STAR LIGHT, STAR BRIGHT ... TURNING NIGHT INTO EARLY MORNING LIGHT ...

Pinpoints of light prickle the indigo sky, brightening from a pale blue to an illustrious bright white. 

"Look, there, amongst the flickers a flash of violet!"

What could it be?, you ask. Where on earth did it land? 

Glistening wings flutter as they approach a sleeping boy. He awakens and then ....

it happens ....

... the unthinkable.

Intrigued?

Now, for your eyes only THE FAIRIE GUARDIAN is revealed ....

Greetings all,

Today it gives me great pleasure to feature my good friend and amazing writer, Rachel Morgan. Today the cover of her newest book is revealed! Isn't it stunning? WOW.... I can see the magical sparks leaping off the page.

Here's the blurb from Rachel and the amazing details of her giveaway ...

Title: The Faerie Guardian
Author: Rachel Morgan
Release Date: 5 Nov 2012
Add to Goodreads

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until a cute human boy who can somehow see through her faerie glamour follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? Not when you factor in evil faeries, long-lost family members, and inconvenient feelings of the romantic kind. Vi is about to find herself tangled up in a dangerous plot—and it’ll take all her training to get out of it alive.

[This novel was originally published in four separate parts: Guardian, Labyrinth, Traitor and Masquerade. It includes bonus scenes at the end.]

Giveaway Time!

The bonus scenes at the end of the book are NOT written from the main character's point of view. If you'd like to win a $10 Amazon gift card, all you have to do is guess whose point of view these scenes are written from! Head on over to the cover reveal post at Rachel Morgan Writes and fill in the Rafflecopter form. There's a list of characters there that you can choose from. Good luck!

Thanks for dropping by everyone. I hope you enjoyed the reveal. Don't forget to drop by tomorrow for another Romantic Friday Writers Flash Fiction. The prompt .... well .... you'll just have to wait until tomorrow. 

Have a great day everyone!

And if you are looking for the Insecure Writers Support Group post, click here.

REJECTIONS ... COME ONE. COME ALL ...

Hi, Everyone,

Well, it's the first Wednesday of the month, and most of us knows what that means ... Yet, another, INSECURE WRITERS SUPPORT GROUP.... very good. Hopefully we all remembered. The months are just FLYING by and before you know it, it's time for another IWSG post!

This wonderful group was started by the AMAZING Alex J. Cavanaugh.... WHO? is there anyone WHO DOESN'T know Alex? LOL. He is a force to be reckoned with in the blogosphere, that's for sure.

But, before I get into my featured post, I'd like to thank L.Diane Wolfe for her fantastic health tips on Monday's post. (if you haven't seen it, just scroll down.) The response was awesome and L.Diane checked in throughout the past few days to comment on everyone's comments.

I am really humbled how much you are all enjoying the health and fitness posts. Staying healthy is something WE all need to do so that we will are able to take care of our families, friends, and WRITING! Yes, we all slip from time-to-time ... we are human, after all. But as long as we catch it before it's too late, we will manage to keep ahead of it. Many of us are over thirty and for this we REALLY must be aware of our health. NEVER take it for granted.

On October fifteenth I will be the featured Health and fitness adviser... Hmmmm. Beware, I am far worse than any of my guest bloggers. LOL. And don't forget to drop me an email if you'd like to write about your health and fitness regime. WE ALL want to know, so we can keep learning to stay healthy.

Okay, now for my ISWG post ...

As you can see from the title I want to touch on the DREADED rejections. This week I had THREE! SO not fun. I had just recently finished my final edit on my Y/A edgy contemporary novel, The Blinded Gardener.

When I first started to query I hit pay dirt right away: A publisher request for a full AND an agent request for a full. I was on a high.... but only for a split second.  Two months later the publisher sent me an amazing rejection. One I will always remember because she LOVED the novel, but it wasn't romantic enough for them. Oh, well, it could have been MUCH worse.

The agent .... now six months and three follow-up emails later has sent me NO response. I'm sorry, that to me is just plain RUDE... I don't care HOW busy you are, if you request a novel, at least acknowledge it with something. I am still waiting .... for any response.

It's been about seven months and this week I had sent out three new queries. BUMMER,,,, I thought I had a great query letter, but now I am questioning it, So a bit of insecurity about that.

As you all know I am not one to dwell on ANYTHING negative, so I will curse under my breath and carry on. A new week is coming and there are a fresh load of agents to attack... I NEVER give up. LOL. AND... neither should any of you!

For those of you who are on the query circuit like me, don't let the rejections get to you. Print them out, shred them up, and throw them into the air like confetti. Dance around a bit and get your daily exercise...  Hey, how cool would that be? We can call it the "Writers Pitch" ...  lol... Love the irony of this one... What a great stress releaser! Normally we tense up with pitches, this way ... HA! WE get even!

I hope that made you laugh. I'm certainly smiling right now... See Alex, we can even solve our own anxiety... LOOK what you've started here.

How do you handle a rejection letter. Over the past few years blogging I have read some pretty interesting stories on this subject, so let us know yours.

Well, that's about all i've got to say except HAPPY HUMP DAY!

FALL INTO GOOD EATING HABITS ...

Happy October 1st everyone!

With the a crisp chill in the air, Fall has arrived to the northern states. Golden, russet, and burnt orange are ablaze!

What better time than now to get into eating healthy and creating a fitness program. VERY soon the temps will drop and the holiday goodies will DESCEND upon us like locusts ...

With WAY too many temptations to ignore, we will pick a little here and a litter there and before we know it TEN POUNDS! Don't let this happen to you ...

My special guest and blogger friend, L. Diane Wolfe is visiting me here today with some great tips on how to eat healthy anytime. Start now and avoid the pitfalls later! LOL.

I know I learned a few good tips from reading her post and so will you. Please welcome, L. Diane everyone. You will be pleased to meet her, if you don't know her already.

Healthy Eating

Eating healthy isn’t just a challenge for writers. It’s a challenge for everyone. It’s easier to grab fast food, a packaged/frozen/canned meal, or store-bought snacks. Unfortunately, most contain a high amount of calories and fat. Food companies have conducted tests and know that the most appealing flavors are sweet and fatty. That’s why everything that’s bad for you tastes so good.

Healthy eating means making smart choices. Moderation is key. So is eating a variety of foods. It has to be a complete lifestyle change. This is why diets fail. Cutting back for a month just means that when we go back to eating normal, we’ll put the weight on again. And extreme diets such as the protein diet do more damage than good. The changes we make in the way we eat need to be permanent and healthy.

Not only will eating better help with weight control, it will eliminate potential health problems. Most debilitating diseases such as diabetes and heart problems can be avoided by eating right. A healthy diet can prevent you from getting sick, too. I’m a vegan (no animal products at all) for many reasons, including my health, but even I have to watch what I eat.

Often it’s the small things that make the biggest difference. We don’t have to change everything - just start changing a couple things each week. Even just skipping one can of soda every day saves 150 calories. One of the most effective things we can do is to consume a lot more water, as our hunger is usually a sign of thirst instead. Adding exercise not only makes us healthier, but it accelerates weight loss. And healthy eating reduces our chances of getting sick.

Below is a list of healthy alternatives:

Regular milk - lowfat milk (not skim - too high in protein) or light soy milk

Sugar - Splenda

Ice cream - fruit smoothies (made with fruit, ice water, Splenda, and ice cubes)

Cheese - low fat cheese, soy cheese (just as fatty but soy is very good for your health,) or just cut back the serving size.

Potato chips - baked chips, lowfat chips, or Pretzels

Pizza out - make your own and control both fat and contents

Ground beef - ground chicken or turkey or soy beef crumbles (Boca brand is very low in fat)

Dressings - go for light, such as Ken’s Light Caesar. (Fat free is tasteless.)

Condiments - BBQ sauce has a lot of sugar and calories, but mustard has virtually none

Butter - Smart Balance Light Spread or a butter spray

Bread - look for light varieties (Carbs are NOT your enemy! Breads just pack a lot of calories.)

Pancake syrup - look for sugar free. Tastes just as good and only 25% of the calories.

Snacks - look for lighter, baked crackers. Eat fruit and veggies. (Watch the olives and avocados though - lots of fat.)

Dark sodas - switch to water, flavored water, or clear diets such as Diet Cherry 7UP. (Something in dark sodas, even diet sodas, prevents weight loss. And they are nothing but empty calories. Even a beer or glass of wine contains some nutritional value!)

With all meals and snacks - watch your portions! Most people consume double portions without even realizing it.

Does eating healthy make a difference? I live in the South, home of deep fried everything. Yet because I choose to eat healthy, I’m only 120 pounds and a size 2. And I almost never get sick. Not bad for a woman in her mid-forties, huh?

Now, what are you waiting for?

L. Diane Wolfe

Professional Speaker & Author

www.spunkonastick.net

http://www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com

www.thecircleoffriends.net

Known as “Spunk On A Stick,” Wolfe is a member of the NSA and a motivational speaker. “Overcoming Obstacles With SPUNK! The Keys to Leadership & Goal-Setting”, ties all of her goal-setting and leadership seminar’s information together into one complete, enthusiastic package. She also conducts seminars on book publishing and promoting, and assists writers through her author services. Her YA series, The Circle of Friends, features morally grounded, positive stories that appeal to both teens and concerned parents. Wolfe travels extensively for media interviews and speaking engagements, maintains a dozen websites & blogs, and contributes to several other sites and newsletters.

Thanks for joining us today L. Diane. It has been a great pleasure having you visit my blog! 

My special guest next month will be our greatest pal, Alex J. Cavanaugh. He will enlighten us on how he stays in shape between ALL the INSANE time he spends blogging. How does he do it? Does anyone know?LOL.

Yes, everyone this health and fitness feature will be bi monthly. In two weeks I will be posting a few tips of my own, so mark it on your calendar. The first and third Monday of every month.

I hope you enjoyed today's post. If any of you have some great health or fitness tips and would like to be a guest blogger PLEASE feel free to contact me. This is a feature I feel needs to be posted often. We all need reminders to get of our butts and MOVE as well as eat right.

Have a great day everyone. See you on Wednesday for Alex J. Cavanaugh's Insecure Writers Support group. Thursday a SURPRISE  ... and on Friday for another fun prompt for Romantic Friday Writers. A very exciting week at In Time ... this week. I hope to see you all.

EXCITING HUMP DAY NEWS ... IT WILL BRING A MUCH NEEDED SMILE TO A DULL MID WEEK ....

Hi, Everyone,


Well as you know I usually like to have a HUMP day post every now and then. For today I have two news flashes for you.

FIrst, a dear blogger friends is hosting one of THE MOST SPECTACULAR Blog events. Sheri Larson of Writers Alley fame has signed with an amazing agent as is sharing her good fortune with all of us.

I know there is ONLY ONE MORE DAY to get involved, but there is still time to enter. The Bigger-Than-A-Shopping-Mall giveaway is worth time. ALL the prizes are writer related and MANY of the top blogger writers have donated their expertise for this event SO DON'T MISS OUT!  CLICK HERE! and you will be WHISKED away.

Also while you are there don't forget to check out Sheri's Productions to be featured at her site! She is so amazing giving back to our wonderful community by helping all of us SHINE on her blog.

Now are you guys ready for more blogger excitement? Of course you are! Well, my good friend and newly published author E.J.Wesley is sponsoring another MAJOR contest and blogfest in honor of his newly released book BLOOD FUGUE ...

You know you've been seeing this cover around the blogosphere in the past few weeks. Now is the chance to get your copy and join in on all the fun and win some UNBELIEVABLE prizes, which includes a  NOOK Simple touch with Glow reader. OOOOooo! SO cool of E.j. to be SO generous.

So drop by his blog NOW.... For the Bury the Hatchet giveaway.  THIS will be your time to create a post to VENT on how YOU would like to BURY THE HATCHET ...  GO WILD...  it's better than therapy and tons more fun! LOL. You've got plenty of time for this one ... until October 19th..


SO everyone, I do hope this puts a smile on your face on this Hump Day...  Take care and see you all on Friday.

WHO IS SHE? ...

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Autumn came in with a vengeance (rain, dropped temps, and howling winds) today here in Chicago. Today (Friday) I met with my new friend Melissa Bradley, yes, a blogger buddy! We spend six and half hours chatting about EVERYTHING, so I didn't have time to finish my post for the Romantic Friday Writers. 

But I did finish when I got home. For Challenge #45, I took a different approach. I hope you enjoy this poetic piece. I won't tell you the prompt until after you've read it. I don't want to spoil it for you.

At the dawning of a new day ...

Beauty rises ...

Gold flickers within its fiery depths, as waves of molten lava caress the creamiest porcelain.

Ebony butterflies flutter above two translucent aqua pools.

Luminous pearls glow incased in a pair of ruby velvet rose petals.

Imprinted crescent moons mirror one another in perfect harmony.

The shadows shift ...

Long, delicate tapers release mists of liquid passion onto pulsating hills and valleys.

Intricate snowflakes woven of fine jet threads mold twin doves as a sheathe clings effortlessly to each an every curve.  

Could this phenomenon be of a spellbinding nature? Could it truly exist? 

In one word ...

Yes ...

Angelique.

She ...

She, who captivates everyone with the slightest glance.

She, whose inner light transcends into the darkest of nights.

She, who breezes though life on gossamer wings.

She, whose very essence breathes life ...

She who makes my existence a living hell.

Why her?

Why not me?

Why does She have to be my best friend?

  

Okay,  now I can tell you today's challenge.  "Oh How I Hate My Beautiful Friend." Don't forget to drop by the Romantic Friday Writers site here to read the other entries. 

Have a WONDERFUL weekend everyone. 

WHO'S READY? ... COME ON ... YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO ...

Happy HUMP day everyone.

Well since it's Wednesday and in the middle of the week, I thought I'd bring in a SPECIAL GUEST BLOGGER to get us moving for the rest of the week ...

Today my new blogger buddy, Morgan Shamy is going to entertain us with her AMAZING routine to stay in shape while writing. As we all know, writer's are VERY sedentary, so we need to eat right and KEEP MOVING!

Morgan is kind enough to be my first guest fitness blogger, so let's all dust off our high school pompoms and give a CHEER for MORGAN!  YAY MORGAN! Take it away!

MICHAEL…….DI GESU….IT’S TIME……FOR A……FITNESS POST…..

LOL! I promise I’m not mocking the title of your blog, Michael… 

Anyway. Fitness. And writing. Staying fit while writing. 

Oxymoron? Definitely not. 

A little back-story: I grew up in the hardcore ballet world… so image and fitness has been ingrained in me from an early age. You spend hours and hours staring at yourself in the mirror wearing nothing but a leotard and tights all day. It’s all about having long thin lines, looking better than the girl next to you, pushing your body past limits you didn’t think was possible. Being consumed in that world can mess with your head. (I have tons of comparisons between the writing world and the dance world, but that’s another post) 

But since I started writing, I don’t have that physical push anymore. My love for sweat and bodily anguish turned into a love for complex storylines and formulating the perfect sentence. But because of my past, it’s important for me to stay fit even though I’m not spending hours a day dancing anymore. It’s something that’s embedded in me, a part of who I am. 

But I’m not willing to sacrifice my writing for time at the gym. I have friends and family members who are obsessed with working out. It’s what they do. It’s their hobby—which can be great, but I don’t have time for that—let me rephrase—I don’t want that to be a priority, not with four kids and wanting to spend any free time I have writing. Yes, there are those balanced people who plan each moment of their day down to the last minute and can fit everything in (Do these people really exist?), but I’m not one of them.  

With all things, you have to put forth effort to have results. So how do you stay fit, work, maintain a household, do dishes, laundry, homework, socialize, support your community, taxi kids around, blog, read, and have time to write?

Well, there are certain things I do, but they may be weird, so don’t laugh… 

First, the obvious. It’s all about what you put in your body. Having the control to put away the bag of potato chips, the bag of fruit loops, the popcorn, anything you can blindly eat while writing. What’s funny is I totally write better if I’m chewing something! Sounds strange, but true. The motion must create an alternate distraction or something that allows my mind to open up. See? Weird. So I chew on carrot sticks. Gum. Celery. Raisins. Anything that takes a while to chew, and won’t put in those unnecessary calories. 

Next? I never just sit. And this is where it gets stranger. I have the habit of working my muscles even while resting. I’m never completely relaxed. I’m always working my abs, keeping them tight, holding them strong. I lift my leg and see how long I can hold it in the air just to feel my muscles burn. I’m not sure if it’s just a dancer thing, but I like to feel my muscles tense at all times. And it works! Even when I’m sitting, I can be getting stronger. 

Last? Get up and dance. You don’t need to set aside a chunk of time each day to work out. I do short bursts throughout my day. We do this thing at our house where I’ll randomly blast music and we’ll all get up and dance. I always get the urge to run up and down the stairs—or jump around with the kids. Short bursts of exercise are great—it gets the blood pumping and can clear the writer’s head within seconds. And it’s easier than getting a sitter or hauling everybody out of the house to get in a workout. 

And also, on the flip side, don’t forget to eat. I know sometimes, I get so consumed in a project, the hours will go by and I’ll start wondering why I have a headache. Or why the words aren’t flowing. And it’s because I haven’t eaten. Food fuels the brain, and we need those healthy calories to maintain that brainpower. 

I know for me, when I feel better, I write better. 

Thanks so much, Michael, for letting me come visit today! I think this fitness series is great—and you are the perfect host! 

Thank you, Morgan. I really appreciate you stopping by and giving us you special insight into fitness and writing. You are THE best. I hope to see you back in December with some wonderful tips during the holiday season.

I hope you all will visit bi-monthly for posts on fitness and healthy eating from me and my SPECIAL guests. Next month on October 1st, L. Diane Wolfe will be giving us her tips for staying healthy.

Also, this coming Friday I will be posting another Flash Fiction piece for the Romantic Friday Writers, so I hope to see you all then. 

Have a great day everyone and thanks for visiting. I always makes my day!

GENRE FAVORITES ... A BLOGFEST...

Hi, Everyone,

Well, today is Alex J. Cavanaugh's GENRE FAVORITE'S BLOGFEST.... YAY! Gotta love Alex and his blogfests! Enter here:

List your favorite genre of:

Movie

Books

Music

And a guilty pleasure genre from any category.

How fun is this? Right? Well, come and join in the fun!

Can you imagine all the AMAZING possibilities?

As for me, I has such VARIED tastes, but I will certainly give you my favs ...

Movies are tough. I LOVE so many different types of movies and from all different eras. How could you not love the amazing dramas from the 1940's: the toe-tapping musicals of the 1950's; the screwball comedies of the 1960's; the never-ending mini-series in the 1970's; the "brat-pack" films of the 1980's; etc.

So how is one to choose? But, if I must, I would have to say that I really do adore Fantasy movies. My first love .... THE WIZARD OF OZ ... and then of course the first Harry Potter film: HARRY POTTER and the SORCERER'S STONE.

Books, again are impossible to choose. But I always have loved Nineteenth Century English literature. Dickens, the Bronte' sisters, Austen. Intense Dramas of daily life at that time: the social structure and the powerful, yet downtrodden women.

And then FANTASY! LOVE IT! All kinds, but just two authors. ROWLINGS and BROOKS. My total FAVS!

Ah, now for music. I am so in love with music. I LOVE IT ALL, except for the heavy metal stuff. Sorry Alex. Classical, instrumental, and strings are my all time favs. But I do enjoy beautiful voices and pop music. Again varied tastes.

If I must pic a guilty pleasure .... I really do hate to admit this, but there is one particular genre that I always enjoy watching in movies, yet it's not my favorite to read. I am such a sucker for Romantic comedies and CHRISTMAS FILMS! Give me a Christmas Romantic Comedy and I am in HEAVEN. So much from my macho image. LOL.

Perhaps that is why my posts for Romantic Friday Writers are so well received. I generally don't write Romance, but my blogger friends are raving about them. LOL.

Now that I have revealed my darkest secrets, do tell me YOURS! What are your favs and guilty pleasures. And no I don't mean anything CHOCOLATE, but I can so relate.

Have a great Monday everyone! And for my blogger buddies who enjoy the health and fitness posts, I had postponed Morgan Shamy's helpful tips until Wednesday. I hope you will drop by then and read how she stays in tip top shape ...