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Monday, August 27, 2018

Forgetting You is really gonna happen!

I can't believe I really have a book 
up for pre-order but here it is!


And Just for fun I'm including a cut scene below! I'm hoping to give you a feel for my characters and let you know just how much fun you're going to have in Eureka Springs!
You'll find out soon that Brynn's best friend Jaya has been getting the sniffles because of her determination to hold on to some important memories.
At one time I had Brynn taking her to see the town doctor, Dr. Dahler.
This scene was cut, but I love Dr. Dahler and you only get just a taste of him here but I really hope I get to write about him again, in a later book.

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**Disclaimer these cut scene's are not heavily edited
and I wouldn't be surprised if you find mistakes. 
It's just for fun and a feel for the characters!

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  It was an odd feeling, drifting through a watercolor. Behind Brynn’s glazed vision the deep burgundy and trendy, teapot turquoise, in the lobby swirled with the white cabinets and creamy white walls of the exam room, till all that was left was a black feeling of falling.
  Brynn jerked her head up. Her vision filled with a flash of yellow-white reflected directly into her eyes. The memory startled her and she let out a yelp.
  Dr. Dahler cleared his throat and pushed his black rimmed glasses back up his nose. Both Jaya and he were looking her way.
  She pasted on her prettiest smile but couldn’t fight the blush that crept up her neck.
  “Sorry.” With everything back in focus she couldn’t determine what had caused the flash. “I’m a little sleepy. Must have slipped.”
  She smiled bigger as if she knew exactly what she was talking about. She looked around the room as Dr. Dahler resumed his discussion with Jaya.
  Everything was in sharp focus again and the white was anything but soothing. Jaya’s dark hair and skin was a sharp contrast to the pale walls and even Dr. Dahler's carefully combed gray hair and beard looked harsh in the neutral color scheme.
  Below his white doctors coat he wore periwinkle pants and navy shoes that looked like he must have a shoe shine kit in the side drawer of his desk waiting to be used between patients.
  Brynn glanced back to where the flash had come from and found that when she leaned about six inches to the left her own white blond hair reflected waves of color, just right, to catch the glare of the naked light fixture above them.
  The combination created the perfect image of staring down a pair of headlights or better yet stage lights in a European opera hall. She smiled and sighed in longing. She’d never actually seen the lights of an Italian opera hall from the stage side, but after the last year spent in Florence and Viterbo studying the beautiful music and art of Italian opera, she ached to be the one on stage, belting an aria over the orchestra and applause. 
  It had been too long since she’d been on stage and here in Eureka Springs it wouldn’t be happening anytime soon.
Read more in Forgetting You 
Scheduled for release Sep. 30th!

Wednesday, August 12, 2015

Belting out my love for a Vocal Crush!

So excited to read this book! Check out the cover, it feeds me! I love covers, a good cover will make me pick up a book regardless of the blurb. For Vocal Crush by Lisa Swinton, you get all sides of the coin!
I love the premise that this fabulous author came up with... a little worried about Nick... it seems odd that he would break her heart then come audition and join her team. But any guy with a killer singing voice is worth reading and swooning over! So, cross your fingers and hearts with me Vocal Crush is ready to take over!
Vocal Crush 
by Lisa Swinton 
is a sweet romance making its debut in September 2015! You won't want to miss it!

Can you ever out run a broken heart?
Lexi Court spent seven years traveling the world, living the nomadic Broadway life, in an attempt to outrun the broken heart Nick Rivers gave her. Now, there’s nowhere left to go.
When she accepted a position as a high school drama teacher in Las Vegas, Lexi hoped to get over Nick, find a nice guy, and settle down. But what should be a quiet summer gets turned upside down when Lexi's best friend, Taffy, drafts her to be an emergency replacement coach on a televised vocal competition.
Feeling out of her league among the other three celebrity coaches, Lexi fights for the most promising contestants to be on her team. One note from a single voice shatters her summer. Nick unexpectedly auditions and joins Lexi's team. With her vocal crush on him raging as strong as ever, she has nowhere to run from Nick’s dreamy looks or siren voice.
Lexi has no doubt that Nick can win the competition. The question is does he want to win her heart as well or will he damage it beyond repair? 

About the Author
Lisa Swinton caught the romance bug early by way of fairy tales and hasn’t been able to cure it since. Instead, she feeds her addiction with romance novels and films. In between being a doctor’s wife and a mother of two, she spends her summers performing in community theater and painting her house. In her elusive spare time she enjoys researching her family tree and baking (especially with chocolate). She loves Jane Austen, traveling, and all things Italian. In her next life, she plans to be a professional organizer.
You can visit her at:




AND NOW FOR THE COVER REVEAL!!!

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Not NaNo-ing and I'm OK with that!

Hey friends! Don't think I've been neglecting my writing even though I've been neglecting my blog :)


I've gotten some progress into my WIP revisions and I'm excited about some new directions it's taking. 
Now, you might think Nano is the perfect time to jump in and make the most of some new idea or finishing up this nagging last project but this year...

I'm not NaNo-ing :) 
and I am okay with that.

Well, yes Cahleel. It seems every writer in the blogosphere and beyond is writing there booties off and I say more power to ya!
 I'm here doing the same amount of writing as I usually do, periodically getting excited about all the writing sprints and thinking "Yes! I will!" but in all reality. No. I won't.

I still love to write. I'm still going to finish my book but this year I'll be a cheerleader for the writing sprinters of the world, and a mom, and a seamstress, and a cook, yeah, you get the idea.

Happy more than halfway through all you NaNo-ers and to the rest of us...
Happy writing!

Monday, September 30, 2013

Follow Your Nose

Mmmm... What a way to wake up in the morning! 

My daughters have taken to making waffles every morning. They smell amazing! Not that they're any good for my current food plan, but I love breathing them in all morning. 
I feel like I'm in the 80's fruit loop commercial with Toucan Sam floating through the house looking for the source of that amazing smell. Yeah, they make me happy. 
I'm sure I've read somewhere that good smells can cause an actual physical reaction. I'd find you the quote, or website but who needs it I stand before you as proof.
Done.
I'm all about good deeds.

Aren't you happier :) Go find a nice bakery to sit inside of and breathe deeply. 
Maybe it will inspire you.
Better bring your laptop.

Monday, July 22, 2013

In the Zone. Love the Zone. Feed the Zone.

I've hit the writing Zone :)

My daughter interrupted my writing the other day and I was grumpy for at least half an hour. During which, I was subject to much teasing of being caught in the Zone. 

Well, so. Geez! Why is everybody so needy! 

It's my belief that you should only be allowed to tease if you also have been to the Zone.
It's a happy place, full adventures and imagination! Of course, there is also the typical and not so typical tragedy. It's definitely my happy place! 

I saw Josi Kilpacks story for the second time and it made me smile and waltz my way back to the computer and into the Zone once again. This time she gives it along with a recipe for her secret sauce! It involves one particular secret ingredient... stick-to-itiveness

Yes! I knew that ingredient would come in handy one day!
She talks about her confidence and getting shot down and picking herself up every time! It's a fantastic story that makes me happy to pick up my project write some more words. Adding a little of my long stored stick-to-itiveness. Thank goodness that stuff doesn't have an expiration date! 

Don't you love the Zone. The keep writing, keep dreaming, happy place. I love it here. It's a whole lot of fun floating in the Zone.

Friday, July 19, 2013

My dirty little secret

Hello friends, I'm here to share a secret.

 A nasty one I like to keep hidden away. 
Its confession is painful but it's for a good cause. You see, today is Jordan McCollums blogfest for her new novel I, Spy!
And bonus! She's giving away prizes! So read, comment, and find out what your freebie is!
Here goes confession time - 




I pulled into the driveway already in a cold sweat. I'd spent the afternoon a mix of exhilaration and panic filtered through a crush of bodies and freedom that sometimes felt out of place.

I scanned the totes, that on my shoulder had felt more than heavy, but now lay heaped in the back seat. They gave no hint of the forbidden contents. I looked at them wanting to be pleased with my decisions, but my deep calming breaths had been replaced with hyperventilation.

The man of the house wasn't home, or, at least his car wasn't around. I opened the garage door. The concrete floor was clearly visible. Exposed, free of shadows and black rubber tires. I released the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding and I rolled into the garage.

The car filled with the smell of tires, and stale air. I closed my mouth, holding my breath, to keep the sent from overcoming my senses. I hit a button on the car door and cringed. The smooth whirring brought the image of sharpening blades as the window rolled to it's closed position. I hefted the massive bags from the backseat and half carried, half dragged them inside.

Inside it was quiet and clean but I'd never felt so out of place in my own home. Well, maybe not "never", this wasn't the first time. I swallowed and looked for witnesses. By some miracle of fate my children were absent. The faint hum of the television could be heard in the basement. The neglect etched a spot next to my anxiety, but I pressed on. 

I removed my shoes at the door, a guise of obedience, but grateful for the silence it afforded me.  Around the corner of the stairwell I hurried to the bedroom and its carpeted floors. A thump resonated in the empty rooms as I smacked into the door jamb as I hurried past. I scolded my carelessness and checked for damage. Everything was still as it had been and I stepped further into my room.

Beyond the bedroom I found an empty space in the closet. I moved stacks of long dresses and gently released my hold on the totes that burdened my soul. I stared longingly at the evidence of what I'd done.

A door slammed, and I jumped, knocking my head on the low hanging closet rod. Keeping an eye on the door I re-positioned the clothes. With a quick glance around I hurried to the bed pouncing on it as casually as I could.

Footsteps sounded in the hall, "Hillary!"

"I'm in here." I pulled my phone out and clicked into my email and leaned back on a pillow as he walked through the door.

"Hey love!" I clicked the phone off and stood my body tight and panicky.  I walked over and raised my arms to hug him and paused. He shimmered with sweat and the smell of salt and heat dripped from him. He grinned behind black sunglasses. The pause only lasted for a moment but my stomach rolled as it had the first time he'd come home like this. I'd kissed him then trying to be a good wife and assuming I'd get used to it.

I didn't, but considering what I'd just done, I lowered my arms and tried again. I touched his damp chest with just my fingertips and leaned up tapping the obligatory kiss on his lips.

"I'm so glad you're home! How was you're ride?" Lies, all lies. I didn't care about his ride and I wasn't glad he was home. Not right now anyway, guilt drifted from the closet like a mist.

"It was okay. Did you do anything this morning? Did the kids vacuum their rooms?" Crap. The rooms.

"Uh, I told them too. I think Livvy did, you know how they are." I could classify this as, not definitely a lie. He walked into the closet disappearing in the mist of guilt I'd left hanging there. I held my breath listening. He was silent as he dropped backpacks and opened drawers.

The shower turned on in the adjoining bathroom. Relief dropped me, like a water fall had opened in the ceiling, I fell back onto the bed breathing normally for the first time since the sight of the neighbors green suburban lawns and carefully pruned hedges. He hadn't seen the bags.

I hurried to check on the kids bedrooms as I contemplated how long I'd have to wait before I could wear the lacy green top in the bag. It would be longer for the boots. He tends to notice shoes. It's a curse. The stack of new things for the kids would be easy. In a few days I can pull a couple things out and feed him a line about how long it's been "just hanging around", but I could do that. They were worth it and, for now, my secret is safe.


Okay, so hiding shopping isn't the most thrilling secret, and this is a bit extreme :) but I think it's safe to say we've all got a secret or two! Happy blog hopping!

And go check out Jordan's novel, "I, Spy" and her prequel novella "Mr. Nice Spy"

Which just for reading you can get "Mr. Nice Spy" FREE!!! Yay!
Here's a quote from Jordan herself-
Just for reading a blog fest post, you can get a free e-copy of the novella Mr. Nice Spy, a prequel to I, Spy! Use the coupon code SECRET on my site store here! (Coupon code good through July 26, 2013.)


Monday, July 15, 2013

A Midwest Experience

Come one, come all! Storymakers Midwest is calling!

Storymakers is a one day event of fabulous writers and amazing information gifting to the brains of all us anxious conference attendees.
We hover like bees on a summer day ready go class to class, gathering all the info we can till our brains are so heavy with information we can hardly move. Then we set it all down in our lovely notebooks and take to the sky!
The best part is not a one of the other attendees will sting you!

It's either that or the networking with authors who have been throw the same wringer we're currently running ourselves through. Or the class options that seem to fit every level of writer and energize you to set off into that great honeycomb of book theories in your head, finally able to make sense of the glory that awaits the potential of that one special idea.

I think i need to get outside.


Perhaps at Storymakers!
This was most of the group last year! I really can't say enough about how great these authors are!

Details -
Date: Saturday, September 21st, 2013
Time: 8 am – 9 pm
Location: Holiday Inn in Overland Park, KS
So excited! The conference is only $105 dollars and my return was definitely worth the value! 
It's kinda like EFY for writers and only a day long, so, you get to go home and see your favorite cheerleaders sooner than later!

I say story, you say makers!

Story!
(makers)
Story!
(makers)

Yay! Rah, rah, sis boom bah!

OK now I'm just slipping into a sad little glory days moment only I never was a cheerleader. 
It's my Uncle Rico moment.

Oh and so you know, here's a link to the classes, and one for the registration and speaker's list as well!