Cathrina Constantine's Blog, page 35

#CelebrateTheSmallThings

I have to say~ I love this Blog Hop! It's fast, simple, and easy. Whether it's a long or short post it helps me to mentally go over my week, which tends to fly by. 

Now, hop over to Lexa Cain's and join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The EdgeTonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog
This week we almost said goodbye to my old dog, Otis. But ~ Otis told me he just isn't ready to leave my side. My hubby and I agreed to take it day by day. I realize Otis's time here is ticking rather quickly, for now he's remaining comfortable.

Winter has finally hit Buffalo. But I can't complain after last years debacle. I always liked the snow, but not 4-7 feet of it!! 
Picture from last year. Yesterday, I took our grandson for a sled ride down the street and then put him to work shoveling the driveway. Actually, the driveway was plowed, but he enjoyed his toy shovel. 

We're attending a Wedding on Saturday and I plan on dancing all night!


Have a Wonderful Weekend.

#IWSG

http://www.insecurewriterssupportgroup.com/p/iwsg-sign-up.html
Join Alex J. Cavanaugh and a multitude of writer's in this monthly hop to help support one another!

Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!


The co-hosts for January are:L.G. Keltner  http://lgkeltner.blogspot.com/Denise Covey  http://dencovey.blogspot.com/Sheri Larsen  http://www.salarsenbooks.com/J.Q. Rose  http://www.jqrose.com/Chemist Ken  http://hogwartssabbatical.blogspot.com/Michelle Wallace http://www.writer-in-transit.co.za/
I can honestly say that I've been extremely busy this month, and thoughts of insecurity hadn't burrowed into my flustered brain as of late.

I'd like to give some advice~~ If at all possible, never, ever release a book around the holidays. Besides family obligations, shopping, wrapping presents, cooking, baking, sending Christmas cards, and finding time for promoting my new release, I was losing it.

And my craziness isn't over. My daughter is expecting baby #2 on February 13th!!! YAY!!! AND, Wickedly They Dream will be Re-Released on February 20th.

I didn't make any New Years Resolutions, however, I would like to slow down and take a breather.



Have a Good Month!!!

Nana Prah's ENTWINED DESTINY #Romance #NewRelease #Love

Entwined Destiny (Destiny African Romance Series #3) by Nana PrahAvailable for Pre-order now:http://www.amazon.com/Entwined-Destin...Publisher: Decadent PublishingRelease date: January 12, 2015
The BlurbTime is ticking away for Adjoa Twum. She has until the end of the year to find a guy, fall in love, and marry. Or else, her father will disinherit her from the family business. Adjoa hasn’t had success with the dating game. No man meets her expectations. Esi, her cousin, suggests a fake relationship with Adjoa’s best friend, Kwame Opoku, to pacify her relentless father.Kwame thinks Adjoa’s request is ridiculous. Posing as her boyfriend might get tricky, but he can’t say no to those beautiful eyes. Once the falsified relationship begins, things heat up. He discovers deep feelings for her, feelings that might lose Adjoa and her friendship. Should they take the chance and up it to the next level?

 ExcerptAdjoa’s polite knuckle knock hadn’t worked, so her fist had to meet the door. He could sleep through anything. “Kwame, it’s me.” When the door swung open, her eyes met a tall, sexy man with no shirt. The sprinkling of dark curly hair on his well-muscled chest forced her fingers to grip the handle of her bag so she wouldn’t reach out to stroke him.A bicep flexed as he reached up to rub his eye. She’d always been a sucker for a man with a well-toned body, and this one met all of her muscle criteria.Her gaze roamed up to the face scowling down at her. Holy crap. It was Kwame’s body she’d been ogling. She pushed past him so he couldn’t see her blush and headed into the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge, she gulped it down. It didn’t come close to cooling her off. What was going on?“Why aren’t you dressed? It’s seven.” She glanced down at her watch. “Five after seven to be exact. You should be ready to go.”“I had a late night.”Another swig of water at the sound of the sexy rumble of his morning voice didn’t help with the quiver in her stomach. Who was this man and why did he affect her like this? She hadn’t felt this way since she’d had that brief flutter of attraction in college. It had been easy to get over him when he started dating that hussy architect major. “What were you doing? Computer work?” Please say yes. For years, they’d avoided detailed discussions about the people they dated; it seemed to be a mutual unspoken agreement between them.“You know me too well.”Relief flowed out of her in the form of a long exhale, glad he hadn’t been with a woman last night. Not that it should matter. Just because she’d asked him to be her fake man didn’t mean he couldn’t see other women. She didn’t even care. “Not good enough to circumvent you not being awake by now. Get going. Make it quick so both of us aren’t late.”As he shuffled toward the bathroom, her gaze wandered down to his tight ass. Placing the cold, half-empty water bottle on her warm neck, she snapped her attention away. All of a sudden, her nerdy friend Kwame had morphed into a tempting man.
Buy LinksAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Entwined-Destiny-African-Romance-ebook/dp/B019X8VZNA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1451378894&sr=8-1&keywords=entwined+destiny+by+nana+prahAll Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-entwineddestinydestinyafricanromanceseries-1955959-149.html
 About the Author:Nana Prah is a multi-published author of contemporary, multicultural romance. Her books are sweetwith a touch of spice. When she’s not writing she’s reading, indulging in chocolate, and enjoying life with friends and family.

Contact Details:Blog : www.nanaprah.blogspot.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/NanaPrahFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/NanaPrah.AuthorGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7202262.Nana_Prah
Google + :  https://plus.google.com/u/0/+NanaPrah/posts

HAPPY NEW YEAR

****HAPPY NEW YEAR****

#Reflections2015

Reflections of 2015
In Writing 
It's been a year of changes. I switched publishers.Totally revamped and re-edited 3 books for Re-Releases.Published 2 New Novels. (Don't Forget to Breathe and Snow on Cinders)Received The Readers Favorite International Award for Don't Forget to Breathe. Also, received The Seal of Approval from Literary Classics for the same book. Made it to #1 on Amazon for Hot New Release for Wickedly They Come. Surprised and Elated to hit #1 on Amazon's Best Sellers List in the UK for Wickedly They Come, two days before Christmas. My only Best Sellers Flag. 

As I'm reading over this post, it sounds like I'm bragging~~big time. I guess I am, and I'm sorry for that. 

But life is quirky. Sales drop and new stories seem to flit from my brain and I wonder if I'll ever write another book. 

That's my reflections on my writing for 2015. 

What are your writing reflections?

#Merry #Christmas

I'd like to wish my Blogger friends a Very Merry Christmas  Christmas can be a time of peace, joy, serenity, and beauty.  Christmas is for all children, know matter how young or how old. Celebrate the magic all over again.  Spread Christmas Love to all the ends of the world. And not only on this one day, but all through the year!!!!!  Slow down, feel God's simple compassion in everyday life. The Christmas Season is what you make it!!! The real heartfelt meaning of Christmas.A child was born this day in Bethlehem.And a Child shall lead them.Our Savior. Our Redeemer. 

#CelebrateTheSmallThings

Hop over to Lexa Cain's to join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The EdgeTonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog
I bet you're hearing this everyday ~ I can't believe Christmas is next week already!!! 
My cookies are baked.
My presents are almost all wrapped.
The tree and house are decorated.(no that's not my house, I wish)

Cards are sent.  Now it's time to relax with a steaming brew and enjoy the Holidays!! My son cannot be here for Christmas, but he's driving home for a few days beforehand!!! 
On a side note: My book, Wickedly They Come is being released tomorrow! It'll be on Sale for 99 cents until Tuesday. Then it goes up to it's original price of $3.99.
http://smarturl.it/wickedly1 After Sunday's Facebook Party Event: Join Here to Win Prizes: https://www.facebook.com/events/784369188359537/ I plan on taking some time off to concentrate on my family!!!

New Book Release:Self-Help 101 or: How I Learned to Take Over the World Through Tolerating My Family

I'd like to thank Cathrina for hosting me on the 

final day of the blog tour for my Christmas novella 

Self-Help 101 or: How I Learned to Take Over the 

World Through Tolerating My Family!  As much 

fun as it’s been, it feels good to wrap things up.
Today I’d like to celebrate mistletoe.  It’s a 

parasitic plant that grows on trees, and apparently 

it can even kill the host tree under some 

circumstances.  Yikes!  It’s also a holiday favorite 

and can be used to solicit kisses.  If someone you 

aren’t overly fond of is wielding mistletoe, look 

out!
I decided to honor this feisty little organism with a 

song.  I wrote the lyrics, but it’s meant to be sung 

to the tune of “O Christmas Tree.”
Oh mistletoe, oh mistletoeHow cunning are thy natureOh mistletoe, oh mistletoeHow cunning are thy nature
A parasite that latches onTo a tree till its food is goneOh mistletoe, oh mistletoeHow cunning are thy nature
Oh mistletoe, oh mistletoeHow people use you at partiesOh mistletoe, oh mistletoeHow people use you at parties
They hold you up to get a kissOr hang you so guests cannot missOh mistletoe, oh mistletoeHow people use you at parties
Oh mistletoe, oh mistletoeYou’ll ever be so cunningA symbol of all that’s sneakyYou’ll ever be so cunning
Each dangling bunchEach gleeful smileNone can deny thy crafty style
Oh mistletoe, oh mistletoeHow cunning are thy nature  
Title: Self-Help 101 or: How I Learned to Take Over the World Through Tolerating My FamilyAuthor: L.G. KeltnerGenre: Holiday/HumorLength: 27,000Cover Art: L.G. KeltnerRelease Date: December 1, 2015
Blurb:
Dani Finklemeier has decided to write a self-help book about how to take over the world, but she’s not sure where to start.  After all, she’s only seventeen and looking for a better way to make money than babysitting.  She buys a self-help book that promises to teach her how to write a self-help book in the hope of getting the job done.
Not that it’ll be easy to get any work done this holiday season.  Her family is staying at the house for Christmas, and fights break out almost immediately.  Dani also has to deal with the fallout from an unexpected kiss with her best friend Seth and the feelings that go along with it.  On edge around her family and unsure how to interact with the one person she’s trusted with everything in the past, she can only take what inspiration she can from the crazy circumstances surrounding her and see what happens.
One way or another, it should be an interesting holiday.
Now I hope you’ll enjoy a short snippet from Self-Help 101 or: How I Learned to Take Over the World Through Tolerating My Family.
*     *     *That being said, if you hear any stories in the news about me being murdered by a family member, then you’ll know they did read it and took offense.  This is part of the life of the writer.  There’s always going to be a critic.
*     *     *Purchase Links:
Amazon-http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017NADK4CAmazon UK-http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B017NADK4CBarnes & Noble-http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/self-help-101-or-lg-keltner/1122797603?ean=2940152405781Kobo-https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/self-help-101-or-how-i-learned-to-take-over-the-world-through-tolerating-my-familyCreateSpace-https://www.createspace.com/5650324
Add it on Goodreads-https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27243175-self-help-101-or


Bio:
L.G. Keltner spends most of her time trying to write while also cleaning up after her crazy but wonderful kids and hanging out with her husband.  Her favorite genre of all time is science fiction, and she’s been trying to write novels since the age of six.  Needless to say, those earliest attempts weren’t all that good.  
Her non-writing hobbies include astronomy and playing Trivial Pursuit.
You can typically find L.G. lurking around her blog, on Twitter, or on her Facebook page.

Please Enter L.G.'s fabulous Giveaway!!!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

#CelebrateTheSmallThings

Hop over to Lexa Cain's to join in this fun weekly Celebration. Lexa's wonderful co-hosts are:L.G. Keltner @ Writing Off The EdgeTonja Drecker @ Kidbits Blog

I love December. And I love Christmas. Every year this is how I feel...


It's not always perfect. But we try!! 
It's a bad time of year to have a book release, but...Wickedly They Come is being Re-Released on December 19th. If anyone is willing to help, please let me know.

#TheReader by M.Pax #NewBookRelease #fantasy #scifi

With the rift closed for the season and no more monsters to fight, Daelin Long gets bored as librarian in the podunk town of Settler, Oregon. A job interview and her brother’s arrival present a tempting opportunity to escape, until her brother and her best friend, a ghost, disappear.While Daelin searches for them, more mysteries pile up: dead people coming back to life, portraits of the town founders replaced with strange white trees, and people on the other side of the rift returning. It’s impossible. The portal that allows monsters from other universes to come to Earth is sealed until next summer.The Rifters, a secret group protecting our world, believe the troubles are nothing more than the tantrums of an offended ghost. Daelin disagrees. If she’s right, the evil hell-bent on destroying Earth has new technology making the rift more deadly.Before the monster summons the next apocalypse, Daelin must find it and destroy it.Book 3 in the Rifter series.
Need to catch up? You can read books 1 & 2 in the Rifter series for free by becoming an M. Pax Reader. ENTER MY DIMENSION
 Buy links:
AmazonAmazonUK / AUS / CA / DE / FR / ES / IT / NL / JP / BR / MX / INBookcessoriesiBook / Nook / GooglePlay / Kobo / Smashwords / inktera / Scribd Reviews “The world Pax creates here is like the Wild West meets Ghostbusters with some Stargate and a bit of Steampunk thrown in. Even though everything seems a bit familiar, it’s not, which is what makes it compelling.”CHOOSE YOUR OWN END
“This book catapults the reader right in mid-events and, like Daelin, one is forever trying to figure out the ins and outs of the situation. Though readers have one advantage in that we are prepared to believe. However, what in some books can be annoying, becomes an enjoyable ride, where you are constantly excited to see where the plot will take you next. I really enjoyed the slightly wacky and off center world of Settler.” AMAZON

The Reader Tweets & FB
People & ghosts are not what they seem. Is it a monster? The Reader http://goo.gl/6e77ZI #fantasy #scifi
A ghost with a bad temper & fake people. This town is strange. The Reader http://goo.gl/6e77ZI #fantasy #scifi
There's something wrong in the woods. Monsters or ghosts? The Reader http://goo.gl/6e77ZI  #fantasy #scifi



Bio
M. Pax is author of the space adventure series The Backworlds, plus other novels and short stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons  to her, and she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers as a star guide and has a cat with a crush on Mr. Spock. Learn more at mpaxauthor.com.