My Favorite Things

 

 

This year has flown by at a breakneck speed. My oldest daughter graduated from high school and started college. My middle child, my son, started high school. And this year he is almost the same height as his father – 6’1. And he’s only 14. My youngest daughter started her last year of elementary school. And of course, I was a sobbing mess when I dropped her on the first day.  

Yes, it’s been a busy year.

But I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying many moments of it. It’s only a couple days away from Christmas and I know I should have probably sent this earlier…but I wanted to share a few of my favorite things from this year.  

Of course, everyone who knows me knows I love to read. That yes, I’m a writer but I was a reader first. I’ve always loved language, period. I even received a degree in English to solidify my love. So, I’ll start with my most treasured reads of the year, books:

Quanie Miller’s The New Mrs. Collins – an adult paranormal novel was awesome. I couldn’t put it down. The characters were so alive that I had to look over my shoulders a few times for the villain, Adira. The plot was compelling and the pacing was excellent. I’m not sure if there will be a second book but the way the first book ended leaves the impression that there could be another. You can read my full review here.

 

Kelly Hashway/Ashlyn Drake’s Into the Fire – a young adult paranormal romance. I’ve read a number of books from Kelly/Ashlyn and this is my favorite. The ending had me on the edge of my seat. When it was over, I wanted to email Kelly begging for the next book (hint, hint). I believe this is a three or four book series and I can't wait to read them all. You can read my full review here.

David Estes’s Fire Country (Country Saga book 1) – This book took me on the ultimate adventure. I loved it so much that I found myself speaking and thinking like the characters. That’s immersing yourself in your reading, right? David created this language unique to the book but that made perfect sense – at least to me. I loved it. Can you tell? You can read my full review here.

Dawn Brazil’s Enlighten Me – Yes, I’m including my own book to this list. Why? Because I can. No, I really did enjoy writing this one – more than any  book I’ve written. Why? Honestly, the villains were awesome. They’re humorous; I love humor in stories that are otherwise somber. They're also real people with beliefs that drive them. These beliefs give them the motivation to challenge others. It’s just as hard for them to understand why the “good guys” are doing what they’re doing. They think what they are doing will help others. Why would that be an issue you ask? Why are they the villains you want to know? Because their method of solving the problems will kill millions. Here is the link to it on Goodreads.

If you haven’t read these books I’d highly recommend them all!

After reading, the next thing I love to spend my hard earned money on is candles. Here’s the scoop on a brand I love:

Candles by Eden – One of my co-workers started her own business making candles. And I adore candles. I’ve got an entire kitchen cabinet full of them to prove it. These aren’t ordinary candles though. The candles are all natural and handmade. I’ve never had all-natural/handmade candles before so I wasn’t really sure how they would burn/smell. So, I bought a few of them in my favorite scents – Pomegranate, Peppermint Sugar Cookie, and White Tea and Ginger. Of course, I ordered more than three but these were my favorites. How did they burn? Great. Awesome. They smelled so good that my oldest daughter wants to buy her own. And my baby, who is the pickiest person I’ve ever met, gave them a thumbs up. There's nothing like the scent of a pomegranate candle wafting in the air, as you curl up in the tub, with soft music and low lights... Not that I EVER get the chance to do this anymore. I digress. You can read all about the Candles and Eden here.

 

Do you have any favorites that you’d like to share?

 

 

 

Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!

 

New Release Alert: Enlighten Me by ME

Today's the day - the release of Enlighten Me, book 2 in the Finding Me series. I'm so excited, and tired, and excited, and tired.... Did I say I was really tired. The life of an Indie Author, wife, mother of three, with a full-time job can be difficult.

But I'm not complaining. I wouldn't give up any of those titles.
 
Since Enlighten Me is the sequel to Finding Me, I'm sharing an excerpt from Finding Me:

I forced my eyes upward. My mind cascaded over all the things I could say. I knew I shouldn’t allow him to bully me. My thoughts scattered, the right words slipped away. “I…no…you are not–”

My head jerked back suddenly, casting a dozen sparkling stars across my eyes, and a bolt of electricity shot up my spine. The zap was so intense, I stumbled, face-first to the floor. The fall should have thrown me to the smooth, dry surface of the wood floor of the school hallway.

It didn’t.

My hands met moisture. My eyes bulged as I took in what lay beneath them: grass.

I lifted my head to scan the area, stunned to silence. A sea of green enveloped me. The urge to scream overpowered everything, but I fought it. I clasped my hands to my mouth to muffle the sound that escaped anyway.

The football field stretched before me.

How can I be here? This isn’t possible. I scrambled to my feet, spun around, and gazed at the school I’d been in moments ago. I shut my eyes tight. “Please let me be back in the school, about to have the biggest fight with Zack,” I said aloud.

My heart thrummed at my chest, but my eyes remained shut, afraid of what I might find once I dared a peek. But standing with them closed wasn’t an option. A crow cawed overhead to urge me on. My eyes sprang open. Confusion twisted away at my insides. Why was I still on the field? I swallowed back the lump in my throat and ran a shaky hand through my thick hair that continually blew into my face, obstructing my vision.

Straining against the glare of the midday sun, I tripped, my feet two cinderblocks in my boots. For late August, the Manhattan wind that kicked up seemed to scream winter and not fall. I tucked the unruly strands of hair, tossed about by the rebel wind, behind my ear and took another reluctant step forward. That was when I saw it. The crimson red thrust the emerald green of the field. The colors blended, reminding me of Freddy Krueger’s sweater in A Nightmare on Elm Street. There was a lot of blood in that movie. And I was pretty certain blood was the red part I saw on the field.

I gasped. My breath caught in my throat and the stench of copper invaded my nostrils. I fought against the urge to vomit, yet couldn’t contain the desire to move closer.

I’d never seen a dead body before.

 

Here is the blurb for Enlighten Me:

 

 

Sometimes carefully constructed lies can become the truth…

When seventeen-year-old Amanda reawakens, she is faced with the life Chloe lived for 17 years. The adjustment isn’t easy. But as she attempts to acclimate to a life that’s foreign to her, old friends become new enemies and bad habits are hard to stop. When she begins to doubt the story she’s been given to explain her travels through the multiverse, she knows she must find the answers before everyone else. Because if her weird dreams and visions are an indication of who she really was, everyone might just be in danger. But not from the enemy they think.

From her.

Enlighten Me and Finding Me are both on sale for $0.99 and can be purchased here:

Amazon

Smashwords

Have  great day. Read a book and laugh!

 

 

 

Cover Reveal: Enlighten Me by ME

I'm so excited to finally reveal the cover of my new novel, Enlighten Me. This is book 2 in the Finding Me series. Hope everyone loves it as much as I do!

Enlighten Me will be releasing on December 15th!!!


Have a great day. Read a book and laugh!