An Amazing Day!

This is been an amazing, wonderful, very good day! IN addition to writing almost 1,500 words on Maelstrom, I have also been having a blast being a part of both Ali's Bookshelf and What's Beyond Forks!

First off, these ladies both left wonderful reviews of Convergence that has had me hopping in my seat and smiling so hard my cheeks ache!

Ali's Blog said "Oh my... Convergence is absolutely one of the best books I've read in a long time. I couldn't get enough of this Angel~tastic book. I love a book when it pulls me in and makes me fall for the main character, one that seems so real, I love a story that seems as if its a movie reel being played out before me, Convergence does just that." To read the rest, CLICK HERE

Beyond Forks thought "Convergence was a very hard book to put down. I loved seeing angels portrayed with such loyalty and strength. This is how I picture Angels to be.:" Click Here for the rest of the review!

I also did guest posts for both.

Ali's Bookshelf (aka My Embarrassing Confession)

Beyond Forks (I wax poetic about music and my writing playlists)

What's Beyond Forks did a great interview with me:

And both blogs are doing Giveaways!

Ali's Bookshelf

What's Beyond Forks


I know it's 25 days away, but today TOTALLY feels like Christmas! :D

Bloggers and Interviews, and Giveaways, OH MY!

Bloggers, and interviews, and giveaways, oh my! I’m off to see the bloggers, the awesome bloggers of YA lit! I cannot wait to get started.

First off, I will be chatting with the ladies of the Mystical Lit Lounge tomorrow on Skype. This podcast won’t post for a few days afterward, but I’m really looking forward to sitting down with Shannon and Kim again to chat about Induction! http://mysticallitlounge.com/

Then Wednesday is double trouble giveaway day.

At Ali’s Bookshelf a review of Convergence will post along with a guest blog by yours truly and an ebook giveaway opportunity will head your way. In my blog post I wax poetic about overactive imaginations and getting a little physical. http://alisbookshelfreviews.blogspot.com/

Meanwhile, over at What’s Beyond Forks? you’ll get another chance to win an ebook, read an interview with me about my writing, and get another review. http://whatsbeyondforks.blogspot.com/

I’m really looking forward to the rest of this week. I hope you all get a chance to drop in and check out the blogs on Wednesday and I’ll be sure to post again and let you all know when the podcast interview posts as well. In the meantime, I hope you had an amazing Thanksgiving and are already having a fun Christmas Holiday windup. Christmas is my absolute favorite holiday…no matter how down I am, something about the spirit of the season…the lights, and the music, and just the peace that I feel during this time of year…they all seem to make me feel so much better. I hope you find the same blessings amongst the chaos that also accompanies the season as we fight to find the perfect gifts and make it to 1001 events, because at the end of the day, this season is really about peace and love. Best wishes to all and here’s hoping to gifts of inspiration and high word counts for the rest of the season!!!

Giving Thanks for YOU!

Over here in the states, tomorrow is a holiday dedicated to giving Thanks. I have so many things to be thankful for...great kids, a loving family, all of the blessings God has provided me in this life, and even all the hard stuff are still blessings in their own way. I could go on all day, but right now I really want to take a moment to show my gratitude to all of you who read my stories, buy my books, and take the time to say hi and hear what I have to say. If it weren't for all of you, some of the best blessings that have come out of 2011 would never have happened, because without wonderful readers who take the time to enter the world we create, we authors would be absolutely superfluous! Yep...without you, we would just be a group of crazy people, talking to ourselves and typing away for the benefit of our eyes only. So thank you kind and gentle readers for all of your wonderful support. As I sit down and think of all of the things that I am thankful for with my family tomorrow afternoon, you will all be close to my heart and heavy on my mind.

Blog Tour Info!

November is the month for blog hopping for our Young Adult Authors. I have a couple of dates set to guest post, but I could use a little more. If you're interested, click the button below to findout more!

Mud and Water

I am struggling so much with the last novel of the CofC series. Normally when I write, it's like a tidal wave. My fingers fly, the words spew out and next thing I know, I've knocked out 1,000 words in an hour. They might not always be the best words, but a little editing and a couple more hours later and I've got a chapter, maybe two. I've been so spoiled by the ease of my writing, that even the littlest writer's block has annoyed the heck out of me.

Now I'm facing my last book of my first ever series, and suddenly I feel like I'm trudging through waist deep mud, the suction on my legs and feet making every little movement, every sentence written, feel like really hard, frustrating work. I'm fighting with myself, my attention, my exhaustion and it's stressing me out more than anything.

So, now I'm an analytic person. I take every decision in my life and mull it to death like a cat torturing a mouse before finally deciding what to do about it, how to handle it, what is wrong and how to fix it. There are a lot of easy to see things that are blocking my path, growing kids demanding more attention, major changes in my personal life, demands on my time to help promote and market the books that are already out, etc, but I think beyond all that I may have realized a bigger, looming shadow plaguing me as I head into the last part of what, in many ways, I consider my third, fourth and fifth babies...I'm suddenly paralyzed by a fear of failure. I'm afraid that after building this whole world, these delicate relationships, this over arcing sense of danger and suspense that when the final book is laid to rest I'm going to disappoint everyone. Then, if I don't fail, I think a part of me is afraid I won't find another original idea good enough to write something else people would really want to read.

Darned if I do, and darned if I don't, and in addition to all of the concrete barriers I am currently facing, I've managed to grind myself to a near halt thanks to this fear. Now I recognize some of this is a healthy fear. Only an extremely cocky person would look at their book/series and think it's a slam dunk. Almost every writer I know agonizes at least a little over their work, each of us being our own worst critics. I'm just praying for some rain here to thin out the muck and help me get a flow again. It don't necessary need a tsunami...at this point, I'd be happy with a lightly babbling brook, steadily building until it hits a larger body of water that will take me all the way to the completion of my series...a few more waking hours of quiet with the 'voices in my head' chattering away at me wouldn't hurt any either. ;)

Join Me at the OPEN HOUSE 10-29-11

Come join me Saturday, October 29th from 10am to 1pm at the Alpha Park Public Library in Bartonville Illinois. I will be joining a large group of great authors including Local WEEK News Personality, Lee Hall, Paranormal Author Sylvia Shults, Neal Proud Deer, a man with decades of experience and a list of names he has interviewed throughout the years that would make even the best of us go a little starry eyed, along with many more! Please drop in, say hi, pick up a copy of Convergence and/or Induction, and meet some other amazing, talented, and seasoned writers!

November YA Book Tour...

The month of November is dedicated to the TWCS YA Author's blog tour. Convergence and/or Induction will both be available for reviewers to check out in digital formats and then will be able to schedule an interview or request a guest post from me during that month. If you're interested, please fill out the form above!