I had most of this blog post written and my internet decided to crash soooo... I lost it all. I really need to start writing these things in Word first.  

Anyway, the gist of the post was how I was having a rough week. Honestly, the internet crapping out and deleting my blog post really wasn't surprising.

As far as my bad week goes, I have not been getting sleep lately. No matter how early I go to bed I've lain awake every night until around 2 A,M. So, my brain's a little fried and I'm having a lack of sleep induced pity party.  It'll probably clear up by next week.

I hope.

Because of said pity party, I decided that I needed retail therapy.  I probably shouldn't have. With the holidays coming up faster than I'd like to think, I should probably hoard my money... but... I needed it. (Needed, wanted. Tomato, tomahto) I needed some retail induced happiness. And what, friends, is happier than romance novels? Not much,  So, of course, I ended up at Barnes and Noble.
  

​I got this adorable journal to keep as a "positivity journal."  At least I'm being proactive about my pity party state of mind ;)

​I love the gold foil on the letters and the bumble bee. It's even cuter inside. The pages are all colorful and it says things like "smile" and "be happy." I wanted something to write down the things in life that make me happy each day. Even if it's as mundane as "my bendy straw is lime green, today." (What? You don't drink your iced coffee out of florescent colored bendy straws? Just me? Alright.) It's easy to get bogged down with negative thinking and self-doubt but I'm hoping that writing down positivity will counteract any negative thoughts and feelings I have. Because, let me tell you, being a writer causes so much self-doubt and I do not want to give in to that. Besides, any excuse to buy a cute notebook, am I right?

A trip to B&N wouldn't be complete without a stopping by romanceland. I only got two books but believe me I wanted more.

That's my little haul for the day. I cannot wait to dive in to those books!!!
​See you next week, friends :)

It's pretty much a consensus that fall is a fantastic time of year. The weather is chilly but not cold, the leaves are changing into rich, beautiful colors, and Hocus Pocus is on at least once a week.  But what isn't always agreed on is what takes home the best of the best prize.  Everyone likes different things and everyone seems to stick to those guns hard core.  If you don't believe me then try telling a pumpkin spice girl that apple cider is better.

So I thought it would be fun to make a list of fall favorites and circle my personal favorites.  

1. Pumpkin Spice or Apple Cider
Answer: Apple Cider
It seems like as soon as September hits, pumpkin spice everything is everywhere. And I won't lie, I order a pumpkin spice latte once or twice during the season but if I had to pick one over the other, I'm definitely more of an apple cider girl.

2. Corn Maze or Haunted house
Answer: Corn Maze
I do a corn maze just about every year.  It doesn't feel like fall until I've gone to a corn maze.  Also, I don't like haunted houses.  I don't like paying people to scare me :)

3. Horror Movie or Kids Movie
Answer: Kids Movie
See above about not enjoying being scared.  And there are so many fun kids movies for Halloween.  The Great Pumpkin, Wallace and Gromit, and so many more that I absolutely love.

4. Caramel Apple or Bucket of Candy
Answer: Bucket of Candy
Ummm... a bucket filled with Halloween candy? Yes please! Pass me a Kit Kat.

5. Cutesy Costume or Scary Costume
Answer: Cutesy Costume
I'm not one for scary. I'll wear my little pumpkin, Belle from Beauty and the Beast, or cute witch costume any day.

6. Sweater or Jacket
Answer: Sweater
So. Cozy!

7. Apple Pie or Pumpkin Pie
Answer: Apple Pie
You'd think because I answered apple cider over pumpkin spice that I'd go for the apple pie.  But no.  I'm pumpkin pie all the way, baby!  My mom and I bake a huge batch from scratch every year.  I'm talking cutting open real pumpkins and everything.  It's been my favorite since I was a little kid.

So there you go. Those are my favorites, what are yours?

I know, I know, a dumb show based off of a dumb slasher movie franchise.  Bite your tongue, those movies are amazing.  

Scream (the movie) scared the bejeezus out of me when I was a kid.  I went over a friend's house and her parents let us watch it (what were they thinking? I was 7 or 8 years old. My mom was livid when she found out.)  Some kids are afraid of monsters under their bed.  Me? I was afraid of the Scream dude in my closet. Why some guy in a Halloween costume would want to hang out in my messy ass closet, I don't know, but to a kid it made sense.

Movie Spoiler Alert (It's been 20 years, I think the statute of limitations is up on spoilers)

Then when I was older, about 16 probably, I decided to watch it again and holy crap it's hilarious.  Such a funny movie.  And Mathew Lillard will always be Shaggy from Scooby Doo to me so he was automatically a lot less scary.  Just that bit at the end where Sidney tells him she called the cops and he responds with "my mom and dad are gonna be so mad at me."  God, I love it!  And so when I found out MTV was going to make a TV show out of it I figured I'd watch the first episode.  

My expectations were not high.  Actually, I watched the first 10 minutes or so of it and thought, this is dumb, I'm wasting my time, and turned it off.  Then a few weeks later my sister (also a fan of the movies) wanted to watch it.  So after a few minutes of "please, Jackie, please," I gave in and sat down with my popcorn and low expectations. And I am so glad I did because I freaking love it.  We ended up binge watching whatever was out at the time (a respectable 5 or 6 episodes, I think.)  

I know it didn't get much critical acclaim (it's a teen slasher show on MTV.  Who was really expecting Oscar award winning stuff?)  It's a little cheesy, and some of the acting is terrible (although not as bad as I expected it to be. Score another point for low expectations.)  But it's suspenseful and funny and I catch definite nods to the movies here and there. I love that it references horror movies and in the first episode even asks the question "how could you make a horror movie into a TV show?"

I think that if you enjoyed the movies, you'll like the show. Or if you just plain like cheesy slasher movies than you might like this cheesy slasher show.  I definitely love it. (No shame, Jackie.  Own it!)

There still hasn't been any word on if it's renewed for a third season but there is a Halloween special next week, October 18th, so at least we'll get some form of closure if it's cancelled.  Seriously MTV tell us! 

​Also because of this show, I'm absolutely obsessed with this song: Dark in my Imagination by Of Verona

Okay, so I know I was supposed to check in after I read At Wolf Ranch by Jennifer Ryan. The thing is... I haven't read it yet. I know, I know!! I feel so bad about that. Right after I posted that blog I went though a massive re-read phase. Actually, I'm still in it. For some reason I don't want to read anything new. I only want to re-read my oldies.

So since November I've re-read everything Jennifer Crusie's ever written (which, personally, is my idea of heaven. In heaven there are no calorie mochas and Jennifer Crusie's entire backlist.  Even Sizzle. You heard me!)  I re-read Lisa Kleypas's Wallflower series (love love love those.) My favorite is Daisy's story. I know everyone else loves Devil in Winter, and I do, too, but I absolutely love how quirky Daisy is and how Mathew absolutely loves that about her.  Maybe because I'm quirky and I can relate. Then I read her Hathaway series and some of her onsie books.  I read a few Gaelen Foley, some Jill Shalvis, a Julia Quinn or two (or eight.)  

It's been an absolute FLURRY of re-reads.

Am I crazy? I know some people hate re-reading books but for me there's just something so damn comforting about it.  And things have been stressful in Jackie-land* lately so my favorite books act like comfort food.  All the benefits of mashed potatoes and mac & cheese without the ever so lovely muffin top and guilt trips.  

So expect to hear more What Am I Reading Wednesdays.  Until then I'm going to post a bunch of random blogs about nothing in particular.

I really do want to read At Wolf Ranch, though. I might have to just power through and break out of my re-read rut. (Say that ten times fast)  



​
*Jackie-land. It's like Candyland without the candy.  'Cause, you know, muffin top ;)

Hey, do you see that ball? Right there? Bouncing across the floor? Yeah, that's because I dropped it.  I got caught up and did not post my update on What am I Reading Wednesday.  But never fear, this Wednesday I am here for you! 

First, my mini review of the newest Lisa Kleypas historical, Cold-Hearted Rake.  And there's really no surprise here, I loved it.  It was engrossing, sexy, and smart.  I barely put it down once I started it but, you know, a girls gotta eat otherwise I probably wouldn't have put it down at all. It was obviously the first in a new series with the next book's couple playing a heavy role so once that one comes out I would highly recommend reading Cold-Hearted Rake first. I made the mistake of reading the teaser chapter from the upcoming book and it's torture because I neeeeeed to read it and it doesn't come out until next year. 

Overall, an awesome read that I would highly recommend.  And yes, that Paula Abdul song was stuck in my head the whole time I read it and it's stuck in my head again. A small price to pay for such a good book.

This weeks read is (drum roll, please.....)

​At Wolf Ranch by Jennifer Ryan

I first heard of Jennifer Ryan at the RWA conference a few years ago and have wanted to try her books ever since.  I've heard good things so I'm really excited about this week's pick.

This is the first book in her Montana Men series.  I'm not sure if this is one of those series that needs to be read in order but I like reading in order even if it doesn't matter. Is that weird? Am I the only one who does that? 

First Impressions:

Cover: Honestly, I'm not usually drawn to the cowboy covers that's just a personal thing.  I'm a city girl so maybe that's why :)  I picked the book for the author. He's a good lookin' man, though, so I definitely can't complain. 

I like the sense of setting you get from the mountains in the background, the snow making everything a little hazy, the gray-blue sky, and that fence drawing your eye right up to the hero. I definitely get the feel of a ranch. It's very contemporary so it fits the genre nicely.  

Overall a good cover.


​
Back Cover Blurb:

This book sounds so good!  It's labeled contemporary romance but I love that it has a twist of suspense in there.  I like when books cross genres a little.  And I love when a book has some danger in it.  This back cover really intrigues me.

We'll see if it's as good as I hope it'll be.

I'll be back next Wednesday with my thoughts.  See ya then! 

Every Wednesday I'm going to try to post what book I'm reading or about to start reading and my first impressions.  I'll also give an update and review on last week's book.  I will always be honest about how I feel but never mean or harsh.  Authors work very hard and pour their hearts and souls into every page.  And just because I don't like something doesn't mean it's bad or that others wouldn't love it.  There will only be positivity and constructive criticism on my blog.

I hope you like this idea and if there's any suggestions on what I should read for upcoming weeks let me know.
​ 

Cover: I like the cover.  I can be a little bit harsh on cover art sometimes.  But I like sweet covers and the blues and pinks are nice.

The title is pretty great.  Although it get's Paula Abdul's Cold-Hearted stuck in my head.  But since I kind of love that song it's not a bad thing :) 
He's a cold-hearted rake, look into his eyes. Oh oh, he's been tellin' lies. 

But I digress...

Back Cover Blurb:

Let's face it.  I honestly didn't even read the back cover before I bought this.  But upon reading it, I'm intrigued. I like a book about dangerous rakes just as much as the next romance reader.  So my first impression would have to be: let's do this!

I'm sure I will be pulling an all nighter tonight reading this so I'll let you know in next week's post what I thought about it.

Happy reading, everyone!

Halloween is fast approaching. I can't believe it's so close!  I love this time of year.  I love the changing colors, the costumes, the pumpkins, corn mazes, cider, doughnuts, candy. All of it.  But my absolute favorite part of this season is what's playing on my television screen.  Nothing gets me in the spirit more than a cup of hot cocoa and something spooky to watch.      

That's why I wanted to share with you my must watch, can't get into the spirit without, absolute favorite Halloween movies and TV specials. 

Let's start with movies, shall we?
​
My number one (probably most people's number one):  Hocus Pocus

It is legitimately not Halloween until I've watched this.  Nothing feels more like Halloween than this movie.  Bette Midler is the queen of Halloween and I bow down to her genius.

The next one's aren't in any particular order.

Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Ware-Rabbit

This movie is hilarious for both adults and kids.  And from an artist's stand point the animation is amazing.  I love that it's all hand done claymation. And those little bunnies are possibly the cutest things I've ever seen. 

Abbot and Costello Meet Frankenstein

Witches, Sandra Bullock, house porn.  What's not to love?  That house, though.  I won't lie, I watch this movie for the house.  Don't get me wrong, the movie is excellent, but the house is the best part.

It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

I wasn't sure if I should count this as a movie or TV special because it's only half an hour long but I'm going with movie.  Mostly because I have it on DVD and that's all that's on there.  So in my head it counts as a movie. And who can get through this time of year without visiting the pumpkin patch with Linus? I know I can't.


Now, onto TV shows!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Arguably any episode could work for Halloween since it's all about vampires, demons, and the forces of darkness but Buffy had a few really great Halloween episodes (and one not so great one that I'll be skipping right over)

From season two: Halloween
In this episode the Scooby gang gets turned into their Halloween costumes by chaos worshiping Ethan Rayne.  Buffy becomes a helpless 18th century noblewoman, Willow a ghost hooker, and Xander an army guy (which they use for the rest of the series to explain any random knowledge they need to know about guns, rocket launchers, and the military in general.)  Add a dash of Spike being all evil and sexy and you've got a great episode, my friends.

From season 4: Fear Itself
A college party and a haunted house.  Two very Halloween-y things.  The gang is invited to a haunted house that's been possessed by a fear demon feeding off the terror it instills on anyone inside.  The highlight of this episode is definitely Anya's bunny costume followed very closely by Giles in a sombrero.

Bonus creepy episode: again from season 4 : Hush
Not specifically a Halloween episode but super creepy. The Gentlemen may be the scariest monster in the Whedonverse. They're silent but they have those huge evil smiles that are the stuff of nightmares.  This is a must watch for me this time of year.

​Supernatural  

From Season 4: Monster Movie
Again this is one of those TV shows that just about any episode would be appropriate for Halloween but Monster Movie is Halloween perfection. It's all in black and white and it's a play on the classic monster movies.  And Jensen Ackles in lederhosen is hilarious.

I've been watching these since I was a little kid. So these episodes hold a special place in my heart.  

​And for a very family friendly option: Home Improvement

This one is a blast from the past, I know.  I hadn't watched this show in so long but this year I busted out some of the Halloween episodes and they are so much funnier than I remember.  I love the family dynamic, the wholesome but still hilarious humor, and the nostalgia of the 90's.  When I was a kid my mom filmed all of these on VHS for us and we watched them every year. 

That is all for my list.  I know there are so many more but these are my personal favorites.  Now I'm gonna go pop some corn, grab a giant bowl full of bite sized candy bars, and watch some of these gems.

I love antique stores.  I love going to them, I love spending money there, I love just walking around and browsing.  They're fun.  And if you're looking for furniture you're crazy to buy new.  Maybe not as far as sofas go but desks, tables, chairs, all that jazz. When I was looking for a desk even the cheapest options at the store were around $200-$300, you had to put them together yourself and they were cheap veneer.  Ugh. Spare me!  I ended up finding a writing desk that I loved and an adorable side table for under $100.  And that's even a bit pricey for antique stores.  

While we're at it don't get me started on picture frames.  For a new, decent sized frame it can be up to $50 or $100 dollars from the store.  Are.  You.  Kidding?  I got 5 or 6 frames (various sizes) for under $30 all together.  I had to rip really ugly prints and even uglier mats out of them but for a under $10 per picture frame, I'll put in some work.

But for as many wonderful things that you can find, there are also some truly heinous things.  Hilariously heinous things.

In just one trip I found:

Seriously, slap a frame around that creepy thing and it's Phoebe's painting from Friends.

Then there's these two lovely lamps.  The avocado green textured velvet material really brings out the mismatched shade of blue-green in the gigantic crystals hanging off the base. 

Nothing says class like those lamps.  

And then there was this little guy.

It is art and I shall title him 'Smirking Naked Baby with Old Man Face.'  Or possibly 'Just Farted.'  Brilliant!  And at $30 it's a steal.  Guaranteed to elevate any decor into a classy, professional looking room worthy of an HGTV special.  

There you have it.  The best of the best at my local antique store.

It has been a long time since I've written a blog post.  Well over a year.  Whoops!  But for both of you reading this I want to say that I am not gone. I have not given up on writing.  It’s just been a bit of a struggle getting things finished and finished right.  But I will get another book published this year if I have to go crazy and white haired doing it.  

Whew, I know everyone was worried about that!

Moving on.  

So, 2014 is gone.  Even though it's 16 days into the new year, I'm still writing '14 on everything and probably will be until around June.  Such is life.  

Last year was strange.  I don't really remember much of it.  It flew by in this big blur of not much happening.  I blame Netflix.  And Pinterest.  And my new found anxiety about life. 

This year is going to be different, though. (Says every one ever during January)  But really, I'm putting all my fear aside and getting shhhhii--- stuff done.  (I'm trying to swear less, can you tell?)  Because that's what I remember most about 2014.  Being afraid. Being afraid to write, to submit (again.) Being afraid of rejection. That and I've spent a year writing synopses. Which I will happily burn if they ever get picked up to be published and I don't need them anymore.  I even hate the word synopsis right now. Look at it, all smug and superior.  Synopsis.  Douche-bag word.  Guess I wasn't kidding about going crazy *checks for white hair*

I'm also trying to utilize fun motivational tools to keep me writing.  I've downloaded an ap for my phone with a word count tracker, and a timer that guilts me if I try to stop writing.  It's worked both days I've used it so far.  And a writer friend mentioned what's called the calendar method on twitter the other day. I'm not sure who originally thought of this but I want to give them a great big bear hug.  It basically involves putting a sticker on the date every time you reach your word count goal giving you something to work toward.  It's so simple.  I remember getting stickers as rewards when I was a kid (I've got the piano sheet music to prove it) but I never thought to do it as an adult and you know what? I want to earn those freaking stickers!  Of course, upon hearing of this method I drove straight to the store and went sticker CRAZY!  I even got some for my sister because they looked like something she would love.  And you know what?  She went sticker crazy, too!  We are, apparently, a bunch of kindergartners in my family. 
          

So here's my plan.  The stars are for every 1,000 words I write.  The birds/owls are for every 10,000 words. The candies are for blog posts/ every 500 words (say I wrote 1,500 words that day, I'd want a sticker for those extra 500 words but I didn't quite earn a star.) And the cupcakes are the special ones for the halfway point and when I finish.  I reeeeeeeaaaaaalllly wanna use one of those cupcake ones.

I may need stickers for when I exercise, too, because I'm paying for a gym membership that I hardly ever use. (Didn't see that coming when I signed up.)  Hmmm... probably not the candy stickers, though.

If I'm going to be completely honest with you, I'm writing this blog so I can put a candy shaped sticker on my calendar.  My super geeky, super awesome Firefly calendar. Oh yeah, I'm a cool kid.

What else?  Well, there's the usual resolutions: save money, lose weight, wear leather pants... wait, that was Ross on Friends (love that episode.)  

Hopefully 2015 will be a great year.  Fingers crossed.

Halloween is pretty much my favorite holiday.  What's not to love? Halloween movies that range from scary to down right adorable, pumpkin carving (has anyone seen the Foodnetwork's Halloween wars? That's some serious pumpkin carving!) candy is always welcome, and I love dressing up in costumes.

So when I got the opportunity to write a Halloween novella I was really excited for it and it was so much fun to write.  Also, since I only had about 2 weeks to write it I didn't get a chance to get sick of it.  Let's face it, after working on a story for several months, reading it over and over, it starts to lack the shine of that new idea sitting over in the back of your notebook.  

The anthology is called I Put A Spell On You.  As soon as I heard that title I could not get Bette Midler's voice out of my head.  That scene from Hocus Pocus would not stop playing in my mind. Sooooo.... I just had to finish the lyrics and I named my novella And Now You're Mine.  Which is fun because if totally fit with my story.  It was a win win.  Now all of you can have it stuck in your head, as well... You're welcome.

And for those of you that live under a rock and don't know what I'm talking about I found the video on youtube so that you, too, can have it stuck in your head.  
Again, you're welcome.

So this novella will be available on October 15th.  That's right, peeps.  Tomorrow! 

Here is the back cover description of mine:

And Now You're Mine
With their show on the verge of cancellation, amateur ghost hunters Casey Taylor and her sister, Abby, are scrambling to boost ratings. Though Raiders of the Haunted House has yet to see an actual ghost, Casey doesn't mind the lack of close encounters. The only thing that scares her more than things that go bump in the night is her massive crush on the show's sexy producer, Luke Mason. When her sister not only books the most haunted place on earth, but decides to put Luke in front of the camera with Casey, she finds out that she wasn't the only one hiding their true feelings. But when a malevolent spirit marks her for death, Casey and Luke find themselves fighting more than their attraction for each other. They need to survive the night...or else it wont just be the show that gets cancelled.

Here is the link to Amazon:

And the link to our Goodreads page

So get into the Halloween spirit, open up a bag of bite sized snickers, and curl up with a fun read. (That was a subtle way of me saying to buy my book... does it detract from the subtlety when I come right out and say it?)