Rae McDaniel's Blog, page 2
March 31, 2019
Into the Emerald audiobook for free?
I have a few free codes to get a copy of my Audble book available to give away! Subscribe to my newsletter if you haven't already at RaeMcDaniel.com (or become a member by clicking login) head to the blog page and leave a comment to pick a number between 1 and 25. Facebook comments will not count! Four people will get a promo code after picking the correct number! I'm having my son pick the number :D These codes are valid for the US Audible site only, sorry. This will end on Monday at 7pm pacific time, or whenever the 4 copies have been given away! Thank you and good luck! You may unsubscribe from my list at any time, and becoming a member of the community at my site is completely free! If you don't want to wait to see if you win, or want more info about the book go here: USA: https://www.audible.com/pd/B07NKD13J1... UK: https://www.audible.co.uk/pd/B07PYFDF... FR: https://www.audible.fr/pd/B07PV5TNGG/... DE: https://www.audible.fr/pd/B07PV5TNGG/...
March 28, 2019
UK deal
Just a quick note to say that Into the Emerald is on a Kindle countdown deal for the UK until the 31st. Grab your copy here at a reduced price: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07JJ582XT Thanks!
March 25, 2019
Excerpt from book two...
I thought I would post a little bit of book two of the Coffee and Emeralds series and share more of the story of Jo and Sarah. Sarah Now that Jo is gone, I'm distraught that she left. I'm mad at her for leaving, I'm feeling guilty for making her go, and I'm absolutely positive that she doesn't love me anymore.
My mind is racing. Suddenly my chest feels heavy, my heart is pounding, and I can't breathe. I call out for my mom, and she comes running.
At the hospital, I am told that I had a panic attack. As I come to grips with that my mom is reaching for her phone.
“No! Don't you dare call her. Let her be, mom. She doesn't need to know about this. Let her have her Christmas in Portland!” I yell at her.
“Sarah, she needs to know about this. She's your wife. She loves you.”
“No, she doesn't need to know. She doesn't love me any more mom. I'm not the same person she fell in love with. I don't deserve her. I'm mad at her all the time, and I don't even know why. That's why I sent her away. That's why I'm going to ask her to move back to the house without me.”
“What are you talking about, Sarah?” She's crying.
“Mom, I want to be alone right now, please,” I say.
She leaves the hospital room, and I pull the sheet and a blanket over my head and start crying. I cry for a long time. It's the first time I've cried in weeks, and it feels damn good to release all these feelings. Jo I'm sitting on the couch, and Lori has her arm around me. Trevor is in putting the baby to bed.
“What are you going to do, Jo?” she asks.
“I don't know. I feel like she's pushing me away. My therapist says that happens sometimes. She keeps telling me to hang in there, but it's getting harder and harder. I don't think Sarah can even stand to be in the same room with me anymore. Most nights I end up sleeping on the couch. I get up early and go back into the bedroom, so Karen doesn't see me. She's just as emotionally spent as I am, but at least Sarah isn't pushing her away,” I say. “Karen knows, Jo. We Skyped with her a few days before you got here. She’s really worried about you. So are we. You've lost weight since I saw you last, and you barely eat.” “You Skyped with Karen?” I say.
“Yes, she wanted to see the baby and wanted to fill us in on you and Sarah. You two have barely spoken on the phone since you've been here. I never thought that would happen. How are you doing though, Jo? I know how traumatic that was for me, I can't imagine how it was for you to see Sarah attacked like that,” she says.
“I'm still having nightmares, but not as often as I used to. Even talking about it raises my heart rate and makes me anxious. One day at a time, you know,” I say.
“You need to eat and take better care of yourself. You do this shit when you get depressed. I love you girl. You know that right? I think you two will get through this. She just needs more time,” she says.
“I know. I'm trying really hard to give it to her,” I say. Trevor comes up behind me and puts both his hands on my shoulder and kisses the top of my head. “The little lady is sleeping. How are my other ladies doing?” he says. I start crying, and both of them are there, holding on to me. Book two, tentatively titled "Crimson and Amber" takes us through the struggles of a comitted relationship, a wedding, a traumatic event and the emotional rollercoaster following it. Will Jo and Sarah's relationship survive? How will they navigate through the pain? Will they be able to come together as a couple and start the healing process? Have you read book one yet? It's called Into the Emerald and you can find it on Amazon, Audible and iTunes. Click the appropriate link below: Amazon Audible iTunes Questions or comments for me? Visit my website: https://RaeMcDaniel.com and chat with me live, send me a message and sign up for my newsletter.
My mind is racing. Suddenly my chest feels heavy, my heart is pounding, and I can't breathe. I call out for my mom, and she comes running.
At the hospital, I am told that I had a panic attack. As I come to grips with that my mom is reaching for her phone.
“No! Don't you dare call her. Let her be, mom. She doesn't need to know about this. Let her have her Christmas in Portland!” I yell at her.
“Sarah, she needs to know about this. She's your wife. She loves you.”
“No, she doesn't need to know. She doesn't love me any more mom. I'm not the same person she fell in love with. I don't deserve her. I'm mad at her all the time, and I don't even know why. That's why I sent her away. That's why I'm going to ask her to move back to the house without me.”
“What are you talking about, Sarah?” She's crying.
“Mom, I want to be alone right now, please,” I say.
She leaves the hospital room, and I pull the sheet and a blanket over my head and start crying. I cry for a long time. It's the first time I've cried in weeks, and it feels damn good to release all these feelings. Jo I'm sitting on the couch, and Lori has her arm around me. Trevor is in putting the baby to bed.
“What are you going to do, Jo?” she asks.
“I don't know. I feel like she's pushing me away. My therapist says that happens sometimes. She keeps telling me to hang in there, but it's getting harder and harder. I don't think Sarah can even stand to be in the same room with me anymore. Most nights I end up sleeping on the couch. I get up early and go back into the bedroom, so Karen doesn't see me. She's just as emotionally spent as I am, but at least Sarah isn't pushing her away,” I say. “Karen knows, Jo. We Skyped with her a few days before you got here. She’s really worried about you. So are we. You've lost weight since I saw you last, and you barely eat.” “You Skyped with Karen?” I say.
“Yes, she wanted to see the baby and wanted to fill us in on you and Sarah. You two have barely spoken on the phone since you've been here. I never thought that would happen. How are you doing though, Jo? I know how traumatic that was for me, I can't imagine how it was for you to see Sarah attacked like that,” she says.
“I'm still having nightmares, but not as often as I used to. Even talking about it raises my heart rate and makes me anxious. One day at a time, you know,” I say.
“You need to eat and take better care of yourself. You do this shit when you get depressed. I love you girl. You know that right? I think you two will get through this. She just needs more time,” she says.
“I know. I'm trying really hard to give it to her,” I say. Trevor comes up behind me and puts both his hands on my shoulder and kisses the top of my head. “The little lady is sleeping. How are my other ladies doing?” he says. I start crying, and both of them are there, holding on to me. Book two, tentatively titled "Crimson and Amber" takes us through the struggles of a comitted relationship, a wedding, a traumatic event and the emotional rollercoaster following it. Will Jo and Sarah's relationship survive? How will they navigate through the pain? Will they be able to come together as a couple and start the healing process? Have you read book one yet? It's called Into the Emerald and you can find it on Amazon, Audible and iTunes. Click the appropriate link below: Amazon Audible iTunes Questions or comments for me? Visit my website: https://RaeMcDaniel.com and chat with me live, send me a message and sign up for my newsletter.
March 20, 2019
Into the Emerald on Audible!
It's also available on iTunes and Amazon! I am so excited for you to hear it! https://www.audible.com/pd/B07NKD13J1...
March 17, 2019
Waterfalls and Life
It's incredible to me how different life feels when I'm out in nature. All the BS disappears. I leave the stress of the daily grind behind and just enjoy the sights and sounds Mother Earth. I can sit in wonder for hours watching the water coming over the falls, carving its way through and over the rocks. I don't usually have that much time, but I enjoy the time I do have and cherish all of it. My person and I hike frequently and most often seek out a new waterfall. We had been to this one last summer, and the water level was so low (thanks to climate change), that although it was still beautiful, I was absolutely blown away by it this time. When we got to Alsea falls, there was a downed tree on the other side with a branch hanging over the white water. The power of the water kept the branch moving, and it dipped into the water as if it was taking a drink. We watched it for quite a long time, and it never wavered from it's "drinking." I captured a video of it. While you're here, please sign up to be a member (it's free!) and subscribe to my newsletter! Members can post in the community forum, and will get advance notice of upcoming novels, deals and freebies! I also will schedule chat sessions so I can meet and greet my readers in real time. All pronouns welcome! Hate free zone enforced. By the way, for those of you who are still reading, visit lesficnow.com tomorrow to see the deals for March 18th and 19th. My book is one of them! Get it for just 99 cents from 3-18-19 and 3-19-19 and see all the other offerings available! Thanks for supporting me and the other authors on lesficnow.com!
March 11, 2019
Not yet!
I had hoped to be making a big announcement today about the Audible/iTunes version of Into the Emerald being available, but it is not live yet. Believe me, I will spam you when it is! LOL. Despite the Oregon Blizzard of 2019, it’s been sunny here for the last several days. There is evidence of Spring all around me. The nighttime temperatures have still been below freezing, but at least the snow is gone, and I can get out of my driveway again. I’m craving sunshine so that my significant other and I can get out on the hiking trails again. Being out in nature is so invigorating. Yes, we are still out getting exercise and trying to soak up the vitamin D every weekend in the cold when we can, but it has not been warm enough, dry enough or safe enough to go to one of the places on our growing list of hikes we want to do. Being out on the trail gives me a feeling that I cannot accurately describe, but I will try. It’s joy, it’s lightness, it’s beauty. It’s sharing it with another human being that appreciates it as much as I do, and I cannot wait to get out there. What do you do in your “spare time” for enjoyment? I would love to hear about my reader’s hobbies and activities. How do you find your joy? Leave a comment below and let me know! Also, please visit me at RaeMcDaniel.com and become a member (it’s free!) of my site! I hope to make it a place where we can go to talk about all sorts of things. I try to be on my website and available for chat on Sundays and Mondays. Come visit and chat me up! I hope your day is filled with sun, warmth, humor, and love. I know mine is.
March 5, 2019
Audiobook, book two, sci-fi book, Oh My!
As I am writing this, I am awaiting final approval of the finished audiobook for Into the Emerald! I'm excited to bring it to you but also excited to finish the first draft of the second book to continue the story of Sarah and Jo. I am so close to the completion of the first draft and anxious to get going on revisions to make it as good as possible for my readers. I'm also eager to continue work on the post-apocalyptic sci-fi story that I started over the summer. I'll tell you more about that very soon. :) I'm still pushing myself towards a May release of book two of the Coffee and Emeralds series. It's going to be a tight deadline for me, but I am determined. Book three will likely come early next year as I work on an entirely new story in the sci-fi genre instead. I may release teaser's of this original story this summer as I work. A big thank you to those of you that have posted reviews of my first book. They are all much appreciated. More reviews will help get my book noticed and increase my readership. I encourage you to visit my new author site at raemcdaniel.com and sign up for my newsletter and also become a member of my site (it's free) to talk with other community members (it's new and needs more participants). I'm generally on my website on Sundays and Mondays and have enabled chat. Have a question for me? Look for me at raemcdaniel.com. I'd love to talk to you! This will be a place for our community to chat about those issues that are important to us — an LGBTQIA safe space whee all are welcome, regardless of pronouns. I hope you all have a fantastic week! An announcement is coming soon as to the audiobook release, and I will be sharing more details on the other books as well. Thanks for reading!
February 24, 2019
One year journey
I'm sitting here listening to and doing a final review of my Into the Emerald audiobook. I look back and realize it's been a little over a year since I started this journey. My life has changed for the better in so many ways. I've stepped out of my comfort zone and discovered a whole new group of like-minded folks that write, readers like myself that love books and good stories and rediscovered parts of myself that I thought I had lost. I could not have done this without all of you. You make me a better person, a better writer and above all a better me. I hope you stay with me as my journey continues. As I continue work on the Coffee and Emeralds series with Jo and Sarah and finalize the audiobook. A special thanks to Joan Dukore, the person that is giving voice to Jo and Sarah. If you haven't read Into the Emerald yet, you can find it here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JJ582XT If you have read it, I would love to know what you think. Please visit the link above and leave me a review or post a comment below. Thank you, thank you, thank you! I could use more reviews on Amazon, Bookbub, and Goodreads. Find me there as author Rae McDaniel, or look for Into the Emerald. I will be updating you on the progress of all books and occasionally include free excerpts or other free items in my newsletter. Make sure you hit "subscribe" on this site below. Thank you and happy reading!
