Andi's Realm

New Blog Site!

Fri, 11 May 2012 08:20:00 +0000

Due to technical difficulties I've been experiencing with Webs, I'm moving my blog back over to Blog Spot. You can find the blog at this address:

http://memoirsofabluebaby.blogspot.com/

I'll continue to post updates, book reviews, guest bloggers, and other topics there. I hope you'll follow me over! Thanks.

I'm Back!

Fri, 20 Apr 2012 03:30:00 +0000

Hi all,

You might have noticed that I've been incognito for some time now. I was having some health issues I had to deal with in correlation with my heart condition. It has been resolved, and I'm slowly crawling my way back to feeling normal again. Although you won't see a huge leap back into my active role here and on Facebook and Twitter, I hope to slowly start making the rounds again.

For my comeback, you'll find an interview on the World Literary Cafe on Monday, April 23. Join me as I chat with the fabulous Zencherry about "The Chosen." And speaking of "The Chosen," I'm waiting to hear back from my editor regarding progress on Book 2.

Stay tuned for more upcoming events as I slowly make my way back. Thank you for your support and understanding. Love to you all!

Andi

Review of "Fledgling" by Natasha Brown

Thu, 08 Mar 2012 20:40:00 +0000

Fledgling by Natasha Brown
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I had the opportunity to read a copy of "Fledgling," I thought it was going to be a teen romance with the main character having a heart defect; I had NO idea it was a fantasy! It was fantastic, and I'm looking forward to reading future books Brown writes in the series. Having a congenital heart defect myself, I definitely identified with Ana, and everything she was going through with her heart problem. Brown definitely has a good sense of what adolescents facing such problems must go through on a daily basis.

The other half of the story, Chance, was a huge and welcome surprise. You'll have to read the book for yourself to see what I mean. But his character was incredible, and the relationship between Chance and Ana was inspiring.

View all my reviews

Book Review: The Help

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:00:00 +0000

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was an amazing book about the pre-civil rights movement of the south, and took place right smack in the middle of where it all started: Jackson, Mississippi. It is a story that shows both sides of the fence between southern white women and their black maids. The main character, Skeeter, is sickened by the way she sees most of her friends treat their hired help, and decides she wants to write a book telling the stories from the help's point-of-view, no-holds barred. What this leads to is an incredible story-sharing and bonding of women whose pent-up feelings finally have a place to go. I enjoyed reading the stories from the different points-of-view of all of the characters, leaving nothing untouched. This was a wonderful story about women, true friendships, and a piece of our history that should never be forgotten.

View all my reviews

Hottest Boys in Books

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:45:00 +0000

Priscilla the Great is hosting a "Hottest Boys in Books" blog hop on Prissy Fit. For my participation in the hop, I'm going to talk about my favorite fictional hottie, Edward.

In case you don't already know who I'm talking about (yeah, right), I'm referring to Edward Cullen of the "Twilight" series. He is my favorite male character from the many books I have read. I love the way Stephanie Meyers wrote Edward, who is from a completely different time period than we are. He kept his old -world charms and beliefs even while entering the many different decades that he has lived through over the past century. Edward is not only handsome, but has a big heart and a very protective attitude towards loved ones.

Other qualities I love about Edward are his love toward music, his quiet demeanor, and his shyness. What I love most about him is the way he looks at Bella. When reading the books, you know he is totally and completely in love with her, and would do anything to protect her.

When I read the series, I fell more and more in love with Edward with each passing word. How can you not? I am definitely on Team Edward, and always will be.

To continue the "Hottest Boys in Books" hop, visit Prissy Fit. While you're there, sign up for your chance to win a FREE Kindle Fire! Good luck :)

Kreativ Blogger Award

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:55:00 +0000

I was nominated for the Kreative Blogger Award fellow author Michael Rivers. Michael is the author of "The Black Witch" and a fellow member of the World Literary Cafe. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Michael for the nomination.

As a nominee, I must nominate six other bloggers for the award. My nominees are:

Emerald Barnes' Dreaming Awake

I also must share ten things about myself that my readers may not know about me:

1. I'm the youngest in my family.

2. I don't like bugs.

3. I hate liver.

4. I whine a lot.

5. My favorite restaurant is Red Lobster

6. My favorite color is pink.

7. I get annoyed easily.

8. I cry easily

9. I'm shy.

10. I love Mickey Mouse.

Thank you again for the nomination, Micheal! I'm very honored that I was one of your choices.

Meet Erika Lindsen

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Today I welcome fellow Solstice Author Erika Lindsen, whose accalimed THREE SIBLING ADVENTURES: WHAT WE WANT TO BE is helping many children at the Toledo Children's Hospital Oncology department.

Today, Erika is here to introduce her new paranormal romance, SOUL, also available from Solstice Publishing.

SOUL

Blurb:

Blood runs across the floor like a winter’s creek. It always puts a smile on his face. As a Taker – a demon sent to entice humans to commit suicide in order to gain their soul for Lucifer – Drebin is at the top of his game. He has already claimed 421 souls and there is no sign of him slowing down. Much like a fine wine, Drebin gets better with age.

Alexia Downer is just a few months into her freshman year of college and still undecided about a career. Ally is more than eager to meet new people and live up to the college stereotypes. But her gentle nature may cause her to put trust in the wrong person.

The stage is set, the hound is released, but Drebin begins to have second thoughts about his next victim, Alexia, his 422nd victim. Her beauty is mesmerizing and her spirit is captivating.

As much as he tries, Drebin cannot bring himself to destroy her, yet he must. He has a higher, more vicious power to answer to, after all…

Available at Solstice Publishing and Amazon.

Watch the trailer here.

Erika Lindsen was born June 12, 1987 in a small town in northern Ohio. She began writing, mostly poetry and songs, at age thirteen. Erika wrote her first novel in 2010. Her first published work entitled, Night of the Doll, was featured in theJanuary 2011 issue of the Horror Zine. As her alter-ego Erika Talbot, her first children’s book entitled, The Three Sibling Adventures: What We Want To Be, was published by Solstice Publishing in March 2011. For her Three Siblings book, she, along with Solstice, have given 100% of the royalties to the Toledo Children’s Hospital, where Erika’s nephew Joey is receiving treatment for leukemia. When not visiting her two nieces and nephew, she writes, (seriously alot) and spends time with her husband. They have three children (she calls them her kids), a dog named Scooter, a cat named Princess, and a rabbit named Hoppity Hop.

Visit Erika on her website.

Sweet Saturday Samples

Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Welcome back to the Realm's Sweet Saturday Samples

Photo credit: cohdra from morguefile.com

Today, I bring you the introduction to my newly-published autobiography "My Open Heart."

Growing up with heart disease can be difficult, but it does not always have to alter your life course. MY OPEN HEART is written for young adults growing up with heart disease. It's meant to inspire them to chase their dreams, to show that they are not alone, and, perhaps, to help guide them through the maze of life with heart disease. Parents of children with heart disease and other chronic illnesses will find support and inspiration within this true story. We are not alone.

Introduction

I’m 36, married and a college graduate. I earned my BA in journalism from the University of South Florida in May 2007. At the time of graduation, I had no idea what I was going to do with my degree. I knew I wouldn’t be able to go out and get a full time job writing for a newspaper or magazine. I wanted to freelance, but I knew that meant searching out companies to write for and things to write about, and that I would have to be able to work at my own pace, and do everything from home via e-mail, snail mail and phone.

The reason for this is simple: I am disabled. No, I’m not in a wheelchair. I was born with a heart condition. It has limited my life in various ways, and made me miss out on many things, but it hasn’t been completely terrible. After all, I graduated from high school and Junior College, got married and graduated from USF.

But it has been avery hard road, and the journey is not ending anytime soon. Those of you who are growing up with heart disease know exactly what I’m talking about. You know what it’s like to miss a lot of school because of how easily you get sick and how long you stay sick because you can’t take the usual medicines to make you feel better. You know what it’s like to feel left out because you can’t participate in all of the different activities with other kids. And you know what it’s like to have to go to the doctor so frequently, take medicine constantly and be in the hospital far too often. What a way to grow up.

When I was young, Iwent through my share of “why me’s” but always had my mom right there to get me through those miserable times. She would hug me, dry my tears and talk to me about what specifically was bothering me at the time. Then she would remind me of what I could do, and that there are kids out there who couldn’t even do the things I was able to do. But the most important thing she told me that sticks in my mind to this day is that there is a reason for everything, and someday I’ll find out why I was born with my heart condition.

I’m still waiting to find out, but I believe that I will find out someday. Perhaps it is to share my story with you and help you deal with growing up as I did. I hope you will read my story and use it as encouragement to keep fighting and keep going.

Thank you for reading the introduction to my story. "My Open Heart" is available from Solstice Publishing, Amazon for the Kindle, and Smashwords.

"My Open Heart" Now Available

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 22:40:00 +0000

I'm very excited to announce the release of my new book, "My Open Heart." This is my autobiography of growing up with heart disease, and is a project I worked on for many years. You might say it is the fruit of my labors. I think it's one of the first books I started writing at the beginning of my career, and to see it published is a dream come true.

Do you have a lifelong dream? Is there something you've always wanted to do, but haven't done yet? Don't give up! If you believe in it, you can do it. With some time, patience, and hard work, you, too, can see the fruits of your labors come to pass. Reach for the stars and make your dreams come true.

*"My Open Heart" is available at SolsticePublishing.com and Amazon.com for the Kindle. You'll also find a variety of eReader formats at Smashwords.com

Bubble Baths and Steamy Romance Blog Hop Tour

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 07:00:00 +0000

Splish splash, it's time for a bubble bath!

BUBBLE BATHS AND STEAMY ROMANCE BLOG HOP TOUR

(JAN 27-29)

TOUR RULES!

1) HAVE FUN!!!

2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!

3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Friday, January 27, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

THIS TOUR ENDS: Sunday, January 29, at Midnight (Arizona Time)

***Winners will be drawn and posted Monday, January 30th! ***

4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS & BOOK PAGES! EXPERIENCE A NEW DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!

5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR & BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW THEM SOME LOVE!

6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!

***Authors & Book Pages have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***

Welcome to my YA Bubblebath Steam-a-Thon

Photo credit: jdurham from morguefile.com

When you think Young Adult, hot, steamy romance may not be the first thought that enters your mind. But there have been some great romances amongst the younger generation for centuries. Even Shakespeare wrote a steamy love story about two teenagers, a young lad named Romeo and a young lass named Juliet.

Photo credit: monosodium from morguefile.com

And in the generation of "Twilight" and "The Iron Fey" series, teen romance has definitely grown in popularity. Let's take a look at some upcoming teen romance novels:

These are just some of the newer teen romance novels that will be available throughout the year from Amazon.com and other book vendors. So fill your tub, grab a book, and enjoy some steamy romance all your own.

Photo credit: phaewilk from morguefile.com

Looking for an old-fashioned romance? Add a YA fantasy to your wish list, and "The Chosen" is perfect for you:

Halli is a shy, young dwarf who has no idea of her true calling. When the evil Prince Gastle sets out to detroy the world of Phantasma, Queen Laurali of the Elves comes to tell Halli she’s a Holy Paladin with the power to heal, and will join The Chosen, a group of brave warriors being sent to defeat the evil beast and save Phantasma. Will Halli be accepted by her group, and be able to keep them alive through their adventures? Will the evil Prince Gastle be defeated, freeing Phantasma from his destruction? Only time will tell.

For a chance to win a FREE PDF of "The Chosen," leave a comment telling me who your favorite YA couple is. I'll choose a winner at the end of the hop. Good luck!

Photo credit: ladyheart from morguefile.com

About the Author

I have enjoyed writing since I was a kid. When I got to college, I decided to turn it into a career, and earned my BA in Journalism. I have been freelance writing for several years now.

I have always wanted to write a book, and decided I wanted to write for children. I love fantasy movies like "The Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter," so I decided to try my hand at writing one of my own. I am very excited to announce my first publication, "The Chosen," a young adult fantasy I worked on for about three years.

I live in the Tampa Bay, FL area, where I grew up. I am originally from NJ.

Photo credit: jdurham from morguefile.com

Thank you so much for coming to my YA Bublebath Steam-a-Thon. I hope you had a great time! Ready for more fun? To continue on with the blog hop, head over to the Enchanted Muse Press site and select your next destination.