Thursday, December 11, 2014

12 Days Of Doggie Christmas

The 12 Days of a Doggie Christmas

On the 12th day of Christmas my doggie stole from meeee:

12 Christmas Cookies
11 Strands of Ribbon
10 Cups of Coffee
 9  Decorations
 8  Christmas Cards
 7 UPS Workers
 6 Strands of Garland
 5 Candy Caaaaanes
 4 Calling Friends
 3 French Toast
 2 Carmel Turtles

And a Part of the Christmas Turkeyyyyy…

Wednesday, December 3, 2014

Cat Calling: Confusing the Asshats.



I know the cat-calling thing has come up a lot lately. So, I thought I'd give my take on it.
From what I've read the conversation seems to be going something like this.
Women: Cat-calling makes us feel degraded, angry, and, at times, afraid. It would be nice if the offenders (generally men) would cease and desist.
Some Men: I never really thought about it that way. I will cease and desist.
Some other Men: I never did that anyway.
Some other Men: Well, it happens to guys too.
And then we have the asshats. The ones who tell us that we should take it as a compliment. That if we didn't dress a certain way, it wouldn't happen (bullshit by the way), and my favorite rage inducing asshat, you know you secretly like it.
So ladies, I've come up with a few ways to deter said asshats. Are you ready? Here goes:
Situation One: Asshat has cat-called you. Stop. Look at asshat with bewilderment. Urgently whisper: You can see me? You're not supposed to be able to see me. *press finger in ear, like they do on cop shows* I've been compromised. No! Do not use the terminate method! We have not reached that point. *look at said asshat* What are you waiting for? Run!
Proceed with the rest of the day.
Situation Two: This can be used if you have an extra few minutes. Asshat approaches. Freeze. I mean it stand completely still, don't even move your eyes. Just stand like that. This will confuse the asshat and he will wonder off.
Situation Three: Start talking to an imaginary person. Nod like you're answering. Ask questions. In general, act like a crazy person. If the asshat is still around, tell him politely that you are in an important conversation with the Emperor of Mars and you don't have time for earthly conversations.
Situation Four: Bark at them while other wise acting completely normal. No explanation required.
Situation Five: Tell asshat you would love to stay and converse but that your probation prohibits you from having a close relationship with any male. Your anger management teacher thinks you're making great strides, but there is always a chance of another "incident".
Happy Walking Ladies.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Dog, The Ducks, and The Idiot Chasing Them Both

One wrong decision in a day can completely set you up for failure.

Like leaving the garage door up because you think, ah well, I just have to run in, get the dog, and take her to the vet.

Except the dog freaks out when you grab her leash for some reason. She tears through the house and hits the door to leading from the house into the garage. You don't think much about it cause she can't open that door.

Except she does. So now she is tearing through your neighborhood, looking over her shoulder at you like, HAHAHAHAHAHA.

So you go after her. She's decided that she wants to eat the ducks. But the ducks do not want to be eaten. So they go around, and around, and around the pond after each other. And you, like an idiot, go around and around and around trying to get the dog. It's like the merry-go-round from hell, with the ducks in the middle, and you and the damn dog on either side. A neighbor comes out and sees you. You think he's going to help.

Except he doesn't. So you think, if I bring out the other dog and feed him ham she'll get jealous, just like she always does, and come over.

Except she doesn't. So now you are staring across the pond from each other. You watch helplessly as your pain in the ass dog goes swimming through the muck. Finally, you realize that maybe one of your more friendly neighbors will help. Two people can corner her. So you knock on their door. The neighbor laughs at you, but agrees to help.

Except the dog has had enough of the ducks and shoots through the neighborhood. You watch as she speeds off. You curse a lot. Your neighbor just shakes his head.

Except apparently her little doggie brain couldn't handle the possibility of loosing a duck dinner, because miraculously, she comes back.

Now you and the neighbor have ham treats to give to the dog, when really all you want to do is strangle her. You and the neighbor split up, hoping to trap the escapee.

She sees the neighbor. She likes the neighbor, but she sure as hell isn't going to let the neighbor catch her. So as the neighbor gets closer, she gives him the HAHAHAHAHA face, and runs off.

This time though, she has made a mistake and cornered herself by a concrete block. Where you are waiting.

So you thank the neighbor profusely, run inside, towel off your soaking, stinky, fur exploding from everywhere, dog. You have no time to change clothes if you are going to make it to the vet. So you just load up and go.

All because of one decision to leave the garage door open.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Book Release!!

We've got a hot one today! This blog tour has it all. Writing tips, an excerpt, and the cover. *fans self*

First the cover, cause we all love awesome covers. Especially with hotties on the front.



Nice, huh? Want to learn more? Of course you do! Keep reading.


Kindling the Past
by M.S. Kaye
Kindle is fighting to survive on her own, to break free from her possessive and violent ex-boyfriend, and trying not to let her best friend, Anna, know she’s in love with her husband. Most of all, she fights the visions she sees of the past—she doesn’t believe in that kind of stuff.
Then Anna is shot and killed.
In their grief, Kindle and Ty, Anna’s husband and Kindle’s Taekwondo instructor, grow closer. Although Kindle is careful never to let him too close, he helps her learn to accept that her visions are real. Eventually, the truth about Anna’s death breaks through into Kindle’s visions, and she must find a way not to let it destroy her.
Pre-order at a 20% discount: 





Before rushing off to by this book, keep reading for more a great writing tip and more about this author.

Quick Tip 7:
The Strong Silent Type
We all love the strong, quiet man. Descriptions should be just like those favorite heroes of ours—powerful images in few words.
The reader won’t remember fifteen details, but they will remember one powerful one. And if you catch the right details, you don’t need all the rest—the reader’s imagination will fill them in for you, which helps suck them into your story.
“Spanish moss swayed in the trees above the gleaming headstone.”
Does it matter how big the headstone is, what kind of trees hold the moss, or if the stone is close to the drive? Nope—those unimportant details would just dilute the image.

 I’ve put together ten short, easy writing tips to share. Follow my tour to see them all. Tour stops will be posted on my website: http://booksbymsk.com/?page_id=616




BIG OL' EXCERPT IN 3...2...1 GO!!!

Excerpt:
Prologue
I fought the visions. My mother used to tell me my expression turned stupid when I had them, but I didn’t care about that so much anymore. I hated when the visions were true somehow, actual bits of the past. I didn’t believe in that kind of stuff.
Chapter 1: Fight
“She’s such a snob,” one of the young women whispered on the other side of the locker room.
I stayed faced away, trying not to hear their gossip. I tugged my jeans on and pulled my shirt over my head. When I glanced in the mirror to fix my hair, I barely saw the dark brown framing my fair skin—only the way the other girls looked at me. I bent over to pick up my shoes.
“The guys don’t even ask her out because she’s so stuck up.”
I didn’t understand why they thought like this about me, but I didn’t much care anyway. As soon as I had my shoes on, I threw my gear bag over my shoulder and walked out.
Master Trahem was on the workout floor sparring with Mr. Schmidt. Master Trahem’s uniform was starting to come open, and sweat glistened on his well-built chest.
I looked away.
“Bye, Kindle,” Mrs. Trahem said as I passed the front counter. “See you tomorrow.”
I smiled at her, one of the few people I reserved my genuine smile for. She was a big part of the reason I came in early to help every day, her and her atrocious typing skills. She always held her fingers above the keys like a fisherman wielding a spear, as if expecting them to squirm out from under her aim.
But honestly, helping with data entry was just an excuse—Mrs. Trahem was the best person I’d ever known, and I felt calmer when I was around her.
“You’ll be there early, right?” Mrs. Trahem added. She tucked her silky dark hair behind her ear. There was a grace to her movement. No wonder Master Trahem had married her so quickly. At twenty-nine, she was a few years older than me but looked just as young.
“Definitely.” Then I kept walking. Before I gave into the urge to turn and watch Master Trahem.
The girls from the locker room followed me out into the parking lot. I sat in my car and started the engine.
While I drove the forty-five minutes home, I fought to stay awake. At least traffic at nine-thirty at night was thin. I always missed rush hour. I left my apartment before six every morning and didn’t return until after ten. Being tired felt normal.
As I pulled up to my building, I examined each car. I knew to whom each of them belonged, as well as half my neighbors’ friends’ cars. The girl across the hall traded boyfriends every week. She drove me nuts.
I had no way of knowing what Chris was driving. I had to know which cars were supposed to be here in order to know if there was a new one. Most of my neighbors drove beaters like me, and Chris had always liked something flashy. But with him, I couldn’t depend on consistency. He was smart.
I recognized all the cars tonight. I parked under the streetlight and kept the door locked while I pulled my gear bag onto my lap and slipped the strap over my shoulder. Keys ready, I jumped out of the car and jogged up the steps. I hated apartment buildings in Florida. The halls were open, no security doors to block unwanted visitors from knocking on your front door, from lurking in shadowy corners.
Within about ten seconds, I was up the stairs, down the hall, and at my door. Just being able to move quickly without running out of breath was worth the cost of Taekwondo classes. I felt more confident, less scared.
My door unlocked, I glanced down the hall one more time then slipped inside. I closed the door, locked it, and flipped the lights.
I was not alone.
He was right there, tall, thick, and blond as always. I was seeing as clearly as if through acid. I blinked to make sure he was really there. I always did that. It was stupid.
Chris was always there.



And finally Ms. Kaye herself (AKA Ms. Awesomesauce)

Author Bio:
M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband, Corey, in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com.
Contact M. S. Kaye at: 


Now go get that book!!!!

Saturday, March 1, 2014

It Could Have Been Me




Recently, I was asked to give a speech to an auditorium full of high school students. I've never stood in front of a large group and spoke before. Unless you count elementary school plays, which I don't.
The topic was to be about Young Adult books and reading, something that high school kids would just be dying to hear about, right? Of course not. So I knew that in order to make it interesting, I would have to make it personal. So I did. And part of that speech I would like to share with you.

What you may know already is, my book, Awakenings, is about two sisters who are kidnapped by human traffickers. The older one, Evie, is murdered but comes back from the dead to seek revenge and to save her sister.  But what you may not know is that a scene from that book came from my real life. You can probably guess that the coming back from the dead is not the one I'm talking about. (Or is it?)

No, the scene in which I am referring to is the one where Evie and her sister are running from the traffickers pursuing them. They grasp hands and run for their lives. This actually happened.

Now, in the book the girls are running from the men who have raided a hotel. The real life event wasn't as dramatic, but here it is.

When I was little, around six or seven, I was outside my house picking flowers for my mom. For as little as I was, that day is extremely clear in my mind, I can even remember what I was wearing.  It was sunny, and warm. I was in a purple shirt striped with different colors on the chest. We had wild buttercup flowers that grew by our house and that was what I was collecting. As I bent over to pluck another flower from the ground, a car slowed to a stop in front of my house.

I stood up and watched as a tall man in a dark three piece suit, opened the passenger door and got out. I remember a cold coil of fear tightening in my stomach. As I stared at him, he raised a camera, took my picture, got back into the car and drove off.

I ran back inside and told my mom about it but he was gone by time she made it out. She told me to stay inside the rest of the day and that was the last we saw of him. Until two weeks later.

Behind our rickety old house, we had a narrow dirt alley way. It wasn't used very often, but occasionally a car would drive through. On this day, my sister, who was around nine or ten at the time, and I were playing on our rusty old swingset. I was swinging when we heard the familiar sound of gravel crunching beneath a car.

My sister ordered me off the swing as the car inched its way up to directly behind our house. I immediately got off and joined her in the yard. When the car came to a complete stop, my sister and I were already very alert. When that man in the three piece suit stepped out of the car and into our yard, my sister yelled, grabbed my hand, and we took off running.

I don't know how close he got to us, because we were screaming and didn't look back. Our old dog went ballistic as we blew past her, probably sensing something was wrong. We had a back door that couldn't easily be seen from the alleyway, and we charged through it. My sister slammed it shut and threw the lock.

We nearly collided with my mom, who had heard us and was already making her way to us. We were out of breath but managed to squeak out what had happened. Mom quickly went to a window and peered out. The only thing she saw was the settling cloud of dust his car had left behind.

My sister and I were so very lucky. But sometimes I wonder, what would have happened if we hadn't made it to that door? My anger at that man is part of the reason why so many bad things happen to the bad men in my book. That's part of the reason why I wrote the book that I did, because really it could have been me.


Monday, January 6, 2014

New Release - Vision of Shadows


Look at what is out now! The cover is awesome and the story looks fantastic! Check it out.




See? Isn't it pretty? Read on to find out more.

Blurb: 
Is Bristol Blackburn about to meet the love of her life...or her killer? 

After the death of her parents, Bristol Blackburn's life is thrown into chaos and she's forced to move to Spirit, a small town where shadows are stirring. As she learns to navigate her new school and figures out how to keep her psychic abilities secret from her family, Bristol comes face to face with the boy who makes a regular appearance in her dreams: the gorgeous, possibly deadly, Payne McKnight. Soon she’ll find out if Payne will be the love of her life, or the end of it — and she has no idea which possibility scares her more.

And that's not even the worst of it. Strange shadows are haunting her dreams, and they're up to something that could put Bristol and the lives of everyone she loves in jeopardy.


You can add Vision of Shadows to your to-read list on Goodreads: 

You can find more about Vision of Shadows on the Entranced site, you can also find the buy links here as soon as Vision of Shadows is available:



Also Vince wrote about picking character names. Something that is super hard for me. 

What’s in a name?

One of the first things I decided on when I started Vision of Shadows were the names of my characters. I had been trolling some baby site names (Wow, hope that doesn’t sound creepy!) and I came across a little article on two different women who had named their sons Payne. They had both thought that it was an interesting and unique name. Plus, they got to introduce their sons as their “Little Payne.” I instantly fell in love with it and knew I had to have a character named Payne. I kept trying out different last names until I thought of McKnight. I just seemed perfect. Payne McKnight.
One afternoon, I was watching football and saw the roster of the NY Giants flash across the screen. They have linebacker named Chase Blackburn. Both names stood out to me as particularly cool. I eventually put the name Blackburn together with the first name Bristol and had my main character, Bristol Blackburn. 
As I started to develop the concept for the story, I knew I was going to have two families with a generations old feud. Those families would be the Blackburn’s and the McKnight’s. I quickly came up with the names of the Bristol’s immediate family. I remembered that article where I read the name Payne and recalled that one of the women had stated that her husband liked the name since he had grown up with such a normal name, Mark. Something clicked in my head. (Or the hamster fell off the wheel!) Bristol’s uncle was christened Mark. I decided his young sons would be named Simon (He’s smart and I was thinking of that old game Simon Says) Zach, and their grandfather, Greg. All fairly basic names that just seemed to work. I still had the name Chase in my head, wanting to come out and I always wanted to use the name Blasé, which I had heard used in the Harry Potter book. 
Somewhere along the line, it occurred to me that the McKnight family would all have very unique names. It would become important that there would never be a Bob or Stanley McKnight.  Payne’s grandfather was originally named Victor, but that just wasn’t McKnight enough. So he was re-christened Varick. 
Whenever I needed names, even names used in passing, I’d google Unique Baby Names and find a bunch of baby naming sites and start scanning for names that stood out. Balthazar, Hunter, and Archer just to mention a few. It became woven into the fabric of the story.
As the series has progressed, I’ve always paid very close attention to names. And when I’m out and about, if I hear a name that’s unique and different, I file it away. You never know when it’s going to come in handy. 
So anytime I hear a name that piques my interest, I think, “Hey now. That could be a new character!”

Find out more about the author.

About the Author:
Born and raised in Brooklyn NY, Vincent Morrone now resides in Upstate NY with his wife. (Although he can still speak fluent Brooklynese.) His twin daughters remain not only his biggest fans, but usually are the first to read all of his work. Their home is run and operated for the comfort and convenience of their dogs. 

Vincent has been writing fiction, poetry and song lyrics for as long as he can remember, most of which involve magical misfits, paranormal prodigies and even on occasion superheroes and their sidekicks.

As they say in Brooklyn: Yo, you got something to say to Vincent? 
Check out http://vincentmorrone.com/ where you can learn about Vincent and leave him a comment.  You can also connect with Vincent on Twitter https://twitter.com/Vince524 and Facebook https://www.facebook.com/Morrrone.


You can find and contact Vincent Morrone here: 

Vincent also participates in a group blog called YA Rush which consist of YA and NA Entranced authors. You can find YA Rush here:
Website: http://yarush.com/   

Monday, November 18, 2013

Cover Reveal!!!


I love, love, LOVE, Cover Reveals! And this is a good one….
Look at all the pretty!





Makes you want to know more doesn't it? Well, here you go!

Kelsi always Knows when bad things are coming, but even she never thought she’d lose her husband at only twenty-three. Since he died, she’s been living her worst nightmare. 

Her nights are filled with dreams of a Dark Haired Man, but her days are full of guilt, because the Man fills her with longing and confusion, promising to give her all she needs, all she wants, all she feared she’d never have again.
If only the dreams would stay in her head where they belong. 
Kelsi starts seeing the Dark Haired Man in her waking life, shadowing her wherever she goes. And when her mysterious new neighbor, Aiden Hardt, knows about the Man in her dreams, Kelsi worries she can’t trust her own mind.
He’s not what he seems.
But even Aiden’s cryptic words don’t frighten her as much as the way she feels around him. Kelsi must sort through her emotions and figure out what’s real before she can ever hope to have a normal life again.

Here's more about the lovely Author!



About the Author

Barbara was born and raised in Southern California, but left to explore the world courtesy of the U.S. Navy. After traveling the world, she forced herself to live a humble life in in San Francisco, New York and Norfolk, Virginia. She now calls San Diego home and you won’t pry her out with a crowbar.
She would be the first  to tell you her husband, Henry, is the inspiration for all the romance, and the real Charlie - who is as cute as he sounds in her books - is a terrorist. When not working for the U.S. Navy, she can be found running, reading or writing. She firmly believes a well rounded diet consists of coffee, scotch, chocolate, popcorn and Luna Bars. In that order. 
She's a graduate of CUNY and Penn State - and manages to write a decent line here and there despite those burdens. 
Social Media Links
https://twitter.com/bak229

http://nofilterinstalled.blogspot.com

https://www.facebook.com/NoFilterBetweenBrainandMouth