BEST WEEK EVER!

Tags

announements, book, celebrations, ProjectREUTSway, ProjectREUTSway results, Reuts Publishing, short stories, writing

I am exhausted… from smiling. From screaming in glee. From experiencing dreams coming true.

I am celebrating.

I shall never come down off my cloud. And if this is a dream, a vision, a bit of undigested beef… DON’T WAKE ME!

I do have doubts as to whether this is real life, doubts if what happened actually happened. However the evidence exists.

First…

I have signed with REUTS PUBLISHING to publish my YA fantasy DOORS! Read all about it here! What a great write-up… if I think about it too long… *sniff*

All the congratulations from FB and Twitter still shine in my heart. What a fabulous day. I’ll only ever get that experience once, the day it is announced that my debut book will be published. Wow. Just wow. I soaked in all the emotion. I laughed. I cried. I screamed sporadically during the day, scaring my family. So many times have I congratulated people for signing with an agent or publisher, for their triumphs. It was seriously surreal to be on the other side of that table.

SO THANK YOU! To everyone for being a part of such a great day. I still can’t believe it. However, when the list of edits arrives in my inbox… I’ll sing a different tune. But I’m ready. This is all happening at the exact time it should. The Universe knows what it is doing, even though waiting for it proved difficult. I did work pretty darn hard.

Anyway… today, the announcement of the short story competition ProjectREUTSway winners and runner ups were announced. Out of four stories, I have one winner, which will be published in an upcoming anthology, and three runner ups, which will be posted on Reuts blog! Not too shabby. You can go see all the winners here.

That is no easy competition! So YEA FOR ALL WHO PARTICIPATED!

There is one other piece of awesome news, an opportunity I couldn’t pass up and am SO excited to be a part of, but I will wait to announce that, things must be done. I know, that’s mean.

I had doubts, serious doubts, that I would ever get here. But I kept working, kept putting myself out there, and through it all BELIEVED!

To my writers’ group The Summit City Scribes of Fort Wayne… THANK YOU for listening to all my words and giving all the comments, giving such great support. Judy, I might not have found REUTS Publishers if you hadn’t pointed me in their direction.

My dear, Elsie Elmore, who has been a fabulous CP. What a wonderful person to have on my side! Thank you!

To my newest critique partners, I look forward to Sundays because of you! Natasha! Emma! Diana! You guys rock!

You know I couldn’t resist adding that pic, my walruses!

I don’t even have words for Rena, Sarah, Jamie and Heather! I love you guys.

And to my new Reuts family! Kisa, Ashley, Summer, Melody, and Cary. I’m sure I’m forgetting people! Ah! I am truly honored and blessed to be part of such a marvelous team. I can’t wait to get to work!

 

And this is just the beginning.

 

 

Machine Head by T. A. Brock … Cover Reveal

Tags

book, cover reveal, interactive novel, Machine Head, T.A. Brock

I am so excited to be a part of this very cool reveal!  

Where young rule and elders are hunted to extinction… and you decide who’s guilty.

Goodreads

MACHINE HEAD

An Interactive Novel

Available April 10, 2015

Adults have poisoned the world with their selfishness, jealousy, and deceit. Now it’s up to the young to heal it. First order: eliminate every elder. Second: discover the secret to never growing up. Third: procreate.

Ten Sixty-Four is on trial for treason. The crimes he committed are unforgivable: hiding elders who should be long dead, consorting with illegal untrained young, and purposely botching kill missions. He’s come a long way from the cold, unfeeling, Sleepwalker he began as. He’s still four years from the death age, which means the Hex can’t afford to kill him. If found guilty, he’ll be given to the Machine for reprogramming. But none of that matters because he’s done what no other Sleepwalker has dared to. He’s found love. And he knows something they don’t. Falling in love is the secret to achieving the third order.

Brille has a secret of her own: the elders aren’t extinct. They’re not even endangered. But what the rest of the world doesn’t know can’t hurt them. At least, not anymore than they’re already hurting themselves. There is no more laughter. No more crying. No feelings of any kind. Only in the secret hiding places where the untrained dwell with elders, can emotion be found. Then it’s anger, rage, and hostility. When she finds herself a target of the Sleepwalkers, she realizes she’s not the only one with secrets. Ten Sixty-Four feels. He might even be capable of love. The idea leaves Brille with an emotion she never thought she’d have: hope.

The Hex has convened. A trial will commence. You, a member of the jury, must decide Ten Sixty-Four’s fate, and with it, the future of humanity.

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter

T.A. Brock spends her days gleefully plucking words from the chaos of life and dressing them up so they look pretty. Then she calls them stories and tries to convince people to read them. Paranormal, horror, and contemporary romance rocks her socks, but anything YA makes her feel young again, so she sticks with that mostly. She resides in the great land of mountains and green things (Arkansas) with her husband, two children, and her beloved Keurig machine, which she has built a countertop shrine to.

For more information, visit http://www.tabrockbooks.com

For updates on new releases and other fun little bits, sign up for T.A. Brock’s Newsletter HERE.

When my writer friend asked for help spreading the word about her project, I SAID YES!

THIS SOUNDS SO FUN AND COOL AND NEW! I CAN’T WAIT TO GET MY HANDS ON IT!

Saying Good-bye to the Bravermans

Tags

American Horror Story, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, crying, endings, family, Ghost Whisperer, Joan of Arcadia, life struggles, Parenthood the TV show, thoughts

I like TV. So many shows have touched my heart in different ways.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Because… awesome)

Supernatural (Hello, Winchester boys)

Firefly (Browncoats unite!)

Farscape (On the other end of the wormhole… anyone know this one?)

American Horror Story (Oh, the creepy, twisted FUN!)

Dr. Who (Whovians ROCK!)

Star Trek (Trekkies! Beam me up!)

Joan of Arcadia (Talking to God… anyone for this one?)

Ghost Whisperer (Ghosts and healing… before it went all wonky)

I love weird, I love scary, I love magic. Give me demons to fight, travelling in spaceships, creepy fun, but real life drama?

Why the show Parenthood, Kathy? Why? There’s no terror, not the demon variety. There’s no magic, not the Harry Potter variety. Why?

Well, you might remember a movie in the late 80’s… Parenthood? A stellar cast including Steve Martin? I love that movie. If it’s on I watch it.

So when a TV show appeared with the same name… I tuned in.

And I thought… a real life drama show… Hmmmm…

But I kept watching. And before I knew it I was hooked. I LOVED these people. I cheered for them, cried for them, wanted ALL THE GOOD THINGS FOR THIS FAMILY!

Each week I ended up in tears. Happy tears. Sad tears. Scared out of my mind for these people tears.

And OMG WHEN KRISTINA WAS FIGHTING BREAST CANCER THE EXACT YEAR MY SISTER WAS? AH!

And I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but last week’s episode… Amber… naming her baby… *sniff* Well… yeah. *wipes tears from my eyes*

Yes, well… there were extra tears that year. But the love. The heartache. The laughter. The struggle to live and be happy no matter what life brings.

The family always coming together in the end.

Always.

Without family, well, life would be less.

Tonight I will watch the last episode. I will sit on my couch and curl up with the final moments of the Braverman family. So you’ll know where to find me… bring tissues, because well…

Yeah.

And maybe a bit of…

I will miss this show. I will miss yelling at the TV when someone does something stupid. I will miss laughing at the strange messes they find themselves in. I will miss crying hysterically when things go horribly wrong. I will miss not seeing Amber become a mom. I will miss Sarah and Hank dealing with the struggles of being married. I will miss not knowing where life takes Drew. I will miss watching Max find his way in the world. I will miss learning how Zeek lives with a bad heart. I will miss all of them. All the stories.

Most of all I’ll miss the moments of family, the times they come together for each other. In the end that’s what it’s all about.

So long Parenthood. Thanks for the smiles as well as the tears and for reminding us that life has both. And that family is key to surviving.

 

 

 

Let’s Beat Depression with a Stick

Tags

depression, fight, help, life, listen, struggle, suicide, thoughts

Ami, a Twitter friend, published a very real, very honest, very brave post on her blog about her fight with depression. You can read it here. My heart cried for her. Yet I celebrated her words, the way she dragged depression and suicide into the light for all to see. We need to see it. We need to acknowledge it.

So we can fight it.

Depression whispers that no one will care how you feel, because you’re nothing. So you hide it. Depression leads you deeper and deeper into the blackness of oblivion because that’s what you deserve. And you follow it because it must be right. Depression can even urge you to end your life. Because who would care?

A lot of people would care!

I will share my story in hopes of continuing Ami’s good work. My road is different than hers, not nearly as dark, but relevant, for depression comes in many forms all of which need to be acknowledged. For I didn’t suffer from depression… I was depressed.

In 1995, I got married, turned 23 years old, and moved away from everyone and everything I knew. I found a job and, for years, simply existed. Dreams? I had no idea what to be when I grew up. No friends. No family. I had no purpose other than being a wife. When my husband came home, I became real. When he was gone, I was no one.

My job made me crazy. I hated it there. So I quit. And everything fell apart.

And by everything… I mean me.

I applied here and there for a job and nothing. My guilt at not making money grew. I was certain my husband thought me a failure. I was worthless. I cried at everything… at nothing. I would get out of bed only to sit on the couch for hours and watch TV.

My family had no clue. My husband rolled his eyes every time I cried. I had no idea of the dark hole I had dug for myself. Until I climbed out. Until years later when I could see it, that ugly stain on my past… that point in time where I didn’t matter.

Not clinically depressed, I didn’t take medication. I never saw a therapist, though I think that would have been a good idea.

I involved myself in the world and, in so doing, found my place in it.

I still go there in my head, catch myself thinking that I’m not worth anything to anyone. But not as much. I still cry, but everyone does.

When you lose your purpose, when you start to doubt your worth to the world… to yourself, find someone to talk to. Keep looking, keep talking until you find the one person who will listen.

Depression is real, and it’s a nasty piece of work.

We need to talk about it. Drag those suckers into the light and deal with them, because when you pull nightmarish monsters into the sun, they wither and die. Good thoughts, positivity, and listening can vanquish the dark. Don’t forget the magic you possess that can help people heal, that can lead people into the light.

Be the Sunshine

Tags

be happy, share a smile, stress, sunshine, thoughts

Happy Thursday, everyone!

I’d like to spread a bit of light, happiness, crazy joy. I want to be your sunshine.

Bad things happen in the world. Always have. Always will. Why? Because the world is full of Humans. We are flawed. We are affected by everything, like the way we are treated or the simple fact that is it raining for the millionth day in a row.

Even I get swept away in bad moods. I let stress get the better of me. Funny, but at those times, I go on Twitter or FB and post happy pics, strange thoughts, or random bits of weird. I climb aboard the crazy train with my kids and laugh.

Don’t let the dark consume you. Become the light.

No longer look at what you don’t have, but embrace what you do. Instead of dreaming of being the person you think you should be, love the person you are.

If you find it difficult to find the light, come find me. I’ll be your sunshine, if, on occasion, you’ll be mine.

Bit by bit, we can make the world a brighter place.

So as I sit anxiously waiting to hear news on this, that, and everything else, and try to get my world back on track… let’s share a laugh. I hear it’s the best medicine.

Speaking of sunshine… if you have a sec, go visit my friend and fabulous CP Elsie Elmore’s blog … she just got back from a fabulous adventure and is positively glowing with joy! Made me smile today!

 

Does Normal Exist?

Tags

finding peace, giving up, life, obstacles, panic, puppy, routine, stress, thoughts

It’s gonna be a loooooooooooooooong week.

My normal routine is far, far away. Out of reach, it seems. And I am going to lose my mind. Yes, I realize it has already been lost, but stay with me.

In December, I let my routine go. I cut loose, which means I ate a lot of candy and pie, laughed at the thought of workouts, and had a good time with my family. So the idea of the return of normality brought me joy. However, the Universe in all its wisdom has decided to keep it from me.

Perhaps there is a lesson here. Perhaps I don’t care.

 

With school starting again, I rejoiced in the idea of getting back to life. Workouts. Eating better. Writing. Then school was delayed and cancelled. The next week looked promising, then the dog got sick and other emotionally draining things… blah, blah, blah. Life spiraled into wack-o-ness.

If you follow me on FB and Twitter, you might have seen my posts about the poor puppy, who ate things he should NOT have and ended up having surgery last Friday to remove the wad of crud lodged in his stomach. Possibly, he was a vacuum in a former life.

Well, he is doing fine now. Eating. Romping. Happy. But recovering. I have a list of instructions from the vet. I have meds to be given.

And who can limit the activity of a five month old puppy? NO ONE!

I have been up for three hours and have taken the puppy outside approximately FOUR HUNDRED TIMES. Okay, not really. But close. He wants to be outside. But… stitches… must watch him… WHAT IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG?

Hello, Monday. Hello the stress of a puppy running my life.

I am incapable of dealing with things that deviate from my routine. If life goes awry, I panic. I tend to not function well. Nothing gets done. I have a plan in my mind, and, as soon as I step one foot off the path, the plan ends up in a crumpled ball, forgotten.

Hubs is out of state. The kids are home today, but tomorrow, they will be at school. So it’s just me and puppy. I can lock him in his cage so I can workout and shower, but will he mess with his stitches? I can put him outside, but is that the best idea?

I have to make it through the week. Keep the dog as safe as possible as well as try to hold onto what little sanity I have tucked in the dark corners of my mind.

Maybe it’s not the Universe doing this to me as much as me chasing what I want my life to be, letting all these external things stop me. Maybe. In a lot of things, I am a flexible person… go with the flow and all that jazz. When it comes to my life and my goals, I will give up, curl up in a ball in a corner and cry.

Maybe I don’t think I’m worth having everything I want. I don’t deserve all the things, so I allow life to get in the way. Maybe.

Sometimes.

Sometimes life DOES get in the way.

Sometimes I get in my own way.

The trick is to know which is which. To accept when I really can’t do what I want. To push through when it’s just me being… well, me. And somewhere in that mess to find peace.

And that is what I wish you, my friends. Peace. Calm. Happy. Have a great week!

The Magic of Being Enough

Tags

being a wife, just be, motherhood, obsessions, perfection, stress, thoughts, writing

I’m having a ME DAY!

I’ve been breaking down lately… crying, sobbing, feeling like a failure…

Don’t ask why. Let’s not go there. Kathy’s pity party is not somewhere you want to be. *pops balloons*

There is an image in my mind of the person I’m supposed to be. This perfect individual. Where did the picture come from? I don’t know. A place of evil… possibly. Because who can be perfect?

No one!

The stress of overthinking, of wondering, of trying to balance being a mom, wife, writer, along with workouts and time to read and relax… I expect too much of me. Many people do.

If I spend time working out, guilt strikes! Why aren’t I writing or cleaning? But I want to get in shape!

When I’m writing, am I being a horrible mom and wife? Maybe. But I NEED TO WRITE THE WORDS!

I have a bajillion books waiting to be read, not to mention the desire to reread the Harry Potter books… but do I really have time for doing nothing?

And I LOVE doing nothing, people.

I excel at it.

But there is a voice in my mind, one telling me I’m failing at EVERYTHING! I’ll never hit my goals, so why have any? Hello, New Year’s resolutions… yeah, no.

What’s odd is, I’m okay. Life is good, but that gets lost to the terrible thoughts. I have body issues. I have since I had two kids. So I obsess about eating and working out, to the point where I will shovel food in my mouth and not workout just to spite myself. I am a terrible wife. My hubs is not home much, and I am GOOD at being alone, so I stay tucked into my own little world when he does come home. I ignore the dog too much. I should be writing something new, but my head is having problems focusing. And the new year just begun, vacation is finished, and there are things I should do, schedules to return to… I am a writer and I should be writing…

AND ANY MINUTE NOW THE WORLD WILL EXPLODE AND WE WILL ALL DIE!

*breathes*

So today, I went back to bed after I dropped the kids off. I am not going to worry about working out, or even showering, and just be. Maybe I’ll take myself to see The Woman in Black 2 and enjoy myself. And find, that at the end of the day, the world is fine. I am fine.

I am enough.

You are enough.

 

 

 

Sachael Dreams Cover Reveal!

Tags

cover reveal, fantasy, Melody Winter, mermaids, New Adult, romance, Sachael Dreams

I am pleased to be a part of the cover reveal for Melody Winter’s upcoming release!

Without too much fanfare and flailing here it is…

About Sachael Dreams:

Twenty-two-year-old Estelle Bailey has had enough of busy city-life and her hot-tempered ex. She escapes to the seclusion and peace of her family’s clifftop home in Ravenscar, where the soothing solitude whispers to her soul as strongly as the sea itself does. But her newfound contentment is interrupted when a mysterious man—a Sachael, master of seduction—joins her midnight swim unexpectedly.

Estelle struggles against his charm and the overpowering attraction she feels for him. He offers her a life she never could have imagined, a life beneath the waves . . . but at what cost? Before she can decide, she’s captured, ensnared by the Sect, a secret enemy of the Sachaels, becoming a pawn in a war she knew nothing about.

Now, she’s left with a new choice—escape the clutches of the Sect and flee into the ocean, or side with her alluring, intimidating captor and destroy the Sachaels forever. Can she turn her back on the man she might love, or will the secret of her heritage change everything?

Set against a picturesque backdrop, Sachael Dreams is the first in a new series, exploring themes of romance, love, and identity, and the struggle that happens when all three collide.

Available Feb. 24, 2015 – Pre-Order Today – Find Sacheal Dreams on Goodreads 

 

About Melody Winter:

Growing up, Melody Winter showed a natural ability in art, a head for maths, and a tendency to write far too long English essays. Difficult to place in the world when she graduated, she pursued a career in teaching, but eventually ended up working in Finance. Melody is convinced the methodical time she spends working with numbers fuels her desire to drift into dream worlds and write about the illusory characters in her head.

Melody Winter lives in North Yorkshire, England, with her husband and two sons. When not dealing with football, rugby, and a whole plethora of ‘boy’ activities, she will be found scribbling notes for her stories, or preparing for another trip to the beach. With an obsession for anything mythical, Melody revels in reading and writing about such creatures. In fact, if she wasn’t such a terrible swimmer, she’d say she was a mermaid.

Sachael Dreams is her debut novel, and the first in her New Adult Romantic Fantasy series—the ‘Mine Series’.

You can view more of Melody Winter on her website, Twitter or Facebook.

Melody is a fabulous person and writer, a friend of mine on Twitter, we took on the ProjectREUTSway short story challenge the last two Novembers. Go say hello and check out Sachael Dreams. It’ll be here soon!

 

Watch Me Burn is Here!

Tags

magic, release day, Sharon Bayliss, The December People, Watch Me Burn, wizards

I read Destruction, the first book in The December People a while ago. I won a copy! And I really enjoyed it, so I can’t wait to read the second book… Watch Me Burn. I am so happy to help the fabulous Sharon Bayliss spread the word.

And it is available NOW! Eeeeek!

Find it here!

Check out these teasers.

Watch this trailer!

Dark wizards! Magic. What’s not to love. Seriously. I’m going to go get my copy.

Read on, fellow word lovers!

 

Hello, New Year… Let’s be Friends

Tags

be you, live, new year, New Years Eve, possibilities, thoughts

First, I have to admit that on New Years Eve, I cry. Every year.

Why? I don’t know. Possibly I am a stage five clinger. I have trouble letting go. In writing that means I revise forever, it’s never finished, never right. In life, I tend to not want things to end. I tuck myself in my memories, reliving the glorious past over and over in my mind.

Cause there is so much fabulousness there! It was a great year. It’s been a WONDERFUL life.

I dread that soon I will be packing away all my Christmas treasures. My ornaments, holding so many memories, will be tucked in boxes and shoved in the basement. *clings to tree*

The Christmas glow in my house will go dark. *cries*

But not to worry, I don’t need an intervention. The future calls me from my need to hold onto the past. So much waits.

Soon I will be helping to coach my daughter’s volleyball team. EEEEEKKKK!

Hopefully there will be snow for sledding and snowmen. I do love snow.

I will find all the words I love and create new stories.

Before I know it, I’ll be happily sitting at baseball games, cheering for my kids.

As much as I love the now and looking back at 2014 with all its fabulous moments, I am ready for what’s next. Bring it on, 2015! I know this year will be spectacular. 2015 and I shall be the best of friends.

Onward! To life!

Everyone draw your swords and say yes to you as you stride towards that bright spot on the horizon. Everything is possible.

So gather all your happy memories and accomplishments and step into the new year ready for anything. Leave the rest behind, it won’t be needed. Because what waits in 2015 is greatness, is happiness, is a whole bunch of awesome wrapped in a shining bow.