Lisa Rector's Blog: Writing and Beyond, page 6
September 24, 2016
Forty-five Minutes of Hell
This post is not about writing. Warning number one.
This is a TMI post.
After scaring my husband and daughter to death this morning, I feel compelled to tell my story because I know other women are suffering in silence too. This is about my PERIOD, so, men, feel free to stop reading now. You have been warned.
A little background. Over the past five years (I am 36), my menstrual cycles have become longer, heavier, and more painful. An average five day period has spread to seven days, five of which I am confined to the house. According to my GYN, periods are considered heavy if there is enough blood to soak a pad or tampon every hour for several consecutive hours. Well, how about every two hours for two days? I was asked by the lady who did my abdominal ultrasound if I was also anemic. I’m not. So here I am feeling like an idiot as I tell my GYN about my symptoms and how miserable I am because I don’t meet the worst criteria. I just have somewhat heavy periods.
But it is HELL.
First off, I have a hormonal imbalance. I know I have way too much estrogen floating around in my system. It makes me retain fluid—at any given time. I can hold on to extra fluid for weeks. It doesn’t matter when my cycle falls. Then all of the sudden, I will pee about fifty times a day when my body decides it is ready to get rid of the fluid. Talk about annoying.
And then, for two weeks out of the month my breasts are huge and swollen and achingly sore. Big boobs are not fun. I don’t like walking around with giant throbbing melons. I would never wish for larger ones. No. Just no. Every time my boobs finally deflate, I am thrilled to death.
Now I come to the mood changes. Irritable, anxious, the itch to kill. Seriously. I could cut someone.
And that is all before I have my monthly blood bath.
I thought I could cope. I thought by using tampons and having liners as backups I could function. No. It doesn’t work like that.
A period is messy. A period is painful. My period is destroying me. And no, I’m not being overly dramatic. I have to adjust my life to live around my cycle. Thankfully I am a stay-at-home mom. I don’t know how working women do it. I really don’t. (Isn’t there a country out there who gives monthly menstrual leave? Brilliant idea there.)
So my incident. When I am on my period, I try to take ibuprofen around the clock. I have been monitoring my cycle for the past 18 months with a lovely chart, so I know the days that are bad, the days that are heavy, and how long I have to confine myself to my house. I even mark the days on my calendar three months in advance, so I know not to schedule anything during those weeks.
Well, day five of my cycle. I was excited to have a splendid night sleep, which is rare on my period when I have to wake up to change everything every two hours. But this was night four, so I was feeling optimistic. My flow was slowing, so I thought day five was going to be great. I could get some work done and get back to paying attention to my children. I felt so good this morning I didn’t take any ibuprofen. I didn’t take it last night either. Big mistake. The hugest.
About 9:30 a.m. mild cramping begins. I growl and go into the kitchen to down 2 pills. I knew I needed to stay on top of the mildest cramps because they could escalade. Ten minutes later I am rocking in pain as the cramps have now surged pain down my legs and into my groin. Everything from the waist down hurts. I add 2 Tylenol and put a heat pack on my stomach. The heat pack barely touches the pain, which feels like knifes twisting in my stomach. The pain doesn’t relent. It’s not like labor contractions, which stop after a few minutes. This pain is constant.
I don’t know how much time has passed. Seconds probably, but I am sure the clock has stopped. I HURT! No relief has come.
I want to cut the damn organ out. I picture my stupid uterus contracting in my abdomen, thinking it’s doing such a great thing by expelling the rest of my uterine lining.
I loathe it. I wish they had taken my uterus out instead of clipping my fallopian tubes.
Sobbing, I round into a ball on my kitchen floor. My daughter comes into the kitchen, says she is sorry I am hurting. She doesn’t know what to do. I try to move around, sit up, pace, curl again. Nothing helps. My breathing becomes shallow. I am in so much pain, I feel like I am going to hurl. My daughter gets me a puke bucket.
I move to the dining room table and rock in the chair. My whole body is in agony. My face is dripping in snot. My throat is constricting while trying not to puke. But my uterus—it won’t stop sending pulsating torture throughout my body. I really start freaking out. I stand to go to the bathroom and realize my legs are shaking. They actually feel like they are made from jelly. I don’t know how I get to the bathroom. I rip out my menstrual cup, in case I am getting toxic shock. My whole body is trembling. I don’t know what is going on. I’m scared. I yell for my daughter to wake my husband.
By the time he gets up, I am lying on the floor in the living room, with just a panty liner in my underwear, hyperventilating, whimpering that I am scared. I don’t know what is going on. At the same time telling my husband to check my temperature and reheat the heat packs. My pain is so extreme I don’t even know what to do. I tell my husband this. I keep mumbling I’m scared and I don’t know what to do, over and over. I instruct him to find a paper bag when I realize my lips are tingling (a sign of hyperventilating).
I don’t know how much time has past. But I get him to call my GYN. I don’t really know what she could tell me, because in my head, I know this is all just cramps. Nothing will help me but time. But I want this to go away so badly. My daughter has brought me a pillow and later my husband covers me with a blanket while I continue to breathe into the paper bag.
Finally I leave a message and the GYN calls me back. She tells me to take 2 more ibuprofen. I weep into the phone. I know she can’t do anything else. I’m not dying. It’s just cramps, and I know it.
This is just too cruel. Day five of my period. Medium flow. I should be almost done. Why?
I crawl to the kitchen and swallow two more pills. I go back to quivering on the floor. My husband and daughter are sitting by me, not knowing what else to do.
All of a sudden I begin to feel relief. The stabbing in my uterus subsides. Then my legs stop aching. But the whole event, only about forty-five minutes to an hour, has taken a toll, and I can’t believe as abruptly as this started, it ended. I ask for a ginger ale to recover my stomach. This surprisingly makes me feel a lot better.
I am able to sit up. I blubber to my husband about my week and how hard it has been and how I really tried to be a good mom while still being in agony and inconvenienced. But I feel washed out. My body is an empty lump, but at least I am not on the brink of death anymore.
My poor family. I wobble to the bathroom to clean up. Never again will I skimp on my pain pills until the whole week is over.
I don’t know if this adequately describes it. Even as I type this, it is as if the whole episode never happened. But it was excruciating. I was out of my mind. It was the worst pain in my life so far. And I still remember the super contraction I had with my second daughter. It topped out at 11 on a 1-to-10 pain scale, but even that only lasted 90 seconds. Try to picture that going on for an hour. Your worst contraction for an hour. Try to think of that.
Why is my body doing this? As I type this, I am still waiting for results from my abdominal ultrasound. Maybe it will tell me something.
But, ladies, don’t suffer in silence. Feel free to share your story with me. Share this blog post. Tell me how your period is screwing with your life. It is all total bollocks. I couldn’t even go to the fair with my family this week. I missed an amazing essential oil event and can’t go to a dinner tonight with a bunch of girlfriends. I told everyone it’s because I am sick. Yeah. Every month.
At least I only have two more days of it.
This is a TMI post.
After scaring my husband and daughter to death this morning, I feel compelled to tell my story because I know other women are suffering in silence too. This is about my PERIOD, so, men, feel free to stop reading now. You have been warned.
A little background. Over the past five years (I am 36), my menstrual cycles have become longer, heavier, and more painful. An average five day period has spread to seven days, five of which I am confined to the house. According to my GYN, periods are considered heavy if there is enough blood to soak a pad or tampon every hour for several consecutive hours. Well, how about every two hours for two days? I was asked by the lady who did my abdominal ultrasound if I was also anemic. I’m not. So here I am feeling like an idiot as I tell my GYN about my symptoms and how miserable I am because I don’t meet the worst criteria. I just have somewhat heavy periods.
But it is HELL.First off, I have a hormonal imbalance. I know I have way too much estrogen floating around in my system. It makes me retain fluid—at any given time. I can hold on to extra fluid for weeks. It doesn’t matter when my cycle falls. Then all of the sudden, I will pee about fifty times a day when my body decides it is ready to get rid of the fluid. Talk about annoying.
And then, for two weeks out of the month my breasts are huge and swollen and achingly sore. Big boobs are not fun. I don’t like walking around with giant throbbing melons. I would never wish for larger ones. No. Just no. Every time my boobs finally deflate, I am thrilled to death.
Now I come to the mood changes. Irritable, anxious, the itch to kill. Seriously. I could cut someone.
And that is all before I have my monthly blood bath.I thought I could cope. I thought by using tampons and having liners as backups I could function. No. It doesn’t work like that.
A period is messy. A period is painful. My period is destroying me. And no, I’m not being overly dramatic. I have to adjust my life to live around my cycle. Thankfully I am a stay-at-home mom. I don’t know how working women do it. I really don’t. (Isn’t there a country out there who gives monthly menstrual leave? Brilliant idea there.)
So my incident. When I am on my period, I try to take ibuprofen around the clock. I have been monitoring my cycle for the past 18 months with a lovely chart, so I know the days that are bad, the days that are heavy, and how long I have to confine myself to my house. I even mark the days on my calendar three months in advance, so I know not to schedule anything during those weeks.
Well, day five of my cycle. I was excited to have a splendid night sleep, which is rare on my period when I have to wake up to change everything every two hours. But this was night four, so I was feeling optimistic. My flow was slowing, so I thought day five was going to be great. I could get some work done and get back to paying attention to my children. I felt so good this morning I didn’t take any ibuprofen. I didn’t take it last night either. Big mistake. The hugest.
About 9:30 a.m. mild cramping begins. I growl and go into the kitchen to down 2 pills. I knew I needed to stay on top of the mildest cramps because they could escalade. Ten minutes later I am rocking in pain as the cramps have now surged pain down my legs and into my groin. Everything from the waist down hurts. I add 2 Tylenol and put a heat pack on my stomach. The heat pack barely touches the pain, which feels like knifes twisting in my stomach. The pain doesn’t relent. It’s not like labor contractions, which stop after a few minutes. This pain is constant.
I don’t know how much time has passed. Seconds probably, but I am sure the clock has stopped. I HURT! No relief has come.
I want to cut the damn organ out. I picture my stupid uterus contracting in my abdomen, thinking it’s doing such a great thing by expelling the rest of my uterine lining.
I loathe it. I wish they had taken my uterus out instead of clipping my fallopian tubes.
Sobbing, I round into a ball on my kitchen floor. My daughter comes into the kitchen, says she is sorry I am hurting. She doesn’t know what to do. I try to move around, sit up, pace, curl again. Nothing helps. My breathing becomes shallow. I am in so much pain, I feel like I am going to hurl. My daughter gets me a puke bucket.
I move to the dining room table and rock in the chair. My whole body is in agony. My face is dripping in snot. My throat is constricting while trying not to puke. But my uterus—it won’t stop sending pulsating torture throughout my body. I really start freaking out. I stand to go to the bathroom and realize my legs are shaking. They actually feel like they are made from jelly. I don’t know how I get to the bathroom. I rip out my menstrual cup, in case I am getting toxic shock. My whole body is trembling. I don’t know what is going on. I’m scared. I yell for my daughter to wake my husband.
By the time he gets up, I am lying on the floor in the living room, with just a panty liner in my underwear, hyperventilating, whimpering that I am scared. I don’t know what is going on. At the same time telling my husband to check my temperature and reheat the heat packs. My pain is so extreme I don’t even know what to do. I tell my husband this. I keep mumbling I’m scared and I don’t know what to do, over and over. I instruct him to find a paper bag when I realize my lips are tingling (a sign of hyperventilating).
I don’t know how much time has past. But I get him to call my GYN. I don’t really know what she could tell me, because in my head, I know this is all just cramps. Nothing will help me but time. But I want this to go away so badly. My daughter has brought me a pillow and later my husband covers me with a blanket while I continue to breathe into the paper bag.
Finally I leave a message and the GYN calls me back. She tells me to take 2 more ibuprofen. I weep into the phone. I know she can’t do anything else. I’m not dying. It’s just cramps, and I know it.
This is just too cruel. Day five of my period. Medium flow. I should be almost done. Why?
I crawl to the kitchen and swallow two more pills. I go back to quivering on the floor. My husband and daughter are sitting by me, not knowing what else to do.
All of a sudden I begin to feel relief. The stabbing in my uterus subsides. Then my legs stop aching. But the whole event, only about forty-five minutes to an hour, has taken a toll, and I can’t believe as abruptly as this started, it ended. I ask for a ginger ale to recover my stomach. This surprisingly makes me feel a lot better.
I am able to sit up. I blubber to my husband about my week and how hard it has been and how I really tried to be a good mom while still being in agony and inconvenienced. But I feel washed out. My body is an empty lump, but at least I am not on the brink of death anymore.
My poor family. I wobble to the bathroom to clean up. Never again will I skimp on my pain pills until the whole week is over.
I don’t know if this adequately describes it. Even as I type this, it is as if the whole episode never happened. But it was excruciating. I was out of my mind. It was the worst pain in my life so far. And I still remember the super contraction I had with my second daughter. It topped out at 11 on a 1-to-10 pain scale, but even that only lasted 90 seconds. Try to picture that going on for an hour. Your worst contraction for an hour. Try to think of that.
Why is my body doing this? As I type this, I am still waiting for results from my abdominal ultrasound. Maybe it will tell me something.
But, ladies, don’t suffer in silence. Feel free to share your story with me. Share this blog post. Tell me how your period is screwing with your life. It is all total bollocks. I couldn’t even go to the fair with my family this week. I missed an amazing essential oil event and can’t go to a dinner tonight with a bunch of girlfriends. I told everyone it’s because I am sick. Yeah. Every month.
At least I only have two more days of it.
September 16, 2016
LAUNCH DAY!!! On the Corner of Heartache & Love is here!
What's it about? Maren's stuck at the intersection of heartache and love, but happily ever after might be just around the corner.
After three years, Maren Summers is elated to finally have her dream wedding to her dream man, Kevin Bryant. In her sights is the promotion to Weddings she’s worked so hard for at the newspaper. Happily ever after is within her grasp…
Until Kevin jilts her at the altar, elopes with another woman, and becomes her boss. Devastated by the twisted turn of events Maren moves in with her best friend and notices the not-so-homeless guy on the corner, Zane Whitfield. As his heart-wrenching tale unfolds—his vow to wait a year on the corner for his lost love—Maren sees his compassionate human-interest story as her ticket away from Kevin, weddings, and her heartache. But as the New Year approaches, is Maren headed for heartache again if Zane's lost love returns or has time changed more than one heart?
Where can you get it? Amazon
SALE!
All of Lisa Swinton’s previous books are on sale for $0.99! Such a deal! Amazon
About the Author:
Lisa Swinton caught the romance bug early by way of fairy tales and hasn’t been able to cure it since. Instead, she feeds her addiction with romance novels and films. In between being a doctor’s wife and mother of two, she occasionally puts her B.A. in Musical Theater to good use via community theater and church choir. In her elusive spare time, she enjoys researching her family tree and baking (especially with chocolate). She loves traveling, Jane Austen, and all things Italian. In her next life, she plans to be a professional organizer. You can visit her at:https://www.lisaswinton.blogspot.comhttps://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaSwintonhttp://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HXNXDCO
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7796962.Lisa_Swinton
The Giveaway!
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Special People Participating in the Media Tour!
Go check out these amazing authors and readers!
Anna Del C. Dye Blog
Danyelle Ferguson Website
Kim Karras Blog
Laurie Lewis Website & Blog
Lindzee Armstrong Facebook
Lisa Rector Blog
Mindy Holt Blog
Misty Pulsipher Facebook
September 1, 2016
August 12, 2016
Blog Tour: Missing
Have you ever had to sacrifice something to bring back something or someone you love? Peggy McAloon is here today to talk about the second book in her Lessons from Fiori series, Missing. Elle's brother has been kidnapped. Will she be able to save him?About the Book
Kidnapping. Monsters. Magic.
Elle's desperate to find her kidnapped brother. She teams up with the winged warriors from the dimension of Fiori to save him, but JJ isn't the only one in danger. What will Elle sacrifice to bring her brother home? Can she fulfill the ancient prophecy and restore the magic of the Bronze Pendant?
You will love this Coming of Age, action-packed fantasy for middle-grade readers. Elle Burton's goal is to rescue her brother. What she discovers is pure evil. The author provides a female role model who strives to overcome her flaws and inspire kids everywhere. "Missing" blends the magic of a fairytale with the contemporary realities of the world today's youth inhabit. You will discover a new world order through the journey of a young girl who exhibits both compassion and jaw-dropping courage in her quest to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Find yourself caught in the ultimate struggle between good and evil. "Missing" is the second book in the "Lessons from Fiori" series.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E5Z668UAbout the Author
Peggy M. McAloon is on a mission to inspire kids everywhere to stand up to abuse and bullying. Her “Lessons from Fiori Series” about a young girl from Wisconsin, provides a strong female role model who isn’t afraid to show compassion or hack into a con man’s computer if the need arises. Peggy’s courageous battle with depression, abuse, and a traumatic brain injury has enabled her to identify with both children and adults who have suffered from abuse and bullying.She’s a retired trainer and speaker in the field of commercial credit. Her first book, “The Art of Business Credit Investigation” was featured in Inc. Magazine. She’s been interviewed by the Associated Press and appeared on news shows in her efforts to protect our water resources.
FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/peggymoundmcaloon/FACEBOOK PARENTING RESOURCES: http://on.fb.me/23JOcTe LINKEDIN PROFILE: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peggymcaloonGOOGLE PLUS PROFILE: https://plus.google.com/+PeggyMcAloonAMAZON AUTHOR CENTRAL: http://www.amazon.com/Peggy-E.-Mound/e/B001KCBZZGTwitter: @peggymcaloonYou Tube: https://www.youtube.com/user/mcaloonpGiveaway
There are seventeen prizes with seventeen winners! Peggy is generously giving away 5 signed copies of the first book in her series, Elle Burton, 10 signed copies of her new release, Missing, and 2 replicas of Elle's necklace.
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Excerpt
The scream lodged in Jimmy’s throat as his body shifted and his feet began to slide out from under him.He didn’t slide far, but it made his stomach turn over like it did when the car went over a hill too fast.His dark eyes popped open just as his feet slipped farther down the corrugated metal roof on the back side of one of the older white-board buildings at the county fair.He realized his mistake immediately. He’d wished himself back to the fairground’s main building, but he was thinking about the mini donuts when he made his wish.“Lie back to slow the momentum!”Jimmy glanced around as he continued to slide down the steep roof. He didn’t see anyone to connect the warning to, but he tried to shift himself back as far as he could. His arms swung in a wide arch above his bushy red hair.He scrambled to regain his footing as he slid down the roof toward the edge. He could see the crowd of people scattered throughout the fairgrounds from his vantage point. Just as he was about to topple over the edge, his feet found purchase. He loudly expelled the huge breath he’d been holding since the moment his feet hit the roof.“Hey, kid! Get down from there right now, or I’ll get someone to escort you out of here.” A food vendor stood with hands on his hips as he glared up at him.“Yes, sir! Sorry about that,” Jimmy stammered. “I lost someone and thought maybe I could see them from up here.”“No one’s allowed up there!” The man spat on the ground.Jimmy sat down on the edge of the roof, judging the distance to the grass below. There was no problem jumping to the ground from the branches of the old willow tree down at Wolske Bay, and this wasn’t any higher. He swung his legs over the edge of the roof. He used his arms to push himself off the edge.“You stupid kids take too many risks!” The angry vendor stomped awayJimmy’s feet hit the ground. He rubbed his eyes vigorously with his knuckles as he thought about what happened only moments ago.Was it all a dream? He’d eaten a bunch of garbage at the fair. Maybe it was all some weird hallucination because of the mix of hot dogs, cheese curds, cotton candy, and mini donuts. Was there anything else?He shuddered in spite of himself. An adventure in another dimension was all too bizarre to be real.Jimmy swatted at a pesky butterfly that kept trying to land on his shoulder and rubbed his head again. He had so many unanswered questions he didn’t know where to start. He took a deep breath to calm himself and tried to remember what happened when he jumped into the fountain.That’s it! Where was the guy with the lion’s hair? Jimmy glanced around the fairgrounds. He’d be here if it all truly happened. They’d left Fiori together, hadn’t they?Again he swatted at the butterfly flitting around in front of his face. “Go away you stupid bug!”“Hey, buddy, I’m right here.”Jimmy continued to look from left to right. He raised his arm to swat at the butterfly again.“Whoa, you’re gonna hurt me if you keep swatting at me like that! Give an old guy a break here, buddy.”Jimmy stood completely still. He looked at the butterfly more carefully.“Bernstein, how’d you get to be a butterfly?”
Sale The first book in the series, Elle Burton and the Reflective Portals has been reduced by Amazon. The softcover is at 56% off, or $6.11 for the 276-page book. Double check the price before purchasing, though, since Amazon can change the price at any time. Missing is also free on Kindle Unlimited.
Tour Schedule August 8 Bookish Orchestrations-Tour IntroductionZerina Blossom's Books-Guest PostBritbear's Book Reviews-Excerpt
August 9 Laurel's Leaves-Author InterviewSo You Want to Write Christian Fantasy?-Character Interview with Amadeus
August 10 Frances Hoelsema-ExcerptRachel Rossano's Words-Excerpt
August 11 A View From the Other Side of the Hill-ExcerptLetters from Annie Douglass Lima-ExcerptPeggy's Hope 4U-Character Interview
August 12 Perpetual Gardener, Writer, and Mormon-ExcerptAlex McGilvery's Worlds-Book Review
August 13 Bookish Orchestrations-Giveaway Winner
August 5, 2016
Blog Tour: The Dragons of Alsace Farm
Everyone has their secrets and Tayte, Agnes, and Noah are no exception. In Agnes’s home, though, those secrets—or dragons—might just tear them all apart. Part of the Kindle Scout competition, The Dragons of Alsace Farm, was hot and trending for four weeks before its launch. Find out why during this blog tour!
About the Book
In need of his own redemption, Noah Carter finally confronts his childhood hero, the once-beloved uncle who betrayed him. Instead of vengeance, he offers forgiveness, also granting Uncle John a most curious request—for Noah to work on the ramshackle farm of Agnes Deveraux Keller, a French WWII survivor with dementia.
Despite all Agnes has lost, she still has much to teach Noah. But the pair’s unique friendship is threatened when Tayte, Agnes’s estranged granddaughter, arrives to claim a woman whose circumstances and abilities are far different from those of the grandmother she once knew.
Items hidden in Agnes’s attic raise painful questions about Tayte’s dead parents, steeling Tayte’s determination to save Agnes, even if it requires her to betray the very woman she came to save, and the secret her proud grandmother has guarded for seventy years.
The issue strains the fragile trust between Tayte and Noah, who now realizes Tayte is fighting her own secrets, her own dragons. Weighed down by past guilt and failures, he feels ill-equipped to help either woman, until he remembers Agnes’s lessons about courage and love. In order to save Agnes, the student must now become the teacher, helping Tayte heal—for Agnes’s sake, and for his.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HKMU014/
About the Author
L.C. Lewis (Laurie) was born and raised in rural Maryland, surrounded by history-rich Philadelphia, Washington, and Baltimore. She and her husband Tom reside in Carroll County, Maryland, where they raised their four children.
The Dragons of Alsace Farm, Laurie’s eighth published novel, was inspired by a loved one’s struggle with the dragon of dementia. Her women’s fiction novels include Unspoken (2004) and Awakening Avery (2010), written as Laurie Lewis. Using the pen name L.C. Lewis, she wrote the five volumes of her award-winning FREE MEN and DREAMERS historical fiction series, set against the backdrop of the War of 1812, America’s nearly forgotten second war of independence: Dark Sky at Dawn(2007), Twilight’s Last Gleaming(2008), Dawn’s Early Light (2009), Oh, Say Can You See? (2010), and In God is Our Trust, (2011).
Dark Sky at Dawnand Twilight’s Last Gleaming were finalists in the 2008 USA Best Books competition. Oh, Say Can You See? was a 2010 Whitney Award finalist.
Three new books are in progress. Please watch for her remake of Awakening Avery, a political suspense novel titled The Shell Game, both of which are slated for later in 2016, and a March 2017 novella, Laurie’s contribution to the multi-author “Destination Billionaire Romance” series.
Laurie loves hearing from her readers and may be contacted through her website: www.laurielclewis.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @laurielclewis or on her blog at www.laurielclewis.blogspot.com. She also enjoys interacting with book clubs. Contact her to arrange a video chat with your group.
Book ClubThe back of the book contains some thought-provoking book club questions. Laurie would love for you to schedule a video conference with her if their book club chooses The Dragons of Alsace Farm as one of their selections in the next six months. You can email her at: laurielclewis@laurielclewis.com.
Giveaway
First and foremost, The Dragons of Alsace Farm is a love story, about the power of tested love, the promise of new love, and the strength of family love. Here's a love basket, with a fun date night, Agnes's favorite breakfast for the morning, and an autographed copy of the book to read on a lazy afternoon. Always remember love.
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Goodreads GiveawayEnter herefor the chance to win a paperback of The Dragons of Alsace Farm.
Excerpt“I’m not very good at loving people.”
“Did he tell you that?”
“He didn’t have to.” She turned her face away from him as if she were interested in something off in the distance.
Noah wanted to pull her back around to face him, but instead he stared at the ground. “It’s not true. I’ve seen what you’ve sacrificed for Agnes.”
“And as you’ve so rightly pointed out, I’ve made a mess of things.”
“No.” His head swung her way. “I never said that.”
“Yes you did, and you were right. I’ve messed up everything I’ve done.”
“You try too hard. You don’t need to push.”
“You mean with Agnes?”
“With anybody.” He felt his throat tighten and worried whether his words and voice had revealed the crazy thoughts being near her raised in him. He tried to diffuse the tension he felt. He looked at her phone again. “Even with him.”
Tayte looked at him as if she were actually looking into him. He wondered what she would find there, if she could tell how difficult it had been to say those last words.
She shook her head softly as if expressing a choice she was just realizing. “We weren’t right for each other. He’s handsome and funny and smart, but he’s also irresponsible and impulsive, everything I’ve been running away from for sixteen years, since that summer on Grandma’s farm. Agnes is all I have time for right now, but if I do ever choose to love somebody it’ll be someone steady.” She kicked at the wooden decking. “Probably someone dull and boring.” She began to laugh.
Someone who colors within the lines?
“How about you? Have you ever been in love, Noah?”
Immersed in his own reverie, he almost missed the question.
“Only once. A long time ago.” Noah’s heart thundered so loudly he feared she could see it pounding through his shirt. Their eyes met and held, and for a moment Noah dared imagine what it would feel like to be loved again, perhaps to be loved by this woman.
Tour Schedule
July 31 Bookish Orchestrations-Tour IntroductionLaurie L.C. Lewis: A View From the Other Side of the Hill-ExcerptWriting in the Light-ExcerptCharity's Writing Journey-Excerpt
August 1 Ruth's Real Life-ExcerptThe Overactive Imagination-Author InterviewAuthor Franky A Brown-Excerpt
August 2 Rachel Rossano's Words-ExcerptRebekah Lyn Books-Excerpt
August 3 Frances Hoelsema-ExcerptKandi J Wyatt, author: Where Fantasy and Reality Meet-Interview with NoahZerina Blossom’s Books-Excerpt
August 4 Letters from Annie Douglass Lima-ExcerptLaurel's Leaves-Author Interview
August 5 Perpetual Gardener, Writer, and Mormon-ExcerptGood & Clean Reviews-ExcerptPhrey Press-Author Interview
August 6 Bookish Orchestrations-Tour Conclusion and Giveaway Announcement
August 4, 2016
True Freedom
This morning I celebrate being depression free for five years. Some cannot imagine what those words mean. I mark it as if it were sobriety. Each day that I am free from darkness is another day I bask in the light. The difference between then and now is as noticeable as a light switch being flicked on. I am reminded not to take my light—my freedom for granted. This is my own miracle. My faith, my hope, has given this to me. 100% free.
August 1, 2016
July 29, 2016
Almost There Blog Tour
Imagine with me a city. You’re almost there. It’s a city you’ve always wanted to go to. The [enter your favorite mode of transportation] is creeping ever closer. Then it stops. Almost there, but not quite. Laurel Garver is with us today to talk about her book, Almost There. Let’s see how many times we can use the title in different contexts.About the Book
Paris, the City of Lights. To seventeen-year-old Dani Deane, it’s the Promised Land. There, her widowed mother’s depression will vanish and she will no longer fear losing her only parent, her arty New York life, or her devoted boyfriend.But shortly before their Paris getaway, Dani’s tyrannical grandfather falls ill, pulling them to rural Pennsylvania to deal with his hoarder horror of a house. Among the piles, Dani finds disturbing truths that could make Mum completely unravel. Desperate to protect her from pain and escape to Paris, Dani hatches a plan with the flirtatious neighbor boy that only threatens the relationships she most wants to save.
Why would God block all paths to Paris? Could real hope for healing be as close as a box tucked in the rafters?
About the Author
Laurel Garver is a writer, editor, professor’s wife, and mom to an arty teenager. An indie
film enthusiast and incurable Anglophile, she enjoys geeking out about Harry Potter and Dr. Who, playing word games, singing in church choir, and hiking in Philly's Fairmount Park. Contact links:Blog: http://laurelgarver.blogspot.comGoodr... https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLaurel... https://twitter.com/LaurelGarver
Excerpt
Brambles scratch my bare arms. Dandelions spill silken seeds that flutter into my face and tickle my nose. Burrs hitch a ride on my shorts and socks as I kick deeper through the undergrowth.
“Rhys! Ree-eess!” I call.
I swat away gnats buzzing around my head. I’d rather roam the Met when it’s wall-to-wall sweaty tourists than be out in all this creepy nature.
Tat-dat-dat-dat-dat. Tat-dat-dat-dat-dat.
What was that? The rapid tapping repeats. It can’t be a rattlesnake, can it?
“Woof!” Rhys’s distant bark rings through the trees. I turn in circles trying to guess his direction. If there are poisonous snakes in these woods, we’re both dead.
A flash of red catches my eye as a mid-sized bird swoops past. It lands on a dead tree and cocks its head. I stare at its skunk-striped face, funny red hat of a crest and instinctively pat my pockets for a sketch pad and pencil. The bird turns and pecks the tree: Tat-dat-dat-dat-dat.
That’s what I’ve been scared of? A harmless woodpecker?
More distant barks pull my attention to the deep woods. I tighten my grip on the bat, and follow. Past the brambles, the woods are soft and cool. Ferns and moss make a pungent carpet across the forest floor. Light shivers among the breeze-bent branches. I close my eyes, suck in lungfuls of woodsy air, strange as it tastes to my city-girl tongue. Breaths come like prayer.
Behind me, branches swish. A guy on a black horse circles me, the rifle in his right hand pointed at the sky. One false move, though, and he just might turn its sights on me.
Giveaway
You’re almost there! Just a few clicks here and a few clicks there and you’ll arrive! Arrive where? Why, you’ll arrive at the rafflecopter page to enter the creative giveaway.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule July 25 Bookish Orchestrations-Tour IntroductionRobyn Campbell-Review and Author InterviewGod's Peculiar Treasure Rae-Excerpt
July 26 Charity's Writing Journey-ExcerptErica and Christy-Excerpt
July 27 Zerina Blossom's Books-ExcerptLetters from Annie Douglass Lima-ExcerptChrist is Write-Review
July 28 Frances Hoelsema-ExcerptThe Overactive Imagination-Excerpt
July 29 Perpetual Gardener, Writer, and Mormon-ExcerptPeggy's Hope 4U-Author Interview
July 30 Bookish Orchestrations-Giveaway Winner
July 25, 2016
July 22, 2016
Forgotten Origins Trilogy
For a limited time, you can have the box set for under a dollar!July 15th - 22nd
An alien plague. A sixteen-year-old girl. A fight to save the world.
The Forgotten Origins Trilogy is a fast-paced young adult sci-fi story, centered around sixteen-year-old Alex. What starts as a rare meteor shower ends up unleashing a viral plague that changes everything. Led into the mountains of the Pacific Northwest by cryptic clues left from her deceased father, Alex discovers that the past is not what she learned in school. When the human race balances on the brink of extinction, the fate of the world rests on the truth being exposed. To unravel the ancient secrets, Alex must rely on her friends, family and few allies. The Forgotten Origins is an epic saga, drawing the reader into a fascinating, frightening world where the unfolding drama will keep you riveted until the last page is turned.
The Forgotten Origins crosses many genres including science fiction, dystopian, fantasy, and supernatural. It is also a clean read! (PG-13)
[The series has a combined 78 reviews with a 4.6 average rating!]
Author Tara Ellis lives in a small, rural town in Washington State, set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She enjoys the quiet lifestyle with her husband, two teenage kids and several dogs. Tara was a firefighter/EMT, and worked in the medical field for many years, before committing herself to writing young adult and middle grade novels full-time.
She grew up on sci-fi, was a devoted Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica fan, and has since found a love for conspiracy theories. This background, combined with a wild imagination has led to The Forgotten Origins Trilogy. The first book in the series, Infected, was a finalist in the IAN 2015 Book of the Year Awards, was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2015 Reader's Favorite Book Awards, named 'Indie Book of the Day in Oct, 2014' and voted as 'Top 50 Indie Books of 2014'. (readfreely.com)
Her on-going middle grade mystery series, The Samantha Wolf Mysteries, has hit the best seller status on Amazon in the children's detective story genre several times, and continues to grow in popularity. The engaging, fun stories herald back to the days of Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon, and several readers have commented that the series is of the same caliber. These are clean reads that are suitable for the whole family to read together, and are also part of the Kindle Unlimited program.
Join Tara's newsletter to be notified of all new releases and sales events! Newsletter
Find her on facebook at: Facebook
twitter: Twitter
Visit her author page on Amazon to find all her books!: Amazon page
Writing and Beyond
Blog adventures about my writing, my gardening, and my faith.
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