A Little Change

Though I've finished Sources and there's a chance it could be ready on July 26, the date I planned to publish, I don't want to rush the home stretch. The new release date is July 31. I'm also going to be working on more Samurai Penguin in the coming weeks (that's my upcoming web comic, for those of you who don't know) which means I'm not going to jump right into my next book project. We'll see how the web comic comes along, and then I'll get started on book three of The Vessel :) Thanks to all who've entered my giveaway. If you haven't taken the opportunity yet, here's the entry thingy again. a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Digs

We're almost done with all the unpacking. Things are starting to look like a normal place of living. Here's a breakdown of our new home. We're in a basement. There are three large rooms. One is our living room/kitchen. The kitchen isn't really a kitchen. There is no sink, stove, dishwasher, etc. We do, however, have a fridge, microwave, hot plate, convection oven, shelves for dishes, and prep areas. It's not perfect, but usable. If we need an actual kitchen, we can use the one upstairs. (We're living with family, so it's all good) Living room area has two large couches, built in bookshelves, and entertainment center, which I've already posted a picture of. Bedroom is very spacious. Our king size bed and dressers fit at one end and the other end has bookshelves and a cushy chair. The third room is for exercise stuff, sewing machine, craft/art stuff, and where I will do most of my at-home job. We also have a large bathroom. Washer and dryer are upstairs. As of right now, we don't have a separate door in the basement to access the outside, but we hope to build one sometime in the future. Despite being a big change from our condo, we're pretty happy with how things are turning out. No more obnoxiously loud music from downstairs neighbors!

If you haven't entered my latest giveaway, get going! If you don't see the rafflecopter entry thingy, scroll down to the actual giveaway post. And read the first two chapters of Sources. The link is on the previous post.

Oh, and just so you know, I (finally) finished Sources! My editor will go through the last chapters and send it back to me for evaluation. Once my editor reviews everything a second time and I make whatever last changes I need to, we'll be ready for publishing!!

Sample Chapters of Sources!

Are you ready to read the first two chapters of Sources? I sure hope so! The link will take you to google docs. These are still in the editing phase, so there is a possibility of grammar/spelling error. Please remember that the chapters are copyrighted and should not be shared, copied, or otherwise used to violate copyright law.

Sources sample chapters

Things are progressing a lot more smoothly now that the move is over with. Still not 100% sure if Sources will be released on time. In the meantime, enter the giveaway, read Taela (and my other books, if you haven't already), submit names to my Name Game, eat some candy, see a movie, or whatever else you want to do.

Another Giveaway!

*this giveaway has ended*

To celebrate the soon-to-be release of Sources, book two in my Vessel series, I will be giving away a signed paperback of Taela! (book one) Let it be known that this will be the FIRST signed copy, so the winner should feel special. The giveaway has already started and will end 11:59 pm July 27. Winner will be chosen at random and notified via email. This is for US residents only. Please read the Terms and Conditions for all the rules. a Rafflecopter giveaway Feel free to spread the word! And make sure to come back on Saturday for sample chapters of Sources!

Boxes EVERYWHERE!

So, we're moved into our new place. The job of unpacking has mostly fallen to me, because my sporadic job is on one of its sporatics. I probably don't need to mention this, but I will anyway. Unpacking is lame. My back is already tired from the moving part of this adventure and now I must move the same boxes around until I find a place for their contents. I'd wager I'm about 1/3 of the way done. When I'm closer to completion, I will post pictures. In the meantime, here's our awesome built in entertainment center. (And, of course, I'm watching The Office. Again.)

Notice the space around the TV that could be filled by a larger TV, which we hope to purchase sometime in the future. The only thing I'm not crazy about are the visible wires/cables. I'll try to figure out a way to cover or disguise them. Any ideas?


I'm trying to get things ready for the release of Sources. Though my goal is still July 26, there is a chance it will need to be postponed. Moving has been more time consuming and stressful than I anticipated. I do know for certain that I'm going to start with just the ebook and then add the paperback later on. Have you read Taela yet? (It's still free on lulu.com, barnesandnoble.com, and iBookstore) Because when I post the sample chapters for Sources, it would be nice if you already know what has happened so far. If you've downloaded the Booktrack app (see here) you can now experience chapter one of Taela with a custom-made soundtrack. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

America the Beautiful

I know the United States is not beloved by some people throughout the world. Even some who live here aren't happy about everything. But I must say I have a deep love for this country, despite its mistakes, past and present. With tomorrow being our Independence Day, I just wanted to give a huge Thank You to all the people who have worked and fought for the freedoms I enjoy. The United States certainly isn't perfect, but I'm proud to be an American.


(No post on Saturday, because I will be moving.)

Here We Go!

Moving Day is almost here. Our official Move All The Big Stuff day is on Saturday. I'm pretty excited, mostly because it will finally be over. I'm not super keen on moving. My family never moved around when I was growing up. I lived in the same house until I got married. Since then I've moved three times, if I count our little jaunt to Arizona last summer. My husband, on the other hand, has moved MANY times. In fact, he told me that living in our condo for the past 4 1/2 years is the longest he's lived in one place. That's a trend I hope to continue.

I'm going to miss many people in our neighborhood (not so much the string of noisy downstairs people) and hope we're lucky enough to meet more great people.

Because of the busyness I expect to encounter on Saturday, I will not have a post then, unless it's sometime in the evening and I'm still conscious. I'll be glad when this is over!

(Happy Birthday, Grandma!)