My favortie books of 2014

Normally I do this post at the end of the year, but the holidays, toddler, etc... Any who, here's the books I really enjoyed last year:

5. When We Touch Brenda Novak


4. When Lighting Strikes Brenda Novak


3. Marine for Hire Tawna Fenske


2. The Invisible Girls: A Memoir Sarah Thebarge


1. Down Came the Rain Brook Shields


As you can see my top two books were nonfiction and I don't have any paranormal on this list. I did read some paranormal, but didn't really enjoy the books as much as I normally do. Since I've had my daughter, I tend to gravitate to more heart-warming or romantic comedy. I listed Down Came the Rain as #1 because that book really helped me understand the postpartum depression I experienced the last couple of years. However December I started reading the Lord of Rings trilogy. It's a slow read, but I'm really enjoying every page. Tolkien was a freaking genius. I could live in middle earth forever and totally get the whole Tolkienite culture.
So what were your top five?

Goodbye 2014

I can't believe another year has gone by. Which means it's time for 14 Best of 2014. And boy, there it was hard to choose because 2014 was one of the best years of my life. Here we go:

1. First writer's retreat in the spring. So good to be surrounded by creative people and get some quality writing done after almost two years of drought.

2. Achieving my dream of publishing.

3. Writing my very first article that appeared on Rebelle Society.

4. Flying to California for the first time with Boo Creature to visit family. We had a BLAST.

5. Summer trips to the beach.

6. 1st camping trip with Boo Creature.

7. Trips to the cabin.

8. Trips to the zoo.

9. Trips to the park. Many trips.

10. Going on my 1st company paid business trip. I got so much writing done on the train ride and in the evenings in my room. So nice to have some much needed me-time.

11. Trips to the pumpkin patch.

 


 12. Halloween 2014.

13. Seeing Fleetwood Mac and Lindsey Stirling.

14. Seeing my book on the shelf in a my favorite bookstore.

As you can see it's been a great year and the highlights of the last twelve months have been my daughter and book. After fighting postpartum depression most of 2013, it felt wonderful to fully enjoy motherhood. Thanks for riding with me. And Happy 2015.

It's May!

Oh my goodness, where does the time go? I swear ever since I got knocked up and had a baby, I've lived in a weird time vortex where one day it's Friday of one week and the next Saturday two months later. In all this madness, I have some great news to tell you.

I've waited to say this news for so long. Those of you who have followed my journey from the beginning, know how hard I've worked at writing and becoming a published author. After almost four years since starting down the path to authorship, I will be publishing my first book and it's not a novel.

Never in my wildest dreams had I ever thought I'd write nonfiction, but then last year I experienced the hardest, most traumatic year of my life after I gave birth to my daughter. Some of you might remember me mentioning postpartum depression in previous posts. For an entire year, I couldn't write any fiction, so I journaled instead. I needed an outlet and writing my day to day experiences helped me heal.

Postpartum depression is real shit, folks, and many women suffer from it. More than I realized until PPD kicked my ass. After living for months in shame, I said no more. I weeded through my random thoughts and compiled them into a story- my story.

I've kept most of the book progress on my other blog, but I thought I'd share the news here too because May 21, 2014 my debut book Urban Goddess Mama will be available on Amazon. Check out the amazing cover here.

And read the first chapter by going to this link:

https://www.createspace.com/Preview/1148123

Though the last year has been extremely hard, I have so much to be thankful. PPD stripped me to the bone and then crushed what was left to a pulp. Through the darkness of despair, I found my way back into the light. From the dust, I pieced my life back together one speck at a time. PPD helped me get rid of so much bullshit in my life. I love the person I am today more than who I was before PPD. And I have this little girl to thank. She is the light of my world. I'm so honered to be her mother. Speaking of which, Happy Mother's Day!

Photo by Amy Campbell

The Cowboy and the Vampire Series Cover Revamp!

Hi ya'll,

As promised, I have a special treat today. Two of the biggest benefits of being a writer and blogger are the opportunities to do cover reveals and read ARCs of soon to be released books. In preparation for the third installment of their fantastic vampire series, Kathleen McFall and Clark Hays have given me the wonderful privilege to share with you the TWO new covers for the previous books. But first a little background. Go here and here to see the orginal covers for book one and two.

The phrase “you can’t judge a book by its cover” is a lie. It’s a damn lie. People do it all the time. Art is truth.

To mark the upcoming May 2014 release of the third book in The Cowboy and the Vampire Collection, the series was treated to a gothic western makeover, with artwork commissioned exclusively for the series.

“We wanted to give readers something special and the new covers get right to the heart of the series,” said co-author Hays. “Go on and judge the books by these covers! They bring together the paranormal and the western elements perfectly, setting a dark tone with just a hint of the humor.”

“Each time you look at the images, you see something a bit different, even more of the opposites-attract romantic theme pops, and the overtones of simmering passion,” said co-author McFall.

Get caught up on the love between Tucker and Lizzie now before the release of book three.

About the authors:
Between the two of them, Clark Hays and Kathleen McFall have worked in writing jobs ranging from
cowboy-poet to energy journalist to restaurant reviewer to university press officer. After they met, their writing career took center stage when they wrote the first book in The Cowboy and the Vampire
Collection as a test for marriage. They passed. Clark and Kathleen now live in Portland, Ore.

And now for the covers!!!

So what do you think? Please feel free to leave a comment below. And to make sure you are up to date on Liz and Tucker's story click here and here to buy the books.

Book Review: Half-blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I just recently tweeted about staying up until 2 am reading Half-blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout. That's a huge thing these days especially since I became a new mom earlier this year. Reading into the night is not something I can afford in my already sleep-deprived state. So if a book has captured me so much I'm willing to sacrifice a perfect night when my daughter decided to sleep the whole time, is well, a pretty damn good book.

I purchased this novel about almost two years ago after I read Obsidian (The Lux Series) and bought everything out there at the time written by her. Half-blood is part of the Covenant series.  I first read Daimon, the prequel to Half-blood. But when I started on Half-blood, I simply couldn't get into it.

Fast forward major career change at day job, pregnancy, and childbirth to a couple of days ago when I was browsing through my Kindle and decided to read something I'd already purchased rather than buying. I gave Half-blood another try. I was doing pretty good getting through about a chapter a day while I pumped at day job. (Trust me, reading is the only way to get through pumping, my least favorite thing about motherhood.)

So last night after daughter went to sleep I decided I'd read a little until I got sleepy. At this point I was about 40% through the book. My eyelids were starting to get heavy. Yawning became more frequent and then I got to about 46% (the end of chapter 10). BAM! Wide awake.

Oh. My. Gods. I had to finish the book and it was all I could do NOT to log into the Kindle store to buy the rest of the series when I reached the end at 2 am. Curse you, Jennifer!

The book is like Vampire Academy meets Greek mythology spun together in a delicious web of romance, snarky banter, kick ass action, and brilliant imagination. Jennifer has a way of luring you into her world of demigods and trapping you there until you read the last line of the book, but then only to realize you've become an addict and need your next hit. Soon. So many twists, so many fantastic characters that burrow under your skin, making themselves a comfortable little nest. No wonder she became a NY Times bestselling author publishing mostly through indie press. And it's a really good thing she writes a lot and has multiple books coming out each year.

Thank goodness I have a whole week off starting Christmas. You know what I'll be doing. I admit it, I'm a J.L Armentrout junkie and now it's my mission to get as many converts. Here's the link to purchase Half-Blood. You're welcome and Merry Christmas.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005OCPT00/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title

 See you all in 2014.

Cheers,
Melania

Taking a break & top summer YA reads

Hey gang,

I'm taking a breaking from this blog for a couple of months. I have a very important exam I need to study for in September which is taking up all my "extra" time. I know, I'm hardly ever on here anymore since the little princess showed up. But seriously, I NEED to pass this test to get the required certification for my day job. Any writing time, I would like to devote to my novel. However I do have some prewritten posts I'll be putting on my Goddess Revealed blog about pregnancy and motherhood in the next couple of months, should you be interested. And I pop onto twitter every now and then too.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and check out these new releases. Click on the titles to purchase.

Earthbound by Aprilynne Pike (book 1 in the new series by the ubber awesome Aprilynne Pike.)

Origin by Jennifer Armentrout (releases August 27 & book 4 in the kick ass  Lux series)

The Arrivals by Melissa Marr (This is actually an adult novel, but pretty much anything from Melissa Marr is a must read in my book.)

My 1st Mother's Day

Today was my very first Mother's Day and let me tell you it felt weird. After 33 years of wishing my own mother a happy day it was strange hearing her return the greeting this morning when I stopped to see her. Last night my cousin and her two kids came over and brought me a huge bouquet of flowers. I laughed when the kids wished me a Happy Mother's Day. "Me? A Mom?" On what crazy planet would that happen? Then my daughter cried and I rushed to pick her up. Oh, yeah. That.

This morning hubby brought me a gorgeous azalea plant and a card from baby. I loved the card so much I HAD to take pictures and share.

Is that not the cutest card EVER?! Love the pitch fork in the "Your" and the pointy tail in the second "angel." So creative. I had a fabulous day. Had lunch with my mom, talked to my grandmother in Romania, and got to see my new nephew in Texas via Skype. I even bought myself a new workout outfit. (I always wondered why I used to see moms in athletic clothing out and about. I now understand. Motherhood IS a workout.) When I got home, Elly and I hung out on our cover patio while it sprinkled outside and enjoyed the smell of fresh rain and the new blossoming honeysuckle.

That's her and her new The Very Hungry Caterpillar book by Eric Carle. She's already a book worm and that's the best gift this mama can ask for. If you are ever looking a gift to give a baby, this book is a winner. Happy Mother's day to all you fabulous mamas out there.

3rd Sunday Sweet: Life After Theft by Aprilynne Pike

Last fall, I experienced one of the greatest honors imaginable- having the privilage of being the first to reveal Aprilynne Pike's Life after Theft cover, share not one but two teasers (click on the links to view teasers), and ARC giveaway. This is a book that I've been dying to read since read about it on her blog years ago. As a thank you for hosting the cover reveal and giveaway, I got my very own ARC copy (which is like the coolest thing ever to read something that's not even out yet). After the madness of the holidays, I finally had the chance to sit down and read the book.

Here's the discription on Amazon:

Moving to a new high school sucks. Especially a rich-kid private school. With uniforms. But nothing is worse than finding out the first girl you meet is dead. And a klepto.

No one can see or hear Kimberlee except Jeff, so--in hopes of bringing an end to the snarkiest haunting in history--he agrees to help her complete her "unfinished business." But when the enmity between Kimberlee and Jeff's new crush, Sera, manages to continue posthumously, Jeff wonders if he's made the right choice.

Clash meets sass in this uproarious modern-day retelling of Baroness Orczy's The Scarlet Pimpernel, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Aprilynne Pike.

 So what did I think of the book?

Like the last sentence from Amazon said: Clash meets sass. The number one thing that really sticks out is the voice. It's in first person and male protagonist- 100% totally different than the voice in the Wings series (which I absolutely ADORE). It's edgy, witty, fresh, entertaining, and very appropriate to the characters. No wonder this is the book that got her on the publishing agent's radar.

The second thing I like about the story is that it's very realistic. She doesn't shy away from common issues that face teens today like drugs, alcohol, sex, or personal identity. Though they are addressed in a positive manner. The biggest challenge is learning about who you are and the story highlights this beautifully both in Jeff (life) and Kimberlee (death). The dialogue is true and not squeaky "clean" but not full of vulgarity as some YA novels are. Though I love a good story, sometimes when authors try to be too PG the dialogue comes out contrived and unbelievable. In this case it was perfectly balanced. With that being said, there is nothing wrong with being "clean."

The pacing and plot flowed naturally. Haunted by a klepto ghost, finding new love, and trying to fit into a new school are enough to create page-turning conflicts, juicy twists, comical situations, and a happy ending. So yeah, I basically LOVED it!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you so much, Aprilynne and Harper Collins for giving me the chance read this brilliant, funny, romantic adventure months before it comes out.

Click on the above Amazon link to pre-order today. You won't be disappointed. :)

2nd Sunday Savor: 2012 reading list

One of the things seasoned authors tell you when you ask for writing advice is to read and read alot! I've taken this to heart over the years. Normally I read about 16 books a year (paper), but last year I got a Kindle and so I'm going list all the books in order read in 2012 and see if I've beaten my usual amount.

Completed:
1. Obsidian  Armentrout, Jennifer L (YA)
2. Daimon (prequal to Half-blood)  Armentrout, Jennifer L (YA)
3. Siren  Jacobs, Delle (Adult)
4. The Marked  Scott, Inara (YA)
5. Kiss and Makeup  Robertson, Faye (Adult)
6. The Dragon Stirs  Aicher, Lynda (Adult)
7. Paradise 21 (New Dawn)  Dionne, Aubrie (Adult)
8. The Dark Divine   Despain, Bree (YA)
9. Destined (Wings)  Pike, Aprilynne (YA)
10. Walking in Fire (Hawaiian Heroes)  Cade, Cathryn (Adult)
11. My Blood Approves  Hocking, Amanda (YA)
12. Fate  Hocking, Amanda (YA)
13. Flutter  Hocking, Amanda (YA)
14. Hollowland  Hocking, Amanda (YA)
15. The Marriage Bargain  Probst, Jennifer (Adult)
16. Innocent Darkness  Lazear, Suzanne (YA)
17. Wake  Hocking, Amanda (YA)
18. Sweet Venom  Childs, Terra Lynn (YA)
19. Sweet Shadows  Childs, Terra Lynn (YA)

Books started in 2012 and still reading:
1. Wired for Story  Cron, Lisa
2. The Eye of the World: Book One of 'The Wheel of Time'  Jordan, Robert (fantasy)
3. Art of Extreme Self-care  Richardson, Cheryl
4. Birthing from Within  England, Pam 
5. Life After Theft  Pike, Aprilynne  (paper) (YA)

So almost 20 completed books and this list does not include all of the audio books I've listened to as well. The ones I'm still working on I'm more than 50% through. So I would say it's been a successful year of reading. As you can see I read mostly YA and romance with a little bit of fantasy and self-improvement here and there. 

Well, I need to get some words in today and finish up Life After Theft so I can review it next week. Catch ya later.

3rd Sunday Sweet: Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs.

Last summer at RWA, I had the privilege of meeting the fantastic Tera Lynn Childs as well as attend a YA workshop taught by her and Sophie Jordan. A while ago, Sweet Venom was free on Kindle and I downloaded it. The book sat in my archive for a couple of weeks before I started reading. Once I did I couldn't put it down.

It's written in intense first person kind of like Hunger Games and I was in the story from page one. The writing is fabulous. Sweet Venom is the tale of triple sisters, separated at birth, who happen to be descendants of Medusa, and their destiny is to keep the monsters popping up all over San Fransisco in check.

Grace, the eco-geeky sister, is my favorite. I love that she is sweet but tough when she needs to be. Gretchen is the badass sister that has been doing the fighting the longest and has known her destiny before the other two. Greer is the preppy snobby girl you want to hate, but at the same time can't help but love because underneath all the layers of the high class society she's grown up in she has a heart of gold. I loved how each sister's POV tells a new facet of the story. I felt the sadness, joy, and sacrifice these girls experienced as they embraced their destiny.

This fresh take on Greek mythology is full of adventure, excellent character development, and sprinkled with sweet little bits of romance. Reminded me alot of the Percy Jackson series but less middle grade. When I finished the book I bought the sequel Sweet Shadows. Didn't start it till last week and it's just as good as the first. I'm trying to pace myself because I HATE waiting for the next book... My strategy is not working very well...

You can get your own copy here. Totally worth it.

1st Sunday Snippet: Life After Theft Teaser #2 + ARC winner

WOW!!!! You guys rock. Thank you everyone who entered the Life After Theft ARC giveaway. You all have made this such a fun contest. According to Random.org the winner is:

Emily Jane! Please check your email today. :)

Thanks again and a ginormous thank you to Aprilynne Pike and HaperCollins for making this possible. Okay and here is the next promised teaser:

“Stop! Stop!” Kimberlee melted through the wall with her hands over her eyes. “Put the razor down. Do you really shave?” she asked, peeking through her fingers.

I pointed to the razor with my best ‘duh’ look.

“No, I mean do you have to shave? You get stubble and everything?”

“Yeah.”

“Lemme see.” She leaned close and studied the fringe of hair on my chin and around my mouth. “That’s sexy, you can’t get rid of that.”

“But the dress code says no facial hair.”

“Oh, please. They won’t bust you for stubble.”

“Why would I want stubble?”

“Girls love stubble. If you can grow it, it shows you’re more virile.”

I rolled my eyes. “Do you even know what that word means?”

“Capable of performing sexually as a male,” she said proudly. “I looked it up.”

I looked at my chin in the mirror and my thoughts flashed to Serafina. That wrestler guy yesterday probably had a little stubble too. “Virile. You know, I’m feeling virile.”

“Whatever—do your hair.”

I took a comb and parted my hair then brushed it back with my fingers.

“You’re kidding me.”

“What? It’s the messy look.”

“I know the messy look, Jeff, and that is not it. Do you have any gel?”

Last straw. “Listen, I am not changing my hair. If you want me to help you, you take me the way I am or no deal.”

Kimberlee folded her arms across her chest. “Whatever,” she said. “But if no girl will touch you, don’t say I didn’t try.”

It took fifteen minutes of coaching before Kimberlee was satisfied. I wasn’t convinced. I had pokey spears on one side with a flattened patch on the other and bits of crunchy bangs were hanging down over one eye. “I look like an idiot.”

“No, you look hot!”

“I don’t know Kim, maybe—”

“Kimberlee.”

“Kimberlee. Maybe this really isn’t the look for me.”

“Trust me. You’ve never looked better.”

Trust Kimberlee? Every instinct rebelled against that thought, but what choice did I really have? Kimberlee was born and raised in Santa Monica and based on what I’d skimmed from her Internet presence—yes, I did more Googling—she apparently was the queen of Whitestone for almost three years before the riptide cut her reign short. I had nothing.

Besides, I’d spent so long on my hair I only had ten minutes to get to school. No time to start over.

Life After Theft Cover Reveal

First I want to give Aprilynne a HUGE THANK YOU for giving fangs, felines, fins, & fun fiction this awesome opportunity. And here it is, folks. Let me give you a moment to savor the beauty of this fabulous cover... Click to image to enlarge.

Breathtaking...gorgeous...

Okay so as promised I'm hosting an ARC giveaway for Life After Theft. Here are the rules:
CONTEST CLOSED.
1. Post a comment below with an email address where I can get a hold of you should you win.

2. This giveaway is open everyone. (International Folks too) :)

3. Giveaway ends Midnight Nov 3 PST. I will randomly draw a winner then and will announce the name on Sunday Nov 4.

4. Check back on Nov 4 to see if you're the lucky winner and read another exclusive teaser from Life After Theft.

5. If you have won and I have not heard from you by Wednesday Nov 7 by 3pm, I will draw another winner.

6. Once I have you're mailing information, I will pass it to Aprilynne and she'll get you the ARC.

Best of luck to you! Thanks again Aprilynne.

Added: In the meantime be sure to check out the teaser posted on Sunday if you haven't already. :)

3rd Sunday Sweets: Innocent Darkness by Susan Lazear

I met the lovely Suzanne Lazear at RWA last summer and instantly preordered Innocent Darkness for my Kindle. When it arrived, I dove right in.

As the title implies, this YA is pretty dark. Since it's steampunk the story takes place during the Victorian era when many freaky things happened, most people don't talk about.

Noli, the heroine, is sent to a reform school in San Fransisco after being caught flying a car illegally (illegal because she's a girl and she doesn't have a license.) There's some pretty scary things that happen there, like water-boarding and other "treatments" that are considered barbaric this day and age.

However she escapes the hellish prison into the faerie world through a portal where she is trapped by Kevighn, the high faerie queen's huntsman. There's a little love triangle that's formed between Kevighn and Steven, her neighbor from back home in LA. Noli is thrown into all sorts of challenging situations and adventures.

So what did I think?

For being my first steampunk, it wasn't too bad. I think this book is a great intro to the genre for people who have never read before and would like to try it out. The faerie element is much stronger than the steampunk. The old lore is beautifully woven throughout. Reminded me a lot of the Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr, but with a steampunk spin. Yes, the story is dark, but there is a sweet innocent undertone which lightens the book a bit.

The romantic elements are very strong and though the book is PG, there is a scene that is a bit steamy and not the in punk kind of way.

Though I found some of the twists predictable, I enjoyed fun ride. The imagery was stunning and I felt like I took a trip through the Otherworld. Looking forward to reading book two. Hello, I need to know what happens to Noli, Steven, & Kevighn!!! 

You can purchase your own copy here.

3rd Sunday Sweets: Wake by Amanda Hocking

First of all, I have to say I FRIGGEN LOVE Amanda Hocking’s books. My favorite is the Hollows series about a zombie apocalypse, a kick ass girl named Remy, and her pet lion, Ripley. Well, that was until I read Wake.

Wake is the first of the Watersong series. Blurb from Amazon: 

Photo courtesy of www.amandahocking.blogspot.com

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs.  She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door.  He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back.  Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever.  She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove.  They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price.  And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

 This book kicks butt. It’s my favorite mermaid novel so far. It’s dark, sexy, and full of suspense while still maintaining the sweetness of the main character. I love the fact that both parents are still alive in this story, though the mother doesn’t live at home, and that Gemma gets in trouble for staying out too late, because that’s what happens to normal teenagers. This makes the story so much more believable than most paranormal YA tales selling these days.

Each character in the book is portrayed so beautifully you can’t help but sympathize with them. Even the siren-bitch-from-hell, Penn. I look forward to reading the rest of the series and am super happy I don’t have to wait a whole year cause book #2 comes out this winter. Get your copy here. And I leave you to enjoy the book trailer.