Accomplishments & Titles

Growing up I thought I would be a teacher, an artist, or maybe an engineer like my father.  I had friends who were writers, but I never figured that as a career for me.  I love books, and have loved reading since I was a child, but I was never big on writing stories of my own.

At 34, I still don't think I will have a career as an author, but I do believe I have become a writer.  I have been published in VOYA magazine and in an academic journal.  I am a featured writer on Public Libraries Online.  And almost anytime I get a chance to write for something I jump at it.  I love to write papers for class, and I guess I just really do enjoy writing.  Hopefully I will continue to have opportunities to be published, and I can continue to write online as well.  My husband knows for sure that I have a lot to say, so writing gives me a way to keep on saying it without talking his ear off lol.

Another title that I can claim, that I'd have never thought of when I was younger, is runner.  I am not the fastest runner, nor the most consistent, but I am a runner.  My New Year's resolution was to run a 5k this year (without stopping), and I already accomplished that back in April, now I am focusing on running faster.  My next goal is to do a 5k at a pace of a 14 minute mile (which is really slow), but once I hit that goal I can move to another one.  Every time I get down on myself for being slow, I remember that there was a time a few years ago when I couldn't have even run a mile outside, let alone 3+ miles.  I just need to keep my head down and keep going.

My first giveaway & a quiz!

 “Which Starlight Saga Character Would YOU Most Likely Be?”

Today bestselling author, Sherry Soule has some exciting news to share with us! She will be publishing a brand new upper YA / Sci-Fi romance series: the “Starlight Saga” with scorching-hot character chemistry, exciting suspense, and epic romance on June 26, 2014.

To help promote this interstellar love story, “LOST IN STARLIGHT” Sherry is doing this promo to share the news with fellow booklovers.

This giveaway is open internationally! So let’s tell the blogging world!

Take this quiz to see which character in the Starlight Saga you’d most likely be similar to, and score a $10 Amazon gift card!

Answer this quiz, and then post your results in the comments. Be sure to check the bottom of the post for the details regarding this random giveaway.

1.   We detest using labels, but what would others call you?

a)   Amateur Fashionista

b)   Jock/ Cheerleader

c)    Goth or Emo inspired

d)   Preppy/ Student Counsel

2.   Which of the following best describes your personality?

a)   Lighthearted, Diverse, Honest

b)   Stuck-up, Conceited, Cocky

c)    Independent, Witty, Strange

d)   Quiet, Temperamental, Clever

3.   Which genre do you read most often?

a)   Paranormal Romance

b)   Urban Fantasy

c)    Horror / Darker YA

d)   Science Fiction

4.   You are at school and witness a student bullying someone. What do you do?

a)   Run in the opposite direction before they pick on you

b)   Laugh and join in on the fun

c)    Go tell a teacher what’s going on

d)   Stop and tell the bully to knock it off or else!

5.   What type of pet would you like to have or do you own?

a)   Snake

b)   Dog

c)    Cat

d)   Hamster

6.   How often do you shop or hit the mall?

a)   Once or twice a month

b)   Only on sale days

c)    Every week—duh

d)   Hardly ever

7.   Where would you hang out on a free afternoon?

a)   The library or bookstore

b)   Hit the clothing stores with friends

c)    Go to the movies

d)   Play video games

If you answered...

Mostly a's: You and Viola are a lot alike! You both love to read, prefer to avoid confrontations, and you’re energetic and sassy.

Mostly b's: Popular girls, Emma and Kaitlyn could be your new besties! You each enjoy sports, hanging at the mall, and dogs.

Mostly c's: You are a lot like the heroine, Sloane. You both love to shop, hang at the movies, adore cats, and like the darker side of books and films.

Mostly d's: Sounds like you and Hayden have a lot in common. You each love to play video games, can’t stand bullies, and are into science fiction books, comics, or movies.

Random winner will be picked on June 27^th 2014. Please check back on that day to find out if you’re the lucky winner. Your gift card will be delivered via email. All prizes will be electronically delivered. Please review all terms & conditions before entering.  

Mandatory giveaway details:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

That's it! Good luck!

Please mark your calendars to buy your copy of LOST IN STARLIGHT on June 26^th 2014!

Read the first five chapters for free on wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/story/14214838-lost-in-starlight-syfy-romance

VOLUME ONE: Starlight Saga

High school reporter Sloane Masterson knows she has one helluva story when she witnesses hottie Hayden Lancaster bending forks with his mind.

Like any good journalist, Sloane sets out to uncover the truth, even if it includes a little stalking. When the superhuman feats start to pile up and the undeniable heat rises between them, Hayden has no choice but to reveal his secret: he’s an alien hybrid.

They’re as different as night and day—she’s a curvy, purple-haired, horror junkie and he’s a smoking hot, antisocial, brainiac—yet the intense fascination between them refuses to go away. Even at Hayden’s insistence that dating each other is “off limits” and crazy dangerous, their fiery attraction threatens to go supernova.

Now Sloane’s dealing with creepy government agents, über snobby extraterrestrials, and a psycho alien ex-girlfriend out for revenge. After a crash course on the rules of interstellar dating, Sloane must decide if their star-crossed romance is worth risking her own life....

Places you can cyberstalk Sherry Soule:

Official Blog: http://www.sherrysoule.blogspot.com/

Twitter @SherrySoule: http://twitter.com/SherrySoule

Please add LOST IN STARLIGHT to your TBR on goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20707942-lost-to-starlight

The awesome book cover was designed by the talented, Kristen Thompson-Oh of KCT Designs at www.kctdesigns.com

Band of Brothers

I am a bit behind the times when it comes to watching the HBO mini-series Band of Brothers.  I will admit, I was a little turned off by Saving Private Ryan, so when this mini-series came out I wasn't really interested.  Recently, Amazon Prime acquired the rights to show many HBO shows and my husband and I decided to start watching this series on Memorial Day.

My husband had seen the series before, but not for over a decade.  I went in knowing it was about WWII, but that was the extent of my knowledge on the series.  Initially, I did think the first episode was a little slow, but by the end of episode two I was hooked.  My husband and I watched all ten episodes of the series this past week.  I am very proud to say that I didn't cry until the very last episode, although my husband thought I was going to crack much sooner.  I caught him looking at me to see if I was tearing up or not.

I was seriously impressed by the series.  I really invested in the characters and wanted to know what happened to them after the war.  I wish I had watched the series earlier, because I want to be able to talk to my grandfather about it and about how it compares to what he went through in WWII, but he died back in 2011.  I kind of wish I could go back and watch the series over again for the first time, but I know I won't ever be able to do that.  This series really touched me and I think that, while it is a dramatization, it is important and that more people (who didn't see it the first time around) should watch it.

Prodigy by Marie Lu

I LOVED the book Legend, so I couldn't wait to read the second book in this trilogy starring Day and June.  Ever have one of those times where you want to read a book/see a movie/watch a TV show but are scared because you think it might not be as good as you are hoping for?  Unfortunately, that is what happened with me...

WARNING- Ahead there be spoilers concerning Legend.

Prodigy picks up right where Legend left off.  Day and June are on the run from the Republic.  They eventually need to ask the Patriots for help because Day is hurt and can't continue on without assistance.  The Patriots require some services from Day and June in payment for helping them and healing Day.  A plot is hatched to assassinate the newly appointed Elector, and Day and June both have to help out.  But, as time goes by, June starts to realize that she and Day might have been set up for more than they bargained for.

The first half of this book was slow, so seriously slow.  I felt like I'd lost part of the characters that I'd really enjoyed, and it read like the story was just going through the motions.  I almost gave up.  The end did start to get me more involved again, and the ending did pull at my heart strings.  I will probably read the last book, if only to find out what happens to these characters.

Fabelhaven by Brandon Mull

Kendra and Seth's parents are going on a cruise, and the kids are going to visit with their grandfather whom they barely know.  When Kendra and Seth arrive their grandfather gives them a specific set of rules to live by, and tells them that certain parts of the property are completely off limits.

What Kendra and Seth do not know is that these rules are in place to protect them, and everyone else at Fablehaven, one of the last refuges for mythical creatures.  The kids find this out quickly when they break the rules and put everyone in serious danger.

I've heard good things about this series and, after a slow start, I did enjoy the book.  I will say that the younger brother was very annoying though and I kind of wanted to smack him one.  I loved the different creatures throughout the book and would like to read more in the series.  This book is great for older elementary and middle school readers who enjoy a fun fantasy story.

Doll Bones by Holly Black

Three childhood friends: Poppy, Zach, and Alice love spending time together building their magical worlds and leading their favorite characters on adventures.  Then Zach's father ruins everything by throwing Zach's toys (including the action figure Zach uses to portray his main character) and declares that he is "too old for toys".  Zach is hurt, made, and confused, and decides that he has to stop playing the game with Poppy and Alice.

Then, the girls come to Zach one night and tell him that the old china doll belonging to Poppy's mother is haunted by the ghost of a young girl whose bones were used to create the doll.  This leads the friends on an adventure to bury the doll where the girl lived in hopes of letting her soul rest.

This book won a Newbery Honor and it was a good story about growing up, but it didn't really stick with me.  I didn't find the doll to be scary, and I guess I was just hoping for something else or something more.  I wanted to revisit the spooky stories I loved as a kid like Wait Till Helen Comes and some chapter book I can't remember about a girl going back in time to pilgrim days while on a vacation with her family.  This book didn't give me that scary feeling though, so I was a little disappointed.  This book is most likely plenty spooky for younger readers though, and I am sure that late elementary students will enjoy it.

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Pat Peoples (where in the world the author came up with that name I will never know) has been away at "the bad place" for awhile.  He is currently in "apart time" from  his wife Nikki, but then his mom springs him from the joint and he is back on his way home and on his way to winning Nikki back and ending "apart time", or at least that is what he thinks.

As Pat spends time at home and reacquainting himself with his family, he starts to realize that he was in the "bad place" a lot longer than he thought, and that the life he returned to is much different than the one he left.  Pat believes in Silver Linings and he believes that Nikki will come back to him, and he doesn't understand why all his wedding photos are gone and why no one will talk to him about Nikki.  Pat meets Tiffany, who offers to help me communicate with Nikki in exchange for a few things (not watching Eagles football, helping Tiffany win the Dance Away Depression competition, and telling no one of their agreement), and he thinks this is his chance to achieve his Silver Lining.

I know of the book because of the movie (for which Jennifer Lawrence won her Oscar).  The book was a Kindle Daily deal, or some other deal, so I purchased it and decided to give it a shot after my Children's Literature class ended.  It was a fast read, and I enjoyed the author's voice, but I wasn't completely sold on the story.  Pat was sympathetic, but I wanted more development in his relationship with Tiffany.  I am interested to see the movie and see how these actors interpret the characters.  I liked the book well enough while I was reading it, but since I finished it I kind of feel meh about it.