Lindsay Detwiler's Blog, page 26
January 5, 2016
Maggie’s Marriage by Gloria Herrmann
Marriage is hard work, but no one ever told Maggie that it would be this hard…
How did life end up so completely turned so upside down? When Maggie Trembley took her vows more than six years ago, she didn’t anticipate becoming just a wife, just a mother, and no longer…Maggie.
It’s impossible to cling to the bit of self-identity you have left when you’re someone’s everything…
Meeting and falling in love with Michael Trembley, a young and handsome attorney, was the easy part. Moving away from her family, raising their six-year-old daughter almost singlehandedly, and learning she is now pregnant again is an entirely different story. All she wants to do is retreat back home to Birch Valley and her loud and loving family, the O’Briens.
So when Maggie hits her breaking point, she takes their daughter and reluctantly leaves Michael to his endless hours at the office.
To be on top, you have to make sacrifices…
Michael Trembley wants to be the best – the best corporate defense attorney, the best son, dad, and husband – but he falls short in the last two on his list of priorities. Now his perfect world is anything but. The distance from his family is a major wakeup call, but what is he willing to sacrifice to make it right?
The journey of life is full of twists and turns. Will Maggie and Michael survive this bump in the road, or will their perfect idea of a family fall completely apart.
Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ FREE on Kindle Unlimited
Loving Liam (Book One: The Cloverleaf Series)
B&N ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ FREE on Kindle Unlimted
I was born and raised in southern California and relocated to beautiful eastern Washington state in 2002. The rural small towns that speckle this vast area have inspired my ideal setting for most of the stories I write. The pine and tamarack trees covering the towering mountains, the shimmering lakes and rivers, the abundant wildlife, and the feeling of a time forgotten, all stir so many of my creative juices. I can’t thank my parents enough for dragging this city kid on long roadtrips up to this rugged foreign area, because now it is my home and I truly love my life here.Reading was something that spurred me to begin writing at a young age. I enjoyed creating characters, different settings, and describing anything and everything. Storytelling, I have found is something I have inherited from both of my parents. I love attention to detail, using words to fully bring the picture alive, that is something I got from my dad. Creating characters and figuring out their story and how to achieve their happy ending comes from my mom. Then there is the smell of a book, new or old, the weight of it in your hands as you balance it open, seeing all those beautifully typed words spun and woven into sentences, this was created by a writer. I knew that was what I wanted to be when I grew up and here I am today, a real author.
Romance, I simply love it, that’s why I write it. I remember my mom giving me my very first paperback romance novel. It was a pretty exciting one filled with suspense and an overall excellent storyline, she had just read it and she felt it was suitable for my teenage eyes. That was it, I was hooked. I began to devour these romance stories that varied over the years from sweet to sultry, I consumed thousands of books and stories over the years. Each time I finished reading a novel, the desire to write my own grew stronger. As ideas for books swirled in my mind, it always had a romantic element to it, and I suppose it always will. What is there not to love about falling in love and finding that special person to share your life with? Who doesn’t wish for passion, butterflies in your stomach, and that happily ever after?
As a reader, I can’t even begin to thank all of the writers that have created so many emotions for me, falling in love with characters, mourning their loss, sighing as I close the final chapter or smiling when everyone lives happily ever after. As a writer, I just want to do the same.
Limitless Publishing ~ Facebook ~ Instagram ~ Twitter ~ Webpage ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon Author Page
Maggie’s Marriage Release Blitz Giveaway
January 4, 2016
Book Signing for Without You: Barnes & Noble
I’m so excited to announce my next author event! It will be Saturday, January 16th, from 1pm-4pm at the Altoona Barnes & Noble! Without You and Voice of Innocence will both be available for sale and for signing.
In addition, any purchases made during this event will benefit the fundraiser for Hollidaysburg’s Restore the Roar Campaign. I am a teacher at Hollidaysburg, and this campaign is to restore Tiger Stadium and field. A percentage of sales will be donated by Barnes & Noble for the campaign, which is awesome! I am soooo thankful to have their support for this project. What an awesome company.
If you can’t make the event, you can still get your copy of either book on Barnes & Noble.com!
January 2, 2016
2016: Put Your Best Hair Forward
It was the day after Christmas, and all through Ulta I ran…to find leftover bargains, of course!
Lately, I’ve been obsessed with trial sizes. I love getting to try a whole bunch of different products. So when I saw this Ulta ultimate hair kit on sale for only $9.95, I was sold.
This kit was actually a really great deal. It came with eight different hair products, all prestige lines. I’ve been trying them all out, and here are my reviews.
Living Proof Restore Mask Treatment
I love the idea of a hair mask…but usually hate the result. I always end up with greasy hair that is heavy, lifeless, and not any healthier. This was different, though. This mask isn’t heavy and gross…in fact, once I rinsed it, I couldn’t even tell the product had been in. Except for one thing–the awesome shine I got. My hair felt super smooth and looked shinier than a magazine page…okay, maybe not that perfect. but still. I give this product a huge thumbs up. I had tried a few other Living Proof items I wasn’t impressed with and didn’t understand the hype about this product…now I do.
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Night Cap
You can’t lose weight while you’re sleeping (I wish), but you can improve your hair. This leave-in treatment goes in before bed. I did see a noticeable difference in how soft my hair was in the morning.
Matrix Volume Builder Mousse
I’m not a mousse fan, mostly because my hair is sooo thick I don’t need any more volume. However, this mousse does smell really good, was lightweight, it didn’t leave any crunch in my hair.
Big Sexy Full Bloom
Again, I don’t really need volume, but if you do, this product did smell really good.
Redken Frizz Control
I liked this product, but I still prefer Kenra for a smoothing/anti-frizz product.
Sebastian Hair Spray
I’ve already been a fan of this product. It smells great and gives you perfect hold without making your hair crunchy or stiff. Love!
Bed Head Mini Hard Head Hair Spray
I hate this product. I know that is harsh, but I’ve had it before and hated it then, too. It is sticky, heavy, and leaves my hair looking terrible. This is my least favorite hair spray.
Wella Dry Shampoo
Another love!!! Some dry shampoos leave your hair powdery/heavy/a weird texture. This smelled great and blended right in. I did actually feel like I had just washed my hair without the hassle. I will definitely be buying this for a dry shampoo.
All in all, I thought this kit was good because it let me try some products. I will definitely be looking at the Living Proof hair masks again as well as the Wella dry shampoo. I will leave the Bed Head spray behind.
How about you? Have you tried any awesome hair products lately you would recommend?
January 1, 2016
Taking a Chance: They Key to Happiness in 2016
Take a chance.
It seems like the motto of a gambler, and maybe it is. But, as I’ve learned in the past few years, it’s also the key to finding success and happiness sometimes.
Life is full of risks. Jobs, love, even getting in your car can be risky. There’s the constant fear of failure or rejection, of sorrow or loss.
But I’ve found that sometimes you have to take the chance anyway.
I’ve been blessed these past few years in that I’ve come across people who aren’t afraid to take a chance on me.
This year, two publishing companies took a chance on a nobody in the author world. They were willing to take a look at my words, to ignore the fact that I had zero books to my name. Because of them, I’ve been able to achieve a writing career I once only dreamt about.
The school I work for took a chance on me that first year, a freshly-minted teaching graduate ready to take on the world—or at least the classroom. Although there are certainly tough days—anyone who has ever been around teenagers knows the high school classroom can be, at times, dramatic—I am so thankful for the opportunity to do what I love.
I also have had to take many chances in the past few years.
I took a chance when I wrote both of my books…what if no one ever picked them up? What if no one ever read them?
I took a chance when I got published. What if people hated my work? What if they were epic failures?
I took a chance when I said “I do,” when we signed for our house, when I said okay to a mastiff puppy.
Almost every day, we have the opportunity to take a chance. Sometimes it can end in failure of immense proportions. Sometimes it can alter our life in ways we can’t expect, for better or worse.
But sometimes that chance pays off, and we can’t imagine what we’d be missing if we hadn’t reached for it.
So what chance will you take this year?
December 31, 2015
My Sanctuary in Writing
I don’t have to remind any teacher out there that it’s winter break. The time between Christmas and New Year’s Day is perhaps the most glorious time of the year for those in the education field. By this point, almost halfway through the year, we’re tired. We’re ready for a few days to ourselves to get out of the classroom.
We’re ready for some Netflix, napping, snacks, and unscheduled pee breaks.
I’ve certainly done my share of all of the above so far. I’ve been catching up on Once Upon a Time, Reign, and my new addiction, Jane the Virgin. I’ve eaten way too many cookies, taken daily naps, and spent too much time just doing, well, nothing.
But I’ve also been relentlessly writing.
Over break, I’ve completed 30,000 words and counting on a brand new project. I’ve spent hours typing away.
Some would call it crazy. I just published a book. I have another manuscript finished. It’s time to relax, isn’t it? Why would I want to work over break?
If you’re a writer, though, you know, that writing isn’t work.
It’s a sanctuary.
There’s something relaxing about telling a story, about shaping it the way you want to. There’s something beautiful about spending time with new characters, about letting them dictate their story and where it goes. There’s something poetic about having control over someone’s fate, at least to an extent. There’s something magical about witnessing a first kiss, a new relationship, a budding romance firsthand, exclusively.
So I keep writing. Not because I want to make millions. Not because I’m under deadline.
But because I can’t imagine doing anything else. The characters speak to me, and I’m the only one listening. So I tell their story, one word at a time, one magical word at a time.
December 30, 2015
Till Death Us Do Part by Cristina Slough
TILL DEATH US DO PART
by Cristina Slough
Standalone novel
Genre: Military Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
: : SYNOPSIS : :
The fateful day Mimi Marcus has dreaded begins with a phone call…
The wife of a U.S. Marine, Mimi spent countless nights worried that her husband Joel would fall in the line of duty. He had fought valiantly and served his country with honor. That’s exactly what they tell her when they deliver the news—Joel was taken by the enemy in Afghanistan. Her husband is dead.
In desperate need of closure, Mimi travels to the one place Joel still has ties—The Marcus Ranch in Texas, inherited by his handsome younger brother Austin.
New beginnings are only an illusion…
The closer Mimi grows to the Marcus family, the more she considers it home. But when suspicions of Joel’s past surface, Austin refuses to disclose family secrets—even to his brother’s widow. It’s only by accident she uncovers evidence of Joel’s tainted past. Devastated by his lies and betrayal, she slowly opens up to Austin, and together they unfold layers of pain and grief.
Mimi is sure she’ll never love again, but is Austin the man to prove her wrong? Then the unthinkable happens…
Just as Mimi finds new hope in a future with Austin, Joel returns home from war. Enraged, traumatized, and teetering on the edge of insanity, Joel confesses to a history of deception, revealing yet another secret—this one too terrible to forgive.
In an awful twist of fate, Joel proves marriage vows are made to be honored.
No matter what.
: : PURCHASE LINKS : :
AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1I8kkmM
AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1ScVckq
Paperback Amazon: http://amzn.to/1YJrCu3
: : MEET THE AUTHOR : :
Novelist, movie addict, and animal lover, Cristina Slough is the author of:
Till Death Us Do Part, her debut novel.
Cristina has always been a bookworm, rarely seen without a pen and paper in her hand, she loves delving into a literacy fictional world of her own.
At the age of 11, her junior school teacher told her mother that she would be wasting her life if she didn’t become an author. Throughout her teenage years and beyond, her parents spurred her on to keep writing. She later began a career in commercial real estate, working in London’s West End, a corporate bubble where she was unable to fuel her passion to write.
It was on her Californian honeymoon in 2012 that the bug to write was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. After visiting Yosemite National Park she was inspired by the natural beauty of the land that surrounded her. Holding a special place in her heart, Yosemite would later be written into her debut novel.
She finally gave up the ‘big smoke’ when her son, Lucas, was born in October 2013.
When Lucas was a newborn, Cristina was told to sleep when the baby sleeps. She never could. There was a calling inside her to write. After getting to grips with her new role as a mother, she began working a psychological thriller, but she couldn’t fully connect to the characters she created. She ditched the manuscript and started Till Death Us Do Part(Limitless Publishing, 2015).
Cristina is married to Adam, who runs a successful business; together they share their Bedfordshire home with their son, crazy white German Shepherd and three spoiled cats. They can be found trekking through woodlands, or around the many shops Cristina loves to explore. As a family, they love to travel frequently, the United States being a firm favourite.
Limitless Publishing: http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/cristina-slough/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cristina_slough
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cristinasloughauthor
Goodbye 2015: The Year of Big Dreams
I can’t believe we’re saying goodbye to 2015. It feels like yesterday was the Y2K scare, and now fifteen years have gone by. Perhaps this is what Kenny Chesney was talking about when he sang “Don’t Blink.”
Like the rest of humanity, I’ve been thinking about this past year, good and bad.
I’m thankful there’s been more good.
This year, I got to see my wildest, biggest dream come true–publishing a novel–not once, but TWICE! It blows my mind that I got to see Voice of Innocence, a book I started writing on my parent’s deck during my college years, and Without You published. I’ve had a book signing at Barnes & Noble, I’ve sent my book to readers in other countries, I’ve been in the newspaper. I’ve had discussions with others about my books. It’s been insane.
I’ve had some other lovely moments as well. My husband and I crossed an item off of our joint bucket list…we got to go to Hershey to see Daniel Tosh live. We had a trip to the beach, some trips to the casino, and a lot of other fun, simple moments in between.
Were there some tears in 2015? Yes. Were there disappointments, rejections, broken household items, unexpected expenses? You bet.
But looking back, I’m happy to say I’ve forgotten most of the bad days in 2015. At the end of the year, the good moments are what remain for us to carry with us through the next year.
So I’m sure 2016 will have some crappy days and moments. But as the year goes on, I’m going to focus on the good ones because I know when 2016 threatens to roll over into 2017, it will be the good moments that stick out.
What were your favorite moments from 2015, big or small?
Feb 26, 2015
December 29, 2015
To All The Teachers Who’ve Paved My Writing Path: Thank You
As writers, we find our way to our path in many ways. Some come to it as teenagers, lucky to know our place before we’ve even had a chance to achieve it. Some come to it later in life, by sheer coincidence. Some come to it after years of tears and stress, rejections and failures. We all get there by a different route.
For me, the pathway was always been paved for my writing. Words were always my passion, my strong suit, my hobby. But I lacked confidence and faith in my dream.
Now, as I look at the two published novels on my shelf and the three other books waiting for their turn in the publishing spotlight, I can appreciate that I didn’t get here alone. So many people helped set the brickwork for my pathway to writing.
Many of them were teachers.
To my first teachers, my parents:
You taught me to love words before I was even in Kindergarten. I can remember the first book I “read” myself—a panda book from my Wendy’s kid’s meal. My fate was sealed then and there. I read everything I could get my hands on, and you didn’t stop me. In fact, I remember so many trips to the toy store that ended with a book in my hand instead of a toy.
To Mrs. Johnson, the first teacher to see my skill in writing:
I can still hear you telling my parents at my parent-teacher conference that I should consider Honors English when I got the chance. You made me realize I had a talent for writing early on, which gave me confidence down the road.
To Mrs. Vella, the first teacher to tell me to write a book:
You saw my love for writing and fostered it. I wrote the first four chapters of my first book with you…although I never finished it. You told me that it was okay if I didn’t need to brainstorm or outline…I could just write. I follow this advice even today.
To Mr. Kunkle, my band teacher:
You taught me confidence in myself. When I came to your band room in seventh grade, I was a nerdy, quiet girl without any confidence. I’d never had a trumpet lesson and had just practiced myself. You showed me I could accomplish goals on my own and to have faith in my abilities. This has translated to confidence in the sometimes cruel and difficult publishing world.
To Mrs. McCloskey, my tenth grade English teacher:
Your red pen was merciless. I learned to always make sure my pronouns agreed, how to write a proper compare/contrast essay, and to avoid making the same mistake twice.
To Mrs. Gunsallus, the teacher who solidified my pathway to an English career:
Before your class, I hated Shakespeare, books before 1990, and anything classic. You changed that. You helped me see the beauty of the classics, the power of written words on a new level. Thanks to you, I fell in love with reading on a new level, a deeper level. It changed everything for me.
To Char Wedge, my Honors Professor my Freshman Year:
You intimidated me. You were so professional, so intelligent. I was so nervous when I had to complete an interview with you for my grade during my freshman year. You told me two things, though, that stuck with me. First, you told me effort didn’t equate to anything in the real world. Skill, talent, and success were what carried you. Second, you asked me why I wasn’t an English major because my writing was excellent. You made me hang on to English as a possibility, which gave me the strength years later to stay for a second degree.
To Sally Story, the professor of my least favorite class:
I signed up for you class hoping for a poetry and story writing class. I got play writing instead. I can remember sharing my first silent scene with the class—you ripped it apart, telling me my character was too dramatic and that a mirror couldn’t break on stage without technical difficulties. I went home and tried not to cry. I hated every week of that class because I hated sharing my plays. I had no idea what I was doing. But I gained the biggest gifts from your class—the ability to take criticism and the ability to write dialogue. Many authors struggle with dialogue, but I don’t because your class made me use it as a vehicle to tell the story. You also taught me we get better by seeing what we’re doing wrong.
To Dr. Neff, my Literature of Health and Healing Professor:
Your summer course only had five students, and our motto seemed to be “Let’s just get through this.” The books you picked, however, reminded me that life is short, and we don’t always have as much time to achieve our dreams as we think. Because of your class, I started writing what would become my first novel, Voice of Innocence.
We never know how a few simple words, a few reinforcements, or even a few words of fair criticism can affect a person. Looking back, so many people touched my life and helped me become the writer I am today.
Writing isn’t always about sales rank or books sold—it’s about following your heart and telling the stories you want to be heard. It’s about living the life you were meant to.
To all the teachers who helped me achieve this goal, thank you.
December 27, 2015
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty: Book Review
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
As always, Moriarty combines humor with serious drama to create a memorable, emotional, captivating novel.
Big Little Lies covers the story of several parents and children at Pirriwee Public school. Through a series of intertwined histories, dramatic events, and humorous chaos, the stories are intertwined. A lot of the book focuses on a murder that happened at Trivia Night, a fundraiser for the school.
I liked the characters in this book. Moriarty follows many characters at once, but you feel like you truly get to know all of them well. I was never confused. Each character was memorable in her own right. I also liked how there were clues interspersed through the entire book about what happened at Trivia Night. It kept me wanting to read. Moriarty covered many heavy topics such as murder, abuse, and trust.
The only reason I didn’t rate this book a five is because I think it lacked the pizzazz and humor of some of her other books. I laughed out loud during What Alice Forgot at some of the ridiculous scenes. I think the subject matter of this book prevented some of this humor to shine through, and this is what I value most about her writing.
Nonetheless, I found myself flying through this book and being engrossed by the stories of the characters. I really liked the ending and how everything tied together. I cannot wait for Moriarty’s next release!
