Another New Teaser from Coast to Coast

Thank you to everyone who participated in my recent giveaway by entering and sharing and congrats to the winners! I hope you enjoy your copies of Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover and A Different Blue by Amy Harmon. These really are some great books and I encourage all of you to check them out. You will not be disappointed. Here are the links again:

                                           Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover                                     

                                         A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

 

 

But now on to the fun stuff you guys have been so patiently waiting for...A NEW TEASER from Coast to Coast.  This one is a scene at the beach party between Emerson and Shane. It features a song from Connor Christian & Southern Gothic, an incredible band that I had the privilege of meeting last month and plan on using their songs and lyrics throughout the book. So at the request of a few people close to me, the first song in the book is "I Only Need You" Enjoy the new excerpt and be sure to check out CC&SG's music too. 

 

 

                    Connor Christian & Southern Gothic Website

 

 

 

 

New Teaser:

 

Wait! Logan! Shit! I sit up and push him off.

“Shane, really this is too much. I can’t do this. I’m not that kind of girl.”

“I know you’re not, that’s why I like you.” He rolled over on his side and propped up his head with his hand. “Emerson, I just wanna be around you. I find you intoxicating and I don’t care that you have a boyfriend, I’m going to say it anyways, because thoughts should be spoken out loud. And I don’t care if you laugh at me, but I feel like you and I are meant to be. I’m going to do everything within my power to drive Logan out of your mind so that I can fill that hole…and so much more. I want to own your heart.”

“Wow, that’s pretty intense for someone you just met a few hours ago.” I playfully slapped his arm. He grabbed my wrist and spun me onto my back. Once again his gorgeous face was looming over mine.

“Emerson, my soul has known your soul from the beginning of time and my heart is connected to yours for eternity. It’s only now that our bodies are finally meeting.”  There wasn’t any playfulness anymore. This was serious. Intense. I felt like I couldn’t breathe. But I did.  He had just knocked down every single brick out of the wall I had worked so hard to build. And it felt good.

“Shane…really, we have to stop.” I continued to stare directly into his eyes wishing that the words I’d just said would be ignored and he would really continue to hold me.  Instead, he rolled over onto his back, tucked his hands behind his head, and starring up at the starry sky he began to hum.  I relaxed myself into the sand as well and listened to Shane harmonizing with the music from the bonfire that was floating our way down the beach.

“You know this song? It’s beautiful. Who is it?”  I asked as we continued to lay there next to each other on the beach.

“Yeah, I kind of know the lead singer, long story but we’re friends.  It’s Connor Christian and Southern Gothic. They’re a really talented band and nice guys too.  They had a bit of a break on their tour schedule so we got them to play the beach tonight.  This song is actually called “I Only Need You” and it’s one of my favorites.  It’s about a guy that has his heart broken because the girl he loves only wants him when she finds it convenient for her.  He promises that when he finds his true love it will be just that. True Love. Unconditional. Unwavering. It’s a beautiful song because it changes from the conditional terms of “I only need you” to “I only need you” Very poetic and meaningful.  But sorry, I’m just rambling now.”

“No, I think it’s interesting and beautiful.” I sit up and face him, he’s still lying recumbent in the sand.  “You sound like maybe you know firsthand about that kind of heartbreak.”

“Yeah, maybe I do.  But then again…no…I was young and I don’t think you could really call it love.  But then again, you never know.  Come on, we’re getting too deep now.” He pushed himself up out of the sand and offered me his hand to help me up.  “Let me walk you back to your place.  Give me your phone and I’ll download the song by them that you really need to hear.”  I took his hand, grabbed my sandals, and handed him my iPhone after opening and logging into iTunes.

“Well, that is certainly an offer I can accept because I like being safe, but I LOVE good music.  You’ve got a deal.”

-From Coast to Coast by Lisa Royea

-Music & Lyrics by Connor Christian & Southern Gothic

How can I win a great book? Easy. Enter my Giveaway.

For all of you email subscribers...fear not...there is still time to enter my giveaway.  Whew!  OK!  Good!  Now that we got that out of the way, you can relax and enjoy reading the rest of this post. (But make sure you read down to the bottom to get all the info on ways to enter the giveaway.)

In case you haven't already heard from Facebook, I have a giveaway going on right now.  Maybe you didn't hear Facebook telling you about the giveaway because you don't have me in your news feed.  Hhhmm, you should probably have my Facebook page in your news stream so you don't miss out on any important updates like this in the future.

Anyways, back to the details of my giveaway.  It's super easy to enter and the prizes are super fantastic incredible wonderful books that I recently read and loved.  The contest is through the Rafflecopter entry form below and the prizes are e-reader copies of these super fantastic incredible wonderful books...

A Different Blue by Amy Harmon



I can't say enough about this book.  If you want more info on why I love it so much, read my last post which is a real and true review of the book itself.  I'm happy now to be able to gift an e-reader copy to one of you and share Amy Harmon's brilliant writing with you if you haven't already read it.

Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover

 

And of course my next pick...Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover...enough said.  I've already told you all how much I love her writing.  I loved Hopeless, but don't usually care much for the same story being told over again from a different point of view.  Losing Hope was different though.  It had drama, emotion, heartbreak, love, everything you look for in a good story. Colleen Hoover has never disappointed me in the past, and Losing Hope is a wonderful "POV Sequel".  I don't foresee future disappointments either, so I'd love for you to win and experience her writing as I have.

 

 

 

??????????HOW DO I WIN?????????

 

!!!EASY!!!

 

Complete the Rafflecopter form below. Just like, share, tweet,etc. Everything you do is another entry.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

--------ENTER NOW. ONLY 1 DAY LEFT-------

 

 

Up next......

 

You guys got me past 450 likes so I'll be sharing a new teaser/excerpt from Coast to Coast! Yeah!

 

BUT.........

 

Keep the likes coming cause I'll have something special when I reach my 500 likes! Yeah!

 

And of course, thank you all for your continued interest and support in my work!

 

 

Review of A Different Blue by Amy Harmon

I don't usually like to share straight up book reviews here on my blog.  I believe every author truly gives their all in writing a book and because taste's vary readers like some books more than others.  I would hate to post a bad review just because a particular book wasn't to my particular liking.  I do hope all readers, like myself, are leaving reviews, I just prefer to do them on Goodreads and Amazon where my review can remain more anonymous.

That being said, I recently read a book that I did write a review for because I absolutely loved it so much. I posted it on Goodreads, but Amazon claimed it was too long.  As we all know (at least I hope you do) the best thing a reader can give to an author is a review.  So I really want to share my 5 STAR***** review with all of you before I have to chop it down to meet Amazon criteria.  Also, I just figured it's been too long since I've posted anything.  So for now enjoy this review (spoiler free) and EVERYONE go check out Amy Harmon's book A Different Blue.

Click here to discover A Different Blue

This book was absolutely incredible, well written, intriguing story, realistic characters that deal with real issues. And the issues aren’t pretty ones. Now I like nice, light, romantic stories where there will probably be a few twists and turns and misunderstandings before the couple gets together at the end, but they tend to be predictable. What I LOVE, are books like this that make you think. Neither Blue nor Wilson is predictable. As the reader, you know what should happen, but you’re never sure if it really will. And of course beyond their situation is the WHOLE REST OF THE STORY. This is no simple romance novel. There are some very important life altering questions being asked throughout the book. And Blue’s internal thoughts and feelings are so wonderfully and perfectly described I can actually picture myself inside her head. And I can completely relate.

But I’m not relating to Blue, I’m actually Tiffa. I don’t have the money or the wonderful building, but I have the same desires she has. I don’t want to have any spoilers in my review, so I’m trying to keep this generic. I actually have my very own Tiffa situation and a Blue has come into my life offering to give me what’s hers. When I got to the end of a particular chapter, I turned to my coworker friend (who had already finished the book and knows my situation) and I said, “Holy S**t! This just got REALLY REAL!” She just laughed and said, “Finally, I’ve been waiting for you to get to that part. I knew you would totally relate.” Now I know the Tiffa/Blue situation is rare, but for me this book will forever be imprinted in my mind and my heart because it’s so close to my own situation right now.

Even if you can’t relate personally like I can, there are so many wonderful aspects of this book for you to enjoy. I have always been attracted to Native American Mythology and I love the way it’s incorporated into the book. It’s even more powerful and meaningful than simple descriptions of feelings could be. The stories define Blue as a person, both her past and future, and help her express her thoughts and emotions at times when it’s difficult to really grasp what she might be thinking or feeling. And of course I love the “personal history” that develops through the course of the book. It’s beautifully written and conveys so much meaning in so few words. But it makes more of an impact than if it was long paragraphs filled with descriptions. I also love the history lessons. I’ve been lucky enough to have a few teachers in my schooling years that had significant impact on my outlook on a subject beyond its intentional teaching lesson. Wilson would most certainly fit into that category and for that I adore him.

Amy Harmon, thank you for writing this book. It’s one of the most real and emotional books I’ve read in a while. I apologize that this has been a long review, but honestly, there are not enough words to express to you my love for this book. Thank you for creating this work of art that I could admire, interpret, and see myself in. It is simply amazing.

Please accept this Giveaway as an apology for my lack of blog posts lately...

So I realize I’ve been neglecting you, my blog followers, in the recent months.  I’ve had a lot going on in my life and I’ve only been able to commit to short blurbs on Facebook.  The plus side to not writing blog posts is that I’ve actually been writing more of the book itself.

And of course I know that’s what you guys are really waiting for.  So forgive me for not posting more frequently, I’m working harder to bring you the finished product.

I also realized it’s been a while since I’ve done a GIVEAWAY.  So how about I make it up to all of you loyal followers, and hopefully you’ll get me some new followers.  I can reward you with books, glorious books!  3 lucky winners will each win an e-reader copy of one of my recent favorite reads.  Each of these books is fantastic in its own way and I highly recommend getting your own copy even if you don’t win.  These ladies are wonderful writers and their books truly deserve some attention.  The links below will take you to their Amazon pages.

  Running on Empty by LB Simmons (Recovery-Coming Soon)

Haven from the Storm by Sarah Dosher   (Before the Storm-Coming Soon)











Worlds Apart by Kate Mathias (Hiding in Plain Sight-Available Now)

I love promoting my fellow authors and their wonderful books, but I also need to promote myself and Coast to Coast on this blog.  So for those who may have missed it, here’s my first little photo teaser that I created.

 

That’s all I have to share for now.  So go like, share, join, subscribe, comment, add to your TBR, whatever!  Whatever you want to do to promo my stuff, and if you enter it on Rafflecopter you might just win a really great book.  So get out there and start earning your entries. Click on the link below to get started.  You have until Friday to enter.  Then I’ll choose the 3 winners.  If you get me over 500 likes on Facebook  I might just up the prizes and add some extras for the winners.  So let's get out there and share!!! 

Good Luck and Have Fun!

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

April Updates (Including a New Teaser!!!)

I know I haven’t posted a new blog in a while, but I’ve actually been busy writing the book itself.  I do owe my readers an update though.  So for anyone that hasn’t heard my updates on Facebook, here’s a rundown of the latest and greatest for my writing.

My most exciting news is that I recently signed with Okay Creations to do my cover.  Sarah Hansen is the one woman business that has created some of my favorite covers of all time and is very well known in the indie publishing industry. I’m thrilled to be working with her on my cover. 

 

 She even got a shout out from 50 Shades author EL James today on Facebook. How exciting!!!

 

Because she is so popular and everyone wants to hire her, her services are booked until Sept/Oct. So for now my release date for Coast to Coast will be pushed from late Summer to early Fall. I'll keep you posted with details as we get closer.

 

Another collaboration I’m working on is with Connor Christian and Southern Gothic.  I recently discovered this band and fell in love with their music and lyrics. I’m hoping to feature them starting in Coast to Coast, but I think they’ll fit really well with the theme of the second book, Down South.  That’s right, I’ve already got the second book planned.  For now, give them a listen and let me know if you like them.  If you do like them, like their Facebook page and let them know I sent you their way.

                                                  Connor Christian & Southern Gothic

 

I’ve also been sharing and introduction about myself and my book with some bloggers in hopes that they’d share my work.  I can’t even believe the great responses I’ve gotten. Here are just a few that I’d like to share.

Wow This is great!! I actually loved everything I read! I am so excited for you and I want to help in anyway I can! I'll put something up on my FB and maybe I can do an interview with you to put on my blog! And if you need a beta reader I am all for that, my minor is English so I am pretty good with all that lol Emerson and Jessica sound like great characters and I can not wait to meet them :)                                                                                                  --Northern Belle Bookworm

I thought your synopsis was perfect! I especially loved the teaser, I can't wait to read more! I would love to do an Author Spotlight of you on my blog if you're interested. We can include the synopsis & teaser from Coast to Coast. Let me know what you think.                         --Maria’s Book Blog

This sounds really amazing! We would love to help you out anyway we can! Once you are finished we would be honored if you let us read and review it.                             --Book Boyfriend Reviews

I love all the teasers and can't wait to read Coast to Coast. It sounds really good!
                                                                                                            --First Class Books

Congratulations on your book! I know it's not completed YET... But it's still really exciting! We would love to introduce you to our followers and try to get some foot traffic onto your page and all different types of social media. I like the summary. Especially this part "Everyone in the family will be forced to wonder if love can survive, especially if the distance between hearts is coast to coast."
                                                                                              --Books, Babes, and Cheap Cabernet

Hi Lisa!!! Thank you for emailing us!! Let me just start by saying that this book sounds AMAZING!!!!! Of course we will share it on our Facebook page.            --For the Love of Books

Your book sounds fantastic and I would be happy to share the word!      --Book Addict Mumma

Book review bloggers really can make or break a new writer. So I am thrilled at having such positive feedback this early on. I encourage all of you to check out their blogs and pages and show them some "like" love if you do like what they offer.

 
Lastly, I promised I would share another new excerpt from Coast to Coast once I got 300 likes on Facebook. This teaser is a little intro to the cousin Jessica and her on again/off again boyfriend Lucas Brady.

“Alright, alright.  Let’s get you back to the house so you can unpack and we can start our fabulous summer at the beach, which by the way, we need to get some California sun on your skin immediately.  You look absolutely horrid.  I think I’d die trying to deal with those dark, drab Massachusetts winters.  First matter at hand is a good sun-soaking session on the beach.  Then, maybe I can see if I can get you an emergency appointment with Mya at the salon.  You need some major help before the party tonight.”

“Party? Jess, really? I’m exhausted. I’ve had a crazy busy week of finals and papers. I just wanna relax for a bit.  Besides, Logan and I kind of had a big blowout.  The last thing I feel like is a party.”

“Oh Lord.” She rolled her eyes at me. “You and Logan are at it again? What’s new? Forget it Emerson, a good beach party is just what you need to let it all go.  Let’s meet us some really hot guys and just have FUN.”

“How do you do it Jess? Don’t you think we’re a little old to be hanging out at beach parties trolling for guys? Besides, what about Brady?”  She shrugged her shoulders and cocked her head.

“You know how we are.”

Right.  Lucas Brady and my cousin had been on again off again for years.  He was a Marine currently at Camp Pendleton, just a ways south of the beach house in San Clemente.  Jessica was head over heels in love with him, but she liked to pretend otherwise.  I think he loved her too.  The two of them were so dang stubborn neither one would admit their true feelings, even though anyone within a five mile radius could clearly see they were in love.  Instead, they’d hook up for a while until one of them was feeling a little “in over their head” and they’d call it quits. I know she was six years older than me, but sometimes I wanted to tell her to grow up.

“Jessica, when are you guys gonna quit all this nonsense and just admit you’re in love.  Get married already, have a whole shit load of babies, and just live out your happily ever after?  You’re not getting any younger.  Aren’t you at least a little anxious?”

“Deanna?  Is that you? Christ Emerson, you couldn’t sound any more like my Mom if you tried.  Let it be.  I’ve got a good job and I pay all my own bills.  I’m a responsible adult that just likes to have a little fun when I’m allowed to.  As far as Luke and I, just don’t even go there, you know our issue.  You want me to start grilling you about Logan?” I hung my head down and shook it slowly. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.  So let’s just back off the subject of boys for the moment and have a little fun.  We have the whole summer to analyze each other’s love lives.”  She put her arm around my shoulder and headed me out of the hanger towards her car.

 

Teaser #2 from Coast to Coast

Thank you to everyone who helped get me over 200 likes, when I woke up this morning we were at 216! All of your sharing and support is greatly appreciated.  And of course, as I promised I would, I'd like to share another teaser from Coast to Coast.  I thought this part was especially appropriate today, as I'll be getting together with my whole family tonight to eat my Grandpa's delicious corned beef and celebrate St. Patrick's Day.  So here it is. Enjoy!

The beach house had been in my family for years.  My Grandma had always dreamed of living on the ocean.  We’ve been taught that our bodies are 70% water.  My Grandma said she believed this because she felt the spirit of the ocean dwelled inside her and the crashing waves against the shore pounded out the rhythm of her heart.  My Grandpa loved her more than anything, and although he was actually the one to make her heart pound, he wanted to do everything in his power to make her dreams come true.  They got married after he returned from the war.  He found a part time job in real estate that eventually turned into a career.  When the opportunity finally presented itself, he snatched up a little piece of land right on the beach in the city of San Clemente.  He built them a beautiful little home on that land with what money they had left.  It wasn’t much to look at, but it was perfect for them.  They called it home for the next 60 years. 

That little beach house saw many changes over the years.  Three girls were born and raised there and with each new baby came a new addition to the house.  For their 25th wedding anniversary they built a state of the art kitchen where they could explore all their culinary curiosities.  It was pretty elaborate for the 70’s.  A few years after that they gutted the upstairs completely to create a huge vaulted ceiling for the main foyer and living room.  By then all three girls had moved out, were married, and starting to have children of their own.  Brand new bedrooms were constructed in yet another addition so the girls and their families could come home to visit anytime they wanted.  And they did.  Every summer the whole family came together for a few weeks.  For their 50th anniversary they had a new master suite built complete with a master bathroom.  It featured a whirlpool tub big enough for four with a picture window overlooking the ocean and shoreline.  It was my Grandma’s favorite spot in the house.  And while she joked that it took her 50 years of putting up with Grandpa to get it, we all knew she was proud of the house and proud of the life that her and Grandpa had made. 

When the upkeep became difficult for them to handle alone they hired help.  A gardener came a few times a week to help my Grandpa with the property and a maid helped my Grandma with cleaning and laundry.  Grandma refused to have anyone cook for her, but they did take turns running errands or driving them into town.  This arrangement worked quite well for a while.  About five years ago, it became clear that they needed more help than a gardener and maid could provide.  They moved into an independent living community a few miles away and their three daughters took over the beach house. 

We continued gathering together at the beach house every summer.  Not everyone could make it every single time, but the effort was made.  It got more difficult as us kids grew older.  School, sports, jobs, and life in general got in the way.  Three weeks turned into two, then two into only one.  Some family members only stopped by for a few days.  When our family wasn’t staying there, we rented it out.  My mother and her sisters managed the rental of the property.  The gardener and maid had stayed on after my Grandparents left.  They were basically the on sight managers and very heavily trusted by my family.  Other staff was brought on as well to assist the guests.  Again, this new arrangement worked quite well the past few years and even provided some extra income which the families split.  But it was all coming to an end. 

This would be the last year the beach house was part of our family.  It was becoming too much work for my Mom and Aunts to manage as a rental property.  My Mom was busy running her own Bed and Breakfast back in Lemon Cove and my Dad was a pilot always on the go.  My Aunt and Uncle were looking to retire early to Arizona or Florida.  My other Aunt and Uncle already lived up in Northern California and it was too hard for them to manage long distance.  So they had hired a general contractor to fix the place up.  He was to give it a complete facelift and modernize everything from appliances to drapes.   It was decided that my cousin Jessica and I would stay at the house all summer to oversee the work and help make decisions on interior design and such.  The rest of the family could come and go throughout the summer as they please.  At the end of the summer, when the work was complete, the beach house would be put up for sale.

Treadmills & Bloggers & Likes...Oh My!

Well, the day is finally here! My extra bedroom is clean, treadmill has been moved upstairs into the room, and hubby finished my workstation for the treadmill.  God bless him and his devotion to my work. He had to build it, then realize it wouldn’t fit through the door frame, unassemble it, get it in the room and reassemble it.  I love you honey :)  Here’s a little photo progression so you can see what we did to the room. Here's the original messy extra room...

Starting to organize... Woo, look at that filing system that's starting...

 

Now the room is clean, organized, and cleared out to make room for the treadmill. 

 

 

And here is my treadmill with my new workstation! 

 

 So Excited!

 

Another view. Love it!

 

Thank you so much Terry!!!

 

And for those of you who knew and loved MaryAnn, I hope she's looking down on us and thinking, "Thank you for using my treadmill and TV for a good purpose. I'm glad that you and Terry quit smoking and are making smart choices in your life. I wish you the best." Thank you MaryAnn for pushing us the right way, even if you didn't get to see the results.

 

 

Next up...

 

I want to share an article that's been circulating on the internet about bloggers, indie authors, and self-publishing.  I know a lot of you already understand the blogger/author relationship and the importance of social media, but I also have some friends, family, and fans that don't know the first thing about any of this. So, I think this is a fantastic article for anyone who wants a better understanding of books and authors in this e-reader/internet based time. It's from a blog called Dear Author and it does feature my favorite author, Colleen Hoover, but I think it has many interesting points and is well worth a quick read. Please click on the link below to read this article.

 



 Read the article--Bloggers Sell Books

Lastly...

I WILL share another teaser from Coast to Coast, but I need at least 200 Facebook "likes" to do so.  Thank you to all my new fans, I really appreciate your love and support, but I still need a few more.  So please, like, share, comment, message, whatever you want to get me past 200. I promise it'll be a good clip of the book!

New Post (for real this time)

I want to start by thanking everyone who participated in my giveaway. I gained so many new fans and followers and I really appreciate your support. Let me welcome you and say I hope you continue to follow me on my journey.  And of course… CONGRATULATIONS to the giveaway winner…Michelina Di Campo. She chose R.K. Lilley’s book “Grounded”. I haven’t gotten a chance to read it yet myself, but I’ve heard fantastic things about the series, so Mikki, I hope you enjoyed it and thanks again for becoming a new fan of mine.

RK Lilley-- Grounded-- Check it out here

Next, I’ve been invited to participate in a group of authors that promote each other through Facebook, Twitter, Blogs, any and all social media.  So when you see my posts about their pages or books PLEASE check it out. They’re a fantastic group of women and writers and they deserve your attention.  Believe me, I’d never promote something I didn’t fully believe in, so you can rest assured that I’m making solid recommendations to you. 

Lastly, my new work space is still “under construction”.  I had a few days off work and I made significant progress, but it’s still not done yet.  For any of you with spare bedrooms that you use as a catch-all you can understand how difficult it is to clear it out.  Much harder than I thought it would be.  But, I’ve certainly made progress and actually I’ve come across things I wrote years ago that have been kind of fun to read.  So since you all have been so patiently waiting for me to share more ( I can’t share another part of the book until I get to 200 “likes” on Facebook), but I can share something silly from my early days of writing.

I know I was young and nothing ever came of it, but I used to write country songs and submit them to agents I found in the backs of music magazines. Whenever I got a response to a song/letter I sent, it was usually positive encouragement that made me feel good.  But some really and honestly critiqued my songs and didn't treat me like a kid.  I look back on these now and I feel proud that I was willing to put myself out there, so exposed and vulnerable at the age of 14.  I didn’t have money or the resources to promote a song, but I wrote and I tried to promote myself.  Funny, it’s almost 20 years later and I’m still kind of doing the same thing, but completely different. This time around I know what I’m doing…I think?

Probably not, but I had some great people that took pity on a young girl and humored her with some positive criticism.  My favorite quote from a response letter is, “You have talent, and if you learn and your interest stays high, you will do well.” Wow, that means the world to me! (And yes, he underlined those words.)  He also compared one of my songs to Tim McGraw's "Please Don't Take The Girl" and said with a lot of rewrites he would think of pitching it to him.  Well, needless to say, I never went anywhere with my songs.  Probably because I have no muscial ability, but I do like to write.  I'm much more comfortable and confident with telling a story through a novel.  But it was nice to find some of these old things and remind myself that I may be older and have more life experience now, but deep down I'm still the same person looking for the same thing, a way to share a story with the world.  Only now, the tools exist to make this a reality.  Back when I was submitting my songs we didn't have the internet, much less Facebook, Twitter, or Amazon and Kindles.  The biggest complaint that this agent had about my song submission was that I didn't include a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope for a response!  I bet a lot of young people today don't even know what a SASE is.  My point is, I know I haven't really changed, but the available technology has, and it might just be possible that my 32 year old self can make my 14 year old self's dreams come true.

So again, thank you for all the ways that you've showed your love and support, both internet-based and in real life.  Keep following and I hope you like Coast to Coast too. I’m nervous about this whole endeavor, but I feel better when I know I have people like you that are kind and understanding and helpful and supportive.  Thank you all!!!

GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

WHO’S UP FOR A GIVEAWAY???

I hope you are, because I know I am.

I’m asking for your help to get me motivated and in return I’ll be giving away 1 free book of your choice, e-reader or paperback format, up to $10 value!

If you read my most recent blog post, you know the project I’m working on.  I’m excited about my new work station, but I need a little motivation to finish clearing out the extra bedroom so I can set up the treadmill in there.

So here’s the deal: You guys go get all the contest entries that you can through the Rafflecopter entry form and I’ll go try to clean out that darn room. The contest will end whenever I finish cleaning the room, could be sometime today or it could take me until Friday.

CLICK HERE TO START EARNING CONTEST ENTRIES!!!

 

Are you not on Facebook or Twitter??? Would you like to earn some bonus entries???

Here’s how:

1.      Go read my latest blog about this project and post a comment. Make sure to include your name so I know who you are.

2.      Send a short note of motivation or thought to my email. It’s lisaroyeaauthor@gmail.com

3.      Bonus entry for anyone who posts a comment on my Facebook post or wall.

Does that sound like fun to everyone? (It should, you’re not the one who has to clean out my extra bedroom.)  Best of luck to everyone!

2-18-13

Walking and Writing?

 So, recently a few events in my life coincided with each other and got me thinking.

--I listened to Taylor Swift’s new album.
--My place of employment started a friendly walking/exercise contest and my fellow call center gals and I decided to form a team and participate.
--I hit a rough patch of writer’s block and can’t seem to get past it.
--A conversation with a coworker made me remember something I used to do when studying and memorizing things for school.
--I listened to Taylor Swift’s new album (oh, wait, I know I already said that, but it’s really good and by now I’ve listened to it about 20 times.)

So now you’re wondering how these relate to each other and what it ultimately means.  Well, in that case, please allow me to explain.

First of all, I’ve been trying to get back into working out but have lacked the motivation and consistency.  When the opportunity came up to participate in a little competition I thought it was the perfect push I needed.  I’d be motivated because I wouldn’t be working out just for myself, it would be for the team, and of course I wouldn’t want to let my team down.  So far it’s been a very positive experience and really has helped me in many ways.  I’m now getting up an hour earlier in the morning to do the elliptical and using a pedometer to challenge myself to increase my steps throughout the day.  While this challenge has changed many aspects of my daily routine, it has not changed my evenings.  When I get home from work I still basically spend the rest of the night sitting on the couch and working on the computer.  Whether I’m writing, working on website stuff, or just surfing around on the web, I’m pretty much sedentary the whole time I’m home. Hhhhhmmmm, not really good.

I don’t remember exactly what sparked the conversation, but one of my fellow walkers/coworkers and I started talking about something and it made me remember something I used to do in grade school when I was trying to memorize definitions or vocabulary.  I used to walk circles around the kitchen table while repeating the words out loud.  Something about the repetition and movement helped me memorize and study.  Hhhhhmmmm, maybe I was on to something back then.

Writer’s block.  Well that doesn’t really need much explanation except that I know exactly what I’m going to write for chapters 7, 8, 9, etc…but can’t seem to finish chapter 6.

So back to my original point.  I may have found a solution.

What do you think? A treadmill work station?  I’m gonna have hubby make me one.  I know my walking won’t be as fast as it could and my typing won’t be as accurate as it should, but I think it just might work.  Maybe by being physically active while I’m trying to write will help get the creative juices flowing and keep me more active at the same time.  I guess we’ll see.  I should have it set up sometime this weekend and I’ll keep you posted on how it’s going.  But I’m curious on your thoughts.  Do you have anything you do to help you focus/de-stress/get creative/get healthy/etc.  I do believe that your physical body and your mental body affect one another equally.  I’d love to hear some of your thoughts.

Oh, and Taylor Swift???

She inspires me as a writer because I know she’s a writer as well.  I know many authors have a “playlist” that accompanies their book, songs that either inspired them or were part of their book.  I have many songs that I would include in the “playlist” for Coast to Coast but right now I only have one that I’d like to share.  It’s called The Last Time and it’s a duet with Gary Lightbody of Snow Patrol.  If you haven’t already heard it you should definitely give it a listen.  I'll try to share a link so you can give it a listen.  And I like that I’ll be able to listen to her, while I’m walking…and writing.  Hhhhmmm, maybe it’s not such a good idea for me to try and do so many things at one time :)

Taylor Swift - The Last Time (ft. Gary Lightbody) (Lyrics) (from Red)

Here it is. My new favorite Taylor Swift song. It's been an inspiration for my writing, but also just a song I love to listen to for the words and the instrumentals. Enjoy!

A New Excerpt from Chapter 1

A New Excerpt From Chapter 1

I asked you to share my stuff and spread it around and you did. I finally reached 100 likes, so as promised, here it is, anothor excerpt from Coast to Coast. 

Any of my lighthearted joy about heading to the beach tomorrow had evaporated the second I discovered how drunk Logan was.  I found him standing at the kitchen sink shoving potato chips in his mouth.  I dug in my purse for some aspirin and poured him a huge glass of water.

    “Take this and drink the whole cup.”  I put the aspirin in one of his hands and took the bag of chips out of his other.  He swallowed the aspirin and chugged half the glass of water. 

     “Now tell me what happened today.  Something had to happen to make you get like this.  This isn’t like you Logan.  Now spill it.”  He moved over to the couch and plopped down.

    “I blew the interview.  It was my last chance and I blew it.  I’m done with school and I have nothing.  Four years at Harvard and nothing.  My Dad’s gonna kill me.  He’ll say I wasted an Ivy League education.  Good for nothing, just like I always was.  I don’t know what made me think I was better than him.  What made me think I could ever escape Lemon Cove.  All I did was move thousands of miles away and spend thousands of dollars on tuition.  For what?  Emerson, what was I thinking?  Nothing.”  He closed his eyes and dropped his head back on the couch.  I hated when he got like this.  He’d get all down on himself and there was no talking him out of it.  When he was sober he was the most confident person I knew.  He could even be a little cocky sometimes.  But a few too many drinks and he just kept digging himself deeper and deeper in a whole. 

 “Come on Logan, let’s go to bed.  You’ll feel better after some sleep.  And don’t forget, every dark situation looks better in California sunshine.”  I winked my eye and smiled, hoping to get a little rise out of him.

      “FUCK that SHIT Emerson!  I can’t go running off on vacation with you when I have nothing.  This is my life that’s on the line.  I need an internship, a job, something.  I have to stay here and make that happen.  I don’t have time to go play with you on the beach.”  My eyes were wide with shock and tearing up.  I couldn’t breathe and my heart was pounding.  Logan had never yelled at me like that.  In fact, I’d never heard him yell like that ever, drunk or sober.  It scared me and made me angry at the same time. 

  “Well fine then Logan.  Fuck you too.  And just in case you need to be reminded it’s not just your life, it’s OUR life.”  I stormed into the bedroom, grabbed a pillow and blanket, and threw it out on the living room floor.  “Get used to it.  Looks like you’ll be alone all summer.  Oh no, I take that back, you’ll have your ego to keep you company.”  I slammed the bedroom door shut, flopped down on the bed, and let the tears flow.  How had all my plans changed so drastically since this morning?