Charity Hopping Around the World

Now tell me this isn't an amazing idea for a blog hop ~ you visit various blogs to learn about some great charities out there and could win a prize in return.  Thanks to I am a Reader, Not a Writer, Reading Away the Days and Reading a Little Bit of Everything for sponsoring this ingenious hop.

At this stop, I am going to tell you about Joy Jars, the brain child of a child suffering from pediatric cancer, Jessie Joy Reese.  As told from NEGU Foundation website (that stands for Never Ever Give Up):

JoyJars™ were inspired by 12 year old Jessie Rees in March of 2011 as a way to help spread hope, joy and love to other kids fighting cancer.  Jessie and her parents came up with the idea after learning of Jessie’s diagnosis of brain cancer.  While Jessie fights her two inoperable brain tumors, she chooses to bless other kids fighting cancer by sending them JoyJars™.
During 2011, Jessie and the JoySquad were able to fill over 3,000 JoyJars™ for kids.  They were sent to over 27 states and 7 Children’s Hospitals.  Jessie’s Wish is to send a JoyJars™ to every kid fighting cancer in the United States.  That is over 50,000!
You can help Jessie spread joy by making a charitable donation to JoyJars™. 

Okay, cue the water works right about now. A child dying from cancer just wants to make sure other kids are happier??  I want to help and I want my own kids to help.  In addition to giving money, here are some of the volunteer opportunities available:

If you would like to help volunteer your time and talents there are many opportunities for you at NEGU…

• General administration support
• Stuff JoyJars
• Ship JoyJars
• Inventory JoyFactory
• Event coordination
• Phone calling
• Research
• Coordinate JoyDrives

These are just a few of the opportunities to help strengthen NEGU.

Please contact Gina Crofts at gina@negu.org if you would like to learn about more opportunities.

Personally, I'm trying to get my daughters' girl scout troop to sign on for a Joy Drive and hen deliver the jars to our local children's hospital. If you're all about supporting this charity - or would like to teach your own kids about the joys of being generous - enter the rafflecopter form below.  I'll be making a $20 donation to JoyJars in the name of our winner, plus sending you a copy of the book, Generous Kids.

Plus, please like Jessie's Page on Facebook.  They're trying to 200,000 likes by April 8th to win a $25,000 gift.  Please do this even if you don't enter my contest.  Consider it your good deed of the day.  ((HUGS))

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

Tuesday, Tuesday, Tuesday.

Happy debut book birthday wishes go out to:

Slide by Jill Hathaway (I WANT THIS!!)

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister's friend Sophie didn't kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn't actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else's mind and experiences the world through that person's eyes. She's slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed "friend" when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie's slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can't bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting distant lately, especially now that she's been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

After the Snow by S. D. Crockett
The oceans stopped working before Willo was born, so the world of ice and snow is all he's ever known. He lives with his family deep in the wilderness, far from the government's controlling grasp. Willo's survival skills are put to the test when he arrives home one day to find his family gone. It could be the government; it could be scavengers--all Willo knows is he has to find refuge and his family. It is a journey that will take him into the city he's always avoided, with a girl who needs his help more than he knows.


The Stalker Chronicles by Carley Moore
Sophomore Cammie Bliss has long been labeled a stalker by her peers, but when a cute new boy named Toby arrives at her small town high school, Cammie has a chance to be "normal." Trouble is, she can't really help herself and she's up to her old tricks of "intense observation and following" pretty quick. Making things worse, her younger brother is dating one of the most popular girls in the school, her parents have separated, and her dad has begun to watch their house most nights. Cammie has simply got to figure out why she behaves the way she does, and end it once and for all.


Did your TBR pile just grow??

Indie Author Spotlight - Angela Carlie

Please welcome Angela to the blog today.  She has a big announcement, and that's that the second book in the Lords of Shifters series, Spider Wars, is now available!

What happens when a species is tired of being stomped on?
 

Jess' life has never been ordinary. After all, life on the road with an immortal family of gypsies is hardly predictable. Living in the small town of White Salmon, Washington has brought some normality to her life. But when her cheating, sometimes boyfriend, Nicu, gets involved with a group of arachneshifters, life gets a little sticky. Will she be able to save him from the web he's spun? More importantly, how much is she willing to risk to get him back?
This novel is meant for mature readers.

 

Available now on Amazon.com and Smashwords.

As an ADDED BONUS, for a limited time, you can get the first book in the series, Loramendi's Story for FREE on Amazon.

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

Whew -- I almost missed the boat on this week's post. Sorry about that. I blame my recent vacation and floor remodel.

So, here are two new debut YA novels making their way into the world today ~

CROAK by Gina Damico
Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her off to upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort’s true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure.

He’s a Grim Reaper. And he’s going to teach her the family business.

Lex quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon zapping her Targets like a natural born Killer.

Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice—or is it vengeance?—whenever she’s forced to Kill a murder victim, craving to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die—that is, people who aren’t supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent—Lex’s curiosity is piqued. Her obsession grows as the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage—or will she ditch Croak and join in?

SEEING CINDERELLA by Jenny Lunquist
Calliope Meadow Anderson wishes her life could be more of a fairy tale—just like the stories she writes. Her best friend, Ellen, is acting weird, her parent's marriage is falling apart, and to top things off, she found out she needs hideously large and geeky glasses.

But Callie soon learns they aren't just any glasses—they are magical and let her read people's thoughts. For the first time ever she's answering all the questions right in math class, and gets a glimpse of what goes through people's minds all day, including what Ellen—and her longtime crush—really think of her.

As if dealing with these crazy glasses weren't enough, Callie tries out for the lead in her school's production of Cinderella and actually gets the part. Instead, Callie chooses to let Ellen have the lead and be Ellen's understudy—just like she has done for their entire friendship.

Add in a new girl who has something to hide, a secret admirer, a best friend stealer who isn't what she seems, and Callie's year just went from ordinary to extraordinary.

Can this supporting actress learn to be a leading lady in her own life? Or is she destined to stay in the background forever—even with her super-freaky-magic glasses?

Pretty much polar opposites, eh? Will you be reading either?

The Happiness Blog Tour & Giveaway

Bryan Cohen here, guest poster and author, promoting my new book The Post-College Guide to Happiness for The Happiness Blog Tour. I'm giving away free digital review copies of the book and doing a giveaway for paperback copies, audio copies and even a Kindle Fire! Read on and check out the info below the post.

"People are at their happiest if they are true to themselves. I think that applies to their chosen profession, friends and relationships...If you are true to yourself, it seems to me everything should work out pretty well."
- Bebe Neuwirth

Self-Honesty

I realize that this quote isn't by a happiness scholar or a famous philosopher, but there's no reason that an actress couldn't come up with a truly profound statement about happiness. Honesty is difficult in a world where little white lies are used constantly. Honesty to oneself can be even more difficult. The phase "Ignorance is bliss" is frequently used, but this quote seems to go against it.

How can you be honest to yourself about your profession? First of all, it's important to know if what you're doing is your calling in life or something you're doing to pay the bills. Those who are happiest tend to understand the difference between the two and they spend ample time on doing what they love in the world. You also need to be honest with yourself about how much stress is a necessary evil at your job and how much you're creating for yourself. Those who can keep their negative emotions out of their jobs are frequently more full of joy.

Do you have an honest relationship with your friends? I think that happiness can be majorly enhanced by having several close, caring and honest relationships. Some people try to collect friendships like Pokémon, thinking that if they get more than everybody else they've somehow won. Since many of these friendships have the chance of being superficial, you risk the possibility that these relationships won't have a lot of honesty. They'll be used for drinking and partying as opposed to having a person you can actually talk to about life. It doesn't matter if you have a lot of friends if the ones you have are awesome.

Are your relationships with your significant other and your family honest? The best relationships at fostering happiness are the ones in which you and your partner are on the same page. This doesn't mean that you have to have the same exact goals or the same movie preferences. It just means that each of you know what your goals are and you're both supportive of each other achieving them. The same goes for family. If your family is supportive of what you want in life and you give your family the support they need back, you can't help but have a happier life. Honesty is scary sometimes with your partner or your family, because you might worry that saying certain things might push them away. In the end though, honesty with them and with yourself will lead to a happiness that lasts.  

--

Bryan Cohen is giving away 61 paperback and audio copies of The Post-College Guide to Happiness and a Kindle Fire between now and May 7th, 2012 on The Happiness Blog Tour. All entrants receive a free digital review copy of The Post-College Guide to Happiness. Bryan hopes to give away at least 1,000 copies during the blog tour. To enter, post a comment with your e-mail address or send an e-mail to postcollegehappiness (at) gmail.com. Bryan will draw the names at the end of the tour. Entries will be counted through Sunday, May 6th.

Bryan Cohen is a writer, actor and comedian from Dresher, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2005 with degrees in English and Dramatic Art and a minor in Creative Writing. He has written nine books including 1,000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More, 500 Writing Prompts for Kids: First Grade through Fifth Grade, Writer on the Side: How to Write Your Book Around Your 9 to 5 Job and his new book, 1,000 Character Writing Prompts: Villains, Heroes and Hams for Scripts, Stories and More. His website Build Creative Writing Ideas helps over 25,000 visitors a month to push past writer's block and stay motivated.

Feel free to follow along with the tour at The Happiness Blog Tour Hub Page or on the book's Facebook Page.

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

I'm on spring break, how about you? I say this, but it's barely spring and I'm not taking much of a break, but oh well. I'm still ready to celebrate some debut YA book birthdays.

The Girl Who Could Silence the Wind by Meg Medina
Sonia's entire village believes she has a gift, but it's only in leaving home that she finds out who she truly is. A compelling tale from a rich new voice in young adult fiction.

Sixteen-year-old Sonia Ocampo was born on the night of the worst storm Tres Montes had ever seen. And when the winds mercifully stopped, an unshakable belief in the girl's protective powers began. All her life, Sonia has been asked to pray for sick mothers or missing sons, as worried parents and friends press silver milagros in her hands. Sonia knows she has no special powers, but how can she disappoint those who look to her for solace? Still, her conscience is heavy, so when she gets a chance to travel to the city and work in the home of a wealthy woman, she seizes it. At first, Sonia feels freedom in being treated like all the other girls. But when news arrives that her beloved brother has disappeared while looking for work, she learns to her sorrow that she can never truly leave the past or her family behind. With deeply realized characters, a keen sense of place, a hint of magical realism, and a flush of young romance, Meg Medina tells the tale of a strongwilled, warmhearted girl who dares to face life's harsh truths as she finds her real power.


Cross My Heart by Sasha Guild
Venice, 1585.
When 16-year-old Laura della Scala learns that her older sister, Beatrice, has drowned, she is given no time to grieve. Instead, Laura's father removes her from the convent where he forcibly sent her years earlier and orders her to marry Beatrice's fiancé, a repulsive old merchant named Vincenzo. Panicked, Laura betrays a powerful man to earn her way into the Segreta, a shadowy society of women who deal in only one currency—secrets. The Segreta seems like the answer to Laura's prayers. The day after she joins their ranks, Vincenzo is publicly humiliated and conveniently exiled. Soon, however, Laura begins to suspect that her sister's death was not a tragic accident but a cold-blooded murder—one that might involve the Segreta and the women she has come to trust.

Starters by Lissa Price
In the future, teens rent their bodies to seniors who want to be young again. One girl discovers her renter plans to do more than party--her body will commit murder, if her mind can't stop it. Sixteen-year-old Callie lost her parents when the genocide spore wiped out everyone except those who were vaccinated first--the very young and very old. With no grandparents to claim Callie and her little brother, they go on the run, living as squatters, and fighting off unclaimed renegades who would kill for a cookie. Hope comes via Prime Destinations, run by a mysterious figure known only as The Old Man. He hires teens to rent their bodies to seniors, known as enders, who get to be young again. Callie's neurochip malfunctions and she wakes up in the life of her rich renter, living in her mansion, driving her cars, even dating Blake, the grandson of a senator. It's a fairy-tale new life . . . until she uncovers the Body Bank's horrible plan. . . .

Kami Garcia, coauthor of the New York Times bestselling Beautiful Creatures novels said “Fans of The Hunger Games will love it.”


Dark Eyes by WIlliam Richter (March 15th)
Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At fifteen, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets.

Now the sixteen-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and she's just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. She'll stop at nothing to find her birth mother before Klesko - her darkeyed father - finds her. Because Klesko will stop at nothing to reclaim the fortune Wally's mother stole from him long ago. Even if that means murdering his own blood. But Wally's had her own killer training, and she's hungry for justice.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo for teens, this debut thriller introduces our next big series heroine!


What do you think???

COVER REVEAL ~ My Super Sweet 16th Century by Rachel Harris

Come check out the cover reveal for Rachel Harris' MY SUPER SWEET 16th CENTURY.  I'm super-excited about this one because of all the special people involved, not the least of which are the author and her agent, both of whom are #yalitchat friends of mine.  So, without further ado, I give you the cover:

And here's a tantalizing excerpt to make you curse and wish it were September already:

Alessandra jerks back like I just suggested she prance around the square naked or something. “No! I believe I understand your meaning, and Lorenzo is certainly not my suitor. He is like a brother to me—the three of us grew up together.” 

She resumes walking and I fall in step beside her, understanding there has to be more to the story. And as we near the end of the row, I finally ask, “If you’re not into the guy, then what’s the problem?”

At that same moment, a rich, deep chuckle hits my ears. My stomach involuntarily clenches and my gaze sharpens on the back of this mysterious Lorenzo. 

Alessandra sighs. “That is the problem.” She places her hand on my arm and solemnly looks me in the eyes. “You must be careful. Lorenzo is beautiful, and it is not uncommon for a girl to walk away from meeting him with a piece of her heart left behind. But he is just eighteen, and not yet ready for marriage.”

I roll my eyes and laugh, then realize she’s serious. “Yeah, I assure you, there’s no danger on my end. I’m not exactly looking for marriage myself.” Because that would be crazy-town.

Alessandra wrinkles her nose as if she doesn’t believe me, but she removes her hand. We close the distance and Cipriano flashes me an open, honest to goodness, lighthearted smile. 

“Lorenzo, this is the cousin I was telling you about.”

Slowly the guy turns and I fall head first into the richest chocolate-brown eyes I’ve ever seen. He blinks and long, luscious lashes feather across his bronzed cheeks. I can feel myself gawking, but I physically can’t drag my eyes away. Lorenzo doesn’t smirk or act all conceited, either. He simply stares back, his eyes casually skimming over me, causing my skin to warm and break out in a whole body tingle.

Time seems to stop, and the sounds of the market mute. Alessandra was right. This boy is beautiful. 

And he’s looking at me.

My Super Sweet 16th Century, by Rachel Harris is available for pre-order on: Amazon | Barnes & Noble Be sure to add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! 



You can also connect with Rachel at:
www.RachelHarrisWrites.com
www.twitter.com/@RachelHarrisYA
www.facebook.com/RachelHarrisYA
www.goodreads.com/RachelHarris

Heather McCorckle ~ Channeler's Choice

Today, I have the pleasure of welcoming the lovely Heather McCorckle to the blog.  She's the author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll, and the just-released sequel, Channeler's Choice. 

With her parents’ murderer’s dead, Eren can finally concentrate on fitting in at Spruce Knoll High, not to mention figuring out what it means to be a channeler. If only it were that easy. It turns out she isn’t normal even among channelers - she may be a legendary warrior meant to protect the earth in a last great battle.

But Mayan prophecies are the least of her worries as she involuntarily starts to gather her own Society, another girl moves in on Aiden, her powers rage out of control, and worst of all, someone is stalking her. To top it all off, Eren discovers she doesn’t have to be a channeler after all - she has a choice.

As an old threat closes in and she risks ending up like her parents, she is forced to decide. Be a normal teenager and leave the legendary warrior stuff to someone else, or embrace a dark destiny?

Click here to add it to your Goodreads to-read list.

The first thing I want to know is: was the second book easier to write than the first or did you have performance anxiety? Yes and no. I wanted to make sure it delivered and kept readers wanting to read the series. Performance anxiety, oh yeah. Loads!

What was the hardest part of writing this novel? The hardest part of writing this novel was all the intricacies that tie it to the first and third one. I keep a notebook filled with info that helped a lot though!

Is there more to this series? What are you plans? Yes, there are three books. The third is scheduled to release in the fall of this year. And there is a surprise, a historical that's tied to the series that will be releasing in May.

Where did the idea for Channelers come from?  Was the idea tied to your obvious concern for nature and the environment? I've always been fascinated by the idea of energy being a physical force. It seemed so plausible to me. My idea is tied to my concern for nature, for sure. The inspiration for the first novel in the series hit me when I was watching a show on the declining habitat for polar bears. 

Random Question ~ If you could save any endangered species from extinction, which one would you pick? Tigers, because they are one of the species that is closest to extinction in the wild right now. They're numbers are plummeting and in only a few short years, they'll be gone. 

What do you want readers to know about you or your novels that you never get asked? One of my deepest inspirations is our children. They have inspired me so much. More than ever, the next generations of kids and teens are aware that the world needs fixing and they're doing something about it. That is beautiful and powerful.

To score your own copy of Channeler's Choice, visit Heather's website.

Happy Debut YA Book Birthday

If Tuesday = Book Birthdays, then I just want to know: where's my cake? Oh well, guess I'm willing to go without to read some great new titles.  This week the line-up includes:

Illuminate (Gilded Wings #1) by Aimee Agresti

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything changes when she is
awarded a prestigious internship at a posh Chicago hotel under the watchful eyes of a
group of gorgeous strangers: the powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her
second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of
glamazons called The Outfit.
As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are
not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers the evil
agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed
in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to
thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the
hotel?

Where it Began by Ann Radiach Stampler  
A teen’s world comes crashing down in this compulsively readable YA debut that’s as literary as it is commercial.

Gabby Gardiner wakes up in a hospital bed looking like a cautionary ad for drunk driving—and without a single memory of the accident that landed her there. But what she can recall, in frank and sardonic detail, is the year leading up to the crash.

As Gabby describes her transformation from Invisible Girl to Trendy Girl Who Dates Billy Nash (aka Most Desirable Boy Ever), she is left wondering: Why is Billy suddenly distancing himself from her? What do her classmates know that Gabby does not? Who exactly was in the car that night? And why has Gabby been left to take the fall?

As she peels back the layers of her life, Gabby begins to realize that her climb up the status ladder has been as intoxicating as it has been morally complex...and that nothing about her life is what she has imagined it to be.

Katana by Cole Gibsen (March 8th)
Kill Bill meets Buffy in this supernatural samurai tale 
Rileigh Martin would love to believe that adrenaline gave her the uncanny courage and strength to fend off three muggers. But it doesn't explain her dreams of fifteenth century Japan, the incredible fighting skills she suddenly possesses, or the strange voice giving her battle tips and danger warnings. While worrying that she's going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she's harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old samurai warrior.
Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana--a deadly Japanese sword that's also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she's always been and embracing the warrior inside her.


Any of these going to be instant adds to your TBR list?

Dead Radiance by T.G. Ayer ~ Music List

Today author T.G. Ayer joins us to tell us about her debut YA novel, DEAD RADIANCE, and to give us a glimpse into some of the music that inspired her writing.  But first, here's a tad about the book...

DEAD RADIANCE - Book 1 in the Valkyrie Novels

 

For as long as she can recall Bryn Halbrook has seen a golden aura around certain people, and it is only when her new best friend Joshua dies that she understands the glow means death. Bryn struggles to adapt to a new town and a new foster home while trying to deal with the guilt of being unable to save her friend. Until mysterious biker-boy, Aidan Lee arrives.

When Aidan unexpectedly takes off he leaves behind a shattered heart, a tonne of unanswered questions and a mysterious book that suggests Bryn is a Valkyrie. Bryn is faced with questions about Aidan’s real identity, the real reason he came to Craven, and that Odin, Freya and Valhalla just might be real.

As if accepting her new wings, new life and new home in Asgard isn’t difficult enough, Bryn is forced to find and return the precious necklace of the Goddess Freya. The only problem is – if she fails, Aidan will die.

The mystery of a Mythology is easy to enjoy. The reality is much harder to accept.

DEAD RADIANCE excerpt:

“My fingers uncurled their desperate grip on the rose and it fell, tilting, to drop head first onto the casket, twirling as it descended into the eerie depths. It hit the lid and shattered. Petals flew in all directions and everywhere yellow scraps of the dismembered flower reflected Joshua’s iridescent light.”

 Guest Post:

Many storytellers use music to inspire their creativity, to support character development through the writing process, to set the mood of a scene allowing the right words to flow. On the other side of the coin are the readers who love to put music to the books they read, to imagine which song would be best for each heartbreak and each triumph their favourite characters experience.

I love to write to music. And I hate to write to music. It pretty much depends on the scene and my mood and probably even the moon - who knows! I use music when I feel the scene or the character needs a bit of backup. I only ever NEED music when I'm in dire need of drowning out the usual household cacophony - that's when LP at full volume works wonders.
So, here it is:

The PLAYLIST for DEAD RADIANCE

1. Iridescent - Linkin Park

2. Bring Me To Life - Evanescence ft Linkin Park

3. Open up your eyes - Daughtry

4. Just a Kiss - Lady Antebellum

5. No ones listening - The Feelers

6. Hometown Glory- Adele

7. My immortal - Evanescence

8. Weak and the wounded - The Feelers

9. No more sorrow - Linkin Park

10. Burning in the skies - Linkin Park

11. Trying to get by - The Feelers

These are the songs and lyrics that inspired scenes from Dead Radiance. Often I’d find the words don’t penetrate the writing haze, but just sometimes, when they do, it impacts on the scene in a very profound way. And I don’t necessarily need to listen to melancholy music for my sad scenes, not do I need the full on rock for the action. All the songs have a reason and together they create the musical backdrop for Bryn and Aidans struggles.

If you want to pick up your copy of Dead Radiance, check it out on Amazon. Or, you can follow T.G. around to her blog.

Author Bio:

I have been a writer from the time I was old enough to recognise that reading was a doorway into my imagination. Poetry was my first foray into the art of the written word. Books were my best friends, my escape, my haven. I am essentially a recluse but this part of my personality is impossible to practise given I have two teenage daughters, who are actually my friends, my tea-makers, my confidantes… I am blessed with a husband who has left me for golf. It’s a fair trade as I have left him for writing. We are both passionate supporters of each others loves – it works wonderfully…

My heart is currently broken in two. One half resides in South Africa where my old roots still remain, and my heart still longs for the endless beaches and the smell of moist soil after a summer downpour. My love for Ma Afrika will never fade. The other half of me has been transplanted to the Land of the Long White Cloud. The land of the Taniwha, beautiful Maraes, and volcanoes. The land of green, pure beauty that truly inspires. And because I am so torn between these two lands – I shall forever remain crosseyed.