Davee Jones's Blog, page 26

Winning! Winning! Winning! It's the Talented SC Stephens

SC Stephens


Welcome to The Locker and a special feature for the next two weeks. This past Saturday, I had the awesome opportunity to attend and volunteer at the Houston Author Event, hosted by Emily Lalone, owner of Lalone Marketing. I met ten amazing authors and for the next ten business days, I will focus one author. You get the chance to read about the amazing author and also a chance to win BIG, by using the Rafflecopter entries. Today, meet the author SC Stephens. Oh my goodness, the house was filled with T-Shirts proclaiming their undying devotion to Kellen Kyle. Even one of my besties wore her shirt! S.C. Stephens is an independent author who enjoys spending every free moment she has creating stories that are packed with emotion and heavy on romance.

Her first attempt at a full-length novel was Thoughtless. She wrote the angst-filled love triangle in early 2009 and published it that summer on FictionPress. Amazed and surprised by the response, more stories were quick to follow.

Conversion, the first novel in a three story vampire series, was released in the fall. Collision Course, a tragic, yet hopeful tale of love and loss was released in early 2010. The second Conversion novel came out next, along with It’s All Relative, a different take on a one night stand story.

In addition to writing, Stephens enjoys reading other people’s fabulous novels, loading up her iPod with writer’s block reducing music, heading out to the movie theaters, and spending quality time with her children.

You can contact Stephens at ThoughtlessRomantic@gmail.com

Winning! Winning! Winning! With Jessica Sorensen

Welcome to The Locker and a special feature for the next two weeks. This past Saturday, I had the awesome opportunity to attend and volunteer at the Houston Author Event, hosted by Emily Lalone, owner of Lalone Marketing. I met ten amazing authors and for the next ten business days, I will focus one author. You get the chance to read about the amazing author and also a chance to win BIG, by using the Rafflecopter entries. Today, meet the magical Jessica Sorensen a New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of: The Secret of Ella and Micha, The Coincidence of Callie and Kayden, and Breaking Nova, which are New Adult Contemporary novels.  
e also

writes Paranormal series, including the Fallen Star Series, Shattered Promises, Darkness Falls, and the Death Collectors. She loves writing and reading and is an avid watcher of TV series The Vampire Diaries and Modern Family.  An immense music lover,  Jessica immerses herself in her music as she writes.  She has a broad taste in music, and a list of favorite songs that goes on for miles!  A few of her current favorite bands are Chevelle, Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Brand New, Death Cab for Cutie, Flight 409, and Nirvana.  Some of Jessica’s favorite “watch it over, and over again” movies include Anywhere but Here, Juno, Pride and Prejudice, The Hangover, and Bad Teacher.You will also find her on Goodreads
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jessica-Sorensen/165335743524509Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/jessFallenStar
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4601855.Jessica_Sorensen

Winning! Winning! Winning! It's the Beautiful Tara Sivec

Welcome to The Locker and a special feature for the next two weeks. This past Saturday, I had the awesome opportunity to attend and volunteer at the Houston Author Event, hosted by Emily Lalone, owner of Lalone Marketing. I met ten amazing authors and for the next ten business days, I will focus one author. You get the chance to read about the amazing author and also a chance to win BIG, by using the Rafflecopter entries. I spent quite a bit of time with her during the day and her genuine down to earth, funny personality really shines.
Today, meet the dynamite Tara Sivec. She is a USA Today best-selling author, wife, mother, chauffeur, maid, short-order cook, baby-sitter, and sarcasm expert. She lives in Ohio with her husband and two children and looks forward to the day when they all three of them become adults and move out.After working in the brokerage business for fourteen years, Tara decided to pick up a pen and write instead of shoving it in her eye out of boredom. She is the author of the Playing with Fire series On Goodreads and the Chocolate Lovers series On Goodreads Her novel Seduction and Snacks 
 won first place in the Indie Romance Convention Reader’s Choice Awards 2013 for Best Indie First Book.
In her spare time, Tara loves to dream about all of the baking she’ll do and naps she’ll take when she ever gets spare time.She is the author of numerous best sellers and just keeps 'em coming. Please give Tara a warm reception and if you haven't had a chance--please check her out!!
Following is my review of Passion and Ponies- http://www.tarasivec.com/home/Book Review *****snowflakes- yes folks 5!Passion and Ponies by Tara Sivec – Book 2 of Chocoholics SeriesI enjoyed Passion and Ponies better than Love and Lists. I relished the more detailed story line, and it was the plot that kept me reading, not the comic banter. This help give this read a 5 star rating for me. This book actually made Ava lovable and turned her from a bitchy shrew to a savvy girlfriend. The unique tale that weaves Ava together with Tyler demonstrates that no matter how eccentric the person, deep down the compassion and friendship are the basis for a successful romantic union. Tyler gives this to Ava and completely changes her overall opinion that he is not just a quirky, silly guy with a fetish for none other than My Little Pony. He has a deep perspective and supports her desire for something outside the lines of her family’s expectations. He helps her chart the course for her business dreams and demonstrates how successful she can be. I think coloring outside the lines most of his life with his strange fetishes helps him be more accepting and supportive of anyone marching to the beat of their own drum. This tight knit group has a wonderful story to tell and Tara takes creative freedom to places we never thought about and makes us laugh. What’s even better is the basis for what Tara writes is an actual phenomenon….BronyCon. When you are ready to read something to clear the angst from your reading palette, take a chance on Passion and Ponies. It will make you smile and give you the energy to jump back into the drama we call contemporary romance and all the roads the stories lead us down. It certainly got me ready to read my next dark drama.

Tuesday Tales is a Little Sour to go with Sweet

Ahoy Fellow Fathomers! Welcome to Tuesday Tales. I introduce you to a brand new spicy WIP I have going. My new series is entitled, The Fantasy Leagues.  Our prompt today is the word "lemon", and I will be adding some humor to the fruity word. Take a look:

“Seriously, I'll squirt lemon juice in your eye if you don't leave me alone.” I was not in the mood for tomfoolery. Tomfoolery? I like it, I must use it again soon, but out loud next time. “Aww, don’t be like that, kitten.” Martin Matthew McDonald looked at me over the rim of his coffee mug. “Let me drink my coffee in peace and then I’ll leave, I promise.”“Why did you sleep over, again? Please refresh my memory.” I rubbed at my temples then added agave nectar to my tea. “After the third go round with Hook, I was spent. You showed me mercy since I showed you such a good time.”“Marty, it’s a little immature to refer to your penis by a nickname. But, yea, that’s right.”“I’m not the only man out there giving a name to his magnificent member. By the way, sweet cheeks, there’s absolutely nothing emotional attached to my adult sleep over.”“You can say that again, Marty.” I’ve always called him Marty. He was named after his father and it creeped me out to use his given name. “Do I really have to?” I gave him The Look. “Really, dude, it’s way too freaking early for humor. That’s strictly reserved for after regulation brunch times.”“Look, kitten, I only see you once every couple of months, can’t you bench the bitchy? Or, at least pretend you like me being here until I leave.”“How would you know I was pretending after you leave? Then, you might wonder if I was pretending the whole time, you know like faking it.”“What makes you use a word like brunch anyway? Who has brunch these days?”I ignored his question. People still have brunch, don’t they? “Well, here’s the deal, I’ve got to get to work soon. It’s draft day and you know how busy that gets.”“I wouldn’t exactly know, I must take your word for it. You never let me help.” Marty took a longer sip of the now cooled coffee. “Not mixing my personal friendships with business. It would never turn out well, and since I enjoy our bi-monthly sex summit, you will stay far away from my daily grind.”


 please check out our other talented authors' take on the citrusy delight- Lemon!
Tuesday Tales Main

Winning Winning Winning!!! Rebecca Shea - Featured Author

Welcome to The Locker and a special feature for the next two weeks. This past Saturday, I had the awesome opportunity to attend and volunteer at the Houston Author Event, hosted by Emily Lalone, owner of Lalone Marketing. I met ten amazing authors and for the next ten business days, I will focus one author. You get the chance to read about the amazing author and also a chance to win BIG, by using the Rafflecopter entries. Today, meet the fabulous Author Rebecca Shea. This talented lady is the USA Today Bestselling author of Unbreakable and Undone. She “lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her family and her beagle, Miles. From the time Rebecca could read she has had a passion for books. Rebecca spends her days working full-time and her nights writing, bringing stories to life. Born and raised in Minnesota, Rebecca moved to Arizona in 1999 to escape the bitter winters. When not working or writing, she can be found on the sidelines of her sons football games, or watching her daughter at ballet class. Rebecca is fueled by insane amounts of coffee, margaritas, Laffy Taffy (except the banana ones), and happily ever afters.”She is the author of the best sellers -

and
Amazon Buy Link Amazon Buy Link

You will also find her on Goodreads Take a peek!

Saturday Sippers with Rebecca Donovan!

Saturday Sippers in The LockerAhoy Fellow Fathomers! Welcome to the feature here in The Locker called Saturday Sippers. Oh my goodness, today, THIS Saturday, April 5th, I will have Bubbles with Rebecca Donovan. That is champagne with a beautiful and talented author!  Right after the Houston Author event, for a half hour, in the bar at the hotel, Rebecca would like to treat the assisting bloggers to some champagne and spend some one-on-one time with us. We can ask her whatever we like, about the industry, about herself, about what bands she's just seen, about what she's writing, or about nothing at all and just spend some down time with her. My question to you dear readers: What would you ask you favorite author?Champagne! That’s the drink of today.Stay tuned here in The Locker because beginning Monday, I’ll have 2 weeks of giveaways!

Life with Sjogren's and Fibromyalgia - Just Keep Swimming...

Good morning!!  I’ve decided to use my blog not only to writing, music, and other facets of entertainment, but, also to share my journey. I’ve had significant health problems for almost two years. Initially, my rheumatologist diagnosed me with systemic lupus (SLE) on June 19, 2013. However, the medication wasn’t working and I kept getting worse and developing new symptoms. So, after second, third, and fourth opinions, my neurologist believes instead I have fibromyalgia.  Thank you for listening, each week I will have a new installment chronicling my journey. Please, please feel free to comment, write, share. I hope to use this forum as a help to all of us, no matter what pain you are experiencing. You may also send stories to me via finlessbook at gmail dot com. I will respect your privacy and maintain your anonymity, if you so desire. Hugs for today …The update today is a third consult with a rheumatologist. I needed someone in my local area as my primary rheumy and just not sure the first one I had is the right choice. But, I think I found my medical “home” yesterday. After taking a lengthy history with the nurse practitioner, I met with the doctor. She ordered labs to check levels of blood and urine. The doctor gave me the diagnosis of fibromyalgia, Sjogren’s, https://www.sjogrens.org/  and possible pre-lupus. I can deal with this and it seems most logical for the correct diagnosis and treatment path. Pre-lupus? It is possible that all the symptoms of extreme fatigue, muscle aches, foot and hand pain, and dry skin/hair/lips (can someone hook me up with a lifetime supply of Burt’s Bees?) are actually just Sjogren’s and not lupus at all. Sjogren’s is also an auto-immune disease. Unsure what pre-lupus would be, I once again set about on the internet search for such a thing. Fortunately, most of information reveals that a person with lupus may develop fibromyalgia, but, usually not the reverse. So, that’s a blessing.The doctor also added Cymbalta 
Cymbalta Link
 to my daily dose of pills. I took one yesterday and one today, cannot yet tell how this will affect me. I will say I feel an element of calm that I haven’t felt before. Not sure what that is- whether it’s the Cymbalta or just a mood thing for me. I’ll monitor. I return to this doctor in 3 weeks for the lab results and an update on the new meds.
Something she did tell me, as did my neurologist. People with fibromyalgia MUST EXERCISE! Painful or not, those muscles must be worked to avoid atrophy and maybe even further damage. You cannot sit life out in pain and do nothing if you expect to feel better. A pill won’t do it, you must move. Take yoga, pilates, the dog for a walk, dance a little bit. But, please do something. My body yells at me every day for moving, but, my brain is the boss of this train. Once I’ve moved around, I do actually feel better and less constricted. Something else that I know now for a fact works wonders is a massage with focus on myofacial release. I know it’s expensive and not covered by most insurance, but, I found a blessing with massage! I actually had more flexibility in yoga just one day later! I was so excited. I also found a massage school convenient for me in the Dallas area and the prices are so affordable. I can cut something frivolous from the budget to afford regular massages at the school. Well, time to go more work to do, books to write, books to read, and reviews to finish. Hugs for today!

Passion and Ponies - 5 snowflakes! from Tara Sivec

Please visit Tara and check out all her books on her webpage:http://www.tarasivec.com/home/Book Review *****snowflakes- yes folks 5!Passion and Ponies by Tara Sivec – Book 2 of Chocoholics SeriesI have one caveat to express before I go on to the full review. I did not read the Chocolate Lover’s Series that introduced the characters, so, I would get the older generation confused with who was actually who. But, it did not detract from my feeling for this book.I enjoyed Passion and Ponies better than Love and Lists. I relished the more detailed story line, and it was the plot that kept me reading, not the comic banter. This help give this read a 5 star rating for me. This book actually made Ava lovable and turned her from a bitchy shrew to a savvy girlfriend. The unique tale that weaves Ava together with Tyler demonstrates that no matter how eccentric the person, deep down the compassion and friendship are the basis for a successful romantic union. Tyler gives this to Ava and completely changes her overall opinion that he is not just a quirky, silly guy with a fetish for none other than My Little Pony. He has a deep perspective and supports her desire for something outside the lines of her family’s expectations. He helps her chart the course for her business dreams and demonstrates how successful she can be. I think coloring outside the lines most of his life with his strange fetishes helps him be more accepting and supportive of anyone marching to the beat of their own drum. This tight knit group has a wonderful story to tell and Tara takes creative freedom to places we never thought about and makes us laugh. What’s even better is the basis for what Tara writes is an actual phenomenon….BronyCon. When you are ready to read something to clear the angst from your reading palette, take a chance on Passion and Ponies. It will make you smile and give you the energy to jump back into the drama we call contemporary romance and all the roads the stories lead us down. It certainly got me ready to read my next dark drama.

Tuesday Tales - Give Me Such a Big Hug, You Squish My Boobs

Ahoy Fellow Fathomers and welcome to Tuesday Tales. We have a group of authors writing to a single word prompt, and the prompt this week is the simple word "hug". My mind conjures up everything from an innocent hug a momma gives to her bouncing bundle of love
to a white hot lover's embrace. This word takes us so many places and answers so many unwritten questions when we just can't find the words to communicate with someone we care about.




But today, I'm introducing you to a brand new WIP that's only 7K words in. It's with my beta reader now and I'm excited to get more words down. So, please enjoy my short piece about a "hug".



According to the particular client meeting, I pipe in a digital music station statistically shown to improve the chances of closing the deal on a contract. With women like Danika, I set the station to happy love songs. It reinforces the hope and gives her the nudge to sign on the dotted line. Whereas when I see Dominic later, I’ll set the station to the eighties big hair bands love songs.
Hey, my profiler said it works. Speaking of my profiler, I employ one person whose sole purpose is to statistically improve the chances of the best matches possible in each season. We operate all calendar year, with each sports season always a little better than the last. I operate the business of love connections with a unique dating adventure. I’ve seen hundreds of hopefuls with the same look of excited anticipation in their eyes as Danika Parker before me in my office today. I didn’t turn Danika down before because of anything specific about her. She just didn’t fit “the mix” until now. Speaking of which, it’s time to push forward with this interview. “So, Danika, are you ready to join fantasy football?” I held out a fancy, full-plumed writing quill. The elegant, flowing feather gave a glamorous touch. The pewter ink stand completed the set. Danika signed with a trembling hand and a look of Christmas Eve across her fresh face. She was the cutest thing, and in another setting, I’d eat someone like her alive. Metaphorically speaking, of course. My thighs quake and my thoughts run to The Lock-Her Room. I shut down the repeating fantasy immediately. I don’t fraternize with the participants. That’s unscrupulous practice. I also have The Lock-Him Room, but we will discuss that another time. My thighs quake again, but I digress.Before the ink is fully dry, I’m ushering Danika out the door. “We will have a group meeting next weekend. The details are all right here.” I hand her a schedule printed on card stock. “You will also set up your personal profile on the website. Please have that done before the group meeting.” I gave her a handshake and she leaned in impulsively for a hug. Maybe I lingered a moment longer than I should have, but, she smelled good. And, damn, her breasts must be real by the way they cushioned against me with just the right amount of give for someone her age.Stop. Danika wasn’t for me.I love my job.
Thank you for joining me today in The Locker, please now visit our other writers for their piece about a "hug".Tuesday Tales

Are Those Histamines in Your Pocket or are You Just Happy to See Me?

Hello Fellow Fathomers!!  I’ve decided to use my blog not only to writing, music, and other facets of entertainment, but, also to share my journey. I’ve had significant health problems for almost two years. Initially, my rheumatologist diagnosed me with systemic lupus (SLE) on June 19, 2013. However, the medication wasn’t working and I kept getting worse and developing new symptoms. So, after second, third, and fourth opinions, my neurologist believes instead I have fibromyalgia.  Thank you for listening, each week I will have a new installment chronicling my journey. Please, please feel free to comment, write, share. I hope to use this forum as a help to all of us, no matter what pain you are experiencing. You may also send stories to me via finlessbook at gmail dot com. I will respect your privacy and maintain your anonymity, if you so desire. Hugs for today …Spinach and Histamines and Darn Seasonal AllergiesOne of my favorite “new” foods for my healthier eating plan included lots of fresh spinach. However, after I routinely ate it several times in a row, I felt swollen and itchy at times. What I did not realize was that fresh spinach contains a high level of histamines. It isn’t the only food either. Many very healthy foods contain high levels of histamines. As a young child, I would develop hives quite often with no known culprit. However, one pediatrician diagnosed me with a histamine imbalance. Now, he didn’t give us any clues on how to treat it, but, that term stuck with me all these years. Imagine my surprise that I find the term, Histamine Intolerance, just recently. The amount of similarities between me and the list of possible symptoms is uncanny. I found this wonderful site among many, MindBodyGreen - Mind/Body Wellness and Green Living Tips, News, and Interviews and it gives a full article to Histamine Intolerance. When I read the common symptoms, I kept reading. According to their site:Common symptoms of histamine intolerance include: Headaches/migrainesDifficulty falling asleep, easily arousalHypertensionVertigo or dizzinessArrhythmia, or accelerated heart rateDifficulty regulating body temperatureAnxietyNausea, vomitingAbdominal crampsFlushingNasal congestion, sneezing, difficulty breathingAbnormal menstrual cycleHivesFatigueTissue swellingBut, even further research led me to understand that my exacerbation of fibromyalgia, or even lupus, can be worsened by the histamine intolerance. Now, I have to wonder if what I actually have body wide is an extreme histamine intolerance over a more serious diagnosis. I have an appointment with both a nutritionist and a rheumatologist soon and will ask these questions. I will talk more about some other key bodily occurrences in a future blog including:Gluten intoleranceLeaky gut SIBO Until then, stay healthy, do your yoga, get plenty of sleep, and eat things that don’t come in a wrapper. (well most of the time anyway.)