V.R. Leavitt's Blog, page 5

Author Interview and book blurb – Kim Smith

Hello! Today I am very happy to have author, Kim Smith. Let’s jump right in!

Q: How long have you been writing either as a hobby or professionally?

A: I didn’t start writing professionally until the mid-1990s. My hubby knew I wanted to write a book. One day, he brought home our first computer.  He told me, “Now, you have no more excuses.” And I didn’t. So I began writing. Then in the early 2000s I started submitting. I didn’t do well with the huge lag time from submission to rejection back then. Eventually I found a small publisher in NY and they took on my work. They have recently gone out of business, so those books and stories are being rewritten and I am self-publishing them. Love Inn is one of those stories.

Q: What inspired you to get into writing?

A: I think I have always wanted to tell stories. My mother was the real catalyst. I kept talking about it and so she pulled out a story I wrote (and illustrated) back in elementary school. She used that as proof that I should be writing and had been doing so unconsciously for years.

Q: What are some of the challenges of your work?

A:  For me, setting and description is a challenge. I always want to get that part just right, and sometimes the words won’t work. Setting can be something that is a major player in a scene, something that makes the mood leap from the page. But if an author doesn’t handle it right, it falls flat or seems overdone. It is a challenge getting it “just right”.

Q: What are some of the rewarding aspects of your work?

A: Dialogue saves me. I love writing the conversations between my paper people. For some reason, that is the easiest thing for me. It’s like I am a transcriptionist for the voices in my head. I can hear them talking (mentally) and have a gift for getting it on the page.

Q: What is a typical day like for you? Or are there no typical days?

A: Get up at 5 AM. Make coffee. Sit at the computer and write until 6. Get ready for my day job. Go to work, get off, family time, and then back to the computer about 7 PM until bed time. That really sounds boring, I know, but I like structure. I rarely vary it. On the weekends, it is cleaning, family time and writing. Oh yeah, and exercise gets thrown in there on occasion too.

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: I just finished the first round of design on the cover for Love Inn. I have started doing my own covers. I would love to be able to hire an artist at some point but for now, it makes money-sense to do them myself.

Q: What are currently reading?

A: I am just finishing up Patricia Bradley’s A Promise to Protect. Great romantic suspense.

Q: If you could live in one of your books or stories, which one would you live in?

A: Love Inn. It is set at a bed and breakfast, and the main character, Ben, is an entrepreneur. I love the rustic setting, and cool place he has. I want to visit my own creation!

Q: How do you balance out the writer’s life and the rest of life? Do you get up early? Stay up late? Ignore friends and family for certain periods of time?

A: I do get up early every day. I think better in the morning for some reason. On weekends, I will stay up late. The writing has to be done but I don’t ignore family or friends to achieve that end. Sometimes they are the inspiration for a story!

Q: Who is your favorite author and what is your favorite genre to read?

A: My absolute favorite all time author, one that I will read everything that they write is Karen White. I will spend hours reading her books and always sigh with satisfaction when I reach the end. Some authors just “get it”.

Q: Where you have lived and what you have experienced can influence your writing in many ways. Are there any specific locations or experiences that have popped up in your books?

A: Yes, I love writing about the area around me. I live in a pretty interesting part of the world, and historically speaking, a lot has happened here. Because of where I live, I have written a civil war fantasy, and set a mystery series here. My experiences always influence my writing, but usually only on an emotional level. I have experienced death of a family member and it’s easy to dredge up those feelings and get them on the page.

Q: What do you do when you’re not writing?

A: I help my hubby with our video production company shooting and editing. At the moment we are busy with a wrestling group shooting matches etc. I feel a wrestling romance bubbling up, lol.

Q: What is your writing space like? Do you have a designated space? What does it look like? On the couch, laptop, desk? Music? Lighting? Typing? Handwriting?

A: I usually write on my laptop at my desk in our office. It is a long counter affixed to one whole wall of the studio. I have two monitors, and a wireless mouse. Totally different from the first computer that was situated in a corner of our bedroom back in the day. I love to change it up though, and oftentimes get writing done at Panera Bread, a local eatery and coffeehouse. No noise is best for things like getting this interview done, but I do like music in headphones when I am creating a story.

Q: Is there anyone who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your writing?

A: My family has been just super supportive all these years. Now that my kids are older, they are big influencers for ideas, and even editing. I love to sit over a cup of coffee with them and brainstorm. My hubby is my prize though. He gives up his computer, a Mac, to allow me time to do podcasting with other writers, design book covers, and other related tasks I can’t do on my laptop. He supports and helps me with all my writing life. I think I’ll keep him.

Q: It’s one thing to write a book and another to edit it. How do you feel about the editing process?

A: The editing process is a necessary evil. I can write until the cows come home but it is all garbage until it gets edited. A good edit process turns rocks into diamonds, and every author should love that part as much as the creative phase. I do love it. It’s a different side to writing. It’s like the fine-tuning.

Q: Do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?

A: OMG. I love coffee. I am such a coffee-lover that I am beginning to wonder if I don’t need an intervention. I drink a LOT of it. I love anything vanilla-flavored, be it the creamer or the coffee itself. My truest love goes to Kona blend though. It’s so good!

Final thoughts?

I am a huge lover of the written word. I started calling myself a writer groupie way back in the early 2000s. Then recently, I started podcasting, and of course, the title of the show had to be Writer Groupie. I would love to have more subscribers to the show. I enjoy bringing it to readers and writers and try to have a new one every week. I have a very active blog, usually something goes on it every day. Go out and find me at my website. Everything Kim Smith will be found there.

 

Thank you so much for your time. I wish you the very best of luck! Let’s chat again soon.

 

A: Thank you so much for having me today. I enjoy chatting about my work with others.

 

Love Inn is Kim Smith’s latest work, on pre-order now at Amazon. http://amzn.com/B00SUN46K4

 

Love Inn blurb

 

Benton Jessup is struggling to find his center after his wife dies. She leaves him in charge of her dream business, a bed and breakfast.  When a famous novelist comes to stay at The Inn, Ben decides she may be the answer to his dilemma of gaining new guests. But Kitty Beebe has different ideas. She thinks of Ben as a good prototype for her next novel

__________

 

LOVE INN

 

“Okay. If we have a celebrity or something coming here, I guess I should study up on her. Who is she?” he asked, turning toward Nikki.

 

She shut off the water, and grabbed a striped dishtowel. “Oh, come on. You can’t mean the name means nothing? Think really hard.”

 

He closed the book, stacked the mail, and leaned against the desk. Nothing about Kitty Beebe rang a bell.  “Sorry. Guess I’m not up on pop culture to any extent.”

 

“Okay, here’s a hint. Galway House.”

 

Ben crossed his arms and shrugged, hopelessly lost.

 

“Connacht at Midnight?”

 

He cocked an eyebrow and shook his head.

 

“Gee, Ben, you don’t get out much, do you?” Nikki said, with a laugh. She tossed the dishtowel on the counter and strode to the desk. After a moment of searching, she pulled a paperback novel out of the drawer. She waved it at him. “Kitty Beebe, also known as Rose Perkins. She’s a famous romance author. Carla read everything she wrote and fretted like a wet hen when she had to wait on the next one to hit the stands. She was Carla’s absolute favorite. Big best-selling writer. I can’t believe you don’t know this.”

 

He took the book, frowning at the near nude woman in the arms of a roguish looking male. “And she’s coming here?”

 

“Yes. I took the call and booked it. She gave a credit card number to hold her spot and asked if she could stay longer than the usual weekend.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Said she’s working on a new book and needs inspiration. Thought your little place would do it for her. Was recommended by someone who stayed here.”

 

“Well, howdy. A real live one, eh?” He placed the book on the top of the mail. “I bet she’ll stay long enough to spend enough money with us to buy that fancy espresso machine Carla wanted.”

 

Nikki patted his arm as she passed him going back to the sink. “Already did.”

__________

Kim Smith is the author of five novels, one novella, and a slew of short stories. You can visit her website, Kim Smith, author http://www.kimsmithauthor.com to find out more about Kim, her blog, her podcast, and free short fiction. Kim is also on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/kimsmithauthor and on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/mkimsmith

Who Lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea…

I’m not going to lie…I love Spongebob SquarePants. I watched it without shame, before my daughter was born and still watch it today.

Haters, here’s the door:

 

This weekend, the second feature length Spongebob movie comes out, and if I don’t see it this weekend, I will see it in the theater. I enjoyed the first movie quite a bit, but there are some Spongebob moments from the TV show that never get old for me. Make fun of me all you want, but Spongebob has some funny stuff. For those who dismiss it as too violent, too frenetic, too stupid, I hope you actually sit down and watch it sometime. There’s more to it than pratfalls and silly things.

Fun fact: The creator of Spongebob, Stephen Hillenburg, has a bachelor’s degree in marine resource planning. Go figure!

Here’s a list of my Top 10 favorite episodes of Spongebob in no particular order. This was a difficult list to limit to 10, but somehow, I did it. If you’re a fan, join the F.U.N. because after all, F is for friends who do stuff together…

1. “Texas” – In this episode, Spongebob’s friend Sandy the squirrel is getting homesick for her home state of Texas. In an effort to make her feel better, the gang throws her a surprise party featuring all of her favorite things from Texas, but getting her to the party is the hard part. In the process, then end up insulting Texas and her, and watching her get all steamed about how they were making fun of Texas was awesome. My family is from Texas and they would have no doubt showed the same vitriol that Sandy did. Check out this clip.

2. “Squid on Strike” – If you’ve ever had a job you wanted to quit, this is the episode for you. Tightwad boss Mr. Krabs has driven Squidward to the edge and he convinces Spongebob to go on a strike. It’s a great episode to throw on after a hard day at work.

3. “Sandy, Spongebob, and the Worm” – In this episode, the town if Bikini Bottom is attacked by an Alaskan Bull Worm, of course, and after the worm steals her tale, Sandy is on a mission get the worm. This one is in the top 10 for the excellent chase scene and great lines like, “Look, ‘S’ for Spongebob and ‘S’ for Sandy. That way they can identify our bodies.”

4. “Rock-a-Bye Bivalve” – If you  have a child, you need to watch this. Spongebob and Patrick find themselves in charge of a baby scallop. At first it’s bliss, and then the realities of parenthood set in. Diapers, division of parental labor, all of it are contained in this, probably my most favorite and most quoted episode.

5. “Mid-life Crustacean” – This one, about Mr. Krabs trying to recapture his youth in the midst of a mid-life crisis, was a lot funnier before I was facing my own mid-life time.

It’s still great though. Because what better way to recapture one’s wild and crazy days is there than dressing up like a wizard and playing D&D with your friends, am I right?

6. “Sailor Mouth” – Cursing. You either do it or you don’t, and in this episode Spongebob learns that some words are not for using in public. The curse words are hilariously edited out by dolphin sounds and boat horns, but I would really love to get my hands on an unedited version.

7. “Face Freeze” – This episode has to do with that phrase I’m sure we all heard at least once in our childhoods. Stop making those faces or you’ll freeze that way. On it’s own, the episode is just ok, but what really makes this is all the different faces that the animators came up with. Some are silly and some are just plain nightmare fuel. Enjoy.

8. “SB-129″ – In this episode, Squidward ends up freezing himself for 2,000 years and waking up in the future where everything is covered in chrome. It’s pretty terrifying or pretty awesome…guess it depends on how you see it. He ends up going back in time as well to meet a primitive version of Spongebob and Patrick, then lands himself in ‘nowhere.’ This one is probably hardest to explain, but here’s a clip.

9. “Prehibernation Week” – The writers of this episode deserve some kind of award. This episode features Sandy the squirrel getting ready to hibernate. During her pre-hibernation week, she has to get everything done quickly, because, well, winter is coming. She drags Spongebob around town on a variety of insane and dangerous tasks, such as finding the hay in the needle stack (yes, you read that right), riding through sulfur fields and knocking each other off of the Sea Needle. The most beautiful part of this episode is that the soundtrack for it is done by metal band, Pantera. You will never watch a squirrel preparing for hibernation the same way again.

10. “MuscleBob BuffPants” – Spongebob wants to prove he’s strong, so rather than adopt a good exercise regimen, he orders a pair of inflatable “Anchor Arms” from the TV. They of course are all show. The greatest part of this episode is the commercial for Anchor Arms. Check it out here.

 

Honorable mention goes to “Krabby Land” where Mr. Krabs builds a two bit theme park in order to get more customers. This makes the list for this little gem, which is one of the rides at the park:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for joining me on my voyage through some of my favorite Spongebob episodes! So tell me, what are yours?

 

Featured Artist – Actor, Rick Jacobs

Hello! Today I am very happy to have my friend and actor, Rick Jacobs here. Let’s jump right in!

Q: How long have you been acting either as a hobby or professionally?

A: I initially began acting in high school with 2 years of drama (way back in the 90s). When I graduated, I never considered pursuing it any further. Then, about a year ago, a friend posted on Facebook that a house was needed for a scene in a movie he was starring in. I offered use of our home and subsequently met the writer/director. We talked of our shared love of film (I’ve been a cinephile since middle school), which led to him offering me a small role in his next production. I accepted and originally thought it would be a one and done sort of thing. I ended up having so much fun that I am now starting my 4th role since last April. It’s really just a hobby, for now, but I never expected to enjoy the craft so much.

Q: What inspired you to get into acting?

A: The days of high school drama class were fun, but I didn’t see it as a gateway to being featured in the productions that the school would put on. As a kid, the thought of getting up on stage in front of hundreds of people was pretty daunting. My love of film really pushed me to accept that first role. What better way to learn about the craft of filmmaking than being on set and in the picture? It really is quite fascinating to see  how it’s done.

Q: What are some of the challenges of your work?

A: Mostly finding time to commit to projects while having a career. It’s been a lot of late nights filming or learning lines and then early rising for work.

Q: What are some of the rewarding aspects of your work?

A: The fact that I enjoy acting so much that it doesn’t feel like work at all. Spending 10 or 12 hours on my “day off” filming and rehearsing doesn’t feel like I’m putting in overtime, you know? When I first committed to a role, I was worried I’d feel like I was giving up my free time to work on a project but it was such a thrilling experience. If I thought I could quit my day job and act full time and make a comfortable living? I’d do it in a heartbeat! I’m not quite there yet. There’s also the joy of playing varied characters – one may be similar to who you really are and the next might be far away from your true self. Either way, you get to inject part of who you are into this fictional person. Drawing on your own experiences to bring a character into being is such a thrill. I have to say, probably the most rewarding moment for me so far was just after my very first speaking scene wrapped. In a film called Your Pomegranate, I’m featured sporadically throughout the film but I only speak at the end of the movie, having the closing monologue. Without giving too much away, it’s a touching scene where I explain why I’ve been attending an anger management meeting for the past several months to the other members of the group. After my character bares his soul, the movie fades to black. The director said cut, and the entire rest of the cast proceeded to give me an ovation. It was quite moving.

Q: What is a typical day like for you? Or are there no typical days?

A: There is no typical day when it comes to acting. I may be working over the weekend, morning, noon or night (or all day), or possibly a weeknight after I get home from my day job, for a few hours or until 1 in the morning. I may be needing to ham it up and playing to my comedic side, or trying to conjure a degree of emotion to convey fear, anger or sadness. That’s one of the things l love about acting. Rarely do I feel a sense of monotony, even when there’s 50 takes to get a scene right!

Q: What are you working on at the moment?

A: Starting in March, I’ll be filming a television show for about 5-6 months. Up until this point, my roles have all been in independent movies so I’m really excited for the change and to experience something totally different. It’s called Shotgun Mythos and is described as a gritty modern day fairy tale. It began life as a web series but then got picked up by a number of public access channels reaching approximately 10 million households. Now there is some interest from a production company eyeing towards making it an hour long television show. The creators have been tasked with reshooting it with that format in mind, considering each episode needs to be around 44 minutes. If all goes well, this could be my first “paying gig”! But honestly, that’s not why I’m doing it. My background is in art, it’s what went school for – but I gave up the idea of following down that path as a career early on. Then I sort of let that part of my life fade away. Acting has allowed me to express myself and given me an outlet for my creativity. I love it.

Q: Are you currently reading anything, if so, what?

A: I usually always have a book I’m reading but you caught me in between. I’m a huge Stephen King fan, having read almost all off his catalog,and some time ago I decided to go and read his entire collection of in the order they were written. I’ve been doing that in between other stuff and actually The Dark Half is next. Of course (and with no fear that my nerd will now be showing), I’m always reading 10-15 comics per month. Most of the X-titles are on my pull list but I am really digging what Image Comics are producing right now. If someone who did not collect comics asked me what they should pick up, I would recommend Saga, East of West and Nailbiter. Really compelling stories going on in those books and the artwork is killer.

Q: Are you listening to any music currently that you’d like to tell us about?

A: My tastes tend to be all over the place. I have my entire music collection on a 64 GB sd card on my phone I usually just put it on shuffle. I can be listening to EDM one minute, followed by classical the next and then some country after that. If I to pick one artist that I’ve really been favoring recently? I’d say Aesop Rock. He’s underground rap at its best.

Q: What’s the best movie you’ve seen recently?

A: If we’re talking blockbuster? Easy, Guardians of the Galaxy deserves all the praise heaped upon it. If you haven’t seen it, even if you’re not a fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, watch it. It’s just a fun movie.

If you’re looking for more intellectual fare, Locke is phenomenal. You might think 90 minutes of one man driving in a car would get tedious, but it’s a slow boil that peaks your interest from the start and slowly tightens the grip until you’re really vested in this character.

Q: What do you do when you’re not acting?

A: When I’m not working or acting, I spend most my time with my beautiful wife and our 2 cute pups at home.

Q: Is there anyone who has inspired, motivated, encouraged or supported your acting?

A: Definitely my wife, Stacy. Although acting requires me to be gone when I typically would be spending quality time with her, she’s been behind me 100%. She helps me run lines, she encourages me to take on new roles and brags about me to all of her friends. It’s nice to have her in my corner and know she truly is proud of me. She’s the best!

Q: Any fun or embarrassing stories that happened on set that you can share?

A: Well again without giving too much away, after filming a scripted scene for a film called Reversal that required me to be, let’s say, extremely close in an intimate way with another actor, I explained to the director that it wasn’t embarrassing for me at all to be in that situation since “I have no shame.” Upon hearing that, an idea started to form in his mind for another scene for me that might be considered embarrassing. The next day I found myself simulating, uh, “self gratification” in a car while the director filmed as if it were security footage from a traffic cam. I still maintain I have no shame.

Q: Do you have a favorite brand, flavor, type of coffee?

A: I love my Keurig. I usually drink Green Mountain Coffee breakfast blend, with sweet cream. Hmm, now I think I want a cup right now!

Thank you so much for your time. I wish you the very best of luck! Let’s chat again soon.

 

Find more info about Rick’s projects here:

https://m.facebook.com/ShotgunMythos

https://m.facebook.com/YourPomegranate

https://m.facebook.com/ReversalMovie

Video – The Poker Chips

 

Notebooks

Back before laptops, tablets…heck, even before typewriters, the go to recording device for a writer was a notebook. And yet, even with all these devices at our fingertips, notebooks are a crucial tool no matter what your profession.

I have a ton of them. This picture is a small sampling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I use them for the day job, for writing, journaling, etc. but I have yet to figure out my “perfect” notebook. I’m a big fan of Evernote, but could a regular paper notebook ever compare? I’ve tried putting sticky note tabs on pages, using multi-subject notebooks, etc. but I can never get it quite organized the way I want it.

Last week a friend of mine posted an article about how to hack a notebook to make it more organized. It was brilliant. You can read it here. Finally! I thought, the PERFECT notebook. But the more I thought it about it, that would really only work for certain applications, like the one used in the article.

Then I started thinking about Moleskine and Leuchtturm, and all the other notebooks and planners out there and wondered which one of those would be the best, and could they be used for different things or would I need one notebook for each subject? Or do they sell nice notebooks like that in multi-subject?

What? No. I don’t overthink things. Why do you ask?

I still haven’t made up my mind, about a perfect notebook, but I think I’m getting closer.

So what do you use to organize your notes, whether for writing, other creative projects, day job?

Calling all artists! If you do art, I want to talk to YOU!

Are you a writer, visual artist, musician, director, producer, actor, architect, latte artist, crafter, photographer, weekend doodler, fond of coloring books? Do you do art of any form and enjoy talking about it? Have stuff you want to show off? Yes? Good. Keep reading. No? Still good. Keep reading.

I’m starting a new feature on Coffee & a Keyboard where I want to interview artists of all stripes. You can talk about a current project your working on, your art in general, your pet goldfish, whatever you want. This feature will be for you, and for people to hear your story. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be an interview. You want to write a story or guest post about a topic? Rock on! 

If you’re interested, click the button below to fill out the form and I’ll be in contact shortly. Not an artist yourself? That’s fine too. If you have an interesting hobby, or a story you want to tell, fill out the form. Go on…dooooo iiiiitttt.

 

 

Book Review – Shanti and the Magic Mandala by F. T. Camargo

Abo ut Shanti and the Magic Mandala:

Shanti and the Magic Mandala is an adventure in which fantasy and reality are mingled. The book tells the story of six teenagers, from different religious and cultural origins and different parts of the world, who are mystically recruited to form two groups – one in the Northern Hemisphere, and one in the Southern. They eventually gather in Peru, and through a single alliance, begin a frantic chase for the sacred object that can stop the black magician’s final plan…

My thoughts: 

Young Adult is usually not my thing, but when I saw the trailer for this book and read the description, I thought I should definitely check it out. I’m glad I did. Shanti and the Magic Mandala has a great message. Love. It’s as simple as that. What I also liked about the book was the variety of people in it. This is not your standard, middle class kid struggling with teenage angst, etc. It has a different angle, which is refreshing. The descriptions used in the book are very lush and it’s easy to become part of their world. Definitely worth picking up, and I hope there are more books to come with these characters.

About F.T. Camargo:

F. T. Camargo is an Italian Brazilian living in Sao Paulo, Brazil. An award winning architect, he has a degree in Arts and Media. He is devoted to animals and has been deeply involved in causes for their protection and freedom. He is a world traveler, speaks 4 languages-English, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish and has published a travel book Rio, Maravilha! For many years he has been practicing yoga and meditation and studying the Kabbalah. His exploration of spiritual teachings motivated a commitment to self-development which in turn created a new path and goal in life. Shanti and the Magic Mandala was born from his inner journey. This is the first in a series of many more exciting books to come. Click here to visit his website.

Book Trailer:

 

“Shanti and the Magic Mandala” is available from Amazon. 

 

12.17.2014 – birthday

I like that my birthday is in December. I didn’t always though. When I was little, it meant that my birthday got overshadowed by Christmas. My family always did a great job of separating the two, but still, with less than a week between the two, birthdays got lost in the Christmas rush.

Now though, birthdays are a time of reflection, just like the New Year, so I usually get a good solid two weeks of pondering life’s big questions and thinking about goals, seeing where I’ve been and trying to plan out where I’m going next. As much as it can be frustrating to not be quite where you want to be yet, I still enjoy the process of a good self-evaluation. It’s not always pretty, and certainly not always fun, but it is necessary and I’m glad I get to do it.

This year has been one I didn’t expect, but for all good reasons. I published my first book which I honestly didn’t think I was going to do until about two months before it happened, but now it’s here and I’m constantly blown away by the kind words that I’ve gotten since it’s publication. Just amazed. So starting today and ending on the 21st, “5 Tales of Transformation” will be free. Yep, free. So if you haven’t snagged a copy yet, or maybe want to give one to a friend, now would be a good time to do it. It’s my little way of saying “THANK YOU”  to everybody that’s shared in the strange little journey of my life so far. I can’t wait to see where we go next!

Love,

-V.R.

Click here to go to “5 Tales” on Amazon.

5 Tales of Transformation Release Day!

“5 Tales of Transformation” is officially available today from Amazon. Thank you everybody for the wonderful support and kind wishes leading up to this point. I could NOT have done it without you.

Love,

-V

Click here to check it out on Amazon.

5 Tales of Transformation Cover Reveal

I’m beyond thrilled to present the cover of my new book, “5 Tales of Transformation.”

With many, many thanks to my talented husband Brian Leavitt for bringing a simple idea into a beautiful reality!

Inspirational Images for Five Tales of Transformation

Inspiration can come  in many forms. I find profound inspiration in other forms of art, including music, movies, photos…you name it! I’m also incredibly inspired by nature. I thought it’d be fun to share with you some images that I thought fit nicely with my upcoming collection of short stories, “Five Tales of Transformation.” I’ve put them on a Pinterest board for you to check out below. I hope you enjoy and I’d love to hear what you think!

PS…I’ve extended the giveaway deadline so you now have more time to enter! The deadline is now 11/9/2014.

“Five Tales of Transformation” will be released on 11/18/2014 on e-book and available anywhere e-books are sold.

Follow Vanessa’s board 5 Tales of Transformation on Pinterest.