Wednesday, January 28, 2015

WONKY WEDNESDAYS: THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WALKING

Hey All!!!
I'm starting something a little new called Wonky Wednesdays, when I talk about something completely out of left field. Normally a random observation or crazy fun thing I've seen.

So, as a woman who is totally height challenged I feel the need to wear really tall heels. I love really pretty, tall shoes that lift me to the sky (okay that might be an overstatement). One small problem, a lot of tall heels kill my feet.

Seriously.

There are times when I feel like my feet are going to fall off, and I'm looking at other women strutting around like they're walking on clouds. Being the engineer that he is, my husband told me that I should just find comfortable heels...but is there such a thing?

I'd almost resigned myself to a life in flats, when I tried out an older pair of Aldos in my closet...and it wasn't half bad. I wore them all day and had very few issues. Now I'm on the hunt for more Aldos.


I mean, seriously, how cute are these!!!

In that search, I realized that many things in life are like finding the right high heels. It may take a lot of time and you may have to try out a whole lot of different options, but when you find the right fit, it's golden!

Thursday, January 22, 2015

MY TV ADDICTION: CRIMINAL MINDS

Hey All!!!
So, I'm going to try something a little new and have some TV talk on the blog. When I'm not writing or working or working out or reading, the most common thing you would find me doing is watching a good show. Now, my tastes for entertainment vary depending on my mood and interests, and one of my favorite shows is Criminal Minds! This show manages to touch upon my obsession with abnormal psychology (I was a psyc major in college) and drama (I have to get it somewhere, since I refuse to deal with drama in real life).

What I love about this show is the fact that there's a new case every week, and the team does a great job of showing how the perp (perpetrator for those not into crime shows) became the crazy sociopath, or psychopath, or deranged individual that he or she is. I love how they break down the socioeconomic factors and relationships (or lack thereof) that caused the dysfunction to take over. Not to mention that the writers do a fantastic job of incorporating real life drama in the main character's backstories.

Overall, it's a great show and I'll be forever on board...as long as you never, and I mean never, try to mess around and knock off some of my favorite characters (AKA Morgan, Reid, and Garcia). For more information on Criminal Minds, feel free to look here.

Happy Thursday, Y'all!!!

Monday, January 12, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERNIGHT TEEN!!!


Happy Birthday to EVERNIGHT TEEN!

EVERNIGHT TEEN turns two this month and we’re having a huge party to celebrate! It may be EVERNIGHT TEEN’s birthday, but you get the presents. So, grab a piece of cake, hop from blog-to-blog and discover EVERNIGHT TEEN!

Be sure to visit every stop on the hop and answer each question. The more you blogs you hop, the more chances to win the GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini sponsored by EVERNIGHT TEEN (one entry per blog). Plus, hop each blog for a host of other fabulous prizes.

Have your TBR list handy because we have lots of new titles for you to add, including my featured book…




Just a little info on the fabulous book I published with Evernight Teen. Cursed is about one young girl’s journey to fight the darkness within herself. The main conflict is Jazz’s fight to maintain a sense of humanity in spite of the growing hunger that starts to take over her. This journey also forces her to open her eyes to new possibilities – to the love she’s always had for her closest friend, Khan.

You'll find a blurb from my book that's hot, hot, hot below:




When he walked out the bathroom, the nerves I’d thought I’d turned to steel started to quiver. What if he refused me? Khan was just as stubborn as I was. How could I possibly ask this of him? How could I get him to understand?


I took a deep breath and looked at him. “Khan, we need to talk.”


“Uh oh, that’s never what a guy wants to hear from his girl.”


My stomach fluttered, but I refused to give into the distraction. “I have a plan…in case we don’t find and kill the Gunshi. But I need your help to pull it off.”


He didn’t look taken aback, just more determined than anything. “Jazz, it’s too soon for you to give up now. We’ve got some really good leads, we can do this!”


I shook my head. “I’m not giving up, Khan. I never give up…you know that.” I smiled at him and was rewarded with one in return. “But…being a leader means having to think outside of myself…you and my dad taught me that. We have to prepare for all possibilities – even this.”


His dark eyes flashed and, for a second, I thought I was in for a long and hard fight. Then understanding washed over his features and he nodded. “As long as you promise this doesn’t mean you’ve given up.”


“Not even close – and giving in doesn’t even sound like me.”


He snorted. “That’s for sure.”


I rolled my eyes. “Okay, I think we can do this, but if not…I have a forgetting tonic to erase my memories. That way, in the very least, the vermin can’t use my knowledge against everyone I love.”


Khan jerked. “Where in the hell did you…?” Then he groaned. “Claudine.”


I couldn’t help but smile. “She always has been good at knowing what I need.”


His face was hard. “Okay, so I’ll make sure to wipe away your memories. I’ll erase everything that makes you, you – everything I’ve grown to know and care about. We done?”


I paused. “Not quite.”


He flinched. “I figured something more was coming when you said, ‘In the least’.”


I almost didn’t have the guts to continue. “Think about it, Khan. You can’t just leave me there, a newbie Suecai with the urge to feed. What if I came across my mom one day? Or your dad?


“You might not be able to do it immediately – there’s no telling how strong I’ll be at first or how protected – but eventually you’ll have to take me out! I shuddered at the thought. “What else can we do?”


The rage flew through his features even more quickly than when I’d told him I couldn’t be his Valentine in the sixth grade.


“Anything, Jazz,” Khan whispered. “We fight. We search. We keep pounding the pavement until we find that bastard. We do anything and everything.”


Words escaped me. A boulder set squarely on my chest and wouldn’t budge. I should’ve known this wouldn’t be easy – hadn’t I spent my entire life traipsing around Chicago with Khan? I shouldn’t have expected anything else.


Khan seemed to take my silence as an opportunity to change my mind. “You could learn control, Jazz, become a full-fledged Dorgai.” There it was, that secret hope I held deep in my heart that I was too scary to speak out loud.


“Khan, that’s impossible. There’s no way I can learn control if I’m forced into feeding too fast. The only way we halfers manage it is by taking an entire year to ease into the process. All of Dad’s advisors are agreed that I’ll become an uncontrollable Suecai.”


“I can’t believe that, Jazz. It can’t happen. Not to you.”


I couldn’t focus. My need to be rational kept battling the little girl within me reaching for a solution, any solution.


I didn’t notice Khan moving until it was too late.


Before I could say something to break the bubble, Khan stood over me, his face inches from mine. His eyes were warm and I could feel the heat of his breath, minty from his recent trip to the bathroom. My heart stopped. And then he was kissing me, slow and deep at first, and then with a heat and passion I’d only guessed he possessed.

You can buy my book on Amazon and Evernight Teen. And don't forget to like it on Goodreads!!!



Enter for a chance to win EVERNIGHT TEEN’s GRAND PRIZE of an iPad Mini and my blog prize by answering this question (be sure to include your email address to be eligible to win):

What book are you most excited to read in 2015?

The birthday blog hop continues here:



Happy reading and writing!

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

SO WHAT DO YOU WANT?

Hey All!!!
Yesterday I was getting my meals together for today and my husband and I got to talking about goals. See, I've been trying to lose the same 30 pounds for years now and seem to continually get distracted by one thing or another. It's been a tough battle, but the one constant question Brandon asks me when I'm "starting again" is what I want.

It seems like a simple question, right? Unfortunately, the simple questions are often the ones that throw us for the biggest loops. And I've found that simple question plaguing me in so much more than my weight loss journey, but with my writing as well.

What do I want?

So I had to sit down and really start thinking about my short-term and long-term goals, and be more specific than I've ever been. And while it hasn't been easy, I'm feeling more happy and focused than ever these days. I even wrote a whole chapter last night!

I've been thinking of vision boarding boarding lately and focusing on what success means to me. Maybe it's not the number on the scale, but obtaining a certain body look? Or maybe it's not about being the next J.K., but writing more diverse books and finding my audience.

I don't have all the answers, but I do feel like I'm on the right track!

Happy reading and writing!