Christene Houston's Blog: Christenehouston.com, page 6

Setting Goals

The end of an old year has often inspired me to mentally take stock, clean out the old closets, as it were, and set out in a new direction for the new year. As a child, my goals were often disorganized and haphazard with no real direction on how to get from A to B. As I’ve matured, I’ve learned the importance of writing something down, visualizing, keeping things simple and realistic and moving one little step at a time. 2014 promises to be a huge year for my writing goals. I’ve got a lot up my sleeve and I can’t wait to share it with you in the weeks to come. I hope you’re setting down some goals too. The new year will pass in a blink, just as this one did, and you will be so happy with yourself when you reach the final days of 2014 with some amazing accomplishments under your belt! Best wishes on a wonderful new year!

Weekend Inspiration

Thanks Bob! I hope you’re feeling the love this week. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Find out more about being seeking the Savior here.

Merry Christmas!

Weekend Inspiration

If there is one book worth reading every single year, it would be A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. I simply adore the story of old Ebeneezer and his crotchety lifestyle. It still thrills me to see the change of this cold hearten curmudgeon to someone determined to make amends and spend his life in doing good. Maybe it is the hope that because of what happened that glorious Christmas morning, we never have to feel it is too late to change who we are, to mark a new path, to keep Christmas “all the year”. If you have a chance, get ahold of a copy and read it. It’s tiny, beautiful and full of reasons for hope. Merry Christmas!

A Heart So Broken

A Heart So Broken by Christene Houston

Still wondering if you should buy a copy of A Heart So Broken for the reader on your Christmas list? Here’s a little sneak peak of one of my favorite scenes from the book where Jenna confronts Jared, her old bad boy boyfriend:

“I said your coming with me,” he said, grabbing my arm again. In that moment, instinct took over. In one fluid movement, I’d dodged his grasp and threw a right hook that connected with the bones in his nose. The nerves in my hand exploded in pain about the same time as the room when crazy. Blood spattered across my shirt. Someone screamed. I heard a string of filthy curses coming from Jared as he grabbed at his face. Jackson had me around the waist, pulling me out of the melee before I could get another punch in. My legs kicked out as he lifted me from the ground, connecting with Jared’s gut. Seconds later, Cooper had him in a head lock, with Colt rubbing his knuckles and every guy at the bar backing them up as they struggled out into the parkling lot. Somewhere in the periphery, someone dialed the sheriff.

“Easy, little sister,” Jackson murmured as I struggled against his hold, adrenaline surging through me, “I think you got your point across.”

“Let me go!” I cried.

“Naw, let the guys finish this one off,” he said, deftly avoiding my flailing limbs, “Sheriff Wilkins will be here any minutes, and I have a feeling that kid won’t be showing his broken nose around here anytime soon.”

Go here to order your copy!

 

 

What’s in Your Stocking?

I don’t know about you, but even before I was an author, my favorite thing to give as Christmas gifts were books.

I passed on these cuties to my little nieces and nephews when Mr. Houston and I were first married.

Parts by Tedd Arnold

 

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon

 

So this year I thought I’d make a list of what I chose for my kiddos as well as recommendations for the older reader on your list.

For my littlest, I love buying board books in a set. He loves being able to read about his favorite characters and if he can tote it along, he’s even happier.

Thomas Board Books

For my littlest girl I found these amazing beginning readers. I absolutely love Kevin Henkes’ characters and stories so I was thrilled to find these for her. There are a few more available in this same series.

Penny and Her Song by Kevin Henkes

My oldest daughter and I have long been Fancy Nancy fans. As she’s graduated into chapter books, we’re delighted to find Nancy coming along. This is one of her new offerings.

Fancy Nancy Sees the Future by Jane O’Connor

And I found this by Shannon Hale and COULD NOT RESIST! She has some free short stories for Kindle too. I LOVE Shannon’s middle grade fiction.

The Storybook of Legends by Shannon Hale

Another great one to check out for MG is Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman.

Sky Jumpers by Peggy Eddleman

My oldest son likes the newest DWK and the third book in Tyler Whiteside’s Janitors series.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Hard Luck by Jeff Kinney

Curse of the Broomstaff by Tyler Whitesides

And for the older readers, let me recommend my book A Heart So Broken for a sizzling contemporary romance with tender self discovery. It is the perfect stocking stuffer with the promise of keeping you up late into the night to read one more page.

A Heart So Broken by Christene Houston

Regency Romance lovers will fall hard for Julianne Donaldson’s second book Blackmoore. I just loved it!

Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson

Okay, so there’s my list – though honestly I could go on and on. I love great books! What do you love reading? What kind of books do you love to hand to your kids? Remember to order your copy of A Heart So Broken today!

Weekend Inspiration

Charlie Brown Christmas will always be a favorite for me. I love the little tree with it’s forlorn beginning for many reasons.

First, someone saw something special in an otherwise unremarkable thing.

Second, there were hecklers to overcome, people who couldn’t see value in something so small and scrubby. And even as Charlie Brown lost faith, his initial inspiration lit the fire in his friend Linus to bring out the positive qualities in this tree so that everyone could see it.

How many times do we go through the same life lessons. We see or are seen for our true potential only to have hecklers from the crowd shoot us down. Yet there is the light that comes from being believed in, and soon, rallied around, gently supported, and given a bit of cheer, we shine out as our best selves. There are people the world over, in every walk of life, in every venue or path of existence who need that bit of support, cheer or tender belief to start them on the path of becoming all that they can be.

And isn’t that part of what Christmas is all about? Let’s take a moment today and look for those among us who need just a little love.

Teaser

If you’re wondering what to get your favorite reader, look no further! A Heart So Broken is available to order today! Happy shopping!

Events

I’ve been having so much fun promoting this lovely little book here! A Heart So Broken is the perfect gift for the reader in your family! Come check it out here! Or here and get yourself a copy. There might even be copies still on the B&N shelves at the N. Rainbow store and just for fun – they’re already autographed! Go grab yours while they’re still around!

This was our little group of authors along with the amazing Crystal at Books, Bubble and Brews for the Vegas Valley Book Festival. What a fun night!

And this was just the other night when it was pouring rain for the second night in a row and I got to venture out to sign copies of A Heart So Broken at Barnes and Noble. I could have spent the whole night there. As it was, I was wandering around getting Christmas presents until the final call for “one minute until closing”. Other than curled up with a good book at home, there is no better place to be on a rainy night than in a book store.

So that’s what I’ve been up to. What do you do on rainy nights?