Random Thoughts While Cruising Along at 55 MPH

For those of us who grew up in the sixties and seventies, our lives were affected significantly by that band of Liverpool lads, the Beatles. It didn't matter if they were your favorite rock group (they were mine); they changed music forever and some of the songs they did so long ago still influence us on a daily basis. So it was with a bit of sadness to hear that Paul McCartney is performing in his final concert this summer in San Francisco on August 14th.

It wasn't too long ago that Paul and Ringo were singing together again on a TV special. Everyone involved in that show did a great job, but the real "stand up and cheer" moments happened when the two of them got together for the show's finale. After watching that show, I remember thinking that a possible "reunion" tour wouldn't be out of the question. But retirement? I didn't see that coming; how about you?

This week the world celebrated Earth Day. Social Media brought us a non-stop flood of great photos and videos, and it hasn't ended yet. People everywhere continue to share these posts with us every day, and it would be nice to think that we could expand Earth Day into "Earth Year," a continual array of reminders for us all. Why zero in on one day, when our planet needs us to do whatever we can to help it survive? Act as if every day is Earth Day, and we'll all be better for it!

I read an article from Reuters yesterday that talked about a recent discovery by scientists. The study shows that giant pandas have a "sweet tooth" just like us. It speculates that pandas ate a lot of fruits and sweet things before humans drove them into the bamboo-filled mountains of Asia. Now their diet consists primarily of bamboo. It shouldn't be long before somebody announces a new "Panda Diet" filled with bamboo salads. I hear it's full of fiber!

I've discovered a gem while mining the pages of Facebook. My daily wanderings have brought me to a great page that's worth checking out. The page is "Sue Fitzmaurice, Author." I'm not familiar with her work, but she puts a lot of effort into finding things to make us smile. One of her recent quotes: "Blessed are we who can laugh at ourselves for we shall never cease to be amused." My kind of stuff!

Do you ever take the time to read the articles about the benefits of a certain food or herb, or even just plain old water? Just this week I've read articles about Apple Cider Vinegar and Garlic, both being described as cure-alls for a ton of ailments, and one about drinking water (even at bedtime). I've tried the turmeric paste shake with some success, but I'm left with one overriding thought; can't some big company just make us all a "wonder supplement" that includes all these ingredients? Imagine a pill we could take once a day that would cure our ills and make us feel like a million bucks? The one drawback to this idea is that if Big Pharma produces this pill it will cost a million bucks! So for now, it's still up to us to make each day as good as it can be; smile whenever you can!

It's that time of year when we Floridians reclaim the beaches, restaurants and roads. By now, most of the winter "Snowbirds" have returned to their homes up north, and we're able to get into restaurants and bars and actually find a good spot to sit and enjoy the view.

My significant other and I went to the beach for a while yesterday and had no trouble finding a parking spot. The beach wasn't deserted, but the people who were there were spread out nicely, giving everybody else a sense of privacy. She and I picked up some shells and watched a few kids who were surfing near us. Just an FYI: for those of you up north looking for a break, April and May are the two best months to visit Florida. Our weather here is beautiful, and you're still wearing heavy coats and cranking up the heat every other day. Just sayin'... 

Thanks to everyone who took the time to read my Serpent's Curse sample in the past week. I was pretty excited to see how many of you took advantage of my offer, and I definitely saw a spike in book sales. Hope you're enjoying it! For those of you who didn't catch the freebie, see my link below for another opportunity.

It's baseball season everybody, so go knock one out of the park! Have a great week!

Mark T. Bradbury, Author                                                                                                                          
For information on my eBook, Serpent's Curse, please follow the link:
http://littlepondpublishing.com/book-titles/serpents-curse-by-mark-t-bradbury/

For those of you who would like to try the first seven chapters of my book "Serpent's Curse," please click on the link below:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1456c9f6ce6cc2b2

Link for Serpent's Curse - Free Trial Copy

For those of you who would like to try the first seven chapters of my book "Serpent's Curse," please click on the link below:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1456c9f6ce6cc2b2

This should make it easier for you to access.

Thanks!

Mark T. Bradbury, Author

If You Missed My Free Offer

Link for Serpent's Curse - Free Trial Copy

For those of you who would like to try the first seven chapters of my book "Serpent's Curse," please click on the link below:

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/1456c9f6ce6cc2b2

I'd like to thank all of you who take the time to read my blog. Each week I see more people coming to my site to check out what I'm writing about. It's been fun to watch my audience grow, since that is the goal of every writer, I would imagine.

I've been told that I'm a prolific writer, and that with a little research, I can put something together that attracts an audience. I'm not sure if I'm prolific, but I can write about things I'm interested in or have dreamed up in my mind. Once I start a project, I'm pretty gung-ho to finish it.

Which brings me to my point for today. I published my first book, Serpent's Curse, as an eBook in late October. After strong initial sales, my book has lagged behind since the first of the year. I'm told it's a typical marketing dilemma authors face when launching their first couple of books as an independent author.

That's not necessarily good for me, though, as I've been a bit busy writing other books since I wrapped up my first one. I have a sequel, called Serpent's Return, ready to publish at any time. I've also put two other books together; one is a humorous accounting of my life as an angler, and the other is a light look at genealogy. Both are complete, and are ready to publish, also.

And if that weren't enough, I've also begun a series which I believe will include at least three books. The series involves a coven of White Witches and Wizards whose primary responsibility is to fight evil on every front. The first book begins in the British Isles around 3000 B.C., and will evolve over five thousand years to the present day upon completion.

The Bottom Line: I need to sell some books! It's imperative that Serpent's Curse gets going a lot stronger, so I can get the others I have finished out there, as well.

I'm offering all of you an opportunity to read the first seven chapters of my book FREE. The offer also includes a Prologue, which establishes the premise of what takes place later. I feel that these chapters identify the basic plot line of the book, and if it doesn't draw you in, then I've obviously failed in my mission.

But I don't think I'll fail. The people who've read my book have really enjoyed it, and I've received some excellent reviews on it. It's a fast read, and it features a dark twist in a battle of good and evil. I'm confidant that many of you who do take me up on my offer will in turn buy my book to finish the tale.

Serpent's Curse is now available from Amazon.com (only) as a paperback. It can be ordered through them and they'll ship it to you directly. It can be purchased in eBook form from Amazon.com, iTunes.com or BarnesandNoble.com. Search: Serpent's Curse by Mark T. Bradbury. You can also follow the link below to Little Pond Publishing, where you'll be able to go directly to any of the three bookstores.

Send me an email to: mtbradbury1@gmail.com and I'll send you a PDF to try.

I'd like to ask for some extra help from all of you; if you could share this on your timelines, or forward it along to your email group, it would help me tremendously!

Thanks again for reading and following my weekly blog. It means a lot to me!

Mark T. Bradbury, Author                                                                                                                          

For information on my eBook, Serpent's Curse, please follow the link:

http://littlepondpublishing.com/book-titles/serpents-curse-by-mark-t-bradbury/

Hump Day Specials

Feeling old this week; my youngest daughter turned 35 on Monday and my son is 43 today. Yikes! I love them both dearly, but enough already with this getting old thing! They apparently don't understand that Dad still wants to feel young, even though I'm not so much anymore.

It's Wednesday; "Hump Day" as it's otherwise known. You probably would have to really search far and wide to find someone who dislikes commercials more than I do, but I actually look forward to seeing the Geico ad with the happy camel asking everybody what day it is and proclaiming that it's "Hump Day." That gets me chuckling every time; I love it!" 

A recent study proved that naps can benefit certain areas of the brain."  said the headline of a recent article I read. I started reading it and fell asleep. I definitely felt smarter when I woke up!

In addition to writing, I also do copy editing. I'm the guy who goes into somebody else's work and cleans up the spelling and grammar, so when I saw this posting on FB this week I got a good laugh. The quote read: 

         "Dear people of the world, I don't mean to sound slutty, but please use me whenever you can.

         Sincerely, Grammar"

I'm often dumbfounded by the grammatical mistakes I see every day. So many of them are the same ones, you know, the "their/there/they're, to/too, lose/loose, etc. Study up people, there will be a quiz!

Did you know that a large group of baboons is called a "congress?" Scary, isn't it? Actually a little more scary (if you saw the Alfred Hitchcock movie "The Birds) is that a group of crows is called a "murder." Strange language, this English!

         

From the "Who Knew?" files:

         In an article written by Tamiya King, the benefits of drinking lemon water are extolled. Did you know that lemon water aids in digestion, cleanses the body, enhances the immune system and balances pH levels? It also clears the skin (goodbye Clearasil), boosts your mood (no more Prozac!), accelerates healing, freshens your breath and humidifies your lymph system. But the best thing it can help with is weight loss! Doesn't mention anything about my arthritic hip, but this lemon thing may be worth looking into. Here's a warning; don't suck on fresh cut lemons, they will ruin the enamel on your teeth and make you smile funny. True!

For you "Millenials" and those who wish they were, here's a little something you can do to impress your friends. When drinking a Mountain Dew, save about a 1/4 of the bottle. Add 3 caps (not cups) of hydrogen peroxide and a pinch of baking soda. Close the bottle and shake well. The result: a homemade glow stick. Don't finish drinking it when it fades! 

From across the pond, in merry old England, comes a story about a deceased veteran. Facebook England posted an invitation to the veteran's funeral because he had no family or friends listed anywhere. At least 200 people showed up to honor the man. Pretty powerful!

With Spring busting out all over, we all need to be a little more aware of the things our animals drag in. Ticks have become a major nuisance and are quite dangerous. I saw a story about a nurse who offers an easy way to get ticks to release from your pet's skin. "Apply a glob of liquid soap to a cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab it for a few seconds (15-20); the tick will come out on its own and be stuck to the cotton ball when you lift it away." Great idea!

And for the women in my life, here's a question every man would like the answer to. "If a man is talking in a forest and no woman can hear him, is he still wrong?" And, yes, I think I already have a pretty good idea what your answer is!

Tuesday, April 22nd, is Earth Day. Why not get involved in something that will benefit all of us by joining a local group cleaning up our roads, rivers, lakes or beaches? Maybe you can take your favorite kid fishing and show him the right way to treat our environment? Anything you might do will help us preserve our lands and waters, so please look into doing something special this year.

On this day in 1883, the Mary L. Cushing was launched in my hometown of Newburyport, Massachusetts. It was the last wooden tall ship built in Massachusetts. Isn't she beautiful?

                                      

As always, please share this to your timelines or forward to your friends if you enjoy. Thanks!                           Mark T. Bradbury, Author     Literary Associate of Little Pond Publishing Digital Publisher | eBooks | Marketing For information on my eBook, Serpent's Curse, please follow the link: http://littlepondpublishing.com/book-titles/serpents-curse-by-mark-t-bradbury/ Serpent's Curse is now available as a paperback from Amazon.com . Here's your chance to buy it if you haven't already! Sorry for the delay!