Samantha Chase's Blog, page 9
April 18, 2016
Adventures in Vegas - Day One
So I just got back from Vegas.
That's a sentence I never thought I'd write! Lol! But it's true, I just got back from a week in Las Vegas. It was part business, part please and totally exhausting! I was there for the RT Booklovers Convention and my hubby and I decided to also make this our trip to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary - which is technically next month. :)
Our first day was spent primarily getting to Vegas from North Carolina. We landed at around four in the afternoon and then took the shuttle to the hotel - the Rio. It was off the strip which was a little disappointing, but considering we'd never been to Vegas before, we were kind of okay with it and just happy to be there.
Our room had a great mountain view - not what you'd expect when you think of a hotel in Vegas - and we were excited to see it from the fourteenth floor! Actually, we'd never seen a casino or a hotel quite as big as the Rio so we were totally walking around like dorky tourists for the first few hours!
Then I was so excited because a very dear friend - who I happened to meet at last year's RT convention - was already in Vegas. She's a blogger and she's awesome and her husband was there with her too! So we all met up for dinner and we went to Guy Fieri's place - El Burro Borracho - for dinner. VERY yummy! I'm a foodie so I was pretty psyched to go out and eat at some of the places Vegas had to offer and this place was wonderful.
After dinner we drove up and down the strip just to see what there was and to get an idea of where we wanted to start when we weren't so full - or tired! - and could walk around for more than a few minutes. And even though we spotted someplace for dessert - Serendipity 3 - we never stopped.
Back at the Rio, we walked around and got the lay of the land and scoped out where the convention was going to be held and I was so excited to see the window cling that I was on going up! And it was in the main hallway! EEK!! I went in on a promo group with Erin Nicholas, Candis Terry, Jennifer Bernard, and Melanie Shawn. Can I just say what a HUGE fangirl scream I let out when I got asked to join that group of girls???
All in all, we didn't do a whole lot, but I knew we were off to a great start!
Come back tomorrow and hear all about our Grand Canyon adventure!!
That's a sentence I never thought I'd write! Lol! But it's true, I just got back from a week in Las Vegas. It was part business, part please and totally exhausting! I was there for the RT Booklovers Convention and my hubby and I decided to also make this our trip to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary - which is technically next month. :)
Our first day was spent primarily getting to Vegas from North Carolina. We landed at around four in the afternoon and then took the shuttle to the hotel - the Rio. It was off the strip which was a little disappointing, but considering we'd never been to Vegas before, we were kind of okay with it and just happy to be there.Our room had a great mountain view - not what you'd expect when you think of a hotel in Vegas - and we were excited to see it from the fourteenth floor! Actually, we'd never seen a casino or a hotel quite as big as the Rio so we were totally walking around like dorky tourists for the first few hours!
Then I was so excited because a very dear friend - who I happened to meet at last year's RT convention - was already in Vegas. She's a blogger and she's awesome and her husband was there with her too! So we all met up for dinner and we went to Guy Fieri's place - El Burro Borracho - for dinner. VERY yummy! I'm a foodie so I was pretty psyched to go out and eat at some of the places Vegas had to offer and this place was wonderful.After dinner we drove up and down the strip just to see what there was and to get an idea of where we wanted to start when we weren't so full - or tired! - and could walk around for more than a few minutes. And even though we spotted someplace for dessert - Serendipity 3 - we never stopped.
Back at the Rio, we walked around and got the lay of the land and scoped out where the convention was going to be held and I was so excited to see the window cling that I was on going up! And it was in the main hallway! EEK!! I went in on a promo group with Erin Nicholas, Candis Terry, Jennifer Bernard, and Melanie Shawn. Can I just say what a HUGE fangirl scream I let out when I got asked to join that group of girls???All in all, we didn't do a whole lot, but I knew we were off to a great start!
Come back tomorrow and hear all about our Grand Canyon adventure!!
April 6, 2016
FREE Book Alert!!
Sometimes you just never know when it's going to happen! But it looks like for TODAY ONLY, "Made for Us" - book one in the Shaughnessy Brothers series, is FREE!! WOO HOO!! Don't miss out on this chance to get it and get started on the series!! Especially since book two - "Love Walks In" - just came out yesterday!!!
So what are you waiting for??? Go forth and read!!
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Zfg7FF
B&N: http://bit.ly/1psNham
iTunes: http://apple.co/1UeFvNI
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1XtOOYn
And in case you missed it yesterday, "Love Walks In" is available now too!
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TJ0YLB
B&N: http://bit.ly/1LpuEOp
iTunes: http://apple.co/1QWdVCA
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1pmXWTq
So what are you waiting for??? Go forth and read!!
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1Zfg7FF
B&N: http://bit.ly/1psNham
iTunes: http://apple.co/1UeFvNI
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1XtOOYn
And in case you missed it yesterday, "Love Walks In" is available now too!
BUY LINKS:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TJ0YLB
B&N: http://bit.ly/1LpuEOp
iTunes: http://apple.co/1QWdVCA
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1pmXWTq
February 21, 2016
Sunday Funday - Made for Us!
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February 15, 2016
February 10, 2016
Hoping for a Healthier Year...
And although I'd like to say that I'm talking about getting in shape and losing weight, at this point, that is the least of my worries.
So about this time last year, I went in for an outpatient procedure (a uterine ablation) and it was beyond painful but I was sort of promised that it would end a lifetime of issues I was having. I was pretty damn psyched about it and was counting down the days until I wouldn't have to deal with cramps and PMS. Okay, so I get it done and wait.
It has not been the dream I was promised.
But that got me thinking - I'd been avoiding dealing with several health issues and being that we were paying a fortune for health insurance, I figured I'd might as well use it. So I made an appointment to find out how to get my acid reflux under control. I thought I'd get a prescription and be on my way.
Nope.
After an endoscopy, a colonoscopy, an upper-GI, I found out that I had a rather large hiatal hernia. AND - because that wasn't exciting enough - the doctors decided it was time to do something to get my anemia under control. THANK YOU. I'd only been asking about that for 15 years! So that got taken care of through iron transfusions - fairly uneventful since it turns out that you don't get super-human strength or even turn into Wonder Woman after the transfusions are done.
Bummer.
The hernia. Yeah, it was large - like a third of my stomach was up in my esophagus. It was amazing how much of years of discomfort all started to make sense. The only option was surgery. At the end of October, I had that done and I was told that the recovery was going to be about six weeks. Six weeks of eating next to nothing - liquids, very soft foods in very small amounts. As a foodie, this was a little traumatic for me. Plus, with Thanksgiving coming up, I was pretty disappointed that I might not get to enjoy our traditional meal.
Recovery went well and I was eating somewhat normally Thanksgiving week. Except...something else went wrong.
I tried to blame it on the recovery - maybe I was doing too much, eating too much, etc. I went for a follow up with my surgeon and he agreed that I needed to go back to the early days of my recovery and see how I felt. Long story short, there was definitely something wrong. I was in pain a lot and at times it felt like I was having a heart attack. Another call to the doctor and they sent me for more tests. Two days before Christmas, I found out that I had gallstones and needed to get my gallbladder taken out.
I cannot even tell you how upset I was.
The last time I had had surgery, I was four and it was open heart surgery. I thought I was done. And now, in less than three months I was having TWO surgeries??? Not a happy camper at all.
So mid-January, I had my gallbladder out. I feel like I've been in a mental fog for months and I am finally coming out of it. So yes, that is why I am hoping for a healthier year. I know that I am blessed because I was able to have all these things done and none of them were life-threatening. I'm just a really bad patient and I hate not being able to live my life due to illness. I am thankful every day that I am recovering and for all my friends who were there to help me out and keep me from getting too depressed during it all.
So I guess I'll have to start that diet soon.
And exercising.
Dammit.
All that being said, I'm behind on a lot of things - writing, blogging, housework...all of it. I'm trying desperately to get back into the swing of things.
Again.
So about this time last year, I went in for an outpatient procedure (a uterine ablation) and it was beyond painful but I was sort of promised that it would end a lifetime of issues I was having. I was pretty damn psyched about it and was counting down the days until I wouldn't have to deal with cramps and PMS. Okay, so I get it done and wait.It has not been the dream I was promised.
But that got me thinking - I'd been avoiding dealing with several health issues and being that we were paying a fortune for health insurance, I figured I'd might as well use it. So I made an appointment to find out how to get my acid reflux under control. I thought I'd get a prescription and be on my way.
Nope.
After an endoscopy, a colonoscopy, an upper-GI, I found out that I had a rather large hiatal hernia. AND - because that wasn't exciting enough - the doctors decided it was time to do something to get my anemia under control. THANK YOU. I'd only been asking about that for 15 years! So that got taken care of through iron transfusions - fairly uneventful since it turns out that you don't get super-human strength or even turn into Wonder Woman after the transfusions are done.
Bummer.
The hernia. Yeah, it was large - like a third of my stomach was up in my esophagus. It was amazing how much of years of discomfort all started to make sense. The only option was surgery. At the end of October, I had that done and I was told that the recovery was going to be about six weeks. Six weeks of eating next to nothing - liquids, very soft foods in very small amounts. As a foodie, this was a little traumatic for me. Plus, with Thanksgiving coming up, I was pretty disappointed that I might not get to enjoy our traditional meal.
Recovery went well and I was eating somewhat normally Thanksgiving week. Except...something else went wrong.
I tried to blame it on the recovery - maybe I was doing too much, eating too much, etc. I went for a follow up with my surgeon and he agreed that I needed to go back to the early days of my recovery and see how I felt. Long story short, there was definitely something wrong. I was in pain a lot and at times it felt like I was having a heart attack. Another call to the doctor and they sent me for more tests. Two days before Christmas, I found out that I had gallstones and needed to get my gallbladder taken out.I cannot even tell you how upset I was.
The last time I had had surgery, I was four and it was open heart surgery. I thought I was done. And now, in less than three months I was having TWO surgeries??? Not a happy camper at all.
So mid-January, I had my gallbladder out. I feel like I've been in a mental fog for months and I am finally coming out of it. So yes, that is why I am hoping for a healthier year. I know that I am blessed because I was able to have all these things done and none of them were life-threatening. I'm just a really bad patient and I hate not being able to live my life due to illness. I am thankful every day that I am recovering and for all my friends who were there to help me out and keep me from getting too depressed during it all.
So I guess I'll have to start that diet soon.
And exercising.
Dammit.
All that being said, I'm behind on a lot of things - writing, blogging, housework...all of it. I'm trying desperately to get back into the swing of things.
Again.
February 8, 2016
Hope Falls Kindle World!!
So I have been so blessed to be a part of this new Kindle World - Melanie Shawn's Hope Falls Kindle World! If you've never heard of Kindle Worlds, you're not alone. In an over-simplified explanation, this is essentially what it is: Your favorite authors who have created a fictional town, setting or world, now invite other authors to come and write stories in those worlds. So Melanie Shawn had a series that was set in the fictional town of Hope Falls - and now nine authors (including myself) have stories set there! Easy-peasy, right?
So my story is "Wildest Dreams". It is a sweet novella and I absolutely LOVE it!!
She’s looking for a future with roots from her past…
For Alesha Reed, coming back to Hope Falls is bittersweet. Twenty years ago it was her home, but that was when her family was still together. Now she’s returning to take over her father’s beloved book store – Read Between the Lines – while he deals with a health crisis. For years Alesha longed for the town, the people, the sense of belonging she once felt and she’s ready for her fresh start amidst the familiar.
He’s seeing an important part of his past as a key to his future…
Reece Brooks has called Hope Falls home for most of his life, but when the opportunity arose to give him a little breathing room from the close-knit community, he took it. It’s normally business-as-usual when he comes home for a visit, so imagine his surprise when this visit home brings him face to face with the first girl to ever break his heart. Granted, they were only seven years old at the time, but still. Fate has brought the girl he’s never forgotten back into his life. Unfortunately, Reece is only in Hope Falls for a limited time and Alesha’s ready to lay down roots there.
Can you really find your soulmate at the age of seven or walk away when you find them again? In their wildest dreams, Reece and Alesha never imagined that their first love would be their greatest love.
BUY LINK: http://bit.ly/SamanthaChaseWD
So go and check it out! And all of the other great Hope Falls stories! You won't be disappointed!
So my story is "Wildest Dreams". It is a sweet novella and I absolutely LOVE it!! She’s looking for a future with roots from her past…
For Alesha Reed, coming back to Hope Falls is bittersweet. Twenty years ago it was her home, but that was when her family was still together. Now she’s returning to take over her father’s beloved book store – Read Between the Lines – while he deals with a health crisis. For years Alesha longed for the town, the people, the sense of belonging she once felt and she’s ready for her fresh start amidst the familiar.
He’s seeing an important part of his past as a key to his future…
Reece Brooks has called Hope Falls home for most of his life, but when the opportunity arose to give him a little breathing room from the close-knit community, he took it. It’s normally business-as-usual when he comes home for a visit, so imagine his surprise when this visit home brings him face to face with the first girl to ever break his heart. Granted, they were only seven years old at the time, but still. Fate has brought the girl he’s never forgotten back into his life. Unfortunately, Reece is only in Hope Falls for a limited time and Alesha’s ready to lay down roots there.
Can you really find your soulmate at the age of seven or walk away when you find them again? In their wildest dreams, Reece and Alesha never imagined that their first love would be their greatest love.
BUY LINK: http://bit.ly/SamanthaChaseWD
So go and check it out! And all of the other great Hope Falls stories! You won't be disappointed!
February 7, 2016
January 3, 2016
Sunday Funday - Christmas in Silver Bell Falls!!
***SUNDAY FUNDAY***Christmas in Silver Bell FallsOn Sale Now – Special reduced price of only .99 cents!
Buy Links:Amazon: http://amzn.to/1QIfHEBB&N: http://bit.ly/1jugtdS Kobo: http://bit.ly/1iElWy4iTunes: http://apple.co/1OBLGZf
A woman who has issues with Christmas.A sheriff of a small town named after a beloved Christmas song.A bubble bath.And a misunderstanding.Christmas is about to get interesting.
***EXCERPT***For a moment, Josiah could only stare.There was a naked woman in Carol Harper’s tub. Holy. Crap.When he’d driven up to his place a few minutes ago and saw the strange car parked out in front of the cabin, he immediately became suspicious. Hazards of the job, considering he was the sheriff of Silver Bell Falls. The front door had been locked and the blinds drawn just as they always were, but the car was definitely a red flag. So he let himself in.And found the naked woman he was currently staring at.“Who the hell are you?” she demanded, strategically covering herself so he couldn’t see what he already saw.Like he was going to forget that any time soon. “You need to step out of the tub, Miss…?”“Oh, right,” she snapped. “You break into my house and I’m supposed to listen to what you have to say? I’ll call the cops! You have no right breaking in here and…”“Wait, wait, wait,” he interrupted. “Your house? I don’t think so.”She rolled her eyes. “Look, can you…can you just turn around or something so I can get out of this tub and put some clothes on?”His immediate thought was to say no, but there was no way she was going to get by him—certainly not while she was naked and wet. Wordlessly, he turned his back to her and almost instantly heard the water begin to drain and then the gentle splashing as she rose.“Um…without turning around, could you hand me a towel? I can’t reach it.”It was almost as if the universe was mocking him. He hadn’t been with a woman in over a year and now he had one soaking wet and naked two feet away and he had to arrest her. Yeah, sometimes life really sucked.Behind him, she cleared her throat and Josiah turned around. He swallowed hard at the sight of her. Her dark brown hair was twisted up into some sort of messy knot and she had the lightest blue eyes he had ever seen.And right now they were shooting daggers at him.“You’re going to need to put something on other than a towel,” he said. “I’m not bringing you down to the station in just a towel.”Crossing her arms, she cocked a hip and smirked. “I hate to break it to you Ace, but you’re not bringing me anywhere. This is my house and you are the one who is trespassing. Now I’ll ask you nicely to leave, but if you refuse, I will call the cops and I will have you arrested.”He couldn’t help the bark of laughter that came out. “Sweetheart, I can’t arrest myself.
