August 18, 2014 · 2:38 pm

Dragon Tears…The Mourning Period

As I’ve mentioned before, The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping is a project I’ve wanted to do for a very long time.  It’s changed names, characters, and even the basic plot, but it’s still a dream come true to know that very soon people will be reading it!  It seems, however, that I am in book mourning.

You know that feeling when you finish reading a book, and it’s so good that you just can’t possibly turn right around and pick up something different?  Like it would be an insult to the characters and the story to move on to something else so quickly?  Well, it’s the same way when you’ve finished writing.  And I’ve spent A LOT more time writing this book than anyone will ever spend reading it.

Sure, I have other book projects that have been floating around for awhile, waiting for their turn.  The sequel for The Graveside Detective  (for which I also mourned greatly….I was so attached to Frank) is just begging to be written.  But for the moment, it’s going to have to wait.  I need some time to get over this one.

Want to help me cast off the black veil?  You can pre-order an autographed copy here and join my release event here.  May you mourn as I do.  🙂

 

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August 12, 2014 · 3:22 pm

Here Be Pre-Ordered Dragons!

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Hello everyone! I am thoroughly enjoying Dragon Month both here and on my Facebook page!  Sure, it might be Shark Week for some, but who can turn down a whole month of mystical creatures?  Big thanks to everyone who has joined my release event so far!  The main thing I want to let you know about today in the progression of my new release is that you can pre-order an autographed copy of The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping right here through my Facebook store!  I’ve already had quite a few pre-orders come in, and it gives me little dragonflies in my stomach to see the numbers tick up!  So thank you again to everyone who has helped me out with this, and if you haven’t yet, well, come join the party!

 

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August 6, 2014 · 9:26 am

Release Event for The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping

Hello everyone! I’m sure you know by now that The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping, a book that’s been in the making for over 15 years, will be released on Amazon at the end of the month! I’m inviting you to come join my release event on Facebook.
What will you get out of it?

-You’ll be among the first to purchase this awesome book (which is enough in itself, right?)

-Purchasing The Wanderer’s Guide as soon as it comes out means you get it for the special release price.

-Joining this event automatically enters you in the upcoming giveaways! (FREE STUFF!)

Why am I having this event?

-What better way to get the word out there than having a party?  (Okay, there won’t be a disco ball or any spiked punch, but you can bring your own and come hang out with me anyway.)

-The more people that purchase this book within a short time frame the better its ranking will be on Amazon, which leads to more sales, which leads to me bringing you more delightful reads!

Thanks in advance for all of your support.  Feel free to share this event with your friends and invite them to join the party as well.

Every girl needs a dragon.

Every girl needs a dragon.

 

 

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August 4, 2014 · 7:34 pm

A Dragon Dream Come True…Cover Reveal!

When I was about 14, my brother gave me a copy of The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley for my birthday.  It was my first foray into fantasy novels, and the beginning of an incredible stage of my life.  I absolutely fell in love with the genre, and for many years would read almost nothing else.  There have been other genre addictions (historical fiction, chick lit, and that time where if it didn’t say “Stephen King” on the cover I wouldn’t touch it), but fantasy has got to be the longest running and most influential one for me.

Shortly after my addiction started, I decided I would write a fantasy novel.  I had always loved to write and had notebooks full of poetry, so this wasn’t so much of a stretch…except that I hadn’t written anything of that length before and really had no idea how to go about it.  I wrote the first chapter, and there my dream died for many many years.

Earlier this year I decided to revive that old dream.  I have long since lost that first chapter, which might be a good thing because I’m sure it’s terrible.  The story has evolved quite a bit, but nevertheless I am thrilled to be releasing The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping at the end of this month!  Be sure to visit my Facebook page to pre-order!

Now here’s a special treat for my fantastic followers:  COVER REVEAL!

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Welcome to The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping. You no doubt have stumbled upon this book due to a great need, whether realized or otherwise. You are a very select individual, placed in a very exclusive position of responsibility. Dragon keeping is not for the faint of heart.

 

Aubrey Goodknight is alone. Orphaned at a young age, she long ago stopped believing in the fantasies and mythical creatures she had so loved as a child. When she’s diagnosed with breast cancer, she’s certain things couldn’t be more desolate. That is, until she stumbles across The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping, which changes her life completely. Raising a baby dragon in a modern, non-magical world isn’t a challenge she’s sure she’s up to. Now, Aubrey must learn that seeing isn’t always believing, but believing can be the most powerful kind of magic.

 

Enjoy this post?  Check out more of my work on Amazon!

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July 28, 2014 · 8:19 pm

A Special Reward for my Followers

I want to thank my wonderful fabulous followers with a very special present:  you are the very first to know about my new release at the end of August!  The Wanderer’s Guide to Dragon Keeping is set to come out August 31st.  I can’t tell you how excited I am about it…well, actually, I’ll be doing just that in an upcoming post, because this book really means a lot to me.

Here’s what you need to know with this exclusive insider information:

-Throughout August, I’ll have oodles of dragon and fantasy posts on my Facebook page, as well as a giveaway!

-Also on Facebook, I will have the ultimate pre-sale!  You can order AUTOGRAPHED paperback copies of The Wanderer’s Guide directly from the Product tab on my page, before they are available on Amazon!  (And because I love you, the autographs are free!)  Stay tuned for more details!

Coming up next:  cover reveal!

Old open book with magic light and falling stars on wooden table

Enjoy this post?  Be sure to check out more of my work on Amazon.

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July 21, 2014 · 8:24 pm

Tea for Three, Please

You ever decide you want something, and you get so obsessed over it that you just can’t stop until you have that precious object in your hands?  For some people it’s a puppy, a baby, or that fabulous job with a corner office, but for me it was a tea set.

I’d been thinking about buying a tea set for several years.  My two daughters had a pretty good mishmash of several plastic tea sets that no sane person would ever put their lips to (except perhaps after a really thorough washing), but I wanted a real tea set.  One in which I could serve real tea, maybe with real little cookies (because the plastic ones aren’t very appetizing), and my girls and I could act like ladies.

I suppose I’d been waiting until the girls were old enough, but what really gave me a kick in the pants to go for this was this sneaking suspicion that my 8 year old was pulling away from me, perhaps encroaching on the pre-teen grumpy-with-attitude hormonal thing.  I didn’t think I would ever write words like that at the ripe old age of 8, but there it is.  I decided a tea set would be a great way (excuse?) to sit down with my daughters and make sure we stayed super close.

So, like anyone looking to buy crap they don’t really need, I headed for eBay.  I spent hours poring through listing after listing of tea sets.  I found new ones, old ones, extremely expensive ones, and a few that were pretty darn cute.  I finally settled on this one.

Our fancy new tea set

Our fancy new tea set.

The picture really doesn’t do it justice.  (The lighting in the dining room is pretty awful.) It’s a gorgeous gold with little Victorian couples, and the bottoms say Western Germany.  It was easy to decide on this one when I showed it to my girls and they said, “Oh, it’s so BEAUTIFUL!  Can we have it?  Can we can we can we?”

The day after it arrived we sat down for our inaugural tea party.  The girls voted to have a hot cocoa party though.

Hot Cocoa Party

Complete with a sugar bowl full of marshmallows.

Sugar Bowl of Marshmallows

We sipped our cocoa with our pinkies in the air and called each other m’lady.  It was, in short, just as fabulous as I imagined it would be.

We didn’t have any cookies this time, but I imagine the next tea party will involve a baking party immediately beforehand!

 

If you enjoyed this post, please feel free to check out my other work on Amazon.

 

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The Most Interesting Reader in the World…

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July 14, 2014 · 8:12 pm
July 7, 2014 · 7:06 pm

Signs You’re Addicted to Blogging

Even though I’ve always loved to write, it’s been a little over a year since I started blogging.  It’s been an interesting roller coaster of writerly emotions so far.  You know, you start out, get your page all set up and think “Now what the hell am I going to write about?”  You get a few posts under your belt and realize, “Hey wait a minute.  Is anyone ever actually going to read this shit?”  This is swiftly (you hope) followed by getting your first follower and first “like” on a post and you think, “Holy crap someone actually read my shit!”  It’s all down hill from there folks.  You start hankering for likes and follows like a drunk needs his cheap beer, lurching along and pretending to be a functional part of society.

Are you a blogging addict?  Here are some signs you just might be:

1. You find yourself saying things like, “Wow, that was so fun!  I can’t wait to blog about it!”

2.  You take a college level English composition class, with the thought that it will improve your blogging skills.

3.  You think of a weekend getaway as an opportunity to catch up on your blogging.

4.  Your spouse says things to you like, “You aren’t going to blog about this, are you?”

5.  You take a picture of your adult beverage on girls’ night out so you can blog about it later.  (Addiction is severe if you go ahead and do the blog from your phone.)

2014-02-22 17.20.18Proof of my addiction.

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June 30, 2014 · 8:06 am

Top Tips for Writing

It’s difficult to get all my work done sometimes.  There are so many distractions.  I need to be on my computer a significant part of the day if I’m actually going to have a successful freelancing business, but somehow I find myself outside weeding the garden or playing a rousing round of Go Fish with the kids.  I’m getting a little better at focusing, though, so here are my

TOP  TIPS FOR WRITING

6. Rig up some sort of system that will send you some nasty electric shocks every time you wander off to Facebook.

5. Encourage your spouse to play video games.  Then you won’t feel guilty about not spending time with him/her. Plus he/she will lose track of just how much time you’ve spent on that computer today.

4. Wear a hoodie, so you can put snacks and candy in the pockets.

3.  Wear earbuds.  These will deter people who may try talking to you, as well as drown out the sound of the kids watching the same episode of Phineas and Ferb for the umpteenth time.  Also very effective for pretending you didn’t hear, “Honey, what’s for dinner?”

2.  Get super comfortable.  My dad’s rule when I worked for him as a kid was to always get comfortable first, and I still abide by this.  The more comfortable you are, the less likely you’ll be to get up and run just one more load of laundry.

1.  Get a cat, and make sure it’s on your lap.  This kind of goes along with “get super comfortable”, because when you have a cat on your lap you can’t get up.  That’s the rule.  Really.  Just ask the cat.

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And yes, I was supposed to be writing when I made this.

 

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June 23, 2014 · 7:15 pm

The Mockingbird No Longer Teases Me

I have a secret that has recently been forced out into the light, so I may as well share it.  It’s not the deepest, darkest secret in existence, but it’s embarrassing.  There is something most people have done well before they are in their thirties, and sadly I never had.

I never read To Kill a Mockingbird.

I’m not sure how this happened.  I could blame the various schools I attended, because I’m fairly certain most kids are forced to read this book whether they like it or not.  It was certainly nothing that was presented as part of the curriculum and I skipped out on it, because I love to read even if it’s assigned.

I discovered the discrepancy when a discussion arose about To Kill a Mockingbird during a class I’m taking, and I was certain I was the only person who hadn’t explored this typical tome of teenage tutelage.  So I checked it out from the library (hoping not to have to make an excuse and say it was for my kids, who are far too young to read it).

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I finished the book last night, and here’s what I have to say:  Wow.  Just plain, flat out, wow.  Where had this book been all my life?  There was so much voice, the characters were amazing, and I found the plot gripping.  To Kill a Mockingbird addresses every kind of prejudice available:  white vs. black, class vs. class, and even disabled vs. not.  It’s a story of growing up and realizing how the world around you really works.  I can see why this is part of (most people’s) education.

As I finished the last page and shut the book, I made my spouse pause the movie he was watching so I could tell him how amazed I was.  The poor thing probably didn’t really care, but he humored me and told me he was glad I liked it so much.  This book has started a trend for me of catching up on the classics.  Sure, I’ve read Treasure Island three times, and absolutely adored Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, but my booklog is sadly devoid of many of the classics.  That’s kind of pitiful for a bookworm like me.

Next up?  Don Quixote, followed by Kafka’s Metamorphosis.  If you have other recommendations, feel free to hurl them my way!

 

If you liked this post, be sure to check out more of my work on Amazon.

 

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