Updates and Music

In the past week or so, I've finished my revisions for book five. Now it's just waiting its turn with the editor for a round of edits and proofreading. Last night, I dove into revisions for book six, In the Quiet Spaces Between. If I'm being honest, book six is my favorite in the series. That could change. Book eight isn't complete, but book six gets to me.

As I was riding around running errands today, We Were Never Meant to Be by Atomic Tom popped up on my playlist. The lyrics sent me straight back into book six.

"If you're haunted by the picture show and can't sleep through the flicker, don't apologize for what you see. You and I both understand that we were never meant to be."

I can't give away what happens, but I feel like this line perfectly describes Effie's journey through this book and her relationships with several characters.

"Now the mornings never last, and you can't have them back. You're drifting way too fast, try and get it back on track. You and I both understand what comes around may also leave."

I love these lines. I think we can all relate to them in our own way. How it feels to be out of control. How it feels to hold onto these perfectly quiet, wonderful moments, because we know they don't last. Again, that perfectly describes Effie's journey so far.

"Too young to understand the chance, too late to wake up every dream gone past. You know, it kills me every time you breathe." 

In Effie's world, where big decisions are left up to the spirits of Aether, I think a lot of the characters can relate to these lines. Everyone is sacrificing for everyone else, knowing what the future holds, fighting for those dreams. Sometimes, selflessness hurts. These characters know that.

"I thought these memories were the best that we had until the moment where you never came back." 

So, that last line, I'll let you decipher yourself. Who do you think it reminds me of?

Take a listen to the song

The Welcome Top 10

Hi everyone! Thanks for checking out my first blog post. I did a lot of research about what exactly my first post should contain. Obviously, there are a million different opinions on that. Who am I? Why am I blogging? What am I going to be blogging about? Who am I writing for? How can you get involved? What are my goals? 

One site also said that lists get a lot of attention, so I thought I would put a little bit of everything into a "Top 10" about me and this blog.




1.  I'm an author. Currently, my only published works are contemporary fantasy romance. I also write contemporary romance. I have a romance novel all lined up and waiting for editing ... after I finish publishing the rest of the Guardian of the Arcanos series.

2.  This blog is just a place where I can connect with my readers, share insider information about new and upcoming releases, characters, and tidbits about me and my life. Most importantly, it's a place where I can really interact with fans. So use the links to follow me on your favorite social media platform, send me an email, and/or leave a comment.

3.  Want to get involved? Sign up for my monthly newsletter. The first will be releasing soon! What do you get in the monthly newsletter? It'll be an update on releases (new and and upcoming), a place for character spotlights, links to giveaways and contests, and the occasional exclusive content like sneak peeks and more!

4.  I just graduated with my bachelor's degree and will be working on my master's degree for the next couple of years, give or take.

5.  My favorite color is purple, but I'm very picky about the shade of purple. I like light shades (think lavender and lilac) and dark shades (think eggplant). But I don't like the middle shades of purple (think royal).

6.  Two things I love; hockey and opera. Not together. But I like the juxtaposition of the two in the same sentence. The hockey season may be the only time you could potentially catch me dropping the f-bomb. Not that I have. But you could. Especially if the Pens are playing the Flyers. Or the Canadiens. Or the Capitals. Or the Rangers. Or the Red Wings. You get the point. The list goes on and on. And I love the opera. I try to get to a Live in HD broadcast of the Met twice a year.

7.  I name the things I love. And not cute little nicknames, but actual names. Every flower in our garden has a name. There's Esther, the lily. Penny the peony. Carmen, Cleo, and Daniella the rose bushes. Burt, the pink thyme. Gladys, the gladiolas. You'll also find Winston and Esmeralda, the plastic flamingos. And George, who is a gargoyle that sits on the porch. He used to be out in the yard, but some neighborhood kids took off with him. After I hunted him down and brought him home, I thought he'd be safer on the porch. I also named my cars Roxanne (rest in peace), and Ruby.

8.  My husband and I have been married for 15 years. This is our little family of three! On December 26th, 2016, we opened a Mexican restaurant, and the three of us work there. It's like Bob's Burgers (which I love), but with tacos. Clearly, I'm Tina, minus an obsession with butts. #TinaIsMySpiritAnimal

9.  I want to live in the Pacific Northwest. I've never been to Oregon, but I feel like that's where my heart is. Plus, I love that you get mountains, ocean, forests, and bustling cities all in one state. Of course I'd also settle in Pittsburgh and see every Pens home game there is, as a backup to my plan to leave my home state.

10.  So, there is one thing that I love almost more than anything. Her name is Rosa, and we rescued her a couple years ago at the tender age of 10 years young. You know how I said I don't give cute nicknames to the things I love? That's different with Rosa. She has a million of them. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll probably see them pop up from time to time in my hashtags. Rosa's Pretty Face. Rosa Ponderosa. My Little Arroz con Pollo. Those are my top three go-to's. But look at this face and that smile. How can you not just swoon over her and want to give her all the love and cuddles?