Funny Farm: Why do I love this movie?

Have you ever seen, Funny Farm? It stars Chevy Chase and Madolyn Smith and was released in 1988.

Basically, it is about a couple who moves to "the country" so that the husband can write a novel. They have a variety of strange events that occur and make them second guess their decision of moving from the city to the country. The move pushes them apart and then ultimately pulls them back together.

I said all this to say, that for some odd reason, this movie encourages me as a writer. I'm sure we all have certain music, movies, and books that encourage us to do what we do and this is my movie of encouragement.

One of my friends on Instagram proposed a question yesterday, "What songs do you listen to when you write?" To her question, I responded that I will often have, Funny Farm playing in the background, but I prefer to write in silence.

Now it is out...I'm apparently a quirky writer. But aren't we all?

You may be wondering right now... What is the purpose of this post? And to you I say... I have no idea!

Author organization tip: Writing down your ideas 

Christmas Organizing book 

Let me help you create the perfect personal planner / organizer...

I am the Queen of organization. Often times it is helpful, like when I need to find something and at work, but to those who are not organized, I look like a freak of nature. I don't care though...I can find my stuff and they can't.


I mentioned in my previous post that I started a YouTube channel about life as an author. Well, you better believe I created a post about crafting your own, specialized personal planner.

Check out my video where I show and tell about planner I have tried before and why they didn't work for me...

Check out my snazzy socks...don't you love them? I have a new fascination with Instagram. I found a company called:  HAPPY SOCKS and I am head over heals for their socks. I will share my pictures after I make my purchase!  

In the mean time, enjoy my socks and my video.

My new YouTube Channel...Featured on the website of Diane Morasco, Best Selling Author!

Diane apparently loved the welcome video I posted on my new YouTube channel, so she featured it on her website!

I am beyond thankful for this opportunity! Diane, I appreciate you so much! Thank you for taking your time to share my life with your audience.

Please check out her website and her work as an author: Author Deanna Martinez-Bey Shares Her Writing Life...

As I mentioned, you can see my welcome video by following the link I posted to Diane's website. Here, I will share my second video about creating your own writing space as my new YouTube channel is about writing and life as an author...

 I hope you enjoy what I have to share! Please like and subscribe to my channel so I know you are there! Thank you for your time and support...I appreciate each and every one who supports me and what I love.

My newest feature at the Writer's Corner and Page158 Books

Hello, all! Check this out... Jencey, author of Writer's Corner has featured me on her blog!

Start Your Spring Right With Deanna Martinez-Bey! 
Thank you Jencey! I appreciate your time and your investment in me, as an author.


In addition to this fantastic news, my book, "When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee!", is also for sale at a local bookstore! Page158 Books is located in downtown Wake Forest, NC!

Lots of good things going on!

I have recently began my own YouTube channel about writing books. I will be posting about that very soon!

Follow your heart...even if the world doesn't think of you as "normal"

For many years I often thought that because I enjoyed many different things, that made me different and not normal. What is normal, anyway? That question is loaded and sounds like an entirely different blog post.

I have been thinking and have come to the conclusion that if I am not what this world considers, "normal" then I am one step ahead of the game when it comes to being happy and reaching my goals. Let me explain...

I enjoy writing, baking, cosmetology and personal training as well as being an administrative individual. I have always said, and I quote, "I don't like putting all of my eggs into one basket". I have noticed that so many people place all of their eggs into one basket when it comes to their income. Most people have one job that they depend on to pay the bills. Not me! I have three or four different avenues that bring income to our family. Know what? I love it this way!

For so many years I thought that something was wrong with me because I was not conforming to the standard, "normal" in this area. But, I am thankful now, for who I am and what I have chosen to do with my life.

Ultimately, my goal is to be a full time author. I will get there, but in the meantime I am having fun doing ALL of the things that I love.

Follow your heart and do you...no matter what the world may have to say about it.

 

 Click here to purchase: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee!

Janine's Cool Cats and Reviews: review of my book

I could not be more excited about this book review for: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee! 

I absolutely love Janine's thoughts and what she wrote about my book. What a humbling experience it has proven to be to be a published author. My readers make me successful and honest, professional bloggers like this help get the word out about my work.

Not only has Janine written a lovely review about my book, she also gave me a great rating on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Goodreads!

Please take a look at her blog and read her heartfelt review about my latest novel: Janine's Cool Cats and Reviews: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee! by Deanna Martinez-Bey - review

2017 Phrase Of Encouragement: Finding True Friendships

I am going to share a piece of my heart with you through this post. This is one area that has for many years been a struggle for me. I often find myself trusting people and then being deeply hurt by them within several years of forming the friendship...or what I thought was a friendship.

This past Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. This man knew so much about creating peace in the world. He knew about love and strength, oh, and so much more. This quote gives me a chill every time I read it:

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Imagine that. Light and Love can conquer all. Then, why don't we live that way? Why do these so called, "friends" leave us? Aren't friends supposed to be there for us and support us through the difficult times?

I am far from perfect. I make relational mistakes too. But, I can tell you this, if I have an issue with someone I consider a friend, I go to them. We talk about things and move forward. I do not ditch friends when I make new friends. 

I understand that sometimes friendships are for a season, I am not speaking about those. I am referring to those solid friends, who stick with you through some storms of life...then, simply forget you. That. Hurts.

Am I going to hate those people who turned on me when life got tough? No. 

Am I going to speak badly about those who forgot me? No.

Am I going to avoid "organizational" friendships in the future? No.

Am I going to harbor unforgiveness towards those who used me as a friend because it was convenient? No.

I will choose carefully.

Dr. King instructs us to love those who hate. To be the light in a place of darkness. And that is what I choose to do.

My goal is to figure out which friendships are true and nourish and grow them. My goal is to weed out and cut off hurtful, fake friendships. My goal is to continue to trust (although difficult) and make new, lifelong friendships that will stand the test of time in 2017.

Who is with me?

Finally, a personal post!

Last week, I posted a picture of my new writing space...in our new house, from my Instagram account (as you can see in the picture). I have been posting so many interviews, book reviews and other posts having to do with the release of, "When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee!", that I haven't shared very much about me. Well, that is ALL this post is going to include...what is happening with ME!

Things are going well. We did move into a beautiful new home. I absolutely love it! We all do...even the dog. He is a 90 pound lab and having a considerably large amount of space to roam, stretch out and sleep has made him a happier pup.

I am working at a local gym as the manager as well as a personal trainer. I absolutely love where I work and who I am working for. In addition to my job responsibilities, my boss encourages me to work on my writing. How many people can say that? "Oh, yes, my boss encourages me to work on my personal business while I am at work", probably not very many.

Take a look at the writing within the frame in the picture above.  Here, let me tell you what it says, "The writer is only free when he can tell the reader to go jump in the lake. You want of course to get what you have to say across to him, but whether he likes it or not is no concern of the writer. ~Flannery O'Connor

This is absolutely my favorite writing quote of all time. This lady knew something about being an author. She also knew something about living life. I have come to learn and accept that not everyone is going to like me. Not everyone is going to understand me. And you know what? That is OK. I am me. I like who I am and ultimately that is all that matters. It has taken me years to realize this and come to the point of, "not caring what other people think". People will continue to judge us and talk about us (good and bad). It's life. How we deal with it (or don't deal with it) is what will give us or take away our peace in life. Not sure why I shared all that, but I hope it helps someone!!!

Happy Thursday all!
Be who YOU want to be! Don't live a life that is pleasing to those around you and lose yourself in the process. Take it from me...been there, done that, not doing it again.

Deanna Martinez-Bey: Featered in AMB Magazine!

Guess who has an Book Spotlight featured in AMB Magazine? Me! Does this make me a celebrity? Let's not get too far ahead of the game.

Book Spotlight: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee! by Deanna Martinez-Bey

I would like to send out a mega sized THANK YOU to my publisher, Natasha with Emerging Edge! Thank you for believing in  me and actively spreading the word about the new book!

Official Book Trailer

Author Interview #2 Deanna Martinez-Bey: The Book Adventures of Emily

 This interview by: The Book Adventures of Emily asked a few questions that I had to really think about before answering! She asked me what inspired me to write this book and which character I could relate to the most.

My favorite questions was: What does my writing environment look like? I make sure I create a special place to write because I want to look forward to that time.

Thank you, Emily for taking your time to create space for me on your blog!

Official book trailer...

Author Spotlight (Deanna Martinez-Bey) By Indy Book Fairy

Thank you Indy Book Fairy for giving me a special Author Spotlight on your blog!

Indy Book Fairy was kind enough to spotlight me on her blog. This is my first "official" blog tour spotlight. I am truly thankful for the time she took to put together the post. The more we can help readers become aware of my work, the more chances it will have to touch lives!

When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee! By Indie Book Fairy

Official Book Trailer

Author Interview by Freda Hansburg

I am happy to announce my first interview for the Blog Tour! Author Interview with Deanna Martinez-Bey (click this link to view the interview) 

Freda asked me a variety of questions pertaining to the book: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee!, writing, being an author and life in general. She composed a wonderful post containing all of the information I provided for her.

Thank you, Freda!

Official book trailer...

Back Porchervations: 1st stop on the blog tour: book review

A BIG thank you to the first stop on my blog tour for: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee!  ... Back Porchervations (Life Happens on the Back Porch)

Please take a look at her review of my book and take part in the giveaway she has going on for me on her website! You could win a digital copy of my book PLUS a $5 gift card to Amazon.com!

When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee! by Deanna Martinez-Bey - #review #giveaway #trailer

Official book trailer 

Book tour: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee!

I am happy to announce that I am in the middle of my first ever Blog Tour! Five different blogs will be highlighting me and my new book!

Please take a look at the tour schedule:

Sage's Blog Tours

When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee! Book Trailer

Book trailer: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee!

Welcome back to my blog! Thank you for taking your time to keep up with what is happening with me! I am honored.

I am excited to announce my first book trailer! Natasha, with Emerging Edge Publishing is not only a talented publisher and editor, she is amazingly creative! She made this book trailer for my latest book.

Please take a look at it and let me know what you think...

"With Five Questions" interview

My first interview pertaining to, When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee! was fun! The author of the article asked me 5 questions. Each interview that is conducted on the site consists of 5 questions.

The name of the site indicates just that...
With Five Questions - Conversations with creative professionals in business and the arts

Please click the following link to read my interview and learn about what inspired me to write this book...

Meet Deanna Martinez-Bey, Author

When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee! Official book release

It was official in October...the new book, When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee! was released!

This new fiction from Emerging Edge Publishing house is certain to inspire readers to explore life differently... 

This press release was written and published by Digital Journal. I think they did a great job!

Book Release Today: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee!

When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee has been officially released! In addition, I will be participating in a Blog Tour in 2 weeks! I will definitely keep you posted on the blogs that will be featuring me. 

To purchase my latest book, click here. Hard copy and digital copy are available! 

Thank you all so much for all of your support! I know there has been quite a gap in time from when my first novel was published. Life got crazy. Really crazy. But, thankfully, I have been able to find my peace...just as Janine does in my latest novel. 

I am beyond thankful for those who have stood by me and encouraged me over the years. The acknowledgement page in my new book outlines in a bit more detail some of the things I have learned since the release of my first book, Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star.  

Today is an exciting day for me! Thank you for sharing in my joy! 

Book release: November 3rd!

Well, hello all! Good news...the release of: When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee is just around the corner!
I worked closely with my publisher to get it just right for you to read. From content to cover, it is ready to go!

Twinkle, Twinkle Christmas Star is an Inspirational Fiction genre, but this book will simply be fiction in genre. It takes many twists and turns that make it something for everyone. Who doesn't enjoy a great story about self transformation and discovery?

Thank you for your support and interest in my work. Stay tuned for more updates! In the meantime,check me out on my website, on Amazon and on Good Reads!

You can also check out my other passion at: www.mytastenc.com 

Choosing a cover for my book...

Let me begin by saying that fall is on its way and for that I am thankful! Autumn and winter are my two favorite seasons. I love cool breezes, falling leaves and pumpkin spice EVERYTHING!!

Now, back to the issue on hand...choosing a cover for my book. When Life Gives You Lemons, Drink Coffee is still on schedule for its October release. I am currently working on picking out the cover. I want something in neutral, warm tones...with a coffee house theme, of course. My publisher send me several covers to choose from and I am 90% sure I have it pinned down to one in particular...but, I think there need to be a couple of small tweaks in order for it to be just right.

It is an outside view of a quaint coffee shop. There are a couple of outside tables with a lady sitting at one, enjoying her coffee of course! The colors are shades of warm browns and deep oranges, which I like a lot.

I have completed my acknowledgement and about the author page. Oh, and I have art inserted onto the first page that was drawn by a very talented young artist who happens to be my sons best friend! I am super excited about the release of this book...can you tell?

I am hoping to schedule a couple of local book signings as well. Thank you for all of your support : )