Play Time For You - Online Games

I am not ashamed to confess that I like online games. Way before I turned to blogging and Twitter for online fun, I loved playing online games. I know, I know as a writer my ideal goal to reach would be to lock myself in a windowless room with no electronics hammering out my weekly bestseller via the typewriter while someone feeds be through a tube, but we all know that that isn't possible.

A Book to Read If You Understand the Need for an Escape

How the Trouble Started by Robert Williams takes us on the journey of Donald Bailey, first, as an eight year old little boy who caught wind of some trouble. The first person narrative draws us close to Donald as he recounts fading memories of an incident involving a two year old little boy from down the street. Police question him and his mother questions him - all wanting to know the truth of what happened. But being the little boy that he is, Donald doesn't have the answers. All he can do is explain that "I didn't mean to do anything at all - that I was just playing outside and it went wrong" (pg 40 on iPhone Kindle app)

The Listserv - Messages of Hope, Honesty, and the Everyday

This is one of those blog posts that I have been wanting to write for a very long time.

So, I'm a huge, HUGE fan of StumbleUpon because you never know the type of amazing things you will come across. I came across a site called, "The Listserve" and immediately got interested. I signed up and since then I'm one of their biggest fans.

Literary Addicts Launch & Kindle Fire Contest

Welcome to the Literary Addicts Kindle Fire Event where we have teamed up with 10 Amazing Authors and several awesome bloggers to celebrate the

Grand Opening of Literary Addicts a Community for Book Lovers!

Please check out the Fantastic authors bringing the Kindle Fire Giveaway to you! Don't miss out on these great reads even if you don't have a kindle yet. You can download the kindle app for you phone, desktop, or ipad HERE. All of these books are less than a Starbucks Coffee!

Wednesday Writing Prompt - One Photo, Five Words, and a 500 Word Limit

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

It's midweek and you know what that means? We are three days away from the weekend! I know, I can't wait too.

So, we had an amazing turn out last week! Here are the stories we received:

Clothespin Commitment by Jack Carlson
A Child's Path and Escape by Scott Taylor
Murder at the Amusement Park (the ongoing story that inspired my own) by Tena Car
Lost by Landa
Summer of 1962 by Anne
I Love a Good Curse by Me
Perfect Not Day by Carrie K. Sorensen

It's my turn this week! And it's my favorite part of the whole week because I get to choose the photo! Yay!

I Love A Good Curse - A Bit of Short Fiction

This is an ongoing story, so if you want to read what happened last time, click this link.


Twenty minutes later, Becky's grandmother calmed down and was convinced that Brenda's appearance was only a fluke. That the girl on her trip was someone entirely different. Brenda's stomach still tied into knots, though, everyone time Becky's grandmother eyed her.

Brenda busy with the task of pulling the torn thread off her nightgown while watching the wind dry their laundry outside. But a snippet of conversation between Becky's grandmother and Becky's parents caught her attention.

"...and legend has it that these two people were sent back in time together because of a curse one of them came upon."

Becky's mother laughed in excitement. "How creepy! Where did you hear about this story? And why were two people sent back?"

Becky's grandmother shrugged. "Something I overheard on the plane. And you know how I love a good curse."

Two Books to Read if You Are a Dog or Cat Person

When I received this book to review, I was immediately drawn towards this wonderful story about Darby, an adopted dog who finds his home with Martha Steward and her family. I was especially interested because my mom's boss trains guide dog puppies and brings them into work. So, often times when my mom comes home she will bring home wonderful and adorable stories of the dog at work (the latest one is named Ruffle, by the way!)

And so being able to read a close account of the life of this particular dog was a joy to me. And I must tell you...

Anytime a book makes me cry, it's a good sign. As another reviewer put it on Amazon.com, I felt like I was part of the family. I felt like I knew Darby and could reach inside the pages and pet him myself. And this definitely makes me want to go out and adopt a dog.

"Everything Is Art" Magazine - For Artists of All Kinds

I had the wonderful opportunity to come across a new magazine launched in 2011 called "Everything is Art."

Although I wouldn't consider myself a traditional artist (although some writers might dispute that), I love anything creative and I especially love showcasing something like this that is new and out to help out artists. One of the first things that captivated me in this magazine is their portrayal of all types of art. In their latest issue, they interview Nathan Sawaya, an artist who makes life form shapes out of legos. In the magazine, he describes his life before devoting it to art, as working as an attorney in New York City.

Lucky 7 - Tagged Again!

I am so So, as you all know I have been working VERY hard on my rewrite. I am on chapter four and it's actually going really well.  And in case you were wondering, it's taking me longer than what's normal because the first draft is handwritten.

Yes I hand wrote a novel. Don't judge.

So, I was tagged for the Lucky 7 Challenge by blogger and writer Tom Quigley and I'm so excited to share page 7 of my manuscript with you!

A Book to Read if You Love the Greek Myths

Her fourth suspension.

The visions are getting worse. The voices in her head won't go away.

Chloe Clever, otherwise known by her classmates as "Whack Job Chloe," returns to school only to end up in the Principal's office her first day back. This time for beating up Vice Principal's son. But she didn't see some kid in front of her. She saw someone else. Someone who threatened Chloe, her family, and her very existence.

Except no one else saw him. 

Resolved to probably never come back to school with her head held high again, Chloe accepts her fifth suspension and on the way to her car she's attacked again. 

And this time, nothing will ever be the same again.

Happy One Year Blog Anniversary! Come by and Celebrate With Me!

I made it!!!!!

I am proud to say that I have made it to one year of blogging.

WOW! Can I say it's been quite an adventure? I never thought I would be this into blogging and would have accomplished so much.

So, what has happened in one year?

[Guest Post] What I Have Learned As a Writer

Today's guest post is brought to you by Michelle Grogan, author of the book Forbidden Love. 


In the short time I have considered myself an Indie Author, I have learned some very valuable things in that time.

Find a Good Editor BEFORE Publishing

This is a lesson I learned the hard way. I guess I originally thought that going it on my own, self-publishing my first novel, that I wasn’t going to have the same kind of backing and support that someone connected to a publishing house would have – i.e. a marketing team, design team, and editors. Being that I had worked with my debut novel, Forbidden Love, for so many years I thought I would be able to edit and catch all the
typos myself…that was not the case and I learned it the hard way.

Writer Wednesday Writing Prompt

This week's prompt is led by Carrie over at Chasing Revery! I'm so excited to see what she has come up with! 

Welcome to another Creative Wednesday Snapshot prompt. There were lots of different takes on last week's inspiration, put together by Jane Bussey at A Writer's Muses. All the stories are listed below, so you can click through them on your way to this week's prompt.

Messages, A Little Story... @ Scotty Watty Doodle All The Day

A Squirrel's Tale @ Pin and Tack

Grandmother's Own @ Puzzle Me Complete

Searching here @ Chasing Revery

It really is incredible how one prompt can inspire so many different views. I'm so excited to be a part of a blog hop that generates these different stories. This week, I got another chance to put together our photo and words. So let's get to it.

How Did You Get Here? - A Bit of Short Fiction

This is an ongoing blog story. Read the complete story clicking this link!

"Becky! Time for dinner! And your grandmother is here! Come say hi!"

The young girl jumped off the chair. "Wait here..."

Brenda watched as the young girl left the attic. She sat down at the chair by the desk and rubbed her arms.

"How the hell did this happen?" Brenda muttered.

CollageIt - A Review

As you all know, I am a huge fan of making collages. Check out this post here for proof! And when I had the chance to review a software that you can use to make collages on your computer, I jumped at the chance!

PearlMountain Soft has created CollageIt. Here is their press release:

My Interviews With "The Writer's Block" & Angelica Dawson's Blog

Wow! You know if you guys keep on interviewing me you're gonna make me feel that I'm relevant and important with something amazing to say! Heh heh...oh well, why deny the truth? (Kidding! Hee hee. Sort of.)

I was recently interviewed by the amazing blog The Writer's Block, so I invite you to come on by and check it out.

Click this link to read the review!

I was also interviewed by Angelica Dawson who interviews blogger. I was really excited about this interview, because this is the first time anyone has asked me anything about blogging and my experiences with it.

Showing Off My Crafty Side

So, many of you probably have seen this if you are following me on Google Plus, Facebook, or Twitter, but I decided to brag a little bit at my craft prowess-ness.

For a long time, way before I had this blog, I loved making collages. I am a subscriber to Glamour and cut out various photos and words from the magazine to keep and use for collages. I've got quite a collection and I am working on something a bit larger scale (at least for me).

There is also a larger point to this that I want to add once I show off, so stay with me...

Wednesday Weekly Writing Prompt

Aaand we're back!

This time I am proud to say that Jane Bussey from Writer's Muses one of the blog hop co-hosts is taking over this week and I just love the picture she chose. But before we get to all of that, time to feature the amazing creativity from last week.

Age is Just a Number by Chessny Smith
Birthday Wishes by Kimberly Gould
A Morning Conversation and Late for Work by Scott Taylor
Charmed by Carrie K. Sorensen 
The Magic Pen by Landa
Let The Games Begin by Me
I Hope It's Worth The Wait

And the rules are:

Let The Games Begin - A Bit of Short Fiction

Note - This is an ongoing blog story. Read the blog story to it's latest events by clicking this link! 

Brenda ascended the staircase and followed the voice calling out to her. There gripped the smooth wooden hand railing and followed it up until the staircase wrapped around to the second floor. The second floor of the attic or the third floor of their house, Brenda wasn't sure.

She stepped out and found herself in another room. The walls were painted yellow like the staircase and she noticed someone took great care with the layout and the design. Brenda approached a desk in the corner and looked out the open window that faced an open field. A little boy in a large tree out back looked out from his tree house with a makeshift telescope - two taped together empty toilet paper rolls. He snarled and threw a stuffed chameleon up in the air as a younger girl crossed the yard and headed towards the house. She seemed disoriented as she looked around.

A Book to Read if You Love a Good Whodunit

I'm always excited to read a book where the writer knows how to put together a really good mystery and "whodunit." Author Jennifer L. Jennings contacted me to review both of her books, An Appointment With Murder and An Act of Deceit and I was not disappointed.

Summer Time Fun! - XPerience Days Giveaway [Winner Chosen!]

Here's one example of what you can do with XPerience Days

I can't believe the awesome giveaway I have for you today. I am giving away a $50.00 giveaway with XPerience Days. And if you haven't heard of the online gift site, XPerience Days, now is the time to learn.

This place allows you to purchase cheap "experience" gifts, and hot air balloon rides is just one thing you can do. And you know what would make unique gifts for men? This site.offers you amazing experiences ranging from the under $100 range to a more extravagant gift price of $500 and above. I just looked up some gift experiences in the city of Portland, Oregon, and you have whitewater rapid gift certificate, flying trapeze workshop, walking tours, beach trips...you name it. This site is one of my favorite places to look for not only stuff to give to someone, but also for something new I want to try. 

So, I am offering one winner a $50.00 gift certificate to XPerience Days. All you do is post in the comments your name and email. 

The winner will be chosen by June 15th (just in time for Father's Day!). 


The winner has been chosen! I am proud to announce that Farrah Shumway is the winner! Farrah you will be receiving an email from me with further details.

Disclaimer: I did not receive compensation of any kind for hosting this giveaway. Special thank you to XPerience Days for offering the $50.00 gift certificate to my readers.


Please note I have turned off the comments now because the giveaway is over. But do check out this amazing company for some pretty awesome gift ideas. 

Making the Everyday Beautiful - The Art of Loving Your Life

I am taking part in a mass blogging tour where I respond to the question - what is it that makes your life poetic? How do you find beauty in every day? 


Let's be honest. It's tough these days to think of life as poetry. Unless that poetry is miserable. I am unemployed. My computer is on the fritz and even as I type out this post I know that I have a little under a few hours to get as much as I can done before it crashes. I have been so close to adding a donation button to my blog to encourage people to donate to the "get me a new laptop" fund. I won't though. That would be wrong...right? 

PrintRunner X Giveaway!

I am so excited for you! I am partnering up with PrintRunner to offer you an amazing giveaway. PrintRunner offers quality print services at pretty amazing prices for all your printing needs. And today I am taking part in a giveaway as part of their online postcard printing.

Here are the details of the giveaway -

The winner will receive 100 5X7 Postcards

• Colors: 4/0 Front Only Printing
• Papers: 14 Pt. UV Coating on Front,
• Rounded Corners: Yes
• Proof: None
• Ready to Ship In: 4 Business Days
• Standard Shipping is Free (Expedited shipping paid for by winner).

I know isn't it exciting??? I love postcards and they are an amazing way to reach out to people. 

How do you win this amazing prize? Just leave your name and email in the comments section and on June 30th I will put everyone's names in a hat and draw the winner.

Also, make sure you check them out on Facebook and Twitter for updates.

Disclaimer: Thank you to PrintRunner for providing us this giveaway, I will receive a set of postcards for hosting this.

Update! I used random.org to select a number between 1 and 9 and the chosen winner was #1. So that means Lena is the winner! Woohoo!

[Product Review] Remindeo - Never Forget Again

Ah the virtual rubber band on the wrist. The thread tied around the pinky. The crumbled up piece of paper somewhere in your purse about that thing you keep meaning to do.

I received an offer to review the virtual reminding system called, "Remindeo" and I really enjoyed it. As I've done before, here is the pros and cons of the software as I used it, and I followed up the review with the overall feeling on whether you should give it a try.

A Book to Read if You Have Something To Hide

Photo Copyright Belongs to Dark Horse Comics

It's a small town. And small towns have secrets.

Yet, that's the thing about secrets - they never go unnoticed.

For Trevor, there is a secret hiding in his backyard, inside of the barn. It's his brother - Will. Will, only six years old, stands several feet above his brother. And it wasn't until Trevor decides to take a stand against the hiding of his brother, that he realizes how much this small town would be willing to fight for the silence of the children.

Goodbye Ray Bradbury

I am so sad to say that Ray Bradbury has passed.  He lived from 1921 - 2012 and died at the age of 91 in his home in California.

I have to say I have read several of his books and enjoyed them thoroughly (a few I will mention in a minute). So I wanted to honor his work and his impact on the reading and writing world.  Funny thing is I learned after reading an article that he never embraced technology despite his futuristic worlds. He even considered the "internet a scam." (Can't agree with him there, but we all have our vices, right?) (And considering this is the author of Fahrenheit 451, are we really that surprised about that?)

Anyways...here's a few of my favorite books by this amazing writer -

The Final Call - Ending to Riley's Story (A Blog Story Hop)

I am so excited to bring you the final entry into the blog story hop "Riley's Story." It has taken an amazing turn and it's wonderful to see how Carrie and Leonard took the story.

And I am SO glad they let me write the ending. Writing the ending is like having the last piece of chocolate cake.

Before you read the ending, make sure to read the story in full, by clicking the links below:

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five


All caught up?

Okay, here it is. I'm so excited.

Help Out an Author - Win Amazing Prizes!

As you have gathered, I love contests and I love posting them. Especially when it helps out writers (even more so when I know one! Okay, "know" through blogging but it counts, right?)

Here are the details:

This is a one day only BOOK PUSH for June 6th 2012. Yup, four authors DETERMINED to bring their books to the world AND to see them climb high in Amazon’s Ranks. We have a Zombie-ish apocalypse with a splash of romance, a romantic suspense with a dash of humour, a Thriller with a huge helping of action and a YA Paranormal with a mystery blended in.

Writer Wednesday Blog Hop - Photo Writing Prompt

Okay so this should be interesting. My laptop wouldn't stop crashing, so I'm typing this out on my cell phone. If you catch any errors, that's why. Last week's blog hop went amazing!

Carrie did a great job of choosing just the right photo to inspire people!

Here are the contributions to last week's blog hop:

Window View by Randy Lindsay
Moor Conversation in Fog by Scott Watty Doodle All the Day
Amusement Park Murder by Jottings and Writings
At the Golf Course by Sydney Aaliyah
Lost on the Golf Course by Chasing Revery (Co-Host)
Don't Open the Door by Me

That was an awesome turn out and such amazing creativity in the bunch!

Don't Open the Door - A Bit of Short Fiction

This is a continuation of last week's contribution to Writer Wednesday Blog Hop.

Click here to read the previous entries.
"Becky, we shouldn't be doing this." Brittney whispered.

We were hiding in the hallway closet of our rented cabin and operation payback was about to commence. I almost felt bad for the three buffoons who were about to get a taste of their own medicine. I wanted Tori to take part, but she never would do that to her boyfriend. Not to mention she can't keep secrets.

"Okay, go." I whispered to Brittney.

Earlier in the week, we found a hidden door at the side of the hallway closet door that went behind the walls of the cabin. I followed Becky who had pressed open the secret passageway and heard it close behind me. This was where revenge would take place.

Does Editing Take Anyone Else Really Long?

Anyone else really hate how tough editing is? 

I finished the first draft of my book in the first part of this year and I am continuing to edit it. And you know what? It's taking me really long. Granted I did hand write the novel, but even if I hadn't, I'm not even looking at the first few chapters yet. I would be surprised as all get out if I end up finishing this rewrite before the year ends.

John Carter Blue Ray Giveaway!

I am happy to take part in another awesome giveaway!

It's a "John Carter" Blue Ray Giveaway! Pretty cool huh?

Disney brings to life an iconic hero, John Carter, in a visually stunning new world with heart-pounding action. The heroic epic adventure “John Carter” arrives on Disney Blu-ray Combo Pack, Blu-ray 3D, HD Digital, DVD and On-Demand June 5, 2012, just in time for Father’s Day!

A Book to Read if You Still Love Fairy Tales

I love any book that restores my faith in fairy tales. And I loved Maven Fairy Godmother: Through the Veil for that reason (among many other reasons on top of that).  Immediately, I related to the main character Maven, a middle aged lady who has been struggling with not only having no job, but having nearly no life. When we meet her, she lives in an old van and barely has enough money to scrounge together a cup of coffee.