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1. So this week was Spring Break. This means the kids were home all week. We went to parks, ice skating and basically stayed pretty busy all week. I'm so ready for school to start back up so I can settle down and get work done. Not to mention it feels like our third spring break since all of the week long breaks due to winter weather this year.
2. April Fool's Day is not necessarily my favorite holiday. I'm not great at pranks, and so I don't look forward to it. My husband and kids adore it. We almost made it through the whole day before they realized it was April Fool's Day. Then at about 9:00 pm the pranks started-a glass of salt water, and lots of stories and lie. Good fun!
3. I love the warm weather that is finally here. It is so nice to have sunshine and be warm instead of freezing cold. I got my first sunburn of the year at the park, which made me realize I need to start using my sunscreen again. The kids love shorts weather too.
4. This week I was trying to figure out my summer schedule and how I would fit in all of my work, exercising, writing and kids into my routine. My conclusion is that I need to go back to the drawing board to figure out just how to fit everything.
5. I really like my current project. Really like it. I hope readers will too!
Friday, April 4, 2014
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
Review of Silver Linings
My Review
This was a great clean read. The character interaction was just what I wanted in a good book. Eden has sacrificed so much to take care of her sick mother. Drew is looking for a change of pace after watching his grandfather die. This book builds the relationship from the ground up.
The writing is well done and the romance is just the right kind of sweet. If you love good clean romances, you should definitely read this book.
Author Kaylee Baldwin
When Kaylee Baldwin isn’t writing, she’s usually chasing after her four children, checking her email, trying to get motivated to train for that race she shouldn’t have signed up for, hanging out with her pretty awesome husband, and reading whatever good book she can find. She graduated from Arizona State with degree in English Lit. Her published books are Meg’s Melody, Six Days of Christmas (part of the All I Want collection) and Silver Linings.
Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford
Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin
Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson
Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White
Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver
Book 6: Immersed by Jennifer Griffith
Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 4/14/14 a Rafflecopter giveaway
Monday, March 31, 2014
Books I Love: Fire by Kristin Cashore
I am a huge fan of Krtin Cashore. I loved her first book Graceling. It was a great story, and I recommend it to everyone. But something about Fire really spoke to me, and so It is my favorite book by her. It is a fantasy novel, and the main character, Fire, has the ability to read and control people's minds. It's an interesting concept, and I love the subtle romance between the Fire and her love interest. Everything about this novel is beautifully done from the writing to the plot line.
Have you read anything by Kristin Cashore? What did you think?
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Saturday Six: Finally Saturday
1. This week my husband has been away on a business trip, and he is coming home late today. I'm so glad. While things went pretty smoothly, I still missed him like crazy. And I know I wouldn't want to do this long-term. I really admire single parents, it's tough to be the one that is on all of the time. Really tough. Fortunately, my kids were good this week--really, really good. Amazingly good.
2. How do you decide when to keep going or when to give up? I've been working hard on writing since 2008. That's six years. I love it. I want to keep doing it, but I'm starting to wonder if the sacrifice and cutting into time with my family is going to pay off. I don't want to quit, but I definitely think I need to find my balance.
3. I am listing about looking for some new books to read. Do you have any suggestions? I have a lot of author's that I love whose books are coming out over the next month or two, but in the meantime, I'm having a hard time. I am very much in a contemporary romance kind of mood.
4. I grew up as the oldest of six kids. I had a conversation with one of my sisters about horrible things we did to each other growing up. I admit I was a big tease and sometimes it was cruel. I look back and there are things that I would do differently. And there are things I wouldn't change. I know I broke my mom's heart when I told her I wish I were an only child. I was 12. My mom had just had my littlest brother a month before, one of my sister's had just broken her jaw, and was getting ready to have surgery. And I had graduated from elementary school and wanted extra attention. But looking back I would never trade one of my brothers or sisters. They have all taught me so much.
5. I know that is sappy, so I'll try to come up with something more random to share. I'm having a hard time. It's Spring Break next week. I've got activities lined up for them all week long. This year though, I feel like it is our third spring break, since we've missed so much school for snow and ice and other nonsense this year.
6. Today it is drippy and gloomy. I love the sunshine. I never appreciated growing up in the desert where we would run out and play in the rainstorms because they were so rare. I love the green here and the way things grow, but on drippy days I miss the hot sun, the cool nights, the sounds of the sprinkler systems turning on as I head to bed.
2. How do you decide when to keep going or when to give up? I've been working hard on writing since 2008. That's six years. I love it. I want to keep doing it, but I'm starting to wonder if the sacrifice and cutting into time with my family is going to pay off. I don't want to quit, but I definitely think I need to find my balance.
3. I am listing about looking for some new books to read. Do you have any suggestions? I have a lot of author's that I love whose books are coming out over the next month or two, but in the meantime, I'm having a hard time. I am very much in a contemporary romance kind of mood.
4. I grew up as the oldest of six kids. I had a conversation with one of my sisters about horrible things we did to each other growing up. I admit I was a big tease and sometimes it was cruel. I look back and there are things that I would do differently. And there are things I wouldn't change. I know I broke my mom's heart when I told her I wish I were an only child. I was 12. My mom had just had my littlest brother a month before, one of my sister's had just broken her jaw, and was getting ready to have surgery. And I had graduated from elementary school and wanted extra attention. But looking back I would never trade one of my brothers or sisters. They have all taught me so much.
5. I know that is sappy, so I'll try to come up with something more random to share. I'm having a hard time. It's Spring Break next week. I've got activities lined up for them all week long. This year though, I feel like it is our third spring break, since we've missed so much school for snow and ice and other nonsense this year.
6. Today it is drippy and gloomy. I love the sunshine. I never appreciated growing up in the desert where we would run out and play in the rainstorms because they were so rare. I love the green here and the way things grow, but on drippy days I miss the hot sun, the cool nights, the sounds of the sprinkler systems turning on as I head to bed.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Books I Love: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
I read this book shortly after it first came out. I got it at the library, and then I bought it, because I knew that I would read it again and again. I love Anna and I loved her love interest St. Clair. I loved the setting. I loved the conflict in the book, and basically I just loved the book. I also really enjoyed her second novel Lola and the Boy Next Door. And then as I've reread it, I've come to love it just as much Anna and the French Kiss.
I think Stephanie Perkins does Young Adult contemporary really, really well. If you want to escape into a great love story, (and it is clean), you should try this book. Her third book Isla and the Happily Ever After is scheduled to come out in August, and I'm super, super excited about it. Have you read any of these books?
Friday, March 21, 2014
Friday Five: Why Can't Winter Be Over?
1. In years past I used to be very goal oriented. This year, I keep wanting to write down my goals, but I put it off. I have made some goals without writing them down, and I'm definitely making progress. (Like updating this blog three times a week--not perfect, but progress). Part of it is that I feel overwhelmed with all that I want to accomplish and finding/making the time to make it happen. If I want things to change, I've got to do it.
2. I think I've figured out the spiral down for my main character Steve. And now I'm worried that it's too much or off. I don't know. I'm still thinking about it. I thought it through while I was showering and then I actually wrote it out. I still like it. But it feels preachy maybe. I don't want preachy. So I'm letting it sit.
3. This made me think of the times when I come up with plot solutions or twists. Usually it is when I'm doing something else that doesn't take a lot of concentration like exercising, showing or doing the dishes. The key to making it work is taking the time to write down the solutions that I've come up with. I need to do better at doing this.
4. This week the kids missed another day of school because of an ice storm. Frankly, I am so done with winter. I live in the South, which means mild weather, very few storms and hardly any days missed of school. At least that's how's it been the 14 years I've lived here. But this year is just throwing that assumption out of the window. It looks like we have a chance of snow/wintery mix (which means no school--we live in the south) for next Tuesday again. It's the last week of March, we are usually hanging out in the 70s every day by this point. We have the shorts out and ready to go. This year I haven't even thought about it yet.
5. So this weekend I need to do some major cleaning. Spring cleaning kinds of things. I plan on getting a lot done, but we will have to see if that actually happens. I have three solid goals that need to happen, and hopefully from there we can get motivated to do the rest.
2. I think I've figured out the spiral down for my main character Steve. And now I'm worried that it's too much or off. I don't know. I'm still thinking about it. I thought it through while I was showering and then I actually wrote it out. I still like it. But it feels preachy maybe. I don't want preachy. So I'm letting it sit.
3. This made me think of the times when I come up with plot solutions or twists. Usually it is when I'm doing something else that doesn't take a lot of concentration like exercising, showing or doing the dishes. The key to making it work is taking the time to write down the solutions that I've come up with. I need to do better at doing this.
4. This week the kids missed another day of school because of an ice storm. Frankly, I am so done with winter. I live in the South, which means mild weather, very few storms and hardly any days missed of school. At least that's how's it been the 14 years I've lived here. But this year is just throwing that assumption out of the window. It looks like we have a chance of snow/wintery mix (which means no school--we live in the south) for next Tuesday again. It's the last week of March, we are usually hanging out in the 70s every day by this point. We have the shorts out and ready to go. This year I haven't even thought about it yet.
5. So this weekend I need to do some major cleaning. Spring cleaning kinds of things. I plan on getting a lot done, but we will have to see if that actually happens. I have three solid goals that need to happen, and hopefully from there we can get motivated to do the rest.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Review of Home Matters by Julie N. Ford
Home Matters by Julie N. Ford
According to her mother, Olivia Pembroke was born to be a star. But how is she supposed to be famous when she can't even get a decent acting gig? Her lucky break comes when she lands an audition for a wildly popular home improvement show. Even though she has no design training and has never even held a power tool, she refuses to let that stop her. She's confident that her destiny is finally within reach.
When her affections are torn between her heartthrob co-host and the irritating, yet somehow endearing lead contractor, does she continue to reach for the stars? Or does she design a new happily ever after? One that leads not to the fading lights of fame and fortune, but to a love that will burn forever.
My Review
This is a promising new series out by six different authors. The books are each connected by a character or characters from the previous book appearing in the next book in the series. This is a super cute premise where the girl gets a job on a home decorating show and falls in love with someone else working on the show. I was super excited with the premise. I love this type of show and thought the idea sounded really fun.
This is a clean romance, which I am always on the hunt for, but can have a hard time finding. While the book was clean, and cleanly written, I would have liked to see more actual interaction between the main character and the love interest. In the end they just didn't spend enough time together to really make the story work the way I wanted it to. The book is a great path of self discovery and figuring out who you are and what is most important, but it was a little bit short on the romance aspect. However, the rest of series is very promising. You should definitely check it out if you like home decorating repair shows, and look for more books in this series.
The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series Enjoy this exciting new series of clean novellas by six critically-acclaimed authors. "Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love."
Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford
Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin
Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson
Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White
Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver
Book 6: Immersed by Jennifer Griffith
Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 3/31/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Inspired Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY a Rafflecopter giveaway
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