Summertime!
I’m one of those mom who gets more excited than my kids for summer break. We can stay home and do nothing all day together? Perfect! Not that we do that too often, but it’s nice to know you can, right? This summer we have lots of fun planned. Camping trips, a pool, tree house renovations, fishing, family reunions…the list goes on and on. It’s all pretty much the same as last year, we one major addition. Writing. I took all of last summer off from writing. Spending time with the kids and all of the other crazy...
read moreReview Tuesday – The Mermaid’s Sister
I read this little gem at least six months ago. I remember it pretty well considering all the books between here and there, but if I dole out any misinformation here…well, time is my excuse! Today’s review is The Mermaid’s Sister by Carrie Anne Noble. First off, the cover of this is pretty cool and really fits the story. I should also mention that this book was written in one month. November is National Novel month (I promise, I’m not making this up. I plan on participating this year…and should probably...
read moreReview Tuesday – Haunting Mr. Darcy
Confession time…I have a soft spot for Pride and Prejudice re-imaginings. I have read a lot of them. Some are good, some are terrible, and some are worthy of being their own story. Haunting Mr. Darcy by KaraLynne Macrory is one of the latter. The paranormal aspect of this story caught my interest because it’s so different from so many P&P retellings. I wondered how the author would do it while keeping the characters true to Austen’s original Darcy and Elizabeth. I’m happy to say, she succeeded in so...
read moreFinding Confidence
I loved writing in high school. I finished all my required English classes early and then took creative writing and whatever else I could find. I loved writing almost as much as I loved reading. Then I took a class at the community college. The professor blasted my writing. I shook it off and wrote the next assignment. He blasted it again. I tried changing my style and everything else I could think of, but by the time the class was over I had a passing grade but little motivation to write. Now, let me explain that I was shy in high...
read moreReview Tuesday – Chained
Last week I promised to finish and review a dystopian book this week, so here it is! Chained by Susanne Valenti. This is the first in a series. I’m not sure how many books are planned, but number four is out now and the story still isn’t over. For a lot of books that would make me really excited, but for this one I’m just not sure. This book has good reviews so it seems I’m in the minority here, but I did not love it. I didn’t even like the first half. It wasn’t the plot or pacing. I thought that was done...
read moreThe Choice
This weekend marks my 12th wedding anniversary. People will tell me congratulations and how great an accomplishment 12 years of marriage is, but I know better. I know the accomplishment and congratulations shouldn’t be for me, but for my husband who figured out this one truth long before I ever did: Love is a choice. There is a huge part of us that doesn’t want to hear that. Why? Because when love dies or seemingly perfect relationships fail it’s on us. It’s so much easier to believe that wonderful, blissful thing we...
read moreReview Tuesday – The Ugly Stepsister
Today has been a Monday-like Tuesday. Flat tire, lost phone, lost dog…I was just glad to make it to the end of the day with my three children still around! The reason I’m telling you this is so that you’ll understand if this post makes absolutely no sense, or I get lost in my thoughts (see what I just did there?”). Yeah, I need some sleep. But first, a review. I have a dystopian I wanted to review, but haven’t quite finished it yet, so today I’m going to go for a fairy-tale retelling instead. The...
read moreUnexpected
I told my husband my main goal when I released my book was to have friends and family read it and say, “Wow, I wasn’t expecting it to be that good.” Not that anyone has actual said that to my face, but there is an element of surprise in people. Like, “I really liked it. I mean, I really, really like it. I didn’t know you could write like that!” (The truth is I didn’t either!) I absolutely love these comments. I like to see people giving my book a try because they know me and finding out they...
read moreReview Tuesday-Wreckage
Today’s book is the debut contemporary fiction novel, Wreckage by Emily Bleeker. This book isn’t one I would usually read, but it kept popping up on my Kindle and other places on the web, so I decided to give it a try. I’m still not sure if I’m glad I did. This book is about Lillian and Dave–two virtual strangers who become stranded on an island with a few other people. The story is told after their rescue and through an interview. If you read the blurb for this book, it sounds almost like a thriller and I...
read moreBooks after Desiree
What is coming after the Converter series? That’s a question I would like answered. I have lots of ideas, but haven’t quite decided which direction to go. That’s where you, my friends, come in! I’m going to give you a short blurb about each of my ideas and then you can comment on which one you would love to read. Oh, and be warned that names and concepts might change. Rangeland (YA action/adventure) – A summer job on a ranch turns deadly when two teenagers stumble on a marijuana field in the mountains. ? (Fantasy Series) – An old...
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