While I usually write paranormal romance, I have one non-fiction book about my experience with breast cancer. As a survivor, I chose to share my story with others.
Why?
Because what scared me the most about the whole treatment process was what I didn’t know.
What was going to happen?
What could I expect?
What tests and imaging were necessary before surgery? And what did they involve?
How would the chemo affect me? Or the radiation therapy?
Everything moved so quickly once the diagnosis was made I hardly had time to catch my breath. It was difficult to take it all in, let alone understand any of it.
The doctors did their best, I’m sure, but when you deal with something on a daily basis, you sometimes forget that not everyone else understands what you do. They rely on you to ask questions, forgetting you may not know what to ask.
If you or someone you know is facing breast cancer, please consider giving my book a read.
Here it is, Friday the 13th! Are you a superstitious type person? Or do you love things which are a bit paranormal?
I’m not particularly superstitious myself. I’ve always thought black cats were some of the coolest cats around. At the moment, we have two black kittens who are about 6 months old. And they are into everything!
But bad luck?
Not so much. Just very curious. They seem to find all the cobwebs behind the furniture and come out fully decorated with webbing and completely unconcerned. The dog isn’t quite sure what to do with them.
But since it is the season for all things a bit spooky, head on over to my page on Vocal.Media. I have a couple stories over there with bit of the paranormal.
The first is Child of the Universe. She didn’t believe in ghosts. But in that case, who was she talking to? And more importantly, who was talking back?
The second is Moonlight and Shadows. Can you believe what your eyes tell you? Or are the shadows out there in the wilderness of the high desert playing tricks on you?
For something more psychological in nature, check out The Box. There was a place in her mind, a place which scared her a little and which she kept hidden. But sometimes, she wondered if she could take just a little peek inside…
Am I the only one who can’t believe this year is disappearing so rapidly? Where has it gone?
But autumn has always been my favorite time of the year, so I can’t really complain. It just seems the year has flown by at a breakneck speed
What plans do you have for this autumn? When I was growing up, it was always a busy time. We had a large garden, so we were trying to get everything in and preserved before winter hit. And then there were the wild grapes to pick, not to mention the crab apples…
Have you ever had pickled crab apples? If not, you have missed a wonderful treat. I haven’t seen any around here, more’s the pity. We had a couple trees all the way at the back of one of our big fields. Right at the edge of the woods, the old trees gave us plenty of the sour little apples to pickle for later in the year. They were perfect by the time Thanksgiving rolled around.
Around here, the apples are just coming in and everyone is getting ready for the hayrides and corn mazes. Me and mazes don’t get along. I mean seriously, I can get lost in my own woods. I have no sense of direction whatsoever. Are you more like me or my husband, who spent most of his life always knowing where north was.
I’m about to finish the edit on Whiskey Jug Genie, so watch for it later this fall. Who doesn’t love a story about a genie? Come join me for this crazy, magical tale!
Watch here for release dates of Whiskey Jug Genie and Ben of Blackstone’s Forge!
I know. I’m late for last week’s post, so this one will have to do double duty. But let me explain.
My husband had a total shoulder surgery last Wednesday. I don’t now if you know someone who’s had this particular procedure, but it makes life difficult during the recover. In his case, it is doubly so, since the surgery was done on his dominant side. So eating, washing, doing anything really, has been awkward. Everything is set up for him to use his left hand–he’s a lefty–and so everything is out of reach.
Having to do everything with one hand is awkward as well, like getting dressed or taking a shower. Unless you’ve had a shoulder issue of some sort, you don’t realize how much you use those muscles–even when you’re not using that arm.
In the meantime, I’ve finished my latest edit of Whiskey Jug Genie and of Gregor Thayne. One is a stand alone for my Sultonna Nadine books. The other is the next book for Esperance–after Ben of Blackstone’s Forge.
This was my first time through Gregor Thayne, and I’m happy to say it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. Yes, it needs work, and my editor will probably tear out her hair–or mine. But as a first read through, I was happy with the result.
Whiskey Jug Genie is just fun. And I’m so glad my husband came up with the idea. Since it isn’t part of a series, it is written under my pen name, Sultonna Nadine. Imagine, if you will, one of the djinn trapped in a whiskey jug for 200 years. He’d spent considerable time before this in the deep south of the United States and picked up quite a southern accent.
Now imagine him freed in modern day London, bound to the owner of his jug, who is an apothecary shop owner.
Next in Esperance will be Ben of Blackstone’s Forge.
Ben’s family has a way with iron, a particular talent which runs in the family. During his childhood, up until he went away to serve an apprenticeship with another forge, Ben had planned to marry Deborah. They’d always seen themselves together, as had their families.
But while he was away, something changed. The young woman will scarcely speak to him as they pass in the street. But no one can tell him why. His father keeps hinting he should find a wife. But the only woman he has ever wanted to marry was Deborah.
Deborah had always known she and Ben were meant for each other. But while she waited for him to return, something happened which she has kept secret even from her mother. She can’t marry Ben, or anyone else. Her father strongly suggests she at least go out with some young men suitable for her, but he doesn’t understand the situation. And she can’t explain.
So what are they to do when their parents arrange a marriage for them?
Yes, summer is beginning to think about winding down for the year. While the evenings have been a little cooler, the days are still hot and humid, thanks to the sporadic rain showers. Of course, the 2 1/2 inches of rain we got a couple nights ago really boosted that humidity. We’re getting ready for my husband’s shoulder surgery later this week, so we’ve had appointments with surgeons, the hospital, you name it, which is why I’ve been absent recently.
So, what have I been up to lately?
Editing. Not my most favorite thing, but it has to be done. At least if I take some time wit it, my editor won’t have a heart attack.
I’ve been through Gregor Thayne, another book from Esperance. This was the first read through and while it had some issues, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. Now, I’ll ;ut it aside for a while before coming back to it. Kind of let my mind take a break.
Next up is my final edit of Lady Calloway, from Sultonna Nadine. I’m still trying to decide on the final title for the book. I’m several edits into this book, so now it’s just finding all the loose ends and spelling errors I missed the first few times. What usually happens is I rewrite something and delete the old version. But once in a while, at 2 am, I don’t get all of something deleted, which leaves it sounding rather strange.
In the meantime, Ben of Blackstone’s Forge is coming along. It will be the fifth book from Esperance, featuring the son of a blacksmith with a unique family Talent. He has iron under his control. His love life on the other hand needs some help.
Have a wonderful week. Stay cool. And pick up something to read this evening.
Can you believe it? This is the last Friday of August already. And summer is definitely having fun as the seasons move toward autumn. The temperatures here have been close to 100 F and the nights haven’t cooled off below the 70’s in days. I’ll be glad when it cools down a little.
But to celebrate the end of the month, for this weekend only, all of my books at Smashwords will be available for FREE! And that includes Master of the Fleet. If you like romance with a magical twist, give it a try.
Yes, you read that correctly. FREE BOOKSfor this weekend. Monday, they all go back to regular price. So if you’ve been wanting to try some of my books now is a good time to go for it.
In the meantime, try to stay cool. I know it’s difficult this time of year. With the sudden bursts of rain we’ve had the humidity is up and the mosquitoes are hungry. Stepping outside is like stepping into a sauna full of mosquitoes.
This has been a week. Still trying to sort out auto and home insurance. Still working on getting things arranged for my husband to retire and get ready for his surgery coming up in about a month.
So the well decided to run low on water.
Yes, we now have aerated water coming out of the tap, which is not a good thing. The question is, do we need to drill a new well or see if they can do something to fix this one?
But at least we have two new little kitties to keep us entertain. Names for now are Licorice and Spook, who are both black, as you may have guessed, and 4 months old. They moved in and took over. Miss Kitty, our long haired white kitty is annoyed. The Lugnut, our 1 year old puppy, is not sure about the whole affair. They’ve taken over his bed and the couch, so where is a dog to sleep? I’ll try to get some pictures later.
In the meantime, when I’m not stressed to the max, I’m editing on Old Flame. Yes, still. I know… I’ll cut it down as I go. And writing on Tiger’s Tempest.
And as for wizards…
Check out Master of the Fleet, by Sultonna Nadine. I could use someone around here who could control wind and water…
So what are you reading?
Drop me a line with suggestions.
Or go over to Amazon or Smashwordsand check out what I have to offer!
In the meantime, have fun. Enjoy the nice weather, if you’re here in the Southeast.
It’s the middle of August and here in Georgia school has started. And the start of school means new supplies, new clothes, new shoes, school fees… You know the drill. And around here, the schools publish a list of all the supplies your child will need to start school, which really adds up.
So here what I’m going to do!
For the next few weeks, I’m going to feature one book in each series over at Smashwords and offer if for–
FREE!
Yes, you read it correctly. This week, beginning this afternoon, Jareth, First Lord and Gambler’s Folly will each be FREE, as my gift to you.
Jareth, First Lord is the first book in the Esperance series, on a world where paranormal abilities abound, especially among the ruling class.
Gambler’s Folly features a high tech, futuristic world with shifters!
Now, what do I ask in return?
Please review the book on your favorite site. You can write a review at Smashwords or at Goodreads! And please, share the book with your friends.
Other than that, nothing at all. It costs you nothing, but it will mean a great deal to me.
No, I haven’t abandoned all the folks on Gambler’s Folly. It has just been very busy around here lately.
But just to prove I’ve been doing something, here’s the first few paragraphs from Old Flame.
Old Flame
Chapter 1
Kort Behrens stepped out onto the front porch of his elegant home late in the afternoon. With its tall windows facing the setting sun, the house sat back into the mountains of the Sierra Nevada range in Northern California.
“All right, Ernie,” he told his estate manager. “I’ll be back in about a month, depending on how things shake out. You know how it is.”
“Indeed I do, sir,” the man of about forty-five told him. “Have a nice vacation.”
“Thanks, Ernie.”
Folding his six foot eight inch frame into the limo, Kort relaxed back to enjoy the drive.
Two hours later, his driver let him out at the Reno Hyatt and passed his luggage to the concierge. Though the limo was comfortable, a long drive always made him stiff. Maybe it was age creeping up on him. He’d turned fifty-five this year after all. Even doing his best to stay in shape, the stress of his life took its toll. Still, he looked good for his age, his light brown hair only now beginning to show some gray at the temples.
Sinking into the comfortable bed, he dozed until the soft chime on his com woke him at six-thirty. After a warm shower and change of clothes, he took the lift down to the third floor dining room. Raised voices caught his attention as he entered the room and breaking his contemplative mood.
A few tables away, a woman with shoulder length blond hair looked beaten under the verbal assault from the man who stood across the table. There was no reason for this sort of altercation in public, especially in a place like the Hyatt. Time to intervene.
And the story begins.
How does it end?
With a happily-ever-after, of course.
If you haven’t read the previous books in the Gambler’s Folly series, go on over and catch up! They’re onAmazon,Smashwords, and most other major book retailers.
So don’t despair. There are more books coming to the series.
Here it is August already and summer is in full swing down here in the Southeast. We haven’t had any rain in a few days and the temperatures are rising. But where has the summer gone?
I don’t know about where you live, but around here, school starts in August. In some areas, it starts as early as August 5. So everywhere in town is slammed with people trying to get their school shopping done. It is a crazy world out there.
But, with school starting, why don’t you sit back with a cold drink and a good book? With the kids in school, now’s the time to catch up on your reading.
Check out my books on Amazon for paranormal fantasy romance. Or check out Sultonna Nadine–my pen name for stand alones–for a bit more magic!
Esperance — a more frontier-like world where paranormal abilities abound.
Gambler’s Folly–a vacation planet with hunky shifters as Interpol agents, fighting crime and finding soulmates.
Master of the Fleet–an alternate universe of the Pacific Northwest, where magic is all around, but doesn’t seem to help Richard’s love life.
There you have it–a total of eight books to choose from.
So what are you waiting for?
Grab yourself a cold drink, find a comfy spot, sit back and take a virtual vacation to a mystical world.
