Book Release! All the Way Home

Adult romance BY KIM MILLS

So a while back (five years ago? Maybe more?) I started following a sassy Canadian soldier's wife (@reccewife) on Twitter. She shot from the hip, and told it like it was, and I liked her style. Her resolution to treat people to dinner while her husband was deployed was intriguing. And her blog posts were poignant and real.

Fast forward a few years, and Kim and I have become virtual friends through several other platforms, including a group of Canadian military bloggers on Facebook. She recently MC'd a national event to mark the 25th Anniversary of Canadian Military Family Services. And her name has been mentioned more than once since I arrived in the US--she had spoken the year before to Canadian military families here in the US National Capitol region.

While managing a busy family, a well-visited blog, speaking engagements and a meaningful life as a military spouse, Kim has written a novel--a Canadian military romance novel, to be exact. And I'm so happy to be able to support her as she releases it to the public today. In her words:

"I wrote this book because I wanted to read a story about average Canadian combat soldiers and the people who loved them during the war in Afghanistan.

I’m hoping that maybe there’s a few others out there who were looking for stories like that, too." 

Kim's bio:

Kim Mills intended to grow up to be a psychologist with a loft apartment and 3 cats. Instead she dropped out of college and married a teenage soldier and had babies. No one ever asks her to speak on career day.

After working and volunteering in Social Services for years, Kim began writing in 2011 on what is now the Canadian military family blog She is Fierce. Somehow, that led her here. No one is more surprised than she is.

You can find Kim with the childhood sweetheart she's been married to for over 15 years, along with her 3 kids and their border collie Trooper, making home wherever the army sends them.

ALL THE WAY HOME is book one of a series of books (The Way Home Series), and today is it's Book Birthday! 

More about the book (from Amazon):

Juliette has been walking through life broken and hurting for years, always relying on her friend Tavish to be there for her when she needs him. As soon as he met her, Tavish knew he would do anything for her, that is, until he enlists in the infantry and leaves town, and possibly Juliette, for good.
Soon the events of 9/11 change everything, and an upcoming deployment to Afghanistan prompts him to reconnect with Juliette 5 years later. Despite the time apart she soon finds herself leaning on him again as their reunion leads to something much more. That’s when tragedy strikes during his deployment, and Tavish comes home shattered. Is Juliette strong enough to offer him the support he has always given her? Will it be enough for both of them to find their way home?

All The Way Home is a Canadian-based military love story, the first in the Way Home series but is a stand-alone with it's own HEA. 

This book is intended for audiences 18+. For those dealing with combat related PTSD, some scenes may be triggering. 


You can purchase ALL THE WAY HOME on Amazon. And find out more about Kim on her blog: She is Fierce which is well worth a read.

Congratulations Kim!

Brenda

SKIN COVER REVEAL!

Happy Day-After-Valentine's Day!

I have the absolute best friends, family, followers and fans, so today I bring you love in a different form...the cover release for SKIN!

Scheduled to publish via Fortunate Frog Fiction (my wee froggie personal publishing company) in May of 2016, SKIN is a Young Adult Paranormal Romance set in one of my favourite places on earth, Prince Edward Island. Think red sand beaches and windswept dunes. Think lighthouses and wild roses. Starfish, seagulls and...Selkies! 

Here's a bit about it:

With a name like Ocean, you’d think moving to Prince Edward Island would be simple. But since she crossed that huge bridge to the land of red sand, Ocean’s life has been far from normal—it’s been downright dangerous. Trouble seems to follow her, and she’s got the bruises to prove it. 

And then there’s her mysterious neighbour, Sam...who seems to know more about her history than she does herself. 

When Ocean finally steps into the salty waves with Sam, she realizes that her life has been based on a lie, and that she is missing something...something she never knew existed. 

Her skin.

Ready to see it? 

And now...

*

*

*

*

The first peek of my new novel, SKIN...

*

*

*

*

*

*

You're almost there...

*

*

*

*

*

Ta Da!!!

*

*

Isn't it pretty? Glendon at Streetlight Graphics has done an amazing job of taking my musings and turning them into a beautiful design. Thank you to my family, friends and even my agent, Fran, for putting up with the back and forth of fine tuning it. I can't wait to share more of SKIN with you in the next few months, and bring another book baby into the world in May. Please let me know what you think in the Comments!

Happy Day-after-Valentine's Day!

Want to find out more about SKIN? Interested in participating in my release party,  reviewing an ARC or highlighting SKIN on your Blog? Comment below or message me on Facebook or Twitter! Don't forget to follow me!

Brenda

Five Reasons Women SHOULD Consider a Career in the Military

There's been a lot of discussion in the Canadian media this past week about sexual misconduct in the military environment. Our Chief of Defence Staff, Gen Tom Lawson commissioned a review of our armed forces in 2014, and the findings were reported in a document released this week here.

It's a pretty harsh report, denoting the military environment as 'hostile' and 'sexualized'.

Funny, I never felt that way in my years of uniformed service. The possibility existed, yes, and there were moments where I felt uncomfortable. But never hostile, and no more so than I'd feel in many other male-dominated environments. Or that I'd felt working at my previous job at Tim Horton's Coffee Shop. Let's just say I had my butt pinched more than once as a waitress. And NEVER as a uniform wearing military woman.

Ask any woman who's walked into a previously men-only board room, or a football pitch, and they'd likely say they felt the same way. And as women continue to work their way up into a 'mans world' this will continue to happen.

Society needs to change, and the military is just one aspect of it.

But.

In spite of all of the issues, the armed forces are a GREAT place for women to work. Especially now. Why?

1. Equal pay for equal rank. Nowhere else are you so clearly eligible for the exact same pay for the same work, no matter what gender. If you are a three year corporal or a two year captain, you make the same pay for the same job. Pay is tightly controlled by a series of rules.

2. You get paid to keep fit. That's right. It's expected that you will exercise. It's part of your job. What other careers allow you time off of work to go to that kettle-bell class?

3. Maternity benefits. In Canada our military women get paid time off of up to a year for maternity benefits. Bonding time with baby is so important. And our armed forces allow women that time.

4. You get to learn to shoot. Or fix trucks. Or drive big machines. Or fly fast airplanes, or run hospitals or save lives. There are so many options. And you can finish your university education with no debt, a job waiting and a decent starting salary. One of my favourite things about completing my degree with the ROTP program was the fact that my books and equipment were also covered. No huge textbook bills to worry about. And I still use my degree that the military paid for. Win-win.

5. Opportunities for advancement. Yes, there are women generals, and colonels, and warrant officers. These opportunities are improving (especially now) and career progression is more and more regulated.


And the best part? This new report will only make things even better, as leadership continues to push for gender equality. For no-tolerance on sexual harassment in the workplace, and for safe, victim-centred reporting processes. Where else in the workforce can you find that?

Not at the coffee shop.


Brenda

Military Monday: That Time of Year

Make new friends,

But keep the old,

One is silver- 

and the other gold. 

~Anonymous

Yes, it's that time of year again. The posting messages are out, the houses are on the market, and the house hunting trips are booked.

April in the military is not just about new beginnings--not just spring and newness and fresh air. April is the time when the realization starts to hit that this too must come to an end. And when the emotional roller-coaster starts it's trek uphill for both the leavers and the left.

There are two sides of each move and, depending on the year, military families experience both. Every year we know it's coming. Some years we leave, some years we don't. Sometimes the goodbyes are more permanent, and sometimes they are more like see you next year. Sometimes blossoming connections get cut short and come to a quick and final end, and sometimes they are just the beginnings of deep-rooted, life-long friendships.

This year our family gets to stay put. It's a relief in some ways...no boxes, no stressful search for a new home, no schools to pick and trips to plan. Even writing about it elevates my heart rate and makes me sweat. Heck, we still have boxes from our 2014 move, waiting for me to dive in and organize (and they'll likely continue to wait until the next move...).

But, like every year before this one, staying put is bittersweet...because already the process of goodbye has begun.  I have several new friends who are preparing to move, and although I'm happy for them, it makes me sad to think that we may never see each other again when they do. I know from experience that it is much, much easier to leave than to be left. The leaver has the excitement of new adventures ahead, and the left has a hole where a friend once was.

What's amazing about military families is that they keep doing it. They keep searching out friends, even knowing there's no permanence to the situation they are in. They push themselves to say hello, even when they are emotionally fragile from last year's loss. Some posts they may spend in a rut of loneliness, but they know that maybe the next time, the next place has a BFF just waiting to be discovered.

And the result? Maybe not in all cases, but in my case a wealth of wonderful, life-long connections. Kindred spirits from afar. Friendships across the globe. People I love dearly and would do anything for. Unique, amazing individuals who I may never see again, but who have touched my life.

And I'd like to think, in some small way, I've touched theirs.

Sure I'm sad it's that time of year. I'm sad to know that my friends are leaving. But this world has a way of keeping the connections we make. I know there's a new friend waiting, just around the corner. And I know my old friends are always there.

Brenda

15 Seconds

I've been more of a lurker on social media lately, partially because I've been focusing on my latest manuscript, partially because my children have been on spring break...and partially because a lot of what I've seen lately just makes me angry. There's a whole lot of crazy out there, and crazy seems to find it's voice on the anonymous forum of the internet. Un-researched medical claims, sensational news articles and blog posts designed solely for the purpose of annoying and creating a stir. Or thoughtless comments that blow things way out of proportion.

You know what I mean...the anti-vaxxer who refuses--loudly--to admit plain science and then causes a potentially deadly measles outbreak. The celebrity who publicly bashes another because his or her favourite didn't win an award. The president/prime minister haters and lovers and the gun toters/gun haters and all of the others who apparently believe in their causes enough to use foul language, utter threats and just be downright mean.

Does anyone else out there feel that things are rapidly spiralling out of control?

I grew up in an environment where your words--however they were brought into this world--had consequences. I live in a society where honour and integrity are not just buzz words. They are a matter of life and death. I'm trying to teach my children that what they do and what they say matters, and our words can have profound influence on others around us.

So when I pop on my Mac to check on what's going on in the world, it scares the heck out of me to see the lack of integrity shown on a daily basis on my screen.

Don't get me wrong. I love my social media. I think it is a great tool. I love the convenience. I love the speed at which I can find out things--is there traffic on the highway? What's the weather? How is my cousin in France? When is that movie coming out and is it worth seeing?

But rapidity of social media response time often fogs the integrity of the response itself. It's sooooo easy to just post that knee-jerk comment. So simple to post a nasty come-back. Just a couple of key-strokes and that opinionated tweet is out there, ready to wreak havoc on the world. Piece of cake, right?

But a mere 140 characters can have LIFE CHANGING effects.

Ask Justine Sacco, who posted a simple tweet that ruined her life. Or Alicia Ann Lynch who posted a photo of her somewhat-tasteless halloween costume. Perhaps if they had just taken 15 seconds to consider the consequences of their posts, their lives would be different now. And perhaps if the shamers had taken a few seconds and actually thought that there was a real person on the other end of all this...well maybe things would be different.

There are some lights out there, though...beacons in the dismal world of thoughtless posting. I particularly like Emma Watson, who is trying to make a better world, one step at a time. Or Ellen DeGeneres, who seems to have a genuinely good heart, and uses her fame for the better of others.

Do you have a process by which you pre-check your social media posts?

Or are you a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants poster? I'm an agonizer. I write something. I re-read it. I read it again, I wonder what it will sound like to others. Will what I have written be construed as something else? Will it affect a friend or loved one? Will it negatively affect my career? I admittedly suck at twitter chat forums because it takes me so long to get my thoughts down accurately. Heck, this fifteen paragraph blog has taken me five hours to write.

Maybe I'm just old fashioned. But I'd rather take 15 seconds to reread a few words than post a tweet that could harm myself or someone I love.

Or better yet, I'll just not post anything at all.

Brenda

7 Reasons Why Military Wives are Stressed Out All of the Time (But you may not know it)

I've haven't posted much on my Military Monday blogs over the past few weeks, not for lack of things to post about, but because I had SO MANY things I wanted to post about, and didn't know where to start. I'll admit, I hadn't planned a post for today. Today is 'Family Day' in British Columbia. A provincial holiday designed to encourage family together time. A great initiative, even when together time means posting on your blog while your teens snore happily from their beds at 9 a.m..

This weekend I read two blog posts. The first one, posted by a friend of mine who is currently on a duty station in the United Kingdom, entitled The Military Family Vaccination Problem. You can read it here on Canadian Army Wife's blog. It struck a cord with me, having dealt with this very problem a few weeks ago, so much so that I wrote a long, drawn out comment. Incidentally, the same blog was reposted this morning on the Canadian Medical Association's Blog which you can find here.

The second blog was by Dr. Psych Mom on Huffington Post's blog, entitled: 7 Reasons Your Wife is Stressed Out All The Time. It can be found here.

Both blogs highlighted real problems. One was more military-centric, the other more general. But they got me thinking. I have many, many friends who are military wives who somehow manage to hold down a job, raise healthy, happy children, and meet the 'expectations' of being a military wife with panache. I'd even like to include myself in this group. These ladies take the term Supermom to a new level.

What you don't see, though, is the exhaustion beneath the facade. Why? Because even though they might be stressed out, they have learned to put on a brave face. Their problems are minimal, because hey, their husbands job is so much more stressful than anything they could ever do.

1. Military Wives are Judged Differently Than Other Wives.

This may sound picky, but it's the truth. How many times have I heard, 'But you must be used to it by now'. Or: 'You should have known what you were getting yourself into when you married him'. The thing is, there is nothing you could do to prepare yourself for three days of barfing kids in a snowstorm a thousand miles from your family while your husband is under fire in Afghanistan. Nothing. But it happens.

2. Women Need More Sleep Than Men.

I love that Dr. Rodman included this in her blog, and I'm reposting it here, because in the military lifestyle, the sleep thing is even more complicated. There is no way a military wife would suggest her hubby gets up to deal with the crying baby when she knows he's going to be training with live ammunition the next day. Or flying a multi-million dollar aircraft. Or searching in broiling ocean waters for a lost fisherman. And when hubby is deployed, she's on her own...often for months at a time. If she doesn't get up to soothe the crying baby, no one will. And the toddler gets up at 5 a.m....

3. Help Is Often Far Away.

The closest I have lived to my mother (i.e. the go-to person for mothering matters) is 600 km away. Right now she is an entire country away. More than 3000 km away. And my bestest friend (other than my husband) is almost the same distance. Add time zone differences and busy lifestyles, and I'm lucky if I speak with either of them once a week. That's pretty typical for military wives. And if their most trusted friends are not nearby, they won't ask for help.

4. The Help That's Close is Inaccessible.

This one is tricky. The military is wonderful for providing help for military spouses. We have many, many resources available to us. Social workers, support groups, discussion panels, gym facilities, casual childcare... the list goes on. Especially in Canada, the Military Family Resource Centres (MFRCs) are a huge help in navigating the lifestyle we have chosen to lead. The problem is not lack of resources. The problem is accessing them.

Occasionally getting to the resource, i.e. basic geography, is the issue. Take Ottawa for example. The city is vast. The MFRC is wonderful. But for most wives, the actual programmes are at least a 45 min drive to access.

The biggest problem with accessing help, though, is the stigma associated with it. Military wives, like their husbands, do not want to be seen as weak. They want to be supermom. They want to look like they've got it together. So walking into an MFRC to access a support group for deployed spouses is the last thing they want to do. Nor do they want to tell hubby (who is getting shot at on a regular basis) that they need help.

It's a problem with no ready solution. The MFRCs continue to search for one, though, and for that they should be applauded.

5. Military Wives Deal With Many Life Stressors At Once.

Moving itself is a stressor. Move to a new country, new job, new doctors and new schools with a new rental agreement, an unsold previous home, two toddlers and a newborn? That's a lot of stressors. Add a husband that leaves three days later for a 1.5 month 'indoctrination course'? Yeah. And don't say that would never happen, because I've done it.

Military wives deal with this stuff every one to four years, Sometimes less. Moving is hugely stressful, and there are always issues. Always problems. And mom often takes the brunt of it. The vaccination issues that Canadian Army Wife illustrated are just the tip of the iceberg. Finding a new family doctor (read about it here) is one of my biggest headaches. Same with dealing with new schools and trying to explain an educational issue for the umpteenth time to a new teacher. It's hard to explain how stressful that is to hubby, because as Dr. Rodman says, women are judged differently than men. A dad who walks into the school with a child with learning difficulties is much more likely to be listened to. Especially if he's still wearing his uniform.

Add PTSD into the equation, and life gets even more complicated. Great articles on the PTSD struggle can be found here and here.

6. Tradition Is A Harsh Taskmaster.

Oh boy. Tradition. The unwritten code of etiquette that dictates the everyday life a military family. Rank, duty, honour, expectation. All difficult to manoeuvre and all without a handbook. And each post has it's own micro-culture that you have to figure out upon arrival. Talk about stress. And a lot of military wives have no previous military experience, so learning how to manoeuvre life on base is like learning a completely new culture. With no course to explain it.

7. Guilt.

Guilt is a four letter word masquerading as a five.

In most military families, the husband is the breadwinner. His job--a soldier/airman/marine/sailor--dictates where the family lives, when he works, how long he works and what he does. The military 'owns' him, so to speak.

Most military wives get it. They don't want to complain. They understand that his job is hard. They get that they have to move...again. They understand that hubby has to be deployed...again. But they have to reconcile that understanding with the complex difficulties of their life. They wouldn't dream of asking for help because they see that as weakness. They feel their problems are minuscule compared to hubby's 24-hour-a-day job in the desert. He needs to focus on staying safe. He needs to know that everything's okay at home--his wife is managing, his kids are alright, the bills are being paid and the household is just fine--so that he can concentrate on his dangerous job. So they feel guilty that they even think about being stressed, which only makes them more stressed. And then they feel guilty that they themselves are stressed when hubby's job is just so much more stressful.

And do they talk about it? No.


As I mentioned above, the good news is that there are resources available. And military leaders are aware of these stressors and are trying to help. Talking about stressors for military wives is the first step. Are you a military spouse? What stresses you out? How do you deal with stress? Do you talk about stressors with your husband or do you go elsewhere? What do you find helps?

I'd love to hear below.

Brenda

Blog Tour: The Fall of Our Secrets

Today I'd like to welcome Tracy Gardner Beno to the blog! Tracy has just released her novel The Fall of our Secrets, an adult mystery with romance, relationships and some serious emotion. The book follows childhood friends as they are reunited and rekindle their friendship as adults, eventually unravelling secrets and dealing with what is revealed.

Tracy agreed to a quick interview, so here goes:

Hi Tracy, thanks for visiting the blog! So, I'm curious...What caused you to first discover you wanted to be a writer?

I’ve been writing since I was a kid. I started with song lyrics to short tunes I’d come up with on my guitar or piano. Sometime around the age of 13, I began writing short stories and poems. I loved English class throughout school, always felt like the weird kid because I’d get excited about book reports and creative writing assignments. In spite of that, I never entertained the idea of being a writer. My parents were both teachers, and my mom is a practical woman. She loves to write and has such an engaging voice, but she raised her two daughters to seek career paths that would allow us to easily support ourselves. After working for years as a Registered Nurse, and having my second child, I sat down at the computer one day and just started typing. The words poured out of me. I had an idea for a story about two friends, and I found once I had the first few paragraphs down, I couldn’t stop thinking about the characters. I’ve since completed two more novels. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to nurture my love of words, my addiction to writing. I know I will be writing long into my life, it’s something I just can’t resist.

I know that feeling....Could you name at least one person who is or was influential in the writing of THE FALL OF OUR SECRETS and in what way?

This is a tough question, but I like it! There were a few influential people. When I was little, I had a childhood friend who moved away, and in an age before texting, facetime, snapchat, etc, we lost touch. I loved her and her family, and I always missed her and wondered what her life was like. I should point out here that in spite of my leanings toward mystery romance novels, my literary roots are deeply grounded in the darker side of fiction; I grew up on Stephen King. When I began writing again as an adult, I took a sweet childhood long-lost friend idea and twisted it into something dark, departing quickly from any resemblance to my real childhood friend.

One other person gets credit for me actually finishing The Fall of Our Secrets. Friend Rocsana invited me to join her book club a few years ago. I’ve never joined a club in my life. Not quite sure what made me say yes, but we began talking books, and when she asked to read the story I’d written, I was ashamed to admit I’d written all but the last few chapters. She is the reason I finished the story, at least when I did. Who knows how long I might have taken, procrastinator that I am!

Nothing like a good friend to help you along! What is coming up next for you in your writing career?

I have two stories in progress. One is a follow up to the coming of age novel I recently finished. The coming of age story explores nineteen year old Danni’s struggles after losing her twin, falling in love with the wrong man and finally finding the right one. The sequel is exciting for me, as I became so attached to Danni and her BFF Tommie and can’t wait to accompany them for “what happens next.”

The other book is a contemporary women’s fiction about a mother and her teenage daughter who are forced to start new lives in the stark beauty of Alaska, each discovering lost pieces of themselves they hadn’t realized were missing.

Thank you so much, Tracy for visiting. And good luck with your book!

Intrigued? You can buy Tracy's book here! And here's a little more about Tracy...

Tracy Gardner Beno is a Metro Detroit native who has lived in and around small, rural communities like those described in The Fall of Our Secrets. Her stories draw readers in with recognizable characters and real emotion, seasoned with intrigue and a dash of humor. She loves spending time with her husband and two children, reading, writing, and catching her favorite bands in concert as often as possible. She works as a Registered Nurse in her day job and when she's not writing novels she contributes short stories and articles to Verite Magazine where she's a staff writer.

You can find out even more about Tracy on her website: http://www.tracygardnerbeno.com.

Or on Facebook or Twitter!

Brenda.

Military Monday: Posting Phase One

Phase One: Real Estate Research

Orders received yet: No.

Estimated TTD (time 'til departure): Unknown. Maybe six months?

Confession time.

I am addicted to real estate websites. Maybe not as bad as I'm addicted to Sherlock but--it's bad. 

I have an app, and I'm not afraid to use it. 

It starts innocently enough...sometimes just days after moving into our current house. Checking to make sure the price we paid for our brand-spanking new bungalow/two-story/high-ranch/colonial/salt-box is reasonable. Usually brought on by a For Sale sign in our neighbourhood. Oh look! That house is for sale! Wonder what it's worth? Why don't I just check? Oh! Look how they decorated that room! I like that kitchen...! 

Innocent mind candy, something to fill a spare moment. Checking on my iPhone while waiting for a child after school, peeking in at lunch time to see what's new...that sort of thing.

But then hubs has a meeting with someone and a whisper comes home. Just a possibility--nothing definite. They need a (insert job here) in (insert base A here) or maybe (insert second possibility B here). In our world these whispers are just that--whispers. Gossip. Like little teases, thrown out to tweak your curiosity. 

Thus begins a manic website-checking phase. It only lasts a day or two, maybe a week. Checking neighbourhoods, ideal locations, proximity of schools, and most of all real estate-prices. This is, of course, accompanied by another, more serious evaluation of current home resale values, because we all know that what we sell determines what we can buy elsewhere. 

Things settle down. After all, it was just a rumour. No need to get too excited. 

I go back to the occasional check in, watching for For Sale signs and trying not to drive my husband crazy with the constant question... Any news?

And then another meeting happens. Or a phone call, or something that ratchets the possibility factor up from 50% to 98%. Suddently it's not Base A or Base B. It's only B. This is the conversation. The one that says 'There's always a chance you won't get posted to this base, but we've slotted you in.' 

Such sweet torture to the compulsive real-estate checker. 

Friends in the new area are called. Schools boundaries are researched, downloaded, printed out. Extra-curricular activities are mapped. And always the checking, checking, checking. Can we afford it? What if that one sells before we get our posting message?

Inevitably they do sell, and it's back to the websites. Look at that! A new house listed! Squirrel! 

And so begins the roller coaster known as Posting Season. Phase One of the Twelve Phases of Posting: Real Estate Research.The beginning of a loooooooooong journey of adventure and emotional upheaval. 

I've learned to love it. 

The thing is, I suspect I'm not alone in the military spouse world. Are you a Real Estate Researcher? Always on the look out for a new home? It's not that I don't love my current one. I do. I don't really want to move. I love our quiet home in the country...far enough away that we have no light pollution, yet close enough that I can work in the city. It's perfect. And would still be perfect if we were never posted again.

But I love to dream. I love the thrill of the search. 

Now...wasn't there a new home for sale on that street? 

I'm off to check...

Brenda

Note: I use this website for my addiction:  http://beta.realtor.ca/index.aspx?CultureId=1

What's your favourite?

Book Review: Here Without You by Tammara Webber

I bought my first Tammara Webber book about two years ago, based on a best-seller/inexpensive e-book recommendation on my Kindle.  It sounded fun, light, and cheap so I paid the three or four dollars and downloaded BETWEEN THE LINES.

I finished it in a day.

I downloaded the second book, WHERE YOU ARE. I devoured it. Then I waited...not very patiently I might add...for book three: GOOD FOR YOU. Same thing.

So when book four, HERE WITHOUT YOU, released I couldn't even wait to dig my Kindle out of the back seat of my car...which my husband had taken with him on a business trip. I downloaded it on my iPhone. Twenty four hours later, I'm writing this blog. For no other reason than I can't contain my gushing praise for a great book.

The Synopsis (From Ms. Webber's blog):

Everyone has secrets.
Some are buried so deep, their existence is forgotten.
But a secret never told can turn into a lie.
And in love, a lie is one thing:
Poison.
 
 
 Reid is in love with Dori, though she hasn't told her parents she's fallen hard for the guy they'd forbidden her to see. Now she's leaving for college, and Reid's promise not to push her to go public is wearing thin, especially when she can't - or won't - return those three important words he wants to hear.

 Five years ago, Brooke and Reid were a Thing. That relationship is long gone, detonated amid allegations of cheating - but they still share a secret that would stun everyone they know and alter public perception of them both if it ever comes out. And it's about to do just that.

 Here Without You is the fourth, final installment in the Between the Lines series, which includes: Between the Lines, Where You Are, and Good For You.


The BETWEEN THE LINES series is a New Adult series that follows Hollywood starlets as they discover love and learn that life can't be scripted. Emma, Reid, Brooke, Dori, and Graham have to deal with some serious issues, always underscored by the paparazzi's take on things. Lies get magnified and truths get altered by one picture, one rumor or one misunderstood gesture. In Reid and Dori's case, his past destructive behavior and his present celebrity status become a deterrent to her feelings for him. And the secrets they both hold could completely destroy the one good thing that's happened to either of them in a long time.

As a writer, I've found that I read more and more for pure enjoyment. If something doesn't catch me, doesn't entertain me, I don't want to read it. I'm not looking for deep literary tomes. I'm looking to fall in love with characters and live their problems with them. I'm looking for small truths revealed amidst real-to-life dialogue and story telling. Regardless of age range or genre. And if you're looking for something similar, this series is for you. Tammara Webber is...I don't have enough superlatives to put into words her amazingness. Or what a fabulous job she does at bringing characters to life. I want to shake Dori. I want to swoon over Reid. I want to hug River. I want you to READ THIS BOOK. It's just that good.  Two HUGE thumbs up.

Only down side? The 'fourth, final installment' part. Nooooooooooooo! Say it isn't so! I want more.


Brenda

Coming Soon!

I'm very excited to announce that Ann Marie Meyers, author of the soon-to-be-released middle grade novel UP IN THE AIR, will be stopping by my blog on CANADA DAY for a quick interview!

Check back on July 1st to meet her and hear a little of her publishing journey.


Brenda

Throwback Thursday: The F Factor

Go team D4K!

Firstly, did you enter my little contest? See my contest post below. Contest closes on Monday the 10th, so hurry!

Also, did you see THIS fabulous press release at Jolly Fish Press? Yippee! I want to hug it. I want to print it off and laminate it and post it on lampposts and bus stations and send one to all of my friends. Seeing as I live in the boonies and there are no lampposts or bus stations to be found, I'm doing the next best thing...I'm blogging about it. :)

Me hanging out in a Griffin
Search and Rescue Helicopter

In honour of this momentous occasion, I thought I'll be linking you back to some of my This Mom is Overdunne (see tab above) blog posts over the next few weeks. My Overdunne blog started as a writing/military family blog, and I documented a lot of my thoughts and feelings about life as a 'dependent' during that time. One of my favourite posts was in the middle of a deployment--while my husband was in the Middle East on a six month tour. It's the tiniest bit controversial...but it really expresses how I felt during that time. I'm not generally a swear-er (is that even a word?) but there are some days where you just need to say something vile to get it out of your system. It also gives you a bit of background on why I wrote DEPENDENT. You can find the post HERE.

How is your F factor today?

Brenda

Ice in April? (And the Liebster award...)

YUCK. Spring may have sprung but my back yard is covered in glassy ice like this:


Not cool. So I was fortunate enough to be able to opt out of the nasty commute today, and I'm using the unexpected day off to get caught up on a few things (like sitting by the fireplace, reading my book, drinking coffee...) and maybe do a teensy bit of writing. The interwebs are soooooooo slooooow...(ice on the receiver?) so hopefully we'll be able to upload.

Yesterday I was tagged x 2 by writer friends for the Liebster Award--Thanks Yelena and Vanessa! I'm not a big 'tagger', but there are some great questions and why not? So here goes.

The first thing you have to do is tell 11 (eleven) little known facts about yourself. Hmmmm.... That's hard.

1. I LOVE curry. Thai curry, Indian curries, green curry, yellow curry...you name it. I love it. Just as long as it's not fire-hot spicy. I buy the frozen stuff whenever I can, but nothing beats a great curry restaurant.

2. After the curry, my favorite dessert in the whole world is Sticky Toffee Pudding. Best place in the world to get it? The Woodman Inn in Fernham, UK.

3. When I was six I was convinced I would grow up to be an obstetrician.

4. I own and play a 31 string Celtic harp. Not well, but there ya go.

My lovely harp

5. I also play the piano, again not well. An aside- one of my childhood piano teachers is now the
President of the Canadian Medical Association! (Congrat's Chris!)

6. I was once a member of the New Brunswick Gifted Children's Association.

7. I graduated at the very top of my high school graduating class, winning a whole bunch of awards. A decade or so later I had kids and they took all of my brain cells with them. ;)

8. Do I really have to do 11?

9. I used to have a cat named 'None Of Your Business'. We called her NOYB.

10. If there is music with lyrics playing, I can't concentrate. I can only write with soft instrumental playing in the background...or nothing at all.

11. This is number 11. I love number 11. And the colour green. Did you notice I spelled colour with a 'U'?

Phew! That part is done!! On to the Questions... I'll answer 5 of each Vanessa's and Yelena's.

From Vanessa...

1. What is your favorite vacation you've ever taken? The last big family trip we took--to Italy, Croatia and Greece. A combination of Villas, Apartments and Cruising. More about it here:

2. What is your biggest pet peeve? Toss up b/w people chewing with their mouth open (ick) and people who throw still-lit cigarette butts out of their windows while driving on major highways. Especially at night. Drives me CRAZY.

3. What is the scariest movie you've ever seen? Amityville Horror? Couldn't watch the whole thing. I don't do scary movies.
4. Name one food you cannot live without. Popcorn.

5. Pirates or Ninjas? Pirates. Especially the Johnny Depp kind. Sorry ninja folks! But I do love my ninjas too!
From Yelena:

1.  When did you start writing? I started writing seriously about six years ago.

2. Who is the one author you'd like to sit down with and talk if you could? JK Rowling. I'd love to know what goes on in her head.

3. Who is your favorite fictional character? Elizabeth Bennett.

4. Beach house, country house or city apartment? Would love to have all three?? But live in a country house now...

5. Tea or coffee? COFFEEEEEEEEEEE. Need to go make some after all of these questions!

So there you go!! And now to tag other poor unfortunate souls...

The Liebster Rules: 1. The Liebster Award is given to bloggers by bloggers.
2. Each blogger should post 11 facts about himself / herself.
3. Each blogger should answer the 11 questions that are asked by the nominating blogger.
4. Choose 11 new bloggers to nominate for the Award and link to them in the post.
5. Create 11 new questions for your nominees.
6. Go back to their pages and tell them they've been nominated.
7. No tag backs.

My Questions??? (shamelessly plagiarized from other Liebsters)

1. Tea or Coffee? This is important!
2. Favourite place you've ever lived?
3. Plotter or Pantser?
4. What's the biggest writing related gaff/writing crime you've committed?
5. When did you join twitter?
6. Favourite flower?
7. Favourite music to listen to while writing?
8. Write and edit at the same time, or edit at the end?
9. Do we have to do 11?
10. What's your favourite question to ask some poor unsuspecting blogger? (heh, heh, heh)
11. What time is it?

There! And I tag...

Vicki L Morrison (whose life is incredibly busy and will likely never have time to reply, but she IS my BFF...
And everyone else who has taken the time to read my drivel and get to the bottom.