Kara's Book Cravings: The Stranded

 

I got several gift cards for Mother's Day, and of course I chose to spend them at Barnes & Noble. I mean, duh, right?? So, my daughter and I made the drive to the closest one to us -- which is 45 minutes away -- and we spent a while wandering around. 

I typically go straight for the young adult section first, and while there, I stumbled upon THE STRANDED by Sarah Daniels. 

This is another YA thriller / dystopian / romance that takes place on a cruise ship. I've been in a mood lately for settings that are contained like this or for plots that revolve around the characters being somehow trapped. Something about it just really ramps up the stakes, and I like that. 

Anyway, a virus hit the world, and refugees from Europe came to the US on a cruise ship. Due to fear of infection, all the passengers have been stuck on this ship for decades! Some people have even been born on the ship. Due to age and weather, the ship is deteriorating badly, and life isn't all that great. 

Cue the rebellion and the plot to get people off the ship and onto land. There's a lot of political stuff going on, which is to be expected for this type of plot, but it's not overbearing to the point that it makes the story unenjoyable. I like all the characters, though they're not always nice to one another.

The amount of betrayal and deception and morally gray characters is both astounding and impressive. I really didn't think I could be any more surprised, but each chapter left me with my jaw on the ground. There is a character death that sucked big time, and I didn't see it coming. 

The ending is a tad predictable, but what I didn't expect was to get to the last page and find out this is just the first book. Now I have to wait a year or so until the second book drops. I'm not a very patient person when it comes to stuff like this. Haha. I will say, though, that the very last line in this book is chilling! 

Kara's Book Cravings: No Escape

 

My daughter found this book, and when she told me about, I asked to borrow it because it's a teen thriller, which is right up my alley. But what makes this even better is that it takes place in an escape room! I've been to a few of them myself (only ever gotten out once), and I've seen both of the movies. I'm lowkey fascinated by escape rooms and the possibility of getting stuck inside without anyone there to help you. I mean, the story options for this type of setting are limitless!

And so I took NO ESCAPE by Maren Stoffels with me to the gym one night and read while I walked on the treadmill. I read half the book without realizing it, (and spent over an hour on the treadmill) and then when I got home, I finished the book. So, yes, I read this in one day. 

The pacing is super fast, and there are quite a few twists and turns and reveals I hadn't expected. Despite being teens, each of the 4 main characters had very well-rounded and rich backstories that they were dealing with while trying to get out of the escape room. 

My only complaint is with the end. While the escape room aspect was resolved in if and how they get out, the reason behind everything was extremely confusing. A random character is introduced at the end who isn't given a name but has a narrative that's very mysterious. I don't know if there's another book planned or not, but the end left me scratching my head with confusion. 

I did, however, enjoy the author's style, and I'm now waiting for the rest of her backlist to arrive so I can read them, too. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Two Degrees

 

This is another book sale find. Or maybe I found it at a thrift store. I don't remember, but I do remember being intrigued by the cover. I'm also a big fan of anything that's doom and gloom and destruction, so of course I'd be interested in TWO DEGREES by Alan Gratz. 

This book really straddles the line between MG and YA because each section follows a different set of characters through a different natural disaster: a hurricane, a forest fire, and polar bears getting too close to humans due to global warming. 

To say this book is action packed would be an understatement. Every page was full of high stakes adrenaline, life and death scenarios, and very vivid imagery. I was on edge quite a bit while reading this book. There's a horse involved, but I can tell you that the horse is fine! No animal deaths, which is good for me, because if that had happened, I would've stopped reading. 

This book was clearly written with a purpose, and that was to educate kids about the climate crisis. While that topic is certainly important, this book hammered it home a little too hard, in my opinion. By the end, I felt like the author was force feeding me a lesson. As an adult, I don't like that. I can't imagine younger readers will, either. BUT! The facts about the climate crisis were included seamlessly and in a very engaging way. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Landry Park

I found LANDRY PARK by Bethany Hagen at a local book sale. The cover intrigued me, and so did the blurb. Figured it couldn't hurt to check it out. I mean, second-hand sales like this are how I often find new-to-me authors and books. I can't count how many times I've found one book in a series, loved it, and then went on to buy the others. 

This is a YA dystopian romance story about a young girl who is essentially royalty. And then she slowly -- and very reluctantly -- begins to learn the truth of her lifestyle, how she has what she does because others suffer and die for it. Like so many other YA books in this genre, war and rebellion are brewing. Our heroine gets sucked into it and now must choose between her family and lifestyle or doing the right thing for those less fortunate. 

The writing style is easy and engaging. There are lots of secrets and deception, along with some twists I hadn't expected. Oh, and the hint of a love triangle, which is so my thing! 

While the end is decent and isn't a cliffhanger, it does hint at a second book. Sure enough, when I looked this up on Amazon, there is a second book available. I haven't yet decided if I'm invested enough to buy it. I mean, sure, I'm curious about what happens next, but I'm not so entrenched that I need to know right now. Maybe someday I'll come back around to this series, but for now, I'm moving on to other things. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Kingdom of the Wicked

 

I've been on a romantasy kick lately, and so I've been buying a lot of these types of books. Naturally, when I saw KINGDOM OF THE WICKED by Kerri Maniscalco I was immediately drawn to the cover. And then the blurb sold me, so I went and bought the entire trilogy. 

I eagerly dove right into the first book, Kingdom of the Wicked, and... well, it took me a while to get through it. I really wanted to love this book more than I can say, but the pacing was rather slow, in my opinion. Felt like it took a long time for anything major to happen, and then once it did, we were at the end! 

But this book does have a little bit of everything: witches, death, lots of secrets, princes of Hell, dark magic... it really has everything I love in a romantasy. I'm not sure why I struggled so much. Maybe I wasn't in the right mindset or mood when I started this, or maybe I simply don't vibe with the author's style. 

I do own the other two books in the series, and I'm sure I'll eventually read those because I'm a completionist, and because everyone who's read this series promises it does get better. I was told the same thing when I struggled to get through the first ACOTAR book, and everyone was right, so I trust that they'll be right about this series, too. I'm taking a break from this for now, but I'll try book 2 soon. 

Kara's Book Cravings: Lying in the Deep

 

Back in February, I took a cruise, and I had grand plans of reading while laying in the sun. Well, I did lay in the sun, but sadly, I didn't get much reading done. But that's okay. The trip was a blast! 

Anyway, I'd bought LYING IN THE DEEP by Diana Urban to take with me on my vacation. Why? Because it's a teen thriller / murder mystery set on a cruise ship, and I thought it would be cool to read that while on an actual cruise ship.

I'm sorry it took me so long to finally read this! It was so good. Definitely had lots of teen drama and complicated relationships. The lies and deceit were incredibly well written. The pacing is really fast, but the book itself and the characters are so deep and well-rounded. 

The mystery of the whodunit was complex and difficult to figure out as you were reading, but once you read the end you have that moment where you're like, "Oh yeah, it all makes sense now!" I love books that do this. 

I loved all the twists and turns, too. The reveal at the end made my jaw drop. Part of me was happy with it, but another part of me was a little bummed. I'd wanted something a little darker, I guess. I'm not sure. Either way, the book was fantastic, and I'll definitely be reading more by this author. 

Kara's Book Cravings: The Girl in the White Van

 

In one of my many trips to a my local Goodwill and used bookstore, I stumbled on THE GIRL IN THE WHITE VAN by April Henry. This is a young adult thriller, which we all know is one of my favorite genres!

The cover is okay, but the blurb is what really grabbed my attention. Basically, this is a story about a teenage girl who is kidnapped while walking home from Tae Kwon Do class. She's kept prisoner in a ratty old RV, along with another teen girl who'd disappeared almost a year prior. 

This was on the shorter side, less than 150 pages, and I was able to read it in one evening. The pacing was tight, and the tension was incredible!

The concept of this book is every woman's nightmare, and definitely every mom's fear. My heart was racing at points, and I had a surge of adrenaline at the end, which is always a sign of a good thriller. 

What I really liked about this book, though, was that the author didn't fall back on the girls being raped or sexually assaulted in anyway. They were simply being held captive by a deranged man with some very messed up ideas about gender roles. I also really enjoyed seeing the two girls take control, fight back, and save themselves. Yes, they have help eventually, but for the most part, they don't just sit around and wait. 

I also snagged another book by this author, and I'm excited to dive into that one next. 

GOALS: 2024

 

Usually, I love writing this post each year. I like to have a semi-plan in place about what I want to accomplish in any given year. At the start of 2024, though, I'm a little hesitant to put anything in writing. Why? Because life seems to have other plans for me lately that don't always involve writing and publishing. And when I don't reach a certain goal I set for myself, I feel like I've failed. So this year, I've decided to be a bit more vague and go easier on myself. 

So, here's what I'm going to focus on in 2024...

1. Maintain My Health

I'm finally on a good dosage of my Fibro meds, and I've added in some new supplements that's really helping with my fatigue, so I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing. I'm also going to get back into a routine of working out. Once the weather clears up, I'd like to start taking Crowley on walks again, too. 

2. Gain More Financial Freedom

I'm still working for Anaiah Press, and I plan to keep doing so. However, I've applied for a new work-from-home job that's within the publishing industry, and I'm really optimistic that I'll get a position. This will take a lot of stress off our household finances, but it will also give me a bit more freedom in terms of funds to keep publishing and marketing my books. Ideally, within the next 3 to 5 years, I want to be making enough income from my books alone that I don't *have* to work anywhere else unless I want to. 

3. Keep Blogging

I've made some good progress with my blog this past year, and I want to keep up the momentum. Between a weekly group post I've joined (Tell Me Something Tuesday), my book thoughts, and anything else that pops into my head, I shouldn't have any issues keeping up with this. 

4. Read

I read more in 2023 than I have in years, and I've really enjoyed branching out into new genres. My total last year was 43 books. This year, I'm aiming for 50! I've even started a reading journal so I can keep better track. 

5. Write

As of right now, I don't have any set in stone plans of what I want to write. I have a couple co-authored projects I'm working on, and I'll keep moving forward with those. Beyond that, though, I'm going to try my hand at a New Adult romantasy for my new agent to send out on submission this year. I'm also going to rework some older projects to re-release, and hopefully that will snap me out of whatever writing funk I've been in. 

6. Take a Vacation

Yes, I'm going on a cruise in February, and that's a wonderful vacation, but I'm going on that for a specific reason. I can't share what that is just yet, but I promise to tell you all about it when I return home. Beyond that, though, I want to take another Mother-Daughter Vacation this summer. Our goal is to visit Covington, Georgia and take The Vampire Diaries tour, along with visiting the Atlanta Zoo and Aquarium. 

What are your goals and plans for 2024? Share in the comments!

Tell Me Something Tuesday: 09.19.2023 (New To Me Authors)

 

Hello and welcome to Tell Me Something Tuesday (TMST)!

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog. Feel free to leave your links in the comments if you are participating.

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I'm pretty sure all the books I've read this year are new-to-me authors! I've been trying hard to expand my reading list and engage with new genres and authors. 

Some of my notable new-to-me authors this year are: 

• Lily Meade -- I absolutely loved her debut novel, The Shadow Sister.
• Josh Berk & Saundra Mitchell -- Their Camp Murderface duology was tons of fun.
• R.F. Kuang -- I devoured her book, Yellowface, and will more than likely reread it at some point. 
• Julie Murphy -- I found her newest book, Camp Sylvania at a thrift store and loved her writing style.

What new to you authors have you discovered this year? 

Who should I check out?

Kara's Book Cravings: The Haunted

 A few years ago, I'd read Survive the Night by Danielle Vega. I think I'd found that at a local used bookshop, and I was intrigued enough to buy it. Unfortunately, I don't remember much about that book other than the ending was extremely confusing in a very creepy sort of way. But I didn't have any issues with the author's writing style, so when I found this gem at a local garage sale, I couldn't pass it up. 

The Haunted by Danielle Vega is a mix between a horror and a thriller, which is so my thing! And this book didn't disappoint. It was a quick read that was easy to follow. Parts of this were definitely high on the creepy meter, but I didn't find it particularly scary. Though, if this were made into a movie or TV show, I can easily see a lot of great jump scares. 

The only real complaint I have about this book is the romance subplot. It felt both forced and rushed. I thought for sure the main character was going to end up with one guy, and then BAM! She's in love with someone else. Didn't make much sense to me, but I also realize romance isn't the focus of this story, so... *shrug*

Overall, this was a quick, immersive read. The ending was unexpected, so that's always a bonus. I see there's a sequel, but I'm not sure I'm invested enough to buy and read it (especially with how this first book ended). 

Anyone else read this book? Or anything else by this author? 

What're your thoughts? 

Kara's Book Cravings: The Shadow Sister

 

One day, I was scrolling through Twitter, as I often do when I'm procrastinating, and I saw a tweet with an absolutely STUNNING book cover. Even though, at the time, I wasn't following this author, the cover made me stop and take a closer look. It was the author's debut release day, and if the cover hadn't already snagged my attention, the tag line on the front certainly did. As I followed the links in the tweet, I read the back cover blurb, and I've never hit "buy now" so fast in my life! (Seriously, anyone who tells you Twitter doesn't sell books is a liar.) I mean, just look at this cover!!

Gorgeous, right? I'm sure that purple being one of my favorite colors helped my buying decision, too, but that's really not the point. Haha. 

The Shadow Sister by Lily Meade is a YA thriller, and I devoured this book so fast. I had no idea what was really going on until the very end, and I wasn't able to guess the twist, either. The author does a fantastic job of misdirecting the reader in a way that makes sense and fits within the story and the characters. I will say that neither of the sisters in this book are very endearing, but having raised 4 girls myself (all in various stages of teen years and young adulthood), the sibling relationship that's portrayed is accurate, based on my own experiences anyway. 

If you're a fan of twisty YA books, then this is definitely the book for you! I'm eagerly awaiting this author's next book. 

Has anyone else read this yet? Do you think you'll check it out? 

Kara's Book Cravings: Fragments of the Lost

 

Now that I've dug myself out of a reading rut, I'm dipping my toe back into my first love--teen fiction. Mainly thrillers. These are like crack to me. Seriously, I have sooo many of these types of books on my shelf, and I'm constantly buying more. But I digress...

A few years ago, a friend of mine suggested I read All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda, which is an adult mystery / thriller. He raved about the unique story telling. (The author tells the story in reverse, which is just... *chef's kiss*) Anyway, I loved the book and have read it twice now. So when I was perusing a bookstore, I found that this author has written some YA books, too. Imagine my excitement!

And so I bought this one: Fragments of the Lost by Megan Miranda.

Like All the Missing Girls, this book is told in a unique way, too, in that it's jumping a lot from present to past. Not tense, but actual events. The premise is that a girl is doing a favor for her ex-boyfriend's mom in cleaning out his room after he died in a tragic accident. So each time she finds something in his room, it triggers a memory about them as a couple. It's really done very well and not at all confusing. 

However, I had trouble getting into this book. In fact, I started it and then walked away for a month or so before finally coming back to it. I'm one of those readers who has a real hard time DNF-ing a book, especially one I paid full price for. I was determined to get through this, and I'm glad I did. 

The pacing does eventually pick up (and once it did, I had a hard time putting this down), but for me, it took a little too long to get to the mystery / thriller part, which was what ultimately made this book for me.  I do have another of this author's YA books on my shelf, and I do plan to read it. I hope it doesn't start as slowly as this one. 

Overall, while this one didn't blow my mind quite like All the Missing Girls, if you're a fan of unique story telling methods, then definitely grab one of her books.

Has anyone else read any of Megan Miranda's books? What do you think? Do you have one you recommend I read? 

{COVER REVEAL} Everlasting Hope: A Cursed Series Novel

 That's right! The Cursed Series continues with Abby's story in Everlasting Hope... And today, I'm revealing the gorgeous cover! Ready??

When all magical hell broke loose and the vampires fought the witches, the very human Abby Benson was the one who had to pay the ultimate price. Devastated by an unexpected loss, she spirals into grief—until she realizes she has the one thing no one can take from her: hope. 

Determined not to give up, and with the help of an unlikely ally, she sets out to reclaim what was taken from her. But to get what she wants, she and her family will once again have to wage war with the witches. This time, though, the stakes are higher, and there won’t be another second chance. 

Coming June 1, 2021

PRE-ORDER NOW!

READ CHAPTER ONE!

ADD TO GOODREADS!

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT: 

“What’re you cooking?” I asked.

“Bacon, scrambled eggs, and toast.” He moved gracefully from the stove to the toaster. Even though he wasn’t exerting himself, his muscles still strained beneath his blue T-shirt.

No wonder Chloe had been torn between him and Trent. They were both gorgeous in their own ways, and they were good guys, too. Kind, compassionate, funny, loyal. They’d both move heaven and earth for those they loved. They were like Isach in that respect. God, I missed him so much.

Jax set a plate of food in front of me, and I inhaled deeply. My stomach rumbled. He planted his hands on the counter and shifted his weight forward as he studied me.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re not as gray as you were last night.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged, straightened, then crossed his arms over his chest. “You tell me.”

I rolled my eyes. I’d forgotten he could see a person’s aura and determine their emotions. Talk about annoying. Between him being able to do that and Whitney and Wyatt being able to read thoughts, I was walking on proverbial eggshells. Maybe moving in here wasn’t such a great idea.

I grabbed my fork and scooped eggs into my mouth. Swallowing, I said, “Everyone keeps telling me things will get easier with time. Maybe that’s finally happening.”

“Hmm.” Jax turned away from me, fixed himself a plate, then returned to sit beside me.

Head down, I focused on my food so I wouldn’t have to say anything, or risk him figuring out what I was trying to keep hidden.

“I don’t believe that, by the way,” he said.

“Believe what?” I glanced over at him, and he met my gaze. His eyes were full of compassion.

“That loss and grief gets easier with time. It doesn’t. We just get better at handling the pain.” He averted his gaze and shoved a slice of bacon into his mouth.

Momentarily stunned, all I could do was stare at him. What did he know about loss? I opened my mouth to ask him, then snapped it shut. Chloe had told me all about Hannah, how Jax had loved her and how tragically he’d lost her. He’d also lost Isach, too, though I wasn’t sure those two were quite as close as Isach and Trent had been.

“Morning.” Chloe walked into the kitchen. Her gaze landed on me and Jax, and her steps faltered. “What’s going on here?”

The corner of Jax’s mouth lifted in an arrogant smirk. “Someone’s jealous.”

Chloe narrowed her eyes. “I’m not jealous.”

“The aura doesn’t lie,” he said in a sing-song voice.

Chloe huffed and shook her head, but I didn’t miss the almost smile she fought to hide. Only then did it hit me that Jax, in his own bizarre way, was mourning the loss of Chloe. He loved her, and she hadn’t chosen him. He’d lost the woman he loved. My heart softened toward him and what he was going through. I wondered what was worse—knowing the person you loved was dead and you’d never see them again, or seeing the person you loved every single day as they went about their life in love with someone else. 

Need to get caught up? 

Start The Cursed Series now for FREE!!!

{Teaser Tuesday}: Eternal Promise

A promise of eternity ends in disaster...

“I didn’t even hear you come in,” I said, wiping my tears. “How long have you been there?”

“Long enough,” he said, his voice deep and raw.

“What do you still need to ask me?” I asked, my voice shaky. The letter was clutched tightly in my hand, the paper crinkling in my fist.

A hint of a smile ghosted across his face, then disappeared. “The one thing I’ve never actually asked you before. I’ve begged, pleaded… hell, I even yelled at you about it once.” He shook his head and dragged his hand through his hair. “But I’ve never actually asked you. Not like I should have.”

I stared at him, my emotions too much of a jumbled mess to comprehend what he was trying to tell me, so I stood there silently, tears still trickling down my face.

He gently took my face into his hands, his thumbs stroking the tears off my cheeks. “I know all of this probably seems dramatic and unnecessary, but it’s important that I do this the right way.”

Ever so slowly, his lips brushed across mine. My mouth parted on a contented sigh, and my eyes fluttered closed. I leaned into his embrace, but he only grazed my lips again. Then once more.

“Will you change for me, Chloe? Will you become a vampire and spend eternity with me?” he whispered.

“Yes,” I said. And there was no hesitation. No fear. No weakness. Not this time.

ETERNAL PROMISE: The Cursed Series, Book 5

Coming January 12, 2021

PRE-ORDER NOW!

GOALS: 2021

 

It's once again my favorite time of year -- GOALS!! I absolutely love setting goals for myself and seeing just how much I can accomplish in a year. And after the productive 2020 I had, I more excited than ever to see what 2021 has in store. So, let's do this!

KEEP ON WRITING!

I wrote so much in 2020, and I would love to keep up with the momentum I'd built. Here are the specific projects I hope to work on: 

1. Small Town Cowboy Romance Book -- I'm busy working on a proposal for my agent for a series of small town cowboys. I want to get the first book written, and possibly have outlines for the rest of the series. 

2. Cursed Series Spinoff Book -- I have the characters, and the idea for the story, and I've already written the first couple of chapters, so I just need to finish writing it. 

3. Adult Romantic Suspense Book -- I have one I'd started several years ago, so I'm going to dust it off and finally finish it so I can send it to my agent. This will be written and eventually published as Lexi.

4. More YA Books -- I worked hard last year to launch The Cursed Series, and I've seen some wonderful gains in my readership, which I don't want to lose, so ideally, I'd love to write another YA book or series I can release. I have an entire list of ideas to choose from, so we'll see what happens. 

READ TILL MY EYES BLEED!

Okay, so maybe that's a little extreme. LOL. I read more books for pleasure last year than I have in a very long time, and I loved it. In fact, I'd forgotten just how much I love getting lost in a book. Between all the writing, editing, and reading submissions for Anaiah that I do, I rarely have time to read stuff that I want to read, so this year, I'm going to make it a priority. I will read at least one book per month, hopefully more. And maybe, if I'm feeling frisky, I might start doing reviews again, too. 

GET OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE!

Anyone who knows me in real life knows that I'm generally a shy person. I prefer to stay home, chat via messenger or text as opposed to talking on the phone, and I do most of my marketing online, too, without having to really put myself out there all that much. Well, this year, I'm going to make a real effort to get out of my comfort zone and put myself out there more via videos, podcasts, conferences, etc. 

PROGRESS: KEEP MOVING FOWARD!

As I've mentioned, I made a lot of traction in my writing and publishing life, and I don't want all of that hard work to be for nothing, so for this year, I'm going to focus on moving forward while progressing with my writing and publishing. I'm going to continue to self-publish via FireChicken Press, and God willing, I'll get Lexi back on track with some new publishing contracts as well. 

What will you do in 2021?

{FUN FACTS FRIDAY}: Joiya Morrison-Efemini

Fun Facts Friday is a brand new feature here on the blog where authors answer questions about their characters, and then share fun facts about themselves, and / or their books!

Today we have the lovely Joiya Morrison-Efemini and her YA novel in verse, Petrified Flowers.

Let’s start by learning a bit about you. Tell us who you are, where you’re from, what you write, etc.
Hello! My name is Joiya, and I grew up in beautiful Upstate NY. I went to college at Michigan State University – Go Green – and then completed my law degree at Emory University. I settled down in Georgia, and am now married with four fabulous kiddos, a cat, and a dog. I write mostly in verse, although I do have a traditional novel on the back burner.

Welcome, Joiya! We're thrilled to have you here today. So, let's get started, shall we? What does your character do for a living?

She’s sixteen, so I guess she’s a student.

Fun Fact: I answer “I guess” about Iris, but with my own kids, I am very firm when I tell them that their job is to be a student. I’m always stressing, with them, the importance of doing their work well. 

Who is your character's best friend?
Her sister, Freesia.

Fun Fact: My sister and I are nearly six years apart in age. Growing up, we played all day long – dolls, video games, swimming, all kinds of make-believe. I have so many memories of laughing nonstop and whispering secrets. But, in adolescence, I went through a crazy period of disliking her. I forgot what an amazing human being she is, and focused on my friends. Luckily, she forgave me, and now we talk almost every day. I am happy to call her sister, and blessed to call her friend.

Where did your character go to high school?
Iris attends three different high schools in the span of 2 years. 

Fun Fact: I lived in the same town for my entire grade school career. The schools I attended were a lot like Iris’ first school, in an upper middle class part of town, where she and her sisters were minorities. 

What does your character do to relax?  
Jay loves to exercise, and he loves to read. While in prison he devoured anything he could get his hands on in the library. He also loves to just be lazy and do whatever he wants whenever he wants.

Lacey loves bike riding, and going out with her friends. Movies, lunch and dinner hangouts, anything that involves going out with people. She also loves acting and working with the college theater department.

Fun Fact: I love creating. Writing, playing music, creating graphics, gardening, landscaping (to a degree) building things. I’m happiest when I can work in an environment where I can come up with and implement new ideas.

Is your character religious?
Iris is a very new Christian. She attends a historic African American Baptist church at first, and then her family moves to a more contemporary, “come as you are” type of church later. 

Fun Fact: I grew up in a very traditional Baptist Church that was 100% African American. Now, my family attends a church that is non-denominational. Our pastor is African American, but the congregation is atypically diverse.

Is your character close with their family?
Yes! Her sisters are her people.

Fun Fact: I grew up with a huge extended family- grandparents, lots of aunts and uncles, and cousins galore. We have mostly moved away from our hometown and are all spread out, but I know that if I need any of them, they are there.  

What makes your character laugh out loud?
Her sisters’ antics. 

Fun Fact: My sister and I used to have laugh attacks where our laughter became uncontrollable, and we fed off one another and literally could not stop. Even now, as adults, we very silly together. 

What is your character's most treasured possession?
Her Bible from Ma Moore.

Fun Fact: I mark up my Bibles as I read them, with highlighters and penned notations, and plan to give one to each of my kids when they go off to college. 

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

In a fractured world, Flowers bud in the deluge of God’s favor.

In this Novel-in-Verse, tragedy uproots Iris and her sisters, all named after flowers, from the solid ground of middle-class life and plants them, unsupervised, in the rocky terrain of low-income housing. In a world where rain falls only on the privileged, Liam, a student who attends the elite private school directly across the street, proves refreshing as a summer gale, gushing joy into the sisters' lives. Further nurtured by Ma Moore, a church elder who sprinkles the Flower sisters with spiritual wisdom, Iris embraces her Heavenly Father with steadfast urgency.

But when a student takes a hopeless leap from the school roof, Iris withers under the scorching realization that everything she thought she knew about privilege—and God—lies crippled. Petrified Flowers is the anthem of one African-American girl straddling three worlds. It is a song of hope, a triumph of faith, and a resounding refrain of the Father’s eternal love.

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I am a wife, former attorney, current stay-at-home mom of four fantastic kiddos. We live in Marietta, Georgia, where my kids attend all three levels of schooling - elementary, middle and high. I began writing off and on in 2012 after I realized that returning to a law career wasn't conducive to happily raising four kids; for me. Other women do it brilliantly. In 2017 my first publication, a collection of short stories, The Notes They Played, was released. And, in 2019, my first novel, The Impossible, was published. I love to read, obviously. I try to read at least 40 books a year. And, yes, the books I read to my kids do count! I run socially, mostly as a way to connect with my close girlfriends. I've completed 2 marathons, and countless half marathon, 15K, 10K and 5K races. 

Find her on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

{COVER REVEAL}: PERFECTLY IMPERFECT

I AM SO EXCITED FOR THIS COVER!!!!

*deep breaths*

So, this book was never meant to be written. I'd had the idea and it was tumbling around in my head, but I was trying so hard to focus on finishing my Corbins Series, but this particular book wouldn't leave me alone. I started hearing all this fun, snarky dialogue, and it was becoming harder and harder to ignore. Finally, one of my best writing friends told me "follow your muse." Naturally, I listened to her. And then I started writing PERFECTLY IMPERFECT.

I wrote this book in less than 3 months--the fastest I've ever written a full-length novel. This is one of those books that came to me fully formed, and it was probably the easiest thing I ever have or ever will write. I love Grayson and Isabelle so much, and I hope you all will, too.

All right, enough rambling. Here's the gorgeous cover....

Tear up your checklist for a perfect senior year and 

get ready for a wild ride on the perfectly imperfect side.

BLURB:

Isabelle Carson is charging into her senior year equipped with a handy checklist to ensure nothing goes awry. Things she didn't account for: a hot, new guy who almost runs her over, a messed up class schedule, and a boyfriend who dumps her for one of her best friends. All of that pales in comparison to the threat of her dirty family secrets breaking free from the perfect façade she’s diligently maintained since the death of her brother.

Grayson Alexander is on his fourth school in as many years. Lakewood Valley High is exactly like all the others, with one shiny exception: Isabelle Carson. She’s smart, funny, beautiful— the perfect package. But Isabelle is hiding something, and Grayson is determined to do whatever it takes to win her trust, except step foot in another hypocritical church.

As Isabelle’s life spirals out of control and her carefully crafted, picture-perfect image begins to shatter, Grayson does what no one else can: he makes her laugh and allows her to be imperfect. With rekindled faith, Isabelle sets out to right all the wrongs in her life. But Grayson has been damaged by his own family secrets, and Isabelle will have to decide if the boy she’s falling for more and more each day is a right or a wrong.

COMING MAY 2020

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A New Publishing Plan

How's everyone's New Year going so far? Mine's been pretty great!

My first YA Christian thriller released in January--Warped Remains. So far, it seems as though people are really enjoying it, and that's always a wonderful feeling. I went on a cruise to the Caribbean, something I've dreamed of doing for years! It was a blast...except when I almost died snorkeling. Okay, that's probably a tad dramatic, but it wasn't the best experience, and it was scary. Then I came home and promptly got sick--that sucked. I broke a tooth and had to have it pulled. That's never pleasant... All right, so maybe my year hasn't been all great. LOL.

But, best of all, I've been writing again! Like, seriously writing, and it's amazing. I've been working on Eternal Bond, which is the sequel to Eternal Curse, a young adult paranormal romance and my homage to Twilight. (Hey, no hate!) I'm almost finished with it, and then I'm going to dive right into the third and final book in the series. Hopefully, I'll have that finished by the start of summer.

Anyway, the purpose behind this post... As you all know, I've created my own self-publishing company, and my plan was to officially launch that this year. Well, that plan has changed! In my extensive research about how to be successful with self-publishing, everything says that a consistent release schedule is key. Now, in order to be able to do that, I need to have the books written, right? So, for the remainder of 2020, I will be writing ALL the books. Then, in 2021, I will start releasing them. A new book every 6 - 8 weeks for the entire year!

Will this work? I have no idea, but I hope so. I'll post regular updates to share how this is going and whether or not I'm having any real success--and by success I mean enough sales to pay a bill each month and a handful of positive reviews. Honestly, my bar is low, y'all.

Does this mean I won't be releasing anything at all for the rest of 2020? NO! I have a YA Christian romance releasing in May called Perfectly Imperfect, and I might have a Christmas novella for later in the year.

So, until my next update... Keep writing. Keep reading. Keep enjoying life :-)

GOALS: 2020

It's my favorite time of year again!!! GOALS!!! I love setting goals, and I'm more excited than ever this year because there are some big things happening, and with me in much better health, I'm going to hit 2020 hard! So, let's do this.

WRITE Until My Fingers Fall Off!

Okay, so maybe that's a bit dramatic--LOL--but I do want to get back into a steady writing habit, and in doing so, I hope to finish a few projects and/or start some new ones. Here is the official list of books I'm going to attempt to finish writing this year:

1. The Georgia Corbins, Book 1. I swear this book is on my goals list every single year, and I'm determined not to let it still be here come 2021. Haha! I have a large portion of this book already written, so it really just needs a final revision.

2. The Georgia Corbins, Book 2. I have a complete draft of this written that will need to be heavily revised to be consistent with the changes to book 1, so I plan to do that this year.

3.  Eternal Bond. This is the sequel to Eternal Curse, a young adult paranormal romance.

4.  Eternal Regret. This is the third book in my young adult paranormal romance series. I don't expect to finish it, but I'd like to at least get started on it.

Resurrect My Pen Name 

A few years ago, I'd written and published a couple of secular New Adult books under a pen name. For anyone who's been around this blog for any amount of time, you know that things didn't work out so well for me with that deal--at no fault of anyone! Sometimes, things just don't work out. That's the nature of publishing, and life in general. So, after some time away and a lot of reflection, I've decided I'm going to bring back this pen name. I'm going to release the third book in the series that wasn't published by the publisher, and I have a romantic suspense series I'm going to work on. (Please be aware that under this name, I write stuff that is not Christian; in fact, it's rather steamy, so if that's not your thing, feel free to stick to my Kara books.)

Officially launch FireChicken Press, LLC

I have a "work-in-progress" website for FireChicken Press, LLC (FCP, LLC). I'd like to release, at the very least, one book under FireChicken Press in 2020. I'm aiming for FCP's debut release to be sometime in late September or early October with Eternal Curse, The Cursed Series: Book One. 

On this specific topic--my husband and I have purchased the (small) house directly across the street from us, and it will become the official office space for both FireChicken Press, LLC and my husband's company, JMT, LLC. Stay tuned in the next couple of months of pictures and updates. I'd love to host a small, weekend writer's retreat there this summer.

Keep On Editing

I'm still with Anaiah Press, and so I'll continue to edit, but this year, I'd like to be a bit more consistent and aim for about one manuscript a month. I've also got a couple repeat freelance clients that I'll continue to edit for---I'm looking at you, Kat and Katie! :-)

Passion: Loving Life and What I Do

Last year, my focus was on persistence, and while that didn't apply too much to my writing life, it helped immensely with my personal life and weight loss journey. This year, though, I'm going to focus on passion--for writing, editing, family, friends, and life in general. If I'm not happy doing something, I'm simply not going to do it anymore. What's the point, right? Life is much too short to spend it being miserable.

What will you accomplish in 2020? 

Looking Back on 2019...

2019 was an...odd year for me, so much so that I'm not even sure what word to use to describe this past year. LOL. Professionally, in terms of my writing and publishing, it wasn't so great. But, it was really great in a lot of personal areas. Let's take a look back on the year and see what I accomplished, what I didn't, and what big changes I faced in 2019.

My original 2019 goals included: 

• Rewrite/revise/write all three books in my Georgia Corbins Series.
• Write Eternal Bond, the second book in my YA paranormal romance series. 
• Write an untitled project for a potential editor. 
• Officially launch FireChicken Press, LLC. 
• Read and blog.

I didn't do any of this! 

I know that sounds horrible, but there's a good reason I didn't do anything I'd set out to do. This was the year that my life changed drastically...

In May, I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. If you want to read all about my journey to that discovery, you can do so HERE. This diagnosis has led to a complete lifestyle change. I've started going to the gym 5 days a week, sometimes more, and I was on the Keto diet. I've since gone off that because I lost quite a bit of weight, and I'm happy where I am now. And seriously, the weight loss has helped tremendously with the pain management. 

This was me in April, with my daughter on her prom. I was 186 pounds. (Isn't my daughter beautiful, though??)

This was me on Christmas day, at a much healthier 137 pounds!

I feel like a completely new person.  

But, trust me when I say that none of this was easy. Far from it. There were days when I wanted to say "screw it" and go back to the way I used to be, to eating whatever I wanted and sitting on the couch. And there were days when the pain was just too much, and I spent all day in bed. It's taken almost all year for me to figure out what does and doesn't work, what my physical, mental, and emotional limits are, and how to say no without feeling guilty. I've had to learn to listen to my body and slow down when needed. It's been a year of self-discovery for sure. 

Naturally, all of this resulted in me not being able to work as much as I normally do, and I've had to learn that's okay, too, that self-care is more important than how many words I write, or how many books I edit. But, to make myself feel slightly better, and to prove I'm not a total slacker, here's what I did do this year:
  

PROFESSIONALLY:

• I wrote a total of 112,475 words on various projects.
• I wrote 25K of the first Corbins book, and then decided making it Christian fiction just wasn't working. So, now I'm back to the secular version, which will require another revision, but I'm excited about where it's going.
• I wrote 35K of Eternal Bond, and I have two handwritten pages of plot notes, so I know exactly where the story is going. 
• David and I revised, and then signed, Warped Remains with Anaiah Press. We spent several months in edits, and the book is now set to release on January 21, 2020. 
• I wrote an entirely new book from start to finish!! Perfectly Imperfect is a contemporary YA Christian romance. It's set to release via Anaiah Press in May 2020. I love this story so, so much, and I can't wait to share it.
• Between here and the Anaiah Press blog, I blogged a total of 5,784 words.
• For Anaiah, I edited 5 full-length novels and 4 novellas.
• I freelance edited 3 full-length manuscripts.
• I took on a slightly new position at Anaiah Press. While I'm still the Editorial Director, I have a host of new responsibilities that I'm really enjoying. 
• I've outlined a couple new YA projects/ideas, many of which will be co-written with the lovely Rosie Somers. 

PERSONALLY:

• I turned 40!
• In May, I saw Twenty-one Pilots in concert--again--with my daughter. They seriously put on the best show ever!
• In June, I went to NY to see my second daughter graduate high school. She's now in college and working. I'm so incredibly proud of her. 
• In July, my husband and I went to NY and moved my parents to MI. I'm SO thrilled to have them living close again. 
• In August, I went to the Jackson County Fair to see Boyz II Men with my friend, Emily. It rained like crazy, but we had a great time.
• In October, I saw Luke Bryan in concert for the second time, but this time I was with Emily. (She's my person. I love her!)
• Thanks to all the time I've spent at the gym, I was able to catch up on several TV series: The Vampire Diaries (all 8 seasons), The 100 (6 seasons, and now impatiently waiting for the 7th and final season), Stranger Things (I'm going crazy waiting for season 4!), and now I'm on season 4 of Supernatural. 

Despite everything going on, I did manage to read a bit this year, too:

1. Price of Silence by Staci Stallings
2. The Jerk Magnet by Melody Carlson
3. Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout
4. Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout
5. Opal by Jennifer Armentrout
6. Origin by Jennifer Armentrout
7. Opposition by Jennifer Armentrout
8. Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus
9. The 100 by Kass Morgan

So, once again, I didn't publish a single thing in 2019, and I didn't snag an agent, but that's okay. Moving forward, I'm focusing on staying healthy and in shape, spending more time with my family and friends, and just enjoying life. As for the future of my writing and publishing, well, stay tuned for my annual goals post :)   I