A New Year Is Going To Ring In, But I Wonder If Indiana Justice Will For One Little Girl?

No crime against a child is better than the other. When a child is hurt-it's like a stone that is thrown in a pond-it has a ripple effect. In some cases those ripples become tidal waves on a path of destruction. Shortly after Christmas there was a news story in my home state of Indiana, of the abduction and murder of a little girl who wasn't big as nothing. The little girl was being babysat by a "trusted" family friend in a trailer park known for sex offenders. This little girl who had some developmental and mental problems was bashed in the head with a brick until dead and then had her body dismembered by a monster. A man with a smile and the pretense of sincere affection sought out this little girl and then the unthinkable happened-she was killed. Can you fathom it-imagine what it would feel like to have a brick upside your head and be so little? Too little to fight back, too little to understand why? Too little to do anything other than cry and beg. She probably still had Christmas candy she hadn't gotten to and toys waiting for her at home. There's a doll that probably won't get played with and a new out fit that will not ever be worn by her.

This happens too much and IT NEEDS TO STOP! States need to get stricter on pedophiles and sexual violent offenders! PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO KNOW WHO IS LIVING IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD, TRAILER PARK, AND APARTMENT COMPLEX! PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SAY "NO" TO A POTENTIAL HOUSING APPLICANT BECAUSE THEY ARE A SEXUAL PREDATOR OR VIOLENT OFFENDER! Sex offenders should not be living near families and children. It's like putting an heroin addict in a room full of opium. It's argued that once these felons serve their time they are guaranteed rights. WHAT ABOUT THE RIGHTS OF OUR CHILDREN? Some of the blame has to fall on the parents here...but had this man had to disclose what he was or what he had been arrested for-would he have still been such a trusted friend? The mother's own father was a pedophile and she still moved in to take care of him with her babies. Now she is paying the price for her good deed towards her ailing father.

Folks-YOUR CHILDREN ARE YOUR MOST PRIZED POSSESSION! YOU ARE THE ONE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR PROTECTION AND WELFARE-NO ONE ELSE! WHILE THE GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO PUT STRICTER LAWS IF NOT MAKE CRIMES LIKE THESE MANDATORY LIFE SENTENCES, THE JOB OF CARING FOR YOUR KIDS SICK OR WELL IS YOURS! WHEN YOU SEEK OUT CHILD CARE-YOU NEED TO BE VIGILANTE AND WELL VERSED IN THE PERSON YOU LEAVE THEM WITH! NO ONE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO BURY THEIR OWN CHILD AND NO CHILD SHOULD HAVE TO LIVE WITH BEING ABUSED WHEN IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED! THERE IS NO EXCUSE HERE-NOT EVERYONE IS A PERVERT OR MENTALLY ILL WITH A PEDOPHILIA OBSESSION-BUT YOU NEED TO BE TO THE POINT OF PARANOID WHO YOU LEAVE YOUR BABIES WITH!

FELLOW HOOSIERS-

THERE IS A PETITION GOING AROUND FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. I ASK THAT YOU SIGN IT AND EVEN WRITE THE LOCAL LAW AND TELL THEM THEY NEED TO STEP IT UP WHEN IT COMES TO THE SAFETY OF CHILDREN.

Thank You.

http://www.change.org/petitions/jusice-for-aliahna-lemmon-prosecute-michael-plumadore-tarah-souders-allen-souders#

LAST MINUTE SHOPPING IDEAS FOR THE E-READER OR YOURSELF?

It's XOXO Publishing's second birthday

and we have presents and lots of them.

Beginning the 22nd of December and carrying on until midnight Boxing Day Dec 26, 2011,

ALL of our
ebooks will be selling for just $0.99


http://www.xoxopublishing.com/Products/


LOST TO THE NIGHT:
http://www.xoxopublishing.com/Products/index.php?route=product/product&path=91&product_id=240


This is our way of saying thank you to our readers, our writers and

to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

IT'S OFFICIAL! LOST TO THE NIGHT VOLUME 1 IS NOW AVAILABLE

Lost To The Night, Vol.1 is a collection of paranormal romance stories from 5 authors, including myself that can be found and purchased:

Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Lost-To-The-Night-ebook/dp/B006LOO75I/ref=sr_1_30?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323986167&sr=1-30

And with XOXO: http://www.xoxopublishing.com/Products/index.php?route=product/product&path=91&product_id=240

Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/lost-to-the-night


Exerpts from Lost To The Night:

"There are more mysteries walking beside us in this world than we will ever suspect or know. For some, the greatest fears are also the sweetest thrills. Death walks among us, the unknown feeds our imaginations and fuels our dreams and our nightmares. In this collection of stories from a group of exceptional and talented authors, we'll look into the shadows, and shiver with fright and passion, until we are Lost To The Night. and all its magic."

PRINCE OF SHADOWS by Brigit Aine

His wild hair, sections falling around his face, the blue tattoo continuously swirling in a geometric pattern on his shoulder, revealed by the black tank top he wore, as if to show the world he didn't care who saw that he was a faerie vampire, one of very few left. But he was not just any faerie vampire, he was the Prince of Shadows.

She was not just any faerie either. She is The Returner. One who has not ever failed in a task given to her. Skills beyond those of just the regular fae. Sent by the King and Queen, despite not wanting to do her task, she will not fail.

Together they would need to release her from a promise to bind and Return him so that they could focus on finding the killer, out to destroy those who are both human and non. Someone who is out to frame them both.


THE BRUJA LIGERA by Kayden McLeod

Sorabella is a white witch-in hiding. She is used to the idea if her true identity comes out, she'll be shunned for being crazy, or worse. A risk she isn't willing to take. Until now. Her relationship with her boyfriend has gotten more serious than she's used to. They've moved in together, and Tyler still doesn't know about what Sorabella can do. She fears it's too late to tell him, and given he's closed minded to the entire subject of magic, doesn't make the situation any easier. But with an encounter with her old tormentor from high school-who happens to be Tyler's sister-everything is revealed to the wrong people. Now, she has no choice but to come clean with Tyler, and face the music. Good or bad.

NIGHT LESSONS by Nikki Noffsinger

Dante Notte is the hottest night class professor ever! It's not hard to see why all the ladies are so crazy about English Lit. Dante doesn't seem to mind a bit, he's rather enjoying it.

Ariel Mathias doesn't have the time for a love life or much of anything else for that matter. She likes her solitude and her world in a neat order. She's all about hitting the books and fighting off her best friend's attempts at horrible blind dates, until she meets up with the poster boy for sin when she enters Professor Notte's class.

Dante, being a vampire, has seen it all and has been with hundreds of women and none of them has perplexed him or posed such a beautiful challenge as his little bookworm, Ariel Mathias. There's a woman waiting to be unlocked, but there is something else too about Ariel. Dante has vowed come hell or fang, he will unravel this mystery and this woman...if only she doesn't stake him first!

ONE DARK MISSION by Sara Gonzales

Sergeant Belinda Beckett United States Marine Corps. intends to complete her mission. Their is nothing that will stop her not in her life or her death. The mission taking her on a wild ride with dark and mysterious males. The question is are the males in question good or bad? Is she to hunt them as per her orders or will she fall in to her own trap?



THAT WHICH BINDS US by Denysé Bridger

Forever bound to her vampire maker and master, Jayelle Sinclaire has made a break for freedom. She recognizes the obsessive and sometimes twisted bonds that keep her heart and soul in a tangled love that is entwined with DuBois's past, because it was why he turned her-to keep her with him throughout eternity. to undo the mistake he'd made when he let her die in another time and place. Fate was not yet through with either of them, though, and other errors in judgement might yet destroy the ties that bind them. Then there is DuBois himself, and his penchant for destruction of all who love him.

So what are you waiting for? Lost To The Night is in E-book format and would be a great gift for the holidays. Kindle and most E-Readers will display not only the beautiful cover art by XOXO Publishing's very own Kayden Mcleod, also a featured author, but will also display the book in a professional format that will enhance your reading experience. Spice up the Yuletide Season as well as your Kindle with Lost To The Night, an XOXO Publishing Publication.

Exciting News!!!! Cursed Awakening Has Been Picked Up By XOXO Publshing and More! - Guardians of the Night and Other Stories by Nikki Noffsinger

Exciting News!!!! Cursed Awakening Has Been Picked Up By XOXO Publshing and More! - Guardians of the Night and Other Stories by Nikki Noffsinger

Awesome Ideas For Christmas Gifts For All Those Book Lovers With Kindles,Nooks, I-Readers, and Electronic Book Devices

If you have a friend who is just crazy about E-books, let me tell you that there are some awesome selections through XOXO Publishing that have several varieties available. Really great authors with awesome stories for affordable prices! Another great title to look up from an indie author, Sasha D. Oliver, is The Zodiac Chronicles: The Gifts. Sasha really has out done herself with this alternate take on vampires and she takes you on a really awesome roller coaster ride. So please check out XOXO Publishing's many titles as well as check out Sasha D. Oliver's The Zodiac Chronicles: The Gifts on sale with Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com. Both XOXO Publishing and Sasha can be found on Facebook as well! Come on, what are you waiting for! Your friends will thank you when they find how many great titles and authors you've exposed them to! Who knows, they might even snag you some goodies as well!

PLEASE SUPPORT RENEGADE NIGHT BY NIKKI NOFFSINGER ON FACEBOOK

Hi guys, I am going to ask all of you with a Facebook account to please....PLEEEASE follow the above link and find this picture-

which is my book cover for Renegade Night and click "Like". I know it means "Liking" Publish America-but BUT for just a short time they are offering a $250 cash prize to the book cover who gets the most likes. So for the duration of the contest, I'm asking for you to please "Like" Publish America so you can "Like" my book!

Thanksgiving And Wow...I Have A LOT to be Thankful For!

Since about five years ago, Thanksgiving and Christmas just haven't really done it for me. I provide for my kids and try to put on a brave face-but the two holidays had just really lost most of their meaning to me. It wasn't because I was ungrateful or not appreciative. I am very grateful for everything and those I have in my life. It's just been that some events had happened and circumstances that I had just grown really unenthusiastic about them. However, this year I have some things to be excited about! For starters, Cursed Awakening has been picked up by XOXO Publishing and unlike Publish America-they're a reputable company with great people who have added me to their team! I am so excited that I can't even put into words my feelings about it! Another thing I am very happy about is this year we'll be spending part of our Thanksgiving with friends. I also am really Thankful this year for all the great people I've gotten to meet. Some are fellow authors, some are accomplished authors and artists, musicians, and many are just people out there that are truly good people.

I am also Thankful for all my loved ones that I get to spend another year with. A person I have met on a social network was telling me about how this year is not going to be a very good year. This individual has MS and is going to have a rough time making ends meet-harder that usual. Money is very tight and they've exhausted all their resources,yet this person is persevering. I've seen a lot of hard times-I'm no stranger to them as most of us are, but this person really reminded me of what is important. I'm hoping that this person gets some help because they really need it. It's times like this when I wish I had the fortune of Bill Gates, because there are so many I wish I could help!

So when you're feeling down about all those trivial things that seem so big-just remember there is someone out there that maybe could use a hot meal, something warm, or some way to be able to keep their utilities on because of their fixed incomes. Our economy is in a real mess, or at least it is for the United States and there are more and more places throughout the world who are being affected. There are people who don't have homes, who have a child who is sick or a child they've had to say "good-bye" to, people who are missing their loved one who is overseas and can't be home, and 1000 other circumstances that we should be thankful we're not in. So I ask, as you get ready for your holiday meal or your Christmas Shopping-even if it's just something as small as putting some spare change in a Salvation Army bucket, or donating a blanket or clothing, or perhaps just providing a few toys to some needy children for the holidays-I ask that you do it! You'll be a better person because of it and you know what-you'll make someone's bleak holiday just a little brighter!

So if I don't see ya,talk to ya, or blog-Happy Thanksgiving and Season's Greetings!

The Bitter Winter

Faroh is becoming quite the character. I'm writing away for him and I've come to the conclusion-he's a pain in the butt! As I have often times said, I have always had stories running through my head and when I wrote the first book, for what I hope is a very good series that readers of this genre will love, I never thought I would write a character that turns out to be such a pain. Why is he such a pain? Well because he's basically your typical Fred Flintstone. He's an alpha male for sure. One of those, "Me hunt it, me kill it, me eat it, and wear the fur" kind of guy but and I stress BUT here, he's very intelligent(I know,I've written the perfect man and he's fiction)and there is a part of him that is tender underneath all that bravado and attitude. He's the type of guy that goes in, makes difficult decisions when he has to and doesn't regret them, he's a fighter and isn't afraid to get dirty, and he's someone that is constantly on the go because if he stayed anywhere too long he'd go insane.

Faroh's work ethic, I borrowed from my grandpa. My papow had that "Do a job right, and do it until it's done" kind of ethic. The rest of Faroh, I swear I couldn't tell you where I got all his bits and pieces from. Perhaps it was all those early GI Joe cartoons and the 100 times I have watched Braveheart. I was asked, "What makes him different than Alexi, the character from your first book?" Well there are a lot of things different. Alexi was cold in the beginning. He border lined a killer without comparison. He had so much self loathing that it had really taken over his whole life. He thought of nothing but everything he had lost and it had made him more of a killing machine than anything. Faroh is every bit as lethal in Bitter Winter,but he chose his path even though vengeance is still very much apart of him. Alexi's tragedy as a human broke him.

Faroh Maclean's character sprang from my enduring and first love of Highlander Romance stories. I fell in love with Julie Garwood and Lyndsay Sands tales of rugged Highlanders who lived for battle, their people, and had a sense of humor especially when it comes to the women that drive them beyond reason.

Mia Ohlson was created based purely on my love of history and museums. I also have Johanna Lindsey to thank for Mia as well, since many of her books were Viking Romances. I always loved her heroins more than I loved the big muscle bound heroes of her books. I also gave Mia a very complex set of issues she'll work through in Bitter Winter, something that I think many people will be able to follow. For Mia, she's beautiful and smart. Truly a duckling that turned to a swan with a brain but is under appreciated for it by those who should love her regardless but shun her for it. I am lucky because my family supported me, unlike Mia's. How many times have we heard the tale of the poor little rich girl who grows up in privileged yet is still a bird in a gilded cage? I hope you enjoy Mia as much as I had thinking her up! She really does have more than a brain, a pair of legs, and beauty. She is the very type of girl to stand someone like Faroh on his head and make him spin!


So my dedicated readers, friends, and followers-Stay tuned for Guardian of the Bitter Winter, coming soon!

BOYCOTT PUBLISH AMERICA NOW

I hate to say this, but at some point a person has to take a stand against wrong doing. You all know I published my book, Renegade Night with the vanity press Publish America. For the past 2 years I've been fighting to get my contract dissolved with them. I put in so much hard work with my book but I can no longer in good conscience keep promoting my book because of the recent news story covered by the Huffington Press, about Publish America publishing a children's book by a known serial killer. When I read the story it not only made me sick at my stomach, but it also infuriated me. What's next, a romance novel by a rapist or a children's book by a pedophile? This vanity press could care less-so I am asking everyone to please boycott Publish America. I am not asking that you discredit the hundreds of authors who like me, worked so very hard, but our reputations as credible authors hangs in the balance. Publish America shames us all with their lack of doing background checks in their acquisitions. He didn't write a book about his crime or his incarceration. He wrote a children's novel. Serial killers are not just your typical murderer-they're seriously mentally imbalanced. Remember, John Wayne Gacey was a clown that performed at Senior Citizen homes as well as other public functions. So for them to have even taken his manuscript is disturbing. Would you want your child having a book or having access to a children's story written by a Serial Killer? Here is the link to the news story:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/01/serial-killer-charles-kembo-book_n_1070290.html

All Things That Go Bump In The Night

One of my very favorite holidays is Halloween. I think as a little kid, it was the whole dressing up and getting a bag load of candy, but as I got older it was just well reflected my love for all things that go bump in the night! I can remember when I first fell in love with the Vampire genre. It was a Dracula movie starring Frank Langella. My mother was a huge horror movie buff(which now you can't get her to sit through one unless it's True Blood). I grew up watching Sammy Terry, Elvira, and Captain USA's Groovy Movies. I was a child of the 80s, so there was a lot of Stephen King. Me and my friend at the time, Cheryl, always was renting horror movies at the video store on Friday and Saturday nights-all the greats like Nightmare On Elm Street and Hellraiser. There were also the cult classics; B-movie genres such as: Hello Mary Lou, Prom Night 2, Slumber Party Massacre 1 and 2, Deadly Friend, Children Of The Night, The Blob, Night Of The Living Dead, and many more. In the 90's when Anne Rice's Interview With The Vampire came out on the big screen, I was there! I loooved the movie and Anne Rice at the time, was the who's who of the Vampire world. I loved her writing, even though her tales were filled with more woe than romance. It was then that I wrote a short story, not really based on any of her characters or the movie-but just a short story based on vampires. I never showed it to a soul other than my sister and to be honest-it was pretty flat. It wasn't even Twilight worthy. Two years ago, I took that short story and turned it into my first published novel, Renegade Night aka Guardian Of Night. My vampires don't sparkle or turn into mist or bats, but they do have substance. They depend on blood to live, they have all came from some sort of tragedy, they all have something both internal to fight against as well as a villian of evil to overpower. They're all seeking that bit of humanity and holding on to it. Since writing my book I've been lucky enough to find kindred souls who share my same love of all things that go bump in the night such as: Lyndsay Sands, Kerrilyn Sparks, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Denyse Bridger, JR Ward, Kathy Love, Shayla Black, Lora Leigh, and so many others. So make sure this Halloween, you treat your trick or treaters and you cozy up with a good scary movie to pay hommage to the one time of the year when you can be anyone or thing and don't forget to check out a great paranormal romance or horror story! Happy Halloween and a big shout out to all my Vamp friends and fans!

September 1999

I'm going to break from my usual blogging about books and writing. September 1999, my daughter was a Preschool student at Center Elementary. While she was adapting to schooling, little did I know I would meet a friend that would make such an impact on my life. I don't want to put down the few others that I have considered my Best Friend-they all are unique and special to me, but Chasity McKnight was the first person I ever encountered that was on the same wave length as me. We were more like sisters. We liked crafting, we loved the same types of movies(except I love horror movies and she hated them), most music we could compromise on(although she nearly killed me with the Toby Keith), we both were raised by grandparents, raised in church, and were ready for whatever adventure struck us! We were two ADD peas in a pod! Actually it was why we gave eachother the nicknames "Peas" and "Carrots". I was the red head so of course you can figure which one of us was "Carrots". We talked about the future alot. When our girls were old enough, we wanted to go on one of those Mother/Daughter road trips and when our kids were out of school and grown, we had planned on celebrating our "independence", however she never would go for seeing Chippendales with me in Vegas, but I often brought the idea up. When she moved to Bluffton, my biggest regret is that I never did go to see her. I had a bad car that kept over heating and the one time I did manage to try to get up there, my car overheated and my dad had to help me get it back home. I got preggers in 2004 and had a baby boy in 2005, and she was all into being "Aunt Chassie" to him. My grandpa died before my son was a year old, and I won't go into the grief that hit me with his loss, but she was right there with me! She never let a day pass where she didn't call me 100 times and at the funeral she was there with those loving arms. September 19th, it was a morning like any other. I was up trying to get Olivia off to school plus changing diapers and giving my son his morning feeding. He didn't sleep well since he had refux.Like clockwork, the phone rang, and it was Chasity-for our every day morning chats. She was having a tree in their yard removed and I was trying to keep from yawning-not from boredom but from lack of sleep. Olivia went off to meet the bus and I was still on the phone. We talked a little bit longer and had made plans to meet that weekend. I had recently taken up being an assistant troop leader, and she had some things to give me plus we hadn't seen eachother in awhile. She could hear the weariness in my voice and I promised her I would call her later. Later never came. She went out to her back porch to take pictures of the tree and the men cutting it down. At 3p.m. I got a call from her sister and I swear when she told me Chasity had been killed, I actually thought I was being pranked. I had to turn it on the news and there it was. My chest locked up-I couldn't breathe for the tears that were bursting forth and the immediate grief that was ripping from my chest. I called my husband at work, who still had an hour to go on the clock and I couldn't even speak-I was hysterical. He of course came home. For the next few days I couldn't stop crying and then the day came of her wake at a funeral home in Bluffton. I couldn't stop shaking. I felt dizzy and sick all at the same time. I entered and there was her family-her church all surrounding her husband and children with so much love and support. Her sister was one of the first people to grab me up and hug me. I couldn't stop from breaking down when Kena grabbed hold of me. I didn't want to break down-not in front of her children who had lost their mother. However, I couldn't help it. I just put my hand over my mouth to stop myself from wailing aloud. My husband got me to the refreshment room and got me sat down. It hadn't been but 8 months since I had lost my papow and now I had lost my best friend. Was I on God's bad side or something? I couldn't think of anything particular that I had done to offend him. People would tell me, "Well God only takes the good ones" or "It was God's plan, we don't always know the 'why', but it was his plan for her to rejoin him in heaven" and while that should have made me feel better it didn't. I kept thinking about her children-because Chasity was hung over the moon for her babies. They meant the world to her and nothing was as important as her relationships with them. There was not a day that went by when she didn't talk about what miracles they were and she was so very proud of them. Now, their lives were changed because of a freak accident. I kept thinking, "Why God, why? Why would you allow such a thing?" I still don't know if I've ever made my peace with God over that one but what I will tell you that lives are finite. They aren't meant to last forever, and you should never take anything in life for granted! Tell your loved ones how much you love them, let your friends know how much they mean to you, and don't forget to let your children know how much you love them throught he good, bad, and grape jelly stains on their shirts! Make time to visit your friends and loved ones-take the time to call them. If you've had something that has put a strain on your friendship-then fix it! Admit wrong, swallow pride-because once someone is gone-there is no second chance! Me and Chasity never did argue about anything. I don't remember ever being mad at her-ever! I have had tiff's with other dear friends-tiff's that seem so trivial and if I haven't made it up to them, then it's on my short list of things to do! Tomorrow, Chasity D. Mcknight will have been gone 5 years and more than ever I still miss her and grieve her passing! I also am grateful for the years we were friends and what she brought to my life! I hope I can be half the person she was in life to my own loved ones and friends! Well, without the Toby Keith.

UPDATES!!!!!! Exciting Things Around The Corner!!!!

I am so happy to announce some new and exciting things! First off, I along with Denyse Bridger, Kayden McLeod,Brigit Aine, and Sara Gonzales in November will have a collection of stories in a series called "Lost To The Night" published online by XOXO Publishing!

http://www.xoxopublishing.com

The second exciting bit of news is that on my website: www.thesupernaturalworldofnikkinoffsing/weebly.com I have part one of a haunting story-it's not a romance, but with Halloween coming up I intend on sharing some chills and thrills. Part 2 will be posted shortly! I also want to hear of your ghost stories and things that give you the chills on my webpage.

If you haven't already-Go to www.amazon.com or www.barnesandnoble.com and get The Zodiac Chronicles:The Gifts By Sasha D. Oliver available for E-book format. Coming soon will be it's sequel. Sooo can't wait and The Gifts is an awesome read! You can find Sasha as well as many others on Facebook and at

http://denysebridger.com/

http://www.brigitsworld.com/

http://www.nancybaker.ca/index.php

http://cindyjacks.com/default.aspx

http://www.trentkinsey.com/

http://www.kaydenmcleod.com/

http://www.lucymonroe.com/



And be sure to visit:

http://www.sensualtreats.webs.com/


For those of you out there that are writing-keep writing, keep dreaming, and keep telling those stories!

When the Heart Is Heavy With Hurt...the Story Gets Put On Hold

A few weeks ago, I was informed my uncle was diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. It was a kick to the gut for sure. Some say,"Well it's just an uncle and a great uncle at that", but to me he's not just another relative who has hit his senior years. To me, my uncle JC and Aunt Jean was every bit a huge part of my growing up and life. Many of you know, I was raised by my grandparents and since my Aunt Jean was my grandma's sister and my Uncle JC was my papow's nephew-there were ALOT of functions we often did together. We all went to the same church, papow and uncle JC for many many years worked at the same GM plant here in Marion, there were dinners and summer evenings spent at their home or they at ours, and the list of memories goes on. My uncle JC taught Sunday School, played guitar and was musically inclined with many other musical instruments, sang, and was a true craftsman when it came to wood working after his stroke which left him unable to speak and his left side paralyzed. My uncle JC was not going to not walk, and little by little he got to where he could walk and often took leisurely walks. The greatest loss though was his speech. He's 83 now and has been given 3 months to live. My heart is breaking and the tears won't seem to stop! I know death comes to us all-our human lives are finite! No one lives forever, but it just seems as if 83 years is just not enough! I can't stop the "Why" and "How Come". Those are answers I will never know. My grief and sadness is nothing compared to what my Aunt Jean and their sons are going through-what their grandchildren must be going through. I guess another reason why it hits so hard is because he and my grandfather were more like brothers. They had grown up with eachother and both married sisters. When my papow was lying in that hospital bed, 6 years ago-it was my Uncle JC who stood beside me and held my hand with his right one. It was hurting him too. They were so much alike in their kindness and loving ways as well as being loving parents. I remember before he was unable to do his woodworking-he built my daughter a toy box for her 2nd birthday. I still have it and it holds my son's toys. So many memories and they're all precious to me and they'll be what we'll all have when he's no longer here but that doesn't lighten the heart and it doesn't take away the hurt. So right now everything is on hold. It's as if my creative juices with the stories I've been working on have frozen. So I guess what I can say-and I know it's cliche-If you have someone dear to you-make sure you go to them and tell them what they mean to you and hug them because once they're gone-that's it. Thanks for putting up with me today-and I hope to get back to posting about books, writing, movies, and other things soon.

To Share or Not To Share That is the Question

Who hasn't downloaded music? Who hasn't downloaded a movie or television show? We've all done it-well most of us have any how. Some argue that if it's on the information super highway-then it's free information since the internet is a compilation of freeware and shareware. I can see both sides of the argument. Our economy is crap, and we're all feeling the financial pinch especially when it comes to things that entertain us such as movies, music, books, etc., but knowing how bad the economy is should we still be downloading without paying?

As an author, it has put me in shock literally shock at all the book stores that are closing. This year alone, one of the nation's biggest book chains, Borders is closing its stores. Internet Shopping giant, Amazon.com,is having a negative impact to artists and authors. It's like taking a picturesque town where mom and pop shops have done buisness for years and provides it's citizens with shopping opportunities and a more personal experience and then bringing in Walmart. Soon you're driving down Main Street and all you see are "FOR LEASE", "SPACE FOR RENT", "GOING OUT OF BUISNESS" and nothing against Walmart but how did Walmart benefit these people? Sure it has provided jobs, but it also helped to deep sea six the very heart of the community that it came to. Amazon is doing the same thing to an extent. They moved in, and like Walmart-they're sucking up all the space because of what they can offer. Many of their products are high quality products, and they have a pretty good thing going on. I won't harsh on them for that-but sometimes you just have to support your local ya'know. For the greater good, you gotta shop local. I go to Walmart, but I also patron my mom and pop stores and places of buisness. Amazon and Walmart are not going to go out of buisness just because you limit your shopping there. Actually it will help the economy because that is less people that are going to have to drive their prices up for those who can't shop at these places, will help the community, and help you in general. That's at least how I see it. Again, I see the argument-I see all sides of it. The pro's the con's, and I get it! I GET IT, but please think before you download. Sure we've all seen artists that have been really successful and live in the big house and have the car collection-but half that has been from years and years of work. Some of that is from endorsements. Most musicians make their money from tours and concerts. Authors-we don't get world tours and concerts. A successful author such as Sherrilyn Kenyon, James Patterson, or even Stephen King might get a US tour maybe MAAAYBE if they're lucky their publishers will send them over seas to a few places-but there's no money-they're just promoting their book. I went to a Sherrilyn Kenyon signing last year, and Borders was selling her books of course but Mrs.Kenyon and Diana Love was GIVING stuff away in the line of t-shirts, posters, and other small things that were promoting their books. I don't recall the book store handing Mrs.Kenyon a check. I don't recall her sitting at a table with a tip jar. So what I am saying-it all has a trickle down effect. So just think before you download is all I am trying to say. No judgement here-because we've all done it. I believe the Internet is a wondeful thing-duh, but so was fire for early man and we have seen just how destructive it can be despite it's wonder. It has to be treated with care and respect or it can become a wildfire destorying everything in its path. I don't want to see an end to books or music. I don't want to have to think that the only way I could ever hear my favorite band is by hoping they'll come to my city or state and buying a concert ticket because they can't afford to put out anymore albums because there's no money to be made. I know many of you will disagree, and I accept your critisism, but remember we're all humans in this world and we all want survive here and enjoy what lives we've been given.

Books and Movies for August-September 2011

Sorry I've been a little lax here in my book and movie reviews. The summer has just flown by and I'm wondering where it went! I've been busy writing writing writing! So in what little spare time I have had, here are the movies and books to either watch for or pass on by!


Movies

There have been a lot of rentals and Netflix let me tell ya.


1.Inheritance-this was a Netflix movie and let me say-the 3 stars was a gross exaggeration! This movie sounded interesting but fell short of the glory of being called a great scary movie!I appreciated the African-American lore, but the effects and overall story just went from interesting to blah. Unless you are extremely bored-I recommend nixing this one.


2. Priest-This movie totally rawked! For all my comic-manga fans this movie was a great adaptation from the comic-manga series! It stars Matthew Betthany as Priest and has Billy Burke, who you might recognize as Bella's father in the Twilight Saga. I won't ruin the movie by telling you which side he plays for, but the movie visually and story wise is well worth the New Release price! Heck it was worth the movie ticket.

3.Madea's Big Happy Family-another great from Tyler Perry. This movie will make you laugh until you cry and has Tyler's flair for putting a message or two in there. Great movie even with it's pulling at the heart strings.

4.Beaver-This movie stars Jodie Foster(one of my all time faves) and Mel Gibson. Mel plays a man who is suffering from massive depression which has left him displaced and dispondent from his family until he finds a Beaver hand puppet in a dumpster. In the beginning, you will chuckle and rejoice as with Beaver he is getting himself together, but when it's time to choose real life and his family over Beaver-it's not so easy. I really can't say as I really liked this movie. It made me chuckle in places, and it did bring light to the plight of depression-but all in all this movie just made me want to throw the DVD player out the window and listen to complaint rock. Unless you are a huuuge Mel or Jodi fan and you can't live unless you have seen every movie either have done-pass this one by.


Books

1.Dragonfire Whisper Kiss by Deborah Cooke is an excellent read especially if you have been following the Dragonfire books. Niall is a dragon shifter; a Pyr, and he's been given the task of training a way ward Pyr who has never really been taught to embrace his Pyr side. What Niall doesn't count on is his firestorm happening in the middle of chaos with a pretty chaotic woman named Rox. Rox is a true spit fire and is tough as nails, at least on the outside. Though Niall fights the draw of mating, he can't help but fall for Rox even with her tough exterior and secrets. In the mix you have an ancient battle with Slayers who are gunning for Niall and Rox as well as the other Pyr. This book was awesome! Totally loved it and recommend it!


2.Dragonfire: Dark Fire Kiss by Deborah Cooke

This is the dragon we've all been waiting to read about, Rafferty. Rafferty has issued a deadly challenge to his nemesis, Magnus. During a battle, a reporter, Melissa happens to get caught up in Rafferty's world. He's waited 11,000 years for his own firestorm, but what he doesn't count on is the Darkfire. Melissa lives in the real world and when she's thrust into the world of the Pyr and Slayer her world is shaken upside down along with the fabled Darkfire. It will either consume them both or bring them closer but Magnus is waiting in the wings for his final battle with Rafferty. The book was awesome and thrilling! I loved it and recommend it.

Publish America-yeah we're back to that again. Please Read!

We have established that Publish America LLC. of Franklin,Maryland is not only an author mill but a predator as well. Short of selling your soul to the devil or stealing your first born to give to Rumplestilskin, there aren't too many lows to which they will not go in order to suck the ever living life out of your hard work and dreams. I wonder how my favorite painters, Dali and Degas would have felt if the places where they pitched their paintings to would have said, "We'll only sell your artwork if you let us bastardize your reputation and rob what coin you have in your pockets." That is exactly what Publish America has done to all of us writers and authors. When I wrote my book and submitted it to them and signed their contract, I wasn't motivated by royalties, I was more motivated that I had written a book, a story that people would enjoy reading and be known for my accomplishments. It is no different than a person who becomes a doctor who studies and wants to have a reputation as a good doctor or surgeon. It's no different than anyone who wants to be successful at something-anything. I have begged for my contract to be closed and I have written and called Maryland's State Attorney General's office as well as the BBB of Maryland to no avail. They stay just on the edge of where they're within the law. Publish America is a very good example of "Let the Buyer Beware!" They are worse than a shoddy used car salesman! The latest farce is that they promised for just $49, that not only will your book be given to world famous author, J.K. Rowling, but you will also be represented in the Edinborough Book Fair. If you buy X amount of your books(and if you check http://www.publishamerica.com, you'll find out soft cover books are horribly over priced-mine in soft cover is $35.99) you can also be represented at the Frankfort Book Fair in Germany. For a nominal fee Costco, Wal-Mart, and Sam's Club's book buyers will be contacted to carry your book. For one, a publisher should want to get their writers as much exposure as possible and wouldn't ask writers to pay fees to get their books promoted. When you contact Publish America they send out condescending tone letters. I've had my fair share of them and I'm sick of them really. So I want each of you who see and read this to get the word out on your blogs,websites, Twitter, and other social networks to get the word out that Publish America LLC of Franklin, MD is a fraud and a parasite. Perhaps if no one feeds into their scams, someone's dream and pocket book won't be taken advantage of like so many others, including me. If we can stop people from signing contracts with Publish America then we can keep them from making money. If you are a Publish America author-save your E-mails. Any offer they make is false-no celebrity nor author who is already a well known published writer such as Nora Roberts, James Patterson, J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, or etc., is going to read or endorse your book! They are under agreements and contracts with their own publishing houses as well as they're busy-they don't have the time to read books when they have their writing and scores of fans. Why would a publishing house like Random or Little Brown want their authors like Stephanie Meyer and Dan Brown(Davinci Code series)want their authors reading for another lesser known publishing house like Publish America who hasn't had one author make it into the big time? I know on their site they have a woman whose book was made into a movie for the Hallmark Channel-which if you do a little digging-the Hallmark Channel and Lifetime Networks have never heard of the woman or her book. My advice is when you write something, go through the proper channels. All great authors had to pay their dues and had to face rejection and had to fine tune their books.Do your research and really really do your homework on a publisher. Join author blogs and ask questions. Visit places like:Author's Den, Absolute Write, and Writer's Beware. If you're on social networks, look up your favorite author and ask questions-you may not get a quick response but most of them will answer questions when they can. I wish I had done that but I was green and naieve. DO NOT SIGN WITH PUBLISH AMERICA AND IF YOU ALREADY HAVE AND ARE IN THE SPOT I AM IN, LET'S STAND UP TOGETHER-THERE IS STRENGH IN NUMBERS! DO NOT BUY INTO THEIR HYPE AND OFFERS!

Let's take it back to 1989

Last night I found out with the rest of the world that Jani Lane of Warrant had been found dead at 47. Been a teenager in '89 and '94 for me was really a musical awakening of sorts. I was really really really into the hard rock-metal scene*back then Glam Rock was something that was left in the seventies with Ziggy Stardust and the NY Dolls*. I can remember the first video I saw of Warrant, "Down Boys" and it was on Hard 30 hosted by Adam Curry(the guy who just tried waaay to hard to be hardcore and had chic hair). Yeah, I know it was back when MTV "used" to play music videos. Next it was their "Heaven" and "Sometimes She Cries" and I was hooked on Warrant! I bought every single and eventually got the albums, t-shirts, fan club memberships, Metal Edge Magazines so I could rip their pictures out and plaster them on my walls, concert videos(hey it was the closest I was going to come to seeing a concert), and anything else I could find with Warrant. I drooled over Jani Lane and Eric-Jerry was hot too, but for some reason the eyebrows were an issue. I finally understood why so many women worshipped Elvis because I totally worshipped Warrant. I dreamed about going to the concerts and had even pledged my virginity-yeah I was young and my hormones were out of whack-sue me. A few years back, Jani was on Celebrity Fit Club and then on Sober House. I know everyone gets old-we all are going to age but I just about died when I saw the shape he was in-mentally and physically. I was happy when I saw him on a later show where he seemed to be keeping his life in check and was being healthy. Then last year his name crossed my Twitter as being arrested for DUI. Now, I get that he's been found dead. It's sad-too many years of hard living and addictions had finally called in their due. I will always remember the hot blonde guy with eyes that were as blue as the sky and that voice of his making all us rocker chicks drool. I'll remember the voice and the talent that he had so much of. I'll also remember that he leaves behind 4 children that he should have been around for. I'll remember that addiction is every bit as a killer as cancer is and if we don't step it up and take notice, there's going to be more than just Jani Lane and Amy Winehouse that are going to end dead. Rest In Peace Jani Lane.

THE FIGHT FOR SUPREMACY AND FAROH WON!

I know I said that Dash from my book, Renegade Night was next in line and I had begun his story but a funny thing happened on the way to the French Quarter, Faroh-one of my other Gurdians decided he wanted to be the next in line. So, graciously with few whimpers-Dash has bowed out and gave up the spot to Faroh. What can you expect from Faroh, you might ask well here's the basic synopsis.


Faroh for centuries has been looking for the sword that was once belonged to his father. Faroh and his clan were attacked centuries ago by Vikings. Faroh had been enslaved by the Viking Queen and as he watched as his village burned and all that he had loved was slaughtered, he vowed his vengence. Fate would put that mission off for several centuries and as luck would have it Vikings are long gone. Putting his duties as a guardian aside, he has finally found in the heart of Scandanavia, his father's sword and it's his for the taking except for one problem: A woman who is bent on making his task next to impossible.

Mia Ohlson has one mission and that is to discover who the tall stranger is that she's found late one night roaming the halls of the museum she works in. There's something off about him and she's not buying that he's a new security personnel. She's not about to be intimidated by the handsome and feral looking stranger! Her ancestors was one of the most feared tribes of people and she was a descendant from one of the most powerful Queens to ever rule.

Faroh's desire for his father's sword is only equal to his desire for Mia, but when he finds out the truth about her, will he be able to put aside his bitterness and quest for vengence or will they both be consumed by the fires that seek to end the Bitter Winter.

Publish America: The True Story of American FRAUD

My PA peeps-you already know what I'm going to jump into here. The latest mailers from my publisher have been: YOU AND HARRY POTTER, YOUR BOOK HITTING TARGET STORES, and my favorite...YOUR BOOK FINALLY HITTING BOOKSTANDS IN GERMANY AND JAPAN.

Sounds gravy, doesn't it? Well if you read these mailers they basically all say they will do little of nothing to make good on their fraud-tastic mailers if we(the authors) pay a fee. If you want your book in Spanish,French, German...they'll do it for a fee. Now if this is a pay on demand(which means you pay and they get your book printed up and shipped out) why would we have to pay extra for a translation? Why would we have to pay extra for our books being made into E-formats? Why should WE HAVE TO PAY ANYTHING TO THESE PUBLISHERS? Why since none of us have been buying into these offers and no one is buying our books because of Publish America's overpriced cover price-then why wouldn't they want to let us out of our contracts since we're not making money? My guess is they feel we'll crack. We'll starve ourselves and our families just to buy into one of their offers that aren't going to yield any results at all. What I do wish is that I had the money myself to go to one of these book conventions just to see the "love" for Publish America. I mean they say they are there for us if we want to secure a space or buy x amount of copies of our own books to sell to vendors all over the world-I'm thinking that they must have one of the biggest booths at these events. Heck I even bet they got some politician kissing babies seeing as the State of Maryland can't seem to find anything wrong with the way they are conducting buisness. I bet they even have the sponsorship of the Slick Willy Attorney Services that hands out pencils and post it notes. They probably even go as far to have someone wearing a Nora Roberts Mask to wave at people as they walk on by. I mean didn't they promise that if we paid x amount of money that Nora Roberts as well as John Grisham would endorse our books? The mighty James Cameron's film company would be sent a manuscript of our books to make into movies? I mean what's Avatar compared to our books anyhow, for Publish America, I'm sure James Cameron would be willing to drop Avatar in a heartbeat! If you're buyin what they're sellin, then let me show you some swamp property.

CURSED AWAKENING BOOK TRAILER 1 IS UP!

Well after much anticipated wait-Cursed Awakening's book trailer has been made. This is only the first sneak peek so be sure you visit, rate, comment, and subscribe! Cursed Awakening is about a young woman who for years endured the hardships and horrors of growing up in a religious cult. I think I've said it more than once that a book I read about a woman who had fled Warren Jeff's LDS's clutches had inspired the character of Ivy or at least her story. I AM IN NO WAY PUTTING DOWN ANY RELIGION but I am against Cults. Nyx is my first ever shifter story. He and his family guard the Native American Reservation next to their home and have for decades. An ancient evil, The Chupacabra, which is not the rodent looking monster we've all seen in stories-but more like a 7ft tall hulking bunch of nasty scary mess that are the things that inspire nightmares. However, this ancient Evil that had been confined for so many years hasn't by chance just ended up in Nyx's neck of the woods-no they were summoned by someone-perhaps someone in town, the Res, or even in one of the many Wolf Clans-no one knows other than there is a traitor among them somewhere. Ivy isn't looking for love and it's dangerous for Nyx to get mixed up with with a woman that isn't like him-a shifter. They come from such opposite ends of the world and yet here they are! I didn't want Ivy to forever be the victim here, however throughout the story you'll be taking a journey with Ivy. That journey poses a question or two: Can you be so hurt and scarred that normalcy doesn't exist? Where does one find inner strength and confidence?

Ivy is one of my favorite heroines I have written so far just because she's had this really horrific past and she's not ready to give up. She doesn't just pop right out and say: "Okay I've found a man and now I'm perfect!" For Ivy, she's had to confront her own demons and has had to come this far on her own without solely depending on a miracle to fix it. Her close friend and Nyx both help her along the way but ultimately it's Ivy who has to find her backbone and stand on her own two feet!

Writing Cursed Awakening was a new adventure for me and I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I had writing it! I will post a snippet here soon as well as a link when it's published!

So stay tuned! More to come!

Writers A.D.D

You've heard of writer's block, well I've had that but I also have Writer's A.D.D. Folks here lately I have had so many ideas that distract me from one story that I have to write them down and before I know it, I'm mid way through yet another. Don't fret, for those of you waiting for Dashell Baptiste's story, the second in the Renegade Night Series, don't worry I'm still working on our guy Dash. I will disclose this-Dash is not having as much fun working his old home town of New Orleans, a city he's avoided like the plague since leaving before the city of New Orleans was even given a name. To complicate matters, he's met the most confusing and frightening woman that knows her way around a shot gun. Holly recently aquired the old Baptiste property from her great uncle and she's not handing it over to the bank or the local historical society-this is her chance to make it on her own, even though her mother is dead set against it. She doesn't know quite what to think of the hunky and arrogant man that just so happened to pull up in a Jag, but if he steps one foot out of line, Smith and Wesson will definitely put a damper on his day! To quote the great Bruce Campbell, "I've got my boomstick!" and Holly isn't afraid to use it! Plus there's a Renegade on the loose but there's more to the story, Dash just has to figure it out and not to worry you'll be seeing your favorite couple, Alexi and Lainey in Dash's story as well as the mysterious Faroh.

Back to the A.D.D., I have the story of Nia, who in her day was a Courtisan in Renaissance Venice, and was almost as popular as the famed Veronica De Franco. Like De Franco, Nia was of lowly birth with a mother of whom was a Courtesan, and no marriage contract-she had the choice of a Convent or the life of a Courtesan to make a living. Being pushed and educated in the life of an Italian Courtesan, she's determined to make the best of the hand dealt her. Then one night at party given at the Doge's palace, she meets a man who despite his finery, has a wild look about him. In that single moment fate has yet dealt her another hand. Fate would also take her away from the man who has not only changed her stars yet again, but she would endure trials unlike anything she's ever conceived of before and both of them will not only war against one another but will have to over come the past for the battle with ultimate evil in the present day. Then my A.D.D. has taken a different turn, because one night I found myself inspired by none other than Skype. Lyric Andrews is just a young woman trying to work her way to something better. She works at a night club called, Dark Side. During the day she attends a few classes at the community college but Lyric is special-Lyric is telepathic. Although she's not indulged in her "curse" as she views it in years, but one night a lonely voice touches her mind-a soul that is filled with such sadness that she can't ignore it. The voice is connected to a vampire named Adrian who lives in Italy, and Adrian has grown weary of his eternal gift and has made plans to walk out and greet the sunlight. Not knowing what Adrian is, Lyric reaches out to him and just her simple act of kindness starts a friendship that not only takes Adrian's mind off his solitude and his life, but gives him something to look forward to. Their friendship develops and he's agreed to come for a visit. Meanwhile, something is going on in the small city where Lyric lives, there's been a series of unexplained and violent murders that have occured and for some reason her boss Delilah and her security/bartender, Roc are more than on edge.

The A.D.D didn't stop there because while I finished Cursed Awakening(tenative title), my first shifter story, I found myself writing another one. Shyloh Peters is a Leukemia survivor and her two friends Julie and Trina have taken her on a vacation to see Scotland and Ireland. Deacon MacCray is on the run from scientists and a government lab in Russia. It's taken years for him to get his freedom, but a chance encounter with Shyloh bounds him in ways he never thought possible, but can she take a chance? Can he risk putting her in danger of not just what he's running from but from himself? Well you'll just have to wait and see where my A.D.D. takes me.

Writing for me, as I have said many times, is a passion and I get inspired by the weirdest things and before I know it, there's a story playing out in my head. What stories are in your head? Write them down and see where they take you! We only get one life and who knows, there could be a best seller there! The world is always in demand for new stories! So take a chance, take a roll of the dice-write it down! Let's all get a case of Writer's A.D.D.!

Starting off the Summer Reading Challenge

Well I started off the Summer Reading Challenge that I issued to all of you with these books:


Sex and the Single Vampire by Katie MacAllister

I didn't enjoy this one much and it was hard to really get through. It is written in the first person narrative. There were parts of the book that were engaging, but again it just kind of flopped for me. Allegra Tellsford is in London as a Summoner-trying to get proof for her employer that she can summon ghosts. She's a former battered wife and has a limp. The last thing she's expecting is love, and when she meets up with this vampire, Christian Dante, love is the last thing on her agenda. That part of the book was pretty good and the snappy comebacks between those two characters is pretty funny and interesting, however-the rest of the book was just kind of bland. Maybe it was that the story was in the first person, but I've read others in that format and liked them-but still this book lacked something.

The Zodiac Chronicles: The Gifts by Sasha D. Oliver

This E-book was awesome! It really was and the only critical thing I can say is that it was over too quickly! The vampires in this book are identified by their Astrological sign as to what house they belong to. Each of them has their own strenghs and weaknesses. Jennifer Matthews: House of Leo-she is the love interest of our main hero, Max Kincaide-who is from the House of Sagitarius. However their love has many obstacles. Max fell in love with Jennifer who was dying of cancer, and when he could no longer bear to see her leave this life, he had her brought across but instead of falling head over heels for Max and being happy for what he done to her-she flew into a fit of rage which tore their fragile relationship apart and now in this book-they're struggling against all the odds to get it back. Other players involve a techno-geek that is quirky named Shaw Rourke who is a Capricorn, Ramey Gilbert-Ares-who is naturally a warrior and an empath. Brother and sister team: Ruby and Marco De Soto who are from the house of Taurus-which represents strength and patience and stubborness, and Emily Kincaide who is Max's ghost sister, and so far it's not known how she met her demise and she gives cryptic clues and random appearances. The villian in all this is Max's uncle. Max is not your average vampire love struck dude either. He may not be an Ares, but he is volitile and he can read and control minds. All in all this is an awesome book to add to your E-book library.


3. The complete Larisssa Ione Demonica Series and 1st Horseman book:

There are just too many to name individually but let me say these books are really quite awesome. They have great heroes, even if they are sex demons and really nasty villans. The imagery is well written and each of the books have really strong emotion and plot points. So if you've not discovered Larissa Ione-do it! You owe it to yourself!

4. Hide and Secret by Denyse Bridger

If you love historical romance as much as I do, then this is a must for your E-Book collection! Hide and Secret is about a relationship seen through the eyes of Bella who has been in love despite how society would view their relationship-with Quinn, a wealthy aristocrat who has to marry well. Can Bella handle being the "other woman", will Quinn be able to give up his heart? Will he be able to marry his childhood sweetheart that he was betrothed to since he was a young child for a woman who makes his blood boil and his passion flame? Well...I'm not going to tell you-you'll have to find out for yourself!


Okay to get the two E-books here are links where they can be purchased from:

http://www.jasminejade.com/p-9160-hide-and-secret.aspx
Hide and Secret by Denyse Bridger

http://www.amazon.com/Zodiac-Chronicles-Gifts-ebook/dp/B004OR1K9K

The Zodiac Chronicles: The Gifts by Sasha D. Oliver

Grand Whiskey's Essay Submission that was selected

Firefly Moments:
A Reflection

By

Nikki Noffsinger


“There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” Elizabeth Lawrence


When I think about those early years, when mind consciously has memory, I think of summer. I think for a lot of people that is how they see their childhoods in bright shades of summer. I remember mine in shades of emerald sunkissed greens, yellows and oranges, and the spectrum of the rainbow. That is not to say that my childhood was perfect-it wasn't. I remember being lonely even though I had two grandparents that doted on me and loved me as fierce as a wild wind. I never knew anything was wrong with my life. I knew people lived differently, but to me my home-my way of life was normal. My grandpa, who I called lovinging, "Papow" was the magic man. No matter how many skinned knees, nightmares, hurt feelings, or when I would be sick, he could make it all go away with something as simple as just being there. My grandma, I called "Mamow", it was my word for "mother" for her. She was sweet and loving, and everything I learned about grace, beauty, and embracing love came from her.
My grandparents worked harder than I ever knew, and whatever financial problems or storms that blew, I never knew about them. I was free in that respect, because I never knew about harsh words, torment, poverty, or the ugliness that the world held. They were my eternal sun and blue skies. They were Christians who instilled in me values and morals, some of which I still hold dear and some I've wrestled with and continue to do so. They're ever endearing hopes,dreams, and beliefs never failed with me or my sister. They chased as many shadows away that they could.

When I first comprehended hurt, it was not by the school yard bully even though there would be many throughout my life, it was from someone who was supposed to love and cherish me. It was also the first time that I realized I was different from other children. I grew up in a time when traditional families were still the majority. It shattered my Leave it to Beaver, The Waltons, and Little House on the Prarie thought processes. My father, my biological father, was not there and it made me question, "Why". Why wouldn't he want to be in my life everyday? Why, would he want to live so far away? Didn't I deserve to have a father to show up at school plays, church programs, and regular parent-child activities and occasions? Wouldn't he want to be there for my birthdays? What was wrong with me? It was those thoughts that would stick with me and would affect my life and how I would be towards my own children. I used to pretend that he lived right next door and would come and see me everyday. I could lose myself in imagination that somewhere, he was off trying to get to me-perhaps fighting a dragon or thwarting evil somewhere. Perhaps he was Clark Kent and he had just misplaced his Superman cape. There was a small tear inside my heart that grew to a hole.
My biological father, is not a bad man. I don't want to give that impression. Clearly, he wasn't able to provide me with what I needed, but it didn't make me miss him any less. He was not an abusive man or a man who was hard when it came to emotions. He was just the opposite. My biological father was a man who was capable of great feeling and a lot of love, but his own demons and suffering took presidence over the things and even the people that should have came first. It took me a long time to make peace with that. It was a hard long road to get over the broken promises that would crush me and his absence in my life. I had to accept him just as he is-I had to accept that he had limitations and those were his not mine. I had done nothing wrong, and blaming myself would not change that fact. I had to forgive and that forgiveness was not easy to give. I had never been one, even as a child, to hold grudges, be hateful, or angry-but I was towards him and it was poisoning me. I had to let it go-every single bit of it and accept he loved me in the best way he could. The biggest instruments that helped that was the fact that since I was a young child, my aunt-his sister, had been there where he could not. My aunt Debbie along with her and my father's mother and my grandma Betty, had kept the best part of him for me.
My aunt Debra Harris inspired me to work hard at whatever it was that I loved and she exposed me to so much! She took me to movies, exposed me to art and literature since she was such an avid reader and articulate woman, circus, and pretty much activities that her own children took part in-she took me as well. My aunt Deb gave 110 percent in everything she did whether it was working a job that most men couldn't do, raising her children, wife, daughter, friend, sister, and aunt-she put her whole heart into it. I learned from my Aunt Deb that strength comes from within and that even though life is hard and most times unfair-you have to work hard and love much through it. The storms that woman has weathered would have left many bleeding in the streets or given up-but she's weathered them and fought with a vengence. Her fighting spirit and her intelligence knows few limits. She along with the spit fire that was my Grandma Betty, are the very reasons why I was able to forgive my father and why I abide him the love I have for him. I could have become a very bitter child and adolescent and even adult had it not been the combined efforts of her, my grandma Betty, my mamow and papow. I wanted to be like my aunt Debbie, when I was a child and those are pretty big shoes to fill that even now I've not done anything other than mill about at the foot of the mountain. The love I have for her, is unsurpassed. The adoration I have for her-there is no comparisson. My grandma Betty, though she is gone now, was a strong woman as well and so very talented. I come from pretty good stock you could say.

One of my favorite memories of my mother, was when I was around twelve or thirteen years old. She lived in an upstairs apartment and that summer was brutal in that apartment where she only had a few fans. We'd spent the day taking turns taking cold showers and baths to beat the heat. My mom and I were the only ones up in the wee hours of the morning, when it was still dark outside, watching The Big Chill. During the movie, Van Morrison's, Into the Mystic was playing. My mom for no reason at all got up and pulled me up with her and she twirled me around and I had one of my first dance lessons. I can remember the laughter in her green eyes, the sway of her hips, the way her skin still smelled like Panama Jack tanning oil from where she'd laid out earlier, and her blonde hair swung as she moved. My mother was born in Ohio and had never been to California, but when the Beach Boys wrote their song about California girls-they had to had my mother in their minds; she was the epitome of summer beauty and youth in that moment.
I don't remember too much strife with my mother. She was always there in some form or another, but other than a collection of moments she was never the overly emotional type. She didn't dote on any of us-not like mamow and papow did anyhow. It was always said that the heartbreaking failed relationship between her and my biological father was to blame. She had loved him with a young love that had ran deep but had not realized the bells and whistles of living in a grown up world. They had fallen in love, produced two children, and were ill equipped to be together and raise a family when they both still had no clue how to heal their own demons. My mother was always kind and she always knew the words to just about any song that came on the radio. For the most part she came to most of my school and church functions. She always had food when I visited and at Christmas time was forever trying to bribe me and Kim into telling her what we'd gotten her for Christmas. However, there was always that part of my mother we could never reach-that shut off valve. It was that cut-off that led to her vices and continues to do so to this very day. My mother was robbed from me by those vices and like my biological father, I have had to accept that I either accept she loves me or I don't. I have to accept that I will never have the kind of relationship with her that most young women have with their mothers and there are guards around her castle doors that will never change. I'm still working on my feelings with her.
It's funny how when you're a child, you don't always see the things that you do when you are older-when that invisible veil is either torn or lifted between childhood and adolescence. I sometimes think that if my life had been harder, perhaps it would have made me a stronger woman; would have helped safeguard me. If I would have had better survival instincts, then I would have been immune to bullies. Then I remember what my Kindergarten teacher, Lydia Powdrill, had said to me: "I can only be me, but I can be the best me I can be."

Many of the moments in my life have not been idyllic and surely they could have been a lot worse. I think that is just part of life. Each one of us is destined with something in our lives we have to work through and take on. For me it's been about learning to stand on my own two feet, breaking cycles and curses, embracing my life and what it was meant to be and what it can be, and living-yes, living-more than the physical aspect of life. I still am on the journey-many things I have not done, finished, or accomplished and life is finite. It has a beginning and end and its the end we don't know when, and I have to believe that every day I breathe, every day I wake up-there is something to see, do, someone I can help, and love I can share. There is always someone who will stumble and needs help to get back up.

So all my firefly moments-that swirl around blinking on and off, each one holds something for me, but rather than hold them in my hand-I have to let them go so I can catch the next one.

Planned Parenthood Abortion Issue in Indiana Part 2

You know a very wonderful thing happened, someone read my first view point on this subject and replied. Now did this person condemn me for what I felt with the information I had? No and I have to say it was great! I want to say that I still believe we need places like Planned Parenthood, but after doing some homework and following up on information that was given to me, I have to say that I kind of see where the government is going in reguards to Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood takes in a lot of money and can be put side by side with big buisness. Now do I think that is their primary goal-to be a big corporation-no. However, with all the fund raising and donations not to mention the tax money they've been getting over time, it makes even me wonder what have they been doing with all the monies given to them? It also makes me think that even without tax money they still will be able to function. I am still not a supporter of abortions. I don't have anything agasint women who have them and I do not support violence towards abortion clinics, doctors, or nurses. I will say this-abortion is a barbaric out of date practice. We are not the same world we were 20-all the way to 60 years ago. We do not live in a day and age where abortion is the only "out" clause for a woman. I believe that when a woman gets herself with child, from the dawn of conception-it is life. According to any anatomy book or science you will find that a cell-a single cell is the basic unit of energy-thus life. So for me I believe life begins at conception. Today-women have choices. They not only are able to attend school, keep their jobs, get maternity leave(if they don't they need to file what is known as Family Medical Leave papers-because by law, they have to be approved), there is a wide range of birth control options availiable, there is always having a tubal litigation procedure that doesn't have to be permanet incase later on, she would like to try to have a child, and there are adoption choices for unwanted children. Adoption agencies offer what is called open adoptions where a birth parent can still have a relationship with their child, even though they have given the child up for adoption. The world and society is more accepting of unwed mothers and no longer are women sheltered away or sent off. There are no more Magadalena Asylums like there was in Ireland for unwed mothers or women who were found to have done the deed before they were wed. So I don't really believe there is a need for abortions other than we have to have it legal because for some women it is their choice. Doesn't mean I agree with it, but I disagree with what can happen if it's outlawed. However, the question is, "Should tax money pay for abortions?". Part of me says "no", because I think I made the points clear-there are so many options for a woman and her unborn and courts do issue child support assignments to fathers who leave unsupported minor children. There are so many people hurting that could use my tax dollars-but then the other part of me feels like it's just one of those necessary things you have to have in place for the greater good or something. However, there has to be a limit of that help. I mean abortion is NOT a form of birth control. Tax money nor donations should be paying and paying for a woman who keeps getting herself with child and decides to abort it. What I think tax money should go for is educational programs, birth control, counseling services, and things of that nature. I don't mind giving a hand up-just not a constant hand out! I also have come to believe that it's not just a religeous bashing either. A few statesmen made statements that led me and others I believe to see that it was and I do not feel that way. Just because a few apples are a few rats shy of the out house doesn't mean that everyone believes abortion to be a religeous issue. What one does in this life, they have to pay for either in this life or the next and it's not me or you that has to pay that bill. Just like death and taxes, karma comes to bite us all in the backside some time or another. I still hold fast to the belief that everyone has the right to the pursuit of happiness, and an innocent life that never asked for their parents to skip between the sheets that didn't think of the consequences beforehand, deserves none the less. However(I know I seem to be using that word alot), I don't want women preyed upon by leeches in dark alleys, hotel rooms, or rank apartments to play Vera Drake with dirty unsanitary conditions that can lead to death. It's simple as this-if you don't want an unplanned pregenancy-plan before you act! It's as easy as buying a condom with a spermicide that adds extra protection, or one of the various sorts of birth control. Failure rate in birth control is not uncommon but the chances are still low if used correctly. The government should not be responsible for lack of planning, however we do need programs in place to help put education, information, and women's health care in place. I would rather pay for prevention than have to pay for a funeral. Again I am not condeming women who have gotten abortions or those who are Pro-Choice. For me, from what I've learned-abortion may have to be legal but it's not the only choice out there to make and if we put our money and resources into prevention-then there one day won't be a need for abortion. That's the hope anyhow.

Phoebe Prince: An American Tragedy

Some of you may have heard about the little girl who was bullied by six girls and ended up killing herself. I hate hearing about these things especially when it is about a young girl who feels her only way out of being tormented by her peers is suicide. This is something that hits way close to home for me. The first three years of high school for me were an experience in hell. Sure it could have been a lot worse but for me it was bad enough. I started high school as a Freshman, excited, and ready to have that kind of experience I had only seen in tv and movies. I wanted to have loads of friends, go to dances, have boyfriends, go to games, and take hold of everything that I had thought high school to be. I wasn't a stupid kid, nor was I one for getting into trouble. I was shy and a bit chubby. What I didn't expect was from day one, everyone I had known from middle school(jr.high) to scatter to the four winds. Everyone fell into new cliques and I found myself feeling like a little fish that had gone from a small pond to an ocean. I won't say I had never been teased before, because like everyone else, I had. However, nothing I had experienced before prepared me for just how cruel kids could be until I hit high school. I don't much like going into details because those first 3 years are something I wish I could forget. I can remember for no reason-no reason other than maybe I was chubby and red headed being picked on and then that picking escolated. There was a girl who was one of the ones who started the frenzy, that I knew from church. Her father had married a woman who with her two children already attended my church(the church I had grown up in and everyone knew me) and the girl didn't like me. I don't know why to this day other than maybe she was jealous because maybe she had her own feelings of insecurity-reguardless when she started high school and was in 3 of my classes, the lies she told and storm that followed afterwards was unbearable! I was a virgin in the 9th grade and already because of her and a group of followers(most of those girls btw are bigger now than I was then and haven't went anywhere in life not to mention they've all had broken marriages)had spread around school I had STD's. In the 9th grade, I didn't even know what "crabs" were but it went around school like wild fire. The teasing just didn't stop there-it was rumored I was sleeping around with other boys, (after defending a girl with a mental handicap in gym) it was spread that I was lesbian and the word "dyke" was used daily in reguards to me, and I had books knocked out of my hands. There was not a day that passed that I wasn't out in the hall or girl's bathroom crying my eyes out! I had gone to the girl's disciplinary dean, Mrs.Matchette and she didn't do anything. No really, she didn't do crap-more sided with the bullies because after all, why would that many girls and few guys be teasing me if I wasn't doing anything. I guess breathing constituted as guilt on my part! By the time the tenth grade hit, I wanted to quit school! IT didn't matter that my grades for the most part were good or that my teachers liked me. It didn't matter that I came from a good home and that there were some that really did like me. It didn't matter how much weight I dropped or the nice clothes that I wore that were always clean. It didn't matter that I had my sister to spend most of the morning prior to school fixing my hair and helping me to make sure my make-up was near perfect. I was placed in a support group at Marion High, and even though it was beneficial-it still didn't stop the bullying which by now had turned physical. Two girls in particular based upon a lie now, were threatening me regularly. I wanted to quit school-I mean I didn't want to but something had to give because I was tap dancing at the breaking point! By the start of the eleventh grade, a few things had happened. For starters, my papow had given me the strength and will power to not quit school. Secondly, I stopped trying to seek out Mrs.Matchette's help with anything! Mr.Hickland, the man became my hero! Any problems I had, he attacked! It might have not stopped the bullying but he didn't play favorites and he didn't make me feel worse by siding with those making me miserable. Third, I quit having my mom and papow come to my aid. I mean I was calling them to school frequently until one day at Tucker, I had enough. These two girls had threatened and tormented me until I had enough. I threw my books down and stood toe to toe with them. I simply said, "If you're going to beat my ass then do it! Do it right now! I may not can beat you up, but I'm standing right here-I'm not running and crying and you can either put up or shut up!" which brought the excuse, "I'm not getting suspended from school" which brought my response, "No, I won't tell and we can go around the building-we're going to do this and if you pound me to the ground, then you do it and do it now but either way you're leaving me the hell alone!"

The fight never took place. It didn't make them become my instand best friends nor was there an After School Special moment happening but it leveled the field as far as they were concerned because I just didn't care anymore-I didn't fear them anymore! I had taken their power away from them. It didn't make me invincible nor did it just suddenly make everyone sit up and take notice. I was still teased and tormented and I got to the point where any friend was better than no friend at all and that led to some friending of two faced people and those who I probably should have steered clear of. I wore my heart on my sleeve and no matter how hard I tried I was just way too trusting and sensitive. I was raised in a home where the Golden Rules exsisted. I believed all people at their heart were good-and maybe they are-just not always in high school. I was taught that sticks and stones break bones but words-words never hurt. What's a word, it's just something people say-they don't wound. Well whoever came up with that theology needs shot! Really, I would have at least been able to dodge the sticks and stones. I think it was in these years, even as low as they were for me that I really threw myself into writing. I wrote all sorts of things to try and occupy my thoughts, to express my feelings, or create a world in which I could hide or thrive in. My senior year was my best year in school simply because it was my last!
I had my sister who had started school and believe me there wasn't one person that made fun of her! My sister Kim would have handed someone their head because that was the way Kim was. Kim was not a sensitive butterfly like me-she was a tom boy who had scores of friends who didn't take crap of anyone! Kim wasn't a bully and didn't start fights but she could more than hold her own and finish one if need be. To my knowledge, Kim never was in a fight in school. We might not have gotten along at home, but at school-Kim closed ranks and if you were against me-you were against her! It also helped that my cousin Leroy came to Marion High and played on the football team which meant some of the jocks left me alone. I also met my husband that year and by the middle of the year, no one was teasing me. All that had long since passed and I was happy-happier than you know! I had awesome grades, I had even went to home coming for the first time and was on my way to prom and graduation.

My point in writing this is-no child no matter the old saying, "Teasing is just a part of childhood" should be the victim of bullying. The person(s) bullying are mentally afflicted no matter their social standing or how much money they may or may not have. No one has the right to degrade or tear a person to shreds and by not putting down stricter policies that protect kids in school and outside of school-then we're saying it's okay! Children should not be killing themselves over this! I am a grown woman and if I harassed someone-bullied someone I would be arrested or sued. We can give all the positive talks we want and tell our children that words mean nothing-but they mean EVERYTHING to a child and teenager! No matter how many positive reinforcement you give your child or teenager, words still hurt! They still have the power to tear someone apart! Schools all over the nation need to adopt stricter policies! Those policies need to apply to everyone-even the "popular" kids. There needs to be more done by the principals and deans to handle children who are being bullied and targeted because there are going to be more Phoebe Prince's out there. Empowering is important but you have to have enforcement as well. I am not saying NEVER SAYING that violence is the answer! NO NO NO! I am saying that children who are seen bullying other children during the school calender year both on school grounds and off *Because alot of kids are being bullied on Facebook and Myspace* need to be held accountable! If a child or group of kids can't stop the bullying, then they should be reprimanded to the juvenile authorities or an alternative schooling program or home schooled. We adults cannot harass and assault others without some consquence and it should be the same in some form or another for other children.

We have less traditional families and more children coming from single family homes, some come from broken homes(constant turmoil in the home), abusive homes, and some from homes where there just is no parent and kids are left to raise themselves. Our teachers have a lot on their plates, but that's not an excuse to turn a blind eye but teachers can only do so much-they have to have a policy or policies to back them up. The same goes with principals and deans. Schools today have little funding. Teachers are out of work and I get it! I GET IT! However, that doesn't mean that a school gets a free pass to ignore what's going on with the kids that attend their schools. IT doesn't give them a free pass to look the other way and pretend that all the power talks and pep talks will solve everything. NO parent should have to bury their child because that child felt their only way to be free of being tormented was death! I am a mother of two and my eldest has been bullied. I never wanted that for her. I didn't want her to go through what I went through. I told her early on, "Olivia, be a leader not a follower" and "Listen, treat people how you would want to be treated! You're not better than anyone else but no one is better than you. Make friends and those you can't be friends with, don't let them make you miserable!" Those were things I told her repeatively. That didn't stop the times when she came home in tears or the times I had to go to her schools. I tell her now to hold her head up and keep her nose clean and to go to her teachers and people at her school that are in positions that can help her.No one wants to be a tattle tell. There is some unwritten shame I think that a child or teenager feels to where they don't want to tell. The fear of further torments weights heavy. It did with me. One thing I can say is that it doesn't last forever. School doesn't last forever. Most of the people that bullyied me haven't went anywhere in life and that doesn't give me any satisfaction-but I look back and I wonder how it was that I thought they had so much power, how they were so much better than me. They weren't. So if your child is being bullied or if your a teen reading this, don't feel ashamed to ask for help! Don't feel second rate or even bottom of the barrel because you're being tormented! Consider the source-anyone who has to resort to underhanded bullying techniques has more going on in their head than you and they only have power if you let them have it! It can be overwhelming and terrible but don't be afraid to stand up! Don't be afraid to succeed, and most important-Don't let it stop you from being who YOU are!

Indiana Govenor Pulls Planned Parenthood Funding

I am not a political nut, but sometimes I read something and it just really sticks in my crawl. First I would like to state that I am NOT Pro-Abortion. For me, it is wrong but I will say that to make it illegal or nearly impossible to obtain one I am against. Indiana's govenor, Mitch Daniels has pulled funding to Planned Parenthood because they make through the funds they get from the state, because they help women who decide to go through and terminate their pregenancies. To me this is wrong. Planned Parenthood stood at the forefront of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and provide education as well as condoms to promote safe sex. They provide birth control to those who would otherwise be unable to afford it as well as education to prevent unwanted babies that doesn't always result in abortion. Up until Roe vs. Wade-women obtained abortions in back alleys and in back rooms where more than half the women ended up dying afterwards. In Indiana up until the famed Becky Bell case, young women had to go before a judge to obtain an abortion without consent from their parents. I don't like abortion-in this day and age it's practically obsolete with all the help a woman can receive not to mention open adoptions and such. However it is one of those necessary evils that has to be legal. Planned Parenthood should not have their funds cut. There are worse things that tax money goes towards and this is a slap in the face to every woman. We have separation of church and state for a reason and I can't help but think that Mitch's religeon is playing a major role here. It's the same was the gay marriage debate. Cutting funding to Planned Parenthood is only going to cost the tax payers more money because they are going to take it to court and will probably fight all the way to the Supreme Court and Indiana will still have to refurbish those funds back that they sought to take from Planned Parenthood. I've said it already-I don't like abortion and I'm not a supporter in it. I believe that if you get between the sheets with someone-you choose-you are choosing whatever consequence comes along with it. Now that is not to say that goes for women who are the victims of incest or rape because they didn't get to make that choice. However to those of us that decide to have sex and not take precautions-we've made that choice. However, some women cannot bear a child. Some women either because of age or circumstance after all the options are weighed and every consideration has been taken-still have the right to choose whether they want an abortion. It may not make it right-but I would still rather a woman be able to have one in a clean sterile environment with a doctor doing the procedure than to be forced to go to a back room with dirty equiptment by someone who has no clue what they are doing! I don't like war, but sometimes it's necessary. I don't like alot of things that we simply have to have because if we didn't it would cost lives. So if you live in Indiana-let's vote these folks out!

April 2011 Books and Movies

Well I have to say your dear author here has been quite busy but I have found time to not only read some great books but also see a few good flicks! So here we go without any further adieu!

Books

Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

This book is a Demonica novel and the first in the series as well as the first one I have ever read. I have to say I was a bit hesitant at first because well I'm not really into the Buffy the Demon Slayer books much-nothing against them but they're not on my list but I am happy to say they are now. I loved this book and how I ever skipped by it all this time is beyond me! Okay Pleasure unbound starts out with this doctor who is actually a type of incubus demon(yeah a sex demon) that has a demon slayer in the form of a beautiful woman that has been thrust into his care. Unable to shake his ethics he saves her life. There are so many dynamics here like-the fact that our beautiful slayer unknowningly is part demon and how do you convince someone that hates demons that not all demons are bad and by the way she is one? Then there is a plot of treachery and eerie creepy murders going on. Another twist is that these types of demons, like our good hot doctor is going to go through a change and unless he finds someone to mate with him for the next 600 years, he will change into a monster that he is fighting with. So yeah, and that's only the tip of the iceberg here with this book from Larissa Ione.

Demon from the Dark by Kressley Cole

This book is part of the Immortals After Dark Series and starts off with creatures from the Lore locked up in some prison like setting where terrible things are happening. Carrow, a witch from the House of Witches, finds out that she is the only surving relative to a little girl, Ruby who is also powerful at the tender age of 10. Carrow is then forced to make a decision-to save Ruby she must go into a hell realm to bring back a Vampire Demon named Malkolm Slaine, who is more monster than myth. Carrow has no choice but to go but what she doesn't plan on is becoming Slaine's Bride-his destined mate not to mention falling for him only to betray him. Malkolm has good reason to not trust and to be the monster he's been made out to be, but you'll have to read the book to find that out! This book was great and I found myself reading it twice!

Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon

This is the second in the Chronicles of Nick book. YES it is geared towards a younger audience so it is a great read to share with your resident teenager. It continues the story of a young Nick Gautier and shows his resilence despite the hand he's been dealt. No matter what dark events or how hard the fight is, Nick never gives in! I think Nick is a great vehicle for teenage readers, simply because just about anyone no matter what walk of life you come from can relate to Nick Gautier. I don't want to get too much into the plot in case you've not read the first book in the series(Which you should most definately do) but he's went from cannibalistic zombies to an unseen evil that is stalking 14 year old boys and Nick seems to be the next on the list.

Movies

I love all sorts of movies so here are the ones I've watched.

1.Rio-went to the movie theater to see this with the kids and it was great! I have to say it was way better than Rango which just kind of tanked even with my kids. It was a very colorful, musical, and had an easy story that the little one could follow and not fall asleep. Def worth the ticket price.

2.Agora-it's a historical movie that is based in Greece with the turn of Christianity vs. Paganism. Rachel Weiss plays the major role as an atheist scholar and well I have to say I got lost in the movie. I thought it was boring and found myself nearly falling asleep through it. So not worth the rental even on the discount wall. Total stinker!

3. Chloe

This movie stars Julianne Moore, a wife who believes her husband is committing adultry and to prove her point, she hires a beautiful seductress, Amanda Seigfried. However, when Liam Neeson is found not really the type to cheat, Amanda Seigfried's character becomes obsessed with seducing him and starts a whole roller coaster. I thought this movie was just okay-a little too mental for me and that's saying a lot. I would wait to rent this on the discount section.

4.You Again

Were you bullied in school? If you were, this is the movie for you! A high-powered PR professional discovers that her brother is about to marry the woman who made her high school life a living hell in this comedy starring Kristen Bell and Odette Yustman. Back in her teens, Marni (Bell) was a little awkward. These days she's a successful career woman, but the memories of being tormented by popular cheerleader Joanna (Yustman) still make her break into a cold sweat. Flying home for her brother's Will's wedding, Marni realizes to her horror that she will soon be sister-in-law to the pompon-wielding mean girl who once humiliated her in front of the entire student body. And apparently her nemesis learned from the best, because back when Marni's mom (Jamie Lee Curtis) was in high school, Joanna's aunt (Sigourney Weaver) served up the same kind of treatment. Now that they're about to become family, Marni and her mom do their best to let bygones be bygones. But old grudges die hard, and by the time the wedding bells chime, these old foes will already have some saucy stories to share with their grandchildren.

In short, this movie was hilarious and it has an important lesson to be learned. It is sooo worth the new release wall!

5.Resident Evil: Afterlife

I have to say after being a fan of the game(the earlier editions of it)and the first few movies, I was really disappointed in this one. Sure it has cool effects, but really it just was eh...for me. I would wait to rent this on the discount wall.


Okay there's my picks for books and movies. So tell me what you've been reading and watching!

THE SUMMER BOOK CHALLENGE-ARE YA UP FOR IT???C'MON, BE A CONTENDER!

I'm issuing a challenge to all of you book fanatics out there! I'm calling it the Summer Book Challenge, and I want to know who's up for it! What is this so called challenge? Well let me explain the rules!


The Summer Book Challenge


This summer, I want you to read 1 book per week. To make things fair-each book has to be by a different author. Each week I'm going to have you go to Facebook and post in an RP group (many books such as Gena's Lords of the Underworld and Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark Hunter series has Role Playing groups and for the most part they're fun) or author page on face book and post a comment or interview a "character".

Then, I want you to send me an email with the book you read that week, the link to the page where you posted a question,comment, or who you spoke with on facebook or Bitten by Books(since they do showcase alot of books)

Let's see how many books we can read from May 30th to August 19th.


IS THERE A PRIZE?

Well other than exposing yourself to other paranormal romance authors, no not really but it is something for fun-and that's the reward. Plus I'll showcase the one who has read and posted the most on this site, my weebly site, and my new freewebs.com site.

Why do this?

Well, my hope is that you will read all these great books by well known authors, but really that you'll discover someone new! There are alot of authors both traditional and e-book authors that could use the discovery! So get out there-answer the call! Take the challenge-c'mon what are ya? Chicken?