Dreams

We all have some kind of dream for our lives, some big, some small but each one is important. I have dreams for myself, my career, my life, my kids, everything in my life I have an ideal dream for it. Some may say I live with my head in the clouds, but I say I live my life with goals. Lets face it, that's what dreams are, goals. I bet if we examine our dreams, we all have very similar dreams.

Family, there's many dream we have about family. Some dream of having a family, some dream about a loving or happy family and others dream about what they want for their family. I'm no different. When it comes to my family, I dream about happiness. I want each of my kids to have success and happiness, I want them to find love and enjoy life. I dream that my husband gets the recognition at work that he deserves, that he doesn't have to work so hard to provide the life we want for our family.

Health, I dream about health for myself and my family. As some of you might know, I have a autoimmune disease. This has made me make some major changes in my life. I take the good days when the come and the bad days when they come. I dream of having more good days than bad. I dream that my kids won't suffer the same disease as I do. Health is something we take for granted. We usually don't think about it until something is wrong. Health is something I've dream about all the time and from a young age. I dream of the day when people won't have to suffer anymore, when cancer will be cured. I dream that my children will never have to face any further health concerns.

Financial Stability, this I think is something everyone dreams about, and it's okay. We all dream of a day when we don't have to worry about bills. A day when we can take a vacation if we want. I dream of the day I beat the odds and win the lottery, I mean who wouldn't like that. Mostly I just dream of making a living with my writing. I dream of financial stability with writing, so I can pay it forward, I can afford to use paid blogger services, help others live their dreams. 

So as you can see dreams are really just goals, things we want to achieve in life. It's important to follow your dreams. Believe that you can achieve them. What are some of your dreams?

Forbidden Embrace Cover reveal

As some of you know, I like to write books. Seven years ago I published and released the Embrace Series. This year I regained my rights from my publisher and decided to revise and re-release them. It's been fun reliving this journey and I can't wait to continue the story. During my years away from writing, I received many emails from you, the fans asking when the next book would be out. Well we are finally approach that. With the re-release of the first four books, I will be releasing at least two more books in the series. Best of all they will be here before the end of the year. Thank you for being patient as I was a mom and dealt with my on-going health issue. I'm back and ready to share this story with you all again.

First was Immortal Embrace which went live on July 2, you can get the e-book via amazon or print at most online book stores.

It’s been three decades since Sophia’s brother left, and she is unsure if she’ll ever get over it. That is until her family moves to Wenham, MA. She and her siblings have been given orders to protect their littlest sister, and must return to a High School existence. This is where Sophia meets her soul mate, Nathanial, and life as she knows it is about to change...
  
As a vampire, Sophia always kept to herself. As a student, will she start to step out of her comfort zone? She’s found a best friend in a powerful, young witch, and a love to call her own. But when tragedy occurs and blood is spilt, will Sophia be able to resist the sweet scent of her beloved?
 
This breathtaking introduction into Blackwell’s paranormal romance book saga wraps mortals, vampires, witches, and other supernal themes into a dramatic tale of passions versus pitfalls, love versus loyalty, and the essence of family.
 
This is Sophia’s story — the story of a girl who finds herself when she thought all was lost.


Tonight I want to share book 2 Forbidden Embrace's new cover with you. I'll be honest revising book two was an eye opener for me. I always loved the Embrace Story, but Forbidden Embrace was my least favorite. At least until I started working on it again and totally feel in love. I'm excited to share it with you all on July 31, 2018. Tonight, I'm happy to share the amazing cover that graphic artist and author CJ Strange has created.

Just when Sophia Pierce thinks her eternal life will be happy and peaceful, something else happens to turn it upside down. With rogue vampire approaching the town she has learned to call home, the Pierce family must prepare for battle. With some magical help will they be able to save Wenham?

Even more trouble arises when Danika, the newest vampire of the family decides this might not be the right place for her. The Pierce family has already lost one love, Caspian, when he felt he was no longer worthy of their family name. Will Danika follow his footsteps and will he be able to save her from a fate far worse than his own? 

***

I hope you all fall in love with these covers as much as I have, as well as the amazing love story within them. 

Charlotte 

The good, the bad and the ugly cry

We all have them, good days, bad days and ugly cry days. It's healthy to have them, but don't dwell on the less than perfect days. Take them and learn from them. I have never been the healthiest person, but I tried to be the best I could on the good days. It wasn't until this past fall when I became seriously chronically ill and no one really knew what was the matter that I kinda just gave up. I spent about eight months in bed and at doctor offices. No clear answers. This happens to more people than we realize. Now the important moment is ones life is the realization that bad days don't define us. It doesn't matter if it's from physical illness, mental illness, being overwhelmed in life or anything else. What matters is how we handle it.

I'm one of the lucky ones, I have a very supportive family. They encouraged me to get back into writing when I could no longer hold down a job outside of the home. My mother, husband and children all wanted me to be happy and productive. The thing that I didn't realize then, that I do know is that if I push myself, I become more productive, and I'm happier. This leads to more good days than bad days. I still have bad days, today as I write this I am having one. Dealing with lots of pain, a headache and emotional stress. Yes I even had a little ugly cry. To pull myself out I decided to push through and write. We need to recognize when we need a break and when we need to push through.

This was the same when my kids were little. Not a single one of my three kids liked to sleep through the night. I like to joke that between pregnancy, babies and toddlers, I didn't sleep for twelve years. Truth is, that was no joke. If you're a parent, you understand how hard it can be to care for a colicky baby off an hours rest. Yes at times I wanted to run away. Actually one time I did. My husband had just got home and I left, without saying a thing. I walked around the block for about 90 minutes. I calmed myself and returned to my responsibilities. Several years later my now adult daughter has told me how that affected her. I didn't mean to hurt my children, we never do. As a mom, as a human we all need to escape sometimes. I've now learned that I can get the same escape by taking time to myself and doing something I love.

So next time you are having a bad day, an ugly cry or the urge to run away. I'd like to remind you that you aren't alone and that you deserve that mini melt down. It will get better and the good days will return. Find what helps you have more good days, remember to see the good in your life, the smile on your kids face, the encouragement from your loved ones. Everyday I try to remind myself of all the things I have to be grateful for. Today, I'm grateful to have the ability and courage to write it down and share it with you.

I hope you are having a good day and please feel free to share what you're grateful for in the comments.

Charlotte
xoxo

Time to get a little personal

I've made the decision to blog every Wednesday, Although today is Thursday. Why did I wait an extra day? Well I wanted to share some personal things I've been dealing with and it had to wait till today. As mentioned in a previous post, I've been dealing with some health issues. Lots of blood work, diagnostic tests and specialists. Well the good news is I'm getting closer to a diagnosis. I want to share my last year with you.

Well I thought it all started in August, but have since learned many of my health issues even from childhood are relevant. In August I got this god awful rash (I thought it was an allergic reaction), someone compared it to vacuum suction marks. It was painful and I could hardly move. I spent nearly every day in urgent care or the doctors office. I was put on oral steroids for 6 weeks. At the end of August I saw a specialist who did what's called a punch biopsy of the marks I had. The results came back positive for  leukocytoclastic vasculitis (LCV). This is an autoimmune disease of the vascular system, there is no cure. LCV is commonly a secondary diagnosis to other autoimmune disorders. So we continued with more tests. Everything was coming back negative, yet I was in so much pain, I was exhausted, like couldn't even lift my head. I'd sleep for 18+ hours a day and couldn't function. We knew something was wrong, but couldn't pinpoint it. I saw my PCP, a dermatologist, an internist, a resident that specialized in rheumatology, a cardiologist and had a referral for a rheumatologist. My PCP, the intenist and resident all thought it was fibromyalgia. Well I have a nursing background and just didn't feel that was it. I still thought there was more to my story.

Finally in June I saw the Rheumatologist, for those of you that don't know they specialize in autoimmune disorders. Well after one hour with me, she went over signs and symptoms, looked over photos and said she's convinced it's Lupus. So back for more blood work I go. She also informed me she saw signs of it in my blood work from August. Now I will admit, this is the exact diagnosis I suspected. Most people it takes years to get diagnosed, but it looks like less than a year for me. So I feel very lucky. If you don't know, Lupus is a disorder where your immune system attacks your own body. There is no cure only treatment, which isn't very pleasant either. Lupus can also attack your organs. I already have suspected kidney and heart involvement.

So why am I happy to get diagnosed with this? Well simple, the sooner I start treatment the better it is for me. People with Lupus are now living full life expectancy with proper care and treatment. I also spent the past nine months in bed, my memory failing, couldn't get my thoughts straight or even out at times, no will to go on, no motivation and depression took over. I was one 12 different medications (I hate taking meds). I'm ready to face my disease head on. So I said enough is enough, I started writing again and here we are, release week for the revised version of Immortal Embrace. I vowed to not let my disease win over my life. I have my drive back again and so excited for what the future holds.

Today I had a MPI Stress test. This is a test of the heart, I had to walk on a treadmill until a target heart rate was met. I was injected with a special dye and the MRI photos were taken of my heart. I returned 3 hours later for more MRI photos to be taken. I won't have any results for a few days, and have five...yes five more heart tests coming up between now and October. I see the Rheumatologist at the end of this month and will hopefully start treatment as well as further investigation into my kidney's.

So that's my story, I want you all to know that no matter what it is you might be going through, you're not alone. reach out to me on social media, email, whatever. I'm here to listen. I'm writing again, and have like 7 books coming out before Christmas (including the revised Embrace Series). I will keep everyone updated on my progress in both writing and health and thank you for standing by me. I love you all.

Charlotte           

Meet Author G.R. Holton

I am proud to introduce you all to G.R. Holton a wonderful author from Wolrd Castle Publications. Thank you for joining us today, I’m so excited to have you hear and know my readers will enjoy it as well.

About You:

Can you tell us a little about you? Well I am 50 years old and happily married to my soul mate Charlotte. I have 3 children and four step children. I am also the proudest Grandpa Fuzzy of four beautiful little granddaughters.

What quality do you most value in yourself? I would have to say the fact that I go out of my way to please others. I get true satisfaction by hearing those two special words “Thank You”.

In addition to writing, what else are you passionate about? I am very passionate about my volunteer work in my town here. I am on just about every board and  am always looking to find ways to make the town better.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? Actually, winning three awards for my writing is what I am most proudest. That and surviving to be able to say I am 50.

Why do you write? I write as a therapeutic way to combat my severe Bipolar disorder. It allows my brain to escape and be in places that I have never been before.

What is your greatest strength as a writer? My greatest strength is also my greatest weakness. I don’t read much and on one hand that makes all my writing very fresh unlike anyone else’s style, but it hurts me in learning sentence structure and usage.

Is there any new or established author whom you feel deserves more attention, and what is it that strikes you about his or her work?  Sorry on that one... I don’t really know this answer. I have a couple great friends in World Castle that are excellent writers and can’t pick one above the other. I would say that they really spend the time describing their stories and characters until you become one of them.

What book(s) / author(s) have influenced your life and writing? Of course the Bible... Stephen King’s Needful Things.... George Orwell...Isaac Azimov... But those were required readings in High School, but they really stuck with me.

About Writing:

What is your writing process? Do you follow a regular routine? My writing is usually done at 5 – 8 hour spurts...one day I will write until I drop and the next few days won’t write a single word. Those are my marketing days and town volunteer days.

What are the most important elements of good writing? According to you, what tools are must-haves for writers? A thesaurus is highly necessary. You cannot write a good and interesting chapter reusing the same old dead words. The other is patience! Take your time and do it right.

What motivates you to write? I am motivated to see what the next weird thing I can come up with. The stories motivate me to do something completely out of the box.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it? Writer’s block is when my voices refuse to speak with me. When that happens I usually just stop writing, go into Facebook and start working on promotion.

Do you have any advice for other writers? Three key words: Faith, Focus and again Patience. Have faith in what you are doing. Keep your focus on what you are trying to accomplish, and patience to wait to have it right.

What are your current / future projects? I am in heavy edit on a second edition of Guardian’s Alliance and Dragon’s Bow. I am also beginning to work on the screenplay for Deep Screams and the sequel to it called “Silent Screams”.

About your book:

Can you tell us a bit about your book?  My latest work is called “Dragon’s Bow”. It is a fantasy classic about good vs. evil, sister vs. sister. What happens when a Dark Wizard impregnates a White Witch? You get a set of twin girls that until they are 16 are the epitome of good. That is until one is touched by the wizard’s stone turning her pure evil. The only way to change her back is to kill the dark wizard with the dragon’s bow. But can you get it in time...stop your evil twin...and then have to kill your true father in the process?

What is the message in your book? What are your readers’ reactions to it? Good will always defeat evil...as long as the heart is in the right place.

Did you learn anything from writing your book and what was it? I had to do a lot of research on the monsters and characters for this one...something very foreign to me in my other works.

What do you think readers will find most notable about this book? The descriptiveness. I am really going into great depth to describe the characters and surrounds. Something I have felt I lacked in some of my other works.
Have you acquired any good anecdotes surrounding this book? If so, could you share one? Beware what you don’t know to be true. Fight for what is truly right.

Did researching and writing this book teach you anything or influence your thinking in any way? Yes I learned a lot about character description and that a good folklore makes a good monster.

What would you most like readers to tell others about this book? That it is truly a classic storyline that is also very imaginative.

Can you suggest one question readers might find interesting to discuss, concerning you, your writing in general, or this book? How can someone with such a severe disability write. I say that you need to channel your attributes and allow them to work for you.

How can readers help you promote this book? They can buy the book, the special Dragon’s Bow glasses that will be available before the book is printed, and tell their friends that a new fantasy author has come out of the depths of Science Fiction to write a truly inspiring fantasy.

Where can readers find you and more about your book(s)? Where can they purchase your book(s)? The best place to find all my books is on my website www.grholton.com or at www.worldcastlepublishing.com. 

August’s Blowout Summer Blog Hop

Over 50 GIVEAWAYS+ 7 AWESOME Author's+ Challenging CONTESTS+ The Title of BEST BOOK at STAKE= THE BEST SUMMER EVER!

Hello Bloggers. There has been a lot of BUZZ around SeeitORreadit about:

August's Blowout Summer Blog Hop

But what is that? And why is it such a big deal?

The August Blow out Summer Blog Hop is when we are going to be voting for the BEST BOOK. Our nominees are:

Now here is how the event works. These books will be competing against each other. The book that wins the most rounds wins the title of BEST BOOK! So you guys need to vote for your book so it wins.

Along the way there will be lot's of contests, guest posts, and giveaways! So stay tuned all month long.

I'm a Work in Progress and Publishing Advice

Sitting here today (yes a day late on my blog) I wondered what I would post about and honestly I still have no clue. I can't imagine how some of these wonderful bloggers do this daily. I can't even manage to do mine weekly.

I thought maybe I could do some book recommendations, or talk about what's been going on with me, but that can get kinda dull week after week. What about book tow that I'm still working on, even though I had hoped to finish this past weekend. Well not much to tell there, I still need about five thousand words before I send it off.