Last week, my husband, Charlie, showed me a Disney advertisement of a journal with a front that looked like the stained-glass art of Beauty and the Beast on Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom. I commented that I loved it but moved on with my day, not thinking twice about it. 

A few days later, Charlie handed me a package wrapped in blue and white Disney tissue paper. I opened it, and there, to my surprise, was the journal. There was no occasion. He wasn't in the dog house. He wasn't trying to bribe me for something. He just loves me. He knew I'd use this gorgeous journal for writing my book outlines and how much I'd enjoy it. And he was right!

I just had to share. The pictures don't do it justice, of course. It's absolutely stunning and the finishing touches including the pages of the fairytale scenes and rose accents are wonderful. It also has a bookmark with a stained-glass rose trinket, so I don't lose my page. 

I can't wait to start creating new stories in this journal! Maybe I'll write a nicer novel this time (Nah!) ;-)

Thank you to my Hon-Hon.

All my love,

Sandie

​I remember this day vividly. I was sitting at my desk at an engineering firm, just starting my day. Sometime before 9 a.m., one of our scientific techs called and asked me if I heard about the Twin Towers being hit by an airplane. We kidded around a lot in the past, and I thought he was pranking me again. And told him so. Even laughed. He swore he wasn't kidding. So, I headed over to our front desk area, then to a T.V. that was set up in one of the offices. There, I watched in horror, the events that were unfolding in NYC after the first plane hit the North Tower. The dust swallowing people, making their faces look like clay, eyelashes caked. Screams. People hiding under vehicles. People running away from the towers, firemen and police officers running in. We didn't know what to make of it, my coworkers and I. We sat in silence, except for a few gasps here and there. 

Certainly, someone wouldn't be doing this on purpose. Certainly, this must have been some freak accident, we thought. We heard President Bush had been informed. That he was at an elementary school in Florida. There was suspicion. Could this be an attack on our country? Our fears were soon confirmed once I saw a plane headed straight for the South Tower. I watched with my hands over my mouth as the plane hit the side of the building, causing it to explode, fire jetting out in all directions. 

More news came in. Planes were hijacked and aimed toward other targets. President Bush was in the air on AirForce One. My husband was traveling. I desperately called him, wanting to hear his voice and confirm he was okay. He was. But he heard AirForce one was nearby. Would they go after the President, too? Luckily not.

I worried about so many people that day. My family in New York. My traveling husband. The families of the employees in The Towers and nearby. The firefighters and policemen and their families. The people jumping out of the buildings and the rescue personnel below them (I'll never forget the booming sound when they hit the ground). The people stuck in the stairwells of The Towers, trying desperately to get out. The people who never made it out as each tower gave way, crushing everything within and below it as it crashed to the ground, forcing more debris and dust and body parts everywhere. The pictures taped to electric poles of missing souls, families desperate to find them. The employees in the Pentagon. The loved ones in airplanes that crashed to the ground. It was the most chaotic feeling, not knowing what would be the next target and who else would die. 

And it was far-reaching. The stock market crash, people's retirement obliterated. Looking up at the sky weeks later, hoping the plane in the sky wouldn't crash on me too. The relief I felt when my husband returned home. The hours and hours of watching television and people begging for information. Such an emotionally sad time. If you watched, you know what I mean. I'm sure you felt it, too. But I also remember something else. We came together as a nation. We cared about each other. For a brief period of time, I remember feeling connected with everyone. And I want that feeling back.

Do you remember? Where were you?

Florida Writers Association has announced that my latest psychological thriller, The Takings, is a finalist in their Royal Palm Literary Award Competition under the Blended Fiction category! I'm beyond excited to hear that I'll be part of their evening event on October 17. It'll be a difficult wait! The event will be online this year which is disappointing but understandable. I'll miss the delicious meal and seeing everyone at their annual conference. But Charlie and I have decided that we'll have a fancy dinner and dress up anyway. We'll celebrate at home with friends and family instead which is definitely a bonus. So, I'm crossing my fingers and toes that The Takings receives an award! We'll see!

I'm head-over-heels to announce that my psychological thriller, The Takings, is now a semi-finalist in the 2020 Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards for published suspense! I'm so excited!! The finalists should be announced in August and then the awards will be announced in October. Such an honor to be part of such a distinguished group of authors. I'll keep you updated as this moves along!

Great news! I was super excited to see the new review on The Takings from Readers' Favorite this morning! Her interpretation of the book was spot on and I couldn't be more pleased! Here's the press release:
​----------------------------

For immediate release:
Author's new book receives a warm literary welcome.
Readers' Favorite announces the review of the Fiction - Thriller - Psychological book "The Takings" by Sandie Will, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1696786908.
Readers' Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the "Best Websites for Authors" and "Honoring Excellence" awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

"Reviewed By Shannon Winings for Readers' Favorite
Florida swamps are home to horrific nightmares where someone is chasing you and you just can't get away from the dark figure following you. Yet, these types of nightmares become real when young Wyatt disappears from the Green Swamp on his way home. Jeremy Corringer has already lost his wife and cannot possibly bear to lose his beautiful child. His friend, Adrian Webster, feels for him and wants to help. He is no stranger to tragedy as he lost his own brother ten years ago and still wrestles with the aftershock to this day. Adrian doesn't want his friend to suffer and the only way to do that is to find Wyatt before time runs out. Soon, Adrian is plagued with "visions" that may just be the key to finding the young boy and restoring his own life.

The Takings by Sandie Will immediately pulled me into the story. It was mysterious, dark, and suspenseful to the very end. The author was also extremely talented at writing descriptive, vivid imagery that put me in the book with the characters. At times, I felt trapped in the swamp and Adrian's visions as well. In addition, I also felt some sort of sympathy and empathy for the villain. I was so conflicted as you clearly should root for good over evil but sometimes you can't help feeling a bit too much when you come across some great writing. The Takings by Sandie Will is definitely a great mystery to read on your vacation this year."
You can learn more about Sandie Will and "The Takings" at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/the-takings where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

Readers' Favorite LLC
Media Relations
Louisville, KY 40202
800-RF-REVIEW
support@readersfavorite.com
https://readersfavorite.com

Have you all read Emmy Bennett's urban fantasy book series? I've read Book 1 - Eyes of Wynter and Book 2 - Different Shade of Winter, and I really loved them both. The characters are so likable and Emmy's writing is excellent, keeping you locked onto each page to see what happens next. Emmy has created worlds of her own and each character has a unique spin on their gifted powers. She'll be releasing her new book, Wynter Reign, in a couple of months, so you have plenty of time to catch up and read the first two. I'm eagerly awaiting the third and will let you know when it's available! Or you can follow her on Amazon, Twitter @EmmyRBennett or Facebook. Enjoy!

With all the publishing prep I've been doing this year, I rarely have time to read books, especially outside of my genre. But I just had to read and share Jennifer Zamboni's. I mean, who wouldn't? She's got a mix of vampires, faes, and werewolves in her fantasy duology. I've read the first book, Beauty is the Beast, and will be onto the second book soon because I became addicted by the end of the book and must find out what happens next! And my goodness, look at those book covers! They are fantastic. She has some great reviews, too!

There will be two more in this series: Worlds War, which Jen hopes to release in January, & The Were Zone, which Jen is hoping will be available next summer. She's also starting a paranormal romance duology set in the same world.

Good luck to Jen!

Check out the cover of my new psychological thriller titled, The Takings, coming October 30, 2019! It will be available on Amazon including Kindle Unlimited. Very excited!!

At age fifteen, Adrian Webster lost his younger brother in a tragic accident. He tried to mourn. He tried to move on. But all he could do was bury the pain.

Ten years later, his best friend’s son, Wyatt, vanishes while riding his bike through Green Swamp in Central Florida. Adrian's friend has already lost his wife, and he doesn’t want him to suffer the pain of losing a child, making Adrian obsess over finding Wyatt. So obsessed that he’s plagued by visions. Ones that creep into the corners of his eyes. Ones that reveal the truth. And ones that force Adrian to choose between his friendship and unleashing the memories of the past before Wyatt is gone forever and Adrian loses the one thing he loves most in life—his new family.

Last weekend, I went to the Florida Writers Association annual conference. I was notified that I was a finalist during the summer, and I anxiously awaited hearing whether or not I placed last Saturday night with my young adult psychological thriller, The Caging at Deadwater Manor. It not only placed, but it received First Place in the Young Adult/New Adult genre! I couldn't be more thrilled. More photos to come soon!

It's hard to find the words to celebrate one's life when going through mourning. In 2016, I lost three special people in my life including my dad in May, my sister-in-law in November, and my Uncle John in December. Thinking of them and all they are missing just makes my heart ache.

But something has surfaced since Uncle John's passing that has given us all comfort. His words. He wrote poetry and short stories, and I never knew. Here I am, a writer myself, and we never shared thoughts on tapping into our own emotions or the emotions of others. I always knew Uncle John was a wonderful husband, father and grandfather, but I didn't know we shared a love for words. They've been surfacing on Facebook, though - posts from loved ones with photos of poems I've never read. How excited I've been to read these!

​So, this is a tribute to you, Uncle John. I'm so happy I've been able to enjoy your writing. It's wonderful to have a personal part of you that we can hold so close to our hearts. What an incredible gift!

Here are a few of his poems.

Love you, Uncle John 

Obituary of John Van Voorhis

John Vincent Van Voorhis, 73, passed away on December 13, 2016 surrounded by his family. Born in Wappingers Falls on January 19, 1943, he was the son of the late John “Jack” Van Voorhis and Virginia Hoyt Van Voorhis. On April 14, 1963, he married Gloria Jean Hauver, who survives at home. John served in the United States Army and was retired from IBM in Poughkeepsie after over 30 years of employment. He spent the last 20 years dedicating his services to the American Legion, fulfilling many different positions from treasurer to Commander of Post 1302. John was a wonderful storyteller who could always make you laugh. He had a story or joke for every situation and was quite the entertainer. He had a wealth of knowledge of just about everything. He enjoyed many sports throughout his life and was instrumental in founding the first Dutchess County Girls softball league. John was a loving and caring person who treasured his family and friends above all. He had a love of nature, gardening, music and reading, even writing short stories and poetry of his own.