by Sarah | Jun 18, 2013 | All About Me, Crap, Random
Have you ever had one of those days?
Better yet, one of those weeks?
Everything is going along fine and then…
WHAM
You’re hit with a MAC truck.
Life flips on its head.
You lose track of days. (Seriously – WHAT is the date? I’m so confused)
Everything goes wrong.
Things break.
You get sick.
Your kids decide to mutiny.
*~*
You have?
Gee, I wouldn’t know what that’s like.
</end sarcasm>
*~*
I don’t know what day it is.
I thought today was June 11th.
Last week I thought it was June 3rd.
*~*
I’m sure I’ll figure it out.
Before summer is over.
Right?
Anyone?
by Sarah | Jun 16, 2013 | Books, Holiday, Tuesday Tales, Writing
The prompt this week is a picture – 1 of 4. Considering Eve & Jake run an antique shop, I couldn’t resist this picture.
However, this will be the last week we see Jake & Eve in Tuesday Tales…their story will be complete before this post goes live (I hope), so I can submit it and the rest of the Lake Point stories to my publisher. Jake & Eve have surprised me at every turn, making me walk a delicate line of life-long friends not sure how to cross that line. They are a great, and sometimes very frustrating couple, that I hope I’ll be able to bring to you in time for New Years.
As always this is un-edited mostly, so forgive any errors. :
Eve pulled her coat tighter around her neck. It was Christmas Eve, the shop was closed, but she couldn’t stop herself from stopping on her way to the rehearsal dinner. The bright sun illuminated the front window she’d filled and arranged herself.
She couldn’t remember if she’d told Jake how often the display would need to be changed out to avoid sun damage. Maybe she should send him an email. If she told him tonight, he’d forget before he got into work.
The past two years had been spent in that shop. Her entire life had taken place in this small town. The courthouse square she stood in had been part of her every summer. The candy shop that used to be on the corner had been a frequent haunt once she and Jake were given free reign with their bikes and allowances.
Of course, that candy shop was now a book store, and it had spent time as a tea room and a metaphysical shop in turns over the years. Everything changed, but at the same time it all stayed the same. Even Jake, who happened to be approaching, had changed so much, but still was the same boy she’d always known.
“I thought I’d find you here.” Jake smiled as he walked up.
“I was early, so I thought I’d take a last circuit around the square.”
“It’s not going anywhere, you just have to visit.”
“I thought I’d raise my children here.” The familiar gnawing fear and depression tightened its grip on her nervous belly. “I guess I thought I’d have them by now, too.”
“You’re going to be the best mom.” Oddly, his voice cracked.
“At this rate, I don’t know if that will ever happen. I just…I’m struggling to let go.”
“I know the feeling.”
*~*
Hope you enjoyed it! Click on the Tuesday Tales badge to see more excellent entries!!
*~*
by Sarah | Jun 15, 2013 | Books, Changing Tracks, Derailed, Publishing Credits, Secret Cravings Publishing, Writing
I’d like to thank everyone that stopped by for Derailed‘s cover reveal last week! It was a lot of fun!
Of course, in the end a winner had to be chosen. I used random.org with my eyes closed on the full list of commenters across the interwebs…
And the winner of a signed copy of [amazon_link id=”B00BEMN5SC” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Changing Tracks[/amazon_link] and a surprise book by one of Jane Doe’s favorite authors is:
ANGELA BREWSTER
Since I had over 20 entries to this giveaway, I decided to add in a winner of an ebook copy of Changing Tracks as well. That winner is:
NICOLE GARCIA
Congrats to you both!!
Now don’t forget. Derailed releases in July!! Yes, there will be more giveaways 😉
by Sarah | Jun 13, 2013 | Character Interview, Guest Authors, Writing
I have Sapphire Phelan here today, and she brought along Fluffy. I admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect when she brought along a demon that looks like a fluffy bunny…but damn if I wasn’t laughing right away. I’m snatching up her books, I’d suggest you do the same…they look hilarious.
*~*
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you come to your author’s attention? Occupation?
My name is Fluffy. I am a demon. The author found me one day when she found this hole in her backyard and was poking in it with a stick. It was actually a portal to Hell and I came out of it, snapping. After she smacked over the head with a shovel and realized I hadn’t died and found I could talk (she fainted for a few minutes and I had to wait until she awoke), saw an opportunity to put me in a story. Except she didn’t make me the hero—she wrote that stupid Familiar, Charun in it.
By the way, I wonder can I eat you? I know Tina and Charun said I can’t eat humans, but it’s been a long time and you smell delicious.
What or who is the greatest love of your life? Why? What drew you to them?
That horse feeding on grass in that pasture in the country. He tasted good. Best damn loveliest food ever!
What’s your greatest fear?
Bigger demons. They can whip my butt.
How do the other characters in your book view you?
Can I be trusted? But I prove I can. You have to read the book to find out how.
What do you prefer? To spread & hear gossip, or be the creator of gossip fodder?
Spread and hear gossip.
What is it about you that is going to draw us readers in?
That I look like a cut, fluffy white bunny that they want to hug and cuddle. Then I pretend to sniff at their neck, like giving a kiss, but open my mouth and chomp on them with my fangs.
What was your happiest moment?
When Charun untied me from the chair they had in front of the TV and he turned off that dumb Barney the Purple Dinosaur DVD. I’m gonna go find that stupid dinosaur and pit him in a stew and cook him good.
What trait in others do you find most deplorable?
Not enough flavor to them. Some humans are so bland.
The random question: If you were a color, what color would you be and why?
Red, like blood. Cause blood is so tasty. Oh Lucifer! Here comes Charun. No, no, I don’t wanna watch that stupid purple dinosaur anymore. Please, I’ll be good. Really. See, I didn’t eat the nice interviewer. I like her. Can we keep her and take her home? No, no, no, don’t wanna go. . .
*~*~*~*
Find The Witch & The Familiar at Phaze Books , BarnesandNoble.com and at [amazon_link id=”B003XNTSX6″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon[/amazon_link] and Books A Million For those in Uk, can find it at AmazonUK
If want it as an eBook, it is available at Amazon on Kindle, Nook on Barnes and Noble, and at Phaze Books as Being Familiar With a Witch and its sequel, A Familiar Tangle With Hell.
Blurb:
Mortal woman Tina discovers she is part of a prophesy that says she and Charun, her demon Familiar, must make love so she can become the witch she is fated to be. If she doesn’t do it and stop the demon army bringing Armageddon to the Mortal Realm on Halloween, she won’t stand a chance in Hell.
A year later, just when Tina and Charun thought it was all over and that their life would be normal—another prophesy pops up. If Lucifer snatches Tina and mates with her before the last chime before midnight of the new year and gets her pregnant with his son, that the real Armageddon would begin, spelling the end of life as they knew it. This time they get help from an archangel, Jacokb, but with demons, Lucifer, and a cute demon bunny with fangs out of a Monty Python nightmare, out to stop them and Heaven not lending a hand, will Tina this time lose the battle and become the mother of the Antichrist and the start of a new Hell on Earth?
Excerpt:
She flung herself on the bed after shutting the door. Crushing the pillow beneath her head, she stared up at the ceiling. Tears burned her eyes and blurred her vision. Slowly, her magic rose from the pores of her skin, saturating the room. Pieces of furniture flew around in circles, like on some mad carousel. Soon, they were joined by the lamp that stood on her bedstead, along with her brush, comb, and various cosmetics. Her favorite stuffed animal, a black cat that Charun had bought her for her birthday, pranced in frenzy on her laptop. She didn’t seem to noticed, so into what would happen to her world if Lucifer got her this time.
Why do all these demons want me? Me. There are other Witches in the world but it has to be me. I’m the fate of Earth, Heaven, and whatever else.
Tears rolled down her cheeks. She scrubbed at them, furious.
“I wish I never agreed to become a Witch!” she yelled, the words echoing back at her.
“Do you really wish that, Tina?”
Tina sat up. Charun stood in the doorway. He had opened the door and she never heard.
Hurt colored his eyes and his shoulders drooped. She felt his pain coming off him in waves. Her heart clenched and a few more tears rained from her eyes.
Reaching out, she said, “Charun, I didn’t mean to hurt you. It’s just that—”
“You feel that you’re the cause of another possible Armageddon,” he finished for her. “I know. I too wished I can take us back and had never touched you and made you what you are today. You’d be safe and still mortal, your only concerns working in that bookshop and your day-to-day bills.”
She frowned. “Do you really wish you never made love to me?”
He came all the way in and closed the door behind him. Looking serious, he approached the bed and stopped to stare down at her. “Oh, no, never. That was worth everything. But I would give up my existence to keep your safe.”
About Sapphire:
Sapphire Phelan has published erotic and sweet paranormal/fantasy/science fiction romance along with a couple of erotic horror stories. Her erotic urban fantasy, Being Familiar With a Witch is a Prism 2010 Awards winner and a Epic Awards 2010 finalist. The sequel to it is A Familiar Tangle With Hell, released June 2011 from Phaze Books, Both eBooks were combined into one print book, The Witch and the Familiar, and released April 24, 2012. Her male/male paranormal romance novella, Dark Leopard Magic, second book in the Beast Magic series was just released as an audio book.
She admits she can always be found at her desk and on her computer, writing. And yes, the house, husband, and even the cats sometimes suffer for it!
Find out more about Sapphire Phelan at http://www.SapphirePhelan.com.
by Sarah | Jun 13, 2013 | All About Denver, All About Family, All About Kennedy, Cystic Fibrosis, Special Needs
It starts early.
Actually, the night before in a way.
As the teen is put on a fast, and we all go to bed early.
Because we have to leave at 7AM to get to the hospital at 8AM.
So the teen can drink that sickeningly sweet glucose concoction.You know the one, the same one we drank when pregnant.
And then we wait.
For two hours.
For more blood to be drawn.
Then the girl gets her blood drawn – which holy hell it’s like she’s being murdered.
Then it’s onto x-rays.
And functions.
And then we meet…
THE TEAM.
The social worker who hasn’t got much to say, but comes in every year. Makes sure we aren’t being killed by medicine costs. That we have all the ‘help’ we need.
The nutritionist that always tells us the kids are too skinny and to fatten them up. She gives us orders for calorie/fat boosting nutritional supplements.
The nurse that takes cultures and histories and makes sure all is clear.
The research associate that clues us in to new research projects we can partake in if we chose.
We break for lunch, and return and wait.
As our hospital is a teaching hospital we then see the Fellow. Who talks to us, examines both kids and heads out.
Then the doctor. Who examines both kids, goes over x-rays and future plans.
This year we had a change from the patter as the teen is being prepared for his own care. His exam was held in his own room where she went over the (still surprising to me) aspects of CF and how it could affect him and his future. The things no teenager wants to talk about in front of their parent…I mean EW.
It’s a full day.
Long.
Exhausting.
It ends with us grumpy.
Ready to get the heck out of there.
And grateful for another year.
It’s called a “birthday visit”.
A celebration of an anniversary i’d rather forget.
Kennedy’s is June 11th.
Denver’s is April 29th.
We meet them in the middle.
But in both cases, I’d rather forget that day.
The day we “knew” for sure.
Not celebrate it with a painful, long, exhausting day.
Although if we have to ‘celebrate’ such a ‘birthday’.
What better way than in misery?
Have you ever had one of those days?
