Love and a Kiss on the Head

Sending out love and peace and a kiss on the head this Valentines Day. 

Hope you all have a happy and safe holiday! As always, thanks for reading. =D

I Squee for Birds: Meet the Spoon-billed Sandpiper!

A long-time bird lover and ex keeper of birds, I admit to being a sucker. But, I have totally fallen in love with  the Spoon-billed Sandpiper, one of the most endangered birds on the planet. This is all Cornell Lab of Ornithology's fault. Well, them and Gerrit Vyn who trekked out onto the Russian tundra to film this fantastic footage. Stick with it and you will get to see the first ever film of the little fledglings coming off their nest. So amazing. Read all about it at the Cornell site! Sign up for their newsletter. They always share the coolest stuff.

The Ravens Crossing Turns One!

Over the next two weeks, The Ravens Crossing is celebrating turning one with a giveaway to thank all of our fantastic readers. You are the best. Head on over to www.theravenscrossing.org to enter and thanks for reading and for helping us spread the word about TRC! 

This past year has been a wild ride. When I look back, I'm shocked to see how much can be accomplished when friends come together to create something they truly believe in.  Exactly one year ago, TRC was born a small idea that grew into an amazing adventure. There are not enough words to thank my fellow writers and college alums Andi Lea, and West Thornhill, for making me a part of this project. We have managed to create a whole science fiction/fantasy world, present it in an innovative format, and provide affordable reading about diverse characters to young adults and people of all ages. All of the volunteers on this project have spent untold hours planning and writing our adventures and helping build and run a website to publish our serialized stores six days a week. The project is now in it's third season, and there are plenty more adventure planned. The future looks bright. For those who have just found us, you can purchase the previous seasons from the website in ebook format on Amazon and Smashwords.

The Artful Dodger

Photo appears courtesy of the NC Zoo

With a heavy heart, I bid fond farewell to The North Carolina Zoo's Cougar, Dodger. This beautiful man lived fourteen years, but alas a severe degenerative joint disease got the better of him, and once treatments were no longer working, he had to be euthanized yesterday. I will never forget the day I first laid eyes on him. He came to the NC Zoo as a rescue with a somewhat sketchy past. He was found by firemen in an abandoned Detroit building. Eventually, confiscated by the Michigan Humane Society, Dodger came to the NC Zoo at three months of age. And let me tell you, he was so freaking cute, and seriously into everything. The king of mischief, this boy. I used to tell him about Max and the Wild Things, my favorite childhood story, and regularly threaten to send him to bed without his supper, though he knew my threats were empty, and he had all of us wrapped around his already sizable claws from the word go. Several of us were given the fantastic opportunity to assist in caring for this exuberant cub. We fed and entertained Dodger while he was in the zoo's quarantine facility. It was a full-time job and a bit more work than the veterinary technicians who usually care for the area could handle alone. So, several of us were able to sign up for shifts. I loved my hours spent with Dodger as a young man. We wrestled, and he chewed my boots, and every now and then, if I was really lucky, he would curl up in my lap and let me cuddle him, which if I remember correctly we were kind of asked not to do, but who could resist? Generally, the snuggle time didn't last for long, anyway. There was so much to play with, so little time. Dodger grew into a fine and fabulous cat. Here are a couple old photos of him I found in my stash. To all of you who loved The Artful Dodger, my deepest condolences.

Photo Appears Courtesy Amanda Corlies Sandos

Photo Appears Courtesy of Amanda Corlies Sandos

Holiday Close Encounters

May your holiday season be filled with wonder and the unexpected. 

Photo appears courtesy of the North Carolina Zoo/

Some Thanksgiving Tips from my Furry Friends

Today, I braved the hoards at several airports across the country to travel to my father's house for Thanksgiving. This year promises to be filled with good food, family, and lots of laughter. By way of a brief Happy Thanksgiving wish, my furry friends would like to offer up a few choice holiday tips for everyone.

Baby the giraffe says, "Savor every moment."

Emeril Junglefowl recommends more veggies this year.

Arnie the water buffalo says, "Make time for friends!"

Cinco says, "Keep Tums handy, just in case."

Mercy was fond of the post-turkey nap.

Nita and Teela were always partial to family hugs.

Above all, tell the ones you love how special they are!

Happy Thanksgiving. Have a safe and happy holiday.

All photos by Amanda C. Sandos except the junglefowl photo appears courtesy of John Ireland.

Free Spirit Day!

Happy Spirit Day! It's one of my favorite days of the year. A day to wear purple and be seen around town, so you can show all the LGBTQIA youth in your area that you support a community of tolerance and acceptance for all! So, today, I will be dressed in purple, of course, but this year we are going even one better to show our spirit. The Ravens Crossing has gone purple, too. For the entire weekend our first anthology, The Ravens Crossing, Book One: The 13 will be ABSOLUTELY FREE. Head on over to Smashwords to download a copy and celebrate Spirit Day with a fun science fiction adventure!