Sneak peek!
A Girl’s Guide to the Bermuda Triangle
by Penny Pearson
Release Date: 2/10/23
Available on Amazon: Paperback and eBook
Is it a bird or a plane? You’ll have to read to find out!
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Saturday, January 14, 2023
I Love Collecting Model Horses. And, Yes, I'm a Grown-up!
I got my first Breyer horse from Santa when I was a young girl. A prancing palomino Arabian stallion.
Family Arabian Stallion (Breyer): Identifyyourbreyer.com
And that started my lifelong love affair with model horses. I've always been a horse lover. I've owned horses for more than forty years. I went to college for training horses. I'm plain and simple a horse girl.
I love horses.
And
I love model horses. Breyer horses are on my Christmas list every
single year since I was seven. I have real horses in the barn, but I'm
always looking at what new models are newly arrived and what customs
have been put up for sale by talented artists.
My husband and daughter just laugh and think I'm slightly off-kilter for being so crazy for these plastic horses. We won't even get into how much money a person could spend on a horse. Who am I kidding, I will get into it. At this year's Breyerfest in Lexington, KY, the highest selling model horse at their auction was The Lone Ranger's Silver model turned into a silver dun Pegasus. It sold for $65,000! Yep. You read that correctly.
Over the last few years, I've gotten into customizing model horses (thanks to NaiMoPaiMo in February) and I find pastels are the medium of choice. I imagine I will get better with each horse I do, but I have so many things to learn.
So, that brings me to one of my newest additions to my model horse stable. I told myself (and my husband) that I wouldn't buy anymore. Yeah, that didn't work. I ran across the horse below on a sale site. Days went by, and I found myself looking on my phone, half-hoping it would have a sold icon on the ad and half-dreading it would have a sold icon on the ad. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I made an offer and it was accepted.
Bellatrix customized by Audrey Dixon from Wild Horse Studios
I'm so excited. I've never owned
this model before and the workmanship on her looks incredible. And
someday, soon I hope, I'll be able to take her to a show (I'll do a
separate post on showing model horses later!).
So,
now you know, I have an obsession with model horses and I don't see
when my love for them will ever go away. I look forward to seeing all
the amazing horses in the future!
Write on!
Penny
Monday, November 28, 2022
My First Pair of Reading Glasses
No one told me I would need reading glasses. I'm 48 years old and had NO clue this was something that almost everyone needed as they aged. I am the black sheep in a family where everyone wears glasses. For my entire life, I was lucky enough to be able to see just fine. I ate lots of carrots.
I noticed a few months ago I couldn't read the tiny instructions on the back of pill bottles. If I did try to read, my eyeballs would hurt. Still never crossed my mind that I would need glasses to aid me in reading. Then the blurriness grew to impacting when I would read books while brushing my teeth. (All my free time I try to devote to writing - or surfing the internet for little model horses -- that will be another posting.) So, I read while I brush my teeth with my electric toothbrush. And I couldn't see the words in my historical romance I was reading. Not fair!
Courtesy of Prevention.com
One day I had stopped in a store for something and walked past their reading glasses fixture. My brain whispered to me to try a pair on. Ughh. I didn't want to put glasses on. In my mind, it was a sign of weakness, but I still reached out and picked a bright yellow pair and slid onto my head, settling them on my nose. When I looked out into the store, things were blurry and I breathed a sigh of relief.
See, I didn't need glasses.
Then I saw the little card on the side of the fixture and suddenly the font was crystal clear. I lifted the glasses and the suggested prescription "fit" guide grew blurry. I slid the glasses down. CLEAR.
I was elated! Thirty seconds ago, I was ready to pump my hand in the air with the declaration that I don't need glasses. But I wouldn't have been able to see.
Now, the second eye opening fact of the day was when I turned to my eleven year old daughter and asked her how I looked and she screwed up her face and said, "I don't like how they look." Well, I don't either, I had to conclude, but to able to read clearly again and without eyeball pain, I might be willing to look uncool.
One week later, I have three pairs of glasses spread around the house. One in bathroom, one in living room and one in purse. I need my readers to do anything closer than arm's length. I can see now and am somewhat more willing to acknowledge aging is something I must be willing to accept. I might not be happy with it, but I have to understand there's no way around it.
Happy reading!
Penny
Sunday, November 27, 2022
Wednesday - Grown-up and Still Throwing Insults with the Best of Them! A review with no spoilers.
I started the Wednesday series on Netflix this week. Even though every once of me wants to binge watch all the episodes, I'm trying to savor the good. To say I'm enjoying it, is an understatement. Jenna Ortega is a wonderful continuation of Wednesday Addams in today's incarnation. It's also a bit startling to see Jenna in such a serious role, as I'm used to seeing her while watching Stuck in the Middle (Disney+) with my daughter. But she's doing an amazing job.
Photo courtesy of Variety.com
I've always liked The Addams Family. We have the black and white TV series from 1964. I've seen the 1990s movies in the 1990's and watch them over and over (I'm a BIG fan of the Addams Family Values.) We liked the most recent animated movies, as well - and own copies of those.
I love the culture clash between the family and the world. Nothing bothers them and somehow they come out on top.
In the Netflix series, Wednesday is sent to a boarding school due to getting expelled from her former high school. At Nevermore, she is deposited into an almost Harry Potter-esque situation, with different cliques vying for top spot of coolness. Wednesday has no desire to conform to anyone's standards and is willing to tell anyone her feelings. As the episodes unfolds, Wednesday tries to figure out the mystery surrounding the school and the nearby town.
There are many story lines floating around. As of now, they are certainly keeping my attention. It also doesn't help that Tim Burton was involved in more than half of the first season and that Christina Ricci is in the cast. This show appeals to the goth that lives inside of me and can't wait to see where it'll take me.
Write on!
Penny
Saturday, November 26, 2022
How Wizards of the Vatican book series came about
As my 2nd book is about to be released mid-December, I wanted to chat about how this series came about. As usual, it certainly wasn't straight forward. Years ago, I started getting ice pick headaches in which I thought I must have brain cancer because this certainly couldn't have been normal. With each shooting pain, an idea took root that maybe I was possessed and some crazy demon was trying to crack through my skull.
I also had help from a favorite song I was listening to at the time: Seabound; Poisonous Friend. (Click the link if you are curious to find out what kind of music brought about Bequest of Blood.)
Okay, I didn't really believe a demon was trying to surgically alter my brain, but it helped my paranormal fantasy story become real. I began to research serial killers and remembered learning about Elizabeth Bathory. This woman was crazy insane and the perfect spirit baddie. So, I wrote. When it was finished, I decided to self-publish it because I was burned from my previous publisher getting arrested by the FBI and wasn't ready to trust anyone in the publishing world quite yet.
The book did okay and readers were fascinated about Elizabeth and her involvement in the story. I started writing another Wizards book and completed it but didn't go the self-publishing route with that one.
Fast forward a few years later and I was a panelist at an seminar and sitting next to a local publisher. We started chatting and I pitched my book, not expecting much interest, but it was worth a try. Reluctantly he told me his wife and him ran the company and they were very selective on the material they published. I went home, sent the manuscript and waited for the expected rejection letter.
They contacted me and said they were interested in a 3-book deal from me. I sent them book 1 which was written AFTER book 2 but takes place before book 2. Confusing, I know! But it makes sense. Each book is about a different wizard and the heroine. My girls are spunky, contrary sometimes, insecure at other times (because you're supposed to write about what you know.) But my stories also involve romance. I kid around with people my women deserve love after all the trouble they go through.
Book 3 was written on a first-ever deadline - which was most exciting. I was a bit concerned because all my novels take about a year to write. I had 9 months to write this one. But I really didn't have trouble keeping to the timeline, as I had been writing for many years and used to some sort of schedule.
That is my story how my single self-published book turned into a 3-book deal. I have a new, fancier cover for Bequest and I realize there might be some people that have the original they bought from me at local selling events. But with the addition of two more stories with my publishing contract, I'm not sure they would have come about without getting picked up by Seventh Star Press.
Wizards of the Vatican - paranormal fantasy:
Book 1 - Ritual of Blood is available now on Amazon and other retailers
Book 2 - Bequest of Blood is on eBook pre-sale now with official release *ebook and paperback December 16, 2022
Book 3 - Tentative, not official title Traces of Blood - release date TBD
If you're looking for a strange, fun read, I hope you keep me in mind when your shopping!
Write on!
Penny
Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Cover Reveal for Bequest of Blood Book 2 in the Wizards of the Vatican Series
I'm excited to announce the cover reveal for my 2nd book in the Wizards of the Vatican series. Ebook is available now for pre-order and official release date is December 16th, 2022.
Cover Reveal and Pre-Orders Open for Bequest of Blood, by Penny Pearson!
Today we have a cover reveal and the opening of Kindle pre-orders for Bequest of Blood, the second novel in the Wizards of the Vatican Series from Penny Pearson! Bequest of Blood will be available in print and multiple eBook formats on December 16th!
The Wizards of the Vatican is a thrilling paranormal fantasy series set in contemporary times that is great for readers of many genres!
Pre-order now on Kindle for $3.99
Bequest of Blood Kindle Pre-order Link
Synopsis of Bequest of Blood:
He had a job to do…
Marc Brinon pledged his life to ensure the atrocities Elizabeth Bathory, the Blood Countess, committed would never happen again after he failed to stop her in 1610. He traveled throughout the centuries, hunting the spirit of the killer. After locating the next victim, Marc was not prepared for Ella.
She was just a number…
How had Ella Nassady’s normal life taken such a strange, dangerous turn? Just when she started fearing for her life, a mysterious stranger offered his help. Having no choice but to trust him, she found herself immersed in a world of magic, murder, and terror.
It was going to take some strange magic to find happily ever after…
About the Author:
Penny Pearson lives in southern Indiana with her husband, young daughter, two quarter horses, one rescued dog, and two tortoiseshell barn cats. At a young age, she began to pen stories and found she liked to write about unexplained beings having the chance at love. Penny is signed with Seventh Star Press for her Wizards of the Vatican series.
Please visit Penny’s website to learn more:
Be sure to get a copy of the first book of the Wizards of the Vatican Series, Ritual of Blood, available now!
Links
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Coming soon!
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