FRIDAY FAVORITES

Friday Favorites include my favorite images on reading or writing!

(taken from Facebook)

 Enjoy!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

May you each have a wonderful day, filled with friends and family and lots of yummy food!

Image courtesy of [nongpimmy] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, my beautiful children, and my precious grandchildren.

I'm also thankful for the absolutely amazing opportunity I have had to share my books with other people. It's been a dream come true.

Thanks for reading!

What are you thankful for?

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Wordless Wednesday is actually filled with words--the words, thoughts, and feelings that pictures or images evoke within each of us without uttering a single word!

Image courtesy of [nongpimmy] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What WORD/WORDS does this picture evoke within you?

I'll start: 'Nourish your Love'

To join Wordless Wednesday, go here.

MONDAY MUSINGS

As I write this, it is Sunday afternoon. We are having a snow day today, even church was cancelled--which is a good thing since I'm a total wimp about driving in the snow!

I grew up in San Jose, California, (which is why some of my books take place in San Jose). Weather was not something I ever worried about. Not once.

Earthquakes, yes! Weather, no!

Believe it or not, after living in a place that snows, I'll take the worry of random minor earthquakes over driving in snow.

I've already announced to my hubby that I want to retire to someplace sunny!

This weekend my hubby and I spent our time replacing our old gold hinges and knobs (the eighties called and wanted them back!) with new knobs and hinges. 

The next thing to go will be the rose counter-tops!

Here's an interesting tidbit for you:

To refresh and repair my wood cabinetry I used the following mixture. (I found this on Facebook and it WORKS!)

3/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup vinegar

Mix together. Use a rag to rub mixture on cabinetry. Let soak in, then wipe off. 

Don't lean against the cabinets while the mixture is on them, otherwise you will get oil stains on your clothing!

I was amazed at how well this worked. 

Here's a before and after:

before: notice the damage on the corner

after: damage gone, just like that!

I also spent time replacing my old contact paper in the kitchen. I'm on a spring cleaning binge lately!

That was my weekend! I loved it because I LOVE doing home improvement!

How was your weekend?

FRIDAY FAVORITES

Friday Favorites include my favorite images on reading or writing!

(taken from Facebook)

 Enjoy!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Wordless Wednesday is actually filled with words--the words, thoughts, and feelings that pictures or images evoke within each of us without uttering a single word!

Image courtesy of [smokedsalmon] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What WORD/WORDS does this picture evoke within you?

I'll start: 'Ensnared by Love'

To join Wordless Wednesday, go here.

MONDAY MUSINGS

Sorry I missed last week's Monday post! We were out of town, visiting our daughter in Arizona in her new apartment.

I love the way she decorates. She just moved in, so this is only the beginning!

We also visited my sister and her family. I LOVE Arizona weather in November. It was PERFECT! We sat outside at this restaurant for hours and it was wonderful. 

After a few days in Arizona, we were off again, this time to Santa Fe, where my hubby had to be for business. We once again stayed at the Buffalo Thunder. I love this hotel. The below pic is looking down into the sunken lobby/waiting area. I always look at it and wish I had a house like this!

Buffalo Thunder Hotel

While my hubby tended to his business, I was able to have two entire days of absolute peace and quiet. I spent the time going over my newest manuscript, I'm With You, from beginning to end--and it was bliss. 

I'm now ready to send out proof copies to some of my early readers.  (not beta readers) These are the people who read my book before it is finished and give me advice. After hearing their opinions, I spend a few more weeks making changes/edits, then the manuscript will be off to the editor.

I'm very excited to release this book. The subject matter is near and dear to my heart. It's coming along nicely, but it has not been an easy book to write. Emotionally, it has been exhausting--yet therapeutic as well.

Here's the tentative blurb for I'm With You:

(Fair warning: the blurb has changed at least twenty times, so it may change again! It's still a work in progress.)

Can three little words change your life?

When the doctors inform Chloe Brennan that her pregnancy is “incompatible with life,” her subsequent choices will change her path forever.

Three people will pierce Chloe’s existence: her husband, a stranger, and a precious baby.

One will say goodbye, one will say hello, and one will say both at the same time.

I’m With You is a novel about selfless love and the sacredness of life.

This novel includes my daughter's true story (See Remembering Jerad) and is very personal. She heard the words "incompatible with life." It's a devastating diagnosis and I wanted to share the story with the world to increase awareness of this condition. It's a condition I had never heard of before until it happened to us.

That being said, my daughter will be the first to read the manuscript--and she has full editing rights. If she feels anything is just too personal, I will remove it from the story.

Of course, the book is also a Romance novel!

To be released in late Jan/early Feb. 2014

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!

FRIDAY FAVORITES

Friday Favorites include my favorite images on reading or writing!

(taken from Facebook)

 Enjoy!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Wordless Wednesday is actually filled with words--the words, thoughts, and feelings that pictures or images evoke within each of us without uttering a single word!

Image courtesy of [Ventrilock] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What WORD/WORDS does this picture evoke within you?

I'll start: 'Transference'

To join Wordless Wednesday, go here.

FRIDAY FAVORITES

Friday Favorites include my favorite images on reading or writing!

(taken from Facebook)

 Enjoy!

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Wordless Wednesday is actually filled with words--the words, thoughts, and feelings that pictures or images evoke within each of us without uttering a single word!

Image courtesy of [tongdang] / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

What WORD/WORDS does this picture evoke within you?

I'll start: 'Chock-full of LOVE'

To join Wordless Wednesday, go here.

MONDAY MUSINGS

The most exciting news of my weekend has been my sales for Sierra! As of right now (Sunday afternoon) I've had  1,340 sales! I think I drove my family absolutely crazy sending them update emails with the progress of my rankings. At one point, my husband advised me to stop checking my stats on the computer. (grass doesn't grow and water doesn't boil if you watch it, etc, etc.) 

Guess it's kind of obvious I didn't listen to him!

The amount of sales in one day greatly changed my rankings on Amazon: (thank you, Book Bub!)

Excuse my exuberance, but I get very excited over this kind of thing!

As of Sunday afternoon:

Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #104 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)

#6 in Kindle Store > Kindle eBooks > Romance > Mystery & Suspense > Suspense

#7 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

#83 in Books > Literature & Fiction

For about 12 hours I was actually in the top 100 paid in the Kindle Store. (#76) That's never happened before and I was so excited! Now I'm just four away, so close, yet so far!

And I even ranked as an author!

Amazon Author Rank beta (What's this?)

#20 in Kindle eBooks > Romance > Suspense

#22 in Books > Romance > Romantic Suspense

A special thank you to each of you who purchased Sierra. I hope you enjoy it! The story of Sierra haunted my dreams at night, till I finally took the plunge and wrote the novel. After writing it, it was as if the story had been expunged from my soul--and I no longer dream about it anymore. So sad. Instead, each of you can experience the story of Sierra for yourselves. ENJOY!

Other news: HALLOWEEN!

We had a fun Halloween. We participated in a trunk or treat at our church.

My daughter and her new baby dressed as Sharknado (have you seen the sci-fi movie?) for Halloween. This just cracked me up! Yes, the baby is the shark--well, one of many.

My other daughter's son LOVES Thomas the Train. He chose a Thomas the Train costume for Halloween. However, when it came to him actually wearing it, he would have NOTHING to do with it. He absolutely refused to wear it and cried if it was anywhere near him. (he's two) 

Not wanting to waste money, my daughter wore his costume and got him something else. So, this cracked me up too!! Guess I'm easily amused!

Hope you had a spooky Halloween and a relaxing weekend!

Welcome to all of my new followers!

SIERRA

If you love a little suspense, and a whole lot of ROMANCE,  then you will LOVE Sierra!

BTW, of all of my books, Sierra is my personal favorite!

Amazon      Smashwords

About:

Have you ever been lost in the woods?

Alyssa Fontaine’s life, loved ones—everything familiar and dear—are brutally taken from her.

Taken captive by two men, she endures a horrific nightmare. A new life is forced upon her and even a new name.

Just when it appears that no hope is in sight, she is saved by an unlikely twist of fate. Trapped in the beautiful Sierra Nevada Mountains, life will open its arms to her again and she will embrace it. She will find love such as she never knew existed.  

Sierra is a heart-wrenching story of the power of the human spirit to survive amidst impossible circumstances and severe losses. It is a story of survival . . . and hope. 

Praise for Sierra:

Every now and then you come across a novel that profoundly takes your breath away, and Sierra is that novel.
-Kathleen of Jersey Girl Book Reviews

Riveting from beginning to end. Be prepared to read straight through.
-Sherry of Fundinmental Book Reviews

I thought I had read romances before, and books like "Jane Eyre" and "A Tale of Two Cities," I had always considered the peaks of romantic literature. Let me say this. This is the most romantic book I have ever read in my 38 years on this planet!
-Ruth of My Devotional Thoughts

What I like most about Sierra was how Taylor lulls you in the beginning, then she shreds the peaceful scene to pieces. It happens so fast you barely have time to comprehend what is going to happen. Just like in real life.
-Laura of FUONLYKNEW Book Reviews

FRIDAY FAVORITES

Friday Favorites include my favorite images on reading or writing!

(taken from Facebook)

 Enjoy!

And in honor of the Halloween Season:

I'll pass, Stephen!