New Book

     My second book is available today. Right now! I'm so excited. This book has been a labor of love and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do.

Amazon ebook
Amazon paperback

Cover Reveal

     I have a new book coming out and I thought I would share the cover with you today! I am so excited for this book. I have poured my heart and soul into it and worked very hard on it. I will start by sharing the synopsis with you.

     After a steamy night together the lives of basic strangers Lux and Greyson are irrevocably intertwined. They'd forget each other if they could, but their small town Nebraska high school makes that difficult. as does Lux's growing abdomen.
      Although the time they spend together brings them closer, their separate lives keep them apart.
      Greyson must choose between the life he wants with Lux and the life others would thrust upon him. And pregnant Lux must decide if she is brave enough to trust Greyson with her heart and the future she never expected.

This is a story I wasn't sure I was able to write. I'm not a mother and I've never been pregnant. I wasn't sure how I could write a story authentically and believable when I didn't know much about it. I had this idea for a teen pregnancy book but had to shelve it until I became pregnant or knew more about it. In the time I shelved it, my sister became pregnant and had a child. I learned a lot from that experience. I asked a lot of questions and paid a lot of attention. But I still wasn't sure I had the right story. I wanted to do justice to a teen pregnancy book. Then, one night while flipping through the channels I settled on the TV show Parenthood. I love this show and believe it does so well handling tough situations and emotions. In that particular episode, there was a couple who was going to adopt a baby from a pregnant teen. In one scene the adoptive father told someone "She's carrying my baby." It was like divine intervention. Everything clicked in that moment. I had the characters. I had the story. I had everything. I was in love with this story and ready to write it. So I wrote it.

And now I would like to share the cover with you. I would also like to thank Caedus Design Co. for such and amazingly beautiful cover.

I hope you guys love it as much as I do. Look for it to be available in a couple weeks.

71 Thoughts I Had While Reading The Last Time We Say Goodbye

1. Cynthia Hand. I feel like I know something else she wrote.
2. I love the Post It.
3. Great first sentence.
4. This guy is seriously telling this girl about having sex in the backseat of a car.
5. She likes math. Who the hell likes math?
6. I would expect her mom to cry if her son committed suicide.
7. Isn't it always that the sibling who died is the one who was the parents favorite?
8. Holy Shit! It's set in Nebraska. Yes!
9. She's reading A Beautiful Mind. I need to see that movie.
10. Do bodies really turn into green goo in coffins?
11. Why is it always cat videos on Youtube?
12. 21 degree weather? It's totally Nebraska.
13. How old was her brother? And why did he do it?
14. Wait. I thought this was contemporary. Is it a paranormal? Or perhaps magical realism?
15. I really like the journal entries.
16. She's so straight forward. No bullshit. It is refreshing.
17. Fantastic name calling. I seriously laughed out loud.
18. Pretty sure even if I loved my boyfriend, I wouldn't want him comparing me to a math problem.
19. Yes! Twilight jokes.
20. I love that she reads and makes references to books.
21. Holy crap! I love Olive Garden.
22. Oh snap! She just said that.
23. She shares my feelings on flowers.
24. What kind of school starts at &am?
25. She's totally raining on everyone's V-Day parade. what a B-with an itch.
26. Why does every non V-Day party involve horror movies?
27. I like the journal entries. But I'm not sure any one would actually write some of this stuff down.
28. Just call her Eleanor. El is so stupid.
29. Who uses the Fibonacci sequence to go to sleep? Who even knows that sequence?
30. Still can't figure out if this is contemporary or paranormal.
31. Long Island Medium. Nice.
32. I don't understand why people post messages on dead peoples walls. They won't be able to see them.
33. We totally had weddings and marriages when I was in elementary.
34. What high schooler takes notes on her dead brothers ex girlfriend?
35. I like making fun of cheerleading too.
36. All I can think right now is Supernatural and Dean and Sam Winchester coming to exercise.
37. Are they going to get Theresa Kaputo to come talk to Ty?
38. Oh, I totally want her and Seth to get together.
39. Cigarettes are so gross.
40. Both Missing pics involve their dad. Hm. Clue.
41. Do actual therapists only ever answer questions with questions?
42. Haha. She asks the aliens not to annihilate us on account of  we can be charming. Haha.
43. why would a ghost take pictures?
44. Who knew deaths/funerals were so expensive.
45. Volumes of rotations using integrations. What? I don't math.
46. At least read the damn thing before you destroy it.
47. If you would just deliver the letter already you wouldn't have to feel this way All The Time.
48. Finally.
49. Her name is Sadie. Why on Earth would you leave off the i and call her Sade?
50. What kid makes a collage for his own funeral?
51. Agreed. Diet Coke is lethal.
52. What kid just plans a road trop and their parents say yes?
53. I've always been confused when a character is a book says, "I haven't thought about so and so all day." Isn't that statement thinking about them?
54. If her mom says, "My life is over," one more time I might stop reading this book.
55. Yes! Yell at her.
56. She's reading her a book. Aw that is so sweet.
57. OMG! foreshadowing.
58. Twilight reference.Check.
59. Star Trek reference. Yes!
60. Tear stains on the paper. Good image.
61. Just reading this tornado scene hits too close to home.
62. Tap that, girly. He's practically beggin for it.
63. Everything always blows up in everyone's face.
64. That's almost too much detail.
65. The Princess Bride reference. The references in this book are on point.
66. Whoa. That was intense.
67. Oh the text. Oh my damn.
68. Oh my damn. The feels.
69. That's kind of a lot to put on an innocent kid.
70. Yay! Closure.
71. Aw!

Retell Me A Story

Let’s talk about books, baby. Let’s talk about books and me.

Oh wait. Those aren’t the right words.

But seriously, let’s talk about books. More specifically, retellings.

I love a good retelling. Whether they are a retelling of fairy tales, classic literature, Shakespeare, or mythology.

I’ve read a decent number of story retellings and recently I’ve wondered why I read them. I mean, I’ve already read the original, why waste my time reading another version? The more I thought about it, the more answers I got. I read them because I love the original so much I don’t want the story to end. I read them because I like that other authors pay homage to them. The Litter Mermaid is one I’d like to read a new take on. The Beauty and the Beast. I could read a thousand BATB books. I read retellings because if I couldn’t bring myself to finish the original I would like to know if someone else can capture my attention enough to finish the story. There are many other reasons but to spell them out would take a lot longer. Therefore, I am going to tell you my five favorite retellings, why I love them so much, as well as my top five retellings I’m looking forward to reading, and why I’m looking forward to them. Maybe these books will get you into the retellings spirit.

1. Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Amanda Grange

I have seen the Pride and Prejudice movies and I loved them. I tried to read the book and it did not go as well. I got one hundred pages into it and could not finish it. But then I discovered Mr. Darcy’s Diary. To date I have read this book seven times. I love it so much. I love this retelling because, as the title might suggest, the story is told by Darcy in the form of his diary. You get a look into how he felt and the reasons why he did what he did. This book makes him a much more sympathetic character and much more loveable. It make me love Elizabeth and Darcy much more as a couple.

2. Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

I have not read the original Hansel and Gretel by the Grimm Brothers but I am decently familiar with the story. I love fairy tales. Like, hardcore. But I also love a modern setting. Sweetly does this perfectly. Ansel and Gretchen are siblings who have been thrown out of their house by their stepmother. Shocker, evil stepmother. Then their car breaks down and they need a place to stay. Low and behold they find a candy maker to live with. Can anyone say crazy witch in disguise. Not soon after, Gretchen notices alarming things going on around town, like several teenage girls have gone missing. This book is so great. Talk about another book I’ve read multiple times. It takes the famous story of Hansel and Gretel and turns it on its head, several times. It’s intriguing. It’s mysterious. It blends other fairy tales together. Plus, it’s got hot guys, and who can go wrong with that.

3. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce.

Jackson has a series of fairy tale retellings. Along with Sweetly, she has Cold Spell which is a retelling of the Snow Queen, Fathomless, which is a retelling of the little mermaid, and Sisters Red, a retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. LRRH is fantastic. The whole, “What big teeth you have, Grandma.” “The better to eat you with my dear.” Who wouldn’t get freaked out by that as a child? I certainly never took a basket over to granny’s house. Sisters Red takes the tale of LRRH and plays with it. Little Red is no longer a damsel in distress, but a pair of bad ass werewolf slaying sisters. There is intense drama, a high count of feels in this book. Also, there is a dual POV which is another favorite thing of mine.

4. Beastly by Alex Flinn

Beastly is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, perhaps my favorite Disney movie ever. I capital LOVE this story. It’s all about changing your ways and becoming a better person for the one you love. It’s about redemption and sacrifice. And oh, the feels. Beastly is a modern retelling of that. The boy is cursed by a witch for being a terrible person and must find love within a certain period of time to break the curse. Very similar to the original. Perhaps that is why I love it so much. It is so close to the original I don’t feel the need to explain it. However, one thing I will say, in the movie version the beast does not have fur but has scaring and tattoos. The concept with this is that everything he projected onto his peers verbally was now on his body. That concept blew me away and made me want to treat people a little better.

5. Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Graham-Smith

This story is incredible. I am a bit of a history buff. Not a large one, but history fascinates me. Ancient history, the Native Americans, yesterday. It is all so interesting. I am so in love with this story because it combines two of my favorite things, history and vampires. And the fact that they make Abe Lincoln, one of the most well-known presidents, a vampire hunter is mindboggling. Shout out to Seth Graham-Smith for this book. He blended the historical facts of Abe Lincoln’s life and some gruesome vampires seamlessly. Good on you, Seth.

Now, for the retellings I am most excited to read.

1. Wild by Alex Mallory

Wild is retelling of Tarzan. I am a giant nerd with a giant array of interests so don’t be surprised when I say that I love Tarzan. Especially the Disney movie with the little elephant that says, “Mom are you sure this water’s sanitary. It looks questionable to me.” I laugh every single time. I’m excited for this book because though a lot of times with Hans Christian Anderson and the Grimm Brothers the originals are dark stories with dark endings but Disney likes to lighten them up. I’m hoping with Wild Alex Mallory will take the Tarzan story and return it to its dark roots.

2. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

The Wizard of Oz is a classic. So when I first heard about Dorothy Must Die I was a little skeptical. But then I heard what the premise of the book was and I got excited. I honestly didn’t know how Danielle Paige was going to approve upon the original, but I think she might have. Dorothy Must Die takes place after Dorothy has gotten to Oz and saved it. After that she has all this power and it goes to her head, essentially turning her evil. An evil Dorothy, how exciting. Because of this the whole of Oz is turned upside down.

3. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty is another Beauty and the Beast retelling. This time, it is vastly different. The Beast is this demon that rules over the kingdom. And the girl must marry the Beast, get in his good graces, and then kill him as vengeance for the death of her mother. Crazy. I’m looking forward to this book to see how Hodge stays true to the original but also plays with it.

4. Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

Tiger Lily is a retelling of Peter Pan. Okay. That is semi wrong. Tiger Lily is set before Peter belonged with Wendy. This is a story about Peter and Tiger Lily. Tiger Lily doesn’t believe in love or happy endings until she meets Peter. Imagine that. Loving the hot new stranger in a YA novel. I somewhat suffer from the Peter Pan complex so I can relate to his struggle. I’m excited to read this book but I’d like to explore more about Peter and why he is the way he is and how he interacts with other characters.

5. Crave by Cathy Yardley

Crave is a retelling of Snow White. And I do believe it is the first Snow White adaptation I’ve come across. It’s not a YA novel. It’s a romance. There are definitely no cuddly little dwarves singing “Hi-ho off to work we go.” But, with as little information as I have about it, I would like to see where it goes and how it plays with the Snow White story.

Retellings are some of my favorite books to read. They offer a new vision. A modern twist. Hotter guys. Scarier villains. But no matter the reason, I hope you can find a retelling you love as much I do.

My Journey To Reading

     Now, I know I have blogged about this before, but this is slightly different.
     A few months ago I applied to be a writer for a literary website. While they didn't take me as a writer, they did steal my ideas. That's neither here nor there.
     Because they didn't take me as a writer, I decided I would write on here what I planned to write for them. This is one of the pieces I submitted to them.

A Reader Is Born

Brace yourselves.

When I was a child, I hated to read.

Yes, I know how bad that sounds. But I have my reasons. Well, more like one reason. I was bad at it. I had to get special help with my reading and I hated every second of it. No one ever likes struggling with something, but I was Harry Potter getting help from Snape hating on this class. So the hating journey began in kindergarten and lasted till the summer before my freshman year of high school.

That summer, my sister handed me the first Harry Potter book. I was hooked. I became an addict. I needed books like I needed air.

After I devoured Harry Potter, I picked up anything I could. I frequented our school library, a library that is now smaller than my personal collection. I read the classics, because that’s what I thought I was supposed to do. But when Dickens and the Bronte sisters didn’t quench my teenage thirst, I switched my tastes. Seriously, the only thing I could remember from The Grapes of Wrath was a turtle. I tried reading nonfiction. Never again. Nothing was really doing it for me. But I needed to read. I just needed to find what fed my soul.

My senior year I got a new English teacher. This was not a new concept because the English teacher position at my school was as cursed as the Defense Against the Dark Arts professors at Hogwarts. However, I got closer to this teacher than I had the previous ones. She introduced me to the Twilight books. At first I was a little suspicious and wary of the whole vampire thing. But, I needed something new and decided to give it a shot. Holy YA, Batman was I smitten.

YA was my new crack. I changed tactics in the library and found every Paranormal YA Romance book I could find. Blood and Chocolate, The Silver Kiss, the Inheritance series. Anything that had any type of magical or paranormal element.

In my college years, which I attended so I could major in books, I discovered that trilogies were possibly the best things since sliced bread. I would read a book, fall madly in love with it, finish it, be devastated it was over, then cry tears of joy when I found it was merely the first in a series. It was like Heaven opened up and the angel choir sang to me because I would get to read more books.

The following years, I read anything YA I could get my hands on. I was the equivalent of a book slut. Eventually my tastes refined and I was more like a book prude. It was sad, but it had to happen. I needed good YA books, not substandard ones.

Two years ago I heard tell of a certain book. Now, I am a person who likes to be ahead of the hype, but a friend of mine told me I had to read this certain book. So I buy said book. I sit down to read said book. I do not move till said book is finished. Yes, I’m talking about The Fault In Our Stars. I read TFIOS in one sitting. Let me tell you. TFIOS is 313 pages. On page 203 I began to cry and did not stop until I had finished the book. I blubbered like a baby. I had never been so moved by a book in my entire life. The Fault In Our Stars is by far my favorite book of all time. And I do not say that lightly.

I have since tried to find that pure euphoria and love for a book. I have not found it, but I will continue searching. Because I need to breathe and books are my air.

When I’m 100 years old, sitting in my rocker, clutching a book, they will ask me, “After all this time?” and I will tell them, “Always.”

Quick Whatever

     Hello, everyone!
     It has been nearly forever since I have been on here. I'm so sorry. There have been a few things happening since I last updated this.
     Still Life Moving turned 1! I can't believe I have been a published author for a year now. In honor of the occasion the ebook is on sale for $.99. Get it while you can. Barnes and Noble and Amazon.
     I have two jobs that take up a lot of my time and while I try not to use that as an excuse, they leave me tired and unmotivated and without a lot of time to write. So, before SLM turned one, I wanted to at least have another book written if I didn't have one published. I worked hard and achieved my goal. I had been rewriting the teen pregnancy book and got it finished. I am really proud of this book. It will be the one I will publish next. It's kind of funny, the first draft of the book was 65k words long, the second draft is 113k words. So, you could say I added a few words.
     Right now I will begin to edit it to get it ready to be published. I secured the company I want to do my book cover so that was exciting. I really hope to have that book published by September. We shall see if that actually happens.
     Well, that is all I have for right now. I will try to write on here more. Maybe when things progress with my next book. I want to blog about some things in the book world that mean a lot to me. I don't have internet at my house so I have to get it when I can.
     Until next time.

Still Here

     Obviously I am bad at this whole blogging regularly thing. I apologize. I will say I will try to do better, but I think we all know that it won't happen.
     I am still working on my next book. I have many excuses as to why I have not yet finished it, like the fact that I work two jobs. However, I wrote over 6k words last night, which I feel really good about. So there is that.
     I recently got my certificate in the mail that says my book is in the Library of Congress. So that was cool.
     Shortly after receiving that letter, I got an email from a publishing company that wanted me to publish through them. That would be awesome if they weren't the type of publishing company that costs to use. I would love what they could do for me as far as marketing, because I really need people to hear about my book, but I like doing things by myself and having it free. I also really like having control over my covers. I don't know. I probably won't use this company but it was cool of them to contact me.
     So this blog is going to be short and sweet because I'm not sure what to talk about, but I wanted you all to know that I'm still here.