Y is for...Youtube

Y is for...Youtube!

While I am not a Youtuber, I do occasionally post videos on there and watch videos on there. If you do not know what a Youtuber is, here is the definition according to Oxford Dictionary online.

Youtuber: A frequent user of the video-sharing website YouTube, especially someone who produces and appears in videos on the site.

They even have "concerts" of Youtubers and they are quite popular with the youth of this day and age. So...here's a book trailer for my Between the Bleeding Willows (Book 1 of Demon Hunters series) created by Stolen Glances and uploaded to Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBICLCIVERw

And here is one of my favorite Youtube videos (cursing in the video, so no little ones please):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCfdzvwJYXY


And for those with little ones, Youtube has some videos, such as the one I listed that are not good for children to watch. BUT, they have created Kidstube, which is a safer alternative.

X is for...Xanax

X is for...Xanax

Ok, there is a shortage of cool X words to choose from so I went with Xanax. I used to be a pharmacist so I know a bit about the med that is often prescribed for anxiety.

What you may NOT know is that many people have stayed on this med long term and developed a tolerance and addiction to it. When they take Xanax they "feel normal". When they don't take it, they feel anxious and everything feels harder. But soon they find 1 pill is not enough to get the same effect so they up the dose to 1 1/2 pills. And so on and so forth.

Xanax is a controlled substance with abuse potential. It is meant to be used for a short period of time, such as, for an airplane trip, or after a loved one has passed away. If you or someone you know has anxiety and has been on Xanax for longer than 2 weeks, they should speak with their doctor about beginning talk therapy with a counselor and switching to an antidepressant/anti-anxiety that is not controlled and can be used long-term, such as Lexapro.

W is for...Wishes!

W is for ...Wishes 

Congratulations! You have just inherited this gorgeous decanter, and inside this glass vessel is a genie waiting to grant you three wishes.

Here are the rules:

1. You may not wish for more wishes or endless amounts of money

2. You may not wish harm on another person, place, or thing

3. No wishing for anyone to fall in love with you

Here are my wishes:

1. Cure VEDS

2. Cure Cancer

3. Have enough money to enjoy life and not ever have to worry about finances

What 3 wishes do you wish for?

V is for...Vampire

V is for...Vampire

The vampires I am referring to are the ones found in Stephanie Meyer's Twilight series. I was not a big paranormal reader. Wait...correction...I was not much of a reader at all. My sister-in-law came over and handed me the first book and said, "Read this. You'll like it." 

I replied, "I don't read, I don't have time for it." 

She simply said, "Just give it a try."

So it sat on my counter for a long while. Then one day, I opened it and read the first chapter. It was okay, though I didn't feel much for Bella, the girl moving to Forks to live with her dad. I kept going and by the end of the 2nd chapter I was hooked. I enjoyed the writing, the banter between the characters, the vivid descriptions...and I read the entire book and the rest of the series. Stephanie Meyer's Twilight made me discover a love for reading.

Regardless of whether or not the movie was good or you liked the book, for me, it was a game changer. I found many other authors that I enjoyed reading and now have bookshelves full of wonderful stories. And on top of all of that, if it wasn't for finding a love of reading, I may have never discovered my love of writing.

U is for...UTOPiACON

U is for ...UTOPiACON!!!

This June I will be joining many fellow authors, bloggers, and readers at a special conference in Nashville, TN called UTOPiACON. I've never attended a writer's conference before and I am excited for the new experience. I have been to several book signings at libraries but I feel this will be a completely different experience. I will be signing books and meeting avid readers both Thursday and Friday during the CON. Here is more information on the event for anyone interested in coming out to join the fun. (This info is from the UTOPiACON.com website.

UTOPiA is not a place. It is a mindset. It is the trail you blaze, the risks you take, the friends you make, the stories you share, the victories you celebrate, the love you give, the dreams you lead.

#FightForYourWrite

There will be over 125 authors there signing as well as several workshops and speakers.

Publishers Weekly dubbed Utopia Con “the conference with heart”, and as we continue to grow, we try and maintain that sense of encouragement and unity among the audience.

WHO IS UTOPIACON FOR?

• Established writers of the contemporary and supernatural genres** from middle grade to adult literature categories looking to get an edge on the market with the latest in publishing developments and marketing strategies, as well as a unique opportunity to engage with the readers who love them and support their work.

• Aspiring writers of the genres** who want to write and successfully launch their very first book that’s been making their hearts soar and hands tremble with excitement and nervousness. Utopia Con will introduce them to the publishing paths available to them, the multitude of vendors out there ready to serve them and give them the support network they need to get through the struggles and celebrate the milestones with them.

• Book bloggers and booktubers with a strong focus on contemporary and supernatural genres**. This includes the successful bloggers who are helping shape the new publishing and lit landscape, as well as those who are considering becoming book bloggers. We get to the root of book tours, how to professionally blog and how to support the community.

• Fans and avid readers of the massively popular stories included in these categories and genres** who want to meet and hang out with their favorite authors on a level playing field rather than get herded through a mass signing.

• Film, internet and television writers of the categories and genres**. This is their chance to see the books of today that will be on the big and little screens tomorrow.

• Industry experts, including, but not limited to producers, photographers, editors, publishers, models, publicists, designers and more who benefit from working with the aforementioned writers.

** “Supernatural” is the term used for our purposes, but please note that our definition extends to fantasy, dystopian, sci-fi, gothic, steampunk, paranormal romance & more.

UTOPiA Con is going to be held at:

Millenium Maxwell House 

2025 Rosa L Parks Blvd, Nashville, TN 37228

Hotel Phone: (615) 259-4343

JUNE 22 - JUNE 26, 2016

T is for...Tardy

T is for ...Tardy

Van Halen Graffiti

This piece of graffiti (or street art) is from Van Halen's Hot for Teacher song on their 1984 album. Great song. But honestly, the night got away from me and I fell asleep before posting. After getting kids to bed, husband and I settled in for a tv night (the first in a month...we both have been outrageously busy and needed some time together). So we put on the 3rd season of Hemlock Grove (Netflix series). It's a pretty good series. The first series was very well done, the second was a bit too far stretched, but the 3rd is getting good. It's a bit of a trippy paranormal story starring a werewolf gypsy and vampire (upir).  Happy Weekend everyone!

Hemlock Grove cast

Roman (Upir)

S is for...Secret.

S is for...Secret.

I'll share one of mine...

Zentangle feather

I have 8 tattoos on my body. The first was a red star, outlined in black on my hip that I got when I was 21yo. I also have waves on my lower back for my zodiac Aquarius sign, a 1" thick black band around my left forearm, a zentangle feather on my other forearm, a blue crescent on my ankle, and my kids' names and zodiac symbols  on my right upper arm. Each has a special meaning to me.

Tat I'd love to get next!

R is for...Rarity

R is for...Rarity.

First cover - my drawing & pic of Soren

Rarity is my first published novel with Limitless Publishing. It was originally self-published but was accepted by Limitless and received new edits and an awesome cover. My son was diagnosed with a rare and life threatening genetic disorder. But now that we know he has this condition, we can make good choices to keep him safe, have him monitored, and take meds to prevent some of the complications.

Is he cured? No.

But there is hope on the horizon with amazing treatments like CRISPR (genetic editing). So what about those that aren't diagnosed? Great question. There are so many patients with the same condition as my son that have not been properly diagnosed. So even if a cure exists, if they aren't diagnosed...it does them no good.

2nd Cover

So my goal was to use my talents (writing) to educate others about Vascular Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.  Rarity is a book about a teen diagnosed with this disorder and the emotional rollercoaster that all involved endure. I wrote it based on my own emotions from my son being diagnosed. It's a young adult book, the characters in it are in High School, a time when kids are very much thinking about themselves and how things will impact them. At the back of the book, there is information about the disorder and signs and symptoms to consider. My hope is that someone reading it may have a lightbulb go off and a proper diagnosis can be made on someone not previously diagnosed.

I thought I'd show some of the covers for it as it evolved for your viewing pleasure.

Final cover - published with Limitless Publishing

★•✩•★ SYNOPSIS ★•✩•★

Brogen Mathers can’t deal with teen drama…

As an empath, she is constantly bombarded with other people’s energies. Despite coping techniques taught by her psychologist mother, it’s often too much to bear, forcing her to avoid most activities a typical high school junior would enjoy.

Jay Wilken won’t let his past define him…

A dead mother and an alcoholic father brought Jay to Stanton, but he doesn’t want pity. His good looks, charisma, and friendly nature quickly win over the whole student body, but he has his eye on one girl…Brogen.

Brogen can’t believe anyone could be so genuinely nice. It has to be an act, right? But when Jay literally saves her from deadly jaws, she has to admit he’s exactly what he appears, and he’s worth risking the potential emotional upheaval.

“Drama” might as well be Becca Grant’s middle name…

Another newcomer to Stanton, Becca’s blonde beauty and abundant attitude shoots her straight to the top of the popularity charts—and she believes Jay belongs right there beside her. Accustomed to getting exactly what she wants, she launches a relentless mean-girl campaign to shake up Brogen and claim Jay for her own.

Everything changes with a devastating diagnosis…

When Jay learns he has a rare and potentially fatal disorder, he keeps it secret and begins to push Brogen away to spare her future pain—which is exactly the sort of opening Becca is waiting for.

As Jay’s well-meaning deception unravels,

Brogen realizes there is much more than her heart at stake…

But how far is she willing to go to fight for someone she loves?

GOODREADS - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25712819-rarity

★•✩•★ Grab your copy! ★•✩•★

AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1Gk4nHz

AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1CCdVTL

PAPERBACK: http://amzn.to/1M49djo

Q is for...Questions

Q is for...Question

Since becoming an author, I've been asked more questions. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions and their answers.

1. When is book 2 for the Demon Hunters series coming out?

  I don't know for sure but probably by Fall 2016.

The cloud couch

2. What are your favorite writing conditions?

  Quiet music, sitting on the cloud couch with my laptop, & at least 2 uninterrupted hours to work.

3. Have you ever had writer's block and if so, how have you overcome it?

   Yes, I backtracked in my plot line and tried a new path. I knew it worked because the story flowed out of me quickly once I made the change.

4. Have you had any strange people try to friend you or chat you?

   Yes, I get a large amount of single military guys and middle eastern guys.

5. Where do you get inspiration for your stories?

   Characters are often inspired by people I know or have met. Plot lines can come from anywhere, songs, emotions I experienced, suggestions from people I love...

6. When did you decide to be a writer?

   It wasn't till 3 years ago when my dental hygienist encouraged me to write down a story that happened to me while I was young. She said it would be a great way to pay homage to them and their kind acts. I never thought, going into it, that I'd become a writer. But I thoroughly enjoyed the process of writing a book and continued with it.

If you have any questions for me...ask away!

P is for...Procrastination

P is for...Procrastination

I've been spot on with all my posts in this A to Z blogging challenge...except this one. I have two family members that are master procrastinators so I know all about this topic.

Reasons why people procrastinate:

-They desire to do it perfect

- They wait for more time to accomplish the task

- Fear of failing

- Poor time management/organizational skills

- Wanting to do something fun instead of the work needing to get done.

How to stop procrastinating:

- Make to-do lists

- If you need to take a break during your task, make it a brief break or avoid the break all together to keep the momentum going.

- Reward yourself for completing your task

- Make someone hold you accountable to help you stay on task

- Avoid distractions (email, phone calls, etc)

Put it into practice...

Recently my husband came home and said he had a horrible week at work. "I haven't had a chance to get anything done. People keep scheduling meetings or coming in to ask questions." I felt bad for my husband, he seemed to be drowning in work and not sure how to do anything but tread water. Here's what we did: We made a list of 4 things that NEEDED to get done. He looked at his meetings for the next day and canceled one of them. He went into work early, turned off his phone, and instant messenger, and did not check email till 10AM. He checked in with me mid-day to let me know what he accomplished. And finally, he set up a reward at the end of the day.

"That was the BEST day ever." He felt so accomplished at the end of the day and was able to finish the week with higher spirits.