Christa Simpson's Blog, page 22
March 3, 2015
My Interview with Tanya Vought’s “Big” Ben!!!
Gracelynn Calhoun– A 32 year old widowed woman. She’s spunky, sassy, and on a new adventure she never thought she would experience.
Giovanni Antonetii – A hard working 32 year old man. He enjoys his family and dog, Holly. Never expected to have his life changed in an unexpected incident.
Cassie – Best friend and HR woman to Gracelynn. She’s sassy, spunky, bubbly and just wants the very best for her best friend and for her to be happy again.
Ben – Also Gracelynn’s best friend and boss. He wants Gracelynn to live and love life again. Wonderful sweet man, you would love to have as your boss.
I don’t know why, but I really loved “Big Ben”. He only had a minor role in this story, but his introduction just sticks in my mind. What can I say, he’s a memorable man. ;) Read on for our interview. :D
INTERVIEW (Ben & Cassie)
They both walk in, hand in hand, smiling radiantly at one another. And man, Tanya was right. Ben is one handsome man. He turns toward me with that honey blond hair and a devilish flicker shines in his eyes.
I smile and extend my hand to them. “Please take a seat. Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me.” I watch as they both sit beside one another on the sofa across from me. When Ben smirks at me, I fan myself. Whew!
“You’re most welcome,” he answers me.
Clearing my throat and knowing it’s wrong to gawk at him, I ignore my professional composure and continue to gawk! “How long have you and Gracelynn been friends? I don’t believe we ever were introduced,” I say, directing all my attention to Ben.
Ben catches Cassie’s eye and whispers in her ear. Man, what I’d do to know what he’s said that’s left Cassie nodding and blushing like a school girl. She sits up straight on the sofa before answering.
“I’ve been friends with Gracelynn since we were in Elementary School. Ben was Angelo’s best friend. We all met in college and have been together ever since.”
I’ve clearly said something wrong. How was I to know that they were friends with Gracelynn’s deceased husband? “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to sadden you”. I really hate that I’ve upset her.
Cassie surprises me and smiles graciously. “You have nothing to be sorry for. We were the very best of friends and there’s nothing sad about it.”
I chuckle with relief. “Speaking of best friends, Gracelynn tells me you two were dating for months before telling her? Why wait?”
I watch as Ben squeezes Cassie’s hand and chooses to answer this one. “I chose that. Gracelynn had been in an emotional mood since Angelo died and I didn’t want to unload more stress onto her. If she was in a better frame of mind, I would have told her right away.”
I nod sincerely at Ben. “I know you sent Gracelynn on her trip. What was the hardest part about it all?” I turn to Cassie, although it’s tough to look away from those gorgeous eyes.
“It was hard,” Cassie admits. “But she needed it . . . badly.”
“She needed it,” Ben agrees. “I think the hardest part was watching the once vibrant woman day in and day out become so broken.”
I twist a strand of hair around my finger before asking the next question. Geesh. They’re so serious! “Enough about Gracelynn. What more can you tell the readers about yourselves?”
I smile deviously at Ben and they both laugh, knowing I want the goods on their steamy relationship.
“Us? You want to know more about us?”
I nod eagerly.
“Well, we enjoy sitting at home, taking walks. I love having Ben cook for me . . . he’s the best cook,” she gushes, glancing up at her man. “We just enjoy being together and want our best friend to have an amazing life filled with love and happiness.”
“Wow, a man that looks like that and can cook,” I mumble to myself. So what if I’m a little jealous. “One more question before you go, since I know you’re here on your lunch break. Will Gracelynn ever get her happy ever after? Please tell me because I’m dying to know!”
Ben and Cassie look at one another, mischief playing in their eyes before they turn back to me. “Let’s just say, Tanya doesn’t disappoint…. ,” Ben tells me. “But happy ever after? You will have to find out for yourself,” Cassie finishes.
They’re so darn cute together, finishing each other’s sentences. I stand and shake their hands. “Thank you so much for your time and answering a few questions.”
“It was our pleasure,” they answer in unison. Can they get any cuter? Seriously, gag!
“Oh, and if you would ever like to interview us again, you know where to find us,” Ben says to me.
Excitement flairs in my eyes and all I can think about is the Big Ben comment Gracelynn told me about.
“But now, we are heading back to the office,” Ben says, interrupting my thoughts. “Later, I’m cooking Cassie a nice meal and maybe even a nice desert too.”
Cassie playfully hits Ben on the arm. Is he teasing me?! Even if he is, I’m happy to get some insight on Gracelynn’s two best friends. I can’t wait to meet with them again!
Excerpt
Chapter 1 (© 2014 Tanya Vought)
The dark, somber sky matches Gracelynn Calhoun’s disposition. Her heart beats rapidly in her chest as she grips the steering wheel of her Hyundai Accent. From her windshield, she notices the barren trees that once held her favorite fall foliage. Looking at them makes her feel just as empty as the trees in the Layton Hills Cemetery. She releases her right hand from the steering wheel, and clutches her angel necklace as tears pour down her cheeks. She closes her eyes, continuing to hold the necklace, remembering the day her beloved gave it to her. She lets go of her necklace, opens her green-grey eyes and wipes her cheeks.
While walking to her beloved’s tomb, leaves crinkle under her favorite pair of black, high-heeled shoes. As she reaches the stone, tears trickle down her face and she drops to her knees. She immediately starts cleaning around his grave, removing all debris.
She stares at the gravestone, and drags her fingers over the intricately carved angel wings. She reads aloud, even though she doesn’t need to. “Angelo Grant Calhoun. 11/28/1980 – 11/30/2012. “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine.” More tears stream down her face. She reaches up and touches the top of the stone, resting her hand in the middle of the stone, like she’d be touching Angelo’s heart. “I miss you so much, Angelo. How can I move on with my life…move on without you?” she cries to the gravestone. “I love you so much. I wore your favorite dress and shoes, hoping that you’d see me today. How crazy is that?” She laughs through tears, wipes her cheeks with her hand and grabs her necklace. “I still remember the day you gave me this,” she expresses to the gravestone. “How can I move on when you were my whole life? I’ll love you forever and always.” The wind picks up suddenly and all the leaves that she had just cleaned up go flying around her. She looks around now, with the leaves in her hair, and hears disembodied laughing. She tries to pick the leaves out of her hair, now full of dead foliage. She looks around the stones, but spots no one else. “I’m losing it. No one is here, Gracelynn. Get a grip,” she tells herself as she stands back up, and continues to clean herself off.
She bends down to wipe her beloved’s stone again, and her phone rings. Startled, she falls down and lands on her butt. “Good grief,” she shrieks. Her phone rings again, and she opens her small purse to take out the phone. It’s Ben calling. She stands up and looks around, hoping there isn’t anyone around who witnessed the entire ordeal. “Hello, Ben. What can I do for you?” she asks as she brushes the back of her behind, wondering what he wants.
“Hello, Gracie,” he purrs into the phone. Oh boy. This must be a doozy for him to talk like this on the phone. “Cassie and I have some things we’d like to go over with you. When are you
coming in?” This time around, he sounds monotone, neutral. She glances at her watch, and realizes she’s late for work. “Oh man, Ben, I’m sorry I’m late. I didn’t realize the time. I’m at the cemetery and I’ll be there as soon as I can,” she tells him while wiping her right hand down her dress in a nervous gesture.
“Oh, Gracelynn. I’m such an ass,” Ben says through the phone. “I forgot you were going there this morning. Take all the time you need and I’ll see you in say, a half hour?” he asks her and hangs up, leaving Gracelynn more confused than before.
READ MORE TODAY!
March 1, 2015
Cover reveal: A Chaos Within by Sara V. Zook
Cover Reveal: A Chaos Within, Book 2 of A Magic Within Series
Author: Sara V. Zook
Release Date: April 10, 2015
Genre: YA Paranormal
Home. What does that word mean to you? To me it means a feeling of comfort, security, feeling like I belong. Home is where I’m by Lydic’s side. It’s been a whole year. I miss him. I miss the danger that follows him. I miss feeling untouchable because of his magic.
My own realm is no longer my home. But how can I live with the guilt of vanishing again? It will kill my parents, especially my mom. She just won’t understand. No one will. I can’t tell them about Nimbus. They already think I’m crazy. I have my own psychologist picking and prodding my brain. It doesn’t matter how much they question me. I’ll never tell them about the magic. I find myself wondering about Lydic, how he’s been and what it would be like to see him again—and then I do.
A Chaos Within
BOOK 1 A Magic Within is on SALE for 99 cents!!!
BUY NOW by clicking on the cover!!
Sara V. Zook is a paranormal/fantasy writer. She is the author of the Strange in Skin Trilogy, Clipped, Evanescent: Book 1 in The Sempiternal Series, Reminiscence: Book 2 in The Sempiternal Series, Six Guns, and A Magic Within. She lives in Pennsylvania with her 3 small children and husband.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaraVZook
Although I haven’t read this Young Adult series by Sara V. Zook, I have been reading her Sempiternal Series and am LOVING IT!! I definitely recommend anything this woman writes! She’s amazeballs!
February 28, 2015
My Two-Year Indie-versary!!!
I’ve been published for two whole years now. A little scary when you look at it that way, really! I didn’t throw some huge bash or anything, but I have been wanting to do something to celebrate such an accomplishment. You’re probably wondering what that means to you!
As a thank you to my loyal fans and followers for sticking with me, I’m offering the first book in the Destiny Series, FINDING DESTINY, FREE!!!
That’s right! 100% FREE!!! No strings attached.
PICK UP YOUR COPY ON AMAZON BY CLICKING HERE!!!
Of course, like any author, I’d love you long time if you were to enjoy the book and leave a rating/review on Goodreads, Amazon, and/or your sales channel(s) of choice! And now that Amazon has changed their policy to allow super short reviews, why wouldn’t you?!
For those of you super loyal fans who’ve already read, reviewed and enjoyed Finding Destiny and haven’t yet had the opportunity to purchase Beautifully Broken, Matty and Felicia’s story in the Destiny Series, I have a SPECIAL OFFER for you!!! Here’s what you have to do, if you’d like a free kindle copy of my latest book:
Add my publisher blackwidowpub@gmail.com to your list of approved senders;
Email them the link to your Amazon review for Finding Destiny;
Request an e-copy of Beautifully Broken with a promise to read, rate and review the story within 90 days after receipt.
That’s it!! That’s all you have to do!*
If you’re extra sneaky, you can read and review Finding Destiny for free now and get the next book in the series free too by making your request!!! This offer is open to followers of this blog only! – and will expire in thirty days, so act now!
*Black Widow Publishing reserves the right to refuse this offer to any reader for any reason, in its sole discretion.
If you prefer paperbacks, I have a Rafflecopter GIVEAWAY happening right now! Enter for your chance to win!
Thanks to you all, from the bottom of my heart, for helping me make my dream a reality!
October 18, 2014
Upcoming Author Events
I’m excited to tell you about the author events I have coming up real soon, one as soon as this Thursday! I hope you’ll take a look. I’ve updated my Events page just for you. ;-)
EVENTS
Here are the two visits happening over the next couple of weeks. If you’re from the area, I hope you’ll join me! Come to learn a little about self-publishing, chat with other readers and writers and/or to pick up an autographed copy of one of my books! Hope to see you there!
October 5, 2014
Writing your first draft is a labor of love.
I’ve suffered a horrible loss of my WIP, Beautifully Broken (Book 2 in the Destiny Series), yesterday. The file is corrupt. I’ve gone from 32,500 words to 15,000 words – and this is after I’ve recovered bits and pieces from emails, backups of my electronic notes and scraps of paper from the past three weeks that had yet to make it into the shredder. Maybe I should have renamed the story while I still had the chance. Would it have made a difference?
A nightmare is what it is.
I’m sharing part of my Prologue with you now, so you can see why I’m so devastated for losing over 17,000 raw words from my first draft. That’s a lot to lose at this stage of the game! Following is 1,355 of Matty’s words that I thought I’d lost forever.
Excerpt from Prologue
Even with my snow gear on, it’s frosty. The snow starts to rain from the heavens, covering the road with a wave of white blankets. Even with the hood of the truck blocking the wind, a blast of snow whips around it and slices across my face.
Felicia rolls down the driver side window and peeks her head outside. “Need any help under there? Whatever you’re doing, it’s not working.”
“I can always use your hands, doll. But not this time. I think I’ve got it. Give it another try.” I catch a look at her smile before she escapes from the blistery weather and reefs on the handle to roll up the window in the truck.
I’m still smiling, as she revs the engine in the aged truck. I knew it. I am the man. I hear a resounding wail of the horn and imagine that Felicia is celebrating, but then I jump from the loud crackle in the air. A resounding screech echoes through my ears and deafens me, as the hood seems to turn into the mouth of a crocodile and clamps down onto me like vicious jaws. The twisted wreckage wraps around me, and sandwiches my body precariously against my own truck.
Pain sears through my side and bolts right to my foot, as I gasp for air that can’t seem to reach my lungs. Starved for oxygen, dizziness settles in, but it doesn’t even numb the pain screaming across every inch of my lower extremities.
I’m moaning now. It hurts so bad. I don’t know if one can handle a pain like this. I think I’m going to die. That doesn’t sound like such a bad idea right about now. It feels like a waterfall of blood is spilling down my body and I’m suddenly very tired. I’m afraid to close my eyes though. I’m fighting for a breath as it is. If I fall asleep, I’m afraid I might forget to try and breathe at all.
With my next breath, it’s like I’ve been knifed in my ribs. Everything burns. It’s like a fire is engulfing my body and I’m going to fall into a sink hole that will take me straight to a lifetime of hell. Nothing is working as it should. Even my vision is blurry. All I see is red. Blood it is everywhere. It’s even in my eyes.
If it weren’t for the steady shocks of electricity attacking my legs, I’d have believed that I didn’t have any extremities attached to me anymore. The pain. Someone make it stop!
“Help!” I holler. I need someone to help me. My voice sounds so weak. Is that me? “Help!” I shout again. Someone has to hear me. I’m so scared. I don’t want to be alone anymore. I need someone to get me out of here. “Help me!” I shout at the top of my lungs.
That was a mistake. Tears pour down my face and mingle with some other liquid that had been steadily seeping from my ear. Everything is foggy. I listen for any sign that help is on its way, but the piercing ring in my ears prevents me from hearing anything over my gasping.
This is it. My life is over. No one is here. No one can save me now. Another screech rips through my ears. It’s a woman. At once, everything falls back into place.
Felicia.
Oh God. Tell me she’s okay. If you must take someone, take me.
Now that my eyes are shut, it takes a great deal to open them. I have been hit. I know that much. But what’s pinning me in place? I can’t move anything but an arm. Why can’t I move?
As my mind floods with a bleak reality, I scream; a full on scream. “Help! Someone please help me!”
I don’t know what feels worse… the stabbing pain my side or the throb inside my chest with every wayward beat of my heart. It feels like my chest is crushed and my heart is dangling from a vine. I can’t feel my legs.
I pry my eyes open and hold them there like their stuck open with toothpicks. “Oh, God. Please help me,” I cry out. I slowly wake from the darkness to a beautiful angel surrounded in a storm of white searing pain. She’s pleading for me to stay with her. Lucky for her I don’t feel like going anywhere at the moment.
The angel struggles with the passenger window. The door is pretty mangled and she can’t get it open very far. Why is she in the truck? She’s determined to escape now. I think to do the same. I try to move my legs again, but I can’t.
“Noooo,” I moan. I try to move my upper body, and I feel a lot of pressure in my gut. It feels like someone has thrown an entire set of knives at me and I’m acting as a dart board. After the knives are removed, it feels like my intestines are oozing from the holes.
“Don’t move, Matty. I’m coming,” the angel cries.
My eyes lift just enough to reach the white creature. She’s so magnificent. I’d do anything for the girl, if she’d just take my pain away.
“Please,” I beg. “Help me.”
“Matty. I swear to God. If you leave me, I will kill you myself,” she shouts through the broken window. The angel sounds so angry. Why is she so mad?
My eyes blink open again. My life is so foggy, but then I have a glimmer of an angel lying in the snow, with her luscious brown hair tangling above her.
Wait a minute. That’s no angel. “Felicia?”
“Oh, God. Thank you,” she cries, as she squeezes out through the passenger window.
She has a horrible limp, but she seems to ignore it as she drags her injured leg behind her. I watch her climb awkwardly onto the mangled hood and I see how it tears at her jacket. She lies right on top of the shattered windshield and reaches out to me. It takes every ounce of energy I have just to hold her hand.
“Hang on, Matty. Please. You have to stay with me.”
I gasp for another breath. “What are you talking about?” It takes so much energy just to talk. “I’m not going anywhere.”
She smiles through tears, but her eyes can’t hide the fear. She swallows. “They got you pretty good. I’m not going to be able to get you out of this mess alone.”
When I cough, it feels like I just ejected my appendix. I try to look down, but a stinging sensation clings to my spine and clamps my chin in place.
“Felicia. If I die, know that if I had more time in life, I would have wanted to spend it with you.” My life seems to flash before my eyes, as she chokes on her tears.
“Shut up!” she cries out. “No one’s going to die.”
I can see that she’s squeezing onto my hand with a death grip, but I’d lost all sensation in my hands minutes earlier.
The cold grips me and seizes my insides. My eyes slide shut and it takes too much effort to reopen them. “Help me,” I whisper. Even my voice is tired. It’s like it’s run out of time. “I’m dying.”
“You’re not going to die,” she stammers. “You hear me, Matty? Not today, you’re not. You’re going to hang on for me, okay? You’re going to hang on and live for me. You have to.”
Her voice cuts off. She’s sobbing now. I can tell she’s trying to help and be strong for me, but nothing can wake me from this nightmare. I’m going to die. I can feel it in my broken bones.
“Matty,” she screams. “You have to wake up.”
I can’t do that. Too sleepy. I can hear the sirens, but they aren’t going to make it in time. I can feel my life draining from my broken body. This life that I lead is officially over.
Copyright 2014 Christa Simpson
Now you can see why I’m beside myself right now. I thought I had lost this. I HAD lost this. Luckily I’d shared it with a friend and she hadn’t deleted our emails. She’d saved a few other pieces of my work that I thought I would never see again. 17,000 words are still gone; the words just vanished in the blink of an eye thanks to a corrupt file on my USB stick. My backup is nearly three weeks old, leaving close to 20,000 new words at risk of corruption.
My story, which was completely outlined with a selection of memorable dialogue setting out each scene, is gone. The first ten chapters that once flowed together and were ready for round one of editing, are now hunks of random scenes that have yet to be blended into a story. Characters were created. Moments lost.
Moments Lost
I’ve lost my ending, which I thought was amazing. I’ve lost the sex scene that had reunited the couple after a long lead up to it. As a writer, understanding how this is his first time after his injury and how critical it is to the story, with his trust and her understanding, I will not be able to recreate that same mood and dialogue with the same heart. I’d stayed up until 3:00 a.m. writing that scene. The words had flowed from my fingers then. Now, it’s just bits and pieces that hang in the back of my mind. Hours and hours of sleep have been lost and will never be regained.
Writing your first draft is a labor of love.
Those 17,000 words were a labor of love and I fear that trying to replicate what once was will only turn into a B-grade recollection of events. I’m reluctant to give up on my previous story line because it had come together so nicely. Is it possible for it to come back together in a better way? I don’t know. Am I going to give it a good try? Absolutely. But I can say, without a doubt, that if anything feels forced or like a poor attempt of recreating a previous scene, I’m going to stop and take it in an entirely different direction. I loved what I had, but it’s gone now. The sooner I accept that, the sooner I can move on.
I feel like I’ve lost a fictional child.
I plan to work my butt off to try and bring this thing back together and get back on my tight schedule, but to be honest, I’m tired. In a few weeks I’ll have two rental homes vacant. For the past two weekends, I’ve been cleaning, painting and mowing a rather large lawn. This is all in addition to my duties at my own home. I had been writing like crazy to prepare for that scenario and I was making it. The fact of the matter is, I work full time. I have kids who want my attention; homework still needs done, dance and gymnastics classes that I have to chauffeur them to every week. I’m afraid this little glitch is just the thing to crush my progress. It might be time for a small break. I’ll touch base with you once I’ve decided how I’m going to proceed from here.
Have you ever had this happen to you before? If you have any inspirational words for me, I’d love to hear them. :-)
October 2, 2014
Very Inspiring Blogger Award
Please don’t look at the date of Marlena’s post when you stop over to her site to see it. I’m just catching up on my backlog and will be happy when I have a clean inbox. Yes, it’s been many months since I’ve seen that. I was starting to think I’d never get there! There are about five more things sitting pretty (without deadlines) that need my attention, but I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Okay, enough about dark places and crossing over…
Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person nominating you for the award. (Check)
2. Display the Very Inspiring Blogger Logo. (Check)
3. Reveal seven things about yourself. (Oh boy, this should be fun.)
4. Nominate seven others to receive the award. (Easy enough, right?)
She asked, so I’ll tell ya… 7 things about me:
1. I love lounging around in sweat pants and a hoodie. I wear dress clothes every day, at least Monday through Friday, and I swear the second I get home the first thing to go is the suit. If I don’t strip the second I walk in the door from work, then it’s guaranteed that as soon as I’m done cleaning up from dinner that I slip into something more comfortable.
2. I’m addicted to Netflix. As soon as the weather started to turn to crap, me and my girls started watching it like it was going out of style.
3. I embarrass easily. I can write whatever I please and the world can judge me all they want and that’s all good and fine as long as I don’t have to see them face to face!
4. I’ve watched the whole first season of Mako Mermaids and Lightning Point, by choice. After running out of family oriented movies that appealed to me AND my oldest daughter, which didn’t take long, we started looking to the Netflix Series. For those of you who don’t know, these shows are Australian dramas for children and teenagers. One is about mermaids and the other, aliens. I loved them both. I’m not going to lie. Lucy Fry started to grow on me. I was entertained and got into them just as much as my girls. Now I’m just waiting for news on the next season. Don’t judge until you’ve watched it!
5. If I’m going to watch a movie with the hubby, it’s not a chick-flick like you might expect from me. Nope, we watch primarily horrors and psychological thrillers. It’s the two kinds of movies that we can both enjoy without falling asleep or poking at each other for how ridiculous the storyline is. Of course, he prefers documentaries and non-fiction crap, whereas I love a good chick-flick or romantic comedy.
P.S. There is nothing wrong with a little Twilight/True Blood from time to time, although my caveman thinks it will be the death of him if he watches a vampire or shifter show.
6. I’m going to a Windsor Spitfires hockey game on Saturday night! Woot!! VIP seats courtesy of The Windsor Star, baby!
7. When I’m writing a story, the characters consume me. Every waking moment is filled with scenes, looks and ideas to put it all together. These ideas mingle in my brain all day and night, until I can finally empty them onto my laptop after my youngest goes to bed at 8:30 p.m.
Curious to read more about my WIP? Beautifully Broken is now at 32,225 words! Over half way there. The whole story is outlined, so it’s only a matter of time before I pull it all together.
Enough about me… time to make my nominations. There’s no pressure here. I’m just doing as I’m told like a good little girl. Save it for a rainy day if you’ve got nothing. On the other hand, if you have the time or the care to play along, great! Here are the seven blogs I’d like to nominate for this award, in no particular order.
All deserve a look. You’ll find some quality writing there and you might even find your next read.
Tanya – The Book Obsessed Momma http://thebookobsessedmomma.blogspot.ca/
She’s a blogging pro, an amazing friend and a blogger extraordinaire. She’ll be releasing her debut novel next year!
Sara V. Zook http://www.saravzook.com/
I just finished reading her story titled, Evanescent. It’s romantic mythology. Amazing!
Alex Jones http://alex-jones-author.com/
Alex writes psychological thrillers complete with BDSM. If you don’t check out his debut release, Walls, at least check out his PsykoScribble blog.
Gabbie S. Duran. http://www.gabbiesduran.com/
Gabbie’s a romance writer. Her Unspoken series is growing. It deserves a serious look from you.
Charles Yallowitz http://legendsofwindemere.com/
This dude knows how to blog. He’s a Fantasy Author who consistently delivers on a number of subjects.
Jack Flacco http://jackflacco.com/
Who doesn’t love aliens, dark humour and suspense? He’s an Ontario Author to boot. I’m sold.
Michael S. Fedison http://eyedancers.wordpress.com/blog/
Another consistently crafty blogger. If you like sci-fi, fantasy and/or comics, have a look.
I tried to mix it up a bit, in hopes that everyone can find something/someone that interests them today; be it a new read, friend or blog to follow. Hope you do!
September 29, 2014
Raise a Reader
My girls play a BIG part in my life. Although I don’t talk about them too often on here, today is going to be one HUGE exception! Can I just say how proud I am of them? They’ve inspired me to write this post tonight. Both of them came home with a spelling test and each had earned a perfect score! When I asked the oldest how the rest of her grade 4 class did, she reluctantly admitted that most did significantly worse than her. Look at those words… there are some tough ones in there!
Then there’s my youngest. She’s in the bottom grade of a grade 2/3 split class. She tried the optional bonus word (for the grade 3’s in her class) and even got that correct! I was so happy I did up a little photo to show you. :D :D
I have to believe that their success stems from our love of reading. In our house, when we get home from work/day care, we sit down and do homework. Every night that includes at least 20 minutes of reading. At one time, I was reading to/with them every night, but now that they’re both into novels, they read on their own. I’m always available to help them pronounce a new word and I encourage them to come to me with them. My little one (although she might not look so little anymore) still likes me to read her an occasional bed time story. Here’s a cute bed time story by Linda Flay, a local author we met at a signing last year. I’ve attached my review from #Goodreads, if you’re interested in having a look.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/776187894
At one time my oldest daughter, Jenica, was quite willing to read every night, although friends are starting to turn into a higher priority these days. My youngest, however, has become rather obsessed with reading lately. Now that she’s in grade two, her teacher tallies up their monthly reading and gives them a bead for every 100 minutes read. Amber is convinced that she has to read her heart out to earn those beads for her necklace. On the first night of their reading program, she took home a book from the level selected by her teacher. I’ve never seen her cry so hard. It had only taken her seven minutes to finish the story, when they were supposed to read for 15-20 minutes. I had to laugh. Poor girl. We eventually agreed that she would ask her teacher if she could pick a story from the chapter books next time.
I have to tell you, in case you have eager little readers in your house, that Amberly’s favourite series by far is the Junie B. Jones novels. Junie B. First Grader Aloha-ha-ha by Barbara Park is her new favourite book. If you have a child starting into chapter books, you should give these silly stories a look.
http://juniebjones.com/books
Ooh, I can’t believe I almost forgot to tell you! My girls have been so inspired by momma’s writing that they’ve decided to take up the creative journey themselves. Thanks to Black Widow Publishing, my daughters are now published authors! They’ve collaborated to publish under the pen name Author J.A. Sparkle! Check it out!
Super Pepper To The Rescue!
When Lilyanna decides to face her fear of the dark in the spooky forest, she doesn’t expect to get lost. But when she does, her cuddly kitty with super powers comes to her rescue.
Super Pepper to the Rescue is a magical little tale that will make you smile and have your kids asking you to read it over and over again.
I must say, the day I came home to tell Jenica that her first published story became a Canadian Best Seller was such a great feeling! She was so proud and so was I. Imagine what it would feel like for her to see HER STORY sitting right next to Splat the Cat!
I write because I like to write. You read because you like to read. Why not pass that on to our kids?! I don’t care what format you’ve got them reading, e-books, paperbacks, it’s all the same in my world. But who’s going to put those stories into the children’s hands if not you?
I truly believe that there is a book out there for everyone. If your kid doesn’t enjoy a story, don’t make them read it! Find them another – and another – and another – until they find something they like. And I don’t want to hear no complaining about the expense of books. There are many affordable ones on Amazon and if you’re not looking to spend a dime, your local library is filled with books that will last a kid a lifetime of reading – FOR FREE!
Do you and your children a favour! While you’re picking up a book for them, grab one for yourself. Don’t just tell them how great it is for them to read, SHOW THEM!
Prove to them: READING IS FUN!!
NOW AVAILABLE!
I’d love to hear from parents, grandparents, teachers, aunts or uncles. What stories are your little ones reading and enjoying this year? Are you a children’s author? Drop your link in the comments! My daughters and I love trying out new authors and we’re happy to leave reviews if the book fits! :)
September 27, 2014
Wicked Steamy Romance for $0.99!
AVAILABLE NOW!!
This story might be set in the winter, but don’t let that stop you from buying it today!! Readers are calling Finding Destiny “wicked steamy”. Another reader has described it as “sweet, hot, and downright delicious.” I promise you it’ll melt away any reservations you have to the point you’d be fanning yourself at the beach, and it wouldn’t be because of the heat outside. ;)
Do yourself a favour and pick up a copy of Finding Destiny today! It’s now available in paperback too. $6.00 USD plus shipping for an autographed copy, for those who might be interested. Email me with your address if you would like an exact quote! csimp@live.ca
For your reading pleasure ;)
After an embarrassing exchange of too much information, Destiny was relieved to hear that the headboard had finally stopped banging off the wall. It wasn’t very long after that when Felicia and Matty rejoined them, both with mischievous smiles on their faces.
Matty glanced at Felicia like she was a tasty treat that he had yet to sample. “Felicia and I have to go out for a few things. Can we get you guys anything?”
Natalie shuffled awkwardly to her feet, knocking the peas onto the old, untreated floorboards. “Yeah. My truck.”
Destiny watched how Natalie favored the wrong ankle. “Are you sure you should be standing on that?” It was supposed to be more of a tease, but Natalie didn’t get it.
Skylar smiled and glanced at the floor, having read Destiny’s sarcasm like it were written in his own baby book.
“I just want to get my truck and get this weekend back on track. This was supposed to be our weekend, remember? And now all this has happened.”
The truth was that Natalie was only upset because there were two men there and not a single one of them were giving her the time of day.
“Quit being such a party pooper. Matty says we can stay as long as we like.” Felicia gave Matty a naughty eye that said she would be happy to lock herself back in that bedroom with him for another round.
“Well, I’m going,” Natalie insisted, turning her attention to Matty. “Skylar said you can fix my truck. Will you?”
Matty shrugged his shoulders, as Natalie pulled on her puffy white jacket. “I can certainly have a look. Trouble is, I only have my truck here. It’ll only fit three of us.” Then he glanced at Felicia. “Unless you want to sit on my lap, doll.”
Felicia smiled, but everyone else cringed. Those two were a perfect match for each other.
Destiny stood from the sofa. “Do you really think we could all fit?”
When Skylar mirrored her stance, she turned to face him. She could tell he had something important to say. She stared at his lips, just waiting for him to stop her. But she worried that he didn’t have it in him.
***
Skylar didn’t know why his pulse was now throbbing in his throat, but there was no way he could let Destiny walk out on him already. They had only just met. When she had stood from her seat, a sudden stab of realization had washed over him. He had to think of something quick.
“You should stay.”
His offer had been charming, his voice soft, and the fact that he hadn’t heard the word no on her breath gave him hope.
“I don’t know,” she answered, after a slight hesitation. The look on her face suggested she was unsure of what he was offering. “I don’t know,” she repeated, like she was overthinking it. “Nat, you probably need a doctor. I can come with you.”
Skylar knew that was an outright lie. What was she so scared of?
Matty stole Destiny’s attention. “Sorry to break it to you, Dee, but the nearest doctor is close to an hour away.” He turned toward Natalie to inform her of the situation, saving Skylar the trouble. “If it’s a doctor you need, Skylar’s the best alternative you’ve got. You’re better off lifting that foot up and taking it easy.”
“That’s fine. I can do that at the spa we paid a small fortune to visit. It was non-refundable, by the way.” Natalie ignored Felicia’s disappointment, and glanced at Destiny as she zipped up her jacket. “If Felicia’s coming back out here, then you might as well hang out for a while.”
“Are you sure, Nat?”
“Yessss!” she stated, dramatically. “I’ll catch up with you guys later. You will be okay out here on your own, right?”
Skylar saw Destiny gulp when her eyes reached his. She would be very okay out there, if Skylar had anything to do with it. He raised his eyebrows in question. But he really wanted her to stay.
She turned back to Natalie. “I’ll be fine.”
A dragon took flight in Skylar’s chest from what her agreement insinuated. She wanted him just like he wanted her. With that knowledge, he grew more brave and moved closer to her.
He draped his arm over Destiny’s shoulder. “I’ll take good care of her.”
When Destiny leaned back to peer up at him, he caught his first glimpse of her angelic smile up close. Oh, God. Those lips. His gaze snared hers and he could see her innocence melting away. He wet his lips with a lick of his tongue, overcome with a desire to take her mouth against his. Her soft smile never left those perfect pink lips, telling him exactly what he needed to know. She liked what she saw.
“Let’s leave those two love birds alone,” Matty teased. “Come on, ladies. Your chariot awaits.”
They all shuffled outside, leaving Destiny and Skylar very alone, his arm still carefully strung across her back.
Cutting the silence, and escaping the closeness that left him aching to touch her, Skylar retrieved his arm and headed for the kitchen. “Can I get you something to drink? Sorry I didn’t think to ask you sooner. I must have left my manners back at home. They don’t come in real handy around those guys.”
He watched Destiny swallow again. “I can imagine.”
Skylar pulled a couple of beers from the fridge and returned to the living room. “I don’t suppose you drink beer.” He twisted the top off the bottle and handed it to her.
“Not really, but I could use one right about now.”
He chuckled as he twisted the cap off his own bottle and snapped the lid across the room. “Sorry. Old habits die hard.” He drew a long, slow gulp from the bottle, and he caught her watching his mouth.
“It’s fine. This is your place. You can do whatever you want in it.”
That suggestion gave him unwholesome thoughts. He planned on finding out whether she would make good on that promise.
***
Copyright 2014 Christa Simpson.
AMAZON:
http://viewBook.at/Destiny
For more information on Book 1:
http://christasimpson.com/finding-destiny
Now is the time to read Finding Destiny, if you haven’t already. Book 2 in the Destiny Series is well on its way.
If you’ve already read Destiny’s story and are curious to hear about book two, I’ve already posted your first look at the synopsis!
Matty is… BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN
For more information on Book 2:
http://christasimpson.com/beautifully-broken
Is anyone else as excited as me for book 2? Matty and Felicia make quite the interesting couple! I promise you the prologue will grab a hold of your heart and twist, but it’ll be so worth it in the end! Not only that, but there will be more of Skylar and Destiny!
September 2, 2014
Review: Hidden Truths by Nicole Colville
I’ve read a M/M romance before, but it was nothing compared to this. Nicole is unafraid to push the envelope, her delivery is wholehearted, and she just tells her story like it is… dirty, gritty and erotic. Allow me to reiterate that this story is INCREDIBLY hot. I dared think I could pull the STRAIGHT GIRL move at first and try to picture one of the men as a woman. Nope. Did not work. The incredibly descriptive act of body parts touching just does not allow for it. 
This story is not for the faint of heart or the scared of anal sex or swapping of bodily fluids. Hah! Yeah, I said it. This is M/M erotica, people! Did you really need the warning? If you want to read the synopsis, you’ll have to get that from Amazon. You can click the cover image for that. :)
JAMIE
After having read The Hidden Child novella about Jamie in his youth, I think it only made me understand his history better. When other readers were in the dark, I had gained insight into why Jamie acts the way he does. His childhood was truly horrific. (That’s another goodread you should consider before starting this one.)
VALERIO
My Italian stud-muffin, Valerio, is so unsure of himself, conflicted and just plain gorgeous. Poor gent. He hasn’t come out of the closet yet, but Jamie brings out a desire like he’s never before felt. It was neat how the author had me believing that Valerio would slip into his native tongue, although every word in this book reads in English. Very creative. I liked that.
SCOT
Then there’s Scot. I admit it: I really DID NOT like him in the beginning. Then again I don’t think I was supposed to. That boy really grew on me, I tell ya. I hurt for him.
The story is long, and I read slow, but I had no trouble plowing right through this one. Pardon the pun. ;) But seriously, there really is A LOT of sex in this story. If you’ve ever stated in a review, “I’m not a prude, but…” then stop right there. But if you can appreciate a long series about a hoard of handsome, sex-crazed men who scratch and claw through their relationships, hiding from themselves and their pasts, then this should become next up on your to-read list.
Watch the Hidden Series book trailer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNtB9IL4jRE
BUY NOW
FOR MORE ON THIS AUTHOR…
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August 26, 2014
Annual Terry Fox Giant Used Book Sale
I had intended to start small, with my local library, but they’ve decided to wait until fall and I’ve since been offered an opportunity I just couldn’t turn up! I’ve been invited to promote my work at the 2014 Annual 
Terry Fox Giant Used Book Sale.
Big deal, you might say. Well it is! The Tecumseh Terry Fox Run happens to run the same day and this is one giant book sale, I tell you. Besides, who doesn’t love a good old community fundraiser?
If you’re in the area, please stop in and say Hi! While you’re there, you can pick up some amazing books for unbelievable prices!
No, that’s not a typo!! That’s all they’re charging!
Prices:
$2.00 for hard cover books;
$1.00 for large soft cover; and
$0.50 for paperbacks.
Or you can pick up an autographed copy of one of my books (brand new) for $6-$12.00, depending on the title.
I will be donating proceeds from the sale of my books to the Terry Fox Foundation, so it’s a win-win situation really.
WHERE:
St. Clair Beach Shopping Centre; Tecumseh
(Next door to National Sports, between Tecumseh Road East and St. Gregory’s, Tecumseh, Ontario.)
If you’re from across the border, don’t let that stop you! We’re just a hop, skip and a jump from the Windsor-Detroit Crossing!
I know some of you are going to be jealous that you can’t come. That’s okay. I’m more than a little afraid to see how many books I come home with myself. But not to worry, there will be more opportunities for us to meet up.
Please join me at the following events:
Tuesday, September 4 ,2014
Author Takeover at Paige Matthew’s Crossover Release Party; Online, Facebook;
(12:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Terry Fox Book Sale; Tecumseh, Ontario;
(9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.)
October, 2014
Chatham-Kent Public Library; Tilbury, Ontario,
(tba)
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Windsor Essex Book Expo; Windsor, Ontario;
(10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
I wish you an amazing end of summer and hope to see you there!
