Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Shocker




While attempting to recover from a nasty bout of the flu (respiratory, not stomach) last weekend, I made myself a cup of tea. It was a K-Cup Lipton Throat Soothing tea, and the packaging said "contains soy". No other ingredients were listed. Never having had a previous issue with soy, I eagerly sipped the tea and waited for relief from my sore throat and cough. Minutes later I felt as though a golf ball had entered my throat. Lying down was impossible and even coughing was difficult. My voice got 3 octaves higher, or what my husband fondly calls the "robotic chipmunk" voice. Thanks to my severe peanut allergy I recognized the signs of anaphylactic shock immediately, grabbed some Benadryl and got hold of my mom. Fast forward 30 minutes and I'm at the local E.R. with this cute little ring of life stuck into my arm. Something called Solu-Med or something similar, and prednisone.  After 4 hours they sent me home with extra prednisone and instructions to keep away from soy and see a GP for allergy testing.

We're still not completely sure it was the soy that did it, but eliminating soy and that tea from my diet has prevented further issues.  

PSA: If your voice gets 3 octaves higher in the middle of a five-minute conversation and you are not a teenage boy, see your doctor or call 9-1-1, STAT.

Monday, January 27, 2014

Cereal Killer



This morning my three year old climbed up onto my bed, looked me in the eye and with the maturity of a ten year old said, "I want to make my Chex, Mommy". I said "Ok, you can do that" and followed him to the kitchen. First thing: getting the stepstool. Even with a boost he couldn't reach his bowls in the cabinet. I resolved not to help him unless he specifically asked for help. After a few moments he opened the dishwasher. "Are these clean?" I nodded. He pulled a bowl out. Score 1 for Joey. "Need a spoon." He pulled one out of the dishwasher. I was impressed.

He opened the Chex and tried to pull the bag out. I shook my head. He paused for a moment and lifted the box. The lightbulb that turned on in his mind was tangible. He poured the Chex. Score 2 for Joey. He turned and opened the fridge, no small feat for little hands. He reached for an unopened gallon of milk. "Is that one open?" I asked. He shook his head and reached for the one that was slightly less than half full. Grunting he put it on the counter next to his bowl. He unscrewed the cap with considerable skill for someone who'd never touched a jug of milk. I braced my hand under the jug while he poured. He put the cap right back on and put it into the fridge.

Here was the hard part--getting the bowl to the table without spilling. I helped him position his fingers and he was off. Nary a drop was spilled until he set it on the table a little less carefully than he could have. "Mommy, I need a napkin". I raised an eyebrow. He trotted off to the kitchen and picked up 2 pieces of stray Chex off the counter while he was in there, grabbed a towel and wiped off the table. He sat down to eat with a grin on his face while I dabbed a tear from the corner of my eye.

And that's our inspirational story for today.



Journal Entry From Dec. 20th, 2013 (a Joey story)

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Pamela Foreman

Pamela's book Secrets Abound, My Love can be purchased at:  http://tinyurl.com/mlsv78n 




SYNOPSIS: When David and Annette join their families and begin one of their own, the couple can’t imagine how their marriage will affect their children, new and old. As parents, they each have high hopes for their children and their marriage, but in only a few short years, the path has gone the way of destruction.

Drugs, alcohol, abuse, loneliness … Secrets hide among the folds of their new lives and David and Annette are faced with the challenge of reconnecting with their children, while learning to be parents all over again.

How will they cope, discovering the hidden secrets? Will their marriage survive or will the threat of losing their children drive them apart? Can they fight adversity and win, or will their marriage be over as quickly as it began? Find out in Secrets Abound, My Love, the third segment in the Nebraska Holds series.


EXCERPT:

Oh, Georgia! Lighten up!” Jersey shook her finger at Georgia. Georgia could tell her sister had been drinking not only by her behavior, but Jersey smelled of the beer or liquor. The two girls plus their fellow triplet, Virginia, were barely seventeen, and their step-sister Mallory was still sixteen. The four were about to be seniors in high school and their sibling was already an alcoholic.
Jersey and this male friend of hers both laughed then shushed each other like preschoolers about to get caught in an mischievous act. Georgia didn't even know his name and didn't remember ever seeing him before. Georgia rolled her eyes, knowing this was not going to get any better.

“How did he get in here?” Georgia asked. She put her hands on her hips, an action she had observed her mother doing over the past several years as all her older siblings had become teenagers. Georgia knew for a fact this boy did not enter through the front door of their house.

“How else?” Jersey slurred. “The window.”

“The window? We’re on the second floor!” Georgia put her head in her hands, exasperated. She’s been covering for her sister for more than two years now, but she wasn’t sure she could any longer. Jersey seemed to be getting herself deeper and deeper in trouble.


Author Bio: Pamela Foreman is a wife of seventeen years to her high school sweetheart and the mother of four children. Having grown up in Texas, Pamela currently lives in central Virginia. Pamela received her master’s degree in accounting from Liberty University and is an avid reader. She enjoys sewing, crocheting, knitting and scrapbooking when she is not involved with her children’s activities and spending time with her husband.

Pamela is the author of the Nebraska Holds series, a series surrounding the lives of David Anderson and Annette Miller, middle-aged adults who have both gone through the sudden deaths of their spouses and each have children to continue to raise. The series currently has three books, You're Right, My Love (December 2011), Not Again, My Love (January 2013) and Secrets Abound, My Love (January 2014).


Author Links:

Website: http://www.pamelaforeman.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pamelaforemanauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pamela_foreman
About Me: http://about.me/pamelaforeman

Google+: https://plus.google.com/111814691744564977712/posts

Thanks again for visiting! Be sure to leave a comment below to be entered to win a copy of this book in either print or electronic form.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Elle Klass Author Interview

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Elle Klass, author of Baby Girl. 



Elle says: 
My life is not one of pure excitement although its had its moments. I was born in Redwood City California, just outside San Francisco. I spent my entire childhood and beginnings of my adult life in the San Francisco Bay Area. I love the city and I love the Forty Niners. I currently reside on the east coast in a suburban area attached to a overwhelmingly large city, area wise, straddling the Atlantic. My hopes and dreams are to one day move further south or west on this peninsula and live beside the ocean, preferably the Gulf. 

Eleven years ago I began a teaching career which I still am currently working at. It has its benefits but also drawbacks which seem to be growing by the day. The one benefit it did allow is summer breaks where I could write stories instead of the daily hum drum of a 9-5 24/7 job. Not to say I don't like teaching. I adore the many students whom have crossed the threshold of my classroom doorway and I find myself most delighted when I find they have forged decent paths into adulthood. I have spent countless summers creating stories which I will publish in due time. During the ten months of the year I teach makes writing and editing a difficult task but I find the time and paid leave also helps. Okay, I won't lie when I use paid leave it's for vacations or emergencies but mental health days are an emergency as the school year draws closer to summer.

My latest task is the slow daunting task of editing Eye of The Storm and finishing Baby Girl. Within the next couple months look forward to Baby Girl: Book 2.



1. How many books do you plan on publishing in the next two years?

I plan on publishing the next three Baby Girl books in which the
reader will eventually find out all Cleo's families dirty secrets, why
her mother abandoned her,  along the way a few laughs at the awkward
situations she finds herself in. I plan on completing and publishing
Eye of The Storm this year. Eye of the Storm is a horror/suspense
novel in which Sunshine finds her perfect reality threatened by
another woman's tragedy, Eilida. Slowly their lives begin to
intermingle while Sunshine desperately seeks their connection.  Next
year I plan on writing the sequel to Eye of the Storm, where the
reader travels into the past and delves into the world of Evan
O'conner and Det. Burkhalder, I also want to finish and publish Just
Another Day, a wacky novel about a high school biology teacher and her
students as they encounter a seriously crazy eventful day.

2. How did you decide on the cover art for your books?

My oldest daughter, Renae, illustrated the cover of As Snow Falls and
the inside picture. I simply gave her an idea of what I wanted and
she's read the story, using her talents she drew a beautiful picture
which gets many compliments. I would love for her to illustrate more
books for me in the future. The other covers I designed myself
layering and tweaking pictures.

3. Where is your favorite place to write?

My favorite place to write is somewhere quiet and comfy,noise
distracts me while I'm writing so quiet is a biggie. I also load up on
whatever I need before writing such as coffee, water, snacks close by
because when I write I enter that world and probably won't come out
for hours.

4. Who is your muse/where do your most creative ideas come from?

My creative ideas come from all over,  something I saw while observing
people at a restaurant, my wild and crazy dreams, or simply my
overactive imagination. Every story is unique and none have come from
person, place or thing in particular although while I'm writing I put
strange true tidbits into each story such as boogie woman in As Snow
Falls, she was real and evil or Sunshine's apparition in the kitchen.
I once thought I saw a ghost in my kitchen but when I looked again she
was gone. I created Sunshine's ghost to look similar to the one I
thought I had seen.

5. When did you decide to become a writer?

I published my first book several months ago but have been steadily
writing for 8-9 years, since my daughters became old enough they
didn't need my attention 24/7. I have decided within the past year to
become a writer. My family has always asked when I was going to
publish something but it was the tragedy of losing a close friend that
made me realize life is far too short not to follow your dreams.

6. If you could choose any famous author to critique your work, who
would it be and why?




7. Do you want any of your works to be made into a movie?

Sure, I would be flattered if someone came to me wanting to make one
of my books into a movie, although I wouldn't want them to butcher the
story. As an excessively visual person my stories are motion pictures
in my head when I'm writing.

8.  If you could choose a soundtrack to go with your latest book, what
musicians would you choose?


I would probably choose Evanescence, and maybe Oasis for a couple
songs and if this sound track was for Eye of the Storm than Plain
White T's and Delilah would have to be on the soundtrack.

9. What time of day do you prefer to write?

I have learned to write whenever I get the chance as a full time
teacher I have little time to be picky about the time of day but I
know I write best when I first wake up with a cup of hot Starbucks
home brewed coffee and a dash or Bailey's Irish Cream. The last couple
hours before I go to bed is also a creative time for me.

10. What is your favorite book-based movie?

My favorite book based movie is the Hunger Games, now having said that
I have never read the book. I rarely watch the movie and read the
book, not because I'm one of those people that is bothered by the
discrepancies but I already know the ending which takes half the fun
out of it. There are plenty of books and movies out there that I
haven't read or seen their endings. I also love True blood, and yes I
have read all the Sookie Stackhouse novels. True blood is very loosely
based on the books therefore the ending every season is always a
surprise.

Contact info for Elle Klass: 

Tumblr- http://elleklass.tumblr.com/ 
Whitehall publishing webpage- http://whitehallpublishing.com/ek.html



Thursday, January 16, 2014

Interview with Jessie Hammond





Author Bio: Jessie Hammond is a twenty-one-year-old author about to release her first book, Dancing to Love. Jessie has had CP since birth. Jessie frequently writes about her struggles and life in general.  She is an aunt to eleven beautiful children. Jessie loves fashion.

Book Title: Dancing to Love

Book Summary: Armed with a scholarship to Juillard, Ilianna dreams of making a name for herself in the dance world and leaving her ugly past behind her. But when she finds herself falling for a fellow dancer, she finds her past isn't as far as she thought. When the truth is set free can she finally stop running?


Where did you get your inspiration for this book? Well, this book just came to me, a girl just wanted her story to be told.

How did you choose the title? The title just came to me. I don't outline stories; I can usually see what I'm going to write right away.

What are your favorite bookstores? Barnes and Noble. I love the feel of real books but mostly I buy books online.

What is your favorite genre to read and why? I like romance, paranormal, thriller. But I mostly read romance.

How did you decide on the cover? I decided on the cover after seeing covers from some of my favorite authors like Abbi Glines.  I love the simplicity of her covers.

Did you grow up in the city, country, or suburbs and how does this affect the way you write? I grew up in a small town in Ilion, NY. I've lived in NY my whole life. It definitely affects how I write, I've always loved cities. Everyone is always moving, always living in a city.

Do you have another book in the works for 2014? I hope to launch Finding Nikki sometime this year.  

Do you have plans to attend any conferences or conventions in 2014? Not at the moment. 

Where is your favorite place to write? My living room or my bedroom. I have to have quiet to work.

Was publishing a book something you always wanted to do or was it a spur of the moment thing? I always wanted to write something. I was inspired one night after speaking with a fellow indie writer, L.P. Dover. Within half an hour I had written the first two chapters to Finding Nikki.   

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

How cluttered are your shelves?



I had spent all morning coaxing and coddling my three-year-old out of tantrums. Finally, he started rubbing his eyes and I knew the majority of today's behavior came from pure tiredness. So I said those three little words, the ones no preschooler ever wants to hear: 'clean your room". He went into a thundering rage, a truly spectacular tantrum complete with stomping, kicking, and throwing. I walked out to do some cleaning of my own, planning to check on him and put him down for a nap afterwards.

Thirty minutes later... I looked around his room and sighed. In thirty minutes he had accomplished absolutely nothing. Then his toy shelf caught my eye--not one single toy was in its proper place. There were toys on the shelf, but they were nowhere near being sorted.

 I went to the kitchen and fixed his lunch. I had him sit at his proper place at the table. I put his favorite lunch--a turkey sandwich--in front of him. He screamed with the power of an air horn and refused to calm down, immune to my attempts at soothing him. I was ready to give up, weary and out of patience. I lay him on his bed. Ready to leave the room in hopes of inducing a sweet slumber for him and a moment's rest for myself, I turned and bumped my knee into his bookshelf. Gazing down at what appeared to be the beginnings of a very nasty bruise, I saw that the shelf was in a state of complete deterioration, with piles of brightly colored books bearing worn covers stacked in piles every which way. If books could decompose, that would be the sight my eyes were resting on. I clenched my jaw with the grit and determination of a doctor performing a frontal lobotomy and immediately set to work. Joey, his densely lashed eyes wide in surprise, looked on in complete and utter silence. I pulled all the books off the shelf and alphabetized them. I re-shelved them properly. By the time I finished I had gained such momentum that I couldn't stop. I moved to the toy shelf with an air of satisfaction only a neat freak can understand. Once everything was in its place, I went to Joey, who was still watching me with suspicion, yet drowsy and hypnotized by the rhythmic movement of my hands in organizational action. I kissed him on the forehead. In a calm tone and with a renewed sense of self-control, he said politely, "Mommy, can I eat my sandwich now and then have quiet time?"

It is these moments that give me a purpose and a strong commitment to parenting. I couldn't help but wonder as I watched my preschooler eat his sandwich with the joyous aplomb that can only come from being three years old, is it the clutter in our lives that makes us grumpy? Is it our physical shelves or our emotional selves that need re-organizing? I demand to know your thoughts, dear reader: How do you clear your emotional clutter?            

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Pre-release Review of 'Bernie and the Putty' (6 out of 5 stars)

I have been so excited to write about this book ever since I read it a few days ago.

Steve LeBel of Muskegon, MI, graciously allowed me to read Bernie and the Putty before it is published by the Argon Press. Since it's not published, I can't post a review on Amazon yet, but when I told him I was just DYING to talk about this book, he finally permitted me to review it as a blog post. I can't say enough good things about Bernie and the Putty.

Summary: A young god (Bernie) is in god school and has to learn how to do god-like things, not the least of which is creating the planet. The material he uses to create life is a magical sort of putty which turns out to have quite a mind of its own. Although the plot screams fantasy, there are plenty of down-to-earth moments in which we can all relate to Bernie as a student. From being bullied, to making hellish mistakes, to getting the girl, Bernie reminds us of our younger selves.

When I heard about the god school I was somewhat hesitant, but fear not, it is far from sacrilegious.  On the contrary, if you pay close attention you will see some parallelism reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia.

Steve LeBel's descriptive writing makes one truly believe one has been whisked away to another land. When the story ended, I was quite upset at being dropped back into reality. My husband snatched the book away from me the moment I finished reading and has yet to return it, although he has finished reading it!

This book would make an excellent movie. My intuition tells me that is a distinct possibility, and I'm quite certain that sequels are also on the horizon. Having not read anything this spectacular since Harry Potter, I can assure you this book is well worth taking a gander. I do hope Mr. LeBel won't make us wait too long before publishing.

Side note: I have been informed that Steve LeBel is considering giving Bernie and the Putty a new title. When he does, I will update it here so you know which book to look for.



******

Monday, January 13, 2014

Sneak Review

Ok, so I was fortunate enough to receive and read a pre-release copy of Acacia the Sioria Cailleach by Dori Klaproth I love my 3 R's (receive, read, review) and since I've already done the first two I might as well do the third and review this baby.

This book is all about old-style witches...yes, kind of like in Boston. "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" is the first line in this haunting tale. These witches are not bad witches, however--they even try to be helpful in one chapter and prevent a stillbirth.

This story is told from the witch's perspective as a protagonist. A young witch makes a risky journey with her beloved.

I won't put any spoilers here but suffice it to say, this book leaves you wondering what happens in the sequel.


Sunday, January 12, 2014

Intro to next week's Guest Poster/Author!

I have a guest post, er, poet today! We'll start with the basics:

Her name is Jeniann Bowers. Her most notable work is Expressions and Letters, a soulful collection of poetry.



     


Brief Bio: Jeniann has been writing poetry for seven years and has one previous poetry book published, Expression on Life Book One, but recently retired it to publish Expressions and Letters, which is a follow-up book that has twenty-one new poems and personal letters written to the reader.
   Jeniann’s writing techniques are somewhat different from other poets. Jeniann writes mainly condolences poetry about her true feelings and about her life and events that take place.

    Jeniann’s featured video trailer to Expressions and Letters displaying the poem “Last Year” can be found at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M71XFG_oloE


Summary of Expressions and Letters:

Expressions and Letters is a poetry book about Jeniann’s life events, such as poems about the passing of family members, sad love poems that Jeniann wrote years ago will trying to save her marriage, and random thoughts about life in general. Expressions and Letters is unique and different because Jeniann includes personal letters after series of poems about the poetry, this helps connect to her readers on a whole new level. 

A teaser from Expressions and Letters:

Hearts Desire

Lurking in the dark
Are hidden marks
Of love so true
You and me
Just as thee
Searching for the one to be
Only to see
Daylights bright
For we are blinded in the dark
To search for the love
Our hearts desire

But will never be found
For love is blind
But in our minds
We still hunt our prey
Wanting him or her
To this day

Momma

In the kitchen, with her apron on
Baking this and that, at morning dawn
Sugar cookies, fresh from the oven
With her hair up in a bun

Momma was a special lady
Her peanut brittle was so crunchy
She cared for everyone she knew
Her eyes were the prettiest blue

Always creative, never dull
Her mood was blissful
Sewing quilts of joy
For a new baby boy

Momma was a gentle soul
Her love was whole
Never a fragment
With that she meant

In heaven and beyond
Momma’s love was such a bond
Even though she is gone
Everyone still feels drawn

Momma’s love was pure
She was no amateur

In the kitchen, with her apron on
Baking this and that, at morning dawn

Published Book List:
Expression on Life (Retired)
Publisher: Bowers
Editor: KayCee K.Wingfield


Expressions and Letters
Publisher: Bowers
Creator: KayCee K.Wingfield



A print-up of my interview with Jeniann: 

Me: At what age did you first begin writing for fun?
      J: I started writing back in high school for a way to express my feelings on what was happening in my world at the time.

Me: Do you have any new works to be published in 2014?
       J:  Yes, I am getting ready to release Expressions and Letters on the 17th of January, it is for sale but the promotion will start the 17th and I also have a second book that I will be releasing on January 25, 2014 and it is called Phraseology and Letters. I also have published a Collection of 25 days of Christmas Poetry that I shared with my readers on my blog and recently turned into a book.

Me: Is there anything you would tell your fans if you were looking at them all right now face-to-face?
  J: I would tell my fans, not to ever give up on your dreams. Whatever the barriers are, they can be beaten to reach a dream, I know because I am doing it. I face many barriers everyday of my life, emotionally and physically.

Me: Where does your best inspiration or creativity come from?
    J: My best inspiration comes from my kids and a great friend, Cindy. As for you inspired I to become a poet would be Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman. These poets are my heroes in poetry.


Me: What is your favorite poetry style (e.g. haiku, sonnet)?

    J: My favorite poetry style is free verse and genre would be condolences poetry. I like free verse because I can be creative with my writing and have more say in how I write it. Condolences poetry is poems that come from the heart about personal journeys. 


Where to find Jeniann’s poetry and books:

Expressions and Letters (Print edition)

Expressions and Letters (eBook edition)

Blog:

Website:

Facebook:

Twitter:

Tumblr:

Myspace:
https://myspace.com/poetessjeniannbowers

Jeniann will be doing a guest post in a few days! Keep an eye out. 

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Much Ado About Mustard




My three-and-a-half year old looked up from watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood and said "Mommy, can I have milk?" "With lunch." "What's for lunch then, Mommy?" "Sandwiches". With a gleam in his big brown eyes he jumped up and said excitedly, "CAN I MAKE MY SANDWICH, PLEEEEEEASE?" "Well, ok". He bounced up and down and yelled "Yaaaaay" all the way to the kitchen.

    "Get your stepstool, honey". "Ok ok, okaaaaaaay". He opened the fridge and shrugged. "What do I do?" "Get the mustard". He looked up in the shelf inside the door of the fridge, saw the mustard and grinned. He reached for the turkey. "The mustard." He reached for the cheese and grinned. "The mustard." He grabbed the mustard and set it on the counter. "Now the cheese." He deftly pulled a slice of cheese out of the package and set it next to the mustard. "Now the turkey." He pulled the container out and set it on the counter. "Ok, now the bread". I reached for the bag of bread. He snatched it from me and pulled two slices out.

    "Now pick up the mustard." He struggled with the flip-up lid. I tried to help. We both got our fingers pinched in the process, but eventually we did get the mustard open. "Ok, now--"Sploot!" And there we were, dotted with mustard chicken pox. The water inside the mustard bottle had drifted to the surface, giving rise to a very messy kitchen and two very messy, very hungry people. Oddly enough, none of the mustard had actually reached the bread. "Ok, let me--" Aaaaaand there went one very mustardy piece of bread. I managed to wrest the bottle away to fix the second piece of bread. I sighed. "Ok, let's talk turkey." He counted the slices. "One. Twooooo. Threeee." I opened the Kraft Single wrapper. He put the cheese on the bread and gave me a quizzical look. "Now we put the sandwich together." His face brightened. Finally finished! He carefully transferred one half to the other. I got a plate out of the dishwasher. His face beamed as he carried that sandwich-filled plate to the table.

 I put the food away. Turning around from the fridge I heard, "Mommy, Can I have milk?"


We are both still covered in mustard.