Eternal Revelations

Since I'm in book mode today, I figured I would post a blurb of my new novel, Eternal Revelations. No, it hasn't been released yet, but I will be sure to post when it does. Here it be:

A Child. The Devil. The Fate of Humanity.

After millions of people vanish and the dead rise to spread plague over the Earth, 23 year-old Evelyn and her brother join with a small group as they fight for survival. As the plague spreads and the number of the Reanimated rise in humans and animals alike, there isn’t anything man made that is strong enough to hold them off.

The Anti-Christ, who unknowingly to humans has inhabited the Earth for years, begins to follow Evelyn and her group after they manage to find one of the only children left on the Earth—who is Autistic—since the remaining children are the only chance the human race has at defying the Devils plans.

Of all the horrors the Earth now holds, none are comparable to how treacherous the living become once their humanity is thrown out the window. Evelyn realizes survival isn’t just fighting for your life but fighting for your humanity in a world of terror.

Join the fight for survival against the undead and beasts released straight from the pits of Hell.

Been a while.

I know it's been some time since I posted. I guess I need to get better at posting when I'm working on a novel. It seems a lot of crazy things have happened in the world since my last post. First, there's the "Bath Salt Zombie" that got hungry on the freeway, but it turned out he wasn't on any bath salts.
Creeeepy.
And then there's this crazy incident from my home town. A police brutality case that's hitting on several news stations. If you haven't heard about it yet, you will. I came across it because of a fellow Author, Larry Hohol, had posted a video on Youtube. Since then thousands of people joined a page to support the victim of the Police Brutality. That's kind of crazy to think that it happened in the middle of no where, here at home.  Welp, here's the video.


Take from it what you will, each of us have our personal opinions. I try not to put TOO much of mine on here.
Back to the writing.
I've been working my  butt off on writing, and periodical mood swings from being in my first trimester made me wound a few characters. Sorry. But some survive!
I found that reading books and articles on the internet, especially about those that self published and made something of themselves, to be helpful.
Amanda Hocking the most. I mean, she knew she had a damn good story, and stuck to her guns and did it! That's the way to think. Never give up, never stop writing, and don't let anyone tell you that your story is shitty. So I'm thinking like her....
I have a damn good story I'm writing, and it WILL get out there!
Anyhoo, I will leave you with that thought.

Romanticised Creatures and Rules

I've been venting to myself about this for a while and I'm finally going to get it out there. There are certain creatures that should not be romanticised. Other's may think differently, and I'm fine with that. But my opinion is that some creatures should stay as they are and with some there are certain rules that should stick with them too. Here they are:

1. Zombies--there isn't anything that could possibly be sexy about a zombie. They're dead, they don't heal, and they're rotting and I bet their breath is stank ass too. If I saw a zombie I would never press my lips to theirs...instead, I would take a machete and swing it at it's head. Not to mention there is a certain word for people who do the hibbidy dibbidy with the dead, and that is severely frowned upon. Now, here is my one rule about zombies that dries me crazy when it gets changed...Zombies change you. I don't care if it's from a bite, blood, or sleeping with it, either way it changes you. When it comes to animals that get 'infected' from a bite or blood, whatever your thing is (I guess it could be sleeping with them too, I'm sure there's another big word for animals and the dead) the animal should be changed too. Example, let's say Tony the Tiger uses his mad skills on a zombie and gets bitten, please explain to me why Mr. Tony wouldn't get changed? I guess if it's some "human only" virus or chemicals for humans only, okay. But come on! Alright, on to the next.

2. Ghost--How in the heck is a ghost sexy? I don't care if I can see them or touch them and if it's the 'norm' for the world to constantly have contact with them. If a ghost tried to grope me, I would be burning sage and doing an exorcism. (Sorry Hubby, but yes, even if it was you) I find this disturbing in many, many ways. Not to mention, if the ghost has any sort of consciousness, why would they want to try something with someone? Please tell me. "Hey, baby, I know I'm dead and all, but bring your sweet cherry lips over here," I think not. I'd be saying "Bitch, you need to get over me so I can be sitting upstairs sipping some tea in a gold cup."

3. Trolls--Okay, when you say Troll I think of a short, hairy, wart covered, big nosed monster who sits under a bridge saying, "Who is that billy goat crossing my bridge?" Troll=monster. Monster=Troll. See where I'm going with this? I don't care if you make the Troll 6ft tall, it's still a Troll. If it's tall and isn't covered in warts, doesn't live in the rocks or caves or mountains and is cute, then it's not a damn Troll! It's like thinking the goblin's in The Labyrinth are sexy...no thank you.

To those of you who may be offended, my apologies. This is just one opinion out of millions and dont' take it to heart. Now that I have this off of my chest maybe I can get back to writing my own novel.

Another "Twilight" Book.

There are several people who automatically associate Paranormal Romance novels with the Twilight Saga, which can be a good or a bad thing. I personally like the series, both the books and the movies, and admit to going to at least one midnight showing. But not all Paranormal Romance books are the same. There are several of them I have read that seemed like a Twilight knock off...there are some that all seemed to have the same characters and story lines although they were from different authors. And then there are some that have the 'wow' factor.
I must say it is nice to know that some people think my novel, Forgotten Memories, stands out from the 'Twilight' cliche.
Here is one of the reviews I received:
What a read!, January 28, 2012

This review is from: Forgotten Memories (A Saving Angels Novel) (Kindle Edition)

I'm not much of a reader, so when I read the plot for this book, I felt as if it was going to be all too similar to a certain story including vampires. As I started reading, the book took me to a place as though I were watching the protagonist in person! Such a sweet love story, with the wonderfully awesome addition of adult themes and action scenes. I didn't keep my (figurative) nose out of it until I reached the end. So excited to read more! Keep up the great work! "

Needless to say, that made me feel good. I'm pretty sure that would make any author feel damn good. I guess my point is, don't judge a book from it's cover or it's genre. Judge a book from what's inside. Does it take you into another world? Do you feel like it is happening to you or right in front of you?

On a bright note, the first day my novel was in paperback I sold over 10 copies in only a few hours. Not too shabby if I do say so myself.

YA Novels vs. Adult Novels

I will admit that I am an adult that loves to read YA novels, like many other adults out there. I love the story lines they have and the way they read. I love adult novels because it doesn't make me feel like a pedophile for crushing on the character (which we all love to do)  and they have more realistic reactions, in my opinion anyway. Think about it, if something horrible is happening are you going to say "Oh fudge sickle," or are you going to yell, "Oh Shit." Yup, I said it. I said the word Shit.

Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is I want more adult novels that feel like I'm reading a Young Adult novel. I want those amazing feelings when someone first falls for another character (lets face it, the majority of women love the feelings we get when we're first with someone) and the more entertaining stories. There are a few Adult Authors that I can think of that have novels that read like that but I want to find more.

This is something I aim to do with my novels.

So many ideas...but not enough time.

Just like most novelists, I have about a dozen ideas running through my head on Novels I could write and I will never have enough time in my life to make every idea I have (or will have) come to life in a book. Some things that make it a little crazier is when people start pitching ideas at you to write about. It always happens. The conversations go something like this:
"Oh, so you write books?"
"Yeah, I have a couple I'm working on."
"You should write about (insert word/s here). I have an awesome idea for it..(insert their idea here)"

Now, I'm not saying that I despise it when that happens but trust me when I say we, as Authors, have several different ideas in our head already. We would love to be able to turn them all into Novels but it most likely wont' happen. While the idea that gets pitched to you may seem interesting, sometimes it just may not be 'your thing'.

I'm working on one Novel in particular right now, although I started two more. Sometimes I feel like I need my husband or my friend, Steph, standing behind me saying, "Get writing. Get off the Internet."
Anyway, my point is...we all have several ideas we'd like to write down and will get several more as the days pass by but there will never be enough time in our lives to write every single one of them.

Crazy Days

The days have been crazy these past few months. Even more so, this past month. I'm hoping 2012 will be 'the year' for myself and my family.
My friend Stephanie convinced me to send out my short story to several publishers who were accepting submissions for Anthologies, I'm glad she did. I had a story accepted and it will be published in 2012. That is amazing news for me.
Now for my family...
My brother Jake is getting a once in a lifetime opportunity in 2012 as well. His band will be preforming at the House of Blues for some major record labels. In light of this news, I told him I want a new house.
So, it seems as though 2012 is going to be a good year. I'm hoping my Husband gets some good news this year as well. Another promotion couldn't hurt.
The cold weather has finally hit and I have been bundled up in front of my (fake) fireplace where I've been busy writing more novels. I'll admit that I have been reading a lot more too. My dear Husband bought me a kindle for Christmas and I have put it to good use. Which is kind of ironic, I went from refusing to buy one because I prefer a real book to loving my kindle. You can't blame a girl who lives an hour away from the closest Book Store and can't manage to find time to get out of the house without one of her children. I like to spend hours looking at books in there, not chasing my kids.
All in all this is bound to be a great year and I will post updates about my short story being published the closer it gets and I suppose I could mention if my brother's band gets a record deal.

I was just thinking...

So, I'm currently reading "Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres. I must say I love the book. She is such an amazing person. She is seriously my idol. With amazing insight and determination, she has become the woman she is today. Who better to idol? She never changed who she was so she could easily gain success. She always stayed true to herself and who she is, and I love that. I love how someone doesn't change themselves and is proud of who they are, and still manages to become an icon for so many people.
Not to mention, I think her and I would get along great. I'm pretty sure with one day of shopping with my friend Steph and I, Ellen would probably laugh harder than I've seen her laugh on her show. And our shopping trips come with valuable lessons, like--when 10 costumes you try on look kind of plain on you, it's probably because you've been trying them on backwards. No, not just shopping trips go like this. We can't go to a drive up ATM at our local bank without some random lady getting out of her vehicle and trying to climb on ours. She just wanted to know where the after hours deposit box was (yes, this was at night). It was right beside her head, as she was on the hood of the car. Anyway, my point is, I think it would be a great time!
Now, as far as my writing goes, everyone has a dream agent. For some people it's a certain agent, and for others (myself included) their dream literary agent has certain characteristics. My dream agent would be as outgoing and fun to talk to as Ellen. As well as hard working. Lets face it, she runs a talk show, wrote three books, and at one point in time she did Idol at the same time. She's a true superhero. And she's mine. Maybe I should just write Ellen and ask her to be my literary agent. That'd probably make me look like a total psycho, but it could be worth a shot. After all, all of her books sold really well and she has her name out in the publishing world. Not to mention she's a kick ass person.
Ah, one can dream. Anyhoo--Since I currently have two novels going through my head, I shall continue to write them as well as look at possible agents for the one I have already finished and feel is publish-worthy.

I want more

I love YA novels. The Hush, Hush series, Thirst, Need series, I love a lot of paranormal romance YA novels. But I want more. The best Adult paranormal romance I like is the Sookie Stackhouse novels and Succubus Blues. I want more of those. Adult paranormal romance that reads like YA. YA story lines with real life characters that are at least 18. Partially because I don't like crushing on these 16yr-olds in novels, and because I like to imagine myself as one of the characters, and I don't want to be 16 again. I wouldn't mind being 18 though. The characters can have a working life, but as long as it isn't a major role in the book. Just a thought. I love YA novels, but I wish there were more adult novels that read like YA.

Flood 2011

I know I haven't written in a while. I guess you can call me a Blog Slacker. But I do have something wild and crazy to write about (finally, I know). The flood of 2011. A lot of people were affected by it. They lost their homes, their jobs, their businesses, and everything they have known. I went through it.
I consider myself 'lucky' for what I lost during the flood. I was only out of my house for about a month and were were able to move back in.
Here, I'll walk you through it.
It was like any other weekday morning. I woke up and brewed a pot of coffee, sipping on some before I woke my oldest son up for school. After I sent my oldest off to school, my youngest woke up. We sat on the couch watching Mickey Mouse as I listened to the rain pour down outside. The rain wasn't expected to hit until the following day, but I know how right weathermen are, so I didn't think anything about it.
As I walk into the kitchen to pour myself another cup of coffee, I look out my window and see nothing but water covering the road. I thought it was nothing major, just minor flooding that would go away when the rain stopped.
That was before the rain started to fall harder.
As the water deepened on the road and made it's way into my yard, I turned on the news. "Flash Flooding" was all over the news, along with the schools letting the students out at 9AM, 11AM, even noon. My sons school wasn't on there.
I instantly got onto facebook to see photos that my friends have posted, as I tried to call the school to see why my son wasn't being sent home. I couldn't make it through to the school no matter how many times I called, and I realized the flooding was all over. The river was too full and it was backing up all of the creeks and causing flooding everywhere.
This is when my heart sank.
It wasn't going to stop. I knew I needed to get out of my town and find some place safer to go, that wasn't surrounded by creeks, but I couldn't leave without getting my oldest from school.
Around 1 I received a phone call from my husband, a Gas worker, who said they were all on their way home but stuck in traffic. They were going to have to drive through water up to the headlights in the company truck just to make it to Towanda (which is a few miles away) which was also under water.
Now I was worrying for my oldest sons safety, my husbands safety, and worried about the water outside of my house. No evacuations were ordered, yet.
An hour later I received another phone call, from my sons school. It was an automated message that said they were keeping the students at the school, because there wasn't a safe way to get to the school. That was it. My son was stuck at school, which had a creek near it and was down in a dip between mountains. I began to cry.
I called my husband back, and asked him if he would be able to find a way to the school. He said he would. We were both upset that the school didn't release the kids when the flooding began, just like the other schools around us did. But that was out of our control, the only thing we could do now was try to get him from school without endangering ourselves any more than we already were.
Frantically, I began running around the outside of my house, making sure there wasn't any water building up along my foundation. I felt lucky when there wasn't. I'd check my basement to make sure everything was dry, and we were doing good. No water in our house at all. I felt blessed and relieved. I stepped outside on my front porch to talk to my neighbors, when I did I realized how much higher the water was within the five minutes I was inside. Sticks and rocks floated down the road as the creek roared up on two sides of my house. My neighbors were doing everything they could to block off the front of their house and keep the water from flowing into their basement like it was. I wanted to help them but I couldn't leave my 2yr old alone, and there was no way I was going to walk out into that water with him.
When I was doing my checks on the house again, my heart raced when I saw my basement. Water was filling up fast. I was never through a flood until then, so I didn't know what to do. My body was shaking as my chest pounded. I felt weak to the knees knowing I was helpless. There wasn't anything I could do for anyone else, let alone my own family. I'm the mother. I needed to protect my kids. How could I protect my oldest son when he wasn't even at home. He's in Kindergarten, He just started school. He has to be so scared and I'm not there for him. I can't comfort him and keep him safe like a mother is supposed to do, I thought. I knew right then, through Hell or High Water (no pun intended) I was going to get my son from school.
I called my mom and her boyfriend (who is who I consider my dad) and told them the water was rising in my basement and around the house. My yard was a pond and the road was close to being a river itself. They made the decision to come and get me.
I called my husband and told him I was going to my moms. I asked him to get our oldest and meet me there. He agreed. Thank God.
I packed up clothes for my kids, as well as necessities they would need. My youngest went down for a nap as I waited for my mom and dad to show up. I knew how bad our road was, I could only imagine the other roads. I live on a moutan in the middle of no where, I knew it would take them a while to get to us. I just did't think the bridge near me would be submerged in water by the time they were close.
They made it though. I was relieved when they made it to my house, now we just needed to journey back down the mountain, with my youngest.
I ran outside with luggage in one hand and my sons carseat in the other. I threw my bag in the back of their vehicle the same time I threw the carseat in the back seat. I don't think I've ever strapped a car seat so fast in my entire life. After I tightened down the car seat I carried my son out and strapped him in. I sat right next to him making sure I held onto his car seat. I wasn't going to let go for anything.
We had to cross over the bridge, it was the only way to get out of there. As the water rippled over the bridge like a hungry ocean, we slowly crossed over. The SUV was being pulled by the water as we crossed, and I was relieved to make it to the other side.
That was short lived.
The road ahead was covered in running water and debri from falling rocks and mud slides, and we had to make it through. Every time the water pushed the vehicle my grip tightened on my son. I kept saying 'we're almost there, we're almost there. We'll be safe soon. It'll be okay.' And we did. We managed to make it to my moms house, where there wasn't a drop of water flooding anything. I was happy we were there and my youngest was safe, but it wasn't over for me.
Did he make it to Kayden? Are they on their way here? Where are they at? worry built up in me. There isn't cell service everywhere in the county I live in. I used my moms cell to try and call my husband and I couldn't get through. I didn't know if they were just out of service or if something happened. I kept dialing and dialing. When he picked up finally and told me he got Kayden from school, I felt peaceful. When he said he was almost at my moms, I was estatic.
As they pulled into my moms driveway I ran over to the truck and swung the door open. I grabbed onto my son and held him tight. I think he got a little sick of me kissing him over and over, but I was happy. I had my family with me and I was finally able to do what a mother is supposed to do, protect her children.
A few days later after the flood, we went back to the house to see the damage. There were piles of rocks in the road, taking up half of it. The creek made itself a new path down my neighbors driveway and into my front yard. the road is dug out in front of my house and needes fixed. Miscelanius things floated into our yard (the weirdest was either a dust pan or the wood shavings bag, I'm not sure which one). But the water never made it into the house. Just the basement. The house reaked like fuel from our furnace. The water heater was flooded and somehow caused it to get so hot that steem engulfed my first floor and busted pipes. But at least money could replace that stuff. Money couldn't replace the memories we had stored away in our basemet. I had pictures of my half brother I don't know down there, and I didn't have many pictures. I now have one left. Memories from High School, my children when they were born, and my family before my parents divorced and us kids split up. Destroyed.
We spent weeks at my friends house. Together there were four kids and four adults in a three bedroom house.  My husband was out of work for a little while. The water got contaminated and we weren't allowed to drink it, but going to Walmart was pointless. They were sold out. We had to wait for the Nationa Guard to bring in water so we could drink it. A week later my husband was back to work, I felt blessed. A few weeks after that we received money from FEMA and replaced the stuff we could in our basement and moved back in.
I drive through town and I see my home town ruined. Buisnesses moved and homes being torn down. People wearing masks and gloves to clean their houses. But I saw our community come together. My Aunt and Cousin lead volunteer programs and made the news and newspaper for it. To this day, people are still without homes and jobs. It's not something that goes away once the water goes down. It stays with you. There are 23 bridges down in my sons school district and houses that are gone. Families without a place to call home. There were children trapped at my sons school for two days. I never, ever want to go through that again. When you're in that situation, you're a helpless bystander to mother nature. Finally, things are back to normal and I get to work on my writing again.