Friday 26 December 2014

Celebrate The Small Things - 26 December

And so it is time for a Christmas edition of CELEBRATE THE SMALL THINGS.

Traditionally a time of year for goodwill to all men, and so I am celebrating, first, the help my lovely co-hosts have given me this year:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


And secondly, another year of celebrating - thank you to everyone who joins in or comments on my posts here.


It is boxing day here in the UK (and Canada, Australia, I think though happy to stand corrected!) so I am mostly celebrating Christmas with my family.

Wishing good things for all of you.

Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 19 December 2014

Celebrate The Small Things - 19 December

Can you believe the date folks? How is it nearly the end of the year? Time flies when you're celebrating...

and it's celebrations time again. We celebrate the small or the big things, whatever size you like!

Thanks to my lovely co-hosts:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


I have actually had a busy stressful week so this is probably a good exercise for me as I am not feel especially celebrate-y but here we go:

  • Roll on Christmas time off. 
  • Three work days until Christmas days off.
  • Did I mention the rest period? You know you're getting older when you don't look forward to toys or gifts or even parties and 'do's', but rather: simply the time off!
How about you?


Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 12 December 2014

Celebrate The Small Things - 12 December

Here we are Celebrating The Small Things again... this is the time of the week where we post our celebrations of the week, big or small, and celebrate with each other!

Thanks as usual to my co-hosts:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


So I am celebrating:

  • We're nearly at Christmas and time off! I can't wait.
  • I saw my friend for Christmas dinner
  • Went to see the musical 'ONCE' and really enjoyed!

How about you?


Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 5 December 2014

Celebrate the Small Things - 5 December

Here we are Celebrating The Small Things!

This is where we post our celebrations, no matter how big or small, and hop around and celebrate with others.

I am hosting this with my fab co-hosts: 

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


So I am celebrating:

  • That I had a lovely spa day with facial and massage
  • I seem to have given up caffeine and feel much better for it

How about you?


Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 28 November 2014

Celebrate The Small Things - 28th November

We're so nearly in December everyone! In the meantime November hangs in there by the skin of its teeth as we celebrate the Small Things. Hope everyone is well and welcome to the weekly celebrations where we celebrate everything, no matter how small.

I hope my American friends have had a good Thanksgiving.

I am hosting this with my awesome co-hosts: 

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


So I am celebrating:

  • A night out with my mate and THAI dinner
  • A spa day this weekend

How about you?


Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 21 November 2014

Celebrate the Small Things - 21 November

We are Celebrating the Small Things on Friday 21st November. Hope everyone is well and welcome to the weekly celebrations where we celebrate everything, no matter how small.

I am hosting this with my awesome co-hosts: 

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


So I am celebrating:

  • A restful weekend ahead
  • Meeting up with my writing group
  • Getting to the end of a busy work week

How about you?


Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 14 November 2014

Celebrate The Small Things - 14 November

We are Celebrating the Small Things on Friday 14th November.
How are we all this week? Wondering how it's suddenly so close to Christmas?



This is my weekly celebration of the events of the week - big or small, all are welcome!
I am hosting this with my awesome co-hosts: 

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


So I am celebrating:

  • Night out with a friend and hearing all her exciting news
  • Starting to plan Christmas presents!
  • New winter boots!

How about you?


Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Wednesday 12 November 2014

Blog Hop: Catch Me When I Fall: EXCERPT

Catch Me When I Fall, by Vicki Leigh

Today I am joining in the Catch Me When I Fall blog hop! I have an excerpt from this excellent book, but firstly, what is it all about?


Recruited at his death to be a Protector of the Night, seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears. Each night, he risks his eternal life, having given up his chance at an afterlife when he chose to become a Protector. That doesn’t stop a burnt-out Daniel from risking daring maneuvers during each battle. He’s become one of the best, but he wants nothing more than to stop.

Then he’s given an assignment to watch over sixteen-year-old Kayla Bartlett, a clinically depressed patient in a psychiatric ward. Nightmares love a human with a tortured past. Yet, when they take a deep interest in her, appearing in unprecedented numbers, the job becomes more dangerous than any Daniel’s ever experienced. He fights ruthlessly to keep the Nightmares from overwhelming his team and Kayla. Soon, Daniel finds himself watching over Kayla during the day, drawn to why she’s different, and what it is about her that attracts the Nightmares. And him.

A vicious attack on Kayla forces Daniel to break the first Law and reveal his identity. Driven by his growing feelings for her, he whisks her away to Rome where others like him can keep her safe. Under their roof, the Protectors discover what Kayla is and why someone who can manipulate Nightmares has her in his sights. But before they can make a move, the Protectors are betrayed and Kayla is kidnapped. Daniel will stop at nothing to save her. Even if it means giving up his immortality.

Genre: young-adult, urban-fantasy, paranormal-romance
 
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Date of Release­­: October 23, 2014

Cover Artist: Conzpiracy Digital Arts

Find Catch Me When I Fall Online:

Doesn't it sound awesome? I am sure you want to hear some of it so here's an excerpt:

The first Nightmare dropped into Kayla’s room from the ceiling like Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible. Its surprise attack caught me off guard for a moment, but I jumped into action and grabbed its foot, pulling the monster as far from the bed as possible. The Nightmare flipped around to attack me, and I dug my blade under its jaw. The beast screeched in pain before collapsing to the floor, its hands grasped around its neck as black blood sprayed from the creature’s throat. I wiped my hand and my blade on my handkerchief and kicked the bastard to the corner of the room for later disposal.
Samantha watched my every move. I was about to tell her to mind her own business when a Nightmare crawled through the wall behind Seth.
“Seth, drop!” I yelled.
He fell to the ground without hesitation, and I threw my dagger between the Nightmare’s eyes.
“Everybody move closer to the bed and face out. They’re getting wiser.”
Samantha and Seth obeyed my instructions. I stood at the foot of the bed with Samantha on my left and Seth on my right. Hendrik was already facing the headboard, so he’d shout if any tried to get in that way.
Two more Nightmares came in a similar fashion as the first, then three more entered through the walls. I grabbed one from the ceiling and threw it into the Nightmare on the far side of the room. Then I grabbed the other beast and threw it into the one directly across from Samantha. They crashed into each other like a bowling ball into a pin.
Knowing Samantha could handle those two and Seth would quickly dispose of his Nightmare, I ran at the two on the far side of the room. I threw my remaining dagger into the back of one of the Nightmare’s heads as it stood. The beast flopped to the ground, and the other—who was missing an ear—hissed a warning at me. But I didn’t back down.
I ducked when the Nightmare swiped at my face with clawed hands, and I jabbed the monster in the stomach. The butt of my hand punched the creature in the nose when it bent over with a groan. The Nightmare’s head tipped backward, and I used that moment to kick its legs out from under it. The beast fell to the floor with a yelp of surprise.
I tore my dagger out of the dead Nightmare’s head while the one-eared guy scrambled to its feet. Black blood oozed from the creature’s nose. It screeched at me like an angry hawk that couldn’t catch its prey, and I waited for the Nightmare to strike.
“Come on, bitch. Hit me.”
Instead of swiping at me again like I expected, the monster tried to tackle me. But I recovered quickly, using the Nightmare’s momentum to toss it over my shoulder. The beast fell to the ground behind me. I turned around and straddled its back, kneeling on the creature’s arms to keep it from getting up. From beneath me, the Nightmare squirmed and squealed, and in one quick movement, I wrapped my arms around its head and twisted, snapping the monster’s neck.
“God, Daniel. A dagger would’ve done the trick,” Samantha said. She and Seth dragged the other dead Nightmares to where mine laid on the floor. I helped them pile the heavy bodies, then Seth took a lighter out of his pocket and lit the corpses on fire. Their demonic blood burned hot and fast. We stepped back to avoid any accidental burns.
“Daniel has a natural flare for the barbaric,” Seth said.
“I do not.”
“Then do you want to tell me what that was?” Samantha asked.
I didn’t reply. I’d taken out my irritation on the Nightmares, transferring the anger mounting for myself toward them. Kayla had become an itch I couldn’t scratch. Tomorrow I would tell Giovanni to take me off her protection. As much as I hated to admit, I was emotionally compromised.

What are you waiting for? GO GET IT!
--

About The Author:

Adopted at three-days-old by a construction worker and a stay-at-home mom, Vicki Leigh grew up in a small suburb of Akron, Ohio where she learned to read by the age of four and considered being sent to her room for punishment as an opportunity to dive into another book. By the sixth grade, Vicki penned her first, full-length screenplay. If she couldn’t be a writer, Vicki would be a Hunter (think Dean and Sam Winchester) or a Jedi. Her favorite place on earth is Hogwarts (she refuses to believe it doesn’t exist), and her favorite dreams include solving cases alongside Sherlock Holmes.

Vicki is an editor for Curiosity Quills Press and is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Find Vicki Leigh Online:


Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Friday 7 November 2014

Celebrate The Small Things - 7 November

We are Celebrating the Small Things on Friday 7th November.
Let's just stop for a HOW ARE WE IN NOVEMBER moment shall we?



This is my weekly celebration of the events of the week - big or small, all are welcome!
I am hosting this with my awesome co-hosts: 

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


So I am celebrating:

  • Work drinks with my colleagues, all very nice
  • Starting Nano - not sure I'll finish but nice to be drafting
  • Having a free weekend - what shall I do...


How about you?


Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Monday 3 November 2014

Blop Hop: Catch My When I Fall: My Worst Nightmare

Today, I’m taking part in Vicki Leigh’s “My Worst Nightmare” blog hop, to celebrate the recent release of her young-adult, paranormal-romance/ urban-fantasy, CATCH ME WHEN I FALL, which centres around seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham, a Protector of the Night, who has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears.

The rules are to post about my worst nightmare today, and what form the clawed, red-eyed creatures would take if they fed off your fears!

Prize is a Swag pack containing a dreamcatcher made by Vicki

This is all in aid on Vicki Leigh's excellent book - details of which are below the blog hop participants!

MY WORST NIGHTMARE:
This is really hard as it continually changes. My worst nightmare is of course the loss and suffering of my loved ones, and for something terrible to happen to them. However, for the purposes of the hop I will talk about one of the more light-hearted worst nightmares I have and that is to be forced to run CROSS COUNTRY. I have nightmares about never-ending runs up steep hills on freezing cold mornings! A never ending run with an army major barking at me. This would definitely be one of my personal hells.

I think the clawed creatures would look like one of the creatures out of Supernatural, come to get me!

Participants:
Sharon Bayliss | Emma Adams at From the Writer's Nest               | The Writer Diaries      
Jennifer Brooks at The Cubicle Escapee | Katja at Cautious                          
--
About Catch Me When I Fall:
Recruited at his death to be a Protector of the Night, seventeen-year-old Daniel Graham has spent two-hundred years fighting Nightmares and guarding humans from the clawed, red-eyed creatures that feed off people’s fears. Each night, he risks his eternal life, having given up his chance at an afterlife when he chose to become a Protector. That doesn’t stop a burnt-out Daniel from risking daring maneuvers during each battle. He’s become one of the best, but he wants nothing more than to stop.
Then he’s given an assignment to watch over sixteen-year-old Kayla Bartlett, a clinically depressed patient in a psychiatric ward. Nightmares love a human with a tortured past. Yet, when they take a deep interest in her, appearing in unprecedented numbers, the job becomes more dangerous than any Daniel’s ever experienced. He fights ruthlessly to keep the Nightmares from overwhelming his team and Kayla. Soon, Daniel finds himself watching over Kayla during the day, drawn to why she’s different, and what it is about her that attracts the Nightmares. And him.
A vicious attack on Kayla forces Daniel to break the first Law and reveal his identity. Driven by his growing feelings for her, he whisks her away to Rome where others like him can keep her safe. Under their roof, the Protectors discover what Kayla is and why someone who can manipulate Nightmares has her in his sights. But before they can make a move, the Protectors are betrayed and Kayla is kidnapped. Daniel will stop at nothing to save her. Even if it means giving up his immortality.

Find Catch Me When I Fall Online:

--
About Vicki Leigh:
Adopted at three-days-old by a construction worker and a stay-at-home mom, Vicki Leigh grew up in a small suburb of Akron, Ohio where she learned to read by the age of four and considered being sent to her room for punishment as an opportunity to dive into another book. By the sixth grade, Vicki penned her first, full-length screenplay. If she couldn’t be a writer, Vicki would be a Hunter (think Dean and Sam Winchester) or a Jedi. Her favorite place on earth is Hogwarts (she refuses to believe it doesn’t exist), and her favorite dreams include solving cases alongside Sherlock Holmes.
Vicki is an editor for Month9Books and Curiosity Quills Press, an intern at TriadaUS Literary agency, and is represented by Sarah Negovetich of Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Find Vicki Leigh Online:


Friday 31 October 2014

Celebrate The Small Things: 31st October HALLOWEEN edition

We are Celebrating the Small Things on this day Friday 31st October - HALLOWEEN!


How many people will be celebrating Halloweeny related things today, I wonder?

This is the weekly celebrations of the past week, no matter how big or small.

I am hosting this with my awesome co-hosts: 


Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


So I am celebrating:

  • Having a nice day out with my friend last weekend
  • Having a text message chat with my wee nieces - very cute
  • Halloween and the excuse to eat chocolate!


How about you?


Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 24 October 2014

Celebrate the Small Things - 24th October edition

We are Celebrating the Small Things on this day Friday 24th October.


Celebrating the Small Things is my weekly post of the small or big things I am celebrating from the seven previous days. 
I am hosting this with my awesome co-hosts: 


Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


I have had quite a busy week this week so a bit behind in lots of things, but let's see what I can celebrate:


  • The weekend
  • The clocks falling back - extra hour in bed! YAY.
  • FRIDAY!


How about you?


Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 17 October 2014

Celebrate The Small Things - Friday October 17th

We are Celebrating the Small Things today - Friday 17th! :)


Celebrating the Small Things is my Friday celebration of the small (or big) things of the week. It's very easy to join in with. As usual I thank my fine co-hosts:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


This week I am celebrating:


  • The Apprentice being back on TV - I enjoy that show!
  • Finally being all caught up with Game Of Thrones - now to ponder what the future of the show will bring!
  • A meeting at work with a friend and so included a natter!


What are you celebrating this week, small things wise? 

Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 10 October 2014

Celebrate The Small Things and Shelfie blog hop winners!

We are Celebrating the Small Things today and I'm going to celebrate the Shelfie Blog Hop Winners!

Celebrating the Small Things is my Friday celebration of the small (or big) things of the week. It's very easy to join in with. As usual I thank my fine co-hosts:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse


This week I am celebrating the winners of the SHELFIE BLOG HOP.

Full list of entrants can be found at Tara's blog here and I thank everyone for entering. It was really fun looking at all of the entries. The winners were:

The winner of the 13th Floor Collection by Christine Rains is 
Ellie Garratt

The winners of Wilder Mage and Mage Revealed by C.D. Coffelt are 
Eric Juneau and Tyrean Martinson

The winner of an ebook by Elizabeth Seckman is
Alex J. Cavanaugh
(Alex also receives honorable mention for appearing in the most shelfies!)

The two winners of ebooks by Tara Tyler are 
Chrys Fey and Sarah Foster

The winner of Effigy by M.J. Fifield is
Michelle Wallace

And the winner of an interview by Stormy the Weather Gnome at Heather Gardner's blog is 
Carrie Anne Brownian

And the Grand Prize Winner of $40 is Rebecca Bradley!!

I loved joining in with Tara and the other co-hosts: 


What are you celebrating this week, small things wise? Did you join in with Shelfie?

Here's the usual linky for the celebration posts...


Friday 3 October 2014

Celebrate the Small Things: the How is it October 3rd edition

We are Celebrating the Small Things :  HURRAH!

It is October! I don't know about you but blink and the year's gone by!

This blog hop is very easy - just post a celebration, however small or big, in your blog. Sign up on the linky, and hop around and celebrate with others.

Please, please do visit my delightful co-hosts:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse

I have had a wee list tidy, apologies if you got whipped off, please do just add back on again ;)

This week I am celebrating...


  • Seeing the movie 'Boyhood'. I absolutely LOVED it. What an achievement for the cast.
  • Seeing my friend for dinner and yummy pizza.
  • That it is nearly the WEEKEND HURRAH.
  • Next week I have a few days off work. Nothing special planned, just wanted to break up the long haul to Christmas hols!
How about all of you? Would love to hear what you are celebrating...


Here's the linky...


Friday 26 September 2014

Celebrate The Small Things - 26 September

We are Celebrating the Small Things again today! How are we nearly in October - HOW? Am I the only one who isn't sure where time goes?

This blog hop is very easy - just post a celebration, however small or big, in your blog. Sign up on the linky, and hop around and celebrate with others.

Please, please do visit my delightful co-hosts:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse

I have had a wee list tidy. Just to say any spam/advertising links will be whipped off, please do keep it to celebrations!

This week I am celebrating...


  • Time with my nieces
  • My brother taught me how to solve a RUBIX CUBE. Yes apparently it is the 1980s. But still I am excited.
  • Have discovered an app where you can play scrabble. Discovered I am rubbish at scrabble.
How about all of you? Would love to hear what you are celebrating...


Here's the linky...


Tuesday 23 September 2014

Shelfie Blog Hop - still time to enter!

Just reminding everyone about- THE SHELFIE BLOG HOP!

The rules are:

Take a picture of you and your book(s) - your faves or your own novels. Or you can just arrange the books in a special way and take the picture - but you do get extra points for being in the photo.
Formats: Tweet, Facebook, Blog - just make sure to include a link(s) to each.
You have until October 6th!

Tara Tyler is the brainchild behind this, and the co-hosts (as well as myself) are: Heather M. Gardner, Christine Rains,, CD Coffelt, M.J. Fifield, Elizabeth Seckman, and Rena Rocford

We've had some amazing entries so far:




But that's not all - check out the fabulous prizes! It's easy and profitable! I hope you'll join us and spread the word =)

Frankly some of these are AMAZING. Please share yours if you are able ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway



Friday 19 September 2014

Celebrate The Small Things - 19 September

We are Celebrating the Small Things again today! How is everyone?

This blog hop is very easy - just post a celebration, however small or big, in your blog. Sign up on the linky, and hop around and celebrate with others.

Please, please do visit my delightful co-hosts:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse

This week I am celebrating...


  • Visiting my brother and getting-bigger-all-the-time nieces!
  • End of a looong week of work
  • Into S2 now of Game of Thrones...
How about all of you? Would love to hear what you are celebrating...


Here's the linky...


Monday 15 September 2014

Shelfie Blog Hop!

Just reminding everyone about- THE SHELFIE BLOG HOP!

The rules are:

Take a picture of you and your book(s) - your faves or your own novels. Or you can just arrange the books in a special way and take the picture - but you do get extra points for being in the photo.
Formats: Tweet, Facebook, Blog - just make sure to include a link(s) to each.
You have until October 6th!

Tara Tyler is the brainchild behind this, and the co-hosts (as well as myself) are: Heather M. Gardner, Christine Rains,, CD Coffelt, M.J. Fifield, Elizabeth Seckman, and Rena Rocford

We've had some amazing entries so far:



But that's not all - check out the fabulous prizes! It's easy and profitable! I hope you'll join us and spread the word =)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday 12 September 2014

Celebrate The Small Things: 12th September

We are Celebrating the Small Things on this Friday the 12th September. I don't know about you but the year has sped by for me! I can't believe it is September already.

This blog hop is very easy - just post a celebration, however small or big, in your blog. Sign up on the linky, and hop around and celebrate with others.

Do visit my delightful co-hosts:

Diana Wilder
LG Keltner @ Writing Off the Edge
Katie @ TheCyborg Mom
CaffeMaggieato @ mscoffeehouse

This week I am celebrating...


  • Catching up with a friend and discovering it was 2-for-1 cocktails!
  • A warm cup of tea after a stressful day
  • Finally watching Game of Thrones and discovering indeed I like it...
How about all of you? Would love to hear what you are celebrating...


Here's the linky...