I'm back! (I think)

There's no better way to recover from running around like a madwoman than going back to work! Seriously, I'm kidding. I'd take running around to sitting around any day. Not to mention, I get more time with my kids. But I digress.

How was everyone's holidays? My Christmas was pretty good. The hunny bought me a new necklace with real diamonds and he was very proud (as he kept reminding me) of the great job he did :). Even without diamonds, Christmas with those I love would have been good enough. It's not about the gifts as much as the quality time. But gifts are a plus :). I was pleasantly surprised with how well New Years went. It was very mellow with only a few beers and lots of laughs. Those are the times I enjoy the most. The kiddos were away for a week, but they're home now and resting up for school tomorrow. 

As you might have guessed, I've been pretty busy. Unfortunately, Soul Covenant has not yet been completed. That is one of my goals for this month, so be on the lookout for that very, very soon. I hadn't expected December to be such a busy month for me. Another thing on my to-do list is to be more efficient with my time. I'll keep you posted on how that goes lol. I'm projecting not very well, but only time will tell!

I could probably ramble on all night, as it's been too long since my last blog, but I need sleep! Going back to work after two long weekends is kicking my butt! I'll be back tomorrow to fill you all in on some pretty cool stuff coming up very soon. Nite nite!

xoxoxoxo

Drowning in books and Michael Jackson

As most of you know, I've been working feverishly to finish up Binding Secrets for its Halloween release and busting tail to make sure there aren't any loose ends. In the mean time, I've been gearing up for what I hope to be a great Halloween with the kiddos this year. The boyfriend and I have decided to dress up as Roman people and we're pretty into Halloween so hopefully we can give it a good go. I'll definitely post some pics of our family outing that we're planning so you all can see the craziness.

Speaking of Halloween and costumes, my five year old son is obsessed with Michael Jackson. When I say obsessed, I mean this kid lives and breaths MJ and constantly sings Thriller and Bad. Last night, he and his brother were singing Smooth Criminal so loud, it was ridiculous. Of course, I can't help but sing right along considering the songs are from when I was a kid. I remember singing with my sister on our karaoke machine and trying to mimic MJ's classic vocal "oh's" and "he-he's". It's equally as entertaining to watch my five year old bust out the moonwalk (or something close to it) and other classic moves. I can't help but laugh at his quirkiness. 

On another note, my children are book reading machines. Between a school book fair, Scholastic books from the classroom and Books-A-Million, I've spent A LOT of money on books over the last few weeks. Not to mention a neighborhood boy gave them about ten other books. I'll need to find us a sturdy bookshelf! While my books are primary on my Nook or Kindle App, I did keep some of my favorites in print simply because I couldn't part with them. Some books just mean that much to me (yes, I know I'm a nerd!). 

Well, I'll be heading to do some more work on Binding Secrets. I'm on a very tight schedule and need to get it done for you guys. Talk to you soon!!!

 

Another day...another 500 words

It seems every time I sit down to write, something stops me dead in my tracks. Tonight, I had a lot of things to do for the kiddos so everything else took second place to that. One thing I pride myself on is that even if I'm busy, I'm still a mommy first and that's my most important job. Next is, of course, my regular job than my writing and school probably tie. But I digress.

A measly 500 words was all I managed to pump out thus far. I'm about to lay down and do some hand writing to see what I can come up with. The only bad part is I have about two weeks to finish this book and some parts that haven't been configured yet. Woohoo! I'm starting to sweat!

I'll be posting my progress throughout the process of finishing Binding Secrets in hopes that you all might share some of my enthusiasm. Check back tomorrow for something completely different. A DELETED SCENE!!! 

TTFN- Lisa <3

Haircuts, rubber snakes and sparkly shoes!

It's been a rather uneventful weekend, but that hasn't necessarily been a bad thing. My boys and I had a few things to get done today, so we first set off to buy new sneakers for school. It's funny how those little foot measuring things are completely off. With both boys the size was almost two smaller than what they actually needed. I finally got them situated when I spotted these beauties:

LOVE! I wanted to buy them so badly, but I had to refrain from this impulse buy. Being a one income household means I have to buy what my boys need before I can get what I want. Plus, I'd have to buy a new outfit go match these and this week's bill aren't all paid yet! It's a shame, too. They looked really good on me! :(

Sighing heavily, we left the shoe store and headed to the Great Clips. The boys got their hair cut and some lollipops and as a reward for their good behavior, we then went to the dollar store for some prizes. Now I don't know where you all shop, but there's a retail chain called Dollar Tree here and everything in the store is literally $1.00. It's a great place to get things for the kids to do without breaking the bank.

So, we picked up a take-a-long chalk board, rubber snakes, slinky-eye glasses, pirate garb, knight's bracers, Jack O' Lantern cups with straws and left happy. The best part was that I didn't spend a lot on the toys and they've got a variety to keep them occupied. All in all, shopping trips/errands were a success.

Anyway, I have some more writing to do before homework (yipee o.O) so it will be a nice busy evening for me. I say that as if every evening isn't busy! Stay tuned on Wednesday for another guest author as the blog tour continues. After the tour is over (9/30), I'll be posting an extra special blog (or two) with some pretty big announcements and some goodies. Tune in to Facebook and Twitter for updates and sneak peeks. I promise you won't be disappointed!!

Ta-ta for now!!

P.S~ Check out my new Flickr photostream!

Who I Am

My mind tends to wander. I guess this is one reason why writing comes naturally to me. When I'm at work (yes, I have a regular job!), I think about writing. When I'm writing, I think about school. When I think about school, I think about my kids or my family. And the cycle continues. I'm always thinking of things I could be doing instead of what I'm supposed to be doing and I've had such a hard time curbing my mental restlessness.

Perhaps I have this undeniable urge for life to change? Or maybe I'm anxious to see if this path is one worth continuing? It's hard to say this early in the game, but I'm not one to give up easily. My entire life, I've been a fighter. I fight for the ones I love. I fight for my ideals and beliefs. I fight for my children. Bottom line....I've got a strength deep inside that I didn't know I had and it keeps me going day after day.

Often, I blog about what's happening with my books and bits and pieces of real life. I'm not really that superficial. I'm a real person, with real problems and challenges, trying to find a really good way to live out this dream. I refuse to be stuck doing something I hate forever and I won't be told I have to write a certain way to fit in with today's pop-literature. I am my own person; I have my own voice.

Basically, this is my way of saying that I may type with a lot of exclamation points and post a ton of stuff about how my writing is going, but I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do the one thing I've always loved to do. I'm not just a writer, it's engrained in my DNA to tell stories and create mysterious worlds and characters everyone can fall in love with. I don't write just write to make a living, I write because it's my passion!

Precious moments...

In book news:

If any of you follow me on Twitter, you already know that the 2nd edition of Cursed Secrets is now live on Amazon. This version includes bonus material from the sequel that is currently unavailable anywhere else! While the 1st edition is still available in print and ebook versions, that time is limited. The 1st edition ebook is being phased out, but the print copies will remain. 

In other news:

Recently my boyfriend and I celebrated our five year anniversary! It's easy to get mixed up in the push and shove of day to day life that you forget what's important. I've been blessed enough to have found a wonderful man to accept me and my children into his life and his heart. I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason. Perhaps my previous marriage ended because I was meant to find someone who could look at me after to five years, the same way he did when we first fell in love. He's been so great to my boys and I know they adore him as much as I do. We just couldn't be happier. (Sorry, I had a girly moment!)

With that being said, don't forget to spend time with the ones you love. It's those little moments, no matter how silly they seem, that inspire us. A simple gesture can lead to great memories. I'll always cherish the time I spend with my family, no matter how crazy they make me! 

Every now and again, just enjoy each other's company without distractions. You might be surprised at what happens! <3