Month: October 2019

Guinness the Therapy Dog

(c) 2019

In the summers here in the Desert Southwest, the monsoon rains don’t soak into the ground easily. Instead, they fill dry rivers and run downhill. Lucky for us, it gives us a chance to enjoy having flowing water run through our neighborhoods and take part in things we normally don’t have a chance to do.

One of those things is playing in the water. When I took Guinness to my favorite place, the river was flowing too quickly for safety. Happily, a small lagoon had been formed. Guinness needed some coaxing to get into the water, but he took to it very well (as you can see). Within a few minutes, he was soaking in the muddy water.

Yes, he needed a bath to get all the dirt out of his coat. But that was a good exchange for the fun of playing in the water. Plus, he gets peanut butter when he takes a bath!

You’ll see a version of this photo in an upcoming Guinness the Therapy Dog picture book.

I can’t wait to share his adventures with you! Sonja

The Artwork is Coming!

The artwork is coming for my new picture book, The Wing Family: From England to the American Colonies. I think you’ll love it. It’s a blend of watercolors and pen and ink detailing. The artist is incredibly skilled and you will find yourself immersed in the world of 1600s England.

This is an interesting story of one of America’s founding families. The patriarch was an impressive young lad who made a huge impact on history as he aged through adulthood.

Stay tuned for my announcement that the book is available!

I can’t wait for you to read it! Sonja

Yom Kippur Begins Tonight

Image by hurk from Pixabay 

What is Yom Kippur?

From the time the sun sets tonight until the first stars tomorrow, the world’s Jewish and Samaritan populations will celebrate Yom Kippur. Considered the holiest of days in Judaism, Yom Kippur is also known as the Day of Atonement.

For approximately 25 hours, those who observe this holy day will fast, observe intensive prayer, and refrain from work. Yom Kippur comes about a week after Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year.

The week prior to Yom Kippur is knows as the Ten Days of Repentance. Those of the faith make special additions to their prayers and are very careful with their mitzvah observations.

There is also a custom to request and receive some honey cake. This ensures that the coming year will be sweet. Two celebratory meals precede sunset on the first day and the children are given a Priestley Prayer. Special candles are also lit prior to the holiday as observers prepare for five prayer services.

Once Yom Kippur has ended, plans are made for the next holiday. Sukkot begins in just five days and a sukkah must be constructed. This is a temporary tent-like structure meant to symbolize what the Israelites used during their 40-year wandering through the desert.

Most information is from Chabad.org

May you be blessed during Yom Kippur. Sonja

Last Chance!!!

This is your last chance to get the ebook of The Fairies of Carlow: The Commoner at a sale price. The sale ends at 6:00 a.m. tomorrow morning. This is a lovely story that tells of Princess Cecilia and her adventures as a commoner. You’ll also learn more about Princess Morgen from Book 2 of The Fairies of Carlow: The Outsider and Fern the Gilded from The Fairies of Carlow: The Gilding (book 1 of the trilogy). If you love stories about magical fairy princesses, then take advantage of the sale.

You can access the links in the left margin of my web site, or go to Amazon.com and search for my name, Sonja Danielson. That will bring up all three books of The Fairies of Carlow and you can select The Commoner for the sale price or get either of the other two books at their regular price.

Today is also ‘Bald and Free Day’. It might be nice to buy the ebook for your favorite baldy….. ha ha ha ha!

I hope you take advantage of this special sale, crafted just for my social media folks.

Enjoy! Sonja

It’s Sunday Funday!!!

What fun do you want to do today? As you prepare for another week of work or school, Sunday is the day to either relax or make a memory.

Taking a look at past posts from this week, you can imagine what I’ll be doing: I’ll be outside! I think it’s going to be too hot to go on a hike, but you will probably find me in the garden or taking a walk with Guinness the Therapy Dog. He loves his walks!

His big sister, who is actually smaller than he, has a number of health issues and can’t go for walks. She is always there to welcome us home and I have fun imagining their conversation!

“Where’d ya go?”

“Outside!”

“Duh, but where?”

“Dunno. But there were good smells everywhere!”

Have a Fun Day! Sonja

Do you have a hobby?

I ask because today is World Card-Making Day. I don’t make cards, but I have a relative who makes beautiful and intricate cards. They’re more works of art than simply a card.

I tend to go toward things involving needle and thread. When I find the time, I like to sit down and work on a stitching project. I’m not very picky. There’s an entire world of things out there to learn.

Those things usually find their way into my books. Can you tell from The Gilding (Violet’s gift)? That’s taken from my likes. You can probably see my dislikes, too.

Tell me about your likes and dislikes, too!

Enjoy your weekend, Sonja

It’s World Smile Day!

Photo by Hybrid on Unsplash

Today is the day to smile at everyone you meet. I love this photo because most of the balloons are smiling (there are one or two that aren’t).

Smiling has the benefit of not only making the person on the receiving end happier, but smiling can uplift your mood– you, the smilee. In fact, research shows that smiling can boost your immune system!

Every time you smile you fight off virus’ or bacteria that are trying to take you down. Smiling can relax you and release certain chemicals in your brain that help you feel better. It’s a wonderful way to reduce stress, sadness, and ennui.

What does all this mean? It means smile for better health and a better day.

Have a smiley Friday! Sonja

Price Cut!!!

The Fairies of Carlow: The Commoner

Here’s a gift for you. From today through Sunday the e-book of The Fairies of Carlow: The Commoner is on sale. Go to Amazon.com and search for my name or use the link at the left side of the web page.

The price goes up a little bit every day and will be back to full price by Sunday morning. I hope you are able to jump on this chance to read Princess Cecilia’s story at this special discount! It’s a wonderful story!

Enjoy this special pricing event, Sonja

I Love the Outdoors! Do You?

I’m a big fan of being outside, no matter how comfy my home is. The heat of the sun, a gentle breeze, and the smell of warmed soil really makes me happy. It doesn’t matter if I am hiking, strolling, or gardening, it’s fun to be a part of nature.

I think it goes back to my childhood. I spent a lot of time outside laying on the ground and looking up at the sky, or skiing, swimming, waterskiing, etc. I grew up on the shore of a mountain lake and was able to take advantage of all it had to offer. In the Spring I could snow ski in the morning and waterski in the afternoon. How perfect is that?

Go Outside, Sonja