Wendy Owens

Three Reasons Why You May Not Want to Write About Something Just Because You Love It...

Mon, 23 Apr 2012 13:59:40 -0400

So I love zombies. My kids have even inherited my love of zombies. They dressed up as a bunch of flesh eating monster this past Halloween. I watch all the crappy zombie movies as well as the fabulous ones. Lets not even get me started on my love of The Walking Dead! Waiting for the next season is torture and I have taken to collecting the graphic novels to help time pass. So I am sure you can see how it became obvious to me that writing about zombies should be my next natural step. As I am in the editing phase of my novella, Ruination, I realized something… maybe just because you love something you shouldn’t necessarily write about it. It is not that I don’t like the book, not at all, well just read the list and you will get what I am saying.

1. Nightmares - when what you love is something like zombies as you write about it you begin to have some pretty scary nightmares. You also don’t necessarily wake up at the best time in the dream. I prefer to wake up before being eaten but you don’t always get what you want in the dream world.

2. Expectations are High - So when you write about something you love you have really high expectations of yourself. I have had a lot of rewriting of Ruination. I am my toughest critic normally but when its about something I enjoy so much I am even tougher.

3. Life unravels - The hardest part is when you get swept up into writing about something you are passionate about some things get put on the back burner. I have three kids and an amazing husband but they all demand my time in one way or another. What doesn’t demand my time? Dishes and Laundry. Well they do demand my time but since they are not screaming at me they can be ignored… that is until the smell makes you want to gag or your kid runs out of clean clothes. Unfortunately this one is true not only for writing about things I love madly but just writing in general. Hire cleaning woman has been added to my list.

Do I really believe you shouldn’t write about things you love? Of course not… In case you completely lack a sense of humor I was attempting to be funny. Just know, it comes with consequences.

Do You Need An Editor?

Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:56:11 -0400

I have used the same editor throughout my entire writing career for a few reasons. First the editor I chose was because of a personal recommendation by Samantha Young. I am very big about using people who come with a recommendation. Second, the price. I think most of us know when you are an indie author the costs of putting a book out need to be kept at a minimal rate. I chose an editor with just that. Lastly, quality work. I paid close attention to the first book and the editing services provided. The fast work and quality attention had me coming back for more. I will continue to use my beloved editor moving forward as well. Who is this editor? I know you are dying to know, don’t worry, I will share… Ashley’s Freelance Editing

Cursed, Book 2 in The Guardian Series RELEASED

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:31:20 -0400

It is now official, book 2 in The Guardian series, Cursed has been released on ebook. It is currently available on amazon here. Once you read the book if you want to leave a review that would be greatly appreciated not only by me but possible future readers. I know I tend to read books based on the feedback others leave.

Also Book 1, Sacred Bloodlines is now available in paperback here. Happy reading and I hope you enjoy. Book 3 is under way!

REVIEW: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Fri, 09 Mar 2012 11:19:00 -0500

It seems like I was the last person I know to read this book. I fell victim to what I think happens to a lot of writers. You are so busy finishing your book you fall behind in your own reading time. I actually finished this book a couple weeks ago and only now that I got book 2, Cursed, out to my Beta readers was I able to find the time to pen this review.

This book gave a whole new spin on the tired old vampires many of us have come to know. There are good vampires called Moroi who are mortals and they use magic. Then there are the bad vampires called Strigoi who are crazy strong and oh, lets not forget, undead! Yup, zombie vampires, awesome huh? One of my favorite characters, Rose, was a half-human half-Moroi hybrids called a Dampers. They are the guardians of Moroi nobles and royals.

Rose is training to be the bodyguard of her best friend, Lissa who is a Moroi princess. What drew me to Rose is that not only is she pretty, but she also embraces this tomboyish side and is a complete smart ass. I do love me some snarky girls! Rose’s existence and purpose in life is to protect Lissa. The girls not only are BFFs they also share a special bond which allows Rose to be in touch with Lissa’s thoughts.

Rose cares deeply for Lissa so it is completely believable she immerses herself in her responsibility as her guardian. She doesn’t complain about her slot in life, instead she pours herself into being kickass in all she does. I love seeing such a strong female character in a YA novel. Rose felt very mature and her edgy attitude just gave her life. Have I mentioned I loved Rose, lol!

The three male characters consist of Mason, Dimitri, and Christian. So Mason seemed like that guy best friend who always seems to have your back and be there for you. You know, that guy friend who is almost like a girlfriend to you? He came across to me like that.

Then there is the older Dimitri Belikov. He is the 24 year old dark and mysterious type that is quiet, super HOT, and besides all of those qualities is a mega talented guardian. He ends up training Rose which leads to some really great parts of the book. I almost want this to be made into a movie just so I can see the actor who would play Dimitri.

Christian is a child of a royal Moroi family but he is not quite right. He comes from a very troubled past and I think as a result he says what he thinks. He actually had me laughing out loud a few times at his pure blunt honesty. It can be harsh but I wouldn’t change him in any way.

Moroi society kind of left a bad taste in my mouth. The school was also full of those annoying politics. Kind of made you question who the good guys were at some points. The girls are just returning to the academy (you have to read the book to know more about this) and as a result there is a ton of gossip about them going around. As if dealing with that is not enough at one point Lissa has dead animals with death threats pinned to them showing up in her room. There is the mystery that surounds all of these things, Lissa’s dark side rears its head, and in case that wasn’t enough to keep you interested a bit of romance is thrown in.

I highly recommend this book! I know book 2 is in my near future.

The Guardians Book2, Cursed... Sneak Peak...

Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:10:53 -0500

Before Gabe could even comprehend what was happening, the beast came charging at him. He didn’t have time to think of which defensive spell would work best. As the monster’s spiked tail came swinging around in his direction, Gabe jumped as high as he could. When his legs could take him no higher, he felt himself fall to the earth. He rolled quickly to one side in an effort to remove himself from the range of the monster’s tail.

The spiked tail embedded itself in the earth with a great thud—mere inches from where Gabe landed. Gabe seized the moment to roll up onto his knees, crawling backwards to create distance, before hopping up onto his feet. Out loud, Gabe began repeating everything he could remember about the Gorgon race in an effort to think of something that would aid him in this battle.

He knew most of the creatures in the Gorgon territory had skin that was thick, almost like armor. Though he was sure the skin came in handy for the Gorgons, he didn’t see how this detail could help him.

The creature retracted its spikes, freeing itself from the earth. A moment later, its mighty tail swung at Gabe. This time he wasn’t able to move out of the way quickly enough and it knocked him off his feet. In a calculated manner, the spike monster raised its tail high into the air. It hovered for a moment. Gabe watched in horror as it pushed out its dagger-like spikes once again.

The beast brought its tail down at Gabe’s head with such great force that it caused the air around them to stir.

Release Date change… I was trying to released Cursed by...

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:51:21 -0500

Release Date change… I was trying to released Cursed by February 29th but after adding a large chapter at the end this deadline does not leave enough time for proper editing. Though I will be getting the book back from my editor this weekend it does not leave time for beta readers. With that being said the book should be out mid to late March but I will update you as I progress.

Now the good news… I need Beta Readers. Do you think you have a good attention to detail when reading? Have you read the first book in the Guardians series, Sacred Bloodlines? Would you like to get a free digital copy of Cursed? Do you have the time to read book 2 in under two weeks (62,000 words)? If you answered yes to all of these questions then email me wendy@orangewillow.com and request to become a beta reader of book two. There are only a limited number of spots so act fast!

Bumps in the Road

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:44:46 -0500

I am thrilled about the success of my book over the months of January and February. I had about 2000 free downloads which got reviews coming in and it seemed to spur future sales. In one day I sold another 200 book after it was no longer free. In total I have sold between 400 - 500 copies of Sacred Bloodlines and distributed a total of around 2500 copies. Considering I am an unknown author, this is my first book, and I am self published I am thrilled with the results after three months.

Now while the KDP program from Amazon has been a treasure for me I have a word of caution for everyone. First off, I had the commission set to 70%. It dropped to 35% during the free promo but 35% of nothing is… well you get the picture. I set my book rate back to $2.99 when the promo ended since that is the level where the 70% starts at. Two weeks later I look at my sales and see I am getting paid 35%. Even though you put your book rate at the minimum to get the 70% royalty Amazon does not assume this and you have to tell them to change the rate from 35% to 70%. I think this is just wrong. I contacted them and got some hollow and unhelpful answer, meanwhile I am out several hundred dollars in royalty. Why would anyone want less money? I am not happy about this at all!

The second problem I am having is that Amazon is reporting on the day that I sold 200 copies the price was free. This was three days after the promo so I am positive the book was not free. They say the actual report will reflect the correct number so I suppose I will see in March when the February report comes out. A word to the wise, track your numbers closely and do not rely on Amazon’s reporting.

In the end I am thankful to the program Amazon has offered because it has gotten me a reader base I would have never had. I view the payment and royalty issues just a bump in the road.

Amazon KDP Promo Experiment Completed

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 09:23:20 -0500

Alright, so I just finished my experiment with Amazon’s KDP Promo option. I am pretty excited about the results. During the 5 days I offered the book for free as part of the promo I received a couple thousand downloads. I managed to reach #311 in the Kindle store, #8 in juvenile fantasy, and #14 in adult fantasy. I also picked up three new book reviews. I hope this will multiply as more time passes and people have time to read the book.

You might be asking what I wondered myself, you’re giving the book away for free, how does this translate to selling books. Today I got an answer for you and myself. Sunday was the last day of the promo and my book returned to full price on Monday.

Prior to the promo sales were slow to say the least. In the first 3 weeks of January I had sold only six copies. A number that makes you think, how will this ever happen for me. Since I ran the promo (yes, one day) I have sold 30 copies of my book at full price. I hope to see the number continue in the same way today. I have read that three days after the promo is the “sweet spot” but I think where I am right now is pretty “sweet”.

I think timing is important as well. My 2nd book comes out at the end of the month and thanks to this promo I will have thousands of folks looking to read the 2nd installment (at least thats what I hope). I will post a follow-up to this in a weeks time roughly to give you all an idea if the success continued.

Giddy With Glee Over New Readers

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:43:24 -0500

After reading several authors experiences recently on the KDP program with amazon I decided it was time I look a little deeper into this thing that seemed to be working so well for so many people. I reached the point where I thought I had a solid grasp on the implications of it all and decided I would give it a try with my first Book Sacred Bloodlines since Book 2, Cursed, is just right around the corner with release date (Feb 29th, 2012).

I set everything up last night and my 5 day free promotion was to start today, January 31st. Sales have been slow but steady so my hopes were not too high for this free promotion.

My sales were around 1 every couple days which I felt for a new author with no promotion was acceptable and I would just keep plugging away and hope more readers would discover me. This morning I woke up and logged in to make sure the free promotion had begun. To my shock it had not only begun but it was chugging along at a tingling pace. I was literally giddy with glee. As of 9:30 am 127 new readers have downloaded me and the number seems to be climbing every few minutes.

In my mind I am imaging all the readers out there, excited to see the free book, drooling as it downloads, figuratively ripping into the pages (after all it is an ebook). Now chances are they see the deal, download it, and plan to read it one day. But to an author who has worked so hard to put the book out they are biting their nails, waiting to see the download is complete. They have to call into work because they just can’t allow themselves to put the book down. I know, I know, but a girl can dream, right? Now go get yours, its FREE!

Book Review: Slumber by Samantha Young

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 11:56:49 -0500

Slumber by Samantha Young

Amazon Summary:

Slumber (The Fade: Part One)

When Haydyn, the last of the Dyzvati, falls victim to the mysterious Sleeping Disease, the world of Phaedra is thrown into Chaos.

Rogan, Haydyn’s best friend and handmaiden, is the only one who can save her. Together, with the Royal Guard and their young Captain, Wolfe Stovia, Rogan must set off across the provinces to find the Somna Plant that will wake Haydyn from her dying sleep.

Beset on all sides by the chaos, Rogan tumbles into a dark world of kidnapping, prejudice, betrayal and love… a journey that will change her forever, and a journey that will change their world forever if she does not retrieve the cure.

YA Fantasy Romance recommended for ages 16 and up.

My Review

I will start right off by saying I loved Slumber. I loved seeing a friendship between two girls where the result is when one is in need the other would do anything to help her. Lady Rogan’s parents were murdered and as a child when Rogan was brought back by her captors she bonded with Haydyn. They relied on each other when times got bad. When it came down to it and Haydyn needed her help it was clear it wasn’t even a choice for Rogan, it was something she had to do because Haydyn meant so much to her.

This story also has several layers to it as well. The fact that Rogan has to travel with the son of the man that murdered her parents is torment for her. The last thing you would think is that a romance would bud but sure enough the stirrings are there.

Talk about action packed too. Something major is happening every chapter! Makes this real page turner a quick read for sure. With that being said in the beginning as you learn about people and places the vowel heavy names can be a struggle. I reread some of this out loud and found it much easier to retain the information.

So yet here is another book from indie author, Samantha Young, that is a MUST read. Enjoy!

2012... Is it really already here?

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:01:41 -0500

It is hard to believe that it is already the year 2012. I know a lot of people spend the new year reflecting on the past year or even years but that is not what I found myself doing this year. Instead I found myself planning for the new year and all the big plans we have.

We have big events coming on the family front, my husband has a lot of plans for the business he is involved in which will create some traveling, we are planning to go on a cruise (at least at some point when we can fit it in) and probably one of the most exciting things for me are my books. Book 1 is out. Though I had planned to have book 2 done by now and I am only half way through I know it was simply because I chose to really enjoy my holidays with my family so its forgivable. I am back, hard at work on it and also spending some time on a new series which should come out this spring. There are several new series I have already mapped out, its simply getting the stories on paper.

2011 was great and it doesn’t hurt to reflect on it but I am pleased to say I am super amped for 2012. Now if I am ever going to meet any of these deadlines I need to get back to work!

Happy Holidays!

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 10:37:37 -0500

I am the type of person who is always setting some pretty aggressive goals for myself. What do you know, I married a guy who is the exact same way. He is always setting goals that are just out of reach so he keeps pushing hard to attain them. When you get close to that goal you add a little more to it. This month I discovered once again the bad part of this. When you set these goals that are so intensely aggressive in all parts of your life eventually you find yourself falling short.

I watched my husband get upset with himself that he hasn’t achieved what he wants with one of his web apps. After he beat up on himself for a bit I did my best to uplift him and encourage him. He is heading down the road he needs to make his goals a reality. No sooner than he began to feel better I saw my writing goals slipping away from me. With three kids and a packed holiday season its easy for a mommy to get distracted.

The plan was to have my first draft of book 2 in the Guardian Series completed by January 1st. That means in the next 11 days I will need to write around 4000 words a day. Is this doable? Certainly. Am I likely to do this? Probably not. I have to ask myself, will I look back on my life and wish I would have written more over Christmas break or would I wish I had spent quality time with my kids? Exactly!

This will mean I push hard in January to get the editing done in time but I am alright with that. So to all my readers I hope you are able to slow down this holiday season and truly enjoy your friends and family.

New Cover by Phatpuppy

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 11:16:46 -0500

So I have been wanting to share this with everyone ever since I began talking to Claudia from Phatpuppy Creations and now that I finally can I am thrilled to do so. This is the cover for book two of The Guardian series, Cursed and it just screams Sophie to me. The book is due out in Feb 2012.

What will book two be about?

Just as Gabe was settling into his new life he was reminded that darkness is destined to always follow him. Gabe’s new friends have created a world full of happiness he never thought he could have, but when Sophie and others begin acting out of character Gabe must get to the bottom of it. Will he be able to help them before it is too late or even worse before Baal finds him.

Be ready for book two, buy Sacred Bloodlines today!

Review: The Hunger Games

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:50:00 -0500

The Hunger Games

by Suzanne Collins

Amazon Description:

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, “The Hunger Games,” a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

My Review:

How the heck am I just now reading this book? It seems like everyone I know is finishing the second or third book. I suppose it’s because my to read stack is so high. One of my friends told me about the book and she almost seemed embarrassed. She clearly loved it but kept adding “for a kid’s book.” OK, I read this book and there is nothing about this book I would say is just for kids. Sometimes young people are called upon to do extraordinary things. It doesn’t make their story less spectacular. If this were just a young adult book about having a boyfriend I might say, hmmm perhaps this is not meant for me. This book is filled with extremely grown up concepts.

Alright, off my soap box….

The best way I can describe how I read this book is that I devoured it! It was delicious! It is one of those you start reading in the bath and realize your hot water has become an ice bath because you have been in there so long. Once your pruned toes are back to normal you jump back in and can’t put it down until your done. Yup, that was me.

We are in a time full of so much unrest it is not hard to imagine our nation falling. Considering this book takes place in a post America time it was easy to say “what if” and imagine it to be true. A new society is in power and the Capitol rules 12 districts. It is really interesting because each district is important in its own way. They supply different things like electronics or agricultural goods.

At one point a long time ago there had been a rebellion against the capital that had failed. The capital decided what better way to remind the districts how weak they in fact were than to host the hunger games each year. How it works is they choose 2 children from each district between the ages of 12 and 18. They fight to the death until there is only one kid standing (see what I mean by not being child concepts).

The entire thing is televised so that everyone throughout all the districts can be reminded of just how little power they actually have. There were some holes here and there in the structure of the new society and how it all worked but the rest of the story is so strong these are easy things to over look.

So when I started reading the book I made this assumption the main character Katniss would find a way to get around killing anyone. I mean how can she be the hero of the story if she is a killer. Well my eyes were glued to the page when I read how Katniss made her first kill. My mind was then further blown when she seemed proud of herself.

Did I find Katniss disgusting and immoral after she headed down this road. Somehow no! I don’t know if its the writing or some of the other things revealed to us in the book but I felt sorry for her. Sorry for her? Yeah, her trainer in the book had survived the hunger games and now he is an alcoholic hot mess. You see how a soul can be squashed and then tormented for the rest of their life when they make the hard choice Katniss did.

Alright, if you haven’t read The Hunger Games yet hurry up and go read this five star book. I am off to read the 2nd book!

Review: Smokeless Fire by Samantha Young

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:36:00 -0500

Smokeless Fire was one I read on my own and not through my book club. I have read Samantha’s work before so I was really looking forward to this new one. I try to read indie writers whenever possible and she is one who does not disappoint.

Amazon Description:

Smokeless Fire – Book One in the Fire Spirits, a YA paranormal romance series.
FEAR THE HEAT…
For the last two years Ari’s life has been anything but normal and on her 18th birthday, when her friends surprise her with a gimmick genie claiming to grant wishes, Ari discovers the truth. The tragic and strange occurrences surrounding her 16th birthday were not coincidental and her life is never going to be the same again.

Ari’s real parents are not normal. They are not loving. They are not human.

They are myth.

They are Smokeless Fire.

They are Jinn.

My Review:

How exciting to read a book that is about something not so mainstream. I have actually never read a book about Genies so this was a completely new experience for me. Samantha’s way of describing the Jinn word is spectacular. I felt like I could see it and almost touch it. It is also really fun to read a story about such mischievous creatures!

I read a lot of books where I have trouble getting attached to characters but that was not the case with this one! Ari is smart, beautiful, dramatic and also full of so much compassion. She has a best friend, Charlie, who is hooked on drinking and drugs after some bad stuff goes down in his life. Ari is committed to helping him even though she has a lot to think about in her life as well.

If anyone has read my book Sacred Bloodlines they know I LOVE action. I think I may have even gone overboard with it in book two, Cursed. I can’t help it, I am a girl that loves a lot of action. Well guess what, this book is jam packed with it! Yeah, I am a chick who likes a little gore in my books, what can I say? Oh and I almost forgot, as if learning about the Jinn and Kings are not enough you also discover some pretty awesome creatures.

And oh boy, don’t get me started on Jai. His sarcasm makes me weak in the knees. Ok, maybe its the way he kicks some serious butt but I do love his personality a lot too. While Charlie has had it rough and I feel for him I am all about Jai! This is one of the few love triangles I have read where I didn’t feel like the guys characters were predictable and cliche. Kudos to Samantha for pulling that off!

Oh my, and all I can say is major cliffhanger! Looking forward to the next book! Five star read for sure.

***BTW, I posted this review on amazon but it showed up under my husband’s name and then wouldn’t let me change. I bet he would like the book too though, lol!

Book Review, Matched by Ally Condie

Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:44:00 -0500

My husband is part of a business called Gaslight Software and all the wives decided we would start a book club. For our first book we landed on Matched by Allie Condie.

Amazon’s description:

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander’s face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate … until she sees Ky Markham’s face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it’s a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she’s destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can’t stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

My Review:

This book had a lot of aspects of the book the Giver by Lois Lowry. I had some trouble getting into this book. It seemed like it was a story about a lot of nothing when I began. I think this may have been because I didn’t connect with a lot of the characters. However if you give the book some time it does to get to “the good part”.

The Ky vs Xander choice seemed a little typical. You know the entire this guy won’t hurt me and will take care of me versus this guy is a bad boy and every girl loves a mysterious bad boy. I am trying not include any spoilers but how her interest in Ky started didn’t thrill me.

If you’re looking for action, I didn’t find much. What I did like were the parts where Cassia was basically waking up and realizing this society and its rules were something she did not agree with or want to be a part of. Again to avoid spoiler alerts there was a choice Cassia made later in the book that caused some unexpected consequences for Ky and I thought it was a really great turn in the book that makes me look forward to book 2.

So as far as the Gaslight wives, they all seemed very pleased with the selection and though I was not as impressed I still would give this at least three stars. It was definitely enough for me to see what is going to happen in the next book, Crossed.

Happy December 1st and YAY for my sexy new website!

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 09:42:00 -0500

Is it really December 1st, 2011? It is so hard to believe how my life has changed over the past five years. My oldest daughter, Zoe, turns seven on the 5th. Besides the fact it is hard for me to accept I could possibly have a seven year old it is a rather exciting time for her as well. Her reading has improved so much and she is finding a real passion for it which of course excites me.

When I quit the mortgage industry in 2006 and took my creative endeavors on the road as a full time artist and photographer scraping out a living was hard enough. The idea of actually being able to write for a living seemed impossible. I have to admit I still don’t see myself as ever selling enough books to make a real living but I get to live the life none the less.

What do I mean? I have an amazing husband who happens to be doing well enough with his own business that he wants me to focus on my books. My online art stores have been shut done and painting has stopped. My paint brushes have been traded in for a keyboard. I thought this would be an easy transition because I love to write so much but after five years of pushing my art business I am finding it difficult to let it rest. I am also one of those people who has trouble giving up an income producing option and gamble on something that may never see real profits.

I have done it though and as a result Book 1 was released on time and I am 20,000 words closer to book 2. I have about half a dozen book ideas mapped out that I am excited to get to so I know 2012 will filled with a lot of new releases. My husband worked with some amazingly talented people to get my new website up, sexy huh? It is nice to be married to a web developer sometimes!

The Christmas shopping is nearly done. The presents have already started to be wrapped. The decorations are up and my heart is so warm this holiday season that I have such a support team around me.

Friends helping me edit, strangers giving me pep talks, a husband being an all around laundry doing, dinner cooking, super dad, hard working amazing man. With all of these people in my life I can honestly say I don’t want or need anything else for Christmas. My stocking is so full.

Stay tuned in the next few days… I hope to have a surprise on the horizon when it comes to the cover of book 2.

Book Released and NOW AVAILABLE

Sun, 27 Nov 2011 19:26:22 -0500

It is official! My book, Sacred Bloodlines, the first installment of The Guardians series is now available in ebook format for the kindle and the nook. The paperback version will eventually be available and I will keep everyone informed of its status but I wanted to make sure everyone knew they could now at least purchase the ebook version.

In other positive news I am hard at work on Book 2 in the series, Cursed. It has an estimated release date in February 2012. The cover is currently under way and when the artist is done I will share it here first. In other exciting news there is also a zombie book in the works called Ruination that will be out in April 2012.

For now, be sure you pick up your copy of the e-book for Sacred Bloodlines. Oh yeah, and my hubby is working on getting me a new face to my website and based on what I have seen its AMAZING!

http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Bloodlines-The-Guardians-ebook/dp/B006C7KFI2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322439868&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1107694843?ean=2940013537828&itm=1&usri=sacred+bloodlines

Life is like a romance novel... Or is it?

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:44:27 -0400

So every relationship has that period in the beginning thats all hot and heavy like in a romance novel. Usually you will find me reading super natural or fantasy type novels but today I will admit I was wrapped up in a romance novel. It got me thinking and even wondering, is this what women expect or desire their relationships to be like all the time? I like to think no, but thats just me.

Years ago my husband and I had that stage where he chased me feverishly and we were the entirety of each other’s focus. Now fast forward to three busy kids, two in school and a screaming toddler, both of us self employed and busy with our lives and our relationship is quite different… well in some ways. Now we bicker about silly stuff like money, chores, and yes, even who has to choose the restaurant (both indecisive about this).

With all of life’s daily distractions though all Josh has to do is walk up behind me while I am making lunches for the day and kiss my neck and I remember. I went and had dinner with him tonight before he went back to work for an evening meeting and after we parted ways he called me just to say thanks and I remembered. He tries to play me a love song on the ukulele, that he has no clue how to play, and I remember. We cuddle up for some TV at night and he runs his finger tips along the curve of my back and whispers how lucky he is and I remember. It’s the little things he does every day that makes me remember we are the stars of our own story, and I am madly in love with the hero.

just because I love it… :)

Tue, 18 Oct 2011 13:22:23 -0400

just because I love it… :)