I saw similar cards on Etsy and I thought….I can make those….so I did!!!
The stamp is Stampin Up. EASY PEASY!!
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!!!
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The Dean Machine by Dylan Lee Peters BOOK SPOTLIGHT
OVERVIEW
Meet Dan Delacor, an utterly boring citizen of Yellow City. Every day he puts on his yellow shoes, yellow shirt, yellow pants, and yellow tie, and catches a ride on the Tunnel Runner from the suburbs into downtown. He has a job, a home, and a girlfriend, and he never wonders what waits beyond the giant glass wall that surrounds Yellow City.Except… Dan isn’t as boring as he seems. He often wonders why everything in Yellow City has to be yellow. He wonders why he suffers frequent anxiety attacks, and why he can’t help himself from strolling through dangerous neighborhoods, or running wildly through the fields that separate downtown from the suburbs. Mostly though, Dan wonders why he can’t remember how he lost his right arm, or anything that happened before five years ago.
So, when Dan’s mundane yellow world is interrupted with the seemingly impossible presence of a little red dog named Dean, he quickly finds out there are answers to his questions, and that everything he knows is a lie.
Follow Dan as he learns the secrets of his true identity, the scope of the world beyond the wall, and the true intentions of Yellow City’s mysterious leader, Chancellor Elgrey Vinsidian. Meet Wendy, the twelve-year-old girl on a rescue mission, Echo Valkzdokker, the woman with a love for danger, James Perkins, the wily pilot who has a way with words, and Bianna Kensington, the cold-mannered rebel with a cause. Look through the cracks of this new world with Dan as he learns why his little friend is nicknamed The Dean Machine, what special bond they share, and why the dog deserves a legacy that should live on forever.
He lives to love.
He would die to protect.
His heart is a machine.
FROM THE AUTHOR
I have pledged to donate a portion of my royalties from the book to animal rescue shelters for as long as the book is in publication. This is how I plan to honor Dean’s memory. I implore you to visit my website, http://www.dylanleepeters.com. I have an area set up for The Dean Machine with the preface of the book (which explains my relationship with Dean and why I was inspired to write The Dean Machine), a sample chapter, book artwork, and pictures and video of the real Dean (he was a very cute old man).
The book is currently available to the public on Amazon.com, for kindle ($2.99) and in paperback ($9.99).
I appreciate your time and hope you are interested in reading The Dean Machine.
Thank you sincerely,
Dylan Lee Peters
Official Website
Amazon
https://www.facebook.com/Author-Dylan-Lee-Peters-109222362447009/
Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28259263-the-dean-machine
Lowcountry Bordello by Susan M. Boyer
OVERVIEW
The Charleston streets are dressed for the holidays in sophisticated Southern style: topiaries adorned with red ribbons, garland entwined with white lights, and poinsettias potted in gold planters. The high class bordello in a stately historic home is certainly no exception. When Private Investigator Liz Talbot’s dear friend Olivia swears she saw a dead body in the parlor of this bordello, one Olivia accidentally co-owns, Liz promptly comes to her aid.
With her wedding back home on Stella Maris less than a week away, Liz must juggle one elderly madam, two ex and future in-laws, three ghosts in the bordello, four giddy bridesmaids, five lovely courtesans, six suspicious patrons…and a partridge in a pear tree as she tries to keep her bridesmaid out of jail and live to walk down the aisle.
REVIEW
I admit, I have only read one of these books in the series. I am behind!!! After reading this one, I must go back and pick up the others. This is such a cute, quirky mystery.
Liz is a private eye. Her best friend calls her in a panic. She thinks she has seen a body in her Aunt’s home. When she goes back…the body is gone!! Liz finds herself in a neat, little murder mystery surrounded by the ladies of a private bordello.
I love that this book is set in Charleston. I felt like I was walking the streets myself.
Liz is a wonderful character and her friend, Olivia keep this mysterious tale hopping right along. Between dead bodies and ladies of the night, you never know what to expect next.
Being from the south, parts of this novel had me rolling on the floor laughing. The author hit the nail on the head when it comes to some of the southern ways.
An adorable read…not to be missed!
I received this novel from the author for a honest review.
PURCHASE HERE
First pages of San Francisco album
I wanted to see the Golden gate as soon as I opened the album, so I printed a large picture of the bridge. The paper is Cosmo Cricket. I took so many pictures on this trip I doubt there will be too much room for embellishments.
If you will notice, I punched holes in this paper for the three ring binder. I have decided that is not the way to go. I will put these in page protectors..
Posted in Albums, Cricut, Scrapbooking, Stamping
Tagged albums, layout, scrapbooking, stamping
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Altered Album
We went to San Francisco and the surrounding area this summer. I took a load of pictures. I wanted to put as many as I could in an album.
I bought this album on line. I knew it wasn’t exactly what I wanted but I thought I could fix. I just love the way it turned out!!
BEFORE
I painted around the album and added all the trimmings.
AFTER
NOW!! Stay tuned for the inside. Should be interesting. I have never worked a three ring binder.
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!!
Whiskey Devils by Brandon Zenner
Whiskey Devils
By Brandon Zenner
Genres: Thriller, Crime, Mystery, Suspense, Action
Book Description
Running a criminal enterprise is hard work
Evan Powers has become the new manager in Nick Grady’s well-established marijuana growing operation. Led by his roommate and best friend, little has changed in Nick’s secretive business since the late ‘60s, which is just the way the aging hippie would like it to remain. However, Nick’s complex past comes full circle, thrusting Evan in a scramble to decipher the truth behind the enigmatic lives of the people he holds dear. Deep in the woods, demons will be unleashed.
***Nominate Whiskey Devils on Kindle Scout TODAY, and Amazon will send you the ebook for FREE if it is published! https://kindlescout.amazon.com/p/2LQVZULLLRYJM
Author Bio
Brandon Zenner is an American fiction writer. His short fiction has been published in both print and online publications, the first being submitted when he was just 19 years old. THE EXPERIMENT OF DREAMS, his debut eBook thriller, has reached Amazon’s top-ten charts within its genre many times. His categories of choice are thrillers, dystopian, crime, and science fiction.
Find Brandon:
https://www.facebook.com/brandon.zenner
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Into the Free by Julie Cantrell
Overview
In Depression-era Mississippi, Millie Reynolds longs to escape the madness that marks her world. With an abusive father and a “nothing mama,” she struggles to find a place where she really belongs.
For answers, Millie turns to the Gypsies who caravan through town each spring. The travelers lead Millie to a key which unlocks generations of shocking family secrets. When tragedy strikes, the mysterious contents of the box give Millie the tools she needs to break her family’s longstanding cycle of madness and abuse.
Through it all, Millie experiences the thrill of first love while fighting to trust the God she believes has abandoned her. With the power of forgiveness, can Millie finally make her way into the free?
Review
Let me start by saying….this is not my genre. I am not a Christian fiction fan. I find them overly dramatic and preachy. However, I met this author in the food truck line at Southern Festival of books in Nashville this year. I was very impressed. She informed me she would be at Square Books in Oxford, MS in January. I decided to give her a try before her appearance.
Millie is a young girl from an abusive home during the depression era in Mississippi. She struggles to find the right path. When her parents die within several days of each other, this sends her life spiraling out of control. She has to come to terms and be strong to overcome.
This is a tale about the true struggles in life and the strength needed to get through them. I absolutely loved Millie. She fights with strength she doesn’t ever realize she has. All her trials and experiences help her grow and become the woman she wants to be.
I enjoyed this story for the many aspects it portrayed about strength and endurance needed to succeed in life. I loved the setting and especially the part about the gypsies.
This author is not afraid to show the hypocrisy in some Christians or the evil in people. This is one of the reasons I enjoyed this novel. Her characters were real and experienced real-life emotions with many different ups and downs.
Very impressive. I am looking forward to her new novel.
Publish here
Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill BOOK SPOTLIGHT plus Guest Post
Overview
The truth could cost her everything.
Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true. In the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is wonderful
Or is it?
When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava convinces herself she can fix it. It’s temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss
If only Ava could believe her own excuses.
Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.
Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new attorney in town, Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?
Center of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem.
Purchase here
A Day in the Life of Laura McNeill
2015 has been a year of big changes for the McNeill family! Not only did I have the release of Center of Gravity in July with HarperCollins, but I also moved my son to New York for college, was offered a new job, moved to a new city, and started work on my Ph.D. in Instructional Leadership.
All of the changes have meant adjusting to a new schedule with my writing and editing. In addition to my new position as an Instructional Designer at the University of Alabama (Roll Tide!), I’ve been busy getting ready for the April 19th, 2016 publication of Sister Dear, while writing the draft of my 3rd domestic suspense manuscript, The World Breaks Everyone, set in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Right now, my weekday schedule looks like this:
5:30 am -7:15 am –Editing current work in progress, The World Breaks Everyone
7:45 am – 8 am – Social media posts on Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter
8 am – 12 noon -University of Alabama job
12 noon – 1 pm – Workout and/or lunch
1 pm – 4:45 pm – University of Alabama job
5 pm – 7 pm – Grad school reading and homework (all online), dinner
7 pm – 8 pm -Answer personal email, social media, write blog posts
8 pm – 9:30 pm – Reading
9:30 pm – Bed
What about weekends? My weekends are similar, and I still get up relatively early to write. I like the peace and quiet of mornings, and usually settle in with a cup of coffee at my desk and work while the rest of the world is still asleep. In the earliest part of the day, I find that I can focus better, I’m more creative, and the words seem to flow much more easily. Of course, when I am on deadline, I can push myself to work on my manuscripts just about anytime of day or night!
So, why make time to read nearly every day? I believe that it’s crucial to pushing myself to grow and bettering myself as a writer. Stephen King, in On Writing, advises that authors “Read a lot and write a lot.” I take King’s advice seriously, and in addition to reading for pleasure, right now, I am perusing Larry Brooks’ Story Fix and James Scott Bell Write Your Novel from the Middle—both excellent resources for experienced and novice authors!
Why continue to take classes? One Saturday a month, I also have classes at the University of Alabama, which I really enjoy. I love the other students in my class and my professors (one of whom is a romance author). A lot of friends ask … why pursue another degree? The answer is pretty simple. Though I would love to eventually write full time, I also have a passion for lifelong learning and an interest in higher education. I think the best of both worlds would be to write novels and teach a few classes in a university setting.
It’s all about balance! Although I love my quiet time at the keyboard, I’m also a real “people person.” I adore my time with friends, classmates, and coworkers. It’s through talking to other people—hearing about their lives, their challenges, and their adventures—that I often come up with my story ideas. I keep a notebook in my bag at all times so that I can jot down ideas whenever they strike!
In all, heading into 2016, I feel extremely blessed for all of the support and love from my readers, friends, and family. I hope you’ve enjoyed this little look into my life! I can’t wait to share Sister Dear with you all in April, and look forward to releasing The World Breaks Everyone in late 2016 or early 2017.
Happy New Year!
Husband Wanted by Charlotte Hughes COVER REVEAL
Husband Wanted
By Charlotte Hughes
Genre: Romance
Book Description
Frannie Brisbane knew it was an impossible scheme, but unless she went through with it, the daughter she had given up thirteen years ago and who now wanted to visit, would discover that Frannie had painted a very different picture of her life in the letters they’d exchanged. Frannie’s close friends rally around her, and next thing she knows, she is living in a mansion and wearing designer clothes.
The only thing missing is a husband.
Confirmed bachelor, Clay Coleman, has ulterior motives when he agrees to play the role of loving husband, but Fannie, who nursed a crush on him for years, fears she is flirting with danger in their role of let’s pretend. But Fannie and Clay aren’t the only ones keeping secrets. Sooner or later, the truth comes out, exposing everyone involved. Can Frannie ever get past her hurt when she discovers that the truth about Clay?
http://readcharlottehughes.com
http://twitter.com/charlottehughes
https://www.facebook.com/authorcharlottehughes
Purchase on Amazon: http://ow.ly/WvLgA
Before and After…
I am ashamed to show this pic…but here it goes
Is this not embarrassing!! Since I finished my Christmas cards I have had so many projects going on. I just kept piling stuff on my work desk…no I am not a hoarder….even though you can’t tell it.
Here is the after!!! Do not even want to tell you guys how long it took me to clean it up!!! And it is still not exactly as I want but at least NOW I can start creating again!!! STAY TUNED
reecaspieces 