Merry Christmas

I'm grateful for many things this year, but what I'm most grateful for are blogger friends like you. I'm going to take the rest of the year off, to enjoy the holidays with my family, and work on edits for Deadly Kisses. I look forward to catching up with you in the new year. I'll be planning a book giveaway for January and also, look for sign-ups for the third Choose Your Own Adventure Bloghop. So, see you soon and have a VERY MERRY Christmas.

Review and Questions--House of Diamonds By Karen Jones Gowen

Please give a warm welcome to Karen Jones Gowen. *insert claps and cheers* She is stopping by today on her blog tour of her current release House of Diamonds.

 

Before I ask Karen some questions, here is some info about her.

Karen was born and raised in central Illinois, the daughter of a Methodist minister from Indiana and a school teacher from Nebraska, Karen has down-to-earth Midwestern roots.

She attended Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, then transferred to the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. After converting to Mormonism at the age of 20, she transferred to Brigham Young University in Provo, UT, where she met her future husband. She obtained her degree at BYU in English and American Literature.

Karen and Bruce have lived in Utah, Illinois, California and Washington, currently residing near Salt Lake City. They are the parents of ten children. Not surprisingly, family relationships are a recurring theme in Karen's writing.

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Karen this was such a great story and I was wondering if we will see any more stories about the McGill's (crosses fingers)? I have another one roughed in, called "Promise Diamond", about the McGill's moving to San Jose, CA and living there when the big earthquake hits. I also want to feature more of Marcie's sister Linda and the struggles she has in her marriage. So if I do it, the novel would have these two basic stories.

At some points in the story I had to take out my box of tissues. How did writing those intense scenes effect you?  I knew I had captured some of those scenes right when I went back in to revise and got a bit teary myself, because normally I stay objective when I write. The story of baby Jordan follows closely what really happened. (My sister who Cindy is based on recently posted her review of the novel on Goodreads.) Marcie's story is more fictionalized than is Cindy's and Jordan's.


Before you go I have one more little question. If you want to follow Karen at her blog, CLICK HERE. For those of you who already follow her and see the pictures of the cookies she bakes that we all drool over, well this question is for you. *winks*


Will you give us your cookie recipe? You have to marry into the family to get it *smile*

Darn it! I tried!

Here is a summary of House of Diamonds.

In this sequel to Gowen’s debut novel, Uncut Diamonds, she follows sisters Cindy and Marcie as they reach a crossroads in their lives. House of Diamonds tells the story of two women, one facing opportunity the other tragedy. Can their bond endure?

Marcie pursues her dream of becoming a published writer while Cindy faces a terrible tragedy. In this gripping story of faith, loss and the transcending nature of sacrifice, Gowen gives voice to a beloved baby who has none. She shows the incredible power that comes to families when they pull together to overcome challenges. It is at these times that a house of pain can become a house of diamonds.

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If you've been a follower of my blog for a while, you know I adore love, drool over, and make evil plans to get my hands on YA books about creepy dark characters and weird plot lines. Don't faint on me, but yes, I often read outside of that genre. So, when Karen was looking for readers for House of Diamonds, I was happy to answer the call. It was refreshing to read a story with no mythical creatures--just a story about the real world and real people. What I loved most was the authenticity of her characters. Don't call me creepy, but I wanted to hug them all at the end of the story. But enough with the mushy and on with my review and be sure to check out a neat deal from the publisher about House of Diamonds below.

House of Diamonds is a sincere story that will pull at your heartstrings and remind you just how precious life is. It follows sisters Marci McGill, as she raises seven children while trying to attain success in her writing, and Cindy, who is confronting an illness that leaves her young son fighting for his life.

This family goes through inconceivable heartbreak, yet, perseveres through their faith in God and the strength they find within each other. I laughed when the McGill’s were happy and I cried when they were sad. It was easy to connect to the characters and ache with them, as this could be anybody’s family. Karen Gowen has a book with an excellent voice and writing. 

Some of my favorite passages:

“Elder Maxwell spoke of God‘s need to let us go through difficult experiences here on earth, experiences to stretch us like violin strings that must be kept taut to play in tune. That we must accept the difficulties which come our way like an obedient child bowing to the will of a loving father, knowing these things are for our good.”

“Until she reminded herself that this man was only a doctor, a pediatrician, he was not God. Only God would have the final verdict on the outcome of baby Jordan‘s life experience.”

“Wanting did not guarantee results. It only meant that you have an ache and a hunger for something, not that you will get what you desire.”

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To Buy House of Diamonds:

Order a print book House of Diamonds from the publishers website and get Uncut Diamonds for free!   <-----Yay! Thanks Karen!

House of Diamonds for the Kindle or for the Nook.

House of Diamonds is now available on the new online bookstore, Celerytree.com, in all formats.

If you are interested in more books by Karen CLICK HERE to visit her website.

Thanks Karen and happy reading everyone.

Week Five: Upcoming Dark YA

This is the last week of I Love Dark YA Blogfest hosted by YAtopia. It has been fun reading other participants posts and it's always fun to make new blogger friends. Thank you for following my blog! And thank you YAtopia!

The theme for this week is upcoming books.

 

Some upcoming books that I can't wait for are...

Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire book 2) by Courtney Allison Moulton February 14, 2012

Last Rite (Book 3) by Lisa Desrochers May 2012

Torn by H.M. Ward (Book 3 of Demon Kissed) November 10, 2011

The Clockwork Prince (Infernal Devices) by Cassandra Clare December 6, 2011

City of Lost Souls (Mortal Instruments) By Cassandra Clare May 8, 2012

I have no problem with my house looking like this.

So, what is on your must have list?

Help Harry Help Others

I'm really excited to announce that the Campaigner Challenge 2011 ebook is now available for purchase.

There are 176 flash fiction stories from 81 different authors. There is a story in here for everyone. All proceeds will go to "Help Harry Help Others" for cancer research.

Click here for the links to purchase this book.

And thank you for your support!

Week Four: I Love Dark YA--#YASAVES

How has Dark YA impacted my life? That's the theme for this week brought to you by our hosts at YAtopia. So here I go getting all sappy on you.

My inspiration to become a YA writer lays in all the books that took me to faraway fantastical places. Characters that were flawed, dark, with edgy topics. My thirst for a good story that ended and I still needed to know what happened next.

It's nice to know when I type THE END, well it's not really an end, because I envision where my characters will be in say 10 or 20 years. There never will be an actual end and that makes me happy.

I easily lose myself in my writing and the world I'm creating and when someone reads my book, I want them to do the same.

Now it's not dark, but a recent book I read, Inheritance (Eragon series) by Christopher Paolini left me breathless, happy, and hungry for more after finishing the series. I hope Eragon lives on and Christopher revisits the magical world he has created. After being in Alagasia so long, like Eragon, it was hard to leave.
Here is an article from The Wall Street Journal by Christoper about saying goodbye Click Here.
So, thank you young adult authors and thank you Yatopia for hosting this great bloghop.

What books or authors are your inspiration? Or what has inspired you after reading a certain book?

                                                                    AND

Week Three: Dark YA Movie and Music Fun

Welcome to week three of I love dark YA and thank you hosts at YAtopia. I would love to see The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan come to the big screen.

                                                                 

Why should it go to the big screen? Here is a blurb from Goodreads.

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

Coming soon to a theater near you, The Forest of Hands and Teeth. Starring Selena Gomez as Mary.

Theme song by Linkin Park, "Waiting for the End."

Who would you add to the cast?

Week Two: I Love Dark Ya-Flash Fiction

This week our hosts at YAtopia wants us to write a 500 word or less flash fiction story about the picture below. This picture didn't inspire me at all. Like zero and zilch. I knew if I was to complete this weeks post for the bloghop, I was going to have to reach down deep to my muse to get creative.

So I flipped her over and walla! Some inspiration. My story came in at 363 words.

Control

The girl dangled upside down from the tree holding her hands to her face crying. She had walked right into the hunters trap. He ensnared her fast and his ego swelled. Her ankle was red from being bound in the thick rope, but he only cared about winning.

He hid behind a tree with a satisfied smirk on his face. The fog rolled in off the river cloaking the girl like a blanket, but she wasn’t safe—not even close.  He had watched and waited, isolating her from family and friends. He followed her every move like a lion seeking its prey. He would own her.

Even when he was hunting her the girl looked over her shoulder smothered by his presence. He liked that it drained her energy, threatening to take all her life giving air, and suffocating her until she felt defeated. It’s how he captured her to begin with.

He would have his way. The girl would comply because he would cling to her like morning dew affixes to a blade of grass. He came out from behind the tree making his presence known. It would always be known from here on out.

The girl struggled. Her eyes were puffy and red. Her hair hung like a curtain of silk, but she was still pretty. His mouth quirked up and his chest puffed out as he walked toward the girl with a silver blade.

The blade sliced through the rope with a single swipe and the girl fell to the ground. Her crying turned to loud sobbing. She rubbed at her ankle, but he pulled at her arm until she stood.

And then the crying stopped.

White light flashed around her. Her frown became a wide smile. Her shoulders pulled backwards until her back was straight. She now stood taller than the hunter. The hunter’s eyes widened.

“You will only make me feel inferior if I allow it and news flash, I won’t allow it!”

The girl walked away limping leaving the hunter sitting on the ground crying, wallowing in his self- pity and doubt.

The girl prayed for the hunter before the ground opened up and swallowed him whole.

For more flash fiction stories visit YAtopia for a list of participants.

Week One: My Favorite Dark YA Books

There are so many great dark YA books, it's hard to say which is my absolute favorite. I love settings that takes place in the depths of Hell, have an epic war between good and evil, and a touch of romance. I've come up with two books that landed in my top 10 list.

Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton was epic. Loved it!

Ellie is haunted by nightmares and the nightmares really happened--but in her past lives. Ellie dies to be reincarnated again and holds the power to hunt and kill reapers. She meets Will. Will isn't any ordinary boy, he is her warrior. He waits for her to be reborn to wake her dormant powers. Every time Ellie comes back it gets harder and harder for her to remember. Ellie realizes her and Will have a love that spans centuries.

Why I love it--It's dark, they hunt monstrous grim reapers, Will is great, Ellie is a kick butt heroine, and it is full of awesome!

Wings of the Wicked is coming out in February and I *squee* can't wait.

Ok, another stellar read is Demon Kissed by H.M. Ward.

Here is a blurb from Amazon and enough said.

The Valefar boy tricked Ivy Taylor into kissing him, but he took much more than a kiss—he stole her soul and left her within inches of death. By surviving, Ivy is drawn into the conflict between the Martis and the Valefar. The war between these two immortal forces has raged for millennia without distraction. Until now.

Ivy is an anomaly—she is the only person who has ever walked away from a demon kiss alive. Her survival gives her unique and deadly abilities. Too powerful to ignore, Ivy is a threat to both armies. These two ancient enemies will stop at nothing to kill the seventeen-year-old.

Surviving is nothing new for headstrong Ivy, but her survival has never depended on another person before. This time it does. And if she misplaces her trust, she's dead. To her horror, she starts falling in love at the worst possible time—with the enemy. He appears to be protecting her. But she can't be certain if he is trying to help her, or help himself to her power. For Ivy, trusting the right person is the difference between love and survival, or a deadly demon kiss.

Cursed (Demon Kissed 2) Is out now and it delivers!

A notable mention is Personal Demons and Original Sin by by Lisa Desrochers.

I'm excited to find out what makes my fellow bloghoppers lists! Click here to see and thanks YAtopia!

Trick or Treat

Hello Halloween blog hoppers and thank you Jeremy Bates for hosting such a fabulous event. I hope you enjoy my blog and give me a follow, I shall follow you back.

I like to write about things that go bump in the night, so naturally I LOVE Halloween! It's a rule in my house that we must watch Night of the Living Dead. In fact I was a zombie for Halloween last year *cue the girl who screams running into the cemetery*.

 

Also, Sleepy Hollow (1999 film directed by Tim Burton). The Headless Horseman storyline was done extremely well.

You have to watch (or read) The Amityville Horror for the ultimate creep and sleep with the blanket over your head experience.

and some notable mentions...

Rosemary's Baby

Carrie

Bram Stoker's Dracula

The Wolfman

The Vampire's Assistant

Beetlejuice (Beetlejuice...don't say it)

An American Werewolf in London

For a spooky Halloween read go visit my blogger buddy, Crystal Collier, An Interview with Death.

Be sure to take some candy before you leave!

 

What is on your Halloween movie or book list? And what are you going to be for Halloween?

Ahoy! Sea Serpent?!?! The Choose Your Own Adventure Bloghop Starts Here

Ahoy Matey! Welcome to your adventure, but beware of what lurks under the water.

It all started with Rachael Harrie's Platform Building Campaign last May. The Campaigner's in my group went on a bloghop expedition to find the Abominable Snowman. Now, the Choose Your Own Adventure Bloghop is back again. This time I invited ALL of the Campaigners to take part. 17 writers answered the call! This bloghop is a collaboration with those fabulous Campaigners. We each wrote a snippet that will take you through an adventure, forcing you to make a choice that will send you around bloggerville. As you make your way through the adventure please follow and leave a comment for these fantastic writers.

Crystal Collier

Jessica Aspen

Cheryl Reifsnyder

Randy Lindsay

Susanna Hill

Deana Barnhart

Kelda Crich

Claire Hennessy

Cheree Smith

Mildred Holmes

Ms. Saba

Cathy Von Hassal-Davies

Angela Perry

Mel Corbett (Mel also did all of our badge artwork)

C. Janelle Tuma

Katharina Gerlach

Madeline Baratos

and me

Kerri Cuevas

Look for sign-ups in January if you would like to participate!

Now let your adventure begin.

Ahoy! Sea Serpent?!?!

Something in the water catches your attention. You lean over the railing and a giant creature with shimmering green scales seems to be swimming toward the boat. Your jaw drops open and you’re frozen in place. Never in your life have you seen anything so massive before.
Whales are big, but not as huge as the creature you are about to encounter. You try to scream and alert someone, but no sound comes out of your mouth. You are too mesmerized by the scales on the beast, each the size of a human hand and shiny. Its body moves with accuracy toward the bow of the ship.

Your trip to the Bermuda Triangle was not one of your brightest ideas after all!

Your knuckles turn white from clutching onto the railing, and you close your eyes bracing for impact. You wait

And wait.

And wait, but there is no impact.

You open one eye and then the other. You look down into a pair of glowing green eyeballs that are staring up at you.

Click on your option.

Do you: Arm yourself and prepare to fight?

Or

Do you: Stay where you are and hope it’s friendly

Do You Listen to the Voice Urging You to Go Up?

                                  You Listen to the Voice Urging You Up

The voice in your head nags at your subconscious and the water starts to numb your limbs. The light is fading and so does the image of your beloved. The voice in your head gets louder and becomes clearer. It snaps you out of a lull.

Go up, or you’ll die!

You listen to the voice because you won’t die like this. You kick your feet and move your arms frantic to go upward where you see a sliver of light. Your brain is telling you to take a breath, but to do so now would be a mistake. So you fight the urge and focus on the voice.

You can do it! Faster!

The muscles in your legs begin to burn and your lungs might burst, but you continue up toward the surface. The sliver of light is expanding , getting brighter. The dark water turns into warm aqua swirls, but pieces of the ship are falling around you making their way to the bottom of the sea. The light reflects off of something shiny plunging down past you. You say goodbye to Captain Contemptuous’s blade.

Keep going and swim to the right!

Yes, swim to the right, because the last thing you remember before plunging into the water was the sea serpent. You look in the direction you think the ship was in and you don’t see its dark shadow on the surface anymore, or the sea serpent. Maybe it swam away.

Hurry!

You look up and can see the blue sky through the water. You gain one last surge of energy and kick your legs breaking through to the surface. Warm sea air enters your lungs and circulates through the deprived cells of your body. The voice disappears and the fuzzy mist in your mind goes away.

Your eyes adjust to the sun and you look around to nothing. There is no ship. There is no sea serpent. There is no captain and there is no crew. But there is a piece of wood. Your fatigued muscles manage to lift yourself onto the wood, and you close your eyes hoping another ship will find you.

                                                                   * * * *
“Ninety- nine bottles of beer on the wall, ninety- nine bottles of beer. You kick one down and smash it around ninety-“

You stop muttering because the piece of wood you’ve been floating on, for what feels like an eternity, stops with a jerky thud against a rock. You put your hand over the edge, but instead of water you feel rocks and sand.

Your body is stiff, your skin is stretched and burning from the sun, but you roll off of the wood. You squint and if your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, you see a lush tropical forest in the middle of an island . You smile and stand on shaky legs.

Animals that were drinking from a stream scatter from your presence. You start to run toward the fresh water, imagining it going down your dry throat. Finally there, you walk into the cold water splashing it onto your body. You cup your hands to let the liquid pool in your hand and bring it to your mouth.

If you never get rescued at least you have food and water.

With your belly full of water you start to exit from the stream. You notice shiny blue and green, oval shaped rocks at the bottom. You reach down and pick one up , admiring its unusual texture.

The rock begins to shakes. You watch wide eyed as the surface begins to crack. You lean in close to peer into the hole. Two green orbs look back at you. Great, it looks like you found the sea serpent’s nesting ground.

The End

Do you go back: And still go 

Do you go back: Stay with the boat

Or

Start over

It's a Book Birthday for The Chain of Souls--Also a Contest

 

Congrats to my blogger buddy Maria Zannini on her book Chain of Souls.

Here is a blurb from Amazon. Click here.

Book Two of the Second Chances series.

Banished from Heaven for refusing to harvest an unwilling soul, Liam Chase drinks to forget night after night until the Angel of Death pays him a visit.

For the price of a few humans souls, Ziva promises to get him reinstated into Heaven. Liam doesn’t doubt her influence, but milking humans of their light is an unspeakable crime, punishable by eternal oblivion.

He’d rather rot on Earth than commit such a heinous sin. But the Angel of Death didn’t get where she was by taking no for an answer. Ziva is a huntress of extraordinary skill and cruelty. If he refuses, his loved ones will be her next targets. And Ziva never misses

Ziva has already set her sights on Shannon, the soul he once refused to harvest, and his beloved servant, Evie. He’ll do anything to keep them safe, even if it means his death.

But something goes wrong just as he concedes, and the chain of souls picks a new mistress before he has a chance to deliver.

Brought before the most feared angel of Heaven and Hell, Liam discovers he has failed to protect those he loves, and now they too could share his fate.

I look forward to reading this!

Also, you can visit my other blogger buddy Meradeth at Write Stuff for a book giveaway contest!

Announcment

I've always wondered how this moment would go down, what it would feel like, and what I would say. I cheered for so many wonderful bloggers out there who have made their special announcement. I waited anxiously for their (amazing) books and followed them through their journey imagining it would one day be me.

Well....

I'm still on cloud 9 and I'm just going to spit it out. When it sinks in and I stop pinching myself, I'll tell you more about my journey. But here goes.

My story, Deadly Kisses, will be published by WiDo Publishing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I try really hard to contain myself from using multiple exclamation points for one sentence, but I think this might be an exception.

                                  To celebrate I'm passing out cupcakes.

      And some drinks, a fresh cup o' Joe. Enjoy and thanks for celebrating with me!!

I will have to think of a contest to celebrate even more! And DON'T FORGET TO STOP BY MONDAY FOR THE EPIC CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE BLOGHOP!

For those of you who are looking to participate, I will set up another one after the holidays. Sign ups will be here, at this blog, in January!

A Story of Epicness!

October 24th is fast approaching and I'm totally excited to bring you another Choose Your Own Adventure Bloghop for your reading entertainment! Get ready for total epicness! Ahoy! Sea Serpent?!?!

There are 17 writers and ONE HUGE ADVENTURE! So, take your Dramamine and don't forget a life jacket. As you go through your adventure, look for the picture below.

I'll see you next week--as long as the sea serpent doesn't get me first *grins*!

In the Background of a Writers Life—On Blogging

I have no problem embarrassing myself telling you some of the crap things I used to do blogging. Really, It’s okay and I love my blogger buddies, so entertaining you is my top priority *grins*.

So, I really sucked when I first started blogging—I’m a work in progress.

I actually used to shout out my peeps in a Lady Ga Ga type way. Thank goodness Bloggerville intervened and someone did a blog post on what NOT to blog about. Now, I make it more subtle and if I write in tiny print no one will really notice, right? Can you see this now? Good you can't see it! Thank you Elana Johnson for showing me the ropes! Click here for her blog posts on building a better blog.

I once wrote a ballard from Mr. Schuester. If you dare to go back and read my pathetic posts. I apologize in advance for the missing pictures. It is Google+ fault.

I also debated having a contest on how many spelling errors followers could find in one post. Yeah, I now edit.

But, I blogged and  I blogged some more. I visited blogs and read a lot of blogs and sooner than later it sunk in.

You can do it. Keep working at it and blog happy!

What crazy things have you done or learned from blogging?

My Mother's an Imago

Rachael Harrie is at it again with another crazy challange. Here are the rules.

Write a blog post in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, whether flash fiction, non-fiction, humorous blog musings, poem, etc. The blog post should:

include the word "imago" in the title. (DID THAT)  

include the following 4 random words: "miasma," "lacuna," "oscitate," "synchronicity," (DID THAT)

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional and included in the word count), make reference to a mirror in your post. (DID THAT)

For those who want an even greater challenge (optional), make your post 200 words EXACTLY! (AND DID THAT)
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Upon doing some research the random words above are actually words. Yes, Rachael did do that! This was quite the challange. Here are the terms  according to Wikepedia and about.com to help you understand my flash fistion story below.

* In biology, the imago is the last stage of development of an insect, after the last ecdysis of an incomplete metamorphosis, or after emergence from the pupa where the metamorphosis is complete. As this is the only stage during which the insect is sexually mature and, if it is a winged species, has functional wings, the imago is often referred to as the adult stage.

*The miasma theory (also called the miasmatic theory) held that diseases such as cholera, chlamydia or the Black Death were caused by a miasma (ancient Greek: "pollution"), a noxious form of "bad air".

*a lacuna is a gap (in text)

*oscitate To gape; to yawn.

*Synchronicity is the experience of two or more events, that are apparently causally unrelated or unlikely to occur together by chance, that are observed to occur together in a meaningful manner.

Let me know how I did and if you enjoy this please CLICK HERE to vote! I'm #136
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My Mother’s an Imago

My bed shook and I woke to oscitate at an angry mother shaking my mattress. Joy. She was in a lovely mood. At least I still had ten minutes before the bus came. With luck it would be late again due to Delany losing another contact.

My mom complained, “Get your lazy butt out of bed!”

I smiled thinking of ways to sick some miasma at her. Then she would go back to bed and forget all about me going to school today. What a synchronicity that would be.

I dressed with clothes that were on the edge of my bed. I checked the mirror to see if my frizzed hair was tamed. That was a BIG no, and then I shoved an orange in my backpack.

“Don’t forget your report. Although the lacuna’s are sure to get you an F.”

I took the papers and headed for the door, “Love you mom.”

“So, how’d we do?”

“Vocabulary-check, Science-check.”

My mom clapped, “and what am I today?”

“Imago, because I know how much you like ladybugs.” I smiled.

“And drama.”

“Double check!”

“Love you honey. I’m glad we had this study session.”

I left knowing I would ace my tests.”

Passing on an Award.

This award has been passed on to me from Saba at Of Thoughts and Words! Thank you. Give her a visit, she has a great blog.

Here are the rules

Anyone who accepts this is asked by the person selecting them to do three things:

Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to them in your post.

Share 7 things about yourself.

Pass this award along to 15 discovered blogs and let them know about it.

7 things that you are dying to know about me *wink wink*

1. I LOVE fall in New England. Pumpkins, apple pie, festivals. YAY!

2. Cape Cod Salt and Vinegar Chips are the best.

3. Once my dog jumped on the latch and hit it just right and locked me out of the house in my pj's--true story.

4. Pathetic joke my daughter told me that makes me laugh every time. "Why didn't the skeleton cross the road?"

"Because he had no guts!" Ha ha ha!

5. OMG OMG OMG I can't wait until the Mortal Instruments comes to the big screen.

6. Never ever watched Sex in the City.

7. Ryan Seacrest every Sunday on America's Top 40 :)

Now to pass this on to 15 peeps(I'm doing my buddies in Campaign Group #32)! Sorry, if you already received this award. I guess that makes you 2x special.

Christine Rains

Stephany Simmons

Write Stuff

Lola Sharp

Cheree Smith

Holly Vance

Debbie Johansson

Maria Zannini

Vote for a GREAT cause--Kitty Lovers!

I know us writers have a tendency to love our kitties! They inspire our stories (and boss us around to do their will). They keep us company when we are determined to finish a scene late into the night (how dare you interrupt their beauty sleep). You just have to love them!

Last December we had to make the painful decision to put our Cat, Lucky, to sleep due to ongoing medical issues. I want to tell you his story...

Thirteen years ago when I lived in Rhode Island, I noticed my neighbors cat looked skinny and hungry, so I left food out for her. The next month I was pretty darn proud of myself that she looked really fat! More time passed and I didn't see her. One day we were expecting a hurricane. I was worried for her until my sisters dog, Lexus, started barking at the truck tire. I thought she was going crazy. There inside the tire was one small, skinny, grey cat with green goop that sealed both his eyes shut. We never saw mama kitty again, but the rest is history!

                                                                
Fast forward to last week. We had already taken in 2 kittens from a neighbor, but I really wanted an older cat. To me, there is something special about adopting an older cat that needs a home. I feel like, Lucky, would approve. So, we went to our local shelter and found a special friend! We instantly loved Tara and knew she was coming home. The next time we went Miss Theodora aka Teddie pulled on our heartstrings and she to had to come home! They are GREAT cats!

TARA

                                                  THEODORA aka Teddie
  (Teddie's daughter is still at the shelter looking for a home. She looks just like her mom and is super sweet. I REALLY want her to find a special home because she is awesome. If you live in the area, please consider her. I really love her also!)

I want to thank TARPS (The Animal Rescue & Protection Society) in Vermont for taking care of our special friends until they could come to their forever home! Mary, Brandon, and all the volunteers are amazing.

CAN YOU PLEASE VOTE FOR TARPS in VT! YOU CAN CLICK ONCE PER DAY. TEDDY AND TARA THANK YOU!  CLICK HERE

Tag! Your It!

I've been tagged by Claire Hennessy at her blog Crazy California Claire and now I must tell you Bloggerville 10 random facts about myself. Well, your in luck because I'm totally random.

#1 I just adopted 2 kitties from the TARPS animal shelter, Tara and Teddy! A writer needs someone to talk to while typing away.

#2 I'm rather annoyed when my child pointed out I had a darn hole in my jeans on my butt and told me the color of my undies. I wonder who else got a good laugh because I went out like that ALL DAY.

#3 I love my Silkie chickens like they were little puppies!

#4 I have a tendency to be an obsessive cleaner.

#5 I almost fainted in the middle of Sears the other day while looking at power tools (More info to come on that).

#6 I hate cooking and could survive on Kraft mac-a-cheese.

#7 I like cemeteries and went on a historical walk and learned all about stone art, who knew death heads were cool.

#8 Have an obsession with True Blood on HBO

#9 I need to get ink for my printer, make an eyeglasses appointment and get pine shavings...sorry don't want to forget what I need to do.

#10 I think blogger friends are the bestest!

And now to tag 5 other peeps. YA group 6 rocks, I'm tagging you! Here goes.

Mel Fowler @ Adveture Writes tag your it!
Stephanie @ Word By Word tag your it!
Alison Miller @ Left Brained by Day; Write Brain-All The Time tag your it!
Margo Kelly tag your it!
J.A. Bennett @ A Book, A Girl, A Journey tag your it! (Click now and listen to my favorite song on her post)

First Campaigner Challange

The first Campaigner Challenge is this week and I'm super excited. Here are the rules.

Write a short story/flash fiction story in 200 words or less, excluding the title. It can be in any format, including a poem. Begin the story with the words, “The door swung open” These four words will be included in the word count.

If you want to give yourself an added challenge (optional), use the same beginning words and end with the words: "the door swung shut." (also included in the word count)
My story is exactly 200 words and I managed to use "The door swung open" and "The door swung shut."

This story is dedicated to all the students starting school this week. Good luck!
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Good Grub

The door swung open. A meatball whizzed by my head landing with a splat on a locker before sliding to the ground.

The cafeteria was wild with protest. I wanted out, but someone pushed me in and used me as a shield. Spaghetti stuck to my neck.

“Down with school lunch,” they screamed.

I held my brown bag, picked off the wet noodles and ducked trying to make my way to the courtyard.

At the food counter angry lunch ladies waved spatulas and the principle’s bald head was now covered with sauce and overcooked carrots.

Crumbs of a dried brownie rained down into my hair. I clutched my brown lunch bag and made a dash to the door while avoiding the milk cartons and puddles.

I was one step away from food fight freedom when someone pointed and said. “You. Class President. Do something!”

I wanted to get food out of my hair, I wanted quiet; I wanted to forget that I, Jessie K. Burgenstein, was class President.

I climbed and stood on the table. “Principle Taylor I demand we have McDonald's on the menu!”

It went quiet. They cheered. The lunch ladies stormed out and the door swung shut.