Island Dreams: Indie Phenom Tracey Garvis Graves

Have you read On the Island yet? If not, you absolutely should. Go over to Bookshelf Bombshells for the full book review.

On the Island‘s author, Tracey Garvis Graves, could be the poster girl for Indie publishing success stories.

She wrote a compelling, risky, and slightly addictive romance about two people who shouldn’t be together stranded on a desert island. She sent off the dreaded query letters hoping to find an agent to represent her. Instead of snapping up the debut author’s intriguing story, agents quickly ripped off rejection letters. The book didn’t quite fit into the right genres. The storyline could be dangerous. It just wasn’t for them.

While most writers would crawl into a cave of self-doubt and shove their precious manuscript into the back of a drawer to rot, Tracey fought back. She decided to self-publish On the Island.

Now, many of us are scared of self-publishing. I know I am. There is the stigma that if you self-pub it’s because your book isn’t good enough for the mainstream bookstore shelves, it’s a sad reject filled with poor grammar, typos, and a plot seemingly contrived by a sixth-grader.

If you have read any of the millions of Indie self-published books out there (and if you haven’t, why not?) you know this is not always the case.

She uploaded her edited manuscript onto Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.

Then this suburban mom harnessed the power of the internet, promoting her book to the top of the best sellers lists. On the Island became a word-of-mouth (and blog) phenomena.

I learned about the book through another blogger. Actually, several blogs, but when someone who normally doesn’t talk about books mentioned it was a must read (thanks MomJovi), I downloaded it that day. Once I pulled up that first page, I was hooked. I stayed up past midnight finishing the book in one day.

Tracey’s book sales and loyal fans finally caught the attention of the “big boys.” She got an agent, a two-book deal from Penguin, and MGM even optioned the book for a feature film.(And there’s constant online chatter about just which actors should play main characters T.J. and Anna.)

Word of mouth sales keep going up. I should get credit for a few copies in my Costco. Twice I watched a woman pick the paperback up, skim the back cover, look slightly puzzled, and set it down. “That was a great book!” I gushed. “It’s not smutty? It sounds … just … “ “It’s not a 50 Shades. At all. Trust me. Not creepy at all. I read it in a day.” They slipped the book into their carts.

Word. Of. Mouth.

Stop by Bookshelf Bombshells to read the full review. Come on: a 30-year-old teacher, her 16-year-old student, a plane crash, a deserted tropical island. Can love conquer all despite the odds? Should it? You know you’re intrigued.

Blogging For Good: American Heart Association Heart Walk

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Today I’m writing about a subject close to my heart (hopefully not literally): cardiovascular disease. Chances are it’s touched someone in you life—it’s the #1 killer of all Americans and takes a life every 38 seconds. Boom—three or four people will be gone by the time you finish reading this post.

It’s a killer that has devastated my family too many times. The Father-In-Law I never knew died after his fifth heart attack—my husband was just fifteen. Weeks after I met my husband, it struck down his step-father while he sailed upon the open seas. And recently, the disease stole my son’s beloved “Beach Papa” far, far too early. Strokes have dealt a crippling blow to family members, as well.

Several friends have children struggling with genetic heat diseases. Every part of their family’s lives are impacted by their conditions, and their bravery, compassion, and resilience never ceases to amaze me. They handle each new crisis with inspiring dignity and strength. They deserve a healthier future.

Such close tragedies have opened our eyes to the risks of not only an unhealthy lifestyle but genetics. Though we eat healthy, exercise, and don’t smoke, my thin, athletic husband must carefully monitor his blood pressure and cholesterol. When we married, he vowed to live a year past 48, the age of his father when he died. I vehemently informed him that was not a part of our deal; I expected at least another 48 years together.

This family will not become another statistic.

That’s why we support the American Heart Association.

American Heart Association Missions: By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent.

How you can help:

The 2012 Greater Orlando Heart Walk is THIS Saturday, September 15th, 2012.
You can still register for the 3.1 mile route or the 1 mile “Survivor” walk around beautiful Loch Haven Park.
Festivities begin at 7 a.m. — Walk at 8 a.m.
Can’t make it? Please consider making a donation in a participant’s name.

The Greater Orlando Heart Walk is a major fundraising event for the American Heart Association. At the time of posting, the generous people of Central Florida have raised just over 1 million dollars towards the event goal of 1.4 million. Funds raised help to:

Raise awareness. Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women over age 25, but many women don’t make their own health a priority.

Groundbreaking pediatric heart and stroke research. About 36,000 babies are born with heart defects each year —research is the key to saving babies’ lives.

Get life-saving information to those who need it most – information that can save a life, like how to eat better, how to recognize the warning signs of heart attack, and how to talk to a doctor about critical health choices.

Put up-to-the-minute research into doctors’ hands so they can better prevent and treat heart disease among patients.

Advocate for better health. AHA’s nationwide volunteer network, You’re The Cure, advocates for key issues at the national, state and local levels such as requiring physical education in schools, clean air legislation and making AEDs mandatory in public buildings.

Reach out to populations at risk. Blacks have higher risk and higher death rates from stroke than whites. Our Power To End Stroke education/awareness initiative helps African Americans share information to reduce their risk of stroke. More than 23,000 key opinion leaders, including mayors, professors, ministers and celebrities, have been recruited to be ambassadors working within their own community.

Protect the future. Nearly one in three children and teens in the U.S. is overweight or obese. As a result, more kids than ever before are developing high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. AHA is helping kids develop lifelong healthy habits and working to make sure that today’s children can grow up to be tomorrow’s healthy adults.

Don’t live in Central Florida?
Click here to find the American Heart Association Heart Walk near you.
Join with over a million people in 300+ cities taking a stand against heart disease
and helping to save lives.

Support this amazing organization. Walk the walk. Support other walkers.
Donate to AHA.

Buy a raffle ticket as a part of the Blogging for Good campaign.
For just $10 you have a chance to win this wonderful basket worth over $150.

$50 gift certificate to Shula’s in Lake Mary

Bottle of Red Wine

American Heart Association Cookbook

$50 gift certificate to the Spa at Thorton Park

100% of proceeds go to AHA.

Your heart will thank you.

**Please help spread the word about this important cause. Tweet, Facebook, Pin, and share this post. You can make a difference.

I am writing this as part of a contest for the CFL Blog Conference and the Rollins Philanthropy & Nonprofit Leadership Center. I stand 100% behind the Greater Orlando Heart Walk and the American Heart Association.

Sparking the imagination with science and Star Wars at the Orlando Science Center #CFLGood

The Meryl Streep Movie Club: A SheReads Review

Review: Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook

Making Flossing Fun for the Family

1 Reply

When was the last time you tried to get your kids to floss their teeth? Last night? Last month? Last year? To say it can be a challenge is a gross understatement. Many parents pick their battles: we consider ourselves fortunate our kids brush their teeth regularly and without tears. And perhaps, like me, you push off the flossing for another night. Again.

But you know kids need to floss. The trick is making it fun. That was always a problem — until now.

When I was asked if I wanted to try the Waterpic Water Flosser for Kids I jumped at the chance. Early this summer we came home from the orthodontist with a whole “goodie bag” full of weird devices to help keep my kiddo’s new braces food-free. The bag has sat untouched under the bathroom sink.

Kiddo’s eyes lit up the moment he saw his new Water Flosser. It comes with sheets of sticker-like clings, and he customized his Flosser with every last one. He couldn’t wait to test it out.

I discovered shooting a stream of high pressure water between the teeth is very cool to a nearly 9-year-old boy. Traditional flossing—not so much. Luckily, the Water Flosser is 3x as effective as regular flossing and 1000x more fun. He can control the stream of water and adjust the stream on three levels. He actually wants to use it. And I totally wish I owned a Water Flosser back when I had braces.

The adjustable water flow cleans not only the normal food stuck between teeth, but also helps get rid of the gunk that tends to cake around braces. In fact, it’s 5x more effective than just brushing alone for cleaning around braces. And when you’re spending a fortune on braces, the last thing you need is a cavity. It’s all about prevention. You want those pearly whites to last for another 90 years or so.

Although I am not cavity prone (only two in my life—fingers crossed!) my dentist has strongly suggested I use a water flosser and sonic toothbrush if I want to prevent gum disease. For some of us with cranky gums, brushing and flossing are just not enough. Bad gums can lead to dentures and heart disease — no thanks.

This Waterpic Complete Care system not only cleans your teeth, but removes bacteria between teeth and below the gumline where brushing and regular flossing can’t reach. It massages the gums, improving circulation so they can grow stronger and healthier. It feels rather luxurious, and my teeth feel dentist-fresh each time I use it.

The system is up to 159% more effective than manual brushing. And, well, it’s more fun for adults, too.

My teeth and gums — and my oral hygienist — are going to be thrilled.

Want your kids to try out the system? Waterpic is offering

Back to School Savings:

Get a $10 Savings coupon when you “Like” Water Pik on Facebook

Or visit the Waterpic website for a printable $10 off coupon for the Waterrpic Complete Care System!

*This product was sent to me for review purposes. I did not receive any monetary compensation. The opinions expressed are my own. I cannot guarantee a positive review for any product or services, but I can promise a review written with honesty and integrity.

Nutella Banana & Peanut Butter Banana Mini Muffins

1 Reply

It’s Back-to-School time and back to beating lunch box boredom. So many of us are *trying* to eat healthier, but it’s nearly impossible to avoid those pre-packaged snacks hyped up on sugar and preservatives. And if you still have to pack for snack time, you need to creatively find even more portable yet healthy foods to tempt often picky eaters.

My kiddo has now braces, so I am even more limited in my snack selections — no gooey fruit snacks, fruit roll-ups, granola bars, raisins, or nuts. What else can you pack in a kid’s lunch box?

Muffins.

Mini muffins are always a hit.

They are like little cupcakes, minus the excess sugar and frosting. You can bake a big batch and freeze them. You can even pack them individual snack bags before you stick them in the freezer, then just grab a bag in the morning and they will thaw buy lunch/snack time. A little effort and you can have a month’s worth of healthy and delish snacks.

And these are delish. I made the mistake of pulling them from the oven while I had a housefull of 8-year-old boys. I had to fight them off with a wooden spoon. They all loved these two-bite delights— and their parents did too.

These muffins are perfect for snacks — low in fat, high in protien. And they are easy. Seriously. Minus the time it took for me to throw a bag of frozen peas on my burn (I can’t get near an oven without at least one burn) I whipped these up in a jiffy. And they were totally worth the 2-inch burn.

Both these recipes are nearly identical, the main difference being peanut butter vs. Nutella. I assumed the Nutella version would make me swoon more, but the peanut butter muffins hit me with more flavor. The decision was split amongst my taste testers. They are both awesome.

Banana Peanut Butter Mini Snack Muffins

(Inspired by a Cooking Light bread recipe)

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes per batch
Makes 4 dozen bite-sized muffins

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana {about 3 large}
1/3 cup peanut butter {creamy or crunchy – whatever you like}
1/3 cup applesauce {or Greek yogurt for extra protein}
3 tbsp. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour {you can use all white flour}
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg
pinch of clove

**non-stick cooking spray

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, add first five ingredients — all the wet stuff. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth {and all the banana chunks are gone}. Add the sugars and blend more.
In a seperate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients {the dry stuff}. Stir gently. Add dry mix to the wet mix and beat with mixer until just combined.
Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. ** Fill each cup about 3/4 full. {I use a trigger cookie scoop. One scoop fills each cup perfectly with no dribbles. Totally worth $7 bucks.}
Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.
Pop out of pan and cool on wire rack.

** You can also add mini chocolate chips or crushed peanuts for some extra oomph.

*I recommend not using pretty cupcake liners, especially if you are using these for a kids’ snack. Peeling them takes too much time when you just want to devour them.

nutella recipes, snack recipes, kid's snacks

Nutella Banana Mini Snack Muffins

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes per batch
Makes 4 dozen bite-sized muffins

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana {about 3 large}
1/3 cup Nutella
1/3 cup applesauce {or Greek yogurt for extra protein}
3 tbsp. melted butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour {you can use all white flour}
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. baking cocoa

**non-stick cooking spray

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add first five ingredients — all the wet stuff. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth {and all the banana chunks are gone}. Add the sugars and blend more.

In a seperate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients {the dry stuff}. Stir gently. Add dry mix to the wet mix and beat with mixer until just combined.

Spray mini muffin pan with non-stick cooking spray. ** Fill each cup about 3/4 full. {I use a trigger cookie scoop. One scoop fills each cup perfectly with no dribbles. Totally worth $7 bucks.}

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Pop out of pan and cool on wire rack.

** You can also add mini chocolate chips for some extra oomph.

*I recommend not using pretty cupcake liners, especially if you are using these for a kids’ snack. Peeling them takes too much time.

Once the muffins cooled, I packed them first into snack bags and them into a gallon-sized freezer bag. Now each school morning I can just grab a pre-packed bag from the freezer and pop it straight into the lunch bag. It’s perfectly thawed by lunch time.

Happy mom, happy kid.

BlogHer & RWAs ~ both, either, neither?

8 Replies

If somehow you missed bumping into a shy redhead at BlogHer this year in New York City — well, that’s because I wasn’t there.

Somehow, I also missed the Romance Writers of America Conference (RWAs) in Anaheim.

With all the gorgeous pics of beautiful (inside and out) writers and bloggers having a blast, I felt like I needed a pic up too. This photo isn’t beautiful, and it’s from 2010, but I was at the RWAs. Though I didn’t attend the full conference, I did get to meet some of my favorite writers — Jane Porter, Mary Kay Andrews, Meg Cabot, Nora Roberts {though I can’t read her books. . .shhh!} You can read about my experience here. As I mingled and wandered amongst hundreds of published authors I vowed I would attend the full conference soon. Apparently, just not this year.

Instead, this is how I spent that weekend. Somehow someone (I shall not name names) left the water on while working on our master bedroom shower. Water permeated the drywall and flooded under half the bedroom suite’s floor. Which I installed two years ago. By hand. After the plumbers and drying crew left, I spent the weekend ripping up my floor (while some kind volunteers ripped out the vanity) and redoing the whole damn thing. I lost my ability to write for two weeks as the only words I conjured were far too vulgar to put in print (and certainly not original).

And while I would have LOVED to have loaded my arms with goodie bags, hobnobbed with celebs, and met about 5,000 of my best blog friends IRL last weekend (not to mention learning so damn much about blogging my head would’ve probably exploded — that must be why they all hit the parties afterwards). . .

I chose not to steal any of the thousands of images of my
wannabe friends living it up and bonding in the Big Apple
(because that’s just not how I roll).

. . . Instead I nursed my poor kiddo through his third oral surgery. {I refuse to post an actual picture of his mouth. I can’t look at it for more than a few seconds, and if I released the image into the blogosphere he’d probably sue me when he turned of age. Look at this model. It’s much prettier.}

I totally stole this image from an orthodontics website.

If you want to see the myriad of medieval torture devices that may be in your kids’ futures, click here.

Yes, those are exposed teeth way below the gum-line attached to braces by dangling gold chains. My kid will be sporting some REAL mouth bling at back-to-school time (unlike fake-out Ryan Lochte — dude, I totally do not get it).

When I calmed down and forced myself to think about which event I regretted missing the most, I realized it was the RWAs. Don’t get me wrong, I’d nearly give my left breast to go to BlogHer, but I’ve realized I will never make my living as a professional blogger. Free wine, books, and toothbrushes — heck yeah — but I won’t be funding kiddo’s college fund with my blogging proceeds.

But it’s not just about the money. (Although making some money someday from my writing would be the cat’s pajamas.) It’s about my passion for writing, my need to give life to my stories, and my goal of publishing my freaking novel. To reach these goals and live the life I dream about, I must hone my craft and mingle with other writers. I’m dying to hear about their struggles and successes, to soak up every blurb of advice they may offer. I need to familiarize myself with the dirty details of the publishing industry if I ever want to find an agent or sell a book. I need pay my RWA membership so I can feel like a real writer who deserves to be there.

So while I’d still LOVE to see the bloggers, writers, humorists, and culinary divas I read each day and feel as if I already know at BlogHer 13 . . .

My goal is set: I will attend RWAs next year in Atlanta. Time to start saving, keep writing, finish editing, and kick my life into gear.

Romance Writers of America®
33rd Annual Conference
Atlanta Marriott® Marquis
Atlanta, Georgia
July 17-21, 2013

Join more than 2,100 published and aspiring romance writers, editors, agents, and other industry professionals in Atlanta, GA. Conference attendees will enhance their writing and knowledge of the ins and outs of publishing at more than 100 workshops; get the inside track at panels and round-tables featuring publishing professionals; schedule a one-on-one pitch meeting with an acquiring editor or literary agent; attend parties and network with the stars of romance fiction; and be a part of RWA’s “Readers for Life” charity book signing. And let’s not forget the 2013 RITA® and Golden Heart® Awards.
Registration for RWA2013 will open in late January 2013.

Who’s coming with me?

http://thingsicantsay.com
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Book Review: Glimmers by Barbara Brooke

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Glimmers, the first of a trilogy of novels by debut author Barbara Brooke, twists women’s fiction with the element of time/memory travel.

Paige Mackenzie’s life is calm and lovely but missing that bit of passion, of spark. Though she lives the suburban dream (doting husband, nice house, two wonderful kids) she occasional imagines stepping into someone else’s shoes for just few hours.

When she finds a pair of 80’s suede ankle boots on a thrift store treasure hunt, her life gains some of the spice she’d been craving. With just a touch, her vision goes high-def, the room spins, and she is transported from her kitchen to an avacado green flashback. She caught a “glimmer” of memory and now sees the world through the eyes of Delilah, a teenager from West Virginia. Though she feels like she is experiencing Delilah’s brush with young love, first job, and burgeoning cooking talents over an entire summer, when the episode ends, she has been gone only minutes. Paige’s experience leaves her exhilarated, unsettled, and with new culinary skills.

Back in her normal life, she resumes the position of her sister Hailey’s wedding-planning lackey. Paige jumps at Hailey’s beck and call — she stands in for her at her wedding gown fitting, she picks up her engagement ring from the jewelers. Unable to resist the allure of the sparkling diamond, she slips the ring onto her finger and slides into Hailey’s life. Through her sister’s eyes, she discovers how passionate love can be — with someone other than her fiancee.

Before Paige can condemn her sister’s reckless behavior, she latches onto a glimmer of memory from a pair of cameo earrings. The family heirloom sends her back to the British Regency Era as Emma, a headstrong young woman who longs to follow her heart instead of the proper path of her times.

Paige wrestles with the reality of what her startling new power means and what she should do with the insights her glimmers have given her. Each glimmer helps her grow as a person and she works to untangle the threads that tie each person’s memories to her life.

Glimmers is a fresh mash-up of women’s fiction, romance, with flashes of fantasy. It’s light summer read perfect for a day by the pool (or in my case, curled up on a rainy day) and tame enough for audiences from YA to grandmothers — no offensive language or explicit sex (though a few inferences are there). Paige is a relatable character, and I can imagine hanging out with her and discussing our days over a glass of wine.

Though the novel just skims the surface of the powers involved in living memories via touch, I hope to discover more about the unique trait passes down through Paige’s family in later books. I look forward to seeing how Brooke develops the characters in the next installment, Beyond Glimmers, due later this year.

Glimmers by Barbara Brooke
248 pages
$9.99 (paperback)
$3.99 (Kindle edition)

Glimmers will be available on audiobook in September, with the voice of Ann Richardson bringing Paige and her adventures to life.

Connect with Barbara:

http://barbarabrooke.wordpress.com/

Twitter @Barbara_Brooke

Facebook

Those Days Go By

14 Replies

My high school reunion is Friday night.

I’m not going.

And that’s okay.

I have plenty of excuses as to why I’m skipping school (though I never did back in the day), but the biggest hangup is that I simply cannot believe twenty years have slipped by. It’s as if Father Time stuck a Dyson vacuum to the bottom of his hour glass and he just sucked those days away.

Granted, I just “celebrated” a birthday days ago. In certain lights the lines on my face freak me out and I start to understand why women shove needles and knives into their aging skin.

But even when I’m fighting the monotony of suburban family life and the emergenices only a mature, responsible adult must face (i.e. plumbing leaks, insurance companies, orthodontics) I don’t feel like I’m a REAL grown-up.

I remember going to my mom’s 20th high school reunion. I was sixteen. It was a weekend-long event at a fancy hotel by the beach. My parents would not leave me home alone, so I watched TV in the hotel room while they dressed up and mingled with old school chums. They were all so OLD. So settled. Successful. They’d been plugging away at their careers for two decades, married for nearly as long, and discussed their teenagers and plans for becoming empty-nesters in the near future.

I can’t be that old.

Thanks to the wonders of Facebook, we don’t even really need a real life reunion. From what I’ve seen, most of my class is nowhere near the same level of adulthood as my parent’s generation. Many of us are still single or newlyweds. My classmates have newborns, not teens. We’ve gone back to school, changed careers, and most of us still feel as if we are on the bottom rungs of the corporate ladder. We’re not settled.

No banquets and formals for my peers. They are going to partake in an all-night bar hop. Perfect for a generation of Peter Pans who refuse to grow up.

Our class song was Boyz II Men’s “It’s so Hard To Say Goodbye to Yesterday” — which I remember as a funeral dirge played during Lethal Weapon 3. Gag me with a shovel. (I voted for Alphaville’s “Forever Young” — check out The Killers cover of it below.)

For me, it wasn’t hard to say goodbye to high school. I counted down the months, days, and hours until I escaped to college. It was not the best time of my life.

I’m not sure I’ve lived the best time of my life. I’d like to think the best is yet to come.

And I’d like to believe I’m not all that different than the dreamy-eyed girl of twenty years ago.

I was struck once again by our supposed maturity when the Offspring released “Days Go By.” When the band hit, they were so wild and slightly outrageous. And now they are old enough reminisce. Perhaps this should be our reunion song . . . If I was going . . .

KerryAnnMorgan.com

Island Dreams: Indie Phenom Tracey Garvis Graves

Blogging For Good: American Heart Association Heart Walk

American Heart Association Missions: By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent.

Sparking the imagination with science and Star Wars at the Orlando Science Center #CFLGood

The Meryl Streep Movie Club: A SheReads Review

Review: Wallflower in Bloom by Claire Cook

Making Flossing Fun for the Family

Nutella Banana & Peanut Butter Banana Mini Muffins

Banana Peanut Butter Mini Snack Muffins

Nutella Banana Mini Snack Muffins

BlogHer & RWAs ~ both, either, neither?

Romance Writers of America®
33rd Annual Conference
Atlanta Marriott® Marquis
Atlanta, Georgia
July 17-21, 2013

Book Review: Glimmers by Barbara Brooke

Those Days Go By

American Heart Association Missions: By 2020, to improve the cardiovascular health of all Americans by 20 percent while reducing deaths from cardiovascular disease and stroke by 20 percent.

Banana Peanut Butter Mini Snack Muffins

Nutella Banana Mini Snack Muffins

Romance Writers of America® 33rd Annual ConferenceAtlanta Marriott® Marquis Atlanta, GeorgiaJuly 17-21, 2013

Romance Writers of America®
33rd Annual Conference
Atlanta Marriott® Marquis
Atlanta, Georgia
July 17-21, 2013