Stephanie Nelson's Blog, page 2

tURNING HOME IS FREE! TODAY ONLY

For today only, June 26th, Turning Home if free! But that's not all. If you help spread the word, and share the above graphic from my Facebook page, you're automatically entered to win a signed paperback! Why do you have to share from my Facebook page? It's simple, it's easier for me to track who shared from there. 
links Amazon US - http://www.amazon.com/Turning-Home-Small-Town-Novel-ebook/dp/B00IJDFOG0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403769930&sr=8-1&keywords=turning+home+stephanie+nelson

Amazon UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Turning-Home-Small-Town-Novel-ebook/dp/B00IJDFOG0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1403770097&sr=1-1&keywords=stephanie+nelson+turning+home

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorStephanieNelson?ref_

Sucker Literary Magazine Blog Hop: The Writing Process #AmWriting

I was asked to participate in the Sucker Magazine Blog Hop by Tawdra Kandle, author of The King Series, The Posse, The Serendipity Duet and Best Served Cold. You can check out Tawdra's post here, and make sure to check out her books.

Part of this project involves a discussion on our writing processes:

1)What am I working on? At the moment, I'm working on finishing the fourth book in my Gwen Sparks series, Hexed.  Next, I'll be working on finishing a prequel to my Anna Avery series, Becoming the Wolf.

2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?  I try to write my characters and books as  realistic as I can. Sometimes it's hard when writing paranormal, but when I'm looking for a character's reaction to something, I think of how someone in real life would react. For contemporary, I do the same thing. I've read a lot of books where the main male is a twenty-something billionaire. Realistic? NO.  With my first New Adult book, Turning Home, I wanted to flip the story and have the male be poor and the woman come from a wealthy family. Too many times I think women in all these contemporary books decide a man's worth based on his bank account. In Turning Home, my protagonist Brooke, fell for Dylan's character rather than his money. I am a strong believer in writing women who know their worth, and the male characters compliment their strong nature. 

3) Why do I write what I do? All of my stories just come to me. They pop into my head and, if they're good enough, they feed my curiosity to the point where I can't stop thinking about them. I may spend a day or two working the story out before inspiration strikes and I'm sitting in front of my computer typing. Other times, the story is so strong that I already have everything worked out within seconds and I can knock out a good chunk within a month. My first book, Craved, came to me while I was thinking about vampires and witches. (I say that like it's a normal thing, like people just sit around thinking about the supernatural) For some odd reason, I kept wondering what would happen if a vampire drank witches blood. Would the magic do something to them? I had never read a book that discussed this topic, so I wrote one myself. Overall, I write because the story and characters demand it.


4) How does my writing process work? I wish I could say I was organized and had the timeline all laid out in post-its, but I am not. I am a very chaotic writer, meaning other than the basic plot line, I have no clue what will happen in my books. I write chapter to chapter, allowing the story to tell itself rather than forcing what I think should happen. I am also a very indecisive writer. I may have half the book done and not like how it's going so I'll trash it and start over. Now, whether I'm the indecisive one or my characters has yet to be determined. I try to write everything single day, whether it's 100 words or 5,000. As long as I'm getting something down, I'm happy.



Thanks for visiting today! I'm tagging Jo-Anna Walker, JD Nelson, Tara Brown and Jennifer Snyder

Transcendent Release Day

"Olivia Hardin takes a character we hated in a previous book and somehow makes him a hero we love. That's no small feat. Transcendent captures perfectly the tension and temptation of falling in love in the midst of turmoil and intrigue. . .it's a story that will linger in your heart." "Olivia Hardin weaves a wonderfully emotional story of love, redemption, and political intrigue in Transcendent. Be prepared to transcend your own expectations."  To the Women on the Hill McKenna is a spy who sails the nightwind to keep close tabs on her people. In truth, McKenna is a double operative, an integral part of an underground rebellion. The Women are secretly bleeding the fae of their powers then banishing them to the Island Anethemusa; but the Dissenters, rebels who suffer under the crushing power of the Women, mean to put an end to their reign. When McKenna happens upon a talking weasel, she knows she’s found the perfect envoy for her covert mission. Robin Weir’s punishment for a life of betrayal is to be stripped of his magic and exiled as an animal in a foreign realm. He’s used to dirty jobs and subterfuge so becoming McKenna’s errand boy should be a simple task. But things heats up when Robin finds he has the power to shift into a man again. For McKenna the pet she’s invited into her home now wants nothing less than to possess her heart, body and soul. With the uprising at the ready, lives could be lost if McKenna can’t balance her separate identities of spy, rebel and lover. Barnes & Noble Smashwords  And don't miss the Facebook Party and Social Share Event March 10-14! Lots of prizes and fun to be had FACEBOOK EVENTa Rafflecopter giveaway

taming the wolf audio book giveaway

Taming the Wolf - Book One Attacked by a wolf while hiking, Anna Avery's life just got a little hairier. Living in the Big Horn mountains in Wyoming, with a group of werewolves who are more animal than human, Anna must try to hold onto her human side. It's not easy when the alpha continues to persuade her into his bed, while another wolf is chomping at the bit to become her mate. To top it all off, dead bodies are showing up and it just so happens that Anna was the last to see them alive. She'll have to work to prove her innocence and taming the wolf who bites first and asks questions never. This book is not intended for readers under 18. About Stephanie Nelson Stephanie resides in the Midwest with her husband and furry children. When she’s not cooking up Gwen and Anna’s next adventures, she enjoys reading, traveling and watching movies.

Follow Stephanie: Website / Facebook / Twitter

Available here: Amazon / Barnes & Noble Audio book - Audible Stephanie Nelson is giving 5 Lucky winners an audible credit for Taming the Wolf. Must be 18+ Fill out the form below to Enter a Rafflecopter giveaway

Turning home preview

You guys are used to me writing paranormal books. So what in the world made me write a NA book? The only excuse I have in writing this book is that Dylan and Brooke's voices overwhelmed my mind. I was sitting in my office, listening to music, and their story just popped into my head. Now, this happens to me a lot. If you guys could see my WIP (work-in-progress) folder, you'd think I was the most indecisive person on the plant, and I guess that's half true. I do change my mind a lot. Needless to say, most of those stories will never see the light of day. So why was Brooke and Dylan's story different? It was the persistence of it, the constant times my mind wandered about these two. That was enough that I wrote the first half of the book within a week and a half. That was in July 2013!  So what snagged me up from finishing this book months ago? Perspective. I knew how their story started, but had no clue where it was going. I wrote five different drafts of the second half of the book and came very, very close to just giving up on Turning Home. However, I just couldn't walk away from it. I was frustrated beyond belief, wanting to know what happened to Brooke and Dylan. A lot of people will tell you that if you've hit a roadblock with your writing, it's because you've written yourself into a corner, that you need to go back and rework the story. Most of the time, this is true. Turning Home is about difficulty is relationships. The beauty of Brooke and Dylan's relationship is that nothing is easy. They face obstacles and hard decisions. I could have gone back and made their path easier just to make my life easier, but then it wouldn't have been their story.


What I'm saying, in a very long-winded way, is that Turning Home is FINALLY done!!! Every writer I know gets very nervous about releasing a new book. We have no clue how readers are going to respond to it, and that terrifies us. So while I'm thrilled to finally have Brooke and Dylan's story figured out, I am filled with anxiousness as I prepare it for you guys to read. I hope you enjoy the first chapter! Chapter One
~ Brooke ~ August

Everybody had a secret crush, a person he or she desired but was too embarrassed to admit it. Mine was Dylan Crawford, the local bad boy. I didn’t know what it was about him that drew me to him. He didn’t have any redeemable qualities other than his looks. The shallow part of my brain said that was enough, but the logical side knew better. He graduated three years before me and hadn’t gone off to college. He was the type of boy who would die in the small town he had been born in, just like his daddy and his daddy’s daddy before him. Other than a few conversations here and there, Dylan and I had never really talked. I had caught him watching me a few times at school, and vice versa. My friends always commented that he was an STD waiting to happen because he slept with so many girls. Lily, my best friend, admitted that he was cute, but his crude behavior canceled out his good looks. I kept quiet and nodded, knowing if she knew how much I thought about Dylan, she would look at me differently.

He was everything I was taught to avoid, but as I watched him from across the room, all those teachings went out the window. He had his arm slung around a girl a year older than me. Why these two were hanging out at a high school graduation party was beyond me. Dylan was Dana’s brother. I had known her since we were in diapers, though we hung out in very different circles. When she invited me to her party, I had smiled sweetly and accepted with hidden excitement. The shock in her eyes at my acceptance wasn’t hard to miss. Having the head cheerleader at your party was sort of a big deal. If Dana knew her brother was the reason for my acceptance … well, she couldn’t find out.

As the daughter of the leading lawyer in Roseville Alabama, I had a persona to uphold. My parents expected me to end up with someone like James Henderson, which was why I was dating him. He was from old money, like me, and had a football scholarship to the University of Alabama. Our future was already planned out. I could see my death before I even lived. We would have three children, live in a fancy Antebellum, and pretend we were happy—just like my parents did. My life would be full of fake smiles, fake laughs, and fake love.

“Here’s your drink,” James said, extending his arm toward me. I withdrew my gaze from Dylan and the tart he was currently whispering to and looked at my boyfriend. His hair was perfectly parted—so opposite from Dylan’s edgy faux-hawk—and his khakis and blue polo shirt screamed ‘preppy.’ Dylan often wore jeans with grease stains and a t-shirt that was snug enough to hint at the muscles beneath.

“Thanks,” I said, taking the red cup from James. “Did you use Diet Coke?” I lifted the cup to my nose and sniffed. The scent of rum burned my nostrils. Of course James would have put extra alcohol in it; he’d been hinting that he wanted to claim my V-card for quite some time now. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the thought of getting naked with him repulsed me. If my life went how it was supposed to, I would have an entire lifetime of uninteresting sex with James. I did not want to start at only eighteen.

“Yep, just like you asked,” James said, lifting his cup to take a drink. His eyes wandered to the center of the floor where two girls were dancing with each other. They either had too much to drink, or they batted for the other team. The way they groped each other looked like a porno had broken out in the middle of the living room.

I eyed my boyfriend of a year, seeing the interest on his face as he watched the slutty dancers. I had seen my daddy and other men like him check out other women. Some of those men even had secret lovers on the side. It was one of the consequences of marrying for social status rather than love.

“James,” I said, drawing his attention to me. His head swiveled in my direction, his eyes moving a second later as though magnetized to the dancers. “What are we doing?”

A crease formed between his eyes. “Celebrating before heading off to college.”

Such a simple and boring answer. I hadn’t meant the question in the literal sense. His eyes flitted back to the girls when cheers erupted. One of them had climbed onto the coffee table and was swinging her hips to Luke Bryan’s, “Country Girl (Shake it for Me).” I sucked in a deep breath and leaned against the wall, holding my cup to my chest. Getting James’s attention now was useless. He was a hormonal eighteen-year-old boy who thought more with his dick than his brain. A small part of me was relieved his attention was off me. How screwed up was that?

I observed the crowded house and the smiles on everyone’s faces. I wish I could find that sense of excitement—the kind that wasn’t weighed down with expectations. Losing control and acting like a fool would embarrass my parents, as they reminded me every single time I did anything.

“Good choices, Brooke,” my daddy would say before I left the house. “Every decision you make reflects the Kingsley name.” It was his subtle way of telling me he wouldn’t stand for anything less than perfection. I had been doomed from the moment Brooke Kingsley was typed on my birth certificate.

“I’m going to get some air,” I told James. I don’t even think he heard me. I pushed through the crowd and headed toward the door I knew led to the garage. I had seen Dylan open it to bring in the beer when we arrived. Everyone was too busy with the party to notice me sneaking off. I closed the door behind me, sat down on the small stairs, and hung my head in my hands. I had wanted to break up with James for the past month and always chickened out at the last minute. My parents loved him, and our dads played golf together. If they found out I broke up with the golden boy, I would be harassed with one question after another. I couldn’t use us going off to college as an excuse either; James and I had chosen the same school. My daddy would be livid if he found out I gave up the chance to be with a boy who had the potential to be drafted into the NFL. It didn’t matter that I hated football.

I was just about to call Lily, when the garage door swung open and banged me in the shoulder.

“Shit,” I mumbled, grabbing my shoulder and standing up. “You better not have ripped my cashmere sweater,” I snapped. When I looked up, I swallowed all the other insults lingering on my lips.

“Sorry, Princess,” Dylan said, coming down the stairs. “You shouldn’t be sitting right in front of the door.” He walked over to a refrigerator and opened the door, leaning down to look inside.

“I didn’t expect anyone to come out here,” I said, glancing over my shoulder to inspect my two hundred dollar sweater.

A soft chuckle left his lips and filled my ears, awakening something inside of me. I brought my eyes back to his and noticed he was looking at me with derisive amusement. 

“What’s so funny?” I made sure my voice was crass. I had perfected it over the years, part of my snobby persona. I had no idea if it was my real personality or just my way of fooling people into believing I was strong and more important than they were.

“Girls like you,” Dylan said, his eyes caressing my face before snapping back to the contents of the fridge. “You’re more worried about materialistic shit than anything else.”

My shock at being so close to my secret crush was replaced with anger. “You don’t know anything about me.”

A smirk lifted one side of his mouth.  He grabbed a bottle of Southern Comfort and shut the refrigerator door, taking a couple steps toward me. His green eyes raked over my entire body, lingering on the ‘V’ of my sweater. I stood stock still, entrapped by the warmth searing me from the inside out. James had never gotten this response out of me.

“Oh, I know you, Brooke Kingsley: head cheerleader, daughter of a lawyer, drives around in a Mercedes S-Class, and dates the star quarterback—even though he was eye-fucking those two girls out there. You’re a cliché.”

You’re a cliché. Those words hurt more than him throwing James’s horniness in my face. I swallowed around the lump in my throat, summoning my inner bitch. I would not let Dylan Crawford know he upset me. The only reason he knew what car I drove was because I had purposely flattened my tire just so I could take it into the mechanics shop where he worked. My daddy wasn’t the only one who was subtle about things. I had secretly watched him loosen the lug nuts on my car, appreciating the flex of the muscles in his arms. Now that I knew what he really thought about me, I felt like a loser for all those times I had checked him out.

“Tell me, Brooke,” Dylan said, taking another step toward me. “Do Mama and Daddy know you’re here, slumming it with us common folk?”

“You have no right to talk to me like that,” I said. “You’re the one hanging out at a high school graduation party. I may be a cliché, but you’re pathetic.”

His smirk widened into a full-blown smile. I steeled my features instead of reacting to how gorgeous he was when he smiled. My eyes fell to the side of his neck, and I grimaced at the tacky hickey decorating his tanned skin. Did people still give each other hickeys?

“I’m here because I know how eighteen-year-old boys get when there are girls and alcohol in the same room. Things get dropped into drinks, and I have no intention of letting that happen to my little sister. Too bad you don’t have someone awesome like me watching out for you. Then again, your boyfriend’s plan didn’t pan out the way he wanted it to, did it?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Ask golden boy what else was in that drink of yours other than rum and coke.”

My lips parted in shock. “You’re lying. James would not slip me something.”

Dylan moved so close that I could see the flecks of blue in his eyes. “Why, because he’s rich and popular? Only guys like me do those sorts of things, right?” He rolled his tongue across his lips, his eyes tracing mine. I held back the shiver ricocheting through my body.

“You must be terrified to be alone with me, huh?”

Exactly the opposite, I thought. “You don’t scare me, Dylan Crawford, and whatever you think you know about me or James, you don’t.

“Okay, then prove me wrong, Princess.”

“Don’t call me that,” I snapped.

“Do you prefer Your Majesty?”

I was angry and turned on the same time—the two emotions contradicting each other so harshly, my hands shook. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to smack him or fist my fingers in his hair and kiss him. I decided leaving was my best option. With a glare, I spun on my heel and headed toward the door.

“I didn’t think you would give up that easily,” Dylan said behind me. “Aren’t Kingsleys known for their competitiveness?”

“I am competing,” I said. “With myself as to whether I should smack you or walk away. You see which option won out.” I held my hands out to signal the distance I had put between us.”

“You want to change my opinion of you? Then I suggest a test.”

“I don’t care what you think about me.”

Dylan unscrewed the cap to the Southern Comfort and lifted the bottle to his lips, taking a long swallow. His eyes stayed on me while his throat worked the alcohol down. Everything else disappeared; all I could focus on was the glint in his eyes and the way it made me feel. How many times had I seen him give girls that look and wished it were directed at me? I had to admit, it was pretty powerful.

“That’s just not true, is it, Brooke?”

God, the sound of my name coming from his lips stoked heat between my legs. The fact that a conversation could turn me on was ridiculous, but I couldn’t help the way my body reacted to him, even if he was being a jerk. He was right; I did care what he thought about me, but not for the reasons he believed. My interest in his opinion didn’t revolve around my popularity.

“Fine,” I said. “What’s the test?”

A satisfied smirk lifted one side of his mouth. “First, go throw away that drink James got you so no one else drinks it, and then meet me in the kitchen.”

“All right, but I know James wouldn’t do something like that.”

Dylan rolled his eyes and shoved past me, opening the garage door. “Yes, we all know how honorable men with money are.”

The sound from the party filled the garage as Dylan walked away. I was still ticked at his arrogant attitude, but this was the most alive I’ve felt since … ever. 

Undeniable release day!!

  Available NOW on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords. . .UNDENIABLE, The Serendipity Duet Book One. If you read The King Series and fell in love with Rafe Brooks, the bad boy who tried to steal Tasmyn's heart. . .here's the story you've been waiting to read. What happened after graduation? How did Rafe get over Tasmyn?

**********************

For Rafe Brooks, running from a broken heart means losing himself in alcohol and women. Lots of women, none of whom will remember him, since he has the ability to manipulate their minds and make them forget. Numbing the pain works until he meets an irresistible redhead with secrets of her own. She offers him the opportunity to join forces with an organization that will use his powers for good rather than his own amusement. Jocelyn rocks his world with her unapologetic passion and makes him believe for the first time he just might survive heartbreak. When a mission takes the two of them undercover to infiltrate a commune with suspicious activity, they discover it's just the tip of a plot to cause world-wide anarchy. Hiding their extraordinary powers and real identities is crucial to staying alive. For Rafe and Jocelyn, when life is uncertain, love is undeniable. Buy UNDENIABLE on Amazon/Barnes and Noble/Smashwords! Come join our Twitter party tonight! Wednesday, February 5th 9PM EST #Undeniable Prizes, chat and more. . . Follow Tawdra on Facebook/Twitter/Website/Newsletter

Samadhi released today!

div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in;"> Samadhi – Book Three in the Love and Light Series is available NOW
 BUY IT AT: Amazon  Smashwords
Wolf and Loti are learning the hard way that karma will not be denied.  In their quest for the truth, they've been forced into a blood bond with a powerful witch who isn't so sure she wants to be tied down.  But there's one thing they can agree on:  it’s time to eliminate the ancient vampire who set off this deadly chain of events--Modore.
Using any means necessary--torture, murder, and even death magic--Modore lures the triumvirate into the show down of their lives.  And the consequences will far exceed even Modore's imagination.
In this final installment of the Love and Light Series, the boundaries of love, lust, and even life itself will be tested and the universe as they know it will never be the same.

About the Author
Melissa Lummis considers herself a truth seeker, a peaceful warrior, a paranormal and fantasy writer, an avid reader, a thru-hiker GAàME ’98, a Penn Stater, a wife, a mother, and a free thinker.  She believes the universe conspires to help an adventurer.   And if we live our lives as if it is a daring adventure (and it is!), then everything we need will find its way to us.
Her books have been described as new age suspense in a fantasy setting, but they are also straight up, steamy Paranormal Romance.  The Love and Light Series is currently available at most ebook retailers and soon to come is the Little Flame Series, a spin off focusing on the character Fiamette from the Love and Light world.
Melissa lives in rural Virginia with her husband, two children, an Alaskan Malamute, and a myriad of forest creatures.  The nature of her mind dictates that she write to stay sane.  Otherwise, her fertile imagination takes off on tangents of its own accord, creating scenarios and worlds that confuse the space-time continuum. Namaste, dear friends.
Melissa’s Social Links: Check out www.melissalummis.com for more about her and her books. Like Melissa Lummis on FaceBook. Follow @melissalummis on Twitter. Tumble withMelissa on tumblr. Pin with Melissa on Pinterest. And watch her and co-host Buddy Gott on the Sunday Night Fiction Club on YouTube.
Get unique content, early access to publications, and exclusive giveaways by subscribing to her newsletter.

What the heck is taking so long?

I've been answering readers questions one at a time, so I thought I'd write a entry for the masses. I'm going to answer the question that I'm sure is on a lot of your minds. "What the heck is taking so long?" I admit, this year has not been my best publishing year. I had all these plans for book releases, and then life got in the way. I've always heard if you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans. It seems it's my curse. When I try to plan stuff out, something always occurs that ends up destroying said plans. I've learned to go with the flow and not plan ahead, but in this business I can't really be like that. Recently my life has been somewhat stressful. For a creative person, this can be our kryptonite.


 My father has kidney disease and over the summer was rushed to the hospital for loss of blood. They ended up having to give him four blood transfusions. I am constantly worried about him, and this event spiked my stress. Next, in August I had surgery, which was stressful because it was the first time I've ever been in the hospital. It took me about a week to recover. Later in August, my husband and I put in an offer for a new house. The process was dragged out for three months! I was beyond stressed over the whole ordeal. Finally, on November 13th, we closed on the house and started to move. Within a week, one of my cats (with diabetes) ended up passing away. If you should know one thing about me, it's that I am a HUGE animal lover. The loss of our cat Macy broke my heart. Things are now slowly starting to get back on track now. In no way am I using any of these occurrences as excuses. I just wanted to let you guys know I haven't been deliberately avoiding my writing. 


Hexed - This book is the one I am most apologetic for. I am an avid reader myself and hate when books end on a cliffhanger. That being said, when Coveted ended with a cliffhanger, I did not intend to make you guys wait over a year for the next book. I was all set to release Hexed in October, had half of the book done in August or September, and then I LOST THE ENTIRE BOOK! I wanted to cry and smash my computer. Seriously! I've had to start the entire book over, and so far it's going fairly easy. I'm working on it night and day to have it to you guys by the end of December. To make it up to you guys, I'm including a never before published short story, and the first chapter of Gwen's sixth book, Resurrected. 


Turning Home - You guys may or may not remember this one. I told you about it waaaaay back in July. At the time, I had the first part of the book done and edited. All that was left was for me to write the second part. Should have been easy, right? Wrong. For some unknown reason, I could not get Brooke and Dylan's story right. I restarted the second part at least nine times. NINE! I wanted it to be right and was happy erasing 30K if it meant I could do a better job. I finally figured out their story and have the entire book written. Now, I just have to go back through and add a few sections to make it complete. I plan to have this published in December or January at the latest.


A Christmas Yet to Come Anthology- I'm not behind on this one, but I thought I'd add it to the list. If you've read my other anthologies, you'll be familiar with this book. It's a collection of nine short stories. We write these books for our loyal readers who know and love our characters. This will be the first Anna Avery short story, and is set to release in about two weeks.


So, from the bottom of my heart I want to apologize for making you guys wait. It bothers me more than you know. I want my books published just as much as you guys do. They do me no good sitting on my computer. I hope that once these books are published you'll think they were worth the wait. Thanks for sticking with me.

Best Served Cold Release Day!

Sometimes, revenge is your only choice. . .Julia worked for weeks planning the perfect surprise birthday party for her boyfriend, Liam, but that night, she was the one who got the biggest shock. He broke up with her in front of all their friends, humiliating her in the process. Clearly revenge was in order. The plan is simple. Make him jealous, win him back, and then crush his heart. Fair is fair. However, there is one little hiccup and he has curly brown hair and dimples. Jesse is everything she wants. With him, she could almost forget her bruised heart. Almost. Julia has one choice: let Liam walk away after everything he did, or lose a chance at love in pursuit of payback.       Available TODAY at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords Only 99 cents for a limited time!   Follow Tawdra on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Newsletter, Website                          

20 Things about Stephanie Nelson

Introducing the authors of REB REB stands for Romantic Edge Books and is a group of nine authors who've found friendships through writing and reading romance books. Our little group includes: Me (Stephanie Nelson), Liz Schulte, Olivia Hardin, C.G. Powell, Tawdra Kandle, Melissa Lummis, Amanda Latzel, Lola James and Mandie Stevens.  Each of us has complied a list of 20 things you might not have known about us.  1. I cannot whistle, no matter how many times I try.

2. The first book I remember reading was The Secret Garden.

3. My favorite season is autumn. I look forward to those couple months all year.

4. I am very knowledgable about home renovations. (Thanks to my dad) So much so that I had to teach my husband how to do stuff. (Shh...don't tell him I told you guys that.)

5. One of my favorite past times is fishing. 

6. My favorite Disney movie is Alice in Wonderland. I was envious of Alice when I was little and wanted to fall down a rabbit hole. 

                                                    7. My favorite items of clothing are jeans and hoodies.
8. I met my husband online and we've been happily married for 11 years.

9. I played volleyball from fifth grade to sophomore year of high school. 

10. I have one tattoo on my leg of three stars.

11. My favorite movie is Pride and Prejudice.

12. I love animals and have a cat that I brought home when I was twelve. He's nineteen years old and still spunky.

13. When I was little, my sister and I would make up dance routines for our favorite songs.

14. I am the youngest of four.
14. I have seen a ghost, and the memory still scares me.

15. I visit the local graveyard every autumn because I find it peaceful. 

16. I'm a nerd for Super Mario Bros and Donkey Kong video games.

17. I am deathly afraid of sharks, even if IL doesn't have them. 

18. Aside from writing, I am a graphic artist and create book covers for other           authors.


 19. My favorite place to be is home.