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Happy Summer!

June 12, 2013

Even though the rain just keeps pouring down, the feeling of summer is in the air. Promising something…good.

I’m ready for that, how about you?

Let’s start off with the troubling things first. My parents’ health has been a huge and growing concern. My dad hasn’t been improving as much as we’d like. At all. And my mom has breast cancer. She had surgery the day after Mother’s Day and it went well. She starts radiation in a week or so and finds out later this week if she’ll have to do chemo too. We’re hoping and praying she won’t have to do chemo.

Through it all, my mother has made it hard to be overly worried—I still am, but her peace about whatever happens next has been instrumental in calming my heart and mind about it. I still have bad days when I’m just a mess about it, but most of the time, I’m feeling so hopeful that everything is going to be all right.

All of it has made me try to stop and be grateful for the moments I have…to be mindful that life is fleeting and each moment counts. I don’t want to waste it being held back or fearful. I want to live each moment loving…whether it’s my children, my husband, my parents, family, friends, strangers, fill in the blank. NOT food. haha Trying to not love food QUITE so much as I have been. A healthy love, you know?

Work is good and plentiful and overwhelming and fun and has made my life topsy turvy, but in the best ways. Traveling more than I ever have and while I love it as much as I ever did, I am learning what it really means to be homesick for my husband and kids. Before, it was so rare that I was away from them that it felt like a healing time to go away and recharge. Now it feels like I don’t need that so much, but am THRILLED when I get to come home to them.

I think my last post I shared the books I’d worked on from Jan-April. Will try to give you the latest, in case there are any book lovers still reading my spotty blog and looking for a beach read. The Last Hour by Charles Sheehan-Miles, Happenstance by MJ Abraham, There is No Light in Darkness by Claire Contreras, Darkness Before Dawn by Claire Contreras, and Picturing Perfect by Melissa Brown. There are several coming out soon, too, that I’m excited about. Two, in particular. I’ll try to share those links when they’re available.

Speaking of beach…I’m seeing that in my future. Oh, I need to see that beautiful water. Who’s going to the beach this summer? If I don’t end up getting there, enjoy it for me, please. xoxo

Posted in Books, Family, June 2013 | 1 Comment »

April 1st!

April 1, 2013

Well, I always wondered why people dropped off the face of the earth with their blogs and now I know why. Without going into all the boring and not-so-boring reasons why I’ve disappeared, I’d like to just say hello and that I’ve missed all you here at Girly Muse.

Facebook seems to cover a lot of my visiting needs now and I’m writing so much in other venues that I haven’t felt the overwhelming need to get it out somewhere. But still, this will always be one of my favorite places.

A few updates…

My boy turned 8. Cue the tears and gnashing of teeth. My baby is growing up SO FAST.

My girl has bypassed me by and inch and a half…an probably even more by now. I am happy for this. I don’t wish my height on anyone.

Editing up a storm. Books completed and released (or almost) since January are: Champagne Toast by Melissa Brown, Reckless Abandon by Andrea Randall, In the Air by Crystal Serowka, Breaking the Wrong by Calia Read, Binds by Rebecca Espinoza, and In the Stillness by Andrea Randall. If you need a book to read, just look one (or all) of these up on Amazon…

I’ve almost survived another Minnesota winter. This is definitely newsworthy.

I’m having a birthday this week that I had forgotten about until my friends brought it to my attention. Thanks a lot.

Life is good. I’m in a wonderful season. Busier than I’ve ever been, but feeling really good. How are all of you? Update me, please. xoxo

Posted in April 2013, Books | 4 Comments »

Red Lori, Uh, I mean…Red Lory

October 29, 2012

See that beauty of a book?

The release date for Red Lory by Dave Newell is finally upon us~ Friday, November 2nd!

I had the pleasure of editing this book.

It is so unique, so simple, yet profound…

A walk into another time.

There is beauty, even though loneliness drips off the pages…

The story of Dare, Douglas, Mrs. King and Donnie will grip you.

You must read it.

Leave a comment on this post and I’ll gift three copies on Friday by 9 PM!

Until then, go like Dave’s author page on Facebook.

Really, it’ll be fun, go ahead.

Oh, and Dave’s interviewing me on his blog today~please go check it out and say something nice.

He needs some Girly Muse love.

PLUS, it has a must-see dodgeball scene!

Posted in Bloggers, Books, Oct 2012 | 15 Comments »

TFEiC

October 5, 2012

It’s been hard to settle down after such an exciting weekend~ I went to an Indie book event last weekend and met a ton of new friends. A lot of these friends are ones I’ve been talking to through writing groups on facebook, so I felt I already knew so many of them. It was great to finally meet in Real Life.

Did you know Tosha is a book blogger now? She is! She’s part of the panel of The Indie Bookshelf. You should check it out. They get the skinny on all the new books coming out~ definitely a blog to bookmark. Plus, Tosha looks really pretty in the cover picture.

So…Tosh and I set out on the road~ she was just as I excited as I was to meet some of the bloggers she’s been working with, not to mention all the great authors. And you know, anytime we get together, there will be fun and hilarity non-stop. Whether we mean for there to be or not…

I’m so happy we’re doing this together, my sisterfriend…

Bright and early…

The trees were in outstanding colorful display…

The weather was perfect. Downtown Chicago was stunning. I’ve been there several times, but have never seen this side of Chicago. Gorgeous. I wish I’d had more time to really explore (and see some dear friends who live there), but it was jam-packed every minute.

This is one of the prettiest skies I’ve ever seen in my life…took my breath away.

Tarryn Fisher, author of The Opportunist, and Rebecca Donovan, author of The Breathing Series

The foursome of the weekend:

Tarryn, Trish, Moi and Tosha~ otherwise known as The Three T’s and Me

A most delicious burger~ with a buttered bun…I want one of these right about now.

Or this would also suffice…

Oh my goodness, it was delicious.

These two were a hoot together.

And of course, me and my girl. I do love her so.

Meeting some of my posse: Maggi Myers (her book will be out soon!), Andrea Randall, author of Ten Days of Perfect, and Melissa Brown, author of Bouquet Toss

Dear, sweet girls…

And more wonderful people~ Nina, Jamie and Andrea~ everybody scrunch and smile!

And I’ve long wanted to meet Fred, a former lawyer and now librarian and book blogger of Still Seeking Allies…

Fred was just as delightful and charming as I imagined. He has this way of making everyone feel like they’re his most favorite person in all the world. Long live Fred’s Baker’s Dozen!

I live to make her laugh…see below.

Okay, let’s try this again…

Melissa helped organize this event, along with Sarah Hansen from Okay Creations, and Colleen Hoover, author of Slammed and Point of Retreat

I’m wishing I had pictures of Sarah and Colleen…sniff. This is right before the chaos.

Melissa is a dolly.

And so is Maggi.

I can’t wait for Dirty Red to be out~ Dec. 28th. Mark your calendars.

Tarryn received some sweet gifts from the people who love her book~ look at this cupcake with The Opportunist cover! I love it! I did want to eat it really, really bad, but managed to refrain.

And then there was this gift, which shall remain nameless, but gave us a very good laugh…

Discussing Dave Newell’s Book~ Red Lory, due out Nov. 2nd.

And Tracey Garvis-Graves~ I had the privilege of meeting her briefly in Minneapolis at E.L. James’ signing two weeks ago and then, for this event, I helped with Tarryn’s table and Tracey was next to us. She is the nicest person ever. Her book, On the Island, is SO good. MGM has optioned the book for a movie~ can’t wait for that!

Tarryn, showing off my jewelry…uh, I mean, Colleen Hoover’s autograph.

My flash gave out the night before, so an entire night of pictures has a halo of light taking over the entire picture. So sad. But that would have made for an even longer post. ha!

Saying good-bye is hard to do.

That’s Happy in the front, on the right…love that girl.

Awww. I don’t like good-byes.

An unforgettable time. Thanks, everyone, for making it so special. Can’t wait to see you all again.

*Extra love notes…

I didn’t get pictures of everyone, but every single person I met was so great. Some authors I LOVE who were also there:

S.C. Stephens, author of Thoughtless and Effortless and many more… (sweetest person and creator of Kellan Kyle, oh my word!)

C.J. Roberts, author of Captive in the Dark and Seduced in the Dark (I love this woman.)

Michelle Mankin, author of Love Evolution and the upcoming, Love Revolution (Dreamy kind and lovely person~so glad we were able to hang out, Michelle!)

Abbi Glines, author of The Vincent Brothers and many more… (Sweet lady! I have to read her books still! Very fun to talk to)

J. Sterling, author of Chance Encounters and more… (Oh this girl. She’s a hoot. Looking forward to the next time.)

Jillian Dodd, author of That Boy and many more…(She’s one of the few I didn’t meet~ we were on opposite sides of the building and the throngs of people divided us. Sigh.)

Next time, I shall meet all the rest that I didn’t even mention here. XOXO, lovely people!

Posted in Adventure, Bloggers, Books, Oct 2012, Sept 2012, Travel | 13 Comments »

Winning

April 23, 2012

If you missed the announcement on the Girly Muse Facebook page, this is for you:

Dun dun dun…and the grand prize of I Blame Eve by Susanna Foth Aughtmon goes to…MELISSA KIDWELL! Weehaw! If you’re not Melissa, you can purchase the book HERE.

How are you on this fine Monday morning? I must say, I am MUCH better than I was last week at this time. Although, if you saw me this morning, you’d probably think we were still going through the water difficulties and all sorts of other major trauma. I look haggard, y’all. I look like I’ve been through the ringer. I’m not altogether sure why my hair is on end and my eyes are so puffy. My dreams must have been something ELSE!

I assure you, I am just fine. My weekend was quite mellow and low-key…just what I like.

Nate and I had a little anniversary getaway Thursday night and we were surprised when the Hotel Sofitel gave us the PRESIDENTIAL SUITE. While I would never in a million years want to be President, I could sure get used to staying in such deluxe quarters. There were two huge rooms with gorgeous lighting, flowers, a cozy couch, two flat screen TVs, two fabulous bathrooms, all-you-can-dry towels, an UMBRELLA in the closet…obviously, when you’re the President, hotels think of everything.

This was also waiting for us in the room…

Delicious and so pretty…

It was such a treat, especially after the last few weeks…we felt beyond fortunate.

18 years…I cannot believe 18 years have gone by with my husband. And I’ve loved him a lot longer than that. Most of our married life has not been spent in presidential suites, but it has been full of surprises, extravagant blessings, love, pain, growth, trauma, renewal, passion, upheaval, laughter, sweetness, challenge, bliss and a whole slew of lessons just about every day that I could not begin to fill in this blog post. Marriage is not for the faint of heart. Today I can say that I’m grateful for every lesson learned and I’m ready for the next several decades with Nate Sabin.

Now, it’s back to all-you-can-wash laundry. Thank the good LORD again for water!!!

Posted in Adventure, April 2012, Books, Grateful Heart, Marriage, Nate | 4 Comments »

I Blame Eve Blog Tour and Giveaway!

April 18, 2012

Recently, I was privileged to receive Susanna Foth Aughtmon’s new book~ I Blame Eve: Freedom from Perfectionism, Control Issues & the Tendency to Listen to Talking Snakes. How’s that for a fun title!

It’s right up there with her other books~ All I Need is Jesus and a Good Pair of Jeans and My Bangs Look Good and Other Lies I Tell Myself. I’ve never met Susanna in REAL life, but through emails over the last few years and having new hip-hop nicknames for each other with every message, I feel like I already know her. One day we’ll meet for real, Susy J-Fo.

It sort of makes my heart hurt that she lives in my old neck of the woods and I live across the country. I think we would have enjoyed coffee and chocolate together every now and again…

I’ve read Susanna’s other books and think she’s hilarious. I knew I’d like this new book since I like her and her writing, but Shhh~ I’ve been a little soft on Eve the last few years. In fact, when I get to heaven, I’m going to go hunt her down and hug her neck.

As a Christian woman, many times I have wanted to give Eve a piece of my mind. I blamed her for years and then realized I blamed Adam more. After all, God did tell Adam not to eat the fruit of the tree before Eve even came along. I think there’s a reason the snake went to the woman…he knew she’d be a good listener and second guess herself. And when Eve gave Adam the fruit, he didn’t exactly put up a fight. He did blame her though, when God confronted them, and she has carried the bad rap all these years.

I will squeeze Eve tight…because I think all of us would have done the same thing she did.

I might drop kick Adam…

I jest, I jest.

We would have done the same thing he did, too.

And that’s what Susanna really brings out~ in such a comical and down-to-earth way~ the ways we have all been affected by what they both did and how God loves us, forgives us and gives us every chance to live our fullest life…even when we keep failing and keep struggling with trying to be in control.

But first she lets Eve have it and it’s SO funny, because for all my Pro-Eveness, I do think Eve has had some of this coming and y’all know I LOVE a list! On page 24, there’s a list of 40 reasons why Susanna wishes Eve hadn’t eaten the apple. Hilarium! I tried to pick a few favorites, but there are so many great ones, you just need to get the book so you can read the whole thing.

OK, OK, here’s one~

30. Texting Lingo (I don’t really think this is Eve’s fault, but it is annoying, and if life were perfect, I wouldn’t be annoyed, so I am including this in the list…lol)

All right, one more…since I so wholeheartedly agree with this one…

1. Female Facial Hair (mustaches, unibrows, etc.—I’m positive these are evidence of the fall)

There’s also a study guide at the end of the book that asks great questions~ questions to help you and your study group get to the heart of the matter.

Just read it; you’ll be so glad you did. I’m going to give you a chance to win the book~ leave a comment on here AND like Girly Muse on Facebook by Sunday 9 P.M. and you’ll be entered in the drawing! I’ll announce the winner Monday and will send you I Blame Eve!

Or if you can’t wait to read it, go ahead and purchase the book HERE.

Posted in April 2012, Books | 14 Comments »

Writing & Water, Water & Writing

January 11, 2012

I can never sleep very well the night before a big trip. I wake up over and over again, checking the clock each time…half hoping I have a few more hours to sleep and half hoping it’s time to get up and GO!

I do have a few more hours to sleep, but gave up a little while ago.

I’m too excited to sleep.

I am starting out on my own this trip~ meeting some girls in Florida for a Writer’s Retreat. I met Tarryn Fisher through a writer’s group we did back in the Spring and we’ve stayed in touch. (If you haven’t read The Opportunist yet, you should.) She was working on a retreat and when she found out I was going to be in Florida, she scheduled it around my trip. I cannot wait to meet her in person. We’ve emailed back and forth, become Facebook friends (she’s hysterical) and talked on the phone once. We covered a LOT of ground in the phone conversation. I’m pretty sure she’s crazy (in the best way) and I love her.

So now that that’s settled, I am off to meet her and a handful of other writers that I’m excited to meet. Not only are we going to have fun, but we are going to WRITE. It is something I have looked forward to for a LONG time. I can’t believe it’s finally here.

Take a look at what I’ll be seeing for a few days…

Oh yes.

I’m packing for a long stretch. The family will be meeting me along the way and we will continue the vacation fun. I think I’ll keep you posted every now and then, but you just never know…the ocean might carry me away…

Posted in Books, Friends, Fun, January 2012, Writing | 13 Comments »

Ocean, Lull Me to Read

January 2, 2012

Winter finally blew in on New Year’s Eve. I’m trying to pretend that howling wind is the ocean~ at night it’s been working, try it! A beautiful snow covered the brown that has been somewhat freakishly eying us the last few months and the wind has nearly blown it away again.

It had to happen sometime. Didn’t it? The tundra is inevitable, I’m pretty sure. So let’s just go with it.

Nothing says COZY like a good book.

If you haven’t read the following books, you might like to give these a try…

Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay is a fictional account of a journalist who uncovers secrets in her own family while writing about the Vel d’Hiv round up, which took place in Paris during the War. The story follows Julia, the journalist, and Sarah, the little girl whose family was captured. There are gut-wrenching moments in this story that will forever stay with me. We watched the movie over the weekend and it closely followed the book. The DVD also has extensive special features~ often my favorite part of a movie. This book is especially worth reading.

I’ve written about this series before, but it bears repeating…

The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. I got on this bandwagon late and read them all within a few days…I don’t like waiting for a sequel, so this works! It’s crazy to even explain what it’s about. It’s a “young adult adventure science fiction” series, but pretty violent for anyone very young. The twists will keep you guessing until the very end. (I’m Team Peeta, by the way.) I’m nervous about them wrecking the story with a movie, but we shall see…maybe it will be done right.

If you prefer nonfiction, anything by Donald Miller, Anne Lamott or Madeleine L’Engle will be worthwhile.

My daughter adores the Wrinkle in Time series by Madeleine L’Engle…

And I adore this one…

Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L’Engle is another favorite of mine. And Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. And The War of Art by Steven Pressfield…and I could go on forever…

Think you don’t have enough time to read? I used to think so too. And since my deepest wish is to read or write 24 hours a day, I’ll probably never feel there’s enough time in the day for it…however, once I gave up the idea of long, leisurely reading and just took whatever time I could get, it began to work.

Did you know besides the obvious~ reading before bed, in the tub, or while waiting for your kids during their dentist appointments, you can also read while…

Brushing your teeth

Waiting for the coffee

Boiling water

~~At a stoplight~~

Any time a football game is playing

On the dentist’s chair or doctor’s table~ he/she can work around you!

Do you have a favorite place to read? Growing up, I had a window seat in my bedroom where I spent hours reading. It was such a wonderful spot. Now, I like to read on our front porch swing or in the red chair in our Cozy Daisy. (That’s what Greyley dubbed our family room when we moved in.) Anywhere by windows is nice…

So, happy reading! If you have any favorites to recommend, I’m all ears.

*Reading now: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone...

Posted in Books, January 2012 | 15 Comments »

The Opportunist

November 28, 2011

I’m so excited~ my friend, Tarryn Fisher, has published her long awaited novel, The Opportunist. I read this book in the early stages and am beyond excited that it is finally available to the public. Tarryn emailed me a few chapters to read earlier this year and I was so hooked that she generously sent me the rest of the book. I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. I also felt like I was getting away with something~ to be reading such a great story before it had even been published…

I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters long after I’d put the book down.

Olivia Kaspen has just discovered that her ex -boyfriend, Caleb Drake, has lost his memory. With an already lousy reputation for taking advantage of situations, Olivia must decide how far she is willing to go to get Caleb back. Wrestling to keep her true identity and their sordid past under wraps, Olivia’s greatest obstacle is Caleb’s wicked, new girlfriend; Leah Smith. It is a race to the finish as these two vipers engage in a vicious tug of war to possess a man who no longer remembers them. But, soon enough Olivia must face the consequences of her lies, and in the process discover that sometimes love falls short of redemption.

Olivia gets under your skin. She’s dark, hard and doesn’t trust anyone, but the more you get to know her, the more you desperately root for her. She loses the only man she’s ever loved and is so devastated that when she runs into him again, she can’t even fathom a second chance. Caleb is charming and the love he has for Olivia is so pure and unstoppable that the twists throughout are all the more shocking when the truth finally comes out.

It is SO GOOD.

This is my deepest wish~ I hope The Opportunist will become a bestseller, be made into a movie and that Tarryn will be the famous author she deserves to be.

Available for $3.99 on Amazon.com: Click HERE.

Posted in Books, November 2011 | 3 Comments »

Things NOT To Do Regarding Lisbeth Salander

October 28, 2011

So lately I’ve been reading these books…

I’m almost done with this one…

And then I watched this…

AND this…

Even though I hadn’t quite finished this…

And here’s what I’m taking away from this experience…

Things You Should NOT Do While Reading/Watching The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series:

* First of all, and this is of utmost importance, do NOT tell anyone you’re reading/watching The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Series. They’ll think you’re an awful person and will be a little frightened of you.

* Do NOT walk in your closet at 6:30 AM, while it’s still dark outside. Your little boy will be standing on the other side of the door when you come out and it will make you jump SKY HIGH.

* Do NOT read said series while your husband is out of town. Actually, we could just have that be the only point on this topic and it would be enough.

* Do NOT watch the movies before bed. You’ll fall asleep because it’s in subtitles, but wake up at all the scary parts and not be able to sleep the rest of the night after the 3rd or 4th waking.

* Do NOT be tempted to chop your hair in erratic, uneven pieces. You don’t have a face like Lisbeth Salander and I’m not sure she even does. OK, yes, she totally does.

* Do NOT let the grouches overtake you when you aren’t able to read the books as often as you like. There are kids to raise, people. Things to do, people to see, work…all that, etc.

* Do NOT let the grouches overtake you when you ARE able to read the books for a solid stretch. Only Lisbeth can get away with that attitude. Don’t you even dare try to pull that off.

* Do NOT start wanting to take a computer hacking course at the local junior college. I’m pretty sure that would not be good.

* Do NOT pick now to stop using a nightlight.

* Do NOT go anywhere near matches. Just don’t. Trust me.

* Same with gasoline. See above.

* Do NOT assume the glass breaking outside in the middle of the night is a scary man/convict. Or maybe now is a really good time to call 911. No, Do NOT call 911. Lisbeth would NEVER do that.

* Do NOT go into despair that after the 3rd book there will be no more.

I did not expect to like these books. I’m still not exactly sure why I do. They are extremely dark. But every now and then (perhaps it’s the season?), I am up for a good scare and a little intrigue. The author wrote the stories so well that you’re ~~almost~~ willing to put up with all the horrific awfulness.

Rest in peace, Stieg Larsson. I really wish you’d been here to see all the love for your stories.

Excuse me, I have to get back to this…

So I can finally read THIS…

This is where I hear it gets REALLY good. I might have a whole new list of Do NOTS after that one!

Posted in Books, Movies, October 2011 | 8 Comments »