Moms, kids and sports

I love my boys. I have four, you know.  They are in 6^th, 7^th, 8^th and 9^th grade. All four of them are involved in some kind of activity. We’ve got two that play football, three that play basketball, two that will join the track team and then there are music lessons. We volunteer at our local outreach to play the worship music Sunday mornings, which means… early to rise. When do I have time to write, you may wonder. When do I have time for anything is a better question.

I work full time now, which I consider to be a blessings so I certainly won’t complain about that.  But finding time to exercise, do laundry or even just relax with a good book and a glass of wine is nearly impossible. That’s why I’m whining now.  We get up at 5:30am every morning and just run, run, run. So I ask you…. When do you find time to do things for yourself?

I’m going to say that it probably won’t happen.  And since time goes by so quickly when you are blessed with a family, I’ll just have to tough it out. Before I know what hit me in the back of the head, they will all be out of high school and on their way to college. At that point I’ll probably be sitting with my husband and thinking… “Why is it so quiet? I’m bored.” Okay, probably not “I’m bored,” but I will certainly feel the void when they are gone. So I guess I’ll have to settle for the occasional nap and enjoy the hugs and kisses I get for being there for them when they need me. Now I can identify with my father’s old saying, “There’ll be plenty of time for sleep when I’m dead.”

New Years Mishaps

As many of you know I am a singer and I play guitar. Due to the lack of time I am now experiencing, these days I am limited to a few songs Sunday mornings. However, it never fails, that if I have a bad rehearsal, we will have a great performance. When I have a flawless rehearsal, generally the performance stinks. I was just wondering if that might apply to real life situations. Well now… let’s talk about New Years Day.

I’m sure most of you had some kind of time off from your jobs during the holiday. (Unless, of course, you’re a mom. There is no time off there). Since I work for the school district, when I’m off the boys are off with me. So it goes without saying that I do not feel rested after my two-week break. New Years Day for us is usually a great day. We celebrate, have a few snacks and enjoy the ride. But not this time. My husband pulled his back out doing a very strenuous activity: He bent down to pick up a deodorant stick at the grocery store. When he came back home, the family car broke down. I on the other hand was editing my soon to be released, third book of the series, Relatively Close. Yes, the entire two weeks, I did nothing but edit. Oh and did I mention that my printer stopped working?

I tried to coerce my husband into getting into bed and resting so that his back could heal but my efforts were futile. Instead, he got up, got dressed and promptly went to work underneath the car. We had a funeral we were supposed to attend that day; yes a funeral on New Years Day and needless to say… we didn’t make it.

Well, the car’s fixed, his back is better and he got the day after New Year’s off to rest up a bit. My printer is still not working but that’s a story for another day. So now… let me ask you. Does that mean the rest of the year is going to be the best one ever? If my theory holds true… absolutely.

Happy New Year everyone!

Review of "In The Air Tonight," by Stephanie Tyler

Book Description

With danger closing in, all they have is each other.

Haunted by a mission he barely survived, Delta Force operative Mace Stevens still carries a soldier’s burden. Running a small bar in upstate New York, he remains a stone-cold warrior who guards dangerous secrets and stays ready for anything. Anything except beautiful, vulnerable Paige Grayson, who shows up at his door, demanding answers about her heroic stepbrother’s death under his command.

Haunted by a mission he barely survived, Delta Force operative Mace Stevens still carries a soldier’s burden. Running a small bar in upstate New York, he remains a stone-cold warrior who guards dangerous secrets and stays ready for anything. Anything except beautiful, vulnerable Paige Grayson, who shows up at his door, demanding answers about her heroic stepbrother’s death under his command.

Paige bears burdens, too. She’s plagued by demons unleashed by an older brother who committed mass murder before her eyes. But here in this snowy haven with Mace, she almost feels safe from the menacing promises of her insane sibling. As a nurse whose hands can read the deepest thoughts of anyone she touches, Paige knows that Mace needs her as desperately as she needs Mace. And when a faceless killer begins unleashing fresh terror, Mace proves just how far he will go to save the woman who means everything to him.

My Thoughts:

I already read the first two books of the series, “Lie to Me” and “Promises in the Dark” and was addicted instantly. Just like the other two, “In the Air Tonight,” did not disappoint. Mace was such a dominant yet vulnerable character. I tend to be drawn to books with strong male heroes and Stephanie Tyler delivers. I simply could not put the book down. Page after page, moment after moment, I was spellbound. I love how she follows two to three story lines at one time. While you’re following one, you can’t wait to get back to the other. Page’s special ability adds a certain amount of unexpected flavor that was very inviting. The action feels real and exhilarating and I would certainly recommend this book to people who need to get caught up in their novels from the get go. I will caution those of you who do not like strong language, that there is language in this book. Although personally I do not use language in my own writing, it does not detract from the fabulous story that I always expect from Ms. Tyler. I give this five out of five stars. 

Switching Genres. Is it a good idea?

New Genre

I just started writing a new genre. Well, that’s not entirely true. I wrote a young adult novel, which was certainly new to me and I must admit that it was seriously difficult. But my latest endeavor is very different from my usual crime/soap opera/drama storyline. This one is a paranormal romance. I loved the freedom of being creative and having fewer facts to check. But I must admit that whenever you switch from something familiar, it’s always a challenge.

I have to say without a doubt that since Easter’s Lilly was my first novel and series, Lilly will always be my literary first love. I felt a little like I was betraying her when I discovered a new character and began to follow her down the yellow brick road. At first it was difficult leaving Lilly behind, but after a while, my new character began to grow on me. I am still writing my Lilly books and plan on doing that for many years to come but my new character certainly has depth and strength that is new to me. She is strong yet vulnerable and ever growing in maturity. Although the change of genre was a trial, I truly believe that romance is romance. Whether it is crime drama or paranormal or even young adult, love is still love. People meet their challenges and face them somehow together. So, I feel bold enough to say that if you’re writing romance you’re in good company, whatever kind of romance it is. Everybody loves… everybody gets hurt and sometimes there’s a happy ending. (Unless there’s a cliffhanger, of course).

Do you write the same genre all the time or are you versatile? I want to know your story.

“Don't classify me, read me. I'm a writer, not a genre.” 


― Carlos Fuentes

Who’s Watching Your Kids?

I spent a lot of time in college as an adult, just to better myself and find a job that might make a significant difference in my family’s life. Although I am a writer, it will take a little time before that becomes my sole income. Okay, maybe a lot of time.

I have subbed on and off for my children’s ISD for years. I finally found a school that I really like and have been working there pretty consistently.  I think I can officially say that I work full time, most of the time, these days. Those of you who know me will probably need to sit down for this but… I LOVE IT!  It is the perfect job for me. I loved being a stay-at-home mom and truth be told if there was any way that I could continue to do that, I would. But if I have to work, this is certainly the way to go for me. I get to surround myself with amazing teenagers, and if there is any way that I can make their day just a little bit better, well… that just makes my day better as well. Of course there will always be that one student who tries their best to throw that wrench into the cogs that make your day run smoothly, but for the most part, I don’t care where you live, children are good. I see redeeming qualities even in the most troubled individual and they bless me daily.

Sometimes God puts you where he wants you, not necessarily where you think you should be. Moral of the story… thank you God for making me listen.

Review of Shattered by Karen Robards

Book description:

After Lisa Grant loses her job at a Lexington, Ky., law firm in this seductive romantic thriller from bestseller Robards (Pursuit), she heads home to Grayson Springs, a once thriving Kentucky horse farm, owned by her mother, who's dying from ALS. Lisa becomes a research assistant for former crush Scott Buchanan, the Lexington-Fayette County DA. While she initially finds Scott's grumpy personality unappealing, she begins to feel differently after looking into a cold case: the inexplicable disappearance of Michael and Angela Garcia and their two children, Tony and Marisa, in 1981. Astonishingly, Lisa discovers that both a treasured childhood doll and herself as a young girl resemble Marisa. Lisa's informal investigation leads to dangerous repercussions, including an act of arson at Grayson Springs, in which she and her mother almost perish. Scott's timely rescue tightens their budding relationship as the action builds to a startling if far-fetched conclusion. (Mar.)

Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

My Thoughts:

I have a friend who loves Karen Robard and that is the only reason I picked this book up in the first place. I realize that I am unusual when I say that if a book doesn’t grab my attention right away, I rarely finish it. I have this book on Kindle so I can’t say how many pages it took, but I will say that I was 61% of the way through it before it finally caught my attention. I almost put it down a million times but my friend kept insisting that the author is worth the journey. I was riveted after that particular point in the book and literally walked around with it in my hands until I finished it. However, I would never have finished it if not for the recommendation.

I understand that she is a very talented writer but this book simply took too much time to warm me up. I can usually finish a book in two or three days, depending on my schedule, but this one took me a very long time to get through. If you enjoy descriptive journeys and books that meander slowly like a stream through a mountainside, then you may enjoy this more than I did. But if you prefer a thrilling ride through the rapids, this will not keep you up at night turning pages. I gave it three out of five stars.

Finding Time to Read

I have a dilemma. In order to be good writers we must first be good readers. I find this to be quite the challenge from time to time. The novels that I'm writing seem to be piling up and finding time to actually put them down to read for leisure or research (depending on how you look at it) is almost impossible. Especially with four children, a husband and yes… five dogs. Someone always needs food, water or a ride somewhere. So, I bought a Kindle. Now, when I exercise, I read my eBooks at the same time. But what happens when I don’t even find time for that?

I have a very organized writer friend who has attempted to help me with this challenge. Schedule your time better, she told me. It’s all about time management. And I suppose there is some truth to that. Get up at a certain time and exercise. Then, when you’re through with that, shower, have breakfast and write a little. Take a break for lunch and read for 30 minutes. Have lunch and write some more. If it was only that easy. I have made many attempts at a schedule and it simply never works. Any suggestions would be welcomed. I would love to hear from you. When do you find time to read? What kind of books make you a better writer?