An Early Merry Christmas, And A Blurb...

Hi, Everyone!

I hope you're all surviving the madness that happens around this time. I'm trying to avoid it myself, but I don't think I've been too successful. Especially when I look at the date and realize IT'S ALREADY THE 19TH OF DECEMBER. O.o It's fairly easy to forget the encroaching holiday when you live in a desert.

Still, we've been trying to "set the mood" with Elf, christmas cookies, and the nutcracker soundtrack. It helps if I keep the draperies closed, too. Also, since we get dust storms in lieu of snow storms, we managed to go and see the new Disney movie, Frozen. Have any of you seen it yet? I LOVED IT. It was such a gorgeous movie, and I appreciated the "sisterly" themes in this one. Good job, Disney!

Well, with the release of BREATH OF DRAGONS around the corner, it's now the proud owner of a book blurb. You know, one of those short summaries that tell you what it's about. For those of you that are interested in knowing, here you go!

But! If you haven't read the first two, there's a bit of a spoiler in this. Consider yourself warned!

*SPOILER ALERT*
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....last chance to look away...
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After Prince Alaric's death, Daria and Alex set off in search of the legendary box of the Pandors'. The box is famed to hold a secret of power—one strong enough to overcome Lord Eris and the shield of power he stole from Valdon. Daria doesn't know where the box is hidden, but she can't ignore the silent urging, beckoning her to the land of Pendel—the land her mother, Aurora Pandor, was from.

Time is running out. Lord Eris's army of shadowguard vastly outnumber Valdon's forces, and if Daria doesn't find the box in time, Valdon will need reinforcements from the other territories to survive. But those territories will not hand over their armies willingly, not without Daria's hand in marriage.

And there is another, older power rising, one that hasn't been seen in centuries—one thought lost since the days of Galahad: the dragons.

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I hope you all have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS and a safe and happy New Year! And just because I love him...

CUTLASS by Ashley Nixon Cover Reveal!

Guys!

I am SO excited to share the face of Ashley Nixon's fabulous book, CUTLASS! I can say it's fabulous; I've read it. :D I love Ashley and her work - she's so talented and brilliant - and I'm thrilled to be a part of this reveal. (Thanks, Ashley!)

Ms. Nixon's debut novel, CUTLASS, is an exciting young adult fantasy which will be released on April 23, 2014.

Isn't she beautiful?! And here's a blurb about what's in those marvelous pages:

Notorious pirate Barren Reed has one thing on his mind: Revenge against the man who killed his father. So kidnapping his enemy's fiancé seems a perfect plan…until he actually does it. 



Larkin Lee is more than a pretty face and fiancé to a powerful man. Her fierce personality is enough to make any pirate want to push her overboard. 



But when the King of the Orient comes to Barren with a task—to find the Bloodstone, a powerful gem thought only to exist in legend, Barren sees another opportunity to destroy his enemy. Together, Barren, Larkin and a crew of pirates set off to find the stone, only to discover it caused the death of Barren’s own mother and Larkin’s, too. As his strongest allies turn into his greatest enemies, and the life of the girl he kidnapped becomes more important than he ever dreamed, Barren’s quest for revenge becomes a fight to save the Orient.

Today, Ms. Nixon's hosting a giveaway for a $25 Amazon giftcard, which you may find here: 

Rafflecopter giveaway

In honor of Ms. Nixon's pirate-themed novel, meet Sir Stuffington, who is arguably the world's cutest one-eyed pirate:

He really does have only one eye. If you're interested, you may read his heartwarming story HERE.

And lastly, here are some links to the talented Ms. Nixon herself. Go check her out!

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5199530.Ashley_Nixon

Goodreads (book page): https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18755539-cutlass

Website: http://ashley-nixon.com

Blog: http://ashley-nixon.blogspot.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AshleymNixon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleynixonauthor

Tumblr: http://ashleynixon.tumblr.com

BREATH of DRAGONS Release Date

Hey Everyone!

I've been getting a lot of questions about the release date of Book 3. (Thank you. The pressure both encourages me and stresses me out. Hehe.) 

I am sorry to say she won't be ready by Thanksgiving. I've been trying VERY hard to make that happen, but I have succumbed to the fact that it shall not. One of the biggest reasons being that BREATH OF DRAGONS is, oh, about 30% longer than her predecessors. Apparently, she had a lot to say. :D

Right now, BoD is in the hands of my wonderful and BRILLIANT betas (THANKS, GUYS!). I'd originally intended to be at this point in August. And, well...

Suffice it to say the release date has been pushed back to: 

Tuesday, January 21, 2014.

I want to THANK YOU guys for sticking with me. Your enthusiasm and encouragement always pushes me foreword. I have THE BEST readers. And I know how frustrating it can be, reading a series before it's done. You have to wait and wait andwaitandwaitandwait for what feels like FOREVER. So even there, I am flattered by your support. I'm doing my best to have this out in a timely fashion, but I won't let her go until she's absolutely ready.

I must prevent this:

And then I will begin working on the last, and final, book in the series.

If you want to be kept up-to-date on giveaways/contests/etc. as the release date approaches, just follow me at: https://www.facebook.com/GaiasSecretSeries

Thanks again for ALL the poking and prodding, and have a wonderful Thursday!!

XO

BREATH OF DRAGONS Cover Reveal!

This has to be one of my favorite aspects of the writing process: when my story gets a face.

So here it is, the face of BREATH OF DRAGONS, book #3 in my Gaia's Secret series, which will *hopefully* be released this holiday season. :D

If you would like to be kept up to date with information regarding BREATH OF DRAGONS' release into the world, and/or future book giveaways, just "like" my Gaia's Secret page!

Happy Labor Day!

A Grand Canyon of Distraction

A few weeks ago, Ben and I decided to take our eight-month old, Brahm, on a little weekend excursion to the Grand Canyon. Summers are a little *warm* in the desert, and the only possible way to survive them is to either (1) stay inside or (2) leave. Since we'd been doing our fair share of the former, we opted for the latter.

You may or may not know that the elevation of the Grand Canyon averages about 8000ft (or 2500m for my metric friends), so the 30 degree drop in temperature was FABULOUS.

We drive there. We park our car, grab Brahm and our cameras and walk to the rim. Now, I've been to the Grand Canyon once before with my family when I was about, oh, fifteen? Even so, nothing quite prepares you for the magnitude of it. Just when you think you've found the bottom, you realize it cuts even farther, and you may - if you find just the right vantage point - spot a sliver of the Colorado River below. The canyon is grand in every sense of the word and inspires a few moments of silent awe.

Or at least it should.

But, no. I took one look at it and started telling Ben how I wanted to arrange a family photo. Ben just kinda looked at me. He did not understand my photographical impatience - it wasn't like the Grand Canyon was going anywhere. He wanted a few moments to just...look.

Oh, that.

You mean, just sit an ENJOY looking at something without immediately reaching for my phone so that I can text a photo to someone.

I've apparently formed a pretty bad habit. There are so many things I've allowed to "demand" my attention, and sometimes those things prevent me from appreciating the here and now. I was so concerned about recording the experience that I forgot to just experience.

Especially now with a boy of almost nine-months, I find my attention diverted more than ever.
I mean, the kid's mouth is like a black hole - anything within a five foot radius seems to find its way into it. So, yeah. CONSTANT VIGILANCE. But he is allowed to take my attention. Social media is not.

In a way, it's similar to writing. I always love reaching the point in a draft where I can edit away the clutter - the distractions - where the words no longer get in the way and the story can finally shine through. But I know to look for it in my drafts; I don't always know to look for it in my life.

It was an "Ah ha!" moment for me. (I seem to be having those a lot, lately.) There are so, so many things vying for our attention in this technologically connected world. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Blogger, Goodreads, Pinterest, blahblahblahblahblah... While I love the connectedness (shoot, most of my writer-friends I've met through the world wide web!), it also comes with its downsides, and for me, it's failing to shut off that connectedness when I should. Be here. Live now. Nothing reminds me more of this than seeing the rate our little boy is growing and changing. He's crawling everywhere, and I feel like we brought him home from the hospital yesterday.

I think it will always present a challenge for me. I'm not sure what the solution is or if there really is one. Like everything in life, it is a balance and balance seems to require an exhaustive amount of attention, care, and reevaluation.

Do any of you deal with this?

We did manage to get some photos, though :D I mean - it was Brahm's first "vacation"! It's the only proof he'll ever have that he was there.

Oh, and for those of you wondering, here's where Gaia #3 is at...  I have been BUSY BUSY working on it. It's almost beta-ready (thanks again, guys!! Could NOT do this without you!!), then I'm giving it to my BRILLIANT editor in October (Laura, you're amazing) so that it can be out by Thanksgiving! I'll keep you posted, though.

Now, for the photos...

Dairy Queen in Williams, AZ, right off Historic Route 66. Also, I must note
that Brahm did not much care for ice cream. It was too cold on his little teeth :D

A Hodgepodge (somewhat)

Um, it's been a while.

I confess that I transfigured myself into an ostrich and recently decided it was time to pull my head from the sand for a few minutes (mostly, to listen to Atoms of Peace on repeat. SERIOUSLY. I would like to hire Thom Yorke to write a soundtrack for my stories. And life.)

But I also wanted to say: I'M ALIVE.

*side note: my blog is glowering at me right now because I haven't visited it in a while.*

I suppose I could start by saying my life has completely and utterly changed and will never be the same.
   Like Ever.

Babies do that, and somehow I find myself being the mother of a six-month old (who, I believe, is part pterodactyl). For the first few months of his precious little life, I'd gone back to work. Because my job required I travel (on planes), it quickly became A CHALLENGE. We tried and tried to make it work - it was my dream job, and I'd worked very hard to get there - but it simply would not. Being gone all night and leaving my husband (who's in dental school ) to care for a newborn while he was supposed to be studying, with no family around to help ...um, er...

After "a few" meltdowns, the answer became very clear.

You should *probably* step aside.

For me, it was the ramifications that proved a bit more...difficult. I felt displaced. I guess it's sort of like having an identity crisis. Trying to somehow reconcile the old you to the new you, but the old you is throwing the mother of all tantrums because it doesn't really want to subject itself to the new you.

And then there's the other part. "My OTHER" part. The one that lives for two-toothed smiles and sings the most ridiculous songs and makes the goofiest faces just for a giggle. The one that changes diapers and makes baby food and cleans spit-up, but somehow doesn't mind at all. Because that part is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to do it. That part sees how fast it's all speeding right by and it doesn't want to miss a second! That part realizes a little person has run away with her heart.

It's taken some time balancing Professional Me with Mommy Me, but there's one other wonderful gift that's helped me adjust. It's helped me shape my seemingly opposing halves into pieces that can link together.  I have MUCH more time to write. Professional Me has been spoiled rotten with that, and she finds her creativity quite unbridled, as of late. I don't think I've been this immersed in my stories...well, ever. After I resigned from Dream Job, I set right to GAIA #3 and poured myself in to a rewrite. In just 3 weeks, I'm almost halfway done. I've also been down right terrible at emailing because of it. :P BUT! I'm loving this story so far, which I can't always say while I'm writing. I'm *hoping* that's a good sign. You BETAS will tell me, though, right?!

There you have it. A mixture of sorts. I am WORKING HARD to have this book done by fall (late), and will keep you posted on progress. (BETAS!!! I'LL NEED YOU!!! - ahem - you know who you are!!) And now I must get back to Chapter 12 before the Little One wakes up...

Also, I'd LOVE to hear how some of you make sense of your two halves. PLEASE SHARE.

You are all so wonderful and supportive and ENCOURAGING. Thank you.

~B

p.s. In honor of Ironman 3, I would also like to add that you are all such wonderful tangerines.

What To Do When You're Trapped in an Hourglass

Hourglasses make me nervous.

Don't ask me why; they just do. I think I'm scarred from playing too many boardgames as a child. Hey, don't laugh! You know that purple sand made your heart pound!

In light of recent, LIFE-ALTERING events, I've been thinking a lot about Time...mostly because it doesn't exist anymore. It's like an extinct species, sitting on a list somewhere next to the Dodo bird. It did, however, have the courtesy to leave me a suicide note before ending its wretched life:

Dear Psycho,

As if I wasn't emaciated enough by your job and your book #3 and working out and cooking and cleaning, then you had to go and have a baby. I decided to end my misery and be done with it. Don't bother looking for me; I'm finishing myself off with your laundry.

~Time

Theatrics aside, OH. MY. GOODNESS. I feel like I need to clone myself, and then clone all my clones. I'm sure I'll hit some sort of stride, now that I've returned to work, but right now....AOSSEIFJSKFASKFKASJEFKAJSEFKJ!!!!

Which brings me back to Princess Jasmine...

It's like every grain of sand dumping on top of my head is something I need to get done (let's be honest here...most of those things I put on myself...). We all have these moments; we all have times in life where we feel like we're juggling all seven Harry Potter books and then someone tells you to do it with your eyes closed. (Right now, I feel like I'm juggling our entire bookshelf...)

But if Princess Jasmine can survive it, so can you.

Rule #1) Don't Panic.
   Okay, so this is probably the hardest for me, but I'm *learning* that those dishes really can wait. And so can dusting things, like the baseboards. We've also invested in a Roomba ;D

Rule #2) Take a Step Back & BREATHE. (and try not to inhale sand.)
    In other words, TAKE A LONG, HOT SHOWER. No, really. Stay there awhile.

Rule #3) When All Else Fails, Wait for Aladdin to Rescue You.
    ...that would be Ben. He talks me through the chaos and helps me organize it into appropriate categories... he's also been surprising me with flowers. :D

So, I sincerely apologize for any lapse in communication or embarrassingly long delay between emails...I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN. I have been using EVERY spare second I have to finish this draft of book 3!