C.K. Bryant's Blog, page 4

Dear Me . . . I Feel GOOD!!

I just got back from a four day writer's retreat in Heber City, Utah. Man, oh man, did I need it. There were 22 authors in all and we had a blast. Here's a pic. I'm second from the right.







Now that I'm home I feel totally rejuvenated and am ready to take on the task of finishing BELOVED. WOOT!!  I've been so bogged down with life that I've let everything imaginable distract me. I'm so happy to be back and so is my muse.



So, onward and upward. Let's hope I get this thing done before the end of the year, eh?

Dear Me . . . Update

Yesterday I posted about a young girl who posted her picture online and who was proud to be a plus size. I couldn't find the link on Facebook, but this morning her story popped up on the MSN news. Here's the link if you'd like to take a look.

Dear Me . . . You're Beautiful Just the Way You Are

The past couple of days I've seen a photo of a twenty something girl on Facebook wearing nothing but a pair of black panties and matching bra. She's not exposing anymore than a bathing suite would show and she's not posing in a seductive manner. Nope. She's got her arms out to her sides as if to say, "Here I am in all my glory and I'm not ashamed one bit."



Whoa! She's brave!



That was my first thought.



Then I started reading some of the comments. THOUSANDS of comments and over 100,000 likes. While the majority of them are supportive and "You go girl" encouraging words, there are a few that are mean and extremely negative.



And I bet every one of them were bullies in school. Jerks!



I wanted to show you the girl's post, but after 15 minutes of scrolling down through the Facebook statuses, I finally gave up. Instead, here's a model from a Dove commercial that looks almost identical. (Except the obvious white undies)



Isn't she beautiful?



It made me think of my own self image and the years of rude comments, not only from strangers, but from family members who should have loved me as I was. After hearing the negativity over and over you begin to believe it. Begin to think badly of yourself and at some point I began repeating those words to myself every time I looked in the mirror or couldn't get my jeans zipped up.



Over the years things haven't changed much. I look in the mirror now and cringe. I don't love my body or what I've allowed myself to do with it. I'm much larger than this gorgeous young woman and haven't cared much about being healthy.



I need to change that. Both the healthy part and the self image part. While I know being healthy is important, there's nothing wrong with me loving my body the way it is. Just because I have more curves than the average woman, doesn't mean I can't embrace them, right?



RIGHT?



What do you think?  Do you embrace your body regardless of it's imperfections?



*HUGS*





Here's a video from DOVE I'd like to share with you.

"Dear Me" . . . Get Over It!

Before I was married, my best friend and I took guitar lessons and after we got to be pretty good we started singing at weddings and small church settings. She was a wonderful singer, always took the lead. I sang the harmony. The quiet voice in the background. At first it was hard and took a lot of practice, but after a while I received many compliments and the two of us performed a couple times a month. I loved music, even wrote several songs.



Then I started dating. One weekend my boyfriend and I drove to my sister's house to help them move. That evening I got out my guitar like I always did and sang a few tunes for my niece and nephews. They loved music as much as I did. One of the songs was by an artist named Sylvia--"Snap Shot."  When I finished, the kids clapped, but was a little confused when I heard my boyfriend laughing. He blurted, "You sure don't sound like Sylvia."



I was crushed.



That was the first time he'd ever heard me sing and I don't think he meant to hurt me. Since then he's apologized a million times, but I remember the way it felt and I can't seem to get past it.



As you may have guessed, I married that man, but please don't think badly of him. He's a wonderful husband and father and has never said anything else to bring me down or make me feel less than wonderful in his eyes. But his words still sting whenever I think about singing in public. We've been married for over 27 years and I've never played my guitar in front of him and never sang around the house when he's home. Not even a hum. In fact, I sold that guitar a few months ago. Sadness.





Fast forward to this morning when I opened an email asking me to join the choir. I should say no. That would be the easy thing to do. I'd be off the hook then. I have nothing to prove.



But if I say yes . . .



It will mean
stepping outside my comfort zone. It will mean believing in myself. Surely I'll break out in hives before I even take the stand.



But it will also bring me great joy and be so worth it when I do this one thing for ME and love myself for being brave!!!



*Hugs*





*Who's holding you back and why are you letting them?

Get Over It!

DEAR ME,



I saw you open that email this morning inviting you to join the church choir. Without a second thought, you deleted it. What's up with that? You love to sing. Are you afraid you won't be good enough? Because if that's it, stop thinking that way. We both know you have an awesome voice, but even if you didn't . . . who cares
what others think. Just SING!!!!!



Hugs



Before I was married, my best friend and I took guitar lessons and after we got to be pretty good we started singing at weddings and small church settings. She was a wonderful singer, always took the lead. I sang the harmony. The quiet voice in the background. At first it was hard and took a lot of practice, but after a while I received many compliments and the two of us performed a couple times a month. I loved music, even wrote several songs.



Then I started dating. One weekend my boyfriend and I drove to my sister's house to help them move. That evening I got out my guitar like I always did and sang a few tunes for my niece and nephews. They loved music as much as I did. One of the songs was by an artist named Sylvia--"Snap Shot."  When I finished, the kids clapped, but was a little confused when I heard my boyfriend laughing. He blurted, "You sure don't sound like Sylvia."



I was crushed.



That was the first time he'd ever heard me sing and I don't think he meant to hurt me. Since then he's apologized a million times, but I remember the way it felt and I can't seem to get past it.



As you may have guessed, I married that man, but please don't think badly of him. He's a wonderful husband and father and has never said anything else to bring me down or make me feel less than wonderful in his eyes. But his words still sting whenever I think about singing in public. We've been married for over 27 years and I've never played my guitar in front of him and never sang around the house when he's home. Not even a hum. In fact, I sold that guitar a few months ago. Sadness.





Fast forward to this morning when I opened an email asking me to join the choir. I should say no. That would be the easy thing to do. I'd be off the hook then. I have nothing to prove.



But if I say yes . . .



It will mean
stepping outside my comfort zone. It will mean believing in myself. Surely I'll break out in hives before I even take the stand.



But it will also bring me great joy and be so worth it when I do this one thing for ME and love myself for being brave!!! 





*Who's holding you back and why are you letting them?

"Dear Me" . . . a Time of Healing and Discovery

A few weeks ago I posted about how I finally took a stand against a family member who had verbally and emotionally abused me since I was a young child. That single act of bravery has caused some major changes in my life, one of which is getting in touch with my inner child.



And discovering she's broken.



Learning to recognize her and allowing her to heal is the the main focus of this post and the new look of my blog. To be honest, I've gotten to where I hate blogging. I struggle constantly with what I feel is important enough to share with my readers. I always come up empty or feeling like what I've shared is unimportant or the same thing everyone else is blogging about.



Blah . . . blah . . . blah!



Well, not anymore! 



Today I offer up my heart and soul to anyone who will listen. As I discover my inner child--the side of her that is wounded and the side that is playful and care free--I will record my inner most feelings and experiences for everyone to read in the form of a journal entry.



"Dear Me" will be honest, raw and hopefully uplifting. Please feel free to share your own experiences along the way and maybe some day our inner children will be able to play together.



*Hugs*

Fan Friday - The Character Interview

 Welcome to my first character interview, and you, the fans, have asked some pretty tough questions. Here they are, along with the answers. I hope you enjoy seeing into the minds of Kira, Altaria and Octavion.




(I've added a few pics that I used for inspiration to show you how I saw them while writing.)










Debie
Guthman asks Altaria . . . Tell me more about yourself, why you fight for
control yet hide at other times, what secret past do you hide for the group?






Altaria – My whole life is clouded with secrets and
keeping my existence unknown. While I’m aware of everything around me—feel,
smell, taste and know everything Lydia experiences—I remain silent in order to
save our life. In our world, gifts are not only admired and seen as a strength,
they are sought after by those who seek their power. The uniqueness we possess
would put us in great danger. 



To you, it may seem like I am sheltered and
withdrawn, but just the opposite is true. As you may have notice while my
spirit dwelt within Kira’s body, I rarely sleep. I continue to observe, listen
and live. My mother discovered this late one night when she visited our room to be sure we were all right. She stepped to the bedside to draw the
covers up around our shoulders and I opened my eyes—my light blue eyes, not
Lydia’s green ones. 



While Lydia slept, my mother and I whispered so we
wouldn’t wake her. From that night on, she came to our bedside and showed her
love for me—my spirit, not Lydia’s. She told me of her life as a commoner, how
she and my father met and fell in love. She told me stories of her youth and
the history of our ancestors. And sometimes, she just held me and listened to
me breathe. I didn’t mind letting Lydia have the days, knowing I had the nights
with our mother.

Now. Now, things are different. My mother no longer
visits me in the night and with Lydia gone, I am utterly alone. I’m learning
things about myself though. How to be stronger in spirit and how to sleep so my
body can rest. I miss my kindred spirit terribly. I miss my connection with
Kira and sharing our thoughts. But most of all, I miss those quiet nights with
my mother.






Jasmine
Hunter asks Kira....Knowing the outcome so far.....would you still
befriend Lydia??






Kira –  In a nut shell, YES! Lydia isn’t just my BFF, she’s like a sister
to me and we had a connection long before I wore the Crystor.




Of course I have regrets about other stuff. As I look
back there were so many times when I was brave one minute and a freakin’ mouse
the next. Or when I did something stupid and put us all in danger. I think most
of that was the way the Crystor made changes to my body and personality, and not knowing how to react to the strange things going on around me.
I wasn’t used to Octavion and Kira’s world and I could have made better decisions.
But being bound to Lydia isn’t one of them.














Jennifer
BouLahoud asks Kira.....Knowing now everything it meant to be bound to
Lydia, all the happiness, pain, struggles etc, would you do again?




Kira – Yep!!  As I told Jasmine above, I love Lydia and
risking my life to save hers was no brainer. I can’t
imagine my life back on earth now and I don’t miss it. Well, okay, maybe my
music. I miss that a lot. And I do wish I’d been able to graduate. But I feel
more at home now than I ever did living with my mom and her boyfriends. And
even with all that’s happened—and now being separated from Octavion and Altaria—I
know there are great things for me in the future, new people to meet on this
wonderful world and love yet to be discovered.













Estina
Figueroa asks Kira . . . When you felt that someone was watching you did it
feel weird or did you felt like you were protected?




Kira – Are you talking about in the
beginning, when I was sitting on the hood of Lydia’s car? Umm, total weirdness.
I’ve always had these little brain wave blips, as I call them, but this was
different. Now that I know what it feels like when Octavion is about to appear,
I think it was kind of like that. Like when you’re on a roller coaster and you
reach the top and your stomach flips over right before you plummet to the
ground. Yeah, that’s what Octavion does to me when he’s around. But in a good
way. Man, I miss him.









Veray
Carter Octavion . . . You do know that Kira is going to whip your butt
when she finds out the deal you made with King Ramla. Knowing that you made
this deal, why did you then continue to develop your relationship with her if
you knew you would have to leave her?






Octavion – This is something that
has been weighing heavy on my mind and my heart. I know I should tell her. No
excuses. No secrets. But then I look at her shattered and broken spirit and the
last thing I want to do is tell her the truth. I guess I am selfish in that
way. I want to spend every moment we have left enjoying her company. Her smile.
Her laughter. I need to be sure she knows how much I love her, that she has
worth and a real home here. I need to be sure she’s strong enough to handle it and
will not try to kill herself again like she did on the cliff. Most of all, I
keep hoping that King Ramla will change his mind and leave us to live in love
forever. But I know only a miracle can do that and Ophera is too wild and
unpredictable to give that thought any merit.




In the meantime, I need to put these
thoughts behind me and spend every waking moment searching for her, hoping she’s
still alive. If not, the price I paid for her life will be wasted and King
Ramla will have a willing servant.




 Thanks for coming and for hanging out with us. If you have anymore questions, be sure to leave them below in the comment section. 




See you when BELOVED comes out.

Character Interview

I'm doing something fun on Fan Friday tomorrow. I'm going to be forwarding fan's questions to all the characters in The Crystor Series. So if there's something you've always wanted to ask one of my characters, leave it in the comments below and I'll be sure they get them.



This is going to be so much fun.

FREAKIN' AWESOME BOOK!!!!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?




Who doesn't like a good ghost story. You've just GOT to grab this book for your e-reader and devour every word.  

 




A man who longs for a son and a boy who can't escape his father's violence. Even death can't break their bond.


Alex is a machine whisperer. He can tell what's wrong with a broken-down car with a touch. But his gift can't save him from the brutality of his meth-addict father. For two years, Alex experienced kindness through Cole, his mentor. Now Cole's dead, and the violence in Alex's life is escalating.

When Cole reappears as a ghost, Alex clings to the tenuous link. Then he learns Cole might've sacrificed his chance to cross over. Jade, the first girl to look beyond Alex's past, assures him Cole can reach the Other Side-if Alex escapes from his dad. But a previous terrifying attempt has convinced Alex it's impossible. Unless he can find the courage to try, his friend may be earthbound forever.



~~~~~~~~
"Dead Heat blew me away. It's a gritty ghost story interwoven with all-too-real subject matter that will make you cry for Alex, ache for Cole, and thank God for Jade. I was invested in these characters' lives and you will be too."



~ Stacey Wallace Benefiel, author of the Zellie Wells trilogy

Buy it on Amazon
Buy it on Barnes and Noble
Buy it on Smashwords



In addition to being a YA author, Lisa is a retired amateur stock car racer, an accomplished cat whisperer, and a professional smartass. She writes coming-of-age books about kids in hard luck situations who learn to appreciate their own value after finding mentors who love them for who they are.



Blog: http://lisanowak.wordpress.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Lisa_Nowak
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LisaNowakAuthor
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/LisaNowakNewsletter





Do you believe in ghosts?  I DO!!!

NEW RELEASE!

I haven't had a chance to read this book yet (or the first one in the series), but they both sound GREAT and are at the top of my TBR list. Today is The Guardian's Choice's birthday, so be sure to check it out. The buy links are below, along with the links to the author's blog.








(Book II, The Guardian Circle)

When Amaya wakes, with only the memory of her world’s apocalyptic
destruction, she is surprised to find herself alone in a world
deceptively similar to her own. But there’s so much about Zerah that’s
changed. The Holy Grounds are gone. The Temple is destroyed. And all
that remains of their ancient society is a vast, barren space.

Lost and confused, Amaya is forced underground into the dark heart of
the neighboring province, hiding out among the monsters – unnatural
products of their Maker. She loses all control of her empathic power,
spiraling toward madness, until Phoenix finds and saves her. Together
they work to build the semblance of a normal life, but he wants more
than she’s prepared to give, and try as she might to forget, she’s still
haunted by memories of a man she was never meant to love.

Torn between her fear and her need to be redeemed, Amaya seeks out the
very person she’s been running from. He presents a tempting offer: he
will free her of the Mark that enslaves her to the Guardianship, a Mark
that carries only ghosts of a past better forgotten, and give her a
chance at a new life.

All it will cost is her soul.



Get it on Amazon



Visit the Author HERE



What books are at the top of your TBR list? Any new releases you can't wait to read?