Lindsay Detwiler's Blog, page 30

My Thanksgiving Fingerprint: Who I Am, What I Love, and What I’m Most Thankful For

Finding true love at a young age so I have years to appreciate it~having parents who taught me learning is important~cats~nights on the couch watching Netflix~coffee~Saturday shopping sprees with Mom~teaching~the ability to appreciate literature~writing~a closet full of clothes~a pantry always stocked with food~laughter~co-workers who make me smile daily~the opportunity and support to chase my wildest dreams~the chance to see my words in print~naps~chocolate~an occasional glass of wine~health~my family~HENRY~all of the memories I’ve made so far

We all have things we’re thankful for, big and small. Our lists make us who we are, reveal our personality, showcase what’s important to us. So even though it’s cheesy and predictable, here’s my list of things I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving (hey, hey…alliteration :) ).

Perhaps the true challenge, though, isn’t to blog about things to be thankful for once a year after heaping turkey on a plate.

Perhaps the true challenge is to keep this list close at hand all year long, to remind us that even on the worst of the worst days, there’s always something to smile about.

Lindsay Detwiler

Rediscover Your College Romance: New Adult, New Release

Love in your twenties is an entity unto itself. Rediscover your college love in Without You, Lindsay Detwiler’s second novel, available now for pre-order.

On the surface, Jenna Landsen has it all…

She’s smart, beautiful, confident, and married to Camden Landsen, who happens to be drop dead sexy and just as successful. But after five long years, all the success in the world hasn’t brought the romantic spark back into her marriage. Jenna fears it never will.

When life gives you lemons, open a bakery and name it Vi’s…

Violet Streiff made the exact mistake her mother warned against—she fell in love with Liam Coffman, a charming finance major. When he left her heartbroken to further his career, Violet drowned her sorrows by opening a bakery, and now relies on Bob, her eighteen-pound cat, for warmth at night instead of a sexy man.

To find love, sometimes you first have to discover yourself…

When Jenna’s job offers an extended trip to New York, she packs her bags and takes a two-month vacation from life. The chance of her marriage surviving looks grim, until the surprise of a lifetime throws a wrench in her plans to stay in the Big Apple for good.

You can bend the rules—but sooner or later they’ll break…

When Violet meets a gloomy but totally drool-worthy guy named Camden in her shop, she’s sure her luck has changed. There’s no denying the chemistry, but he’s married, and that’s a major problem. Violet isn’t a homewrecker. Still, staying away from Camden proves nearly impossible. That is, until his wife comes home.

Two women.

Two men.

Double the chance to find love in the most

unexpected places—or double the chance for disaster.

Enter to win a locket and signed copy of Without You HERE.

Bookworms On Your Holiday List? Without You Now in Paperback on Amazon!

On the surface, Jenna Landsen has it all…

She’s smart, beautiful, confident, and married to Camden Landsen, who happens to be drop dead sexy and just as successful. But after five long years, all the success in the world hasn’t brought the romantic spark back into her marriage. Jenna fears it never will.

When life gives you lemons, open a bakery and name it Vi’s…

Violet Streiff made the exact mistake her mother warned against—she fell in love with Liam Coffman, a charming finance major. When he left her heartbroken to further his career, Violet drowned her sorrows by opening a bakery, and now relies on Bob, her eighteen-pound cat, for warmth at night instead of a sexy man.

To find love, sometimes you first have to discover yourself…

When Jenna’s job offers an extended trip to New York, she packs her bags and takes a two-month vacation from life. The chance of her marriage surviving looks grim, until the surprise of a lifetime throws a wrench in her plans to stay in the Big Apple for good.

You can bend the rules—but sooner or later they’ll break…

When Violet meets a gloomy but totally drool-worthy guy named Camden in her shop, she’s sure her luck has changed. There’s no denying the chemistry, but he’s married, and that’s a major problem. Violet isn’t a homewrecker. Still, staying away from Camden proves nearly impossible. That is, until his wife comes home.

Two women.

Two men.

Double the chance to find love in the most

unexpected places—or double the chance for disaster.

Only $3.99 for preorder for Kindle

$13.99 for paperback

There’s still time to enter to win this adorable locket giveaway! Click the picture to go to my facebook and enter!

 

Cover Reveal! Savannah Blevins Frog Hollow

= = ‪#‎CoverReveal‬ = =

FROG HOLLOW by Savannah Blevins

Series: Witches of Sanctuary #1

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Release Date: January 5, 2016

COVER DESIGNER: Deranged Doctor

= = SYNOPSIS = =

It’s a sign. No one is safe.

At just twenty-two years old, Wilhelmina Daniels inherits a house, a family of eclectic witches, and a death sentence on the same day. As revealed by Reid Thomas, her shy but smoldering neighbor, Wilhelmina is a descendent of the Innocent—a line of gifted women who are to be admired, feared, and above all else, protected.

Death, mayhem, and The Haunted…

The murder of Wilhelmina’s mother—the family matriarch—sends the small town’s rumor-mill into a frenzy. Suspicions fall on The Haunted, a rival force with dual personalities, one of them beingJulien Cote.

It’s difficult to believe the charming boy has a sexual deviant with a hankering for violence lurking inside. 

Rumor has it Julien can seduce an angel out of her wings. Wilhelmina doesn’t have wings, but if he calls her cheri d’amour one more time, she’s liable to lose something of equal importance—her heart. But with Reid hailing from her clan, will she stay close to her own, or venture into the unknown?

Even a powerful spell can’t seal Julien’s fate…

Julien knows an incantation that just might help Wilhelmina to solve her mother’s death, but when an unidentified stalker is spotted spying in her house, her family is certain it’s Julien’s dangerous alter ego come out to play.

Wilhelmina must decide—is risking her life worth the possible heartbreak of discovering the truth about Julien’s fate and her mother’s death? Or will she cast aside her desire for Julien and vow her love to Reid.

Leaving her past forever buried in the murky depth of…Frog Hollow

= = ABOUT THE AUTHOR = =

Savannah was born in Hyden, Kentucky. She received her M.S in Speech Language Pathology from The University of Mississippi in 2009. She’s been writing since the early age of nine when she begged her parents for a type writer for Christmas.

She now lives in Corbin, Ky with her husband of eight years, John, and their two wonderful daughters, Delilah and Gracie.

When she isn’t working, or running after her kids, she spends her free time traveling the country with her husband. There is nothing better than a day of football in the grove, a late night of basketball at Rupp Arena or slapping the glass to celebrate another Washington Capitals goal.

She is a strong believer that with enough hard work and determination you can accomplish anything.

Limitless Publishing: http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/savannah-blevins/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/savannahblevinsauthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/vannajodee

Website: http://www.savanannahblevins.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14429769.Savannah_Blevins

Nicholas Sparks See Me Review

See Me by Nicholas Sparks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nicholas Sparks has always inspired me with is ability to craft gorgeous, emotional tales of love, friendship, strength, courage, and growth. From The Notebook to The Choice to The Longest Ride, he has created couples who inspire and remind us that love is magical.

Thus, when I picked up See Me, I was thrilled at the prospect of falling in love with another couple. I was anxious to delve into another one of his masterpieces, to connect and relate to characters who made me believe in the power of love.

However, after reading See Me, I am sad to say I was severely let down.

See Me chronicles the love story of Maria and Collin. Maria is a lawyer and Collin a college student/aspiring teacher/amateur fighter. Individually, the characters are pretty relatable and even likable. However, the chemistry was severely lacking in their story. I felt like their connection was lacking the spark, passion, and depth of other couples Sparks writes about. I just never felt like they were truly in love, even up through the end. There was a severe lack of development perhaps because of the nature of the book’s conflict. I didn’t fall in love with Maria and Collin as a couple, so I never really invested in their love story. Furthermore, I felt that their love story was overshadowed by other events in the story.

I also never really fell completely in love with Collin. Usually, I adore the male protagonists in Sparks’ books. Collin, while attractive and likable, wasn’t anything special. I felt like he lacked quirks and memorability. He was too much of the “typical” character, and I didn’t feel like he had anything too special about him. His only major quirk was that he said “Okay” a lot…which was pretty dull. Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters’ “Okay then?” was adorable. Collin’s okay just felt cold.

The overall plot and conflict of the book was also lacking the emotional appeal of some of his other works. Sparks writes best when writing about heart-wrenching tragedy. While there were glimmers of the heartbreak in this novel, I never felt like Sparks actually got to the emotional depth needed to make this book memorable. The main conflict is that Maria is being stalked, which I found overdone and predictable. I also just didn’t find the book that suspenseful or exciting. Not enough happened. I was to about page 200 when I realized nothing major was really happening.

Overall, this book was very lengthy without a lot of memorable action happening. I also felt like it lacked the beautiful writing of some of Sparks’ earlier works.

I will always be a major fan of Nicholas Sparks. I think he is an exceptionally talented writer and story teller. This book, however, does not highlight Sparks’ full writing potential. I left See Me feeling disappointed, not because of his lack of skill but because of the fact he didn’t showcase it completely with this book.

View all my reviews

November’s Petit Vour Box: Cruelty Free Beauty

My favorite day of the month? Petit Vour mail day! I got my November box today and wasn’t disappointed.

This month, I got:

Modern Minereals Lip Gloss…the color is beautiful, although I’ll say the taste is a little interesting
One Love Organics Dry Shampoo…I’ve been addicted to dry shampoo lately, so I can’t wait to give it a try
Pelle Beauty Beauty Balm…a moisturizing skin balm
Organic Bath Co Stress Less Body Oil…a bit greasy, but it smells good!

I just love getting this box for $15 a month. It’s a nice present to myself every month, and I get to try new products. My favorite part, though, is that it is vegan and cruelty free.

Without You: Showing the Real Side of Married Life

As an author, the biggest compliment I’ve ever received is that my fiction is extremely realistic. I don’t pride myself on a “sunshine and rainbows” approach, even if I’m writing about love. Love is hard, and marriage is even harder. There are difficult moments, harsh moments, moments filled with expletives. There are moments of giving up, moments of messing up, and moments when you just ask why.

Love is a gorgeous sentiment, a moving emotion. It is the most powerful emotion a human can feel and incites the most magical moments in our lives. However, as a woman and a writer, I seek to showcase both sides of love, the good and the bad.

A big reason why I wrote Without You is to highlight the idea that whether you are married or single, love is complicated. Married women face as many obstacles and struggles as single women. The book’s about self-identity, the complications of love, and the struggles we face trying to balance our love life with who we are.

Below is an excerpt from Jenna, the married character in Without You. I hope that married women will connect with her, will find themselves in her. I know I did as I was writing.

“Marriage is hard. It’s not all candlelight dinners and sexy lingerie and roses. It’s not stolen kisses and passionate compliments. It’s not mindless strolls in the park and unconditional thrills. Sometimes marriage is about the stress of work, the tedium of day-to-day living in the middle class, and even boredom. It’s wearing your holey T-shirts from your college days instead of that sexy satin top. It’s “a pony tail will suffice” instead of luscious curls. It’s trading in your uncomfortable but sexy thong for a practical pair of hip huggers. It’s excitement traded for comfort, fantasy traded for reality. But does that make it any less valuable? Desirable? Isn’t it okay to step out of the fantasy land of marriage and into a more realistic, more reasonable one?”

 Without You will be available for pre-order on Amazon beginning November 21st through Limitless Publishing!

On the surface, Jenna Landsen has it all…

She’s smart, beautiful, confident, and married to Camden Landsen, who happens to be drop dead sexy and just as successful. But after five long years, all the success in the world hasn’t brought the romantic spark back into her marriage. Jenna fears it never will.

When life gives you lemons, open a bakery and name it Vi’s…

Violet Streiff made the exact mistake her mother warned against—she fell in love with Liam Coffman, a charming finance major. When he left her heartbroken to further his career, Violet drowned her sorrows by opening a bakery, and now relies on Bob, her eighteen-pound cat, for warmth at night instead of a sexy man.

To find love, sometimes you first have to discover yourself…

When Jenna’s job offers an extended trip to New York, she packs her bags and takes a two-month vacation from life. The chance of her marriage surviving looks grim, until the surprise of a lifetime throws a wrench in her plans to stay in the Big Apple for good.

You can bend the rules—but sooner or later they’ll break…

When Violet meets a gloomy but totally drool-worthy guy named Camden in her shop, she’s sure her luck has changed. There’s no denying the chemistry, but he’s married, and that’s a major problem. Violet isn’t a homewrecker. Still, staying away from Camden proves nearly impossible. That is, until his wife comes home.

Two women.

Two men.

Double the chance to find love in the most

unexpected places—or double the chance for disaster.

Bob and Henry: Why My Pets Are In My Books

Henry and Bob.

What more reason do you need to read Without You?

If you know me, you know I’m obsessed with:

My mastiff Henry
Cats, especially big Bob
Coffee
Books

So naturally, all of these things are staples in my newest novel, Without You. Henry is Jenna and Camden’s mastiff, and Bob is Violet’s cupcake-loving, eighteen-pound cat.

Is there deep, symbolic meaning in their presence?

No.

I just adore my pets and wanted to immortalize them in my literature.

I’m currently drafting a third book and a sequel, and guess what?

You’ll find Henry in those too.

What can I say, I’m crazy about him. But who couldn’t be with eyes like his?

Lindsay Detwiler, Without You and Voice of Innocence

Win a Book Lover’s Locket and a Signed Book!

Enter to win on MY  FACEBOOK PAGE…I almost didn’t have this giveaway because I LOVE this locket :) I decided, however, not to be selfish and share it with you! Winner selected December 1st. You’ll also get a signed copy of my second novel, Without You, available for pre-order now.

Help Me Spread The Word: Without You

Hey everyone!

I’ve started my first thunderclap campaign (yikes! I’m joining the new century!).

Click the link to help support my campaign. I need 100 supporters in order to spread the word about Without You. It’s easy to sign up. Basically, if you sign up, my tweet about Without You will be sent automatically on your twitter or Facebook. http://thndr.me/zJMJQG

Thanks, as always, for your help! I couldn’t do it without you…