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Tuesday, May 10, 2016

Chronicles of a broken heart: Introduction 
May 10, 2016

I am quite literally broken hearted. Not in the sense that I've suffered catastrophic loss, but in the sense that after 5 days in the hospital and a boat load of tests, all they can really tell me is that my heart is no longer functioning properly.  It's broken and they don't seem to know why or what the actual cause is.

They've diagnosed it as Congestive Heart Failure or CHF.  That's a scary albeit non-descriptive term.  For me it's the failure part that's particularly scary. 

You know it's funny how they don't really tell you anything about the disease.  This med for this and that med for that and do you have a dry cough? Oh well we can't do much for that.  Loose weight, eat better, exercise as much as you can stand even though you have that pesky fatigue and weakness, and who knows? You might live to be 90!  LOL  Seriously?

Weakness and fatigue I'm almost used too.  I've had that for years due to my fibromyalgyia (which half the medical personnel say is imaginary.) Or there's the hypothyroidism. The fatigue and aching might come from that they say.  They only thing we know for certain about this new diagnosis is that my heart is only pumping 25 percent of the blood that it should be pumping.  No blockages, nothing.  Just broken.

One would think in this day and age that a why could be found.  The fact that it's blatantly missing makes me wonder about ridiculous, seriously unscientific scenarios, like: Is it possible that the last time I was in love and it didn't work out..., that my heart actually broke?  Can that happen?   

Or have I honestly had so much heart break in my life that my heart said, "Screw this, I'm out of here." Is that the curse of being a strong person?  Your mind and emotions push you forward, but your body says, "Oh, hell no. Peace out." 

I think I'd feel better about the hole thing if I had a why.  An absolute 'this is exactly what happened and this is how we fix it."  But it's unlikely I'll get the answer I want.  I know that.  

Regardless, it is now my job to figure out where I'm going from here and how I will handle what is to come. (That is after I find out what is to come. lol)  The doctors say I will begin to feel better in the next few months once my medication levels are properly adjusted.  All I can do now is pray they are right and try to pry myself out of bed every day.

Getting up is hard. Sometimes I feel so weak that I lay still as death without even the slightest twitch. The effort it would take to move my hand to the remote to change the TV channel is akin to throwing a bail of hay into a loft. When there is no strength to pull on I just lay still and close my eyes and think about lying in the sun on a boat. As the heat seeps into my sore and tired muscles, the gentle rocking of the waves lulls me into blissful sleep. It generally works and after a nap I'll have a little more energy.

It was worse right after the hospital.  The unrelenting weakness kept me bed ridden for days.  Now I have windows. Certain times during the day the fog lifts and I can move through normal day to day tasks efficiently.  But the window closes without much prior notice.  Just a sudden return of the weakness and usually a cold, shaking sweat. Then that's it.  It's back in the bed for me and sleep follows immediately after.

I don't know if these things are normal.  I only know it's what I feel and see.  There's not much out there on the internet in layman's terms so I guess the least I can do is write it down for posterity.  Who knows? Maybe we can help each other. 

Thursday, January 15, 2015

Deviation (Imitation #2) by Heather Hildenbrand

 
   

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1wXxNHZ

Until a month ago, eighteen-year-old Ven had never set foot outside the windowless warehouse where she was created. An Imitation of Raven Rogen, Ven spent her days confined in the lab, studying videos of her Authentic, all so she could step into Raven’s life at a moment’s notice.
Now, Ven lives in Raven’s penthouse apartment, kisses Raven’s boyfriend, and obeys every order from Raven’s dad, Titus Rogen—the very man who created her. But Ven has a secret plan. She doesn’t want Raven’s life. She wants her own.
In the action-packed sequel of Imitation, Ven wages a dangerous war against Titus. First she’ll free herself, then she’ll free every last Imitation. . . .


Haven't started the Imitation series yet?


Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1AO8UlO

Everyone is exactly like me. There is no one like me.
Ven wrestles with these contradicting truths every day. A clone of wealthy eighteen-year-old Raven Rogen, Ven knows everything about the girl she was created to serve: the clothes she wears, the boys she loves, the friends she loves to hate. Yet she’s never met the Authentic Raven face-to-face. Imitations like Ven only get to leave the lab when they’re needed—to replace a dead Authentic, donate an organ, or complete a specific mission. And Raven has neverneeded Ven . . . until now.
When there is an attack on Raven’s life, Ven is thrust into the real world, posing as Raven to draw out the people who tried to harm her. But as Ven dives deeper into Raven’s world, she begins to question everything she was ever told. She exists for Raven, but is she prepared to sacrifice herself for a girl she’s never met?
Fans of CinderThe Selection and Sara Shepard’s Lying Game series will love Imitation, a thrilling, action-packed novel sure to keep readers guessing until the very last page.
  
About Heather Hildenbrand


Website     Facebook     Twitter

Heather Hildenbrand was born and raised in a small town in northern Virginia where she was homeschooled through high school. (She's only slightly socially awkward as a result.) Since 2011, she's published more than eight YA & NA novels including the bestselling Dirty Blood series. She splits her time between coastal Virginia and the island of Guam and loves having a mobile career and outrageous lifestyle of living in two places. Her most frequent hobbies are riding motorcycles and avoiding killer slugs.

Heather is also a publishing and success coach bent on equipping and educating artists who call themselves authors. She loves teaching fellow writers how to create the same freedom-based lifestyle she enjoys. For more information visit www.phoenixauthorink.com and find out how to create your own OutRAGEous Life. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman. You can find out more about Heather and her books at www.heatherhildenbrand.blogspot.com

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Cover Reveal: City In Embers by Stacey Marie Brown

 

   

Releases on February 4, 201

Add it on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/1v5R2wX

Stay informed by signing up for Stacey's mailing list: http://bit.ly/1B6SqYm

Zoey Daniels has been tossed from foster home to foster home, where she grows up fast and tough. When she is placed in her “last-chance” home, she finds a reason to stay and turn her life around: her foster sister, Lexie, who is paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. Zoey will do anything to keep her safe. After high school, Zoey is hired by a special government agency, the Department of Molecular Genetics (DMG), where she meets the other reason to remain: Daniel, her co-worker. The man she loves.

But there is something unique about Zoey. She can see fae. Because of this, the DMG hires her to work as a Collector: catching, researching, testing, and using the fae to save human lives. The work never registers on her sympathy radar. She was raised to think of fae as beasts that feed on humans and want to destroy them. When devastation hits Seattle, Zoey's whole world is turned upside down. The electric storm connects her to a ruthless fae, a Wanderer named Ryker, whose dealings expose them to even more trouble and danger. They embark on a journey, running and hiding from both the government and fae, both of which threaten their lives and those they love.  




Giveaway


About Stacey Marie Brown

 


Stacey Marie Brown is a lover of hot fictional bad boys and sarcastic heroines who kick butt. She also enjoys books, travel, TV shows, hiking, writing, design, and archery. Stacey swears she is part gypsy, being lucky enough to live and travel all over the world. She grew up in Northern California, where she ran around on her family's farm, raising animals, riding horses, playing flashlight tag, and turning hay bales into cool forts. She volunteers helping animals and is eco-friendly. She feels all animals, people, and environment should be treated kindly.

 

Sunday, November 30, 2014

24 Days of Christmas Author Showcase






Today marks the first day in the As You Wish Tours Author Showcase!  I’m honored to kick it off with a bit about my new release Secrets and Santas.

Secrets and Santas was a very special project for me.  I’ve always been a Christmas fanatic and this year is no different than the last 45.  I knew I wanted to put out another Christmas story this year, but I just couldn’t figure out what exactly I wanted to write about.

When it comes to this special season, I’m a bit of a traditionalist.  It’s A Wonderful Life, How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and A Christmas Carol are at the very top of my ‘must watch’ list.  I knew I wanted to create something along those lines, but that’s a very tall order to fill, and the pressure was on.

Time flew by, summer turned to fall, and still I hadn't settled on a story idea.  Finally in November, I’d given up on having anything to release for Christmas.  That is, until I had a long conversation with one of my author friends.  We touched on the subject and he said, “I like your idea, but you’re right.  That’s just too similar to the old classics.  Why don’t you flip it around?”

“Flip it around?  How do you propose I do that exactly?” I’d asked.

He explained his statement and immediately ideas flooded into my head.  I did something with this story that I’ve never done before.  The entire piece was written with music playing in the background, a Christmas CD given to me by my brother many years ago.  As each song played, pictures formed in my head, and I have to admit, a large portion of this story was written through tears.  Some of joy and others of sorrow.  

Secrets and Santas is probably my favorite of any of the short stories I’ve written.  Mostly because it shows the one thing we forget too often...people can change.  If they wake up and see the world around them, life can take on new meaning.  You just have to wake up.

I hope you enjoy reading Secrets and Santas as much as I enjoyed creating it! 






Jake ‘The Scrooge’ Carlson spent the majority of his life taking care of himself. He saw to it he had the best of everything and didn't feel bad about it, because after all, he worked very hard to attain those things he wanted most. If it hadn't been for a young man named Sheldon entering his life, he might have continued on just looking out for number one. He didn't know it at the time, but meeting young Sheldon would bring him more than he could have accomplished on his own... One small, insignificant life was about to change everything. 




To win a free e-book copy of Secrets and Santas, please leave a comment in the comments section below.  Winner will be chosen by randomizer.  What is your favorite Christmas Movie?

Check out this special giveaway from As You Wish Tours!  From December 1st to the 24th, As You Wish Tours will be spotlighting different authors and their books.  There are so many gifts and prizes in this giveaway, it will make your head spin!  And then there's the big giveaway (insert drum roll here) ...a Kindle!  Don't miss a day of this spectacular author showcase!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Release Day Blitz: Sessions by Kailin Gow

Purchase on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1xSkDxi

Purchase on iBooks: 

Purchase on B&N:

I'm Mark Sessions, Dr. of Psychology, Sex Therapist and Former Mr. Body, also an entrepreneur who made millions from owning a health supplement company.

I have a practice in Seattle where I am a therapist. They call me the Sex Shrink of Seattle. Women call me Sex on Legs. I'm an expert on sex because I get plenty of it, and I know a whole lot about it. I'm also on TV as an expert on sex therapy when the whole Fifty Shades thing became big so now my business is exploding with women wanting to learn how to break free of being prudes.

Problem is, I'm in a rut myself. It's not exciting for me anymore, until SHE walked through my door and propped herself down on my sofa. Who knew SHE would be taking lessons from me, but she is, and now she may be the one teaching me a thing or two.

For a mature audience.
Excerpt
"You’re on the speaker with Dr. Sessions and I,” Ella said. “What’s going on?” 
The woman started to talk quite fast at first, showing that she was nervous, but then she finally had to take a breath and slow down. “So, what I guess I’m wondering is if men actually go for girls who are close to their ideal woman, or do they go for girls who are convenient, easy to please, and fit into their existing world?” 
“Great question,” I said. “You know, it’s often said that women are complicated but I tell you ladies, men are just as complicated. What makes it even worse for us is that we don’t really know how to tell what we want the way you women can. You’re definitely the smarter species.” 
Everyone laughed and I shrugged my shoulders in surrender, then leaned back on the couch and crossed my leg over, showing that I was focused on answering the callers question with serious integrity. “From what I’ve seen in my practice and around my friends, the confident men go for women who are ideal because they are not afraid to stretch their limits and become the man who is worthy of the woman they love.”

About Kailin Gow

Website     Facebook      Twitter

Kailin Gow's life is sometimes more fascinating and stranger than fiction, which is being chronicled in a feature film based on a treatment optioned and in development for a release date of 2018. (IMDB.com - The Colorful Worlds of Kailin Gow 2018). Her true life experiences as a world traveler where she has traveled to over 25 countries, logging hundreds of thousands of miles, absorbing the cultures and collecting stories relating to places and the romance of the land, and incidents in her personal life, has inspired her to write and publish over 170 books with over 30 series.

She is noted as an indie pioneer, as one of the first to publish in 2001. Breaking stereotypes, her books has crossed traditional and indie lines, gaining recognition in schools and libraries, as well as the indie community. Her action adventure young adult fantasy series, The Frost Series, an ALA YALSA Reader's Choice Nominated book series - had been optioned by an international film company and is currently in development as a game and a film at http://www.facebook.com/thefrostseries. Five of her fantasy/action adventure series have been optioned to be made into worldwide games.

Kailin Gow has been known in The World Journal, an international newspaper, to be a phenomenon. She was profiled on the homepage of Amazon.com as an Author Success Story who overcame personal obstacles to become a bestselling author, appeared as one of Amazon's top authors for the Kindle Fire launch release, and is one of the earliest indie authors who have sold over a million books. She writes for Fast Company as a publishing expert, had appeared on a major network Television News as a bestselling author who writes fiction and non-fiction with a social conscious, and has made speeches and appearances across the U.S. and on top 15 national radio regarding self-esteem and issues relating to women.

Kailin Gow was an invited speaker and signing author at Book Expo America (BEA)2014.
Having experienced bullying firsthand and slander as a woman, Kailin Gow is an active advocate against bullying in the workplace and in schools. She has written Shy Girls Social Club Handbook Against Bullying and has helped launch Stories for Amanda where all proceeds go towards the Amanda Todd Foundation against bullying. She has written several books with the theme of abuse towards women and children, especially the steamy international bestselling The Protégé Series, which launched a book club initiative in battered women's shelters and won The Indie Excellence Awards at NIEA for Erotica in 2014.

She holds a Masters Degree in Communications Management from The University of Southern California, and degrees in Drama and Social Ecology.

She resides in the American West with her husband and daughter, but had lived for a decade in Texas, and briefly in England. Besides being a full-time author, she volunteers for many organizations, is active in church helping build homes for the homeless and visit orphanages. A voracious reader, when she is not writing, she loves reading an entire series in one sitting! She spends way too much time on Facebook than she is supposed to at http://www.facebook.com/kailingowbooks, but loves meeting new people from all walks of life.
She has over 30 Series, written under Kailin Gow, and more under her middle grade, women's fiction, and mystery pen names:

***For 16 and up***
The Frost Series - COMPLETED. Bitter Frost Series Consists of 8 full-length novels.
The Wolf Fey Series - COMPLETED. Consists of 2 full-length novels and one novella.
Fairy Rose Chronicles - age 13 and up.
The PULSE Series - Next Book - Blood Ring (PULSE #9), releasing due to readers' demand to continue the series. Consists of 9 full-length novels and one novella.
FADE Series - COMPLETED. ALL Full-length novels.
DESIRE Series - All Full-length novels. Last Book, FRENZY - 2015.
Fire Wars Series - All Full-length novels.
Alchemists Academy - All Full-length novels.
Wordwick Games - All Full-length novels.
Wicked Woods Series - COMPLETED. Consists of 5 full-length novels.
Steampunk Scarlett - All Full-length novels.
The Phantom Diaries - All Full-length novels. Last Book, DARK VICTORY - 2015.
Stoker Sisters - All Full-length novels. Last Book, SISTER OF THE STRIGOIS - 2015.
Beyond Crystal River - 2015 NEW SERIES.
SHADES - 2015 NEW SERIES. This is a high concept psychological thriller.

***For 18 and up (New Adult/Coming of Age)***
Loving Summer - All full-length novels.
The Donovan Brothers - All full-length novels.
Saving You Saving Me (You & Me Trilogy)- COMPLETED. Consists of 3 Full-length novels.
Never Knights - COMPLETED. Consists of 3 Full-length novels.
Rock Hard Love Hard - 1st book, Rock Hard Love Hard is now Available.
Sawyer House Chronicles (Spin-off of You & Me Trilogy) - Coming in 2015
Canvas - Coming in 2015

***For 18 and up (Adult/Steamy Romance)***
The Protege - COMPLETED. 3 Full-length novels.
Master Chefs - COMPLETED. Consists of 3 Full-length novels.
The Blue Room (Spin-off of Never Knights Trilogy) - Romantic Suspense.
Barely Legal (Spin-off of The Protégé) - Romantic Suspense.
The Oyster House - Artistic Romantic Thriller set in Hong Kong and England.
- Coming in 2015.

For information on the series, new series and new book releases, contests, appearances, KG-Convergences, and more, sign up at http://www.KailinGowBooks.com.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Release Day: Heat (Master Chefs Vol 1) by Kailin Gow

Purchase on Amazon: http://bit.ly/HeatAmazon

Bobby Cummings went to Paris to study at the same international culinary institute as his sister Taryn Cummings. Instead of taking it seriously as she did, he wanted to sample all the goods in Paris, especially the pretty girls there. Why not? He was 19 and the world was his oyster. He wanted to be just like Errol King, a Master Chef, who taught at the Institute and was a notorious bad boy chef.

The only thing was someone was going to walk into his life and put a wrench into his plans...someone with eyes like violets and hair like chocolate silk, and a smoldering passion that consumes him whenever they're together.
He didn't think she would be his type at all. He didn't think he would be hot for Lily, his teacher at the Culinary Institute. Now what would Taryn think? What would Errol think?

Whatever they thought...there's one thing he knew for certain, things with Lily and at the Institute had just gotten heated.

This is a 4 book serial.



Heat is a spin off of Kailin's Master Chef's Series. Enter to win an ebook set all three, Devour Me, Savor Me and Consume Me!

Website     Facebook      Twitter

Kailin Gow's life is sometimes more fascinating and stranger than fiction, which is being chronicled in a feature film based on a treatment optioned and in development for a release date of 2018. (IMDB.com - The Colorful Worlds of Kailin Gow 2018). Her true life experiences as a world traveler where she has traveled to over 25 countries, logging hundreds of thousands of miles, absorbing the cultures and collecting stories relating to places and the romance of the land, and incidents in her personal life, has inspired her to write and publish over 170 books with over 30 series.
She is noted as an indie pioneer, as one of the first to publish in 2001. Breaking stereotypes, her books has crossed traditional and indie lines, gaining recognition in schools and libraries, as well as the indie community. Her action adventure young adult fantasy series, The Frost Series, an ALA YALSA Reader's Choice Nominated book series - had been optioned by an international film company and is currently in development as a game and a film at http://www.facebook.com/thefrostseries. Five of her fantasy/action adventure series have been optioned to be made into worldwide games.
Kailin Gow has been known in The World Journal, an international newspaper, to be a phenomenon. She was profiled on the homepage of Amazon.com as an Author Success Story who overcame personal obstacles to become a bestselling author, appeared as one of Amazon's top authors for the Kindle Fire launch release, and is one of the earliest indie authors who have sold over a million books. She writes for Fast Company as a publishing expert, had appeared on a major network Television News as a bestselling author who writes fiction and non-fiction with a social conscious, and has made speeches and appearances across the U.S. and on top 15 national radio regarding self-esteem and issues relating to women.
Kailin Gow was an invited speaker and signing author at Book Expo America (BEA)2014.
Having experienced bullying firsthand and slander as a woman, Kailin Gow is an active advocate against bullying in the workplace and in schools. She has written Shy Girls Social Club Handbook Against Bullying and has helped launch Stories for Amanda where all proceeds go towards the Amanda Todd Foundation against bullying. She has written several books with the theme of abuse towards women and children, especially the steamy international bestselling The Protégé Series, which launched a book club initiative in battered women's shelters and won The Indie Excellence Awards at NIEA for Erotica in 2014.
She holds a Masters Degree in Communications Management from The University of Southern California, and degrees in Drama and Social Ecology.
She resides in the American West with her husband and daughter, but had lived for a decade in Texas, and briefly in England. Besides being a full-time author, she volunteers for many organizations, is active in church helping build homes for the homeless and visit orphanages. A voracious reader, when she is not writing, she loves reading an entire series in one sitting! She spends way too much time on Facebook than she is supposed to at http://www.facebook.com/kailingowbooks, but loves meeting new people from all walks of life.
She has over 30 Series, written under Kailin Gow, and more under her middle grade, women's fiction, and mystery pen names:
***For 16 and up***
The Frost Series - COMPLETED. Bitter Frost Series Consists of 8 full-length novels.
The Wolf Fey Series - COMPLETED. Consists of 2 full-length novels and one novella.
Fairy Rose Chronicles - age 13 and up.
The PULSE Series - Next Book - Blood Ring (PULSE #9), releasing due to readers' demand to continue the series. Consists of 9 full-length novels and one novella.
FADE Series - COMPLETED. ALL Full-length novels.
DESIRE Series - All Full-length novels. Last Book, FRENZY - 2015.
Fire Wars Series - All Full-length novels.
Alchemists Academy - All Full-length novels.
Wordwick Games - All Full-length novels.
Wicked Woods Series - COMPLETED. Consists of 5 full-length novels.
Steampunk Scarlett - All Full-length novels.
The Phantom Diaries - All Full-length novels. Last Book, DARK VICTORY - 2015.
Stoker Sisters - All Full-length novels. Last Book, SISTER OF THE STRIGOIS - 2015.
Beyond Crystal River - 2015 NEW SERIES.
SHADES - 2015 NEW SERIES. This is a high concept psychological thriller.
***For 18 and up (New Adult/Coming of Age)***
Loving Summer - All full-length novels.
The Donovan Brothers - All full-length novels.
Saving You Saving Me (You & Me Trilogy)- COMPLETED. Consists of 3 Full-length novels.
Never Knights - COMPLETED. Consists of 3 Full-length novels.
Rock Hard Love Hard - 1st book, Rock Hard Love Hard is now Available.
Sawyer House Chronicles (Spin-off of You & Me Trilogy) - Coming in 2015
Canvas - Coming in 2015
***For 18 and up (Adult/Steamy Romance)***
The Protege - COMPLETED. 3 Full-length novels.
Master Chefs - COMPLETED. Consists of 3 Full-length novels.
The Blue Room (Spin-off of Never Knights Trilogy) - Romantic Suspense.
Barely Legal (Spin-off of The Protégé) - Romantic Suspense.
The Oyster House - Artistic Romantic Thriller set in Hong Kong and England.
- Coming in 2015.
For information on the series, new series and new book releases, contests, appearances, KG-Convergences, and more, sign up at http://www.KailinGowBooks.com.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Release Day Blitz: Forsaken by Kristen Day




Once you’ve been touched by darkness, it never leaves you…

Abandoned by her parents as an infant; seventeen year old Hannah spent her childhood wading through countless foster families until being adopted by the Whitmans three years ago. Unfortunately, Atlanta’s high society wasn’t quite ready for Hannah…or the strange events that plague her.

Chilling visions of murder, unexplained hallucinations, and a dark, mysterious guy who haunts her nightmares all culminate to set in motion a journey of self-discovery that will challenge everything she’s ever believed; not to mention her sanity.

Sent to live at The House of Lorelei on Bald Head Island, NC for ‘kids like her’, Hannah quickly realizes things are not what they seem. Her fellow ‘disturbed’ teens are actually the descendants of mythical Sea Gods and Goddesses. And so is she.

But when Finn, the ghost from her dreams, appears in the flesh; her nightmares become reality and her dark visions begin coming true. Inexplicably drawn to him, she can’t deny the dangerous hold he has on her heart. The deadly secrets he harbors will ultimately test her courage and push the boundaries of her love.

She must decide if she is ready to embrace the ancient legend she is prophesized to be a part of. The fate of all the descendants will forever depend upon it.

Purchase on Amazon: http://bit.ly/ForsakenRDB

Purchase on Smashwords: http://bit.ly/XziTwd




About Kristen Day


  
I am a southern belle at heart with a crazy streak that desperately tries to escape at every opportunity. I love all things nostalgic, rustic, and quirky. I’ve been told I see the world through rose-colored glasses, but I prefer to think of them as kaleidoscope glasses – swirling and morphing reality into something I can digest (who hasn’t pretended those pasty lima beans were really kiwi strawberry jelly beans?).
When I’m not writing I’m making jewelry, painting, drinking sweet tea, watching the discovery channel, or going on random adventures in the mountains of North Carolina with my amazing husband.