Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend

I believe this title and cover art (done by the lovely Jolene B Perry) in itself is an introduction. Becca Ann has woven an intriguing tale that comes available January 8th, 2013.

I know several of cramming your 2012 reads into the last few days of the year that are left. Ready to grab the next novel and devour it page by page. Make Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend one of the first on your list!!!

Goodreads: ADD IT HERE!
Follwer her on FACEBOOK!

To entice you I've attached the blurb:

It’s stupid to fall for your brother’s ex. It’s even worse to enlist another’s help to win the ex over. But Brody is desperate and Hayley, his partner in American Sign Language, is more than willing to lend him a few tips.

She’s the school’s matchmaker,’ and with her bizarre and positive personality, Brody finds her easy to talk to, even about the most awkward situations. Hayley’s tips seem to be working, but as Brody learns more about his matchmaker, he starts finding reasons to spend time with her, and not the girl he thought he was in love with.

But Hayley isn’t ready to fall for anyone. Labeled the “Funny Fat Friend” within her group, her self image makes it impossible for Brody to share his feelings without Hayley shrugging it off as a joke.

Convincing her Brody can, and did, fall for the “Funny Fat Friend” turns out to be harder than simply falling in love.

Oh the sweet smell of romance! I love the concept of this novel. It's a different take on the usual 'girl crushes on popular boy and ends up with nerdy nice guy instead'. Becca Ann turns the whole thing around and makes her own concept. I can't wait to see the love connection between these two grow. It doesn't matter who you are, what you look like, and what you're hobbies are, love will find you when the time is right.

This is me making history, only not

I have several goals for 2013 and I'm going to share them on this here blog to help kick start the new year. I realize it's only the 26th but my hubby and I are staring early.

Here we go.

1 - Improve my Health

I currently live with fibromyalgia (which is why you haven't seen me on the blog a whole lot. I am so exhausted just making it through an eight hour day, that adding in cooking, cleaning, laundry, writing, and blogging becomes beyond difficult).

So what involves the health part you ask...

A. Eat Better (ridding a lot of red meat from my diet).
B. Walk and any form of exercise.
C. Try to rid stress. (Relaxing on the family drama and attempting not to worry about the wait in adoption).

2 - Successfully edit my current MG Novel.

A. Work with Taryn Albright to perfect my novel.
B. Seek advice from Ninja Illustrator, Rose Cooper, for my drawings.
C. Potentially query if good and ready.

These aren't necessarily goals for 2013. After all I'm not big on the whole 'New Years Resolution' Deal but I am big on changing myself to be a better me and the two things above is my starting point.

How about you? Any plans?

The Pollyanna Plan

The lovely Talli Roland stopped in for a visit today!

 

 

 

A Little Pollyanna: The Power of Positive Thinking

 

Sounds like a late-night infomercial, doesn’t it? It almost makes me want to roll my eyes – can thinking about a situation optimistically really change its outcome? That question circled through my mind as I developed the plot of my latest novel, The Pollyanna Plan. In the book, main character Emma errs on the side of pessimism, believing it’s better to be ready for the worst. But when the worst does happen – despite all her mental preparations – Emma’s best friend convinces her to give positivity a try.

 

Emma’s struggle throughout the novel to view life in a different way reminded me just how hard it can be to escape our own conditioning. This is something I face every day, actually, in my own home life. Coming from a fundamentally optimistic country (Canada –or ‘La La Land’, as my husband calls it), I’ve been brought up to believe that with hard work and perseverance, almost anything is possible. On the other hand, my husband was raised in Egypt, where realism bordering on negativity is rife.

 

 

While I plunge ahead with the attitude things will inevitably turn out right, he’s much more cautious and analytical, thinking about what could go wrong. We’ve learned to meet in the middle, but our back-and-forth made me wonder if an individual like Emma could strike an internal compromise. Maybe it is possible to view life from more than one perspective, employing positivity tempered with common sense.

 

So does my ‘Negative Nelly’ main character find a balance that works for her, or does she became a New Age Pollyanna? Well, you’ll need to read to find out! I’ll say this, though: her journey has definitely forced me to examine my own attitudes!

 

Talli Roland writes fun, romantic fiction. Born and raised in Canada, Talli now lives in London, where she savours the great cultural life (coffee and wine). Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories – complete with happy endings. Twice shortlisted for the UK’s Festival of Romance, Talli's novels have also been chosen as Amazon Customer Favourites and top books of the year by industry review websites. She’s a bestseller in Britain and the United States. To learn more about Talli, visit her Amazon Author Page, go to her website, follow her on Twitter, or check out her blog.

Q - Quiet, Splintered Comes to Town

Eleventh stop:  Butterfly Threads

On the eleventh day of Splintered, we step back into Alyssa’s everyday world, heading toward a pink brick storefront and black wrought-iron fence. Curvy black letters welcome us: Butterfly Threads.

 

Christmas is the one time of year when Alyssa’s boss at the vintage clothing store lets the employees have free reign on the window display. Normally, Alyssa and her best friend Jenara would pick something gothic or macabre, enticing customers with glimpses of their unique merchandise.

But after falling down the rabbit hole, Alyssa is haunted by fluorescent landscapes, much like the ultraviolet underground skate park in town where she spends most of her downtime:

(caption) Attribution: http://tinyurl.com/cyx7z3k

So instead of the usual props, Alyssa arranges the store mannequin in a black light display, a tribute to the visual feast that is Wonderland.

Alyssa isn’t much of one for interviews, but maybe if we corner her in the storeroom while she’s putting things away, we can find out a little more about what makes her tick.

Alyssa, describe yourself in five words.
Quiet, Stubborn, Curious, Suspicious, Loyal.

I've heard you're an artist! Tell me about why you feel the need to create, and what inspires your art?
In the beginning, it was more survival tactic than inspiration that led me to kill and preserve bugs and flowers. But I felt guilty for cutting their lives short, so I decided if I did something constructive with their bodies … something that brought other people happiness … it could be justified. I also have landscapes in my mind, too strange and morbid to be earthly, but too haunting to dismiss. Making mosaics helps cleanse those images from my subconscious, so my head isn’t as cluttered.

Can you describe your different relationships? I know you don't have a wide variety, but I've heard some very *erm* unique people make up your social circles.
Well, there’s my mom and dad, who are both amazing for the sacrifices they’ve made for me and one another. Even though Mom’s in an asylum, Dad has never given up pining for her or his dream that someday she’ll come home to us. I have the same hope, and we’ll both do whatever it takes to make that happen, although we don’t always see eye to eye how to go about it…

Jebediah Holt. My best friend. He helps me view the world through the eyes of an artist. To see beauty in sadness, and to find the goodness inside myself in spite of my screwed up life. He’s loyal, and honest. At least, mostly honest. I can’t blame him for hiding a few things from me, considering I’m hiding some really big secrets myself. Jeb is super protective, and there are times he tries to hold me back when I know I need to be leaping forward. But it comes from a place of sincere concern and affection. He spent a lifetime trying to protect his mom and sister, so it comes naturally to him. And I always know, without a doubt, he’s got my back. He’ll never let me down.

Jenera is Jeb’s sister and my other best friend. She’s a fashion designer in the making—talented, snarky, and tough as nails, but always there for me and sympathetic when I’m hurting. Probably because she’s so well-acquainted with pain herself.

Then there’s Morpheus, the magical guy twisted into a past I’ve lost track of, who lets me take chances … or more like hangs me out to dry and watches from a distance as I try to save myself. Maybe it gives him a perverse thrill to see me suffer. Or maybe he actually likes to see me excel on my own. That’s the thing with Morpheus. You never really know whose side he’s on or what his motivation is. But I have to admit, sometimes it’s nice to be turned loose do things for yourself and find strengths you didn’t know you had. Sometimes you want that challenge, and find yourself drawn to those who feed that desire. Even if your common sense says to stay as far away from them as possible…

If you had three wishes, how would you spend them?
1.       Get my mom out of the asylum for good.
2.       Be honest with Jeb about how I really feel then never keep secrets from him again.
3.       Have the ability to read Morpheus’s mind.

Can you tell me your darkest secret? Don't worry, it'll stay between us, I swear. *leans in*
*gulps* My darkest secret … is just that. Darkness. I’m drawn to it, and to chaos. They light a fire inside me.  I want to hold that power in my hands, to control it, to use it for my own devices. A part of me envies Morpheus’s lack of inhibitions. His aptitude for selfishness. I sometimes wish I had the ability to throw caution and compassion to the wind, and just let the madness loose that lives inside me.  *looks down and whispers* But I know that’s wrong, and it scares me to feel that way. I don’t want to end up like my mom…

Speaking of Alyssa’s mother, our final stop will be tomorrow at the asylum.  CrossroadReviews invites you to come along, but make sure you’re on your best behavior. Soul’s Asylum is always on the lookout for permanent guests.

Visit the The Mod Podge Bookshelf.

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K - Kreative People

Bloggers have been known to inspire others in various ways. Today I thought I'd share some of those that inspire my creativity or just something I aspire to be one day.


1. Fantastical Blogger - Alex Cavanaugh

No more info is needed. A caring individual with the ability to leave comments at lightning speed and still have enough time to tend to his amazing blog. With the blogfests and 'weekly wrap-ups' he puts together an ensemble of fun. Let us hope he never leaves our world because we'd be lost without him.

2. Big Inspiration - Rose Cooper

This amazing author/illustrator helps me navigate through the world of middle grade a little less terrified. Her work can be found on her blog, in local shops, and of course at all bookstores. From her amazing Doodle Divas to the Blogtastic Novels this girl is nothing short of amazing.

3. You had me at SOLO - Talli Roland

Her novels have continued to soar to new heights. She took a leap of faith going self-publishing and I'm more impressed every time a new book is released. She shows dedication to her writing and her fans that people should mimic. Even with a baby on the way Talli knows just how to keep a sparkle in everyone's eye.

4. Workin' the Crazy - Candyland

This woman knocks me off my feet. Her blog is a stepping stone for a needy child, military in need of entertainment, and anyone else in need of help. She has overcome obstacle after obstacle and yet even when she is still struggling through life has time for all of us. If there was a medal I could award her she'd already have it... *jots down pony award idea*

5. Literary Awesome - Jessica Bell

She created a journal that inspired others. People who hated being rejected but wrote beyond beautiful pieces suddenly had a place to call home. Jessica Bell's heart stopping work and go-getter attitude makes me excited to see what she'll be tackling next. Step into the world of The Vine Leaves Literary Journal.