So I am not only slowly getting my blogging and writing back on schedule, I am also starting to be more interactive on social media again as well. Tomorrow, July 31st, I will be doing a little take over on the Facebook page Passion and Pentagrams of which I am a part of with some other awesome authors! I'll be popping in and out all day, sharing some stuff, playing some games, maybe even giving away a few books! I hope to see you there!
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The Venom Protocols is packed with action from the very beginning to the very end. As you follow Charlie through the crazy ride that is her life, with interaction with the FBI to the mob to a nefarious agency, you are never left with a dull moment. This was the first book that I have read from author John Murray McKay and I really enjoyed it. The end is set up for a sequel that I would definitely be interested in reading. All in all this was a real page turner and I give if 4/5 stars. Here is the link so you can pick up a copy if interested. http://a.co/eu391KA Guess who has actually been reading some more and has some more book reviews to post? This gal! Cherry Carpenter is a new author and I believe this is her first book, at least it is the first book of hers that I have read. What can I say about Hot as Hell? That the title is very accurate! This book is hot, hot, hot! There are some very steamy scenes interwoven with a mystery and both keep you turning the page. I am happy that there will be other books in this series as I want more! I give this book 4.5 stars for all the steaminess! You can grab your own copy here. So I have not been producing much art so far this year, but I am hoping to change that. Art is an escape for me. It helps calm my mind. I often feel happier after I engage in some art therapy. So why have I not been making more art? Life I guess. Depression for sure. But recently I did manage to whip out some watercolors for a friend as a thank you gift. It felt good to paint and even better to know that my friend loved them. So at least once a month I will be sharing some art. I am taking requests too, whether its just something you want to see here on this blog or if it is something you might actually want to commission, send me ideas on what to sketch and paint! If I am held at least a little accountable I will be more likely to keep producing art.
Thus far 2018 has been a pretty stressful one for me and sadly it doesn’t seem to be letting up any time soon. During times of stress I find that not only does my work and writing suffer, but so does my mental and physical health. I tend to not make enough time to take care of myself even though I need to more than ever.
So that is why I am making a commitment to myself to take some time for self care. I need to eat better and exercise, both of which I am working on. I am getting back into yoga. I’m going to get back into mediation. I need to socialize some more, which bi-weekly D&D games are helping with. I need to start sketching and painting for fun again. I need to read more. I know all that I need to do, now I just need to respect my health enough to do it consistently. Even just and hour or two for myself a day should make a huge difference. Now to see if I can actually stick to a self care plan. How much time do you dedicate to yourself each day? How do you keep life from stealing that time from you? Leave you tips in the comments. My Gods Behaving Badly series has been one of my most successful ventures in writing to date. Part of that is probably due to the passion that I have for the subject matter. I love Greek gods and I wanted to see how they would behave in a modern setting where no one believes in them anymore. Boy did we get to see how they behave! However, Looted, the first short in the series was never supposed to be the beginning of a series. It was originally written to be part of an anthology that didn't end up happening. It was then picked up as a stand alone with Secret Cravings Publishing where it became a hit and I wrote three more books in the series while there. When SCP closed, well I decided to keep my Gods Behaving Badly going on my own. I re-released all the previous books and have added a couple more to the series. I have not had a release in the series in over a year now due to life and other obligations, but I think that it is time to see what the gods are up to once more.
Want to start the Gods Behaving Badly journey from the beginning? Looted is only .99 cents and free on Kindle Unlimited! US: www.amazon.com/Looted-Gods-Behaving-Badly-Book-ebook/dp/B01C843JQC UK: www.amazon.co.uk/Looted-Gods-Behaving-Badly-Book-ebook/dp/B01C843JQC/ CA: www.amazon.ca/Looted-Gods-Behaving-Badly-Book-ebook/dp/B01C843JQC AU: www.amazon.com/Looted-Gods-Behaving-Badly-Book-ebook/dp/B01C843JQC We are already are half way through July and really summer if we are thinking about it. Where is the time going? While I am not the biggest fan of summer, I can't believe that it is flying by so quickly. Well, fast time aside, I thought that I would start giving little writing updates at the middle of each month. I am still struggling to get back into a writing groove and I think putting this out there will help keep me accountable.
So July is slowly getting me on track. I am doing much better writing wise than the past few months that is for sure. First off, I have been able to keep blogging three times each week so far. That is a good thing to get me back in the habit of writing on a regular basis. I have been brainstorming several ideas and I think there are some real gems in my idea notebook right now. I am even sharing my ideas with my husband and getting feedback, trying to just get the creative ideas flowing and have things to write about. One of those ideas already turned into a completed 750 word flash fiction short story that has been submitted and will hopefully be accepted for publication soon. Fingers crossed. I am also working on a horror story at the moment to be submitted before the end of the month and another story to be turned in mid next month. When all is said and done I should have written over 10,000 words this month. That may not seem like a lot, but after the year I have had it seems like a triumph to me. I am also working on some outlines for a couple of series that I have come up with and am going to work on ideas for my Gods Behaving Badly series and my Quest series. I am starting to really feel excited about writing again and this is a great thing. So another gaming post, but hey authors have to have hobbies and get outside of the house every once in awhile! This time I am talking a little about getting into Warhammer 40K. I am pretty new to miniature gaming, my first really being Warmachine and Hordes. Now I am in the middle of building my Necron army for 40K and will soon be buying my army for Age of Sigmar. I must say that so far I am really enjoying myself. Now I have a slight tremor in my hands, so putting the minis together can be a challenge at times, but my hubby helps out a lot there. I do love painting these miniatures though! I know there are several unpainted in the picture, but I am working on it and hey I really wanted to start playing. As for playing, well I played my first two games of 40K this week and had so much fun. I won my first match and lost my second, but both were great learning experiences. I need to work on developing strategies and probably read the rules some more, but I am learning. As an author I love the lore of the Necrons and the whole world that Games Workshop has created. Part of me really would love to write a Necron based novel for them some day, so see this hobby does have a connection to writing. It also helps me socialize a bit more, as I have a tendency to become a hermit at times. So what is this rambling post really about? I guess it is about heading out and trying new things, meeting new people, and incorporating that into your life for that is what I am doing with gaming and my writing.
Some of you who read this blog might know that my husband and I are both pretty big game nerds. If you didn't know that before, well now you do. That means from time to time I like to take time to review new games or games new to me here on my blog. Games are a pretty big part of my life and they are something that I want to share with my readers. The moment that I saw the box for Barker's Row I knew this was a game I would love. The art work is whimsical and hello I am all about anything circus related. This is a fun game where you only add to the fun by getting in character. What you do it you and the other people playing are Barkers, people trying to get the circus goers to come into your stands and see you freakish displays. It's a blast to shout about "the miraculous, gruesome, horrifying..." creature on your card. The game mechanics are easy, though I found it best to learn the game through a Youtube tutorial as the actual instructions were a little confusing. It's quite simple, you pick cards that allow you to play attractions in your hand. Each attraction you play allows you to add two meeples to your stands. (These are some of the coolest meeples of any game I have ever played.) Some attractions have special abilities that will allow you to fill your stands faster. The first player to fill there stands wins. That's pretty much it. I have only played a two player game thus far, which was rather quick to finish. My husband took a commanding lead at first, but the game seems to have mechanics that even play out and it ended up being pretty close at the end. I really want to try this in a four player situation as I think it will just add to the drama and role playing of the game. I really enjoyed Barker's Row and think that this is going to make it into a pretty regular rotation of game play at my house. Easy to learn and play. Cool look to the game. 4/5 stars for this one! If any of my Albuquerque Readers are looking from some paperback copies of some of my books, well you are in luck! I have a selection of titles now available at Title Wave Books, Revised right here in Albuquerque! You will find my books right up front by the check out counter along with other great local authors! Please head in and not only support a local author, but a local business as well!
Tile Wave Books, Revised is located at: 2318 Wisconsin St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110, USA |
AuthorAuthor, artist, jewelry maker and all around creative person. I write in many genres and have a lot of fun doing so. Please take a look around and enjoy! Archives
January 2022
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