Melanie D. Snitker's Blog, page 27

Meet the Characters: Lexi from Finding Hope (Love's Compass: Book 2)

Who is Lexi Chandler? 
Alexis Chandler is one of the main characters in my newest book, Finding Hope , which will be available July 1st. If you've read Finding Peace , you'll remember she's Tuck's older sister and a successful registered nurse at the Kitner Memorial Hospital emergency room. 

In general, Lexi's felt in control of her life. She enjoys her job, loves her family, and things are predictable. Until a single word, "Cancer," changes everything. 

Three Things Lexi Enjoys:
#1 - Lexi has always appreciated her family and looks forward to spending time with them. She's especially close to her younger brother, Tuck. 
#2 - While she enjoys most aspects of her job working at the ER, her favorite part is helping the children who come in. She has a knack for making them relax and even smile, despite the illnesses that bring them there. 
#3 - Her favorite food is Mexican food - specifically tacos. She's never met a taco she didn't like. 

Three Things Lexi Dislikes: 
#1 - A particular attending physician at the ER where she works who's determined to date her, and every other woman with a pulse. 
#2 - That she and her sister, Serenity, have grown so far apart. It all started before Serenity's son, Gideon, was born. So far, there's been nothing Lexi's been able to do to bridge the gap between them. 
#3 - Many of the changes that a recent doctor's appointment has brought to her life. She hates feeling out of control! 

Finding Hope is available for pre-order and will be released July 1st. I hope you enjoy reading her story and getting to know Lexi more!

Guest Blogger: Danger Zone - Why Water Poses a High Risk for Autistic Children

I'm happy to welcome Vee Cecil to my blog today. Autism is a subject that is close to my heart for many reasons. Our son has autism and he loves everything there is to do with water. For many years when he was younger, we had to worry about him spontaneously jumping into pools, ponds, etc. Water truly can pose a high risk for children with autism. 

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics,
What accounts for this increased danger around water for kids with autism? Here are a few factors:

Elopement. As the National Autism Association reports, elopement or wandering is a problem for 48 percent of children with ASD. The organization also notes that 32 percent of parents of children with autism who’ve wandered said their child had a “close call” with drowning.

Drawn to water. The problems associated with elopement are compounded by the fact that, as WarnOnline.org explains, children with autism aren’t as aware of the dangers around them as other children might be. Many kids with ASD are also fascinated by water. They’re drawn to it, but without a proper education in water safety, they may not recognize that water is a threat.

Inability to swim. Of course, one of the best ways parents can help protect their autistic children from drowning is by teaching them to swim. This video from All Kids Can Swim guides viewers through a presentation on how to teach autistic children to swim. For parents who don’t feel comfortable teaching their children themselves, this comprehensive guide to aquatic therapy for children with autism provides advice on how to find a swim program in your area that is tailored for autistic children. It also provides information on ways to get help paying for these lessons.

Lack of safety equipment. In its article on water safety, the Autism Consortium notes that wearing safety gear, such as a life jacket, may be a good idea for autistic children. Doing so does add an extra layer of protection. That said, knowing how to swim and/or wearing a life vest do not make your child drown proof. You should be sure to closely supervise them when they’re around or near water.

When they have the right knowledge about water safety and are able to swim, being in the water can greatly benefit autistic children. I highly recommend that parents of autistic children take steps to teach their children to swim. It truly can save a life.
Via Flickr – by Joanna Bourne https://www.flickr.com/photos/6699299... ~ Vee Cecil is a wellness coach, personal trainer, and bootcamp instructor who lives in Kentucky with her family of four. Vee is passionate about studying and sharing her findings in wellness through her recently-launched blog.

Author Tips: An Update on Using OneNote

It's been over three months since I wrote my blog post about using OneNote to help me organize my research and book details. If you haven't read the first post, you can find it here . 

I thought I would report back with a quick update. At this point, I have finished the second book in my Love's Compass series and I've started a new book. I don't have a title yet, but while it's a stand alone, the main character was introduced in my novel Finding Hope. What does that mean? I now have three books (and at least one more) involving all of the same characters. Having a place where I can keep the many different details together is important. 

OneNote has continued to be a life saver for me. I find I go and look up details on a character, or glance through the current research notes, the most.

I recently found yet another use for it as well. I was editing a chapter in Finding Hope and decided to rewrite much of it. I didn't want to lose the text I had. So I created a new page under Finding Hope in OneNote and copied all of that text there. That way, as I was rewriting the chapter, I could go back and pull bits and pieces from OneNote and incorporate that into the new text. It made the whole thing so much easier! Potentially, I could create a new page for each chapter and write out thoughts and ideas to save for future use. The possibilities are endless! 

Before OneNote, I was jotting everything down in a notebook. Now I have a program that I can pull up on my computer, tablet, or phone and look up any details I need in moments. 

If you've been struggling with how to organize your book notes, give OneNote a try! 

What do you use to help keep your writing details straight? I would love to hear from you!

Finding Hope: The Countdown is On!

Hi everyone! The countdown is on for the release of Finding Hope! The second book in the Love's Compass series will be out July 1st and you aren't going to want to miss it. 

This book is Alexis Chandler's story. If you've read Finding Peace, you'll remember that Lexi is Tuck's older sister. She's a registered nurse at Kitner Memorial Hospital and is dedicated to helping others in her family and her community.

So here's a little snippet from the second chapter. Stay tuned for more sneak peeks and character interviews over the next couple of weeks.

And don't forget, Finding Hope is available for pre-order !


Sample from Finding Hope:

Lance ate the last of his second piece of chocolate cake and relaxed in one of the kitchen chairs. He brushed a hand over his goatee to make sure there were no lingering crumbs.

It was good to be at the Chandler house. He’d spent a lot of time there since his childhood. It was like his home away from home.

A movement in the living room caught his attention. He watched as Lexi stood in front of family photos sitting on a shelf. She was observing one of her parents that was taken less than a year before her father had passed away. He thought little of it until he caught her swiping away a tear with one finger.

Instantly alert, Lance excused himself from the conversation and approached her. When she spotted him, he heard her sniff before she turned to face him. She had managed to school her features. He might have imagined the emotion he’d seen moments ago if it weren’t for the worry lines at the corners of her mouth.

“Hey, Lance.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yep. Is there any cake left?”

The woman had always hated to be the center of attention. Especially when her own feelings were involved. Lance debated whether he should let it go, but his gut told him to insist. Lexi might be good at hiding her emotions, but he knew something was going on.

“Do you want me to get your mom? Or Tuck?”

“Absolutely not.”

The intensity of her response surprised him and only proved he was right.  

His thoughts must have shone on his face because Lexi rolled her eyes and exhaled. “Look, Lance. I’m sorry. I’m not about to dampen spirits around here. This is Tuck and Laurie’s night. Period.”

“There is something wrong, then.”

“Let it be.”

He watched her walk away. Now what was that about?

Lance enjoyed the welcome home party, but he found his thoughts continued to drift to Lexi. She mostly seemed herself, but her level of enthusiasm appeared forced. No one else noticed, but then most of the focus was on the newly-married couple.

What he didn’t miss was that Lexi made a point of not meeting his eyes the rest of the evening. The image of one of the strongest women he had ever known wiping away a tear continued to trouble him.

Do You Know About the Dojo?

The dojo loach, that is! 

This little guy has been a member of our family now for almost a month. We have an aquarium and got a few freshwater fish to put in it. We chose a dojo loach because they were really active.

I had no idea how much fun one would be! 

Misgurnus anguillicaudatus, also known as the Dojo Loach and the Weather Loach, can reach 6" long and has a lifespan of 7-10 years. 

Our loach is a female - although we discovered this through research only after she was named Leeeeroy Jenkins. So Leroy it is. LOL 

Leroy is already 6" long so I'm assuming she's an adult, though I have no idea how old she is. 

She's very active. She does scavenge off the bottom like I read, but when we feed the fish, she'll eat the food right off the top of the water, too. She is also a social fish. She hangs out with the other fish a lot and she enjoys it when one of us approaches to the aquarium.

Our tank has a lid on it with a small opening to put food in. When I put a finger through and into the water, she'll come up and either "nibble" on my finger or she'll go back and forth brushing up against it like I'm petting her. 

She also likes to rest on things in the tank. I've seen her partway through the small hole in a treasure chest. Or resting on a starfish. My favorite, though, is when she drapes herself across the floating part of a large plant at the top of the water. she'll rest there until someone approaches the tank and then she's swimming again to say hello. At one point, she would swim above a point between the filter intake and the side of the tank and allow herself to float down over and over until she caught herself on the ledge there. She would stay there, draped across that ledge, until she got bored. Very funny to watch! 

They are often called weather loaches because they will get significantly more active during weather changes. We've seen this with Leroy as well, especially when we were getting thunderstorms. 

I've also read that they are able to take in atmospheric air by using the posterior portion of the intestine and skin as supplementary breathing organs. Interesting, right? 

Apparently, they can become quite tame and enjoy being petted, which I think is what she's trying to do when swimming back and forth against my finger. They can jump out of a tank easily, though. So I've not tried to pet her while lifting the lid. 

I've probably enjoyed this fish more than any other fish I've had in this or past aquariums. I hope Leroy lives a long, healthy life!

If you want to read some more interesting information about the Dojo Loach, check this link out.

New Houseplants

I'm a big fan of houseplants but, for whatever reason, I've never had a lot of them. I had a hard time keeping them alive. This was true from the time I was a kid until well into adulthood. 

However, I have two plants that have managed to live for four years and stay healthy. That gave me hope that I may have managed to trade my black thumbs in for some green ones. Or at least yellow-brown. That would be an improvement.

This afternoon, I went to a nursery and picked up some more houseplants. They look so pretty! It's funny how a few plants can improve the whole mood of a room. 

I also couldn't resist a few little critters to place in the plants. Seriously, isn't that crab in the top picture adorable? 

Here's hoping I can keep these new plants alive and growing!
 

You Know You Live in a Bigger House When...

My family recently moved. We rent and the home we'd been living in for the previous 2+ years was a small one - 950 sq. ft at most for a family of four and two dogs. Now, while we were there, we managed just fine. Sure, it felt crowded at times. But the main challenges for me personally were the kitchen (the counter space was so limited, we got rid of our microwave to have enough room to cook) and the utility room (it doubled as our closet with little room to stand between the washing machine and clothing). 

The house we moved into is about 1600 sq. ft. plus a two car garage. That is a large size difference. I've thoroughly enjoyed having more room! So without further ado: 

You know you live in a bigger house when...

... you are vacuuming and you have to plug the cord into three different outlets in order to vacuum the main sections of the house. Four if I use it in the kids' rooms. In our previous home, I could do this from one central outlet. No joke. 

... there are places to put shoes so you don't have to step on them to go in and out of the house. 

... I can have the rice cooker, the Crock Pot, and the toaster plugged in at the same time. While sitting on a kitchen counter. And still have enough room to roll out flour tortillas! 

... my husband and I have a dedicated closet for our clothes. Gasp! 

... we have an official utility room with enough space to take clothes out of the dryer and fold them on a table nearby. 

... my husband and I can watch a movie in the evening without having to turn the volume down during action scenes because it'll wake the kids.

There are many more, but I'll stop there. Suffice it to say, I'm enjoying our new, bigger house! 

Guest: New Release: The Collar & the Cavvarach by Annie Douglass Lima

I'm very honored to have Author Annie Douglass Lima as my guest today. She's celebrating the release of her new novel, The Collar & the Cavvarach. If you enjoy adventure fantasy books, you'll have to add this one to your TBR list!
~~~ About the Book:
Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?
The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences.  One is that slavery is legal there.  Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone.  Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).  

Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.  It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), an unsharpened weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge.  Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades.  You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

Would you like to know more about the world that Annie created and what life is like for the slaves and other people living in it? Click here!

You can also click here to read one chapter for free! You can purchase a copy of The Collar & the Cavvarach below: 
Amazon | Smashwords ~~~ Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published ten books (one YA action and adventure novel, four fantasies, a puppet script, and four anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel. Connect with Annie below:
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Email | LinkedIn
Amazon Author Page | Goodreads
Smashwords | Google Plus

Guest Blogger - Release Day for Christi Corbett's Second Novel - Tainted Dreams

They survived the Oregon Trail, but claiming
a legacy would be their biggest challenge yet…

I'm thrilled to be able to help spread the news about Christi Corbett's new release. Her book, Tainted Dreams, is the standalone sequel to her first novel, Along the Way Home, and is available today! 

Here's a little more about the book: 
~~~

Sometimes, the end justifies the means…

Kate Davis arrived into Oregon City transformed from a pampered daughter of fortune into a determined woman with a plan--fulfill her father's dream of starting a horse ranch in Oregon Territory.

She quickly discovers a harsh truth--even thousands of miles from home, on an unsettled land America doesn't yet own or govern, gender still takes precedence over ability. Refusing to be ruled once again by the stifling laws and societal norms she'd escaped by leaving Virginia, Kate begins creatively claiming what is rightfully hers.

Until a visit to the land office changes everything.

Jake Fitzpatrick guided Kate across the Oregon Trail, and fell in love with her along the way. Now he wants to marry her and build a life together, but a ruthless man from Jake's past threatens to reveal a dark secret, and destroy everything he's worked so hard to achieve.

~~~

If that doesn't hook you on this historical Western romance novel, maybe an excerpt will do the trick: 
~~~

Excerpt: (Jake, Kate, and two people they rescued on the Oregon Trail, William and Margaret, have entered Oregon City. They are looking for the hotel.)

At the end of the block a man burst from the saloon and stumbled into the street, stopping mere inches from Jake's horse, Plug. Instead of backing away, the man lurched forward and reached for Jake's saddle horn.

"Hey there!" Jake said. Raising his left leg, he ignored the resulting twinge of pain and shoved the stranger aside with his boot heel. "Watch it!"

The man drew back and stared at him, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused. He raised an unsteady finger, slurred an unintelligible response, and then fell face-­first into a patch of mud.

"Drunken fool," Jake muttered, then faced the others. "Let's keep moving."

High-­pitched squealing foiled his plan.

On the upper deck of the saloon a horde of harlots stood clustered together, giggling and shrieking as they pointed toward him. Clenching his jaw, he focused on the street ahead, all the while hoping Kate didn't notice one woman in particular who'd separated herself from the others and was now hanging over the railing, calling him by name.

Jake pressed his boot heels into Plug's side, urging him to a steady trot. Thankfully the others followed and they quickly left the saloon behind.

Minutes later, Kate motioned to the end of the street. "William, we're running out of road and I still don't see a hotel."

William pulled a rumpled paper from his pocket. He studied it briefly and then eyed the surrounding buildings. "My uncle sent me a rough sketch of where it's located, but there are so many new buildings, it's useless. Jake, do you know where it's at?"

Jake shook his head. "There wasn't a hotel the last time I was here."

"Perhaps one of those men sitting in front of the apothecary would know?" Margaret suggested.

"We'll find it ourselves," Jake replied. He led the group around the corner and onto the next street.

Buildings, so new their fresh pine scent still hung in the air, lined one side of the street while the other side held only two—an enormous livery and a two-­story building with the word Hotel prominently displayed on a white sign with black lettering. A matching sign beside a light-­rimmed window read Rooms Available by the Day or Week.

They dismounted, secured their horses to the empty hitching posts in front of the hotel, and headed for the door. William reached for the glass knob, then turned to the others with a worried frown.

"I haven't seen my uncle in over seven years, so I don't know what to expect. Though from what I've observed so far, living out west doesn't seem to improve manners." He stepped inside and ushered Margaret and Kate through the doorway. Jake followed them, then stopped cold.

Behind the hotel's front desk sat Theodore Martin—the one man Jake never wanted to see again as long as he lived.

You can get your copy of Tainted Dreams at
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Smashwords | Kobo
~~~

I know that this new book and the first one will be going on my TBR list. Speaking of both books, Christi's first novel was featured in USA Today. She won the 2013 RONE Award for Best American Historical novel. 

They lost everything but their dreams on the Oregon Trail…

Kate Davis is intrigued when her father reveals his dream of starting a horse ranch in Oregon Territory. Settlers out west value a strong woman, and though she manages the financials of her father's mercantile her competence earns her ridicule, not respect, from Virginia's elite society.

Jake Fitzpatrick, an experienced trail guide, wants land out west to raise cattle and crops. But dreams require money and he's eating dandelion greens for dinner. So when a wealthy businessman offers double wages to guide his family across the Oregon Trail, Jake accepts with one stipulation--he is in complete control.

Departure day finds Kate clinging to her possessions as Jake demands she abandon all he deems frivolous, including her deceased mother's heirlooms. Jake stands firm, refusing to let the whims of a headstrong woman jeopardize the wages he so desperately needs--even a beautiful one with fiery green eyes and a temper to match.

Trail life is a battle of wills between them until tragedy strikes, leaving Jake with an honor-bound promise to protect her from harm and Kate with a monumental choice--go back to everything she's ever known or toward everything she's ever wanted?

You can purchase Along the Way Home at the following locations: 
Amazon | Barnes and Noble

~~~

Christi Corbett, winner of the 2013 RONE Award for Best American Historical novel, lives in a small town in Oregon with her husband and their twin children. The home's location holds a special place in her writing life; it stands just six hundred feet from the original Applegate Trail and the view from her back door is a hill travelers looked upon years ago as they explored the Oregon Territory and beyond.

Connect with Christi at: 
Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
Amazon Author Page | Goodreads | Email 

COVER REVEAL: Finding Hope

Love's Compass: Book Two
Finding Hope
by Melanie D. Snitker I'm excited to share the cover of my newest book, Finding Hope. I hope you all love it as much as I do! 

Many thanks to the talented Victorine Lieske of Blue Valley Author Services for this incredible cover. 

I haven't posted much about the book to date, so I thought I would share the synopsis: 

Cancer

That one word has rocked Lexi Chandler's life to the core. Her focus has always been to help others. She loves being a nurse and enjoys spending time with her family. Things had been going according to plan. Now she’s struggling to pick up the pieces and make sense of the changes in her life.

Lance Davenport has cared for Lexi since they were kids. He's turned burying his feelings into an art. Now, watching Lexi battle with cancer has made him realize just how much he's missed. He doesn't know what their future holds, but he's determined to not waste another minute. 

The people closest to Lexi pull together as she tries to navigate her way down a path none of them ever dreamed she’d have to follow.

Stay tuned for some character interviews, book excerpts, and more over the course of the next two months. Finding Hope is set for release July 2015!