Laina Turner's Blog, page 77

I Want YOU To Join Laina’s Crusaders!

Are you interested in partnering with me to spread the word about my published books? Then I want YOU to join my team – Laina’s Crusaders! If you choose to join, I’ll be forever grateful and can also offer you a few incentives.

As a member of Laina’s Crusaders, you’ll be rewarded with:

* Exclusive FREE access to my published e-books (for any book you agree to review, we will send you a FREE e-copy of the book)

* FREE advertising space for your business/blog on my website

* FREE sponsored post opportunities on my website

* First to read my newest release coming out in a few weeks – Romance & Revenge

* A chance to win the GRAND PRIZE (1 crusader who goes above and beyond their call of duty will win a $50 Visa Gift Card)

* A chance to win 3 other smaller prizes (1 crusader will be randomly selected each month for three months).

* A chance to name a character after you in my next book (the crusader who comes up with the most unique/effective marketing idea)

* If you’re a fellow author, I will also promote your books in an exclusive blog post about my “Favorite Books This Year” and will distribute the post through my social media pages

* An opportunity to participate in my ‘Laina’s Crusaders’ private Facebook group, where you can access all the marketing materials you will need. We can swap ideas and I’ll be happy to answer any questions about my books, my blog or writing in general.

 

If you’re interested in becoming one my crusaders, here’s what I’ll ask from you:

* A 3-month commitment, spreading the word about my books and newest releases

* Read (3) of my books and write an honest review of each book on Amazon or iTunes (at least one per month). You will be required to read and review my latest Presley Thurman release Vows & Victims, my upcoming Presley Thurman release Romance & Revenge and one other book of your choosing. You may read and write additional reviews for bonus points!

* If you have a blog or website, I’ll ask you to publish your reviews on your blog, as well as feature an author interview, book excerpt or spotlight feature on one or more of my books. If you’re interested in featuring one of my books along with a giveaway, we can chat about that possibility, as well.

* Promote my books, your reviews and any blog posts via your social media pages (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, etc.) Each post will have the hashtag #LainaTurnerBooks included

* Share info about my books with your closest friends, family members and acquaintances.

You’ll have special access to a membership page on my website, where you can download logos, book covers, book blurbs, author interview questions/answers and additional marketing materials to help with your promotion. If you have other ideas on how to spread the buzz about my books, by all means, go for it! Keep me and the other crusaders informed on our Facebook group so we can all work together and keep track of how awesome you are!

Interested in joining? Fill out the submission form below. We’ll get back to you with more info and details once we know you’re interested!

Thanks for your support!

Name*FirstLastYour Email*Link to your blog/website if applicableTell us a little about yourself and what you'd like to get out of being one of Laina's Crusaders

 

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Fab 5 Friday

I’ve missed the last couple weeks of Fab 5 Friday not because there weren’t super fab posts out there but rather my life has been chaotic to say the least. This week was a little more under control and I am excited to share some of the posts I found. Especially the yummy ones.

Brown Eyed Baker – Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie with Pretzel crust…need I say more? I may have drooled on my keyboard.
Young House Love – Celebrating Seven I liked this post because it’s a sweet tradition!
Minimalist Baker – Vegan Portobello Pizza to offset that amazing dessert in fab post 1.
The Inspired Room – Inspired Idea: Changeable Photo Gallery. Thank goodness for creative people or I wouldn’t have any ideas.
Sometimes Sweet – Letting Go. This is a lesson I’m sure we can all use from time to time as we strive to be the best version of ourselves.

Hope you enjoyed these posts as much as I did!

Have a great weekend!

 

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Please Take A Moment for Meso (Mesothelioma)

Today we are taking a break from our typical blog posts to support the ‘Moment for Meso‘ campaign. Do you know what Meso is? I had never heard of it, but I was recently contacted by Cameron Von St. James to join their summer campaign in educating people about this very rare cancer that affects 3,000 people in the U.S. alone each year.

Cancer affects us all in one way or another during our lifetime – many of us have been diagnosed with cancer ourselves, some of us are survivors and the rest of us have personally seen someone very dear to our hearts go through it. Mesothelioma is just one form of cancer, but it’s one that very few people know about. Please read below to educate yourself on this awful disease and meet Cameron Von St. James’ wife, Heather, who was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma 8 years ago and was only given 15 months to live. She is a shining example of someone who beat the odds and has dedicated her life to inspiring other mesothelioma patients around the world.

What is Mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer affecting the membrane lining of the lungs and abdomen. It is very aggressive and has a long latency period. Therefore, the cancer is usually not detected until the advanced stages. The prognosis for patients is often not favorable; the mesothelioma survival rate following diagnosis is usually only 1-2 years.

What Causes Mesothelioma?

The only proven cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. Asbestos is a fibrous mineral used in various products because of its resistance to heat, fire and chemicals. Most people exposed to asbestos are in an occupational setting during the exposure.

Facts & Statistics About Mesothelioma

- Approximately 2,000-3,000 people are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year in the United States.

- Mesothelioma is more common in men (80%) than it is in women (20%).

- Mesothelioma symptoms may not appear for 20-50 years after the initial asbestos exposure.

- It is one of the rarest forms of cancer, afflicting approximately one person in every 166,000.

- 9 out of every 10 diagnoses affects someone over the age of 60.

- Mesothelioma diagnoses have increased four times over since the 1980′s.

- Due to the changes in asbestos exposure, the number of mesothelioma cases is expected to peak in 2016 and then sharply decline.

Heather’s Story

In 2005, at the age of 36, and only three months after giving birth to a beautiful daughter Lily Rose, Heather Von St. James was diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma. Upon learning of this life-altering diagnosis, Heather, together with her husband Cameron, embarked upon a search to find the best mesothelioma treatment care available. Their search eventually led them to Dr. David Sugarbaker, a renowned mesothelioma surgeon at the Boston based Brigham and Women’s hospital. Dr. Sugarbaker recommended a relatively new surgical procedure called extrapleural pneumonectomy, a groundbreaking treatment option offered through the International Mesothelioma Program. Although there were some risks associated with the procedure, it also carried promise for the best possible outcome. Heather, with full support from her husband and family, agreed to have the surgery. Today, Heather Von St. James is an eight-year mesothelioma cancer survivor.

For more information on Mesothelioma, visit http://www.mesothelioma.com

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Wedding Wednesday

Since I’m getting married I decided that talking about all things wedding between now and next July 11th would be fun. Not every day of course but when the mood strikes me. Like on Wednesdays…because Wedding Wednesday sounds good.

The mood struck me today when I was thinking about how “all out” to go with the traditional things since this is my 2nd wedding and I had a traditional wedding the first time. That led me to think about how much more lucrative the wedding business is today versus 30 years ago. With the divorce rate pushing 50% people in the wedding business have a huge opportunity for repeat business. It might even make sense for them to keep tabs on their clients and when a divorce and new wedding is announced reach out and offer a 2nd time discount or something.

From a marketing standpoint it makes sense but would people getting married be offended if you were their photographer and upon delivery of the wedding photos you gave them a coupon for25% off their next wedding?

What’s your opinion?

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Goal Setting

Slow and steady wins the race. And that’s not just a cliché. It’s true. Even though we are very much an instant gratification society and want instant results with most things, if you have slow and consistent progress you will be much more likely to reach your goal and more importantly keep it.

Some of the important elements to goal making and achievement, at least to me, are as follows:

Write down the goal. These are the two things that are proven to help you reach your goals, and they aren’t just my opinion. Whether pen and paper or on the computer. The act of writing your goals down cements them in your brain and makes them more real. We all have millions of thoughts a day but actually taking the time to write them down takes it to the next level. I take that one step further and try to write down those goals daily so they continue to be cemented in my brain.
Create a realistic plan to achieve the goal. Goals without a plan to get there are pretty much pointless. If you have yourself a plan to follow it will keep you on track. Especially when you want to veer off.
Think of a reward. You must have milestones set and give yourself small rewards for when you achieve those milestones. Don’t be hard on yourself. If you have something to look forward to, as you get closer to your final goal it will help keep you going.
Set a realistic time frame. The key here is realistic. Setting a time frame to achieve your goals that isn’t realistic is just a recipe for failure. When it’s not possible, or nearly impossible, then it is too easy to get frustrated and quit. Make sure the milestones you set are doable for normal humans.
Celebrate your success. While reaching your goal is a huge celebration in itself you want to make sure you make it a big deal. Even if you’re the only one who is doing the celebrating. You want to congratulate yourself and make sure your hard work isn’t going unnoticed. We can often be our own worst critics and we need to take the time to give some self love and affirmation.
Visualization is also crucial to goal achievement. Your mental state has a lot to do with what you can accomplish. I try to say and visualize my goals daily, which is why I try to go to yoga daily, because that is the best place for me to mentally center myself. If you can see yourself reaching that goal in your mind it will help you reach it in real life. If you haven’t read The Secret you should!

How do you set goals and stay the course?

 

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What I’m Eating This Week: 6 Nights of Meal Planning

Ok, so my husband has challenged me to fulfill a pretty big goal for the next 2 months: WE WILL COOK AND EAT AT HOME EVERY NIGHT UNTIL SEPTEMBER 15th. Now, granted, he travels 1-2 weeks out of the month so during those times he will obviously eat out on the road and I will probably just make simple sandwiches for the kids and me at home. BUT, for the days that he is home, we are going to try to not eat out at all! This is a pretty big goal for us because while I think we’ve gotten much better at cooking and staying home, we still tend to spend way too much money on going out to eat.  We get into this routine of eating at home for 5-6 nights, but then when our refrigerator is empty, we tend to get by on Chipotle or Indian take-out for a few days before actually going to the grocery again.

So, in lieu of this lofty goal, I am planning out our meals for the entire week. We are also on quite the healthy kick and aren’t eating much meat at all, so most of my recipes will be vegetarian or fish-based. In case you need some inspiration for the week ahead, here are 6 nights of meals for you!

Monday Night: Vegetarian Pad Thai

Tuesday Night: Toasted Eggplant Sandwich with Crock Pot Black Bean Soup

Wednesday Night: Pistachio Panko Salmon with Mediterranean Bruschetta

Thursday Night: Tofu Masala Curry paired with White Rice

Friday Night: Smoky Sweet Potato Burgers with Avocado & Roasted Garlic Cream alongside Twice Baked Potatoes

Saturday Night: Garlic Shrimp Baked Penne

Sunday Night: Ok, so I have nothing planned for Sunday. I do need one night off from cooking. Surely, one of these nights we’ll have enough for leftovers!

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Yeah, I’m Getting Married

Seriously. I’m not joking. Ok…if you know me go ahead and take a minute and pick yourself off the floor. If you don’t know me, I’m glad you stopped by and are reading this very special post. I’m Getting Married! I’ve been married before. Once. For over 10 years and I got 2 amazing children from that marriage. I didn’t have a bad experience with marriage compared to many but I felt upon divorcing, I would never get married again, yet here I am. Ready to take the plunge exactly a year from today. So why did I decide to get married again? You can see my sarcastic comments on marriage 2.0 on a blog post from March here, Marriage Second Time Around, because getting married a second time is kind of amusing to me but in all seriousness why am I ready to do something that I failed at the first time? I’ve asked myself that question many times over the last few years. My divorce was easy compared to some and yet it was the most miserable thing I have experienced in my life and because we have kids, I will still have a life long relationship with my ex.  So it’s hard to think about doing something that could possibly result in that again. I know that might not be the way I’m supposed to look at things but sometimes I can’t help but to be cynical. But after much thought, and my natural tendency to take risks and say why the hell not, took over and thought maybe marriage the second time around wasn’t as scary. This time I know much more than I had known the first time so maybe it could work. Plus, I had survived it once and worse case scenario I could survive it again if I had to. And who knows, it might just work and I can have my fairy tale and live happily ever after. I will never know unless I try. So one year from today on July 11th, 2015 I will become Mrs. Matt Sartori. BOO-YAH!

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Louisiana: Myth vs. Fact

As a resident of the New Orleans area, it is always fascinating to watch the excitement of tourists as they explore the city. But there are many myths linked to Louisiana that I feel the need to clear up.

 

1. Myth:  Mardi Gras is celebrated every day in the French Quarter. Fact:  Untrue. However, when New Orleans hosted Super Bowl XLVII, it was COINCIDENTALLY nine days before Mardi Gras aka Fat Tuesday. That resulted in applicable fanfare all around. The city even suspended the regular parade schedule to accommodate the Super Bowl festivities. But any given day of the week, you can rent a place in the French Quarter complete with a balcony and a sack of Mardi Gras beads to give you that ultimate experience. 

 

 

 

2. Myth:  Every home in Louisiana has a swamp in its backyard. Fact:  Untrue. However, the Pearl River does run behind my subdivision and swamp tours are given there. Merely a coincidence.



3. Myth:  Alligators roam the streets here like a cat or dog would. Fact:  Untrue. However, not to bring up my neighborhood again, but there have been some captures sightings of alligators near not far from my home.



4. Myth:  People in this area talk about food while they’re eating food. Fact:  Okay, that’s true. When we’re eating breakfast, we talk about lunch. When we have lunch, we’re talking about dinner. In the land of the best food ever made, how could you not?



5. Myth:  It is common for Louisianians to knowingly marry their cousin or some other relative. Fact:  Untrue (in my family). However, I will never forget filling out the application for a Louisiana marriage license prior to my wedding. It asked if the two intended to be married are related by blood.

                      

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Watermelon Wednesday

Does this picture even need words? I think this pretty much encompasses summertime fun!

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Alone Time

One of the hardest things about being a parent is you don’t often get time for yourself. To stop and smell the flowers so to speak. You juggle being a good parent with work, friends, and family. I have friends who love the constant frenzied activity and I admire them for that. I’m happen to be one of those people who needs a break every once in a while. I blame it on being an only child. I like my own space; I like being by myself, not having to constantly answer questions, emails, texts, or carry on a conversation. I like my own company and it wears on my nerves to have people on top of me all of the time.

I know that probably sounds horrible and I do like my friends and family, I really do. But it can just all be overwhelming to feel like you don’t have time to take a breath and think. The last time I had more than a couple hours by myself was Thanksgiving, which was 8 months ago. My kids were with their dad and I got to stay home all by myself for 48 hours whole hours. You might think that is sad being home alone on a holiday, it wasn’t, it was glorious. Though it was a downfall to my healthy eating. As someone who spent years in retail and always had to work on black Friday I had to stay home while my family went to visit family so my typical alone Thanksgiving meal consisted of frozen pizza and pumpkin pie ice cream. Yummy but not exactly low fat or healthy. I have no idea when I will get that golden opportunity again.

When I get those rare times alone I like to read, those of you with kids know this is often an impossible activity. I also get a lot of writing done. I enjoy watching sad movies so I can cry in private. Drinking wine and listen to music is also enjoyable. What do you like to do when you get some alone time?

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