Engy Albasel Neville's Blog, page 6
June 15, 2015
Today is my Birthday
Every year as I reflect on the past year, I’m amazed by how much has transpired. Did the time always fly this quickly or does that happen only as we get older? Have I really been living in NY for 11 years? As Carrie Bradshaw would say, after 10 years, you’re officially a New Yorker. I guess I officially am. 
I’ve been blessed enough to have some amazing highs that I’ll forever be grateful to have experienced. From having wonderful and supportive family and friends all over the world to a great career that I’m very proud of to marrying a wonderful man to being a Mommy to two beautiful kids. There have been some lows too. And that’s okay. Its part of life and part of the journey. And I’m grateful for those as well.
In spite of everything, the good, bad and everything in between, I remain an eternal optimist that believes in goodness and has faith that ultimately (hopefully sooner than later), people will do the right thing by humanity from politics to cherishing our planet. In the meantime, I leave you with one of my favorite quotes:
I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think,
all the walks I want to take,
all the books I want to read,
And all the friends I want to see
– John Burroughs
Have a blessed day!
xx
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June 5, 2015
A Leap In Time Celebrates A Half Birthday
About six months ago, A Leap In Time was released to the world. My stomach was in knots for weeks leading up to the release and on the actual day, I was an emotional wreck with excitement, anxiety and anticipation. The story that had lived with me for so long (over a decade to be exact) was now in the hands of readers who might hate it and think it was better left unpublished.
Thankfully, that’s not what happened. Readers ranging from friends and family (I heart you guys) to bloggers and readers I’ve never met (I still cry reading your awesome reviews, thank you), the book was a hit and had found an enthusiastic following.
As the months passed, a gut feeling that I chose to ignore early on began to gnaw at me. Was the cover of my book a true representation of the story inside? I cringed when I heard the response from colleagues I respected and brave readers alike. I wasn’t surprised by the feedback because the answer confirmed a feeling I had from day one.
With A Leap In Time celebrating a half birthday, I decided to take a risk by changing the cover of my book. 
Looking at the covers side by side, I had no doubt that I made the right decision.
A Leap In Time is about a young woman’s adventure to another world through time traveling. Its a story about trusting your instincts and finding love … true love that grabs hold of your heart and doesn’t let go, regardless of the challenges ahead.
So with that said, it was only right to change the book cover to lighter colors (color colors represent optimism) while hinting at another world. I’m so excited about this new cover and love portraying the heroine on the cover with ancient Pompeii in the far distance. My heart skips a beat every time I look at it.
This process has taught me a valuable lesson … to always trust my instincts and follow my own heart.
XOXO
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June 4, 2015
Surviving the Toddler Years
With the house being under major construction, we decided to move our son’s bed (he’s 4 1/2) into our daughter’s room (she’s 3 1/2). We figured they could share a room for the next month or so until the second floor was complete.
We prepared ourselves for difficult bedtime and anticipated that our usual bedtime routine was probably going to be more hectic and downright challenging.
In a nutshell, bedtime for the next month might suck but we’ll get through it.
So when I heard the cherubs giggling in bed on the first night of being roommates, I wasn’t bothered. I sat on our own bed editing my second book and figured this was part of the novelty of sharing a room. It wasn’t until my son called out, laughing and asked to take “it” out of his eyes that Brian, my husband, walked in to check on them. He came back into our room shaking his head and asked for a towel. Naturally I ran into their room. Once my brain registered what my eyes were seeing, I screamed at the top of my lungs at 9 pm as my two kids sat on Liam’s bed, giggling.
My precious children who were clearly channeling non-angelic behavior had lathered themselves in Aquaphor from hairtips to tippy toes. Yes, you read that correctly. They looked like they had been dunked in wax, not a patch of skin missed. Thick whitish goop covered everything from pillowcases to toys. Did I mention it was 9 pm?
We put them in the bath and began the long process of shampoo, rinse and repeat. The goop wasn’t coming out. 
With the help of Google’s search, we covered every strand of hair with baking soda and then washed their hair in dish detergent. We repeated the process several times using the suggested ingredients that promised magical results. Nothing magical happened.
The next morning, Liam went to school with spiked hair, thanks to the lasting effects of Aquaphor and Reagan’s greasy hair was braided. 
That night, we repeated the same suggested process to better results but no miracles. We’re at Day #3 now and I can tell you with confidence that it will take many more baths with baking soda and dish detergent before we see a glimmer of success.
Pray for us!
XOXO,
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June 1, 2015
Common Ground
When I was 11 years old, my Dad, a brilliant scientist was granted a sabbatical to Reading, England. This was the second sabbatical my Dad was granted, the first was to Fargo, North Dakota when I was 5 years old. 
My parents, two younger brothers, Amjad and Ameer left our hometown of Lod, Israel and headed to Reading for a year long adventure.
We all fell in love with the charm of Reading almost immediately. From the red brick homes with perfectly manicured gardens to the cool crisp air, it was all so different and we loved every bit of it.
Fast forward to our first day of school.
My parents enrolled me in the secondary school, Maiden Erlegh and my brothers at the elementary school down the road from our rental house. With school uniforms and school supplies purchased, we set out to make new friends.
The toughest adjustment didn’t come from culture shock because there was very little of it. Our schools in Israel were excellent academically and the nuns that taught and managed the Catholic school I attended were all from abroad. By nature, mannerism and discipline in the schools mirrored those in England.
The hardest adjustment for me was language and second hardest part was pop culture. Despite speaking English on occasion at home and in the classroom since first grade, it was challenging to express myself only in English without the crutch of Arabic (my native tongue) or Hebrew (practically a native tongue).
Between playing catch up on language, muddling through homework (I was always an A student and learning came easy to me so struggling through homework was foreign territory, literally) and trying to fit in with my classmates which wasn’t easy, I felt overwhelmed.
Being the new girl in class who happened to be a foreigner that struggled with the language made me an easy target. And boy did the girls target me. I was teased for everything and anything … having an accent, being shy, having hairy un-shaved legs during gymnastics (yup, you read that right. I wasn’t allowed to shave my legs at 11 yrs old), not knowing which TV show they were obsessed with … it didn’t end.
At the urging of the Headmistress, a girl named Lucy befriended me and we started walking home together. Lucy turned out to be a wonderful friend and thanks to her, I was able to find my footing with my classmates and the teasing lessened a lot. Hanging out with Lucy, I started to realize that although we were very different, there were some important things that carried through our very different countries … music and books. Having figured that out, I felt great relief in knowing we had something in common. From there, a few budding friendships emerged that stayed with me long after we left Reading, England.
Six months into our stay and as just as we had began to feel home, my Dad accepted a project at the University of Gainesville, Florida. Culture shock? Hell yeah!
But by then, I already knew that music and books will help me bridge any gaps I faced. And I was right. I immediately found my click of bookworms that enjoyed the library as much as I did and music lovers that only heard lyrics and beautifully written words.
We moved once more after Gainesville to Riverside, California, our final and permanent stop. By then, I was a pro at being the new kid at school thanks to music and books being my reliable common ground.
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May 17, 2015
Find Your Next Chick Lit Read / #ChickLitMay Giveaway!
May is International Chick Lit Month. Let’s be honest—it’s the best month of the year! Every year, chick lit readers and writers get together to celebrate, share, discuss and gush about their favorite book genre. Not familiar with chick lit or Chick Lit Month? Visit internationalchicklitmonth.com for more information.
This year marks the fifth anniversary of ICLM. To celebrate, a bunch of enthusiastic authors got together and made an infographic to help readers find their next chick lit read.
We’re giving away 19 ebooks to 19 lucky readers. Just enter to win the books you’d like to read!
To enter, comment on the blog post below, listing which books from the graphic you’d like to read and WHY you would like to read them. (Make sure to include your email address so we can contact you.) Entrants can only enter once per blog, but can check out other blogs with this same post and comment there for extra entries! All those links are down below.
Entries close on midnight Friday, May 22 (Pacific Daylight Time), and winners will be contacted directly on May 31.
Good luck everyone—and happy reading! 
May 10, 2015
Miss Chick Lit Pageant & Gift Giveaway
Contestant Introduction
Hi, my name is Julianna Warner, I’m representing the great state of New York. I’m a 26 year old celebrity chef. Food is a passion for me. I grew up in a big family watching my Mom and Grandmother prepare elaborate meals from scratch for Sunday dinners and holiday gatherings.
Swimsuit Competition
I love fashion but don’t believe you should sacrifice comfort for it. That’s why I selected this beautiful one piece swimsuit in red polka-dots. It’s sexy but understated.
Talent Portion
For the talent portion of the competition, I will be belly dancing to Swan Lake wearing a Wonder Woman costume in honor of women being the heroines in their own lives.
Interview Question: Who Is Your Role Model & Why?
My goal is to help young families across America eat healthier on a small budget without sacrificing taste and treats. My role model is Jamie Oliver because he’s committed to eliminating processed unhealthy foods from our daily menu whether its at home or when enjoying a meal out.
You can be a beauty queen too with this $100 gift card!
Here’s your chance to win:
1. Please answer the following question for your chance to win: Who’s your role model in life and why? Please include your response in the comment section of the blog post and please include your email address. A winner will be chosen via Random.org on Monday, May, 18th.
2. You may enter the contest at each of the blogs participating in the pageant. So, that’s 19 chances to win!
US/Canada winner – $100 gift card to Sephora
UK winner – £65 gift card to Lush Cosmetics
Australia winner – $125AUD to Mecca
Participating Blog Sites
Pippa Franks
Laura Kenyon
Gina Henning
Tracie Banister
Cat Lavoie
Amy Gettinger
Celia Kennedy
Glynis Astie
Laura Chapman
Tracy Krimmer
Cait Reynolds
Franky Brown
Monique McDonell
Colleen Oakes
Whitney Dineen
Maggie Le Page
Kathryn Biel
Rachel L. Hamm
Purchase on Amazon!
Good Luck Beauties!
XOXO
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April 14, 2015
Loved In Time (The Travelers series)
Hi Friends,
I’ve been tagged by Gina Henning to post 7 paragraphs from page 7 of my WIP. This is Loved In Time, the second book in The Travelers series, the first is A Leap In Time.
Love at first sight felt indulgent, almost reserved for the gods and yet Catina was completely smitten by the handsome scholar that vied for her attention. Antonio was gentlemanly in his pursuit and yet unwavering with his feelings. Their conversations spanned every topic from social injustice in Rome to experimenting with herbs and plants for medicinal purposes. Catina found him knowledgeable, compassionate and worldly in his perspective. Her admiration and respect for him grew with each encounter and she found herself falling hopelessly in love with her childhood neighbor.
Catina remained on the bench, reminiscing when without warning, her left eye twitched uncomfortably, the nagging feeling of ignoring an unresolved issue rearing its ugly head. There was no one but herself to blame for her dilemma, arguably a self-inflected insecurity. Catina almost felt guilty complaining about any aspect in her life. For the most part, her life had unfolded in the most perfect way possible, the Universe granted her everything she ever wanted. Except in one very important area that was straining her marriage to her beloved. Catina knew that living in shared quarters with her parents during the early weeks of their marriage while looking for a house of their own, might not have been the best option but what choice did they have? Live with Lexi and Marcus? That would have been worse especially that her best friend and childhood friend, Marcus, couldn’t keep their hands off each other for more than a few minutes. No thanks! She didn’t need the constant reminder about her own inhibitions.
Its not like she didn’t desire Antonio. She did, a lot. She just felt awkward and shy and inexperienced. Antonio was her first lover. She wasn’t naïve enough to think she was his first and that thought alone made her shrink inward. What if she didn’t know how to pleasure him? What if she was boring in comparison to his previous lovers? Catina shuddered, her shoulders slumping in defeat. Catina feared that eventually Antonio would tire of her or worse, tire of her and take on a mistress. In fairness, Antonio had never once hinted at being bored of her but did any man ever confess that to his wife? She blinked back tears, not ready to face her marriage.
Too many years of rigid rules and strict societal boundaries imbedded deep into the fibers of her being hindered any form of sexual spontaneity. For most young maidens like her, unworldliness in the ways of sexual pleasure wasn’t a problem until the young well preserved virgins from pristine upbringing found themselves married without a clue about their marital duties. Catina didn’t advocate for a loose upbringing and countless sexual escapades but did the rules have to be so damn rigid for women while men ran around conquering every conquest they set their intentions on? A scroll of instruction would have been a welcome wedding gift but alas, that didn’t exist either. Ugh!
She rubbed her temple soothingly, forcing deep meditative breaths. The warm air swirled around her playfully, reminding her of how much she loved Antonio and the life they were building together and she wasn’t about to let it fall apart on the account of sex. With renewed determination, she contemplated ways to conquer her insecurities and channel an inner vixen. Giggling at the notion of turning into a temptress, she lay on the bench in the garden gazing at the blue sky above her. A brilliant idea popped into her head and she sat up with excitement, feeling hopeful for the first time in weeks. Her childhood friend Cevila’s would know what to do. Granted it had been nine years since Cevila was a newlywed but surely she would remember those early months and be able to offer advice to Catina. Besides, if Cevila could survive awkward early months of consummating, then there was hope for Catina too. Feeling content with her plan, Catina exhaled and almost immediately, her shoulders eased down in their rightful place. Was she walking around with her shoulders pushed up this entire time?
A twinge of guilt gnawed at Catina for not confiding in her best friend Lexi about her marital challenges in the bedroom. She considered it on a few occasions and then ruled it out just as fast. It’s not that Lexi wouldn’t listen or would want to help because she would, wholeheartedly. It’s that Lexi couldn’t understand because she’ll always be an outsider in ancient times regardless of how well she fit in. Lexi harbored a great secret from everyone except Catina and Marcus. If discovered, Lexi’s secret of being a time traveler from another world, a world that seized to exist during ancient times would surely doom her. Lexi’s true home was Los Angeles 2015 with Rome 61 AD being her adopted home because of her love for Marcus. Lexi’s world and the world Lexi chose as a home with Marcus couldn’t be further apart in every aspect imaginable from lifestyle to technology. At times, Catina found herself baffled by Lexi’s decision to leave modern day conveniences for a world still riddled with fatal diseases, an unjust social system and laws that favored men in every situation. Catina couldn’t begin to comprehend what Lexi’s world looked like but from everything Lexi described, it sounded splendid. The thought of men and women holding the same position in society or in politics bemused Catina’s mind. She laughed out loud imagining a woman member at the Senate. Emperor Nero would have her poisoned before she stepped one foot in the Senate House.
It was doubtful that modern day women struggled with inhibitions. Catina doubted that Lexi felt any awkwardness with Marcus during intimacy. Catina struggled with finding the balance between the temptress she was certain her husband desired and the proper woman she was expected to be.
I hope you enjoyed the sneak peak.
Cheers,
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March 27, 2015
December 17, 2014
Reader Review
Below is a text conversation between my dear friend Misha and her girlfriend about A Leap In Time which Misha was awesome enough to forward me. I burst into tears reading their exchange and I'm so grateful for the little & big signs confirming I'm on the right path.
*****************************************
Melisa: I'm really enjoying your friends book. I haven't been this interested in a book in a while, and it's not even my style of book. I'm more of a biography girl, but I can't stop reading this book!!!!
Misha: That's awesome! If you have a few minutes, you can post a review (copy and paste this message) on Amazon and it helps her a lot! I'll pass your message to her too.
November 12, 2014
A Leap In Time
Get your copy of A Leap In Time here:
http://bit.ly/1xX1UjV
OR http://amzn.to/1tDuTdx
Happy Reading!!!!
