are saying, go to the A - Z Blog HERE.
Tina was active in the blogging community and supportive of her fellow writers.
 
We were friends on facebook. What I remember is her witty sense of humor and that everything had a positive side, even getting soaked in the rain!
 
One thing everyone knew about Tina is that she loved sunflowers!
 
This is for you, Tina...
 
Sunflowers!
 
   
My daughter Amber with Sunflowers at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo
 


My 2014 sunflowers



My garden 2014


Tina believed that...
 
#LifeIsGood
 
logo on my backpack
 
In fact, Tina's blog was called Life is Good!
 
Such a lovely lady with a lovely way of looking at the world.
 
You are loved and missed, Tina.
 
Godspeed!
 
A tweet to share:
 
Remembering Tina Downey over at the A - Z today. Bring a sunflower! #lifeisgood  http://www.a-to-zchallenge.com/2014/08/sunflowers-for-tina-september-8-2014.html
 
 
Did you know Tina?
 
What do you remember most about her?
 
 
 
 


Monday, August 11, 2014

How Does Your Garden Grow? Cover Reveals and Other Stuff.

Open For Business

Yeah, I'm back. For reals. It's been a crazy summer in the swimming pool industry--my day job. Now that I can breathe again, I'm regrouping. My new schedule is that I'm posting every Monday. If you're having a cover reveal or doing a blog tour, let me know. I'd be glad to host you.

What else have I been doing?

Gardening

I've been gardening. I'm a great Gardner, but not a great gardener. Sometimes, it just doesn't go as planned. But I have the sweetest hubster. I really do. When my garden doesn't do well (it happens a lot, LOL), he always says the soil is bad. I love him to bits!

I do love gardening, though. Little heads popping out of the ground after a seed is planted. Then it grows into something really awesome. It's a miracle. God really knew what he was doing when he invented gardening. But I get so anxious to plant and nearly always plant too soon. I planted my sunflowers and pumpkins on April 1st. No joke. And now my garden is done and harvested. My pumpkins are 90 days premature. I'm hoping if I don't cut into them that they'll last until Halloween.

But look how lovely!





News

I got a lot done when I wasn't blogging! My Afterlife novella series has been completed and sent off to critique partners. Now I'm waiting patiently (not!) for feedback so that I can complete my edits and publish. If you have space on your blog for cover reveals and releases and want to help, please leave a comment or email me at gwenmgardner@cox.net. If you're looking for something specific, like blurb/excerpt, character based post, interview or want an arc for review, let me know. Here's the schedule:

Book I cover reveal 9/8
Book I release 9/22
Book II cover reveal 9/29
Book II release 10/6
Book III cover reveal 10/13
Book III release 10/20

Cover Reveal and Freebie

So, this is a combined cover reveal and freebie. Isn't it awesomesauce? Corona Zschusschen is a wonderful illustrator. She's done all my covers. So if you're in need, check out her website!



I published my A-Z: The Paranormal Case Files of Indigo Eady. It's from the 2013 A-Z Blogging Challenge. I figured since my main character hosted, and she shared some of the stories from my books, that I'd give readers a free taste of what was to come.

At least, I'm trying to make it free. It's live on both Smashwords and Amazon. Smashwords lets me give it away free, but not Amazon. Amazon will only let me go as low as .99 cents. But they do price matching. In other words, if you tell them you saw it cheaper somewhere else, they'll match the price - at their discretion. What you do is go to the Amazon page and scroll down to Product Details to the link that says "tell us about a lower price." Then you enter 0.00 and paste in the Smashwords link.

If you want to help me make it free on Amazon:


 

And paste in this Smashword link under “tell us about a lower price.”:  https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/459629

Easy peasy, right?

Untethered Realms

Here's another cover reveal for an Untethered Realms author, Graeme Ing, available August 23, 2014. It's pretty darn cool!



A primeval fiend is loose in the ancient metropolis of Malkandrah, intent on burning it to a wasteland. The city's leaders stand idly by and the sorcerers that once protected the people are long gone.

Maldren, a young necromancer, is the only person brave enough to stand against the creature. Instead of help from the Masters of his Guild, he is given a new apprentice. Why now, and why a girl? As they unravel the clues to defeating the fiend, they discover a secret society holding the future of the city in its grip. After betrayals and attempts on his life, Maldren has reason to suspect everyone he thought a friend, even the girl.

His last hope lies in an alliance with a depraved and murderous ghost, but how can he trust it? Its sinister past is intertwined in the lives of everyone he holds dear.

Can only evil defeat evil?

***

Our group of authors always has something interesting to say. We post every Tuesday, so if you want to stop by, go HERE. I'll be there tomorrow talking about what's on my nightstand. My tastes are pretty eclectic, as I think most writers are.


Do you like gardening?
 
What have you been up to?
 
Enjoying your summer?

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

My Back-in-San-Diego Pictograph

I'm back in San Diego and still adjusting. It's funny how habits are formed. I hesitate at things like putting the trash out the night before (as suggested by the trash company), until I realize San Diego doesn't have bears.

We're in a rental house and still trying to sell our house in Colorado.

But there are some awesomesauce things about being back in San Diego...



My Garden, photo by me.
 
I have a pumpkin patch!!!
 
This is the pumpkin patch I inherited with the house. I am so thrilled about it! The other pumpkins are still green, but there are more. This one was still green two weeks ago. I've already weeded it and water it lovingly every other day.
 
 
 
 
 
Sorry, don't know who to credit for this awesome pic.
 
And I hope to have some of these soon. I planted a variety of Sunflower seeds (I grew black ones once, that were totally awesome!) around my pumpkin patch on Saturday. They take 7 - 21 days to come up. I can't wait to see their little heads pop up out of the ground. It is such a miracle! (Yes, I did this instead of unpacking!)
 
 


Cactus Joe, photo by me.
 
Cactus Joe has not bloomed in four years (the whole time we were in Colorado). But give him a little sunshine and he shows off by growing a crown. I've had him since he was an inch tall - that was 18 years ago. I always thought he was a barrel cactus, but he has these appendages starting to protrude which makes me think he might be a saguaro...




The beach, photo by me
 
The beaches.
I don't remember if this is Del Mar or La Jolla.
 
 
 
Other great things about San Diego?
Old friends
Mexican food
Margaritas
Happy Hour
Sea World
Zoo
Balboa Park
Mexican food
Margaritas
Happy Hour
Mexican food
Margaritas
Happy Hour...
 
What's new with you?
 
Do you like to grow things?
 
Have you had to move and/or adjust?