PJ Sharon Blog day
Welcome to Mary's Garden. Hope you're all doing well. Welcome back, PJ!
Garden
Tip: Grow your own sprouts!
The
winter months can leave us feeling low on energy and dissatisfied with
tasteless greens found in supermarkets this time of year. So why not sprout
your own seeds to provide a fresh, tasty, nutrient-dense kick to salads,
sandwiches, and smoothies? You can make do with a simple
mason jar, tray, plate, or sack, but sprouting kits are available on
line or at your local health food store. They usually come with easy-to-follow
directions, a nice assortment of organic sprouting seeds, and a handy stackable
tray in which to cultivate a variety of sprouts. It does take a bit of TLC, disinfecting
and soaking seeds overnight, and consistent attention to twice daily rinsing,
but it’s a fun project to share with your children or grandchildren to
introduce them to your love of gardening and the idea of growing their own food.
And if you’re like me, this is the time of year you start itching for a chance
to see something green sprouting before your eyes!
Enjoy!
PJ
Green
Smoothie Recipe:
(Recipe
courtesy of Sprout People https://sproutpeople.org/sprout-recipes/green-smoothie/)
1
cup-wheatgrass or sunflower greens
1
cup-alfalfa or leafy sprout
1
cup-leafy greens (spinach, kale, etc. tightly packed)
1
Tbs-green powder (I use Axe Organics, Organic SuperGreens)
1
carrot
1
apple
1
Tbs agave or honey
1
cup-water, ice, or your favorite (no sugar added) fruit juice
Book titles…what’s in a name?
As authors,
naming our book babies can be as complicated as naming our real children. And
choosing cover art can take countless hours of searching stock photo sites for
just the right image to capture the “feel” of our precious stories. After all,
the title and cover are the first things to grab a reader’s attention, and a
“bad” title or a dull cover can derail a book before the back-cover blurb is
even read.
When I joined
the self-publishing boon back in 2011, a lot of us were creating our own covers
to save money—a necessity for some of us since we were just getting started and
hiring free-lance editors and paying for advertising took up a big part of our
budgets. In fact, my first three covers were designed by my husband and me. Thankfully,
the titles came easily and naturally, and seemed to have commercial appeal to
readers. But eventually, I realized my covers couldn’t compete with mainstream
books and I began hiring out the task to professionals. It took me a couple of
tries, but I finally found the cover designer for me. Kim Killion of The
Killion Group has been a dream to work with. She has reasonable prices, top-notch
work, and a quick turnaround time. I’ve
had her redesign my covers to great effect, making them stand out in a very
crowded market.
The only
exception was my second published novel, ON THIN ICE. I have
remained attached to the original cover for reasons I won’t go into here, but I
think it’s finally time to let go of the old and embrace a new look for this heartrending
young adult novel about a teenage figure skater whose mother is dying of cancer
and whose lies set her on a path that will change her future forever. I
recently re-read this story and it reminded me of the complexity and underlying
beauty of Penny’s journey…certainly worthy of a face lift and an introduction
to new readers. I’ll be working on an updated cover for the next few weeks with
Kim and we’ll see what she comes up with. Hopefully, I’ll be able to share the
before and after with you next month!
Here’s a quick synopsis:
Brinn Hathaway—kidnap
survivor turned rookie cop—travels to New York City where her co-worker and
current roomie, Detective Daniella Hernandez, is attending to a family crisis.
When Dani’s old flame—a superior officer—threatens to destroy her career and
her family’s legacy, Brinn vows to do whatever necessary to protect her friend.
Investigating a sergeant
in the NYPD for his personal and criminal misconduct might be overstepping jurisdictional
boundaries and not exactly a good career move. But bringing to justice the man
who had once tormented her friend and righting an old wrong is worth the risk
for Brinn. When it becomes clear Dani’s old sergeant won’t be an easy target,
and that he’s willing to go to any lengths to escape his dark deeds, Brinn discovers
that taking down one of New York’s finest could cost both women more than just
their jobs.
The statue of
liberty and the topic of immigration are key to the story. Let me know in the
comments below which title grabs you most. Suggestions welcome!
- Liberty’s Promise
- Freedom’s Call
- Blind Justice
- Other
Thanks for your
help!
See you on the
third Monday of March and enjoy the coming full moon😊
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