A Post of Thanks - 10 (Shallow) Reasons I'm Happy This Holiday Season

I recently shared in a post how I've been struggling with writing and how grateful I am to have amazing fans. Since it's Thanksgiving, I want to go one step further and list ten things I am currently grateful to have in my life on this holiday of thanks. These are things that go beyond friends, family, and fans, because I feel it goes without saying that I feel blessed and cannot imagine my life without them. Plus those are things of importance and the list I'm about to provide is shallow and petty, but makes me smile nonetheless. So here they are, in no particular order:

1. X-Files reboot. The original series is in my top three TV shows of all time and since the first movie was release, my fingers are always crossed that Chris Carter will give us more. I'm a little annoyed because they're hinting that Scully and Mulder are no longer a couple, but I refuse to accept that they would permanently separate a couple of such epic proportions.

2. New Foo Fighters album. Most of my fans know by now that I freaking ADORE Dave Grohl and crew so much that I recently got a tattoo with the band's logo. This past Monday they surprised fans with an EP containing five new songs they're giving away for free. If you're a fan of music, I suggest you check out their new EP because they're a group of really sweet guys who are also hilarious and know how to rock.

3. Beta reading awesome books. I've had the pleasure of getting to know Kate L. Mary after I fangirled her on Goodreads. Now that she's convinced I'm not a crazy stalker, we've become friends. And when you're an author who is friend with another author, you often get the opportunity to read advanced copies of their work. As Kate is the author of my favorite zombie series, it was better than Christmas when I found her latest masterpiece waiting in my inbox. I know I'm always going on about her Broken World series, but honestly, peeps. If you're into The Walking Dead, you HAVE TO read this series. While it only vaguely reminds me of TWD, the plots and characters are fresh, and there's even a bit of romance involved. The series is available on Kindle Unlimited, and book 5 comes out next Monday! While you're at it, check out her award winning book While We Were Human.

4. Awesome beta readers. I finally finished the first draft of Paranormal Guardians, the sequel to Paranormal Keepers, and sent it off to the hands of some very capable beta readers. In the meantime I'm working on another rewrite of book 3, though that likely won't be released until some time in March. I'm very passionate about this series and cannot wait to share it with my readers! If you haven't read the first book, it's available on Kindle Unlimited.

5. New Stephen King book. I've been a fan of the master of horror for 30-some years and I'm always crazy excited when he releases something new. I have a small bookshelf that seems to be in serious distress from holding all my hardcover editions of his work. At the rate he's going, I figure one day I'll have to devote the entire bookcase to his work. I'm especially pumped for The Bazaar of Bad Dreams because even though I adore the man, some of his books tend to get a bit too long winded and I always think his best work has been in short stories. Even though the book has been out for awhile now, I don't plan on reading it until I'm on a beach in January (which brings us to #6).

6. Vacations. Living in Minnesota is akin to living in the tundra. Our winters are miserably cold, often dipping below zero with a wind chill in the double digitis, and the roads are scary as hell 85.9% of the time. As someone who is considerably fair-weathered, the only way I can survive the long, harrowing months is to know at least for a few days during the season I'll get to put my toes in the sand somewhere warm and read a good book. There's no feeling like it. My favorite part about going somewhere warm is taking a catamaran out to play in the water. Even though we just recently had our first snowfall, I'm beyond ready to pack my bags and get the heck out of here.

7. Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2. I'm planning to see the highly anticipated finale of the young adult series this weekend with my family. Although I enjoy the movies far more than the books (yeah, I said it), I'm ready for the story to be over. As much as I adore Jennifer, I'm ready for Katniss to go away and live her happily ever after.

8. Teens with a driver's license. I realize having a child on the road will be stressful, but my daughter will have her license in just over a month (she even already passed the test!) and I'm dreaming of all the times I won't have to drive her into town. But it makes me sad knowing she'll have more of a social life than ever.

9. Untraditional holidays. With our adult children spread out and a few of them holding down unusual work hours, it's not as easy to get together for the holidays. Accordingly, our new Thanksgiving tradition has evolved into swimming, doing a little shopping, and a movie afterwards. Honestly, I adore it. My childhood memories of going to my grandparents' and meeting with the cousins over the holidays is something I'll always cherish, but times have changed considerably and our little family is just as unique as our new tradition. (I guess that's a nice way of saying we're weird.)

10. Red Bull. I know it's bad for you, but it's my one big vice these days and it enables me to function instead of drinking coffee, something I cannot stand. There are days when I'm sure I wouldn't be able to write a single word without it. As may times as I've tried to quit the stuff, I've come to accept it's one thing I can't do without.

That's it, folks. Hope all my fans in the US have an amazing holiday and have plenty to be thankful for, both important and shallow.

Favorite Zombie Series Alert: SHATTERED WORLD by Kate L. Mary

Where are my Walking Dead peeps?  I'm crazy excited to share with you the release of Kate L. Mary's second zombie book, Shattered World as this has become my favorite new series! While there are parts of it that remind me of the The Walking Dead, it definitely has its own feel with compelling characters and a story that will blow you away. I had the privilege of seeing an advance copy of book #3 and can tell you that it just keeps getting better and better! Seriously, this series is a must-read for all zombie fans!

Shattered World (#2, Broken World series)

by Kate L. Mary

Post-Apocalyptic/Zombie Series

Kindle │Barnes & Noble │ Kobo│ Google Play

 

 

***Warning: Contains Spoilers for Broken World (book #1)***

Stranded in the middle of the Mojave Desert, surrounded by zombies, Vivian and Axl are sure they’re facing the end. The dead are closing in and the shelter they were promised is sealed tight. Just when they think they’ve run out of time, the doors are thrown open. Five years underground with all the provisions there for the taking. It’s almost too good to be true. 

With the promise of security, Vivian hopes she’ll finally able to deal with the loss of Emily, her growing feelings for Axl, and the terrifying new world they’re facing. But their sense of security is soon shattered when they discover the shelter isn’t the utopia they thought it would be. It seems the company that built the shelter decided to solve their financial problems by selling off provisions, which means the group has to find a way to get supplies. Or face starvation. And Vegas is the closest city.

  With her feelings for Axl stronger than ever, Vivian volunteers to accompany him and a few others on a trip into one of the biggest tourist cities in the world. Vegas is overrun with the dead, but there are other survivors as well. Only not everyone they meet is a welcome sight. As the emotional baggage piles up, Vivian and Axl’s bond grows stronger, but it doesn’t take long to realize that zombies aren’t the only thing they have to fear.

 

“Here goes nothin’,” Axl says, echoing my thoughts. He leans down and fools with the wires under the steering wheel. The dead bang against the car, but even more have surrounded the sedan. I dig my nails into my legs while I wait for Axl to do whatever he has planned. He grunts, and a few sparks fly. 

My entire body jerks when the deafening sound of the alarm rings through the car. The world around us explodes. The bodies go crazy and converge on the car, banging on it with their hands, their bodies, their faces. They leave thick smears of black on the windows as they desperately try to get in. The door handle rattles, and some even climb on top of the car. They’re wild and frantic. It’s so terrifying that for a moment I can’t remember exactly why we decided to do this. My heart pounds and I cover my ears, trying to block out the sounds of the hammering and the alarm. 

Trying to keep the terror at bay. All I want to do is run, but there’s nowhere to go. The realization that we’re stuck hits me so hard I start to shake. Then the sedan drives off. It turns the corner with the truck close behind it, and I relax just a little. They’re going to make it. Nathan and his wife, their daughter. Two other little boys who have years ahead of them. Trey can get back to Parvarti and Winston to his daughter. They will have food and safety. That’s why we chose to commit suicide in this horrifying way.

 Axl pries my hands away from my ears and pulls me against his chest. He wraps his arms around me as the pounding continues. He doesn’t say anything, and neither do I. All I can do is watch silently as the truck pulls out of sight. After a few minutes, he turns the alarm off, but the damage is already done. They know we’re in here, and they won’t give up until they’ve broken in. A crack starts at the corner of the windshield and travels across. Then another. A dead man hurls himself against the glass and pounds his fists. Hundreds of cracks fan out across the windshield in a frightening web pattern, and I have to stifle the urge to scream. It’s safety glass, so it doesn’t give. At least not yet.

  “I won’t let them get us.” Axl’s lips brush against my head, and strands of hair fall into my face. They tickle my nose, but I can’t find the motivation to move them aside. I nod and swallow against the lump in my throat. He doesn’t mean he won’t let them get in, because we both know there’s nothing we can do about that now. Surprisingly though, I’m okay with it. A bullet to the brain sounds a lot better than being ripped apart by the undead.

 

  Kate L. Mary is a stay-at-home mother of four and an Air Force wife. She spent most of her life in a small town just north of Dayton, Ohio where she and her husband met at the age of twelve. Since their marriage in 2002, they have lived in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, and California. Kate enjoys any post-apocalyptic story – especially if zombies are involved – as long as there is a romantic twist to give the story hope. Kate prefers nerdy, non-traditional heroes that can make you laugh to hunky pieces of man-meat, and her love of wine and chocolate is legendary among her friends and family. She currently resides in Oklahoma with her husband and children.

 

Website │ Facebook │ Twitter

When a deadly virus sweeps the country, Vivian Thomas sets out for California in hopes of seeing the daughter she gave up for adoption. Then her car breaks down and she’s faced with a choice. Give up, or accept a ride from redneck brothers, Angus and Axl. Vivian knows the offer has more to do with her double D’s than kindness, but she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to reach her daughter. The virus is spreading, and by the time the group makes it to California, most of the population has been wiped out. 

When the dead start coming back, Vivian and the others realize that no electricity or running water are the least of their concerns. Now Vivian has to figure out how to be a mother under the most frightening circumstances, cope with Angus’s aggressive mood swings, and sort out her growing attraction to his brooding younger brother, Axl. While searching for a safe place to go, they pick up a pompous billionaire who may be the answer to all their problems. Trusting him means going into the middle of the Mojave Desert and possibly risking their lives, but with the streets overrun and nowhere else to turn, it seems he might be their only chance for survival.

Amazon │Barnes & Noble │ Kobo│ Google Play

Top 5 Reasons Why I Love Twitter

Before I published my first book in April 2012, I decided to take the plunge and join Twitter. I seriously had no idea how it worked, and found the hashtag thing rather strange. Fast forward to 16k tweets later, and I'm definitely considered an addict. While there are times I know I spend way too much perusing what's known to be The Drainer of All Time, there are so many benefits to being active in this social media phenomenon.

Reason #5: World news! Okay, this is probably not something to brag about, but I don't watch news anymore, and I steer clear of the newspapers, so I get most of my news through Twitter and Facebook. There's something satisfying about talking to other people around the world when tragedy strikes, as if we can find comfort in knowing there are others experiencing the same kind of reaction.

Reason #4: Human interaction! Let me explain—I went from an extremely social job in which I helped (usually angry) people all day long to sitting in my little writing den out on our farm. My daily communication with people while my family is gone for the day becomes limited to whomever I chat with online, or the friends I text. There are days this is the small string that holds my sanity together.

Reason #3: The fandom! Its no secret I'm crazy about shows like The Walking Dead, and I love that I can rehash each episodes with other fans from around the world. I love that I can connect with others who are into the same musicians, and carry passions for the same books and authors. It's like being a member of several fan clubs without having to pay any dues.

Reason #2: The celebrities! Getting followed by Norman Reedus (Daryl Dixon from The Walking Dead) made me scream so loud my husband thought someone had died, and shamelessly, having my tweet read by Chris Hardwick (host of Talking Dead, show that reviews episodes of The Walking Dead) on live TV was like winning a Grammy. I save each and every tweet I receive directly from a celebrity because it feels just as satisfying as an autograph. Being a fangirl of amazing authors, these are just a few of the tweets I've received that just about sent me over the edge:

@naumannbooks thank you so much! And darn, I would have loved to meet you! Next time I hope :-)
— Kendare Blake (@KendareBlake) September 27, 2013

@naumannbooks Check my profile, girl. Check that check!
— Isaac Marion (@isaacinspace) September 27, 2013

#1: The friendships! I've made so many friends through Twitter—some started out as fans of my writing and became my friends, some I've started blogs and businesses with, some have become my beta readers and critique partners, some I've spent hours virtually chatting with while partaking in adult beverages, others I have met in person or have plans to meet in the near future. It blows my mind to think how ten years ago, meeting strangers from across the country (or even the world) online was inconceivable.

Maybe this is just me trying to justify to myself why I spend so much time on social networks, or maybe it's just proving what a pathetic life I have. Either way, I don't really care. Twitter has been life-changing, and extremely resourceful. I plan to tweet until someone physically removes my phone from my hands.

Celebrate the Small Things Blog Hop

Happy Friday! I just realized I spaced this blog hop off last Friday—sorry Vik! I'm keeping things short and sweet today as I have to leave for my daughter's track meet early afternoon.

Things that brought me joy the last two weeks:

1. I really haven't done a lot of writing related things in the past two weeks other than get Cheating Death ready for publication and What I've Done ready for a re-release, but I did receive a printed copy of Cheating Death in the mail, and there's no feeling like holding your hard work in your hands.

2. Season finale of The Walking Dead. It wasn't as grand as I was expecting, but at least most of our favorite characters survived.

3. Rihanna concert with my three daughters and some friends. That is one talented lady and it was fun to see her live.

4. Good times out with friends at the bar. Now that I've lost the pounds I was aiming for, I've been able to enjoy life again with some of my favorite things.

5. Brand-spanking new series, Hannibal. The movies based on the same character are some of my favorite, so I'm expecting big things. So far, so good. Check out my review on one of my other blogs: Two Chicks and a Blog.

6. This Walking Dead skit on Conan with Melissa McBride and Michael Rooker:



Hope everyone is starting to enjoy warmer weather! Have a great weekend!

This Week's Video Blog

This week I review the Beautiful Creatures movie I was finally able to see as well as my final thoughts on the third book in Lauren Oliver's Delirium series (Requiem). I also share my 2.5 seconds of fame.

The Walking Dead Recap & Giveaways

My Walking Dead peeps - what did you think of the mid-season premiere? Were you both as pleased and frustrated as I was? Allow me to go on my own little rant. There are SPOILERS in my recap, so if you haven't seen last night's episode, please skip ahead!

First of all, I teared up when Maggie made the first shot at Crazyville. So refreshing to have a female hero for once! But why didn't someone shoot Merle, if even "by accident"? How many chances do they have to give that dirt-bag a-hole before they realize he will kill them the second the opportunity arises? If I were Glen, I would've shot him on first sight. Daryl would've gotten over it. Instead, Rick knocked Merle out and Daryl smirked in response. Did everyone catch that?

As a huge Daryl/Norman Reedus fan, I was ticked to see him choose his idiot brother over the gang. But I was pleased with the fact that Daryl somewhat acknowledged that he feels something for Carol by telling Rick that she'd understand. When Rick broke the news to Carol, however, I may have shed a tear or two. I'm really digging the love story between the two and I hold on to hope that they will again be reunited when Daryl realizes what an idiot he is. As someone on Twitter mentioned, maybe Daryl will find an old school boom box and hold it over his head when he comes back for her. One can only hope...

Courtesy of AMC

In other Walking Dead drama, the Governor has obviously snapped after being humiliated in front of his followers while Andrea has seemingly stepped up to take charge. What I want to know is what was the Governor doing in his apartment, anyway? We've seen the kind of sick things he's capable of, so it made me a wee bit nervous to know he's angry and keeping out of sight.

Glen and Maggie are feeling awkward around each other. My guess is that Glen is having a hard time dealing with his very first real anger rant, knowing the Governor almost raped his girlfriend. After watching the marathons yesterday and seeing the two of them get it on in the watch tower, it occurred to me - what if Maggie gets pregnant now? Even worse, what if Andrea became pregnant with the Governor's baby? Taking care of a baby without the whole apocalypse thing is hard enough - how will this gang ever handle the one they already have? They can't even keep the adults safe. If these people were smart, they would practice abstinence as a rule of thumb.

Aaaaand, last but not least by any means, we see the Ricktatorship taking a fatal dive into insanity when the man envisions his wife standing watch over them and he starts yelling at her. Wherever Season 3 takes us, we know there isn't hope for Rick's mental health any time soon. Becoming that crazy doesn't just go away overnight - at least not without some Lithium or shock therapy. And somehow I don't think Herschel's veterinarian skills will be of any help this time.

It's certainly going to be interesting to see the Gov take on the Rickster when both of them seem to have completely gone off the deep end. I just hope the others are smart enough to get the hell out of Dodge before it happens. Regardless, I think the second half of the third season is going to be mind-blowing.

On to other news...

There are two separate giveaways going on right now to win a digital copy Shymers! Swing by my hilarious friend London Cole's blog to learn a little more about me and see what the fabulous Daniela at YA Book Season has to say in her review of my dystopian adventure.

YA Book Season

Author London Cole

TV Review: The Walking Dead (Mid-Season 3 Finale - Recap)

AS ALWAYS, MY RECAPS CONTAIN SPOILERS!

Mid-season finale? Are you kidding me AMC? (Okay we all knew it was coming, but it still sucks.)

There was a lot going on in this episode and I'm guessing if you're reading this blog, you've already watched this it. For that reason, I'm just going to touch on some of the note-worthy things that happened.

To start, prison redneck dude hitting on Herschel's 17-year-old daughter gave new meaning to the word perv and I'm pretty sure every fan of the show got a chuckle out of his confession that he thought short hair = lesbian. What an idiot. Speaking of idiots, what exactly were Rick and the guys thinking by leaving a cripple old man, two teens, a newborn and Carol all alone? I guess they're lucky the writers of the show decided to make a man out of Carl as he had their backs. Am I the only one who caught on to how quickly Ricky Jr. was ready to shoot yet another mother? That kid definitely has mommy issues. Thought it was ironic how that new lady was all, "Come over here boy so I can spank your little ass" and Carl was all smirking because he knew that lady couldn't touch him behind bars. So typical of young kids today.

It was a sweet moment when Glen and Maggie were reunited until Glen got up and deboned that walker. That was just nasty. But then again, this is the same guy who once smeared intestines on his body and then wore them around his neck. I have to say, I'm really curious to know just how much damage a person could do with a human bone. And for the love of Pete - why does every keep pointing a gun at Merle but not using it? They've shot and killed every other dirt bag who came off as a mild threat to the group. Add the fact that Merle's hand is missing because of their group and he's the biggest threat they've seen in this apocalypse. Daryl wanted to go after his blade-armed brother, yet it didn't take a whole lot of convincing on Rick's part to leave him behind. Then we saw Shane's ghost, which was strange and also a good indicator that Rick won't be done talking to pretend people any time soon. We pretty much know for sure Rick has gone bye-bye.

On Twitter I said that the Governor was almost being sweet with his daughter. That was me being facetious, people. The guy is seriously off his rocker. And it's about time Andrea discovered just what a creeper he is (although how THICK is she that she didn't catch on to the fact earlier that her Loverboy was trying to keep her away from the "terrorists"?). I give her three days tops before she's back in crazy's arms (oh wait, she's already hugging him in the preview). And that fight scene between Michonne and the Governor? One of the best in the history of television.

Finally, we are given the showdown between the Governor and the Dixon brothers. I'm going to be cocky here and say they aren't going to do anything to Daryl, because we saw him running in the previews for the next episode in February. I also think the show knows their fan base would be shaken to its core, as well as the fact that it would probably plummet to a painfully lower number. But that's all wishful thinking more than anything.

To those of you who aren't fans of the The Walking Dead, I give you two months of not having to read my review of it every week. Don't say I never gave you anything. ;)

And to those of you who are big fans of the best show on television, what do you plan to do while the show is on hiatus? Stock up for the impending apocalypse? Catch up with past seasons for a walk down memory lane? Work on the sequel to your first zombie book? Okay, that last one was for me.

Coming To a Theater Near You

Whenever my three favorites (books, paranormal and movies) come together, I get a little bit anxious and a whole lot of excited. Can there be anything more thrilling than seeing your beloved characters coming to life before your very eyes? I know at times it can be a major letdown when there's bad casting or if favorite scenes are cut, but you have to keep in mind that there is a time limit to how long you want your butt placed in that uncomfortable chair while stuffing your face with junk. While the books cover every little detail, on the big screen we are given the bare bones.

With the plethora of upcoming flicks I have discovered in the past few weeks, I just may explode. Here is a rundown of the three that have me fan-girling like a fool:

Warm Bodies

Since I am looking forward to this movie the most, it's up first. A Twitter friend told me a while back to read this book. I put it in my queue and kind of forgot about it. Then the movie trailer came out and I was totally kicking myself for not listening to my friend sooner. I devoured this delightful read in a matter of a few days and became a big fan of Isaac Marion. I wrote my own zombie book The Day Zombies Ruined My Perfectly Boring Life when I was craving something unusual and wanted a realistic heroine who wasn't prepared to shoot guns and run for her life. Warm Bodies takes the unusual one step further by telling it from the point of view of a zombie who only goes by "R" (he doesn't remember everything from life before he turned). When he meets a girl (and eats the brain of her boyfriend, thus absorbing some of his memories) he slowly begins to evolve into a regular human again. The book had some very light-hearted and comedic parts to it, but there was a deeper story of humanity and love that really sucked me in. If you haven't read the book, I suggest you drop everything and do so now. The trailer makes it appear that they did a good job of following the story in Isaac's book.

World War Z

Interestingly enough, I recently started reading this book and can't get into it as much. Part of the problem was probably that I just finished Warm Bodies, which is more of an adventure while this book is told as a report of events as they happened. Still, the preview for the movie look insanely good. I read somewhere that the creators of this movie felt zombies would have a primal instinct, much like a lioness chasing her prey, and let me tell you, these zombies definitely have that! If you haven't seen the trailer yet, these zombies are crazy fast. While I lack any kind of athletic skills, I still think I could outrun the traditional zombie so long as I wasn't injured. If I saw a zombie coming at me on a dead run, however, I ask to be shot by someone immediately. This movie has potential to be a big blockbuster, considering the growing number of The Walking Dead fans. And it doesn't hurt that Brad Pitt is looking as hot as ever with his long hair, either.

The Mortal Instruments

Again, this was a book I couldn't really get into. It was okay, but I think that I had just read a string of paranormal books and was getting burned out by them. After seeing the trailer, however, I've decided to give it another chance and have returned it to my to-read list. The movie looks to have a bit of a Constantine feel to it (one of my all-time favorite movies), only the main characters are young. I love the idea that there are certain things in this world others can't see. As an added bonus, there is a battle with honest-to-goodness vampires, not the sparkling kind who want to be your boyfriend.

I'll admit, I'm both thrilled and insanely jealous to see these books come to the big screen. After all, having your story come to life is the ultimate compliment. Are any of these movies on your "must see" list, or are there other book adaptations coming out in 2013 that you are looking forward to?