Here's to a wonderful 2023 for all of us!
I have found a new home for this blog. You can now find me on WordPress! Here is the link to my new site:
The Writers Circle – The Place For writers (wordpress.com)
In addition, I have been sharing on YouTube as well.
Love a good podcast? Visit me at Write It!
I love new books!
Just last week, I went book shopping and came home with four new ones to add to my ever-growing, to- read pile.
NEW RELEASE
I have a new release scheduled for March 25th! The name is 3 Cabins... check out what it will be about...
3 Cabins
Have you noticed that one "over-the-top" mom at school who you know is a stay-at-home mom but always wears makeup, jewelry, and high heels to drop her children off in carpool?
You know, the one who looks like she would rather be at happy hour but attends every PTA meeting, event, and volunteer activity?
That mom is me, Leaha Singleton. Welcome to my not-so-glamorous life.
I have lived this glamorous lie for quite some time now. That is, until a couple of weeks ago. Saying that my past has finally caught up with me is the truth, but an understatement.
My life has begun to change! And it all started when I ran upon two secret cabins.
The Leaha Singleton roller coaster is on fire, so have a seat and strap yourself in tight.
Coming soon to Amazon!
What are your thoughts on reading books? Should a writer/author be a reader as well?
I think so. Please allow me to explain why:
1. It helps us to know what has already been written
2. It keeps us up to date on current plot trends
3. Reading will help keep us inspired
4. The more we read, the more we can learn about the craft of writing
For me personally, reading takes me away to a far-off place. It allows me to escape my current reality, even if it's for 15 or 20 minutes. That reason in itself keeps me turning the pages.
Sometimes we all need to escape for a while...do you agree?
Do you write when you're not in the mood?
Family history and traditions with Author Deanna Martinez-Bey
Do you find yourself spending too much money buying store-bought
desserts? Have you tried baking desserts at home to find they require
too many ingredients that you don't have on hand?
The Ultimate
Guide To Easy Desserts offers you a way out of store-bought, expensive,
chemical-laden desserts. Learn simple recipes you can make in a snap.
Discover desserts you may have never heard of before, what they are, and
how to make them.
Deanna will share with you easy dessert
recipes along with tips and tricks that make baking fun and easy. Enjoy
baking alone for your family and friends or enjoy baking with family and
friends, creating memories that will last forever.
Check out my new book...just in time for Holiday baking:
The Ultimate Guide To Easy Desserts
Other cookbooks:
Who's ready for Christmas in July?
Janine's Cool Cats and Reviews did me the honor of sharing my new release on her blog!
Two Girls and an Oven is a story that revolves around a small bakery during the Holidays. Please take a look at what Janine had to say about my book:
Janine's Cool Cats and Reviews
To purchase a paperback or Kindle copy today, visit my Amazon Author Page
TODAY IS THE DAY!
Cook On The Bright Side is live on Amazon! You can purchase it in paperback or for Kindle. It is also available in Kindle Unlimited.
Three young, driven girls gathered at a coffee shop to study. Chloe,
Cora, and Callie called themselves triple C. Out of over 4,000 people at
UNC Asheville, these three bonded over a mean panini and hot drinks.
Years
passed, they each graduated and grew, but their friendship remained
intact. After a tragic Covid-19 incident, their lives quickly changed,
and a promise was made.
Will they be able to keep their commitment or would it be the demise of their friendship?
Cookbooks,
recipes, and blogging change the course of their lives forever. Join
these ladies as they feel the highs and lows of friendship, family, and
love.
Recipes from the story are included at the end of the book.
Cook On The Bright Side
Three young, driven girls gathered at a
coffee shop to study. Chloe, Cora, and Callie called themselves triple
C. Out of over 4,000 people at UNC Asheville, these three bonded over a
mean panini and hot drinks.
Years passed, they each graduated and
grew, but their friendship remained intact. After a tragic Covid-19
incident, their lives quickly changed, and a promise was made.
Will they be able to keep their commitment or would it be the demise of their friendship?
Cookbooks,
recipes, and blogging change the course of their lives forever. Join
these ladies as they feel the highs and lows of friendship, family, and
love.
Recipes from the story are included at the end of the book.
Did you know that each of my fiction books end with recipes from the book? Yes, all of my books have a cooking or baking thread running through them.
For example: In Autumn's Wish, Cindy makes amazing peanut butter cookies! So, I added that recipe, among others at the end of the book.
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
¾ cup peanut butter
Cindy also shares her Sausage, Peppers, and Onions recipe!
Cindy’s Sausage, Peppers and Onions
1 package of Italian sausages
1 green bell pepper
1 large onion
Chances are, if the recipe was worth mentioning in the book, it is shared with you at the end!
I am excited to share a lovely review for my latest release: Autumn's Wish.
Autumn's Wish was previously written as Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star. I have had the privilege of working with Janine since the book was first published in 2011!
I would love for you to check out her review and her blog.
Thank you, Janine!
Janine's Cool Cats and Reviews
Do you write when you're not in the mood?
Today is the day!
Autumn's Wish is now LIVE on Amazon!
This book was originally published as Twinkle, Twinkle, Christmas Star. It has been re-written to include new character names, title, and cover.
Formerly an inspirational fiction piece, it is now a contemporary fiction novel.
Newspaper writer, Autumn, wishes on a star, seeking help to discover herself and live a life she considers worth living.
For
ten years, Autumn has been writing for the same newspaper, living in
the same apartment, going through the same routines, day after day.
One cold November morning, she decides that she has had enough and that change is long overdue.
New beginnings and self-transformation, with a touch of steamy romance, will have you wanting more of Autumn's Wish.
She asked. She believed. She received.
AUTUMN'S WISH
This book was previously published as, Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star.
We truly had an amazing trip! The day did arrive when we needed to travel back home. By the time Wednesday rolled around, we were both ready.
I woke up early, as usual, made coffee and began packing things up. We wound up leaving the condo to head to the car around 9:45 am.
We were plowed in! When the snow plow cleared the parking lot, it created a nice stack of snow and ice behind my Jeep. After several attempts, we realized there was no backing out over the pile...mainly because of the cars illegally parked behind us. The last thing we wanted was to cause an accident.
So, we went inside and asked for a shovel. Thankfully, they had one.
My saint of a husband shoveled us out. I brought the shovel back to the front desk and retrieved my ID that I had to leave in order to borrow the shovel.
I jumped in the Jeep and we were off...so I thought.
This guy driving a white truck was driving the wrong way through the parking lot and came within an INCH of hitting my Jeep! I had my window down and was SCREAMING at him! I said repeatedly, "You're going to hit me car!" If it wasn't for my husband slowly backing up as this jerk drove by, my Jeep would have been hit.
After many choice words that were NOT kind, at 10: 36 am, we were off. And the trip home was pleasant and rather relaxing. The views were spectacular.
And that, my friends was a 4 part recap of our vacation in Snowshoe, WV.
I have been having a fantastic, productive trip so far! Yesterday morning, I wrote the outline for my next novella. In the afternoon, I started writing the book. All that after finishing my WIP on Sunday.
It snowed yesterday and is snowing again today...so many good things to be thankful for.
As I prepared for my day today, I realized that my book release for Autumn's Wish is just days away!
March 5th is the official book release on Amazon. Wow! That went fast.
Autumn's Wish is available for pre-order NOW on Kindle:
Book Description:
Newspaper writer, Autumn, wishes on a star, seeking help to discover herself and live a life she considers worth living.
For
ten years, Autumn has been writing for the same newspaper, living in
the same apartment, going through the same routines, day after day.
One cold November morning, she decides that she has had enough and that change is long overdue.
New beginnings and self-transformation, with a touch of steamy romance, will have you wanting more of Autumn's Wish.
She asked. She believed. She received.
AUTUMN'S WISH
This book was previously published as, Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star.
Thank you!
Yesterday, I mentioned that today, I would be venturing out into the cold. Well, this morning, that is exactly what I did!
If you have TicTok...
Watch me walk though the snow...
I bundled up, which you can see in the above photo and ventured out. It has been snowing for hours and has yet to let up. The icy snow was pelting me in the face at one point and made me giggle while recording my video.
I walked over to the Starbucks, that I point out in my recording, and got cup of decaf to warm me up. They have no tables and only allow 8 people in at a time. But, I got my coffee!
More fun news... I completed writing my WIP which was a novella. I will do the final edit when I get back home. Today, I am starting on the outline for another book.
This trip has been relaxing and productive so far!
My tall, decaf, caramel macchiato with almond milk.
Our trip to Snowshoe, WV part 1 The drive
Last years weekend in Snowshoe post
Yesterday, my husband and myself drove to Snowshoe, West Virginia. It's a dual trip of sorts. My husband will snowboard and I will write, write, write! My plan is to finish the novella I am working on and start another one.
Last year when we drove up, we encountered a few interesting situations. You can read about them here:
Weekend in Snowshoe, West Virginia: The things I did and saw
We remembered when we saw the first Dollar General store, that we drove by so many last time. We decided to count them this trip. We drove by 9 Dollar General stores on the way here! If we drove by 9, imagine how many more there are that we didn't drive by! People in Virginia and West Virginia love their Dollar General's.
This was us driving behind a hay truck, before it started to snow.
My expression after counting numerous Dollar General stores and getting stuck behind a truck loaded with hay.
Tomorrow, I will go outside and explore! That should be fun....stand by for the post!
Check out me new logo! It screams...ME! It has everything I love about being an author: the color pink, books, coffee, and reading glasses! OK, maybe I don't love my reading glasses, but I DO love the logo.
It was created by Missy Farrow and here is her Instagram page for you to follow: Mfarrowsocialmedia
Missy also has a fantastic blog that will make you laugh: Missy Farrow on social
When she was creating this masterpiece, we discussed how a social media logo should be simple and not contain too many details because the photos are so small on most of the social media sites. I completely agree and am thankful that she pointed that out!
Family history and traditions with Author Deanna Martinez-Bey
Book release: The Ultimate Guide To Cookies
Maybe a more direct question would be: Do you write when you don't feel like it?
If only there was a direct answer to that question...
I would have to say: Yes and No.
The key to completing a writing project is to plan for time to write
each day or week. However, what if you are sick or going through a
difficult time in your life? Do you write anyway, regardless of your
circumstances?
Well...sometimes I do and sometimes I don't.
I find that if I am feeling icky, as in not feeling 100% in my physical body, I can still write and write well.
I have also found that if I'm REALLY sick, I can not by any means put the words together to write at all!
In addition, if I have something really heavy weighing on my mind, I
have a hard time writing. If I have minor things on my mind, I
have no problem setting them aside to write and sometimes, just
sometimes, writing will help me get through the circumstances and I will
feel better as a result.
Only you truly know if you are capable of writing according to how you
are feeling. What is right for me may not be right for you. You may find
that writing will help you feel better no matter what you are going
through in your life.
The only way to know for sure is to give it a try.
Tips:
Book release: The Ultimate Guide To Cookies
Family history and traditions with Author Deanna Martinez-Bey
Have I mentioned that I have a podcast for writers? I do!
It is called Write It! and I talk about all kinds of valuable information for writers. You should check it out:
I am excited to announce the release of my new book, The Ultimate Guide To Cookies!
It is available on Amazon for Kindle and in paperback. Today is release day!
In this book, I include tips and tricks to making the perfect cookies. I also include many of my favorite cookie recipes!
Valentine's Day is just around the corner and this book will assist you in baking cookies for the ones you love. It will also make a fantastic Valentine's gift for the baker or sweet tooth in your life.
Do you find yourself spending too much money on store-bought cookies?
Have you tried baking cookies to have them turn out as hard as hockey
pucks or too soft and crumbly? The Ultimate Guide To Cookies offers you a
way out of store-bought, chemical-laden cookies!
Learn all the
best and easiest tips and tricks to make cookies from the comfort of
your kitchen. Make a batch whenever you have a craving and save money
too.
Deanna will share how to bake cookies, tips, and tricks to the perfect bite, and recipes to get you started.
Cookies
make fantastic gifts for all occasions, or “just because.” For just a
few dollars, you can put all of her tips and recipes into practice and
find your sweet tooth satisfied and your bank account full.
Your
family and friends will adore you even more and may start asking you to
bring the cookies to all of your parties and gatherings!
