Sheila Seabrook's Blog, page 9
June 26, 2014
Addictive Summer Reads Event!
All I Need Is A Hero…
This weekend, I joined the Addictive Summer Reads Event (lots of great prizes and lots of great books priced at $0.99 including Always Remember), but my thoughts are on the many unsung heroes who surround us every day.
A recent bout of bad luck sent our youngest son to the emergency room for the second time this month. After years of believing himself to be indestructible, a herniated disc finally brought him to his knees. It caused pain like I’d never witnessed before, making him immobile, and I had to call the ambulance to take him to the emergency room. It was the first time we’ve ever had to call for an ambulance…and I certainly hope it’s the last.
From the moment I greeted the Paramedic and EMT at the door, I knew my son was in good hands.They were calm, caring, and yes, even funny. And as an added bonus, they had enough drugs to cut through my son’s pain so that they were finally able to walk him out to the ambulance so they could take him to the hospital.
In anything resembling an emergency situation, I panic, fall apart. I’m much more hardwired to be behind a desk, staying one emotional mile away from the real action.
Whereas these special people are hardwired to be calm in the center of chaos. I should know because I married one. My husband was a long time member of the local fire department, and it was not uncommon to hear about him running into burning buildings to rescue people or the treasured contents of the owners with no fear for himself.
Whenever an emergency occurs at home, he’s the first person I call. And fortunately our boys inherited this quality from their father, this ability to be calm in the face of danger, this ability to care for others before they care for themselves.
So to all of our heroes — ambulance personnel, firefighters, police force, military, and anybody who has the capability to walk into an emergency situation and deal — you have my utmost, heartfelt admiration and thanks for all you do, all you are.
Have you had a personal encounter with a hero? Please tell us about it. It’s all fodder for the writing mill, you know. 
And don’t forget to check out the Addictive Summer Reads Event. There’s over $100 in prizes and lots of great book deals, all at $0.99. So head on over to the Addictive Summer Reads Event and enter the Rafflecopter for a chance to win one of the prizes below:
One $50 Amazon Gift Card OR Paypal Cash – Winner’s Choice;
One $15 Amazon Gift Card;
Five $10 Amazon Gift Cards
And if you leave a comment below, your name will be entered in a draw to win one of my ebooks, winner’s choice.
Good luck and happy reading!
');
June 19, 2014
Summer Book Crush Annual #99cent Sale Event!
Today is the first day of the annual Summer Book Crush 99cent sales event. With dozens of authors participating, and over 80 books to chose from, this is a great time to fill your ereader. There’s something for everyone…everything from young adult and teen, to romance, mystery, sic-fi, and everything in between.
This year, I’ve included Always Remember in the event and you’ll find it listed under the “I like a hero that sizzles” page or under the Adult Genres Contemporary or Romance links. Or you can just click on this link to find all of the online retailers where Always Remember is available for only 99cents.
So between June 19 and 22, pop over to the Summer Book Crush website and check out the wide variety of ebooks on sale for 99cents. And as always, happy reading!
June 18, 2014
It’s Hard Having Children & An Excerpt!
You’d think it would stop after the labor pains, or perhaps the teenage years, but I’ve discovered that no matter how old your children are, you always worry about them.
My youngest son’s hobby is restoring heavy duty equipment. Recently, while loading some caterpillar tracks to recycle at the local scrap yard, the tracks shifted and caught his index finger…
For the rest of this post, visit me at the Women Unplugged site.
May 28, 2014
Introducing the Novel Engagement App
I love technology, so was thrilled to hear about Romance Writers of America’s upcoming romance reading app for iOS and Android devices (smartphones and tablets).
The app, appropriately called Novel Engagement, will be a place for romance readers to discover romance authors and books to read.
I’m excited about this new app and am looking forward to the launch date, which should be any day now. When you download the app, make sure to check out my page (yes, I’m on there!), then come back here to tell me what you think of the app.
Once the app goes live, the Novel Engagement website will mirror the contents of the app, so the information will be available anywhere you can connect to the internet.
For more info about the app, and to signup for the latest news, check out the Novel Engagement website and Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/novelengagement
So tell me, have you heard of this app? What is your favorite — or most often used — way of discovering new books and authors?
Recommended read for the week: It Had To Be You by Susan May Warren (loved-loved-loved this book!)
What are you reading now?
April 16, 2014
Duck Shenanigans, Snow, and Reading Material…
While some—or many, or maybe all!!!—of you are experiencing the wonderful delights of spring, we’re getting snow again. It’s beautiful, of course. Big white fluffy flakes that will hopefully not accumulate overnight. I’m ready to put my shorts on, not my snow boots and winter jacket and toque.
To read the rest of this post, head on over to the Women Unplugged blog.
April 7, 2014
Authors in Bloom 2014 Blog Hop!
Welcome to the 3rd annual Authors in Bloom blog hop! This blog hop begins on April 7th and runs till April 16th, 2014 at 11:59 PM EST.
GRAND PRIZE: We’re giving away a Kindle Fire or Nook (winner’s choice) along with a $25 gift card for the same. We’re also giving away a 2nd prize of a $25 gift card.
Enjoy and good luck!
This year, I decided to share a gardening tip that I found in one of my favorite gardening magazines, Garden Gate Magazine. Not only are their pictures stunningly beautiful, but they have great tips and tricks, too. You can even subscribe to their Free Tips email.
Their April 2014 edition gave me the perfect idea for using color in our new garden area:
1. Choose several plants with a similar hue that bloom at or around the same time, and scatter them throughout the garden.
2. Then choose several more plants in a second hue that again blooms at or around the same time, and scatter them throughout the garden.
3. Repeat until you’ve run out of gardening space!
The end result is that your flower bed will be a mass of pinks or purples or reds — whatever colors you’ve chosen — at different times of the growing season. And since winter in my part of the world gets very cold, I’m focusing on planting mostly perennials, starting with the Pinks as seen in the photo to the right.
And now for the prizes:
1. On my site, I’m drawing 4 names and giving away each person an e-copy of one of my books in mobi or epub format (winner’s choice). All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter (signup form is at the top of the righthand sidebar) and in the comments below, let me know that you’ve done so. Then tell me what your favorite flower is.
2. To be eligible for the Authors in Bloom blog hop grand prizes listed at the top of this post, make sure you LEAVE A COMMENT below (even if you don’t sign up for my newsletter). Only those visitors who visit EACH and EVERY stop are eligible for the grand prize ereader and gift card. Eligibility will be verified by hop’s end.
3. And finally, make sure to leave your contact email in the comment section, otherwise we’ll be unable to contact you if you win! Winners will be posted on both the first (Dianne Venetta) and last (A Cozy Reader’s Corner) websites of the list below.
And to make it super easy to visit all of the authors participating in the hop, here is a list of the participating authors:
NEW this year, Dianne Venetta will be hosting a Facebook Party for the entire 10 days, including more garden tips, recipes, fun facts, etc. on Facebook.
Enjoy yourself, and good luck!
April 1, 2014
Introducing Addictive Reads!
Do you like winning gift cards or free books? Then check out the ADDICTIVE READS site and enter the giveaway. There’s books in every genre, from romance to mystery to horror…and everything in between. You have until Friday, April 4, 2014 to enter. Winners will be announced, Saturday, April 5th.
For all of the details, check out the ADDICTIVE READS website.
March 26, 2014
A LITTLE YOGA BREAK
I love yoga. I love the flexibility, the deep breathing, and the peace it brings me. For the hour I practice the poses, my mind is focused on the singular task of performing the routines, which helps enhance my focus when I’m at the computer working.

A couple of years ago, I discovered Maya Fiennes…to read the rest of this post, join me at the Women Unplugged site.
March 5, 2014
Time Flies When You’re Having…
Time sure does fly when you’re not looking.
When my boys were little and I worked outside of the house, I used to believe that the days and weeks and years passed by quickly because I was so very busy.
I didn’t know any better. (For the rest of this post, join me at the Women Unplugged site.)
February 12, 2014
The Emotional Payoff Of Being A Good Daughter
I love to read emotionally charged stories, with characters who are shredded, then put back together. But I also love to laugh, so over time my own writing has become a blend of these two elements…just like in real life.
On the Personal Transformation site, the blog post author discusses the importance of having a happy emotional payoff. If you’re interested, check out the post. It’s short. I’ll wait…
Oh good, you’re back.
On Monday, my sister and I took our mom to the knee doctor, and Mom is now on the list for knee surgery. For two years now, we’ve been trying to get her on that list. The good news is, she’s finally on the list. The bad news is, she’s finally on the list.
Confused? To read the rest of this post, visit the Women Unplugged site.
