Transcendent by Wendy Swore - an Interview

 Transcendent: Tales of the Paranormal

Don't forget to enter all the giveaways from yesterday, here. (You have until Jan. 3rd.) and.....

There is a giveaway of Transcendent at the bottom of this blog. Good luck!

This is an awesome anthology of stories by 7 different awesome authors, three of which I know personally- Wendy Swore, Lani Woodland and Melanie Marks. You will love this book and at only .99 cents, you'll love it even more.

Today I am focusing on just one, Wendy, our farmer-girl.

The fun interview:

Me: To write such an interesting book, you must be an interesting person. What are some fun facts about you?

Wendy:  I'm a third degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do. I still sometimes teach afterschool classes.  I also run a farm and can pick 42 ears of corn a minute. (Thus the Goddess of the Corn title to my blog) 

Me: I'll have to bone up on my corn picking skills and challenge you to a contest next summer. Give us some more.

Wendy: I speak Spanish (I taught my husband to say I love you & kiss me--gotta learn the important stuff first.)  When I was 18, I lived in Spain and visited England, Poland & Sweden (I used my life savings to pay for that semester abroad.) My dad was a crop duster so we followed his work, moving from Sacramento CA, to Walla Walla WA, to Logan UT, to Portland Or, to Pocatello ID. 

Me:Such a cool experience! I'm sure every penny you spent was going abroad was worth it.

Tell me about your rocking book.

Wendy:  It's a YA paranormal anthology with 8 stories from 7 different authors. It's getting great reviews from awesome authors like Ali Cross, Tristi Pinkston, Elana Johnson, Karen Hoover, and more! They love it, and I'm thrilled! I have 2 stories in the book: Strike, and Spectre. Strike is about a girl who witnesses a boy getting struck by lightning--an event that blasts his soul right out of his body and into something else.... In Spectre, two girls are thrilled to find the perfect decorations for their homecoming party, but when darkness falls, the décor comes to life.


Me: They sound amazing! I have Transcendent loaded on my Nook and can't wait to read it. 

I know there are some giveaways out there celebrating the launch. What are they?

Wendy:  There are 2 awesome giveaways with loads of SWAG to celebrate the release. One is on my blog, http://wendyswore.blogspot.com (Hurry! it ends on January 3rd) and the other is sponsored by the publisher and includes copies of Watched!
http://afantasyfiction.blogspot.com/2011/12/transcendent-giveaway.html it ends January 15th.


Me:  I love the sound of that! Is it only for teens and where can everyone get their hands on it?

Wendy: It's a totally clean read so you can feel safe giving it to all your friends and family. You can find it here:

· Paperback on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0615572324)

· eBook on Kindle: Purchase today for $0.99!http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006JV1NM8

eBook on Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/transcendent-lani-woodland/1108015082?ean=2940013849686&itm=1&usri=transcendent%2c+tales+of+the+paranormal

· Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13096259-transcendent

· Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Transcendent-Tales-of-the-Paranormal/255603224494043

· Book Club Discussion: http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/736565-january-transcendent-paranormal-anthology

Me: Go out and get it everyone! Thank you so much for being a guest on my blog.

Wendy: Thanks for having me, Cindy! How about we give away an eCopy of Transcendent on your blog?


Me: I'd love to.  Okay everyone. Make sure you're a follower and leave me a comment that you follow and 1 thing you learned about Transcendent or Wendy and I'll pick a winner on the 4th. Happy New Year everyone!  

As an added bonus...here are 5 random fun things (not about Wendy....hee hee hee) 

1. Patricia Briggs Mercy series novels (my favorites!)

2. Sushi (Yum!)

3. Naps (what are those again?)

4. November 1st, my favorite day of the year (the day I'm done farming).

5. Uninterrupted time in the bath. (*dreams of the day when that'll happen*)

Did you like this interview? It sure was fun to do. Did you enter to win Transcendent. Good luck and make sure you enter the other awesome giveaways from Yesterday, here. Like 200 ways to win.

Happy New Year! Let's Celebrate!

Awesome new giveaway today through Jan. 3rd.

Giveaways Galore! 
Happy New Year!!








Are you a writer or want to become one? Come to an awesome workshop Jan. 21st in Orem, Utah from 9-2:30. You won't want to miss this. Click here to join the fun.

What do you need to have a chance to win a $10 Barnes and Noble gift card?

Easy Entry- Do them all in under 1 minute.


1. Follow this blog -mandatory
2. Like my Watched Facebook page here +1 extra
3. Like my Watched Amazon page here  +2 extra
4. Follow my Watched blog  extra +1

**Leave me a comment here with what entries you did and your email so I can notify you if you win.

You only have until the 3rd. good luck!

Are you coming to the iWriteNetwork Workshop?

Are you going to watch me on BlogTalkRadio on Sat?

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi - A Review

What I'm reading now - Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Go enter a huge book giveaway here.

This book echoed of the Ugly series to me. I loved the Ugly series.


Aria lives in Reverie where the governement protects the people and provides their every need at the cost of their freedom. The citizens use an eyescreen to escape reality and live in a virtual world which takes over their lives.They do not experience life like we do.

Of course many in the pods want to experience what they aren't allowed to and Aria sneaks out with a girl friend and two boys, including the son of a political leader, to explore the old ways.Something snaps in the boys and they try to hurt her. In the struggle, a fire breaks out and everyone's lives are in danger. Not only must she escape the boys, but also the fire. She is knocked out and someone saves her.

The son of the powerful man in politics is the one that freaked out and tried to hurt Aria and to protect him, the father expels her from the safety of the pods into the death shop.Now she must become one of them, the outsiders, that she has feared her whole life. She must learn to survive. Luckily, a cute guy is there to help her on her journey.

Unfortunately, she ends up having sex with the boy and it makes it seem like it is normal and natural with no consequences whatsoever. She's a teen for heaven's sake-there are always consequences.

So, thumbs down for teens and because the sex is not graphic, thumbs up for adults.

I like the world Rossi has created and look forward to the sequel.

Free Books! Wahoo!

Come join the fun! 
I hope you win all kinds of books today!
You can pick any book you want with a 
$10 Barnes and Noble gift card. 
I'd pick Divergent by Veronica Roth if you don't own it yet. It's my favorite book of 2011, besides my own, of course.(Watched. ebook only .99 cents right now! wow!)
Easy Entry- Do them all in under 1 minute.

1. Follow this blog -mandatory
2. Like my Watched Facebook page here +2 extra
3. Like my Watched Amazon page here  +2 extra
4. Follow my Watched blog  extra +1
5. Join iWriteNetwork +1 extra- an awesome site for authors or would-be-authors
**Leave me a comment here with what entries you did and your email so I can notify you if you win.
This giveaway ends on the 31st, so hurry.

Good luck! Now go enter all the other giveaways

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows - A Review

What I'm reading now  Incarnate
This will be released January 31st, 2012

Cool Cover, right? 

This is a story about a girl, Ana, who is somehow born outside the million souls that have always been reborn. Her mother calls her a nosoul while others call her a new soul. When she is born one soul that had been a part of the million never returns and it starts a sort of panic as to whether or not other oldsouls will also never return, allowing more newsouls to appear.

The book starts with, "I wasn't reborn." Catchy.
Ana is shunned not only but society, but also by her own mother and her father disappears after her birth. Her mother is hostile and unloving to the end.

After coming of age, she leaves her home and stumbles upon a boy who is an oldsoul and he tries to make her life better. There are some interesting twist and turns with acid spewing dragons and other creatures.

 I had a hard time with this book, not because it wasn't written well, it was. I just didn't like the story. I had to force myself to read it. It just isn't my thing.

Besides being well-written, this is totally unique. I've never seen anything like it. If you like science fiction/fantasy YA and something totally new, this is for you.

Here's the blurb:

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Get to know Jodi better and buy Incarnate here.

Garlicky Parmesan Pasta and Steak

The Eats 

Wish I had a pic.

This is a fantastic, quick meal for any night. I like to serve fresh green beans and broccoli on the same plate to round off the meal. Simply delicious. 

First- Cook 1 lb. spaghetti as per instructions on package. Keep 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain.

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees
2. Melt 2 Tbl butter in heavy, oven-proof pan over medium heat
3. Stir in 1 cup grated bread crumbs. Cook until lightly browned..
4. Put into a bowl. Add 1/2 C. grated Parmesan and pepper to taste.

Second

1. Sprinkle 2 (1 inch) strip steaks (or your favorite cut) with pepper
2. Heat 3 Tbl oil in oven-proof skillet. (Medium heat)
3. Stir in 3 minced cloves of garlic and 3 thinly sliced green onions. Cook 1 minute.
4. Toss into bread crumb mixture.

Third

1. Raise heat to high and sear steaks in that same skillet for about 3 minutes on each side.
2. Sprinkle each steak with 2 Tbl of the crumb mixture and put into the oven for 5 more minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.
3. Pour drained spaghetti into the bread crumb mixture and toss. If it seems too dry, add some of the pasta water.

Enjoy.

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand - A Review

Go learn about some awesome new authors here. You could win their books.

What I'm reading now Hallowed

Release date January 17th, 2012. Preorder yours today.

The back blurb:

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn’t prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.
In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

What did I think?

I liked this. Not as much as Unearthly, (I love, love, loved Unearthly-I listened to it) but I liked it, nonetheless. I read an eArc of this book. If you're wondering what that is, it is a book the publisher gives out to reviewers to review the book. I read it on  my Nook-which I love. It's the best. See my review of Unearthly, here.

The story starts with a dream that Clara knows is a type of premonition. An overwhelming sense of sadness accompanies the dream. She sets out to uncover its meaning, and one by one, the clues given expand and become her reality.

I like that Christian comes back into her life in a more meaningful way. I choose him over Tucker. While there is tension between the two, I wish it had been stronger...or maybe different. Maybe I wanted Christian to really fight for her.

I enjoyed the increased tension that accompanied the growing evilness of the Black Wing and the hint at his soft core.

The angel club was a fun addition to the story as well as the twists and turns with her dad and brother. However, I loved her brother in Unearthly and totally dislike him now. What the heck?

I am anxious to find out what will happen in the next book. There are so many possibilites and I hate to have to wait.

College here we come?

You don't want to miss this sequel. It is beautifully written and I love Cynthia Hand's style-smooth and inviitng.

Spicy Black Beans

The eats
There's still time to enter the awesome gift card giveaways here.


Amazing Spicy Black Beans


Put the following ingredients into a large sauce pan:
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 C onion
1 C bell pepper
1 Tbl garlic
1 1/4 tsp. cumin
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp salt
Cook until tender-about four minutes

Stir in 3 C. cooked black beans and cook 1 minute.
Add 1 c. chicken broth and cook on low to medium low for 15 minutes
Add 1/4 tsp. hot pepper sauce.

Pour over 2 c. cooked rice.

Yum!

Over 100 Gift Cards to Win-Easy Entry

It's finally here. 
The giveaway of all giveaways. Everyone on this hop is giving away Gift Cards. Here you can win a
$10 gift card to Amazon! 
Merry Christmas!


Easy Entry- Do them all in under 2 minutes.

1. Follow this blog -mandatory
2. Like my Watched Facebook page here +2 extra
3. Like my Watched Amazon page here  +2 extra
4. Follow my Watched blog  extra +1
**Leave me a comment here with what entries you did and your email so I can notify you if you won.

Good luck! Now go enter all the others

Everneath by Brodi Ashton - A Review

What I'm reading now  Everneath
Amazing cover, right?
.
Here's the blurb from Amazon:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.

What did I thinK?

Brodi Ashton has produced an original, interesting story. This was not a book I devoured and couldn't put down from the moment I picked it up. It was slow and steady read-one to pick up before bed and enjoy. I love the twist on the mythology of the underworld. This story brought me where I didn't know I'd ever go-a world that is foreign and scary. It's fun to discover a new world.

One thing I didn't like was Nikki, the main character. She came into the story weak, which is fine, but I didn't feel she went anywhere. I thought Jack moved, however. What a doll. It was hard for me to buy the love story between them. I needed more and what did come, came too late for me to really care.

Brodi is a very talented author and anyone who enjoys paranormal books with a touch of romance, will love this book.

I can't wait for the sequel. Everneath has a nail-biter ending.

Don't own it? Now's your chance. There's a killer deal on Amazon.  Buy Everneath.


Go visit Brodi on Goodreads

Creamy White Chili

The Eats

Go win as many books as you can in the Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway!  Enter here.

This chili is a definite crowd pleaser-so yummy! By the way, we were supposed to get those crazy high winds today (Sunday) again...so, we'll see if we have power tonight. Boo! Wish us luck-yesterday. We are having this for dinner. I can't wait.

Creamy White Chili

1 lb. cooked chicken in 1/2 inch cubes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tb. Vegetable oil
2 cans (15-1/2 OZ) great northern beans, rinsed and drained.
1 can (14-1/2 OZ) chicken broth
2 cans (4 oz each) chopped green chilies
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 C. (8 OZ) sour cream
1/2 C. heavy whipping cream

In a large saucepan, saute chicken, onion, and garlic powder in oil until chicken is no longer pink. Add the beans, broth, chilies and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in sour cream and cream. Serve immediately.
7 servings

We have crusty garlic bread and fresh spinach on the side. Delicious!

Happy Eating.

Windy City

First, go win some awesome books, here

Well, we made it through the first wind storm (100mph) and are about to
face another that could bring winds up to 75 mph. OUCH! Wish us luck!

Check out some of our damage..oooweee! Pics below.

They cancelled church today and organized a mass clean-up. Everyone met at one house in the neighborhood and moved through it, house by house, until all the debris from the storm was gone. Thank you Davis County for opening the landfill, the burn plant and the sewage treatment plant today (Sunday) for everyone to bring the debris for free. Thank you neighbors for making a job that would have taken us weeks, take only a few hours. Just to give you an idea of how much debris we are talking about, my house alone filled four trailers and we kept our broken fence (18- 8 ft sections) and haven't cut down our pine tree that is 2/3 of the way gone already. That will be another 2 loads alone.

Thank heavens no one got hurt, but about 2400 people in our area still don't have power. It's been 4 full days. Yikes.

Need Some Christmas Presents?

Welcome! It's a party! Come enter to win a bunch of prizes. 

Here you can win a $10 Amazon Gift Certificate- Wahoo!

How to enter (you can get 4 easy entries-Only takes 1 minute for all
1. Follow this blog --mandatory
2. Like my Watched Facebook page here +1 extra
3. Like my Watched Amazon page here  +1 extra
4. Follow my Watched blog  extra +1
**Leave me a comment here with what entries you did and your email so I can notify you if you won.

Now go enter as many as you can. Just think of the Christmas presents you could win! Good Luck.