H.M. Shander's Blog, page 10
June 25, 2016
Duly Noted - Chapter 1
Here is how Duly Noted starts.
Feel free to leave comments below.
The laughter died in a split-second. No one saw it coming. Metal snapped, scrapped and twisted. The air reeked of something salty and mercurial. Life changed forever. May 24. 10:17 p.m.The rain poured down, blanketing everything in its path with a cold wetness that chilled to the bone. The dark sky blew up with arcs of forked lightning, lighting up the area for miles. In the distance, sirens wailed, getting louder on approach. Gasps and inaudible sounds came from the onlookers who stood around drenched yet watching. Unable to help. Unsure of where to start.
***
Aurora drove through the pounding rain, with her momma in the passenger seat, and Carmen behind her. Normally Carmen would drive, as she attended the University there, but tonight she let Aurora take the wheel. They enjoyed a perfect girl’s weekend– eating more than normal, staying out late and shopping. Laughing, and singing off key to an old country song on the radio, they headed back to their hotel after an exhaustive but successful search for the perfect dress. Aurora’s high school graduation was less than two weeks away. Carmen, her older sister, said the ball gown made the blue in her eyes dance, and Derek would think she was the most beautiful girl at the ceremony. But Aurora knew he’d think that anyways. He always told her that.Still blocks from the hotel, Aurora drove down the scenic one-way street and thought nothing of checking for traffic approaching the stop signs. A set of white lights, bright enough to blind her peripheral vision, appeared out of nowhere. No time to react and slam on the brakes. “Momma!” she screamed, as her head cracked against her mom’s shoulder, which was now closer than it should have been. When the vehicle stopped moving, Aurora’s head smashed into the driver’s side window, shattering it into millions of pieces before her world turned dark. Coming back from the dark, she slowly pieced together what she saw. A dark grey dashboard, the cream colour of the airbag puddled on her lap, and several red blinking lights in the distance. Not a fender-bender, but a major accident. She was involved in a car crash. The kind she’d watched on her favourite medical dramas. One day she hoped to be on the other side as the ER doctor. But today, she’d be the patient. Her jeans, cold and wet against her skin, made her shiver, bringing her back to the present. Were her ears deceiving her? All around her, an eerie silence stretched out – like the kind you get when you wake in the middle of the night from a nightmare. Yet as she strained her ear, murmurs could be heard. A gasp here and there. And some gargled breathing. And that sound chilled her even more than the cold. Because it was close. Too close. It didn’t help her stay calm when the smells surrounding her were as frightening – strong and overpowering, but also unfamiliar as there was no textbook or literature on that. And without a moment’s hesitation, she never wanted to smell them again. They reeked of fear and death. “Momma,” she said in a painful, whispered breath. Her head leaned on the edge of the window, allowing the rain to mix with her tears. She tried to lift her head, but it weighed at least fifty pounds. And it ached. Like every other part of her body. A quick roving body search confirmed that she was alive – the indescribable pain told her as much. Pushing against the door to right herself, she screamed in agony and blacked out again. Awaking later as warm fingertips palpitated her face. A soft male voice said, “My name’s Jordan and I’m here to help you.” A clap of thunder overhead startled Aurora more than the hands that slipped something solid and plastic around her neck. “Momma? Carmen?” she called out in a hoarse whisper. Forcing her eyes open, she tried to twist her restrained head to search for her mother and sister. Even straining from the corner of her eyes, they weren’t there.“Don’t move.” Jordan’s voice spoke with such calmness that for a moment she thought the situation wasn’t as bad as it was. Momma wasn’t there, no sound from Carmen, and yet Jordan spoke as if he were simply removing a splinter from her finger. Maybe I’m dreaming. Lightning split the sky into two distinct pieces and ground-rattling thunder immediately followed. It lit up the empty passenger seat with a missing door. “Momma?”“She’s been removed from the car already,” Jordan said. His warm fingers caused an involuntary shudder to course through her body. The shaking hurt her in more ways than she could count, or wanted to count. It made her nauseous. It made her nervous. “Carmen?” she screamed in her mind. Surely she could hear her? Aurora returned her focus to the person talking to her. What was his name? Joe? Jordan? What in hell was he doing on the hood of her car? Where was her windshield? She focused on his face. “You’ve been in a bad accident, and your mom’s already en route to the hospital. We’re trying to get you out. You’re pinned against a railing, so once we have you properly protected, they’ll pull your car away, so we can get better access to you. Shouldn’t be much longer.”She performed some version of a nod, but it was hard to gauge with her immobile head. I remember seeing the headlights. Bright and almost on top of us. I don’t remember hearing the squealing brakes from that vehicle. The sliding lasted forever, but I think it was only three or four lanes. I don’t remember seeing a brick wall, but I do remember suddenly stopping.Straining her eyes to the edges, she tried to take in her surroundings. Like something on the news, blue and red lights flashed around, belonging to a firetruck and an ambulance or two? It was hard to tell. The area was lit up with beams of light and there were voices everywhere.“She’s secure,” Jordan called out as he turned his head. To her he said, “They’re going to pull the vehicle back so you’ll feel a deep shaking.” Oh fuck. She understood what that meant. More pain. Because it wasn’t enough to hurt from head to toe already. However, this pain would be nothing when the vehicle moved, rattling her once more. Unlike the crash, she knew what was coming. Preparing for it was another matter. I need to focus or I’m going to black out. Think, Aurora, think. Look at the man. Jordan, was it? Don’t think about the pain that’s coming. I’m in good hands. She focused on the paramedic as he slid off the hood and stepped back, nodding to someone.
The vehicle violently shook as it skidded and scraped against the ground, the noise deafening. Unable to cover her ears, it invaded her soul. But the worst was the horrible metallic sound of a saw blade cutting into metal surrounding her. This time she figured she’d go deaf as the noise pierced her ears. Reactively, she jerked and blinding pain radiated through her before she blacked out again.
Want more? You can download the first 15% free on Smashwords, or buy the entire book for $1.99 US before July 4th. SMASHWORDS - KOBO - iTunes - Amazon
Feel free to leave comments below.
The laughter died in a split-second. No one saw it coming. Metal snapped, scrapped and twisted. The air reeked of something salty and mercurial. Life changed forever. May 24. 10:17 p.m.The rain poured down, blanketing everything in its path with a cold wetness that chilled to the bone. The dark sky blew up with arcs of forked lightning, lighting up the area for miles. In the distance, sirens wailed, getting louder on approach. Gasps and inaudible sounds came from the onlookers who stood around drenched yet watching. Unable to help. Unsure of where to start.
***
Aurora drove through the pounding rain, with her momma in the passenger seat, and Carmen behind her. Normally Carmen would drive, as she attended the University there, but tonight she let Aurora take the wheel. They enjoyed a perfect girl’s weekend– eating more than normal, staying out late and shopping. Laughing, and singing off key to an old country song on the radio, they headed back to their hotel after an exhaustive but successful search for the perfect dress. Aurora’s high school graduation was less than two weeks away. Carmen, her older sister, said the ball gown made the blue in her eyes dance, and Derek would think she was the most beautiful girl at the ceremony. But Aurora knew he’d think that anyways. He always told her that.Still blocks from the hotel, Aurora drove down the scenic one-way street and thought nothing of checking for traffic approaching the stop signs. A set of white lights, bright enough to blind her peripheral vision, appeared out of nowhere. No time to react and slam on the brakes. “Momma!” she screamed, as her head cracked against her mom’s shoulder, which was now closer than it should have been. When the vehicle stopped moving, Aurora’s head smashed into the driver’s side window, shattering it into millions of pieces before her world turned dark. Coming back from the dark, she slowly pieced together what she saw. A dark grey dashboard, the cream colour of the airbag puddled on her lap, and several red blinking lights in the distance. Not a fender-bender, but a major accident. She was involved in a car crash. The kind she’d watched on her favourite medical dramas. One day she hoped to be on the other side as the ER doctor. But today, she’d be the patient. Her jeans, cold and wet against her skin, made her shiver, bringing her back to the present. Were her ears deceiving her? All around her, an eerie silence stretched out – like the kind you get when you wake in the middle of the night from a nightmare. Yet as she strained her ear, murmurs could be heard. A gasp here and there. And some gargled breathing. And that sound chilled her even more than the cold. Because it was close. Too close. It didn’t help her stay calm when the smells surrounding her were as frightening – strong and overpowering, but also unfamiliar as there was no textbook or literature on that. And without a moment’s hesitation, she never wanted to smell them again. They reeked of fear and death. “Momma,” she said in a painful, whispered breath. Her head leaned on the edge of the window, allowing the rain to mix with her tears. She tried to lift her head, but it weighed at least fifty pounds. And it ached. Like every other part of her body. A quick roving body search confirmed that she was alive – the indescribable pain told her as much. Pushing against the door to right herself, she screamed in agony and blacked out again. Awaking later as warm fingertips palpitated her face. A soft male voice said, “My name’s Jordan and I’m here to help you.” A clap of thunder overhead startled Aurora more than the hands that slipped something solid and plastic around her neck. “Momma? Carmen?” she called out in a hoarse whisper. Forcing her eyes open, she tried to twist her restrained head to search for her mother and sister. Even straining from the corner of her eyes, they weren’t there.“Don’t move.” Jordan’s voice spoke with such calmness that for a moment she thought the situation wasn’t as bad as it was. Momma wasn’t there, no sound from Carmen, and yet Jordan spoke as if he were simply removing a splinter from her finger. Maybe I’m dreaming. Lightning split the sky into two distinct pieces and ground-rattling thunder immediately followed. It lit up the empty passenger seat with a missing door. “Momma?”“She’s been removed from the car already,” Jordan said. His warm fingers caused an involuntary shudder to course through her body. The shaking hurt her in more ways than she could count, or wanted to count. It made her nauseous. It made her nervous. “Carmen?” she screamed in her mind. Surely she could hear her? Aurora returned her focus to the person talking to her. What was his name? Joe? Jordan? What in hell was he doing on the hood of her car? Where was her windshield? She focused on his face. “You’ve been in a bad accident, and your mom’s already en route to the hospital. We’re trying to get you out. You’re pinned against a railing, so once we have you properly protected, they’ll pull your car away, so we can get better access to you. Shouldn’t be much longer.”She performed some version of a nod, but it was hard to gauge with her immobile head. I remember seeing the headlights. Bright and almost on top of us. I don’t remember hearing the squealing brakes from that vehicle. The sliding lasted forever, but I think it was only three or four lanes. I don’t remember seeing a brick wall, but I do remember suddenly stopping.Straining her eyes to the edges, she tried to take in her surroundings. Like something on the news, blue and red lights flashed around, belonging to a firetruck and an ambulance or two? It was hard to tell. The area was lit up with beams of light and there were voices everywhere.“She’s secure,” Jordan called out as he turned his head. To her he said, “They’re going to pull the vehicle back so you’ll feel a deep shaking.” Oh fuck. She understood what that meant. More pain. Because it wasn’t enough to hurt from head to toe already. However, this pain would be nothing when the vehicle moved, rattling her once more. Unlike the crash, she knew what was coming. Preparing for it was another matter. I need to focus or I’m going to black out. Think, Aurora, think. Look at the man. Jordan, was it? Don’t think about the pain that’s coming. I’m in good hands. She focused on the paramedic as he slid off the hood and stepped back, nodding to someone.
The vehicle violently shook as it skidded and scraped against the ground, the noise deafening. Unable to cover her ears, it invaded her soul. But the worst was the horrible metallic sound of a saw blade cutting into metal surrounding her. This time she figured she’d go deaf as the noise pierced her ears. Reactively, she jerked and blinding pain radiated through her before she blacked out again.
Want more? You can download the first 15% free on Smashwords, or buy the entire book for $1.99 US before July 4th. SMASHWORDS - KOBO - iTunes - Amazon
June 12, 2016
BINGO and chore charts
Making up chore charts has been something I've done for my kids since they've been old enough to read. Afterall, I have my own chore chart (aka - my to-do list) hanging on the fridge that I must follow. ;)
I like to change it up, make it interesting and fun. We're all part of this household, so we all need to pitch in and keep it clean and tidy. My children do not earn money for their chores. We tried this and it was an epic fail. They didn't care.
My children, ages 8 & 11, do however, earn electronics time. They do not get time during the week, I'd rather they play outside or read or both. Their time to play with these coveted machines is on Saturday & Sunday mornings, since they get up at the crack of dawn, and I'd much rather sleep. ;) Now, with them playing their DS's, X-BOX games, computer games, what-have-you this mom gets to sleep in and they get to play. Win-win. For all of us.
So... I wanted to make the chores FUN and I like giving them huge incentive to get them done. Now, with their new chore charts, they are fighting to complete a BINGO or two.
New charts went up this morning. My oldest has already scored two BINGOs and is working on his third. Tonight, he asked what dinner tomorrow was, and how he can help with the meal prep. LOVE IT.
I think I'm rather proud of this chart, and the excitement my kids have in wanting to help out. The odds of them actually filling the whole chart are slim, but who knows. If they do, they've certainly earned all the free time they'll want. And I'll be happier for having a cleaner house.
I like to change it up, make it interesting and fun. We're all part of this household, so we all need to pitch in and keep it clean and tidy. My children do not earn money for their chores. We tried this and it was an epic fail. They didn't care.
My children, ages 8 & 11, do however, earn electronics time. They do not get time during the week, I'd rather they play outside or read or both. Their time to play with these coveted machines is on Saturday & Sunday mornings, since they get up at the crack of dawn, and I'd much rather sleep. ;) Now, with them playing their DS's, X-BOX games, computer games, what-have-you this mom gets to sleep in and they get to play. Win-win. For all of us.
So... I wanted to make the chores FUN and I like giving them huge incentive to get them done. Now, with their new chore charts, they are fighting to complete a BINGO or two.
New charts went up this morning. My oldest has already scored two BINGOs and is working on his third. Tonight, he asked what dinner tomorrow was, and how he can help with the meal prep. LOVE IT.
I think I'm rather proud of this chart, and the excitement my kids have in wanting to help out. The odds of them actually filling the whole chart are slim, but who knows. If they do, they've certainly earned all the free time they'll want. And I'll be happier for having a cleaner house.
May 31, 2016
Prizes, Giveaways and ARCs - Oh my!
I have three short weeks (as of this posting) until Duly Noted gets released into the public's hands. It's nervously exciting.
To commemorate this joy, I have a variety of prizes, and ARCs (advanced reader copies) to giveaway.
Firstly, there are six unique handcrafted bookmarks to giveaway. Each had a quote from the book, and a charm which is mentioned somewhere in there. How to win one? Pre-order Duly Noted from any of these four e-book retailers - Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes or Amazon, and email me proof. Ta-da! You're entered. :) Purchase a paperback edition from me, and you're entered. Easy peasy. All bookmarks will be mailed or distributed June 21.
Then I have a beautiful, handcrafted necklace I'm officially dubbing "The Aurora". It's special to the book, and contains Nate's colours.
This one will be given away on July 31 to one lucky winner. The winner will be selected from ALL reviews posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Smashwords, iTunes or Kobo prior to that date. All authors, especially indie authors like myself, need the reviews. The more reviews, the higher in ranking I can climb, and the more likely it becomes that someone else will stumble upon my book. Sadly, and shocking to most lol, I don't have the marketing budget of the huge publishers, so I really rely on my readers - to maybe mention my book to someone, to leave a review, to (hopefully) rave about it. Plus, the more reviews, the more likely my own public library will pick it up. Trust me, reviews help out an indie author - BIG TIME. You don't even need to write much. Just something like "I loved this book. Nate was so dreamy." Or whatever. ;)
So if you leave a review for me, I'll put your name into the hat (or a random online generator) and you could win this beautiful necklace.
Okay - now the fun part! Who wants to win an ARC?
All you have to do is comment below and tell me which character you are most looking forward to reading. To make it easy, here are their links:KaitlynColeLucas MatthewNateAurora Winner will be selected Friday June 3rd. And yes, if that winner posts a review before July 31, they will also be entered to win the necklace. :)
Good luck - and thanks for reading and sharing with your friends.
To commemorate this joy, I have a variety of prizes, and ARCs (advanced reader copies) to giveaway.
Firstly, there are six unique handcrafted bookmarks to giveaway. Each had a quote from the book, and a charm which is mentioned somewhere in there. How to win one? Pre-order Duly Noted from any of these four e-book retailers - Smashwords, Kobo, iTunes or Amazon, and email me proof. Ta-da! You're entered. :) Purchase a paperback edition from me, and you're entered. Easy peasy. All bookmarks will be mailed or distributed June 21.
Then I have a beautiful, handcrafted necklace I'm officially dubbing "The Aurora". It's special to the book, and contains Nate's colours.
This one will be given away on July 31 to one lucky winner. The winner will be selected from ALL reviews posted on Goodreads, Amazon, Smashwords, iTunes or Kobo prior to that date. All authors, especially indie authors like myself, need the reviews. The more reviews, the higher in ranking I can climb, and the more likely it becomes that someone else will stumble upon my book. Sadly, and shocking to most lol, I don't have the marketing budget of the huge publishers, so I really rely on my readers - to maybe mention my book to someone, to leave a review, to (hopefully) rave about it. Plus, the more reviews, the more likely my own public library will pick it up. Trust me, reviews help out an indie author - BIG TIME. You don't even need to write much. Just something like "I loved this book. Nate was so dreamy." Or whatever. ;) So if you leave a review for me, I'll put your name into the hat (or a random online generator) and you could win this beautiful necklace.
Okay - now the fun part! Who wants to win an ARC?
All you have to do is comment below and tell me which character you are most looking forward to reading. To make it easy, here are their links:KaitlynColeLucas MatthewNateAurora Winner will be selected Friday June 3rd. And yes, if that winner posts a review before July 31, they will also be entered to win the necklace. :) Good luck - and thanks for reading and sharing with your friends.
All About... Aurora MacIntyre
Miss Aurora MacIntyre's All About... profile is coming June 12th.Stay tuned.
All About... Nate Johnson
Nate Johnson is a man with a heart of gold. He's shy, and a bit of an introvert, however, when he sets his mind on a goal there's no stopping him. Charming to a fault, he's also sassy, easily handling every ounce of Aurora's natural sarcastic personality, knowing there's a reason she is the way she is. Giving by nature, he helps out where he can. (As a CP was reading Duly Noted, she said Nate totally sounds like a dead ringer for Theo James, who I had no idea of until she mentioned it. And yeah, Theo is my Nate.)
Fun Facts:Nate is twenty-two, and a Gemini, born on May 28Is a middle child, with Lucas four years younger, and Christina seven years olderHad a pretty normal upbringing, surrounded by family and friendsLoves to ride his dirt-bike, a CFR250XLost his father to cancer when he was eighteenHas a couple of tattoos, both which have special meaning to himFinished third year in Civil Engineering with a 3.6 GPASpends his summers in constructionHas a brown belt in karate, and practices in the off-seasonPet-peeves: liars, and get rich schemesTurn-ons: loyality, honesty, Aurora
Pre-order price of $1.99 US SMASHWORDS - KOBO - iTunes - Amazon
The following is a copyrighted excerpt from Duly Noted. Please do not copy in any format without prior consent from the author. You may RT or link to this blog.
“Are you always like this?” He cocked his head, a smile breaking out across his face.“Like what?”“Twisting everything anyone says?”“Perhaps.” She nodded and pulled her hands back to take a long sip of her drink. A hint of a smile leaked out of her lips.
A matching one played at the corners of his, pulling the left side up enough that his smile was lopsided. “You’re funny.”“Oh yeah,” she rolled her eyes, “A real riot act.”His eyes grazed over her, down to fingertips, and up her arms, landing on her blue eyes. “You’re very pretty, in an understated kind of way.”“Wow, you really are the master of cheesy pickup lines.” She took another long drink of her coffee.“Not really. I just tell it like it is.”“Well, understated is a good word.” He leaned back against his wrought-iron chair. “You’re incredibly difficult to read, you know.”“I prefer it that way. Lends itself to a little mystery.”“Yes, it does.” He took a drink, the foam sticking to his pale pink lips. “I like mystery. Means there’s more to you than meets the eye.”“And there you go again, Mr. Cheesy Pickup Lines.” She laughed, a good throaty laugh, tipping her head back in the process.He licked his lips, and matched her smile. “Hmm.”“Hmm what?”“Trying to think of what to say that won’t necessarily bring on a quick little comeback.” His voice full of curiosity.The weight of his stare was like a hundred pounds, so she gave her coffee a swirl.“You claim you’re an open book, which you’re not because you managed to completely avoid my questions. You have a witty sense of humour, which I’m rather fond of. You have a genuine fear of cars, which I’d like to get down to the bottom of, and you have an interesting fear of thunderstorms. And you have a mouth like a sailor.”“What? I do not.”“Yeah, you do. I heard you on the phone. Shame, shame.” He waggled a finger at her in jest.Laughing, she shrugged. “Well, we can’t all be perfect.”“I agree, perfection is boring.”He stretched out his long legs, and rested them beside her chair. “So tell me, Miss Aurora, what is it you like in a man?” He paused and leaned forward, and arched a sly brow.
So come fall in love with Nate. He's been rated very swoon-worthy.
Fun Facts:Nate is twenty-two, and a Gemini, born on May 28Is a middle child, with Lucas four years younger, and Christina seven years olderHad a pretty normal upbringing, surrounded by family and friendsLoves to ride his dirt-bike, a CFR250XLost his father to cancer when he was eighteenHas a couple of tattoos, both which have special meaning to himFinished third year in Civil Engineering with a 3.6 GPASpends his summers in constructionHas a brown belt in karate, and practices in the off-seasonPet-peeves: liars, and get rich schemesTurn-ons: loyality, honesty, AuroraPre-order price of $1.99 US SMASHWORDS - KOBO - iTunes - Amazon
The following is a copyrighted excerpt from Duly Noted. Please do not copy in any format without prior consent from the author. You may RT or link to this blog. “Are you always like this?” He cocked his head, a smile breaking out across his face.“Like what?”“Twisting everything anyone says?”“Perhaps.” She nodded and pulled her hands back to take a long sip of her drink. A hint of a smile leaked out of her lips.
A matching one played at the corners of his, pulling the left side up enough that his smile was lopsided. “You’re funny.”“Oh yeah,” she rolled her eyes, “A real riot act.”His eyes grazed over her, down to fingertips, and up her arms, landing on her blue eyes. “You’re very pretty, in an understated kind of way.”“Wow, you really are the master of cheesy pickup lines.” She took another long drink of her coffee.“Not really. I just tell it like it is.”“Well, understated is a good word.” He leaned back against his wrought-iron chair. “You’re incredibly difficult to read, you know.”“I prefer it that way. Lends itself to a little mystery.”“Yes, it does.” He took a drink, the foam sticking to his pale pink lips. “I like mystery. Means there’s more to you than meets the eye.”“And there you go again, Mr. Cheesy Pickup Lines.” She laughed, a good throaty laugh, tipping her head back in the process.He licked his lips, and matched her smile. “Hmm.”“Hmm what?”“Trying to think of what to say that won’t necessarily bring on a quick little comeback.” His voice full of curiosity.The weight of his stare was like a hundred pounds, so she gave her coffee a swirl.“You claim you’re an open book, which you’re not because you managed to completely avoid my questions. You have a witty sense of humour, which I’m rather fond of. You have a genuine fear of cars, which I’d like to get down to the bottom of, and you have an interesting fear of thunderstorms. And you have a mouth like a sailor.”“What? I do not.”“Yeah, you do. I heard you on the phone. Shame, shame.” He waggled a finger at her in jest.Laughing, she shrugged. “Well, we can’t all be perfect.”“I agree, perfection is boring.”He stretched out his long legs, and rested them beside her chair. “So tell me, Miss Aurora, what is it you like in a man?” He paused and leaned forward, and arched a sly brow.
So come fall in love with Nate. He's been rated very swoon-worthy.
May 27, 2016
Pre-order giveaway
I'm getting antsy and excited. Only a few short weeks until Duly Noted releases and I have a giveaway for you.
Pre-orders are happening and I'm beyond THRILLED that people want to read what I've written.
So I'm having a Thank YOU to those who pre-order either the paperback or the e-book.
PRE-ORDER DULY NOTED before JUNE 20th
Pre-order and pay* for a paperback through me either via my website or via Facebook and you're automatically entered.OR pre-order an e-book via SMASHWORDS - KOBO - iTunes - Amazon (you will need to provide proof of purchase since my pre-order records only indicate how many, not to whom)Win one of SIX one-of-a-kind bookmarks, featuring a charm featured in the book, and a quote. Winners will be randomly selected on June 20th.
*All paperbacks will be delivered the week of June 21. Message me for details on delivery. Local area includes Stony Plain, Spruce Grove, Edmonton, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Beaumont and Leduc. Anything beyond that will be subject to delivery charges, or sent via CanadaPost.
May 16, 2016
Duly Noted - A NA Contemporary Romance
COMING JUNE 21 - 2016Pre-order price of $1.99 US SMASHWORDS - KOBO - iTunes - Amazon
PTSD sucks.
Just ask nineteen year-old Aurora.
She’s dealt with it for the past two years. Effing car crash.
Resigned to live a mediocre life with her friends Percocet and Xanax, she's coped on her own. Terrified of stepping beyond her backyard, and broken and damaged, she doesn’t need anyone, anyways. Until she meets him.
Shy but smoking hot, Nate Johnson has a mouth as smart as hers, and can handle every ounce of sass she dishes out. Immediately, he’s hooked by Aurora’s sarcastic wit. A man on a mission, he wants to help her over her fear of cars. He needs to, if he’s ever going to have her as part of his world – a passion he’s kept hidden from her. As he succeeds with the impossible goal, he finds he’s curing more than just her PTSD, he’s healing her heart.
But when her fears collide with his passion, it drives Aurora away.
From him.
From them.
From the best thing to ever happen to her.
Because sometimes love just isn’t enough.
However, Nate wants her back and he’s willing to give up everything he loves for her. Aurora refuses to have him sacrifice his passion because of her, and dreams up a risky plan to stop him. It’s dangerous. It’s foolish. And if it doesn’t kill her first, it could just save them both.
Meet the Cast of Characters
Kaitlyn
Cole
Lucas
Matthew James
** NATE **
** AURORA **
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER Via SMASHWORDS for $1.99 - where you can also download the first 15% and see if you like it. :)
PTSD sucks.
Just ask nineteen year-old Aurora.
She’s dealt with it for the past two years. Effing car crash.
Resigned to live a mediocre life with her friends Percocet and Xanax, she's coped on her own. Terrified of stepping beyond her backyard, and broken and damaged, she doesn’t need anyone, anyways. Until she meets him.
Shy but smoking hot, Nate Johnson has a mouth as smart as hers, and can handle every ounce of sass she dishes out. Immediately, he’s hooked by Aurora’s sarcastic wit. A man on a mission, he wants to help her over her fear of cars. He needs to, if he’s ever going to have her as part of his world – a passion he’s kept hidden from her. As he succeeds with the impossible goal, he finds he’s curing more than just her PTSD, he’s healing her heart.
But when her fears collide with his passion, it drives Aurora away.
From him.
From them.
From the best thing to ever happen to her.
Because sometimes love just isn’t enough.
However, Nate wants her back and he’s willing to give up everything he loves for her. Aurora refuses to have him sacrifice his passion because of her, and dreams up a risky plan to stop him. It’s dangerous. It’s foolish. And if it doesn’t kill her first, it could just save them both.
Meet the Cast of Characters
Kaitlyn
Cole
Lucas
Matthew James
** NATE **
** AURORA **
AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER Via SMASHWORDS for $1.99 - where you can also download the first 15% and see if you like it. :)
May 9, 2016
All About ... Lucas
Lucas Johnson doesn't make an appearance until much later in Duly Noted but his presence has power. He's Nate's younger brother, although his looks take after the paternal side of the family.
Lost his father to cancer when he was a young teenIs four years younger than Nate, and a year younger than Aurora He's a LibraHas superior mechanical skills, and will be attending UofA in mechanical engineering Loves opera music and fast carsIs currently singleWas a Pokemon champion for the whole summer of 2008 until Joey Beedersen knocked him off the podium. Since then, he never played another game and sold all his cards to Carla StepsteinIs a die-hard Jimmie Johnson fan, but there's no relation
Pre-order price of $1.99 US SMASHWORDS - KOBO - iTunes - Amazon
The following is a copyrighted excerpt from Duly Noted. Please do not copy in any format without prior consent from the author. You may RT or link to this blog. Author's note- It was really hard to find a scene with him that doesn't give any little spoilers. So you get a very tiny taste of Lucas, for now. But you'll love him when you get him all. HMS
It was lonely sitting there. No one looked familiar. At this point, she’d even settle on seeing Marissa Montgomery, at least she could get a dig in. But she didn’t see her. After several minutes of wringing her hands and shifting uncomfortably in her seat, a meek smile crossed her face as Lucas approached. “Where’s Nate?”“With your sister.”“Ah.” He grabbed another chair. “You okay?”She shrugged, but didn’t make eye contact. “I’m worried about Nate.”“Well, he’s really worried about you.”“The trip home–”“He’ll figure it out. If it’s one thing Nate’s great at, it’s problem solving.”She hung her head and pulled down on her sleeves to the point where her hands disappeared completely. “I’m worried that my PTSD will drive us apart.”He tapped her foot with his own, and she looked up. “It hasn’t so far. If anything, I’d say it’s brought you together.”“But–”“You’ll get through it. Intact.”“How can you be so sure?”“Because Chris is here. She was at some convention, but ditched it when he begged her last night to come down and help.” She blinked. “He loves you, and he desperately wants to help you. His faith in that is unshakeable.”Feeling a bit better, she melted into her chair. Maybe everything will be okay. Chris would help. Shrinks can prescribe the best medicines. “I know you’re opposed to vehicles, but are you okay with tools?”She crinkled her forehead. “Why?”
May 2, 2016
Help Me Decide
So, anyone who follows me on Twitter knows I've been struggling with a cover designer.
The first was too far booked to work. Having used that company previously, I was disappointed. My fault for waiting.
The second came with a strong recommendation from an author friend. She'd used this "professional", and made her cover stunning. I loved my friend's cover, so I reviewed her other works, and yeah, it was great. I hired her and put down a deposit. As we struggled through what I wanted and what I was getting, it became ever increasingly clear I was not dealing with the same "professional" my friend had. For real. My eight year-old has better photoshop skills. Everything she sent me was a disaster. Total trainwreck. I was devastated, as was my author friend. I relieved her of her duties. The designer, not my author friend. ;)
However, I'm scrambling. Duly Noted comes out June 21, and I still have no cover. ARCs are going out coverless. Cue more grey hairs and stress.
Another author friend and I discussed getting a premade - covers with pre-selected (one time use) images. The designer will change the font/wording/etc but the image remains. So I spent the better part of two days selecting pre-made covers. The choices were amazing, and endless. I narrowed down the 1000s to five and contacted each of the designers. I choose the one image I (and a couple of friends) liked. I asked her to change the hair colour to reflect my female lead. No problem.
A day later, designer emails me. Hair can't be changed. :( I'm back to being broken-hearted. HOWEVER, she wanted me to select any image I wanted from her available ones (cue another 1000 images to view) and she'll custom design me a cover, for the price of a pre-made. WHOA! Okay.
I selected two, gave her the back story on the couple, and gave her free-reign so to speak. After all, she's the designer, not me.
This morning she emails me four designs, incorporating on two covers shattered glass (representing the accident) and the font colour in teal (PTSD's ribbon colour). This lady blew my mind. So now I'm torn... which one of the four is most appealing?
Can you help me?
Cover #1
Cover #2
Cover #3
Cover #4You can tweet me your favourite, or comment below.
Thank you for helping me decide.
And everyone who answers will be entered into a draw to win an ARC of Duly Noted. :)
The first was too far booked to work. Having used that company previously, I was disappointed. My fault for waiting.
The second came with a strong recommendation from an author friend. She'd used this "professional", and made her cover stunning. I loved my friend's cover, so I reviewed her other works, and yeah, it was great. I hired her and put down a deposit. As we struggled through what I wanted and what I was getting, it became ever increasingly clear I was not dealing with the same "professional" my friend had. For real. My eight year-old has better photoshop skills. Everything she sent me was a disaster. Total trainwreck. I was devastated, as was my author friend. I relieved her of her duties. The designer, not my author friend. ;)
However, I'm scrambling. Duly Noted comes out June 21, and I still have no cover. ARCs are going out coverless. Cue more grey hairs and stress.
Another author friend and I discussed getting a premade - covers with pre-selected (one time use) images. The designer will change the font/wording/etc but the image remains. So I spent the better part of two days selecting pre-made covers. The choices were amazing, and endless. I narrowed down the 1000s to five and contacted each of the designers. I choose the one image I (and a couple of friends) liked. I asked her to change the hair colour to reflect my female lead. No problem.
A day later, designer emails me. Hair can't be changed. :( I'm back to being broken-hearted. HOWEVER, she wanted me to select any image I wanted from her available ones (cue another 1000 images to view) and she'll custom design me a cover, for the price of a pre-made. WHOA! Okay.
I selected two, gave her the back story on the couple, and gave her free-reign so to speak. After all, she's the designer, not me.
This morning she emails me four designs, incorporating on two covers shattered glass (representing the accident) and the font colour in teal (PTSD's ribbon colour). This lady blew my mind. So now I'm torn... which one of the four is most appealing?
Can you help me?
Cover #1
Cover #2
Cover #3
Cover #4You can tweet me your favourite, or comment below.Thank you for helping me decide.
And everyone who answers will be entered into a draw to win an ARC of Duly Noted. :)
April 24, 2016
Sundays Make Me Smile
Another what makes me smile post.
Sundays.
Sundays are truly wonderful days in our house. First of all, I typically get to sleep in! Yeah!
Then, lately at least, we've been having breakfast at home. Bacon, eggs, sausage, toast and coffee. But it's not the breakfast that makes me smile. It's the conversations at the table that warm my heart.
Today was no exception.
My hubs and I recalled memories from when our kids were younger and some of the funny things they said or did. They LOVE hearing these stories just as much as we love telling them. There were lots of laughs and giggles, and no one was in a hurry to leave. Breakfast was devoured without an issue (we have an anti-egg eater, but today, he ate up with a smile.) It was an awesome way to start our day.
Then we all pitch in and clean the house, because to me, a clean house is happiness. Laundry is done, ironing finished (usually while watching NASCAR), and everyone is calm, cool and collected.
Tonight we'll have another meal around the table, where no doubt, someone will tell a joke, someone will drop part of their meal onto their clean shirt (usually me) and we'll be sharing more stories, or concerns or discussing what lies ahead for us in the week.
Sundays are a day for families, for us anyways. A chance to re-connect and enjoy each other. And for that, I'm very grateful.
What do you do on Sundays?
Sundays.
Sundays are truly wonderful days in our house. First of all, I typically get to sleep in! Yeah!
Then, lately at least, we've been having breakfast at home. Bacon, eggs, sausage, toast and coffee. But it's not the breakfast that makes me smile. It's the conversations at the table that warm my heart.
Today was no exception.
My hubs and I recalled memories from when our kids were younger and some of the funny things they said or did. They LOVE hearing these stories just as much as we love telling them. There were lots of laughs and giggles, and no one was in a hurry to leave. Breakfast was devoured without an issue (we have an anti-egg eater, but today, he ate up with a smile.) It was an awesome way to start our day.Then we all pitch in and clean the house, because to me, a clean house is happiness. Laundry is done, ironing finished (usually while watching NASCAR), and everyone is calm, cool and collected.
Tonight we'll have another meal around the table, where no doubt, someone will tell a joke, someone will drop part of their meal onto their clean shirt (usually me) and we'll be sharing more stories, or concerns or discussing what lies ahead for us in the week.
Sundays are a day for families, for us anyways. A chance to re-connect and enjoy each other. And for that, I'm very grateful.
What do you do on Sundays?
