I Just Don't Want to Know!

This may be a bit of TMI, but I thought you might like a look into vein surgery. I'll start off with this-
It SUCKS!

veins photo: veins veins.jpg
All veins are not created equally
Almost a year ago I went in to get my nice, inherited varicose veins looked at because they'd started bothering me a lot. It used to be that they'd only ache during peak canning season when I stood a ton for long periods of time.

It turned out that my insurance required me to wear compression hose for six months before they would even consider paying for anything. They wouldn't, of course, cover the cost of those hose-a hefty $65 bucks, nor did I have a clue at how nice they would look on. Through the heat of the summer, I wore those babies with pride. *snickers along with everyone else*

Then the doc tells me I have to have a long ultrasound to find which veins were the problems. Happy to oblige, I made the appointment and returned with bells on. Once they got annoying, I took them off, however. I got to wear these ultra cool fake material shorts. Then I got to stand there for a good 45 minutes while the technician gelled and then pushed and pushed that little ultrasound device all up and down my legs.

It was not pretty.

And truth be told, I had to sit several times because all that pushing on my veins made me feel faint and totally sick. It was a terribly long 45 mins. And she found six veins to be the culprits. The insurance would cover the surgeries. Yay!

veins photo: varicose veins 002.jpg
Aren't varicose veins pretty?
I wanted to know how much I would be paying out of pocket for this little venture and they said they'd call me with the figures. Two months passed and I called to find out what the hold up was. Well, he hadn't run the numbers yet and would get back to me. I scheduled the appointment for about 6 months later. Two months before the surgery, I called the dude back and he called me right back with the numbers- I would have to pay 1800 bucks. No joke. Whaaaa?  The surgery was scheduled to take 1 hour and I would have to pay that much? Crazy. How much was insurance paying anyway?

A week before the surgery, I kept waiting for a letter or a call telling me what to expect and the all important question...what should I wear. It never came. I got to wondering if I really was getting the surgery after all. I gave up on waiting for them and called to complain that I hadn't received a letter. I was informed that they don't send out letters and that I was scheduled to get a call tomorrow-the day before the surgery to confirm my appointment.  Whaa? 

This appointment was almost 2 years in the making and they want me to remember everything I was told 2 years prior. Not happening. I have a hard time remembering stuff from 2 days ago let alone 2 years. The lady gave me the scoop and I showed up with my hubby so that he could take me home.

The doc then goes through the procedure with me-like a dry run-and then surprisingly, he whips out the ultrasound and starts showing me all the veins he's going to cauterize from the inside of my veins. Yeah, not what I wanted to see or hear about.

So, I take my defensive posture and start talking like crazy. I even started talking to the cute little girl that appeared to be completely out of place, not knowing what to do. What do I ask her? What kind of school did she have to go to in order to get such a fascinating job. She says, "I didn't." Whaaaa? I try again. "So you finished high school and then..." She answers, eyes flicking to the floor and the doc. "I didn't go to medical assisting school." Then the doc says, "She's getting on the job training." 

veins photo: Veins TreeFace.jpg
This is how I felt during this conversation
I bet I was her first. No kidding.

Then the doc says the magic words to her. "Do you have the checklist?"


"What checklist?"

"Didn't so and so give you a checklist?"

"No."

"Go get the checklist from her, would ya?"

I could see he was bit upset with that little revelation.

A minute later, both girls enter the room. "Don't you have a checklist for her?" he asks the new girl.

"No. I never got around to it after what happened, happened."

Uh, what happened?

"Well, it's not really fair to send her in here with no idea what to do."

Seriously, they are having this conversation in front of me. 

Luckily, I guess, the 2nd girl stayed and helped.

The doc put his music on his player and I put my headphone in one ear to listen to a book. That's when I realize I will be sitting up with a full view of the surgery. I'm strong. I can take this. I can do it. No problem. Until, he brings out the long shots and the long thin catheters-skinny metal rods--and explains to me what he is going to do with those things. I want to turn my ears off, but it's not possible. The antiseptic is rubbed all over my exposed leg and then he covers the area all around it with lots of surgery material that left only my leg exposed.

He rambles on about how he's going to numb the area of the insertion and then and then. I'm sick. Totally, my head is spinning, Unearthy is blasting in one ear and his music and voice are filling the other. I get hot. I feel nauseous. I text my hubby in the lobby to get me some hard candy to suck on ASAP. I didn't even care if he bought it at the way over-priced pharmacy. Just get it and get her fast. To his credit, he did.

The young girl picked up on my distress and asked if I was okay. Score!  Uh, I think I might faint or get sick. 

This is where I thought I should be
the surgery
"Oh, that's normal for some people," the doc says. "When we start prodding and poking around veins, it makes some of us sick." He then addressed the young girl, "Get her a cold compress, that usually does the trick."  And while it did help, I still was right on the edge. And you won't believe it, when my hubby arrived, he came without hard candy. Close, but not quite. Skittles, chewy gobstoppers and mentos. I took a Gobstopper and the ultra sweet taste almost sent me over the edge. While the doc and the helper were getting a new catheter because the other one "would never fit in my tiny vein and it had to bend over a curve", I tossed the round candy back to my husband and I focused all my strength on tuning everything out except my tapping fingers.

I worried that the tapping might bother the doc, but it was either that throw up all over the sanitized surgical area. So, I tapped away, counting each tap. Once I got to 100, I started over. I couldn't concentrate enough to count how many 100's I tapped out, but it was a lot. And did I mention the doc no longer sang along to the songs or told me what was going on once the tapping started? Yeah, I think it bugged him...

The good news? Two hours after I arrived, I had two veins done. Yep. Only 2. I have to go back. No joke. 

I'll be prepared with some Ricolas and bottled water and make sure to tell him I just don't want to know.

Oh, and did I tell you that I have to wear those hideous hose with some other wraps for 2 full weeks. Yep. Pretty and lucky me.


Did you know Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips is now available as a complete ebook?

By Friday, it will also be available in print.

eBook- Kindle  Nook


Print-coming soon

What's the worst doc experience you've ever had?

The Bard's Gift by Meredith Mansfield and a Giveaway

Meredith Mansfield is commandeering my blog today to shout out about her fun new book, The Bard's Gift. 
And hop down to the bottom of the post to enter to win cool stuff!

Where do story ideas come from? Many of the seeds of my stories go so far back that I can't put a finger on just how they started. THE BARD'S GIFT is not one of those stories. I can trace its development very clearly. Here's how it happened.

Back in February of 2010, a writing challenge was issued on one of the writers' forums to which I belong (Hatrack River Writers' Workshop). This isn't uncommon. We have several challenges a year. I've only entered a few because they're almost all for short fiction--often very short--and, well, I don't write short well. The last thing I started that was intended to be a short story or maybe a novella is now almost 90,000 words long. However, if an idea comes to me, I will give one of these challenges a try, mostly just to stretch myself.

Some of these challenges have a trigger or writing prompt. The trigger for this one was "Slave to the flame" and I came up with a story about the first dragon to learn to breathe fire, initially titled "First Flame." It was written as a fable.
My story didn't do very well in the challenge, partly because I killed off the main character (a dragon). There was nothing else I could do in the word-count allowed for the challenge (3,000 words). The voters also didn't think he was really a slave to the flame.
Freed from the constraints of the challenge, I added some more to the ending which allowed the main character to survive, although badly wounded. But, it was still a fable. So, I created a framing story, about a girl with the gift of telling the exactly right story at the exactly right time. I put her in a desperate situation and let her tell the fable. This version was 5,000 words long, 4,600 of which was the fable.
But, it left me with a lot of questions. How had the girl come by this ability? How had they gotten into this desperate situation? And, of course, what would happen next?

Some of the things in that framing story made me think it was meant to be in a Norse setting, but not in the Norse homeland. So, I did some research and eventually, in 2012, I wrote it as a young adult novel. That original story is still there. It makes up Chapter 36. Here's a taste:

Excerpt:

Astrid drew a deep breath. "Some dragons can breathe fire. Did you know that? They couldn't always breathe fire, though. And while some dragons, like Fafnir, are known to be smart, they weren't at one time.

"It all goes back to the time of Wyreth the Wise. Now Wyreth was small for a dragon. He could do well enough on his own, but he only survived the dragons' mating season because he was quick and because he was smarter than the other dragons. And maybe because he was stubborn, too.

"When there were many dragons together he was always last for everything. Dragon society is built entirely on who can bully everybody else. If you're bigger or stronger than the others, you eat first, you get the best and sunniest sleeping spots, and, if you're a male, you get most of the females come mating season." She stole a quick look at Torolf under her lashes, here. "Wyreth was the smallest dragon. So he always ate last, had the worst and coldest sleeping spot, and none of the females even looked at him."

"Whenever Wyreth killed a deer or a pig--cattle were entirely too big for him--one of the other dragons swooped in and stole it from him. The worst offender was Zilthss, Wyreth's egg brother and the bane of his existence. Zilthss was big and strong, more than strong enough to kill his own prey, but he preferred stealing Wyreth's whenever he could.

Because he was big and well-fed, Zilthss slept in one of the best spots and his scales were a beautiful burnished copper. All the females turned their heads when Zilthss flew by, even out of mating season. Wyreth's scales were an unremarkable dull metallic red."

Several of the children stole a glance at the shiny red scales behind Astrid.

"Because he was quick and smart, Wyreth usually dragged his kill into the dense brush, where the other dragons wouldn't easily fit and gulped down as much as he could before they powered their way through to steal his meat. Bolting his food like that gave Wyreth indigestion, but it was better than starving.

"Now, at the time of this story, Wyreth had had a particularly bad week. Mating season was about to begin and the male dragons were more than usually belligerent. Zilthss had trailed Wyreth around like a hound on a scent and stolen everything he killed--even the pitiful little rabbit--before Wyreth could get so much as a bite.

"After losing the rabbit, Wyreth flapped off feeling sorry for himself. He had learned long ago that if he flew up the steep slopes of the cone-shaped mountain, the others wouldn't follow him. There was nothing of interest there, certainly no game to hunt.

These dragons were creatures of mountain forests and no trees grew on the glassy slopes of that mountain, but at the top there was a round, rocky valley where the stones themselves were warm, even at night. Since Wyreth couldn't get any of the warm, sunny sleeping spots in the rookery, he'd taken to coming up here. The sun was strong, but the heat from the ground was stronger still and comforting.

"That is, it was usually comforting, but not today, because Wyreth's stomach was so empty. Even the warm rocks and the sun on his spread-out wings couldn't ease Wyreth to sleep when his stomach growled so loudly. In desperation, Wyreth chewed on the yellow rocks. The yellow ones were much softer than the shiny black ones; a dragon could break his teeth on those. Some pieces of the yellow rock were small enough to swallow. Not exactly nourishing, but at least it filled up that hollow feeling inside for a while, though Wyreth suspected that they would be the very devil to pass. Well, that was tomorrow's problem. Wyreth stretched himself out on the heated rocks and slept.

"He woke with a mighty belch. That wasn't unusual for Wyreth. What was unusual was the gout of blue flame that leapt from his mouth along with the burp. Wyreth back-winged in surprise."

Several of the older boys laughed at this. The younger ones giggled uncertainly. The oldest boy essayed a burp of his own and that sent the little ones into gales of laughter. Astrid glanced up from the children. Several of the men had looked over at the sound of laughter. Torolf was watching her. Astrid smiled and went on with her story.

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Finding Romance this Valentine's Day Sale

To celebrate Valentine's Day we've put together an amazing $.99 sale of clean romance books. Here's the catchy title: Finding Romance this Valentine's Day. But I think we should just call it: Awesome books for $.99. Please scroll through the list, each has a short description and buy link, they're all fabulous.
Hope you have a fun Valentine's Day!
$.99 price effective 2/10/14 through 2/14/14


Click here to purchase
VL. Virgin Lips. You may not have heard of it, but where I live, it's a thing with a card, even if it is a figurative card. I was Brooklyn Hamlin, certified virgin lips, and I planned on clinging to that figurative card with all I had--while dating as many of the hottest guys at school as I could.
Maybe that's a bit strange. I mean, what teenage girl isn't interested in kissing? Locking lips definitely interested me, but the drama that came with it didn't. No kissing, no drama. Simple.
But on my sixteenth birthday, on my first real date even, the drama found me. His name was Luke Graham--cute, funny, and bad news for the whole female race.

This Very Moment by Rachel Ann Nunes - Click here to purchase
Bill Dubrey is a sought-after plastic surgeon for LA’s prestigious and wealthy, and an equally sought-after bachelor. On the surface it appears he has it all—money, respect, and fame. Yet behind his aloof exterior lurks a tragic past that prevents him from finding lasting happiness.
All that changes on the day Kylee Stewart reenters his life. She alone knows Bill’s secret agony, and she is determined to help him face his past. During the years they’ve been apart, Kylee’s own life has been far from easy, but unlike Bill, she has turned to God in her need, finding a faith to which she desperately clings.
The tentative friendship they begin has Bill rethinking his stark future, yet he keeps his heart in check—afraid to commit, afraid to lose again. During Kylee’s darkest moment, when she needs him most, will he be there for her?

Tomorrow and Always by Rachel Ann Nunes
Click here to purchase
Anyone would think that Karissa and Malcolm have the perfect life. Young and successful, they've built their dream home on beautiful Kodiak Island in Alaska. But behind closed doors it's a much different story. Unable to have children and inactive in their religion, Karissa and Malcolm's marriage is beginning to fall apart. 
When Jesse and Brionney Hergarter move to Kodiak, Karissa senses a kindred spirit. With Brionney's friendship and support, Karissa feels a growing desire to return to activity at church. But this means confessing the one sin that has haunted her for years—the one sin that could drive Malcolm away forever.

A Portrait for Toni by Annette Lyon - Click here to purchase
Toni has no idea what she’d do without her best friend, Carter. Who else would she be able to vent to about her parents, her job at the dance studio, or her latest relationship woes? When Toni’s father lands in the hospital, Carter, as always, is there for her. 
That is, until he starts questioning Toni, saying he thinks she has an eating disorder. Then she starts dating Clint, the hot new guy at the studio, and somehow that puts a deeper wedge between her and Carter. When she’s hospitalized after an on-stage collapse, and Carter stupidly starts in with advice about food and weight, she sends him away—then instantly regrets it. 
One night after a performance, Toni tries to mend the hurt between them. Instead of finding Carter, she stumbles onto proof that he has feelings for her that go way beyond those of a friend. Toni is left with the very real prospect of losing Carter forever, unless somehow she can return his feelings—but that’s impossible. Isn’t it?

A New Dance by Lucy McConnell
Click here to purchase
For most people, letting go of a "what if" can be difficult - for Kiley Roberts it's almost impossible. As her final semester of college begins, a past relationship prevents her from fully opening her heart to Brandon, her almost fiance. When TJ unexpectedly drops back into her life as an assigned dance partner, Kiley's sure that it's a sign. Only she's not sure if it means she should put their past behind her or try for a future with the man with the broken heart.


Spy Noon by Jordan McCollum
Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble and JordanMcCollum.com!
Canada's the last place you'd expect to find an American spy, but CIA operative Talia Reynolds has problems piling up higher than a Canadian snowbank. When Elliott Monteith, her ridiculously handsome new coworker, shows up, Talia decides it's game on. She'll be the first to track down a dangerous counter-spy, and she'll give Elliott an unforgettable souvenir of his time in Ottawa: some humble pie.
Her plans don't work as well as she expects, though. Elliott's over-the-top flirting dredges up too many painful memories for Talia and undermines the confidence she's worked hard to regain. To do her job and keep her integrity intact, she'll have to keep her personal feelings at bay. Now Talia must find a way to work alongside Elliott—and maybe even trust him—to outsmart the enemy

Snowed Inn by Heather Horrocks - Click here to purchase
Mystery buff Vicki Butler plans to kill someone this weekend. Nothing personal, just business.
The killer grand opening weekend at her new Who-Dun-Him Inn is all fun and games---until an unplanned dead body makes an appearance.
With a murderer running loose, young widowed mom Vicki is forced to keep her family, guests, and actors safe while searching for clues. Her author guests, also the prime suspects, try their hand at solving this real-life whodunit, in the process hindering the investigation by local law enforcement officers. Things really go downhill when her twin Liz shows up, trailed by flamboyant Grandma Ross, who announces she’s seeking a boy toy among the suspects. When both a local younger man and an out-of-town newshound start sniffing around the inn---and her---Vicki realizes she's got more than just a murderer to worry about. Can she solve the mystery before the killer strikes again? Or will this case of opening-night jitters prove to be terminal?

Bah, Humbug! by Heather Horrocks - Click here for a free copy
 Lexi Anderson is an up-and-coming, Martha Stewart-type TV hostess whose two kids love the Jared Strong adventure novels, which happen to be written by their new neighbor, Kyle Miller. For the first time in his writing career, Kyle has writer’s block--until he sees the snowman on his lawn and realizes it’s the perfect solution to his plot problem. He digs in and discovers two things: one, his villain’s weapon will fit inside a snowman's body, and two, this particular snowman was supposed to be the backdrop for Lexi’s next show. From this improbable beginning comes friendship, but can there be a happy ending for a woman who is afraid to get close again and a man who has shadows from his childhood? Families join together and hearts are healed as this couple goes walking in a winter wonderland.


The Princess Problem by Diane Darcy - Click here to purchase
In real life, she's given up on the fairy tale ending...
After having her heart broken twice, Alicia Dayne has sworn off men, decided to concentrate on her career, and is delighted to win a lucrative contract to make a commercial for Highborn Mattresses.
She could make the most awesome fairy tale commercial ever--except for Jonas Highborn, who isn't exactly thrilled with her Princess and the Pea ideas, and really doesn't want a prince in tights representing his company.
Though he's trying to keep his grieving mother happy by letting her have charge of the commercial shoot, and though Alicia's trying to keep in mind that this annoying guy is her boss for the moment, they can't seem to keep from clashing.
Throw in an overly-handsome prince, a matchmaking mama, and a stunning rose garden, and maybe, just maybe, Alicia can be convinced they have a chance at something real.
Because while she might not be a real princess, sometimes an ordinary girl's got to take a chance, even when it seems too good to be true.
When did Happily Ever After become so complicated?

Steal His Heart by Diane Darcy - Click here to purchase
What if keeping your job depended on keeping a secret? 
Daisy Manning has been testing security by shoplifting in Worthingtons Department store for five months. Not once in that entire time has she been caught by security personnel. Until today.
Kent Whitaker is disgusted by the beautiful thief he’s caught red-handed, and even more disgusted by his attraction to her. While he won’t allow himself to become romantically involved with a thief, he can certainly help out a friend by curing his daughter of bad habits. 
They both fight their growing attraction, Kent because dishonesty is the one trait he cannot tolerate, and Daisy because Kent is directly interfering with her long-range career goals. 
But when an unskilled matchmaker tries his hand at getting them together, the unexpected happens to them both as Kent gets distracted and Daisy steals his heart! 

Gifts and Consequences by Daniel Coleman
Click here to purchase

Jonathan decides to honor the wish of his dying wife – that he give away his fortune – but his methods are dangerously unconventional. He takes extreme measures to witness human struggle and watch the discovery of hidden strength. But when Jonathan goes too far, he faces consequences of his own.




The Colony by Cami Checketts - Click here to purchase
To protect her sons from the mistakes of her past, Brinlee Trapper escapes to a secluded mountain home. But there are dangers lurking in the mountains she has never encountered. The little family is saved from injury by Jed, a mysterious hunter. Brinlee is drawn to him, but she worries about his involvement with a peaceful commune hidden deep in the mountains behind her property.
Lance, Brinlee's attentive neighbor, has his own troubled history. Between his obvious attraction to Brinlee and his developing love for her children, Brinlee finds it more than difficult to guard her heart against this tender intrusion.
While Jed offers a life of excitement and freedom, Lance holds the key to the family Brinlee always wanted. When it comes time to choose, she learns that both men have secrets that could shatter her fledgling trust in men and the wrong decision could leave more than her heart exposed to danger.

Blog This by Cami Checketts - Click here to purchase
Will protecting children throughout the world cost Natasha her own family?
Devastated by the loss of her brother, Natasha Senecot works to expose the dangers of Matthew Chrysler's violent video games, succeeding in bankrupting and humiliating him.
Chrysler retaliates and sends a hit man after her. Natasha is forced to fake her own death to protect her children, but after witnessing another tragedy, Natasha won't hide any longer.
In a race against time, can Natasha expose Matthew Chrysler before his assassin murders her family and shatters her world?

All Fall Down by Julie Coulter Bellon - Click here to purchase
Ring around the rosy, a pocket full of posies, ashes, ashes we all fall down . . .
That simple rhyme turns negotiator Claire Michaels’ current hostage situation into an international incident. Claire just wants to help get everyone out safely, but as the crisis escalates she realizes she’s dealing with an al-Qaeda operative who has the means to become another bin Laden---with the potential to attack America. Claire has her own personal reasons for wanting to stop al-Qaeda, but time is slipping away as negotiations break down. Can she overcome her scars of the past in order to get the hostage out alive and possibly stop an assault on U.S. national security? 
Navy SEAL Rafe Kelly is on leave to recover from a knee injury he suffered during his tour in Afghanistan and he doesn’t expect to be fighting terrorists on his home turf. But when he is taken hostage and his brother is kidnapped, Rafe teams up with a hostage negotiator in order to stay alive and get his brother back. The terrorist is always one step ahead of them, however, and the situation quickly turns from desperate to deadly. Will Rafe be able to save himself and his country without anyone he loves getting caught in the crossfire?

The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson - Click here to purchase
Luke Carney has no idea what possessed him to move back to Shelter Springs, Colorado, to set up his veterinarian practice. His parents had long since left, the small farming community is on the brink of extinction, and only one close friend from his childhood remains--Taycee Emerson, his best friend's little sister, who isn't so little anymore. Then there's the matter of Shelter's Bachelorette, an online reality dating show created to raise some much needed funds for the town. 
Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town's charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out. Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it's up to the viewers--not her--to decide which bachelors stay or go. Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke's good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. Unfortunately, Luke's an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she's up to, it means revenge.

Fair Catch by Cindy Roland Anderson - Click here to purchase
Ellie Garrett never planned on being a divorced, single mother—she also never planned to get married again. Ever. Her ordinary life changes when the house across the street is sold. The new owner is Nick Coulter—quarterback and MVP for the Sacramento Defenders. Oh yeah, he’s also one of People magazine’s top 100 most beautiful people and America’s most eligible bachelor. So why would she pick him to have her first crush on since her divorce? 
 Recently retired from the NFL, Nick is more than ready to find a wife and start a family. He's tired of his high-profile lifestyle and moves to Pleasant Wood, Colorado, hoping to finally settle down and focus on his foundation Kids Come First. It would just feel nice to be a normal guy. Of course being rebuffed by Ellie the first few times he meets her makes him feel a little too normal. 
As Nick and Ellie become acquainted, their mutual attraction is hard to ignore. But Ellie’s been hurt before by her womanizing ex-husband. She’s not sure that Nick has left behind his playboy reputation. Can she risk falling in love with the celebrity football player or will she miss her chance at scoring big in the game of love?




Happy Valentine's Day! Spoil Yourself with Books



Take this chance to snag some awesome books by 11 Dauntless authors 
for only .99 cents! 
(Enter to win one of 2 $25 gift cards at the bottom of the post)

Happy Valentines Day!
All books only .99 cents until Feb. 13th! Don't wait.


Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips by Cindy M. Hogan

Originally $3.99  Now only .99 cents
Because it really is all about the kiss!
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Winter Queen by Amber Argyle
Originally $4.99. Now only .99 cents

Becoming a winter queen will make Ilyenna as cold and cruel and deadly as winter itself, but it might be the only way to save her people from a war they have no hope of winning.
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#3. The Curse Girl by Kate Avery Ellison
Bee has to break the curse if she wants to escape her magical prison. And she's going to have to team up with the handsome and infuriating Will to do it.
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#4. Shucked by Megg Jensen 


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Tabitha thinks there's nothing worse than being forced to live on her grandparents' farm and attend public school. She's dead wrong.

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#5. Awakening: Book One of The Geis by Christy Dorrity 

Sale Price $.99 Originally $3.99

 Because some Celtic stories won't be contained in myth.
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#6. With a Kiss by Stephanie Fowers

Free
FREE book from Twisted Tales series. 

Halley Starr will do anything to get her heart back, even work with the dirty faery who stole it from her.

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#7. Immortal Essence boxed set by RaShelle Workman

Sale Price $.99 Originally $3.99
Worlds divided them. Chance brought them together. Only love will save them. 
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#8. Eternal Echoes by Angela Corbett


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 Love can't protect her from her past.


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#9. The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard
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#10. Inevitable by Tamara Hart Heiner

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The next murder Jayne witnesses might be her own.
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#11 Sun and Moon by Lee Strauss

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 "The difference between you and I, is like the sun and the moon."

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Text Me-8 Novels of First Love Valentine's Day Style

Meet the authors and books included in this awesome set of 
8 Novels of First Love.
Just in time for Valentines Day!

Only .99 cents for a limited time.

If you bought each book separately, you would pay over $20.00.


Confessions of a 16-Year-Old Virgin Lips 
by Cindy M. Hogan
Stalk Cindy in all these places: Newsletter  Blog  Twitter  Facebook









Where did you get the idea for this book? 
Right before my daughter went to college, we were feeling a bit nostalgic about her high school years and we started talking about all her first kisses. It was fascinating and I thought her story would make a great book. And it really did!
Cindy M. Hogan 
Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
I'd have to say I love Ali. She's the sassy best friend we all need.
What is something about yourself that others might not know? 
I've spoken German to my children since they were born. It's fun to have a bilingual family. And my husband doesn't  know it so it's like I have a secret language with my daughters.
Do you wear socks to bed? 
Definitely in the winter. I'm cold-blooded for sure. Only occasionally in the summer.



The Curse Girl by Kate Avery Ellison

Where did you get the idea for this book? - I got the first sliver of an idea when the power had gone out one night and my husband and I were eating pizza by candlelight. The whole house was dark and flickering with firelight, and I'd put a mirror under some of the candles to better reflect the light, and I had this idea of a girl all alone in a huge, dark ballroom with walls of mirrors, holding a candle.

Kate Avery Ellison
What was the hardest thing about writing this book? - Finishing it. I love to start projects and I hate finishing them. The ending is always the most difficult part.
Do you wear socks to bed? - In the winter, yes. I particularly like stealing my husband's warm wooly ones.
What is something about yourself that others might not know? - I have a lot of reoccurring dreams. In one of my most common ones, I've just purchased a new house only to discover that it has an entire extra wing hidden away in a basement or through a secret door, and it's haunted.


Winging it! by Shel Delisle
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Who is your favorite character in your book?
 While Grace, the main character, is near and dear to my heart, Aisha, the angel assigned as Grace's guardian, is my favorite character.  Aisha is kind and spunky. Plus, She provides just the right amount of antagonism to offset Grace's bravado. 
 Where did you get the idea for this book?
 The main character Grace just showed up one day and she wouldn't leave me alone until I started putting words on paper. Still, there are times I wonder if episodes of "The Flying Nun" from my childhood stayed buried deep in my sub-conscious and if this book is just a more modern version of those characters.
Shel Delisle
 Do you wear socks to bed?
 I rarely wear socks during the day! :) Living in Florida, I almost always wear sandals.
That said, when the temperature drops here I've been known to keep my toes bundled up.   
 What is something about yourself that others might not know?
 I can inflate a pair of jeans while treading water and make it into a life preserver. Fortunately, that's one life skill I haven't ever used! 


Like Clockwork by Elle Strauss

Where did you get the idea for this book?
Like Clockwork is a companion book to Clockwise. Clockwise takes place on the east coast and the main character travels back in time to the civil war era. I wanted to write a story from a character living on the west coast and the most interesting historical time for me in that locale was 1950s Hollywood. Thus, Adeline was created!
What was the hardest thing about writing this book?
Lee Strauss
It wasn't exactly hard, but it took work to research the details of the school and neighborhood. I'd been to Hollywood a few years before writing Like Clockwork, but didn't know I was going to write a book based there at that time. Google Earth was a life saver!
Do you wear socks to bed?
Yes.

What is something about yourself that others might not know?
My very first book was published in 2000 in Germany, in German. I don't speak German.

Surfacing by Shana Norris

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

I think that would be Josh Canavan. He's been through a lot in his young life and he's built up a tough exterior, but then his vulnerability comes out at times too. And when he cares about someone, he becomes extremely loyal to them.

Where did you get the idea for this book?
Shana Norris

The idea came from my love of the Outer Banks along North Carolina's coast. Swans Landing was based on the island of Ocracoke, which you have to take a ferry to get to. The small island has so much history and I thought it was the perfect place for a race of mermaid people to live unnoticed by the rest of the world.
What was the hardest thing about writing this book?
Figuring out all the secrets everyone was hiding. Some of them I knew early on, but others I didn't figure out what was really underneath their actions until later on.
Do you wear socks to bed?
No, they would annoy me too much! My feet get too hot while I sleep.


Stirring Up Trouble by Juli Alexander

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
My fave is Zoe because she is smart, ambitious, and nice. She's also a witch but more than anything, she's a typical teen. She has lots of self doubt and a crush on her friend's boyfriend.
Where did you get the idea for this book? 
I started thinking about potions and magic. I thought it would be cool to have some side effects or punishment for performing magic. So I decided that witches get punished if they perform selfish spells. That's why witches in history have green skin, ugly noses, etc. They've been using their magic selfishly.

Juli Alexander
What was the hardest thing about writing this book? 
I had a blast writing this book. The hardest part was making sure that Zoe didn't put up with too much from Jake even though she had a crush. I didn't want her to be a wimp.
Do you wear socks to bed?
No. In fact, I stick my feet out from the covers. I'm weird that way.
If you could change the color of one thing in the world, what would it be and why?
I'd change the color of ugly buildings to something bright and pretty.


Codename: Dancer by Amanda Brice
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What is something about yourself that others might not know? 
If they follow me on twitter, they know everything. Hmmm. I always wanted to write, but never had a story to tell. It was after law school when I finally took a chance on my writing. I'm so glad that I did!
Who is your favorite character in your book and why?
 You'd think it would be Dani Spevak, the heroine, but you'd be wrong. Don't get me wrong -- I do love Dani (or I wouldn't have written her!), but I have a soft spot for her best friend Maya Sapp. Maya is gutsy, outgoing, and really speaks her mind. She's a lot of fun to write and one day maybe I'll give her her own book. 
Amanda Brice
Where did you get the idea for this book?Growing up I was a dancer. It was my life for about 30 hours a week. But other than non-fiction about the great ballets, there weren't any books for teens about dance. All the fiction was for toddlers and young elementary students. I'd always loved mysteries, so I decided to write the book I would have wanted to read when I was a teen.
What was the hardest thing about writing this book?Plotting, which is weird since I'm a plotter!  I'm one of those writers who CANNOT write from the seat of my pants. Everything must be plotted out -- in full detail -- before I can sit down to write. I know some writers say that takes the fun out of it for them, but if I'm presented with a blank canvas I tense up and panic. But because I require a full, detailed outline in order to write, that requires a LOT of prep work. I love coming up with premises and I love writing, but getting all the details right is hard -- and yet so necessary in a mystery!


Through the EYES of a Geek by Kat Brookes
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Who is your favorite character in your book?
Ryan - the 'angelboy' - because despite the emotionally painful life he'd had growing up, he's still got goodness inside him.  And I love his snarky sense of humor.
Where did you get the idea for this book?  My oldest daughter is special needs and there were a few occasions where she was 'bullied' in school.  I wondered how those bullies might feel if they were in her shoes.  Instead, I decided to write about life Through the Eyes of a Geek, hoping that if even one bully changes for the better from reading this story I've succeeded.
Kat Brookes
What was the hardest thing about writing this book?   The scene at the end when Ryan goes to his parents' house.  Other than that, the book was fun to write.
Do you wear socks to bed?  Nope.
If you could change the color of anything what would it be and why?   My eyes.  Mine are hazel.   Boring.  Blah.  I'd love to have blue eyes.


What do you love about YA/teen books?