Monthly Archives: February 2014

NUMB’S The Word…Well, Except In Reviews, That Is…

NUMB book coverReaders, Followers and Admiring Fans of Box Wine Budget: Good news! I am currently in the process of penning my second novel. I know you’ve been awaiting this announcement for some time now. Possibly with bated breath…I’m not sure about that. Our first novel, NUMB (Casey Quinn, Petrina Collins, Amazon, 2013), was…well…our first attempt at such a literary undertaking. It tells the story of a desperate woman  trying to balance a professional life, motherhood, marriage and the slow, but sure, loss of her mother into the abyss of dementia. Her coping skills are unconventional, to say the least, as she finds herself reverting to a quite illegal method of stress management. When an old friend confronts her about his suspicions, he learns a deadly lesson in minding his own business. Friend or not, she cannot risk her secret exposed.

NUMB does not harbor any pretensions of being an “important” book nor a classic literary work. It is simply an easy read with some interesting characters (we hope) and begs the question: would or could someone like Dr. Cynthia Howell ever really resort to such extreme measures? Truth??? Maybe not. But, we are all familiar with stories of the perfect neighbor next door whose dark side successfully remains hidden until one day police and news crews dominate the street. It could happen… And, in the course of an investigation into the murder of a prominent surgeon, our  readers meet the Chicago detectives who eventually connect the dots, leading them to their unlikely suspect.

This book marks a departure from Box Wine Budget’s first literary publication, Living The Dream On A Box Wine Budget (Casey Quinn & Petrina Collins, Amazon, 2011), which was a collection of short humorous essays about family life. Though NUMB deals with a darker subject, it is sprinkled with humor, mainly because while we, at Box Wine Budget, love a good murder, a chuckle is always welcome, too.

So, “Book Number Two” begins where book one left off, an ending which will not be divulged. And, in writing this blog today, I would ask your indulgence to give NUMB a read. Quite honestly, as a first effort, we are rather proud of it, while recognizing improvements to be made in our current work. If you think you might be interested in checking it out, I would ask if you would also be so kind as to leave a review on Amazon. A promotion of the book is in the works, and having reviews on the Amazon site is very helpful.  We already have a handful and would love to see more. The following is a direct link to NUMB: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ELICULY

Thanks for allowing this brazen plug and we look forward to hearing from you.

PS: NUMB is available for download on Kindle & Kindle apps for iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, PC, Mac, Blackberry & Android-based devices. You DON’T need a Kindle to read a Kindle book!!! Just download the FREE (yes – FREE!) Kindle app and you’re ready to start reading!!    Just click here: http://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771

THERE! Box Wine Budget just did all the work for you. Why?? Cuz we really like you…

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Thinking Green During The Polar Vortex…

Sub-Zero Temperatures Put Chicago Into Deep FreezeWell, I’m back after a very long hiatus. If I’d been blessed with a good imagination, I would spin some great tale about my wild adventures  to explain the absence. But, truth be told…I have just been experiencing a bit of a dry spell. Uninspired days, which have folded into weeks,  most likely brought on by the arctic winter we’ve been experiencing this year. We, here in Chicago, or Chiberia as it’s since been re-named, have been buried under the evil white stuff for months. As soon as a path is shoveled down the driveway, the local news tells us of yet ANOTHER snowstorm headed our way. Add to that, the sub-zero temperatures and it’s no wonder I’ve been in a funk lately. I know the rest of the country has also been hit by this malevolent polar vortex. This is truly a moment when we as a nation can come together and moan, grumble, gripe, lament and, yes, grouse. (A thesaurus is truly a writer’s best friend)

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