• Happy Passover!

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    I am not Jewish, but when I was in Middle School and High School, my best friends were all Jewish boys.  I don’t know why, but that was that.  My mom always thought I would marry a nice Jewish boy.  I married a nice Italian/Maltese boy instead.  But I digress.  Since these friends were so close to me, I was fortunate to be included into many Passover Seders.  Matzo Ball Soup, Potato Latkas, Brisket….mmmmm   Oh and when I was older…alcohol.  

    The name “Passover” derives from Moses’ promise that God would “pass over” the homes of Israelites on the evening when first born Egyptians were to be slain (Exodus 12:23). 

    From my household to yours Happy Passover!!!


  • Autism Awareness Month

    Did you know …

    Autism now affects 1 in 68 children and 1 in 42 boys
    Autism prevalence figures are growing
    Autism is the fastest-growing developmental disorder in the U.S.
    Autism costs a family $60,000 a year on average
    Boys are nearly five times more likely than girls to have autism
    There is no medical detection or cure for autism

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    It is true, people who are not touched by someone with Autism don’t understand. Fortunately, today is the beginning of Autism Awareness Month. I, along with many other people, will be filling you in on Autism. If you didn’t read my About Me page, or seen my Facebook page recently, I have a son who was officially diagnosed with ASD in first grade. What is ASD? According to Autism Speaks, “Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and autism are both general terms for a group of complex disorders of brain development. These disorders are characterized, in varying degrees, by difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication and repetitive behaviors. With the May 2013 publication of the DSM-5 diagnostic manual, all autism disorders were merged into one umbrella diagnosis of ASD. Previously, they were recognized as distinct subtypes, including autistic disorder, childhood disintegrative disorder, pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS) and Asperger syndrome.

    ASD can be associated with intellectual disability, difficulties in motor coordination and attention and physical health issues such as sleep and gastrointestinal disturbances. Some persons with ASD excel in visual skills, music, math and art.

    Autism appears to have its roots in very early brain development. However, the most obvious signs of autism and symptoms of autism tend to emerge between 2 and 3 years of age.” That is why it is better to seek treatment for Autism at the earliest. Medical clinics like Novel Biome are known to have a team of dedicated medical professionals who can support children and families affected by autism. Furthermore, many believe that medical clinics like the one mentioned above can provide clinically proven and medically supervised Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT), which can improve the quality of lives of those affected by autism (and range of symptoms that come with being on the spectrum). However, treatment alone cannot help in curing Autism. Parents too play an important role. For example, parents of children with Autism have to learn as the child is learning too. There are many centres and experts that help with coaching kids with autism, that give parents an idea of how to understand their child’s condition.

    I knew ddc155459633ac7d15edfaa05c371c7csomething was different with my son when he was about 3 or 4. Nursery school (pre-school) even noticed a difference. It took me 3-4 years to finally get my suspicions confirmed. You would never think anyone would be so happy to know their son had Autism, but I was. With that diagnosis, I knew now he would have access to many different classes and services within the school district. I always had the thought that the diagnosis isn’t the end, but the beginning for him.

    Today he is a thriving 14 year old about to graduate middle school. He is in a 15:1 class (15 Students to one teacher) and has a 3:1 (1 aid to 3 children) aid. Having a child with ASD you learn a whole new lingo. I will not bore you with a vocabulary lesson, but I will clarify where I can. Nick’s class is the exact same class a “typical” child would go to. Same curriculum., however, modifications are made so that the kids learn to the best of their ability. I mean, Nick has never really done a full report like I did in school. They are too busy learning what is really important. Math (especially the evil common core crap) is hard. It takes some kids longer to learn than others. These classes are designed for that. But like I said they learn everything their peers do.

    autism-label1My son is in band, chorus and is on the school track teams. There is nothing my son can’t do that others can’t. Not every child of Autism has the same abilities. All I tell my son is that there is nothing he can’t do if he puts his mind to it. Like the graphic says, one description of a child with Autism is the same. They are unique. What works for one, may not for another. Many children with Autism have melt downs. Trust me, when you see it you will know it. Some are full out, some more subtle. I have one request though. If you see a child in full melt down in the middle of the store, trust me when I say the parent who is there knows what they are doing. Don’t add your two cents unless asked.

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    Have you noticed that my usual pink/purple font is absent from this post? That is because I am going blue for Autism.

    Every April 2, Autism Speaks celebrates World Autism Awareness Day with a global autism awareness campaign called Light It Up Blue (#LIUB).

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    How to LIUB

    In honor of people with autism worldwide, iconic landmarks, hotels, sporting venues, concert halls, museums, schools, universities, bridges, retail stores, and thousands of homes will light blue beginning on April 2!

    Light Homes, Businesses, Schools, and Landmarks Blue

    • Project the Autism Speaks puzzle piece or Light It Up Blue logo on walls or buildings

    AAD

    Wear Blue

    • Ask family, friends, coworkers, and staff to wear blue (ties, scarfs, shirts, etc.)
    • Supply Autism Speaks lapel pins, bracelets, or other blue accessories to wear during the month of April.

    Post Blue

    • Personalize your LIUB Selfie Sign to tell us where you Light It Up Blue
    • Post your photos on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, or Flickr with the hashtag #LIUB to be a part of the global autism awareness movement!
    • Turn your website blue with our Site It Up Blue kit or add the Light It Up Blue logo with a link to autismspeaks.org/liub
    • Turn your Facebook or Twitter profile picture blue
    • Tweet autism facts with the hashtag #LIUB

    Raise Awareness with Blue

    • Distribute information about autism, World Autism Awareness Day, and Light It Up Blue in your establishment, neighborhood, or company.
    • Invite a local Autism Speaks representative to speak to your staff, school, or town about autism and the Light It Up Blue campaign.
    • Reach out to local media to let the community know about your great work for the autism community and your support of autism.
    Autism Puzzle banner
    Click to go to event.

    Dear fellow authors, bloggers and interested parties,

    Come join a group of romance writers, parents, other interested parties who want to help raise awareness of Autism Spectrum Disorders. We hope to share information about groups, support services and extend a hand to those families dealing with ASD. Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)… Romance Authors Unite: Bringing awareness out of the prehistoric times.

    Want to help with the planning? Sign up for a takeover slot? Join this group, ~ Romance Authors Unite for ASD Awareness…

    Beginning on April 2 we will begin sharing public service type posts. The event page will share at least one post per day throughout the month of April. The event will culminate with a big author-takeover event on May 2nd!

    A month long push to raise awareness, and to help those families/caregivers affected by ASD locate
    resources and information which will end with a FUN PG-13 party!


  • Long Island Romance Writers Open House Recap.

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    On Saturday, January 28, 2015 I had the good fortune to attend the Long Island Chapter of the Romance Writers (LIRW) Open House at the South Huntington Library on Long Island in New York. Unfortunately, I was a tad late, but not that late that I was not able to catch the panel of published authors. The panel consisted of Michele Lang, Jennifer Gracen, Meara Platt, Pamela Burford, and Patty Blount. Unfortunately, Jeannie Moon, who helped organize the event, was unable to attend at the last minute.

    The panel discussed many topics including how each was fortunate to get published. Here are some key points that stuck in my head enough, that I wrote them down and answers to some questions that were posed (I might add my two cents in at times):

    • Support from people not related to you is key. Many of the authors on the panel expressed how being a part of LIRW has been a wonderful place for support. They are able to speak to their peers, established or not, and learn about the industry. They support each other by critiquing works, sharking marketing ideas and much more.
    • Social media, especially Twitter is a wonderful networking and marketing tool One author expressed that without Twitter, she would have never have met one of her publishers. You never know who is lurking out there! Twitter is networking 140 characters at a time. Don’t rely on your publisher (if you have one) to do all your marketing for you. (My thought is, what your publisher thinks is your target reader, may not be what is your target reader really is. You think it is a paranormal book they say urban fantasy, but face it, it is paranormal!) It is amazing how one tweet can multiply to thousands in the matter of seconds. Facebook is an awsome tool to interact with your fans. Give them a piece of who you are as a person. You don’t have to tell them anymore than you want to, but let them know a little more than what is in your bio. As a reader, talking to an author I love makes me want everyone else I know how awsome that author is. I will share and retweet that author. Loyalty is established.
    • Put your eggs in more than one basket. One publisher might like one genre, but not another. One on the panel has, I believe, 3 different publishers that she releases books with. I personally know some authors who are with a publisher with a certain genre, then wanted to do something else and self-published……which leads me to….
    • Self-Publishing is becoming more acceptable in the industry. If you can find a publisher willing to contract you, try it. There are actually authors who are self-published that are for RITAs this year. BTW congratulations to Ms. Blount for her nomination!
    • Did you know that according to industry a romance must have a happy ending? Some might even let happy for now books through. If you are a writer and want to know more about where your writing fits in the industry standards, the Romance Writers Association has a multiple resources to help you with that.
    • If you are working on more than one genre, work on the one that has characters who are talking to you in your head the loudest. That is who you write. When a character stops bothering you, then you can work on something else. If there are multiple characters screaming at you, then pick the one you have a deadline for.
    • Do you have many short stories? Keep them, you never know when one of those short stories may lead to something more. If you have many, perhaps publishing as a compilation, or collaborate with other authors and make an anothogy.
    • After the panel was done, we went into the atrium of the library and had refreshments and we got to mingle. Networking at its best. I enjoyed meeting many of the published authors, and better yet meeting those still unpublished, but hopeful.

    The RWA and their local chapters are great resources for any author. On the RWA website, there are many resources that can help you on many of the topics I mentioned about. If you have questions, I have put the links to LIRW and RWA below.

    Please note, these are my thoughts and recollections of what I heard at the meeting.  If you attended and feel I left something out or got something wrong, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment!

    http://www.lirw.org/
    https://www.rwa.org/


  • Forsaken by Caitlyn O’Leary

    Forsaken Tour Banner

     

    My Review

    This book just simply rocks!!!  But that shouldn’t really surprise anyone who knows the wonderful Caitlyn O’Leary.   I can’t even tell you how often I bugged her for this book to be finished.  I am sure she hates me by now, but as long as she keeps writing books like this, I don’t care.

    Seth left the love of his life for an assignment he thought would be over and done with in a few weeks.  He finds himself between a rock and a hard place almost a year later when he finds himself face to face with other Found.   They tell him that the love of his life, Annie, is there and helping him so that they end this forsaken life he is currently in.

    I love Annie.  She will do anything for her daughter and for the man she loves.  She is more brave than I could ever be.  I admire and respect her immensely.  What she endures for the sake of love, is vile.  But if it wasn’t for her, he would still find himself FORSAKEN.

    Forsaken

    Synopsis

    Caught Between Duty and Love…

    Seth Natani is one of the DEA’s best operatives thanks to his “found” abilities, but he’s hanging on by a thread. It is thoughts of the love of his life keep him sane. In the meantime he finds solace in his dreams.

    Clinging to Hope…

    Parted from the man that means everything to her, Annie desperately holds onto the past that they shared, and prays for the day they can be reunited. In the meantime she finds solace in her dreams.

    Where Dreams Are Real…

    Night after night Seth and Annie cling to one another in their dreams, finding a passion that leaves them gloriously fulfilled in sleep, but achingly lonely upon waking. Just when Seth thinks his assignment is ending, it takes a turn for the worse when he finds out the people he is investigating are trafficking in young women. When Annie is taken, will Seth be able to save the woman he loves and make their dreams reality?

    Links to Buy:

    Amazon: http://amzn.to/19bXnDW
    Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/19bXnDW

    Forsaken Teaser 41-jpeg

    Excerpt

    “Stop.”

    Thiago continued.

    Seth grabbed Thiago’s forearm in a punishing grip, seconds away from breaking it.

    “Let go,” Thiago said, through gritted teeth. “You forget yourself.”

    “Until I say differently, she’s my property, or I leave now.” Seth was truly scared. Labado was a murdering sadist, and he might have pushed him too far, but he couldn’t ignore it for one more second. Labado stared at him and slowly let go of the whimpering girl. She dropped to the floor. Labado cradled his arm and toed her with his shoe.

    “Is she the one?”

    “How would I know, I haven’t seen the others,” Seth said in a calm voice.

    “Anton, bring in the next sample,” he called out. Four more young women were brought in for Seth to view, all slightly older than the girl who remained silently crying on the floor at his feet.

    After they all were standing in a row, Leslie turned to him. “Well?”

    “And the one in the picture?”

    “She’s not as docile, and she has bruising.”

    Seth gave her a toothy smile. “So she has spirit and marks up well. Too bad you didn’t bring her.” He set down his drink and got up.

    “She’s in the hall. Bring her in Anton.” He continued to stand. This was it, his palms were damp, and a bead of sweat trickled down his neck. The bastard was gripping Annie tightly by the scruff of her neck, forcing her into the room. Her face was mostly hidden by her hair. It was a trick he had seen her use many times to assess a situation without people being aware of what she was doing. Then like a laser, she saw the girl lying on the ground and she yanked out of the man’s hold and was on her knees in front of Labado, cradling the girl’s head in her lap.

    “Oh, I like a woman who knows her place,” Labado crooned.

    Why didn’t I break the fucker’s arm?

    “What did you do to her?” Annie demanded, her head turning to Labado, as Leslie watched Seth. He looked at her, schooling his features, so he could survive the contempt he would see in his lover’s, his love’s face. But while her face was hard and cold her eyes held nothing but joy.

    “She is not your business.”

    “I’m making her my business.”

    “You’re in no position to negotiate. You’re a captive. All but naked on the floor. Where is your leverage?”

    “Apparently I’m a commodity of some value, or I wouldn’t be here.” She tossed her hair and looked at Labado. “I’m of value to him. I have leverage.” She helped the girl off the floor, murmuring softly to her. God, she was magnificent. He kept his face flat and raised an eyebrow at Labado.

    “You seem taken.” Seth said stating the obvious.

    “You don’t. I thought spirit and easily marked were two of your criteria.” Labado’s eyes followed Annie as she took the young girl to a sofa. Anton followed her with an amused expression on his face.

    “I find myself drawn to both of them. They both have,” Seth paused, “certain qualities.”

    “I am in complete agreement. I will take whichever one you pass up.”

    “But you told me the other day your current mistress was to your liking.”

    “A man can always make room for two women.” Labado licked his lips as he looked at the women/girls on the sofa. Seth looked at the four other women in the room. He wished a man could always make room for six. God, they had to stop this tonight, but it wasn’t going to happen. Could Kota and Nate somehow keep track of these four?

    “I’m sorry. I really can’t decide. If you’re intent on taking one of these two, I’m going to have to go through with the divorce.” Labado pulled his gaze away from the sofa and stared incredulously at Seth.

    “You are talking crazy. You have what you want. You just said so.”

    “But you are intent on taking what I truly desire.” He watched as the sick bastard processed what he was saying. Leslie laughed.

    “Well aren’t you just full of surprises. First you didn’t want any of the women I had to offer, and now you want two. But I thought you liked spirit, and one seems like a bit of a victim.”

    “I like the dichotomy. But the point is moot.” He looked at the sofa and couldn’t see Annie’s face, her hair hid everything. He knew exactly what was going on in her mind, in her soul, because it mirrored his own heart. He had to pull this off.

     

    Revealed Cover v4

    Revealed, The Found, Book 1

     Synopsis

    Tortured beyond Endurance…

    Kelly Wachowski has no memory of her life before she was five. Despite being one of the ‘found’ children and her uncanny ability to assimilate languages, she’s managed to live a normal life for twenty years until the day she was kidnapped. Tortured beyond endurance she prayed for death while she dreamed of a boy long forgotten—Noah.

     

    A Hero with a Secret…

    Samson Noah Kukailimoku is another ‘found’ child. His existence was kept secret by the Polynesian family who adopted him. Now he’s a highly decorated naval officer, and part of an elite unit whose mission is to rescue children like Kelly. The closer he gets to finding her the more he connects to her and shares the pain of her torture and the dreams of their shared past.

    A Love That Is More than a Dream…

    After her rescue, Kelly is convinced she’s losing her mind as she experiences Noah’s life in a waking dream. Knowing she’s in danger, Noah must save Kelly from herself and those tracking her, moving Heaven and Earth to protect her. Linked by their past, danger and deception follow them everywhere. Together they discover a love and passion surpassing all of their dreams, but before they can have a future together they have to solve the mystery of their past.

    AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1A2CXcJ
    AMAZON UK: http://tinyurl.com/jwyt9m6
    KOBO: http://tinyurl.com/n5bogu9
    GOOGLE: http://tinyurl.com/nwauhzk
    ITUNES: http://tinyurl.com/mraps33Kelly

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    caitlyn oleary Author Bio

    Caitlyn O’Leary was raised in a small town in the Pacific Northwest. She has always been an avid reader. Her earliest creative writing endeavors consisted of “ghost writing” exercises where she pretended to be her younger brothers and sister when she did their homework assignments.

    Years in corporate America honed her ability to manipulate words by day and at night she read everything she could get her hands on, including many steamy romances.

    Now happily married to her long, tall Texan and living in Southern California, Caitlyn has finally found the time to write erotic happily ever afters. She enjoys swimming, traveling, babysitting for her nieces and nephews, spending time with friends and family, and doing lots of “research” with her husband for upcoming novels.

    Keep Up With Caitlyn O’Leary

    Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/nuhvey2

    Twitter: https://twitter.com/CaitlynOLearyNA

    Pinterest: http://tinyurl.com/q36uohc

    Goodreads: http://tinyurl.com/nqy66h7

    Website: www.caitlynoleary.com

    Email: [email protected]


  • Cover Reveal Make Me Forget by Jacqueline Anne

    JacquelBestselling romance author, Paige Mattheson, is experiencing the worst case of writer’s block. She hasn’t written a word in weeks and is struggling with the intimate scenes in her book. With deadlines quickly approaching, she goes on a weekend getaway to the beach to clear her head. She promises herself she will relax and find her true self again, along with some inspiration to see past her heartache and complete her novel.

    Fun loving, Tyler Barrow, is vacationing in Montauk, New York. He is passionate about his career as a teacher and about surfing. When Tyler misses his original flight home, a miscommunication with the owner of the rental unit finds Tyler staring at a beautiful woman in his kitchen. He is instantly drawn to her and eager to find out why, even if it is only for the weekend.

    Paige is initially annoyed by the naked intruder who has interrupted her quiet vacation. She sticks to the promise she made herself and tries to let go and have some fun.

    Will Tyler be able to make Paige forget about her past? Will fate prove to be more than just a weekend fling even though they live on different ends of the earth?

    Only time and a bestselling novel will tell.

    Estimate release dates:

    Pre-order – July 24
    Early download for Totally Bound readers – August 7
    General Release – September 4
    https://www.facebook.com/TotalEBound
    https://www.totallybound.com/
    https://twitter.com/Totally_Bound

    About Jacqueline Anne

    Struggling through health issues, I discovered my love for reading romances. Writing then became my escape and in some ways, a depiction of my spirit. I enjoy creating strong female characters who overcome hardships, reflecting on some of my own adversities, trials, and triumphs. The relationships are sweet and sexy with characters who embody discovery, lust, trust, happiness, and love.

    I lead a full and exciting life in Northeast Ohio. I love to bake, create, workout, dance, and read. I truly believe everything happens for a reason. My life can attest to that. Work hard. Play hard. Live life to the fullest each and every day, doing it all in a pair of 4″ heels ;). Who says you can’t have it all?

    Social Media:

    Website: www.authorjacquelineanne.com
    Email: j[email protected]
    Facebook: www.Facebook.com/authorjacquelineanne
    Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8537336.Jacqueline_Anne
    Amazon Author: www.amazon.com/author/jacquelineanne
    Twitter: www.twitter.com/AuthorJacAnne
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