Snow Fun, A Book Release, and A Hair Experiment

Hello, folks! It's been a while since I've done an actual post because I'm helping promote my peeps Jess Calla and S. Usher Evans and their new books, The Love Square and The Island! For those that don't know, Jess is my intern at BookFish Books, and she also happens to be a brilliant, swoony romance writer. She has a book coming out soon called She Laughs In Pink, and I have a huge book crush on Chase! And S. Usher Evans is an indie author who is always there to lend a hand to other authors. She helped Deek and I a lot with the process portion of Birth. Great ladies with great books!

The Book Release 

As you probably know from my Twitter, Facebook, blog, and Instagram gushing, Birth of an American Gigolo is available for sale! <happy dance>

Here it is on release day--dropped right onto my Kindle app! Isn't technology grand?

I waited until Deek went to sleep, and then I snuck downstairs to make him this sign. I hung it over the coffee pot where I knew he'd see it. LOL!

That night, we celebrated the release at our favorite paleo friendly restaurant. 

And we lit our "Rhew power R."

A few days later, the proof for the print version arrived. Birth should be available in print on February 16!

I ADORE this look of happiness and pride on his face. There is nothing quite like holding your book in your hands for the first time. 

Even Trinna baby got into the action by giving her Daddy's book a look-see! 

In the midst of all this excitement, Deek and I went on a couple of adventures, and I agreed to be part of a hair experiment.

The Hair Experiment

So, you know I decided to go with gray streaks in my hair. Well...that was a fail. It lasted about one and a half weeks before it turned into a brassy gold. I really don't like brass gold. So, I texted my hair dresser and asked what we could do about it. She told me to come in next time Deek got his haircut because she had a proposition for me. At Deek's appointment, I showed up, and she said, "How do you feel about blue hair?" LOL! Blue IS my favorite color, so I agreed. She told me that this new product had come out where you get a small bit of dye put in at the salon then take home a bottle of creamy dye you apply every night in the shower. AND she said if I agreed to test it out and send her pics of my hair's progress, I could get it all done for free. Um, yes. I am always up for a hair experiment, and a free dye job at that? Double yes. 

So, we did the in-salon dye. It was a light powdery blue but appeared more gray, which I was fine with because I'd wanted gray.

Then things started to go downhill. The at-home color didn't take nearly as well as the salon color, and I ended up with a half brassy blonde, half powder blue, half pool green hair. Eep!

My funky colored head at the gym.

After a couple weeks of trying, the color never improved to the powder blue the company promised. So, my hairdresser said she'd gotten what she needed experiment-wise and asked if I could stop using the product and see how long it takes to wash out. I'm on day three, and it's still not completely faded.

And since I was such a good sport, I soon had an appointment to get my next hair idea implemented: Ombre. My hair has taken a bit of a beating these past two years with the blonde and purple fun I've been having, and the pieces that have been stripped of color over and over again are pretty wrecked. So, we're going to do the ombre look where the top of the head is dark and fades to a lighter color. That way, my hair on top can recover as it grows out, and we'll just cut off the damaged layers as they grow out. Win/win. I hope! I want dark on the top fading to a blonde. Fingers crossed it works! 

Fort Vancouver

Deek and I made plans to go to dinner with one of his friends up in Vancouver, Washington. And since I've never seen Vancouver, we decided to go up there early and explore before dinner. Well, when we asked a bunch of different people about the best places to go in Vancouver, every one of them scoffed and said, "It's no Portland." LOL! A little Pacific Northwest rivalry going on? Then, Deek remembered he'd gone to Fort Vancouver as a child and wanted to know if I'd be interested in seeing it. I'm interested in seeing everything, so we went.

Outhouse. Someone, please explain this to me. Is it a choose-your-own-butt-size situation or a tandem bathroom experience situation. Either way...gah!

This cannon was probably a lot bigger to Deek when he was a child. LOL!

Jailbird 1

Jailbird 2

This was the mural on the ceiling in the women's bathroom. I kid you not. I *may* have snuck into the men's bathroom to see if they had the same decor. Spoiler: they do.

I love all my adventures with Deek. He's my heart and soul in human form. <swoony eyes>

Snow Fun

As you know, I'm Southern. So, when the white, fluffy flakes of frozen precipitation fall from the sky, it shuts down our lives. People wreck all over the place, we're stuck inside with our bread and milk (running Southern joke--the stores sell out of these two items first), and we freeze. Seriously, it's like a terrible treasure hunt just to try and find a pair of non-knit gloves where I'm from.

So, when Deek suggested we go snow tubing, I admit to being less than enthused. But he promised me that the proper gear makes all the difference. Per his instructions to find thermals and waterproof boots (I've never owned a pair of waterproof boots), I took a trip to the thrift store ('cause Dave Ramsey) and found what we needed for next to nothing.

The day arrived, and I still dreaded the thought of being wet and cold in the snow. But I pulled up my big girl panties and decided to make the best of it.

Southern girl about to go in the snow. And of course I wore pigtails because that's what they always wear in ski movies. LOL! 

We arrived.

And you know what? Deek was right. The proper gear makes ALL the difference. With waterproof boots, my feet--which normally freeze so bad I can't stand it--stayed warm. The thermal layers kept me toasty, and I even got hot pulling the tube back up the mountain with each round. Guess what? I had a complete and total blast. I totally didn't expect to enjoy it, but I REALLY did. And while we were there, it started snowing. Rather than groan and grumble, I watched it in awe. It's so beautiful and elegant when you're not worried about being stuck in your house for days and freezing every time you step outside. What a difference...

He's so swoony!

I love snow adventures! Who would have thunk it?

OMG! Huckleberry Inn. 

Yes and yes. I so love Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday in Tombstone. 

"I'm your huckleberry, and that's just my game."

Date Night

Then one day, Deek and I got the chance to go on an unexpected middle-of-the-week date. As we do, we headed to our favorite big city and explored the nooks and crannies together. We walked hand-in-hand, talked, and laughed a lot. Our dates don't have to be anything big or expensive. I just want time with my one and only. Time with my best friend, lover, and life partner. People, he's the most amazing man, and I'm so honored to be his wife! 

Me and my love on our impromptu date

And before I sign off...

An adorable picture of Trinity...just because.

I can't stand the cutest! 

Until next time, live out loud. Try new things. Love your people with all your might. Thanks for reading! 

The Island by S. Usher Evans

About the Book

Prince Galian is third in line to the throne, but prefers his place as a resident at the Royal Kylaen Hospital. When his father urges him to join the military to help reclaim their colony, Galian is forced to put aside his oath to Do No Harm and fight a war he does not believe in.

Across the great Madion Sea, Captain Theo Kallistrate dreams of a day when she is no longer bound by conscription to fight for her country's independence. But when the Kylaens threaten, honor and duty call her to the front lines to fight off the oppressors.

When an air skirmish goes wrong, both Theo and Galian crash on a remote island hundreds of miles from either nation. Grievously injured, Theo must rely on Galian's medical expertise, and Galian must rely on Theo's survival skills, to live another day in a harsh and unforgiving terrain.

Can they put aside their differences long enough to survive? Or will the war that brought them to the island tear them apart?

The Island is the first in a new romance trilogy by S. Usher Evans, author of the Razia series and Empath.

Preorder Today for Kindle, Paperback, Hardcover and more!

Preview

Galian

I landed with a soft thump on the sandy beach a little ways from my plane, and immediately dropped to my knees, releasing a loud breath. My hands shook and my heart pounded, but I thanked my lucky stars that I was alive and had practiced parachuting out of my plane a few extra times during my training.

Once my pulse returned to normal, I stood and released myself from the parachute straps, leaving the long trail of lines and white parachute laid out on the beach. I approached the wreckage of my plane. Pieces of it lay in a long trail as it had skidded across the sand. I picked up a metal piece that had a bullet hole in it and then tossed it aside.

Besides the nose and engine being smashed to smithereens, the back of the plane was fine. I cracked open the back hatch and pawed through my emergency supplies. I found everythingÑincluding the medical bag Dr. Maitland gave meÑto be intact. Again, I thanked whatever was up there looking out for me. Of all the outcomes that could've happened from the battle, crash-landing on an island with my supplies was better than most.

A burning smell reached my nose, and I stepped back, searching my plane for any sign of fire. Then I noticed the black column of smoke rising up from the treetops.

Despite everything, worry knotted in my chest. What had happened to the other pilot? I hadn't seen another parachute. Was he even still alive? He was my enemy, but still a fellow human being. I couldn't help but hear Dr. Maitland in my ear.

I don't have the luxury of differentiating between Kylaen and Raven patients.

Guilt gnawed at me. I looked down at the medical bag and sighed. Dr. Maitland was rightÑI was a doctor first and a warrior second. Shouldering my bag, I stumbled off the sandy beach onto the firmer forest ground.

The trees were tall and thick and everything around me was green. It was late summer, but there was definitely a chill in the air since I was so far north. I was thankful for my extra layer under my jumpsuit.

I walked into a clearing, covering my nose from the smell. One of the two wings had been shorn off in the crash and was the source of the black smoke. The rest of the plane was mashed and mangled some ways away. I saw the pilot in the cockpit through the shattered glass, and his helmeted head hung motionless. I was sure that he was dead. I couldn't see how anyone could have survived such a crash.

And then he moved.

Theo

I woke slowly, the sound of unfamiliar animals coming to me first, followed by a cold breeze. As I tried to move, pain shot up from every corner of my body. I looked up at the blue sky, barely visible through a thick canopy of trees. I smelled leaking fuel, and wondered if my ship would explode or if I'd bleed to death first.

I relaxed into my seat and prepared for the inevitable. Even if the Raven government sent a search party for me (which they wouldn't), I doubted they'd come in time to save my life. Still, I took some solace in the fact that I killed another son of that mass murdering king.

A noise startled me and I turned my head slowly to find the source.

I couldn't believe my eyes. The stupid princeling was alive and standing in front of my ship.

Fear and anger gripped at me. How was it possible that I was badly injured and he appeared to be walking just fine? I hated that the last thing I was going to see in this world was Prince Galian standing in a clearing, his pale skin flushed and his eyes sparkling withÉamusement?

I was dying and thisÊguyÊwas laughing at me.

"What's so funny?" I snarled through my helmet.

"Serves you right." He was smirking as if he had something to smirk about.

"For what?"

"Shooting me down. Looks like you're in worse shape than I am, too."

"Go to hell."

He laughed again and hoisted himself up onto the broken nose of my plane. I was in too much pain to fight back, and my gun was nowhere to be found.

"Yep," he observed, with a smirk on his face. Up close, he was every bit as handsome as I'd seen in pictures. "You definitely got what you deserved. Shouldn't have shot at me."

"You shouldn't have invaded my country."

His eyes widened for a moment and I thought I'd finally done something to wipe that smile off his face. To my supreme annoyance, he tilted his head back and let out a throaty laugh.

"Oh, you are witty," he said, nodding. "And technically right. But it wasn't my decision. I was, as they say, just following orders."

"And I was just following orders when I blew your ass out of the sky."

"Aren't we at an impasse then?" He seemed to be enjoying this conversation. He looked down at the side of my ship and read the inscription. "Theo, huh? Well, you must be a pretty high ranking pilot then. I hear the Ravens only allow you to put your name on your ship after you've survived plenty of battles."

I moved out of anger, but the pain in my legs came roaring up my body. "Please let me die in peace," 

I asked, unable to look at him.

"Oh, you aren't going to die today."

Preorder today for Amazon Kindle, Paperback, and Hardcover.

About the Author

S. Usher Evans is an author, blogger, and witty banter aficionado. Born in Pensacola, Florida, she left the sleepy town behind for the fast-paced world of Washington, D.C.. There, she somehow landed jobs with BBC, Discovery Channel, and National Geographic Television before finally settling into a "real job" as an IT consultant. After a quarter life crisis at age 27, she decided consulting was for the birds and rekindled a childhood passion for writing novels. She sold everything she owned and moved back to Pensacola, where she currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit.

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The Love Square by Jess Calla -- Blog Tour

Title: The Love Square

Author: Jessica Calla

Genre: Adult Romance

Published: January 12, 2016
Publisher: Limitless Publishing 

Clare Davis hates everything about L.A. Well, almost everything…

Accustomed to a small town life in Nebraska, Clare is miserable in her new role as manager of an L.A. bookstore. She yearns to return to the simple life on her family’s farm. That is until she literally runs into up-and-coming movie star Dylan Barnes.

Dylan resents the Hollywood limelight. Awaiting the premiere of his first feature film, it would be nice to meet someone real—just not someone who rear-ends his BMW with her oversized truck. Dylan is instantly attracted to Clare and her Midwestern charm. And as he shows her the wonders of California, Clare can’t resist falling in love with the Golden State and its newest star.

From West Coast to East, friendship and love are equally complicated…

On the East Coast, Dylan’s childhood friend, Alex Popovich, loves his carefree life as a minor league ballplayer. He’s the man-whore of Brooklyn, playing the field in more ways than one. So when real feelings for his best friend erupt, Alex isn’t interested.

A gorgeous ballroom dancer-slash-office worker, Jenna Stecco wants her best friend, Alex, to take a leap from friends to more. Busy having one night stands, Alex is quick to let Jenna go, telling her it’s time to give up lost hopes and move on with life.

Complicated turns full on crazy with a tangled love square…

When Dylan returns to New York City, he meets up with Alex and is introduced to the stunning Jenna. Believing Clare is unavailable and Alex isn’t interested, Dylan and Jenna share a night of passion and embark on a long-distance relationship.

Everyone is thrown by this love square, as Dylan, Jenna, Alex, and Clare struggle with their feelings for each other. When Jenna reveals a secret that will change their lives, all hell breaks loose. 

As the love square crumbles, the four friends must find a way to rebuild or risk losing love forever.

Alex 

Alex and Steve finished another pitcher of sangria while they waited for Dylan.

“Holy shit, with Dylan and Jenna,” Steve said. “How are you handling everything?”

Alex groaned. “They’re both so fucking happy. I had breakfast with them this morning and thought I would throw up. They’re like teenagers making eyes at each other.”

“How can you watch?”

“The whole thing makes me angry, but I know I don’t have a right to be.”

“You’re angry because you’re jealous, you jackass. Because you love her.”

“She told Dylan, you know,” Alex said.

“Told him what? That you’re a jackass?”

“Ha. No. That she loved me.”

“She did? Is she nuts?”

“She told him, ‘It is what it is’ and asked him if he could handle it.”

Steve shook his head. “She’s something.”

“Yeah, something,” Alex agreed. “Anyway, he’ll be gone in a couple of days. Dylan says they are going to try the long-distance relationship thing, but I can’t imagine that working. This has to fizzle out, right?”

“Do you want it to? At least with Dyl, you know he’s not some wacko guy she met online. He’s not the worst person she could be with,” Steve said, then grimaced as he sipped the last of the sangria. “Ah, this is so sweet. I feel my teeth rotting. Anyway, Dylan’s never around, which means you get her to yourself. If you’re not ready to deal with your shit and tell her how you really feel and you’re willing to give her up, at least it’s to Dylan.”

“Like I could compete with D-Barnes. There’s no way she’d want me after being with him.”

“You’re wrong,” Steve said. “If it’s a competition, you already won. You forfeited, though.”

Alex leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. A blonde woman at the table next to him smiled his way. All he could think about was Jenna. “Yeah, I guess I forfeited. Why’d I do that again?”

“Because you’re fucked up.”

Jessica Calla is a lawyer by day, romance writer by night. Her favorite time is the kids’ "bedtime," when she's free to open the laptop, battle with the blinking cursor, and pour out the contents of her heart. Jessica is a member of Romance Writers of America, involved in the Contemporary, Young Adult, and New Jersey Chapters, and is a member of the Women’s Fiction Writers Association. She lives in central New Jersey with her husband, two sons, and her dog. Besides reading and writing, she enjoys movies, coffee, and chocolate and considers herself addicted to Diet Coke and Netflix (in a good way).

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