Shelly Hickman's Blog, page 8

Cover Reveal - Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr

I had the opportunity to read Meredith Schorr's new release, Blogger Girl, a few weeks ago, and I'm excited to share her cover reveal and a little bit about the book. If you like a light-hearted, funny, and romantic read, then don't miss out on Blogger Girl. It will launch on August 28th!


What happens when your high school nemesis becomes the shining star in a universe you pretty much saved? Book blogger Kimberly Long is about to find out.

A chick lit enthusiast since the first time she read Bridget Jones’s Diary, Kim, with her blog, "Pastel is the New Black," has worked tirelessly by night to keep the genre alive, and help squash the claim that "chick lit is dead" once and for all. Not bad for a woman who by day ekes out a meager living as a pretty, and pretty-much-nameless, legal secretary in a Manhattan law firm.

While Kim's day job holds no passion for her, the handsome (and shaving challenged) associate down the hall is another story. Yet another story is that Hannah Marshak, one of her most hated high school classmates, has now popped onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book that's turning heads--and pages--across the land. It's also popped into Kim's inbox--for review. With their ten-year high school reunion drawing near, Kim's coming close to combustion over the hype about Hannah’s book. And as everyone around her seems to be moving on and up, she begins to question whether being a “blogger girl” makes the grade in her off-line life.

A born and bred New Yorker, Meredith Schorr discovered her passion for writing when she began to enjoy drafting work-related emails way more than she was probably supposed to, and was famous among her friends for writing witty birthday cards. After trying her hand writing children’s stories and blogging her personal experiences, Meredith found her calling writing “real” chick lit for real women.  When Meredith is not hard at work on her current work in progress, she spends her days as a trademark paralegal.  Meredith is a loyal New York Yankees fan and an avid runner.  Blogger Girl is her third novel.
meredithschorr.com
Twitter @meredithschorr
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MeredithSchorrAuthor?ref=ts&fref=ts

Cover Reveal for Unbreakable Bonds, An Angela Panther Novel by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

A couple of months ago, I read Carolyn Ridder Aspenson's novel, Unfinished Business, An Angela Panther Novel. It was engaging, funny, and even very touching. Carolyn's second novel, Unbreakable Bonds, is scheduled for release in November, so I would like to share the cover reveal, as well as a heads up on the storyline. Can't wait to read more about Fran, and you're gonna love the book trailer below. 

When Angela's best friend Mel thinks her husband is having an affair, she turns to Angela for help. The two come up with the perfect plan to catch him in the act, but to make it work, they'll need help from Angela's mother, Fran.

There's just one teeny, little problem.

Fran's dead.

And since Angela's psychic gift is currently out of service, connecting with Fran is a little complicated.

While Angela searches for a way to fix her psychic radar, Fran and a multitude of other ghosts continue to try to make a connection. And it's driving Angela crazy.

But Fran won't let her daughter's problem stop her from helping someone she loves and she sets out to catch the cheater on her own, using a few tricks and tools from the afterlife to get it done.

Book two of the Angela Panther series will be available November, 2013 in e-book and paperback.  And for those of you who haven't read Unfinished Business, here's a little taste. 

Angela Panther is an ordinary stay at home mom with a satisfying, albeit slightly mundane life.

Things get a little crazy for Angela when her mother dies and comes back as a ghost.

It seems Fran's got some unfinished business on earth and she's determined to get it done, no matter what.

But Fran's not the only ghost with unfinished business and her return opens a portal between Angela and the afterlife. Now every Tom, Dick and Harry ghost around comes knockin' on Angela's psychic door, looking for help.

And it's a pain in the butt.

Having her mother around is a double-edged sword for Angela. On the one hand, she's glad to still have the connection, but on the other, death has given Fran some annoying abilities and she's seriously trying Angela's patience.

When Fran tells Angela her teenage daughter Emily is in trouble, Angela decides to let her mother use her ghostly skills to keep tabs on the girl. 

Well, not all of her ghostly skills.

But that doesn't stop Fran from causing a little trouble - just to protect her granddaughter, of course.

Now Angela has to find a way to keep her old life in tact and help the dead with their unfinished business, all while trying to keep her mother out of trouble.

And it's a lot for one woman to handle. 
Win a free e-copy of Unfinished Business, an Angela Panther Novel
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Long Lost Friends

This morning I was texting my friend of many years, and she was telling me about this great experience she had with a man she met at a bar. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and no, I’m not referring to what we normally think of when a woman talks about a man she met in a bar. This was nothing like that. She and her mother and sister took a day trip to the historical Pioneer Saloon in Goodsprings, Nevada, where my friend started talking to this man several years her senior. She told me how they just sort of clicked, and they discussed all sorts of things about life. She felt like he was a kindred spirit, their interaction leaving her uplifted. He even shared the same name as her father, whose mind has now been stolen by Alzheimer’s.

I think it’s significant that experiences like these can leave such an impression on us. They don’t happen often, but when they do, they’re reminders that we’re all sort of connected, something that’s easy to forget in our crazy and stressful world. Many of our interactions with others in our day to day lives are superficial, guarded, and sometimes even hostile.

It started me thinking about a similar experience I had. It was with someone I already knew, but not very well. When my daughter was seven, she was in her second relapse with leukemia, and we travelled to Minnesota so that she could participate in a clinical trial. We stayed in a Ronald McDonald House with several other families, one couple whom we already knew from Las Vegas. Their teenage son’s options had also been exhausted, and they were visiting the same clinic for treatments.

I don’t remember how it came about, but I needed to get to a pharmacy for a prescription for my daughter, and we didn’t have a vehicle yet. My parents were in the process of making the long drive from Las Vegas to Minneapolis to bring our car to us. The father of the teenage boy, I’ll call him John, offered to take me to the pharmacy since they had a vehicle.

Neither of us was familiar with the area, but you wouldn’t think it would be that difficult to find a pharmacy. However, it seemed like we drove around at least twenty minutes before we finally located one. I was already so grateful that he was willing to do all that driving just to help me out. Afterwards, we stopped at a diner to eat.

I've forgotten the exact details of our conversation that night, but I will never forget the evening I spent a few hours with someone I barely knew, sharing our fears, frustrations, and agonies of having a child with cancer. We talked about our beliefs, and what this nightmare had done to them. We discussed the challenges of staying positive for our children. During that meal, it was almost as if everything else fell away, and we were just two weary souls sharing our pain, taking comfort in the fact that the other knew exactly where we were coming from.

John’s son passed away on his sixteenth birthday, later that month. Cancer stole my daughter seven months later.

I was saddened to learn that John died a couple of years ago. Despite the heartbreaking time our kinship took place, I will forever remember that night. It was an encounter of openness and true understanding, and I consider it one of the biggest gifts of my life. I think that’s why we treasure such moments; it’s then we’re reminded we really aren’t alone. It’s easy to fall into the belief that we’re all separate, but everyday we’re surrounded by those who share the same joys, fears, celebrations, and loss.

It sounds a little corny, but when I look back on that night, I feel like John was a long lost friend sent to me at a time I needed one most.

I hope I was the same for him.

99 Cent Sale and Updated Cover!

I thought my cover could use a bit of a face lift, giving it a little more POP, without abandoning my Sam and Sophie! For those of you who haven't picked up a copy, it's only 99 cents right now through Friday. What are you waiting for? ;)

Being a Cry Baby. Who's With Me? - Guest Post on Jersey Girl Book Reviews

Join me on Jersey Girl Book Reviews where I talk about the hazards of being an easy weeper.

Writing SEX! - Guest Post on Wise Words

Come check out my guest post on Louise Wise's blog, where I talk about the complications of writing sex.


"I've come across scenes that actually turned me off because the sex was presented in such a way that either made me roll my eyes or snort with laughter."

Chat with Patricia Mann

Just thought I'd share a little chat about all sorts of things with author and friend, Patricia Mann. Come on by and eavesdrop. Have a happy Independence Day everyone!

Storm Goddess Book Review and Q&A

My blog tour for Somewhere Between Black and White kicked off with Chick Lit Plus yesterday, so I'll be sharing some links over the next few days, shamelessly promoting! Today Somewhere is on Storm Goddess Book Reviews and More, so stop by and say hello! Thank you, Nikki, for hosting me!

Keeping Tabs on Your Kid and the Internet

Recently, I connected with Carolyn Ridder Aspenson after reading her hugely entertaining novel Unfinished Business. If you enjoy a book that has lots of laughs, but can also pull at the heartstrings, I recommend you give it a go. Anyway, I learned that she's a journalist and she has some very useful information about kids, particularly middle school age kids, and the Internet. Since my daughter is in middle school and I also teach Internet safety to my own middle school students, I asked her to share some of what she has learned.



Keeping Tabs on Your Kid and the Internet
by Carolyn Ridder Aspenson

As a freelance writer for several Atlanta-based newspapers, I am given interesting assignments-some fun and some down right scary. Recently I was given an assignment about kids and the (sadly) hugely popular webcam sex sites and what those sites lead to.

I was horrified.

Initially I started searching the sites, for the main purpose of seeing what they are and how many I could find. And then, BAM! The light bulb went off over my head and I realized I'd have a record of these sites on my computer. Not a bright move given police can track this kind of stuff. I don't think I'm on any watch list but I certainly didn't want to put myself in a position to be added to one! Instead I decided to contact a few professionals-hit them up for information.

After talking to them and doing some general research on the concept of the sites, what I learned was alarming.

What children, especially those in middle school, are doing might surprise you.

"There are countless internet sites where kids can participate in inappropriate behaviors," Milton, GA Police Department Community Outreach Officer Ara Baronian said. "Unfortunately what a lot of these kids don't realize is that these (inappropriate) behaviors are illegal."

These sites often begin as chat rooms where kids develop on-line relationships, then start sharing personal information, information like cell phone numbers, addresses, and favorite hangouts. In a short time, these relationships progress into sexting, webcam sex, and often times, physical encounters.  

Yikes.

States have different laws about sexting, sending photos, etc. and if you have a child with a cell phone, I suggest finding out what your states laws are.  In Georgia sending any kind of sexually explicit photo got you on the national sex offender list but the laws have recently changed because so many kids were being labeled.

Baronian said the legal consequences children can face by going to these sites can change their lives forever.

" As long as both parties are similar in age they are both breaking the law," he said.

Having that tough talk with your kids is important. I interviewed several people for my article and most of them truly believed their kid wouldn't participate in anything inappropriate. They gave their kid free, unmonitored Internet access.

These parents are fooling themselves.

Mental Health Professional Sharon Besterfeldt said it's important to understand where your children are emotionally before allowing them access to the Internet.

"By nature, middle school aged children are curious," she said. "They're moving away from the total control from their parents and seeking more in-depth relationships outside of the family, but are still not mature enough to have securely established boundaries."

Both Baronian and Besterfeldt said the key to preventing this is parental control.

"Checking the web history on your computers, reading text messages, monitoring usage of all Internet technology is important," Baronian said.

Besterfeldt agreed and said it's the parent's responsibility to establish boundaries for their kids.

"Give your kids time limits, use parental control software and keep electronics locked up when you're not home," Besterfeldt said.

The truth is, you may think our kids aren't doing something they shouldn't be doing but remember all of those things you did as a kid? I know I did things I wasn't supposed to. The difference today is the stakes are higher and the dangers are worse.

I'm not saying parents shouldn't trust their kids but the fact is, often times, curiosity overrules parental guidance.

And the really scary thing about these sites and what they lead to is that it's not just other kids your child might be interacting with.

"The most important thing people should know about chat rooms and social media sites is that over 50 percent of the people on these sites are falsely representing themselves and are predatory by nature," Baronian said.

Besterfeldt said it's important to educate your kids about the dangers of the Internet on a regular basis.

"Parents need to have uncomfortable conversations with their kids, it's part of parenting," she said. "They need to acknowledge their child's curiosity but continuously reiterate the dangers that curiosity can cause if they're not careful."

"They need to understand that once something is on the Internet, it's there forever," she said.

Continually check your children's phones for apps like SnapChat and free texting apps.  Check computers for these types of sites, too. Parental controls can stop some but no parental control program is 100%.  Many sites can slide through the cracks because of what their intention is but what kids actually use them for is another thing entirely.  www.meetme.com is a prime example of a social networking site gone bad.

SnapChat, for example, gives the premise that someone can send a photo or text and it's automatically deleted, but there is evidence showing that to be untrue. 

The world has changed. Sex isn't as intimate as back in the day and as parents we have to find a way to protect our children from the dangers this new attitude brings to the table.

Carolyn Ridder Aspenson is a freelance writer based in Cumming, GA. She is the author of the fiction novel, Unfinished Business, An Angela Panther Novel. Find out more about Carolyn at www.carolynridderaspenson.com, www.facebook.com/unfinishedbusiness

Follow Carolyn on Twitter at @AWritingWoman

Buy Carolyn's book at http://www.amazon.com/Unfinished-Business-Angela-Panther-ebook/dp/B00CICPH6A 

 OR

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/unfinished-business-an-angela-panther-novel-carolyn-ridder-aspenson/1115193426?ean=2940016492544

Got Peace?

As I sit here trying to decompress from a horrible afternoon at work, gorging on a box of Cheez-Its, I’m contemplating one of my favorite quotes: “Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.” Spoken by the Dalai Lama, it’s a philosophy I try to live by.

Not to sound like a huge, whiny baby, but why does it have to be so freakin' hard? How do we accomplish this when we are forced to interact with those who have awful behavior? When we don’t have the option of just walking away to eliminate the offender, (or in my case, offenders) from our vicinity?

You see, I teach middle school, and I have this one class that destroys my inner peace practically every day. The rational part of me understands that this is my choice; that I am the one allowing them to do it, but my emotional side can find no way out. Let’s face it. I’m just not that enlightened. (Excuse me for a moment while I eat Cheez-It one hundred twenty-three.)

I have tried everything I can think of to remedy the situation. Nothing is working. And the thing is, I’m pretty tolerant of others’ shortcomings because I’ll be the first to admit I am far from perfect. People make mistakes. Many times we don’t know or understand why people behave the way they do, and it’s easy to judge. In fact, that’s the theme of my latest book. But when bad behavior is repeated day after day after day by the same perpetrators, it’s difficult to calmly step back and think, “I’ll show some compassion because I’m sure he has reasons for acting like a total jerk face.” No. In the heat of the moment, all I know is that someone is destroying my inner peace and I want it to stop!

Those of you who know me well will soon be thinking, "Here she goes again with the flames on the side of the face reference," but this clip is just so damned spot on!

I have been fascinated with Buddhism for some time now. One of the reasons is when I look at a Buddhist monk, I see peace and happiness. Sure, they’re human like the rest of us. They have moments of sadness, anger, doubt. Yet to me, they ooze contentment. Then again, they do live in monasteries and meditate for hours on end, which I don’t see myself doing anytime soon.

So I guess I’ll continue berate myself for lacking the will to do all that self-improvement. (Believe me, I’ve tried meditation off and on throughout the years and can never seem to stick with it.) I’ll continue to piss and moan about how someone “out there” is destroying my inner peace. Maybe someday I’ll reach that place where I won’t give others’ behavior so much power over my state of mind, but in the meantime, I’ll just have to count the days until summer vacation.