Over ten years ago, my journey began but the reality is that I’ve always wanted to be a writer. I started my first book at seventeen. Now I never finished it and unfortunately, I lost the manuscript and let me tell you, even years later and knowing what I know now and didn’t know then, it really had potential. Everyone, I believe, has a pivot point in their life on their dream and what they want to do with their life.

Mine, even 20 years later, I can still remember as if it was yesterday. I’ve had a lot of influences in my life when it comes to writing and those influences had a major impact on the direction and path I took.

Karen Rose

Lisa Gardener

Nora Roberts

Cynthia Eden

Catherine Anderson

Laura Griffin

Andrea Kane

Lisa Jackson

And the list goes on and on. This list by no means defines my own writing but they have indeed influenced my desire to create my own world. Now let me return to that pivot point of my life. I was eighteen years old and wanted to write some of my favorite authors, to ask for advice, etc. I write ten authors; ten famous and well-known authors whom I loved.

Only one responded. Only one wrote me back. Only one took the actual time to write an aspiring eighteen-year-old girl back and to tell her to follow her dreams, to write and never give up, no matter what.

That author, that wonderful and caring author, was Andrea Kane.

For those of you who don’t know who she is, she’s a romantic suspense author of over 30 novels. Because of that one small act of kindness, she not only has my respect as an author but as a wonderful person who took the time to let a young girl know about a few organizations and to wish me luck in my goals and ambitions through life. It meant the world to an eighteen-year-old girl and still does to this day. It’s who I want to be; someone who is looked up too, who gets letters from fans, and who takes time to respond to each and every one, to maybe have a small impact on someone else as they struggle to navigate their own way through life.

Stay safe and take it one day at a time!

Writing has never been easy. Anyone who tells you differently is either a machine or crazy. That’s just my opinion. I’ve been off work for almost a year now and I’ve always told myself that if I had the time, I would write, write, write, and publish, fulling my dream of becoming a full time author. It was always a catch 22. I worked full time, the mother of two, and taking care of my parents. When did I have the time? It was a struggle. Now the so called traditional job is gone and yet I’m still struggling. Why? Well, let me tell you.

Reality. A cold hard reality that life doesn’t play. Life can be messy. Life can be unstable and unpredictable. I’m still a mother of two and taking care of my parents, errands, appointments, and helping my family when I can. So now it’s time to really sit down and analyze what I can do in order to fullfill my dream. A schedule. I really need a schedule and I think I’m working on it. I am writing but I’ve had to make some sacrifices, such as sleep! I get up anywhere between 4 and 5:30 am. I make my coffee and open my laptop.

So I’m getting there! Now I need to find the motivation behind my dream. I had it, was so close! And then I lost it again, somewhere along the way of this appointment or that errand. It never fails. Even struggling, I still get up super early. It’s peaceful. It’s quiet. The kids are sleeping and so innocent-looking as I breathe deep and just relax. I think that has a lot to do with my lack of motivation and drive right now. When I get up early, it’s MY time. It’s my time to decompress. It’s my time to drink my coffee in silence. It’s my time to think about the future, to wonder if I’m raising my children right, with good morals and values. I think I am but again, it’s MY time and it gets to the point of being selfish as I sit, relax, and just let the silence flow over me.

But now it’s time. It’s time to get back to writing, to creating this world and the characters struggling to survive in a world of blood, danger, and suspense.

I’ll get there, promise.

More updates coming! I plan on updating my current writing project and my process behind the scenes.

Stay tuned, stay safe, and take it one day at a time!

Life can get hectic at times, pure chaos that knows no bounds. My life right now is pretty crazy. Being the mother of two, one turning 3 soon, makes it even more so. My little one is getting to where she hates the car and I don’t blame her. My 12 year old usually stays home because it’s less boring and more to do. My three year old doesn’t have that option but I usually make it up to her, in some way, even if it’s small.

Now we obviously don’t LIVE in our car. We are blessed that we have a solid roof over our head, food in our fridge and pantry, and money for the essentials. Money can be tight but our bills are paid and we are warm with full bellies. That’s more than a lot of people can say and I try to stress our blessings to my children. They’ve never been exposed to that side of humanity, loss, or desperation. But maybe they should.

I’ve been thinking…

How to help someone else and yet turn that into a lesson as well?

There are a few options.

Food donation. Charity.

But that doesn’t really enable that lesson to be taught and yet I want my children safe of course. A person never knows.

So I was thinking soup kitchens.

If anyone had any other suggestions on how me and my children can help those less fortunate while teaching them that we are indeed blessed with what we do have, please comment and let me know!

The bills are piling up, stress is constant, tempers are short, and it’s a never-ending elevation of worry.

Then I pray. And continue to apply. Rinse and repeat. Pray. Apply. Pray. Apply.

Then it happens.

The email. Then the video chat interview. Then the offer contract.

Now suddenly, I am working from home, learning new skills, and it’s a new experience!

I get up in the morning, take my daughter to school, get my youngest fed, and then close to the door to my office where I am soon staring at two monitors with multiple programs and websites pulled up. I’m watching how-to videos on how and what a lot of the new terminology is.

Sales Pages. Traffic. Blogs. Marketing. Campaigns.

It’s overwhelming but I’m so grateful for the opportunity to learn, to grow. I love the challenge, and this is what my new job is; a learning challenge I’m prepared for.

My oldest still can’t believe that I made it. I managed it. I’m working from home when I didn’t believe it was possible. I still can’t believe that I get to work from home and still support my family!

I’m so thankful and blessed for what I have and for new beginnings and what the future holds! I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn, heck, hours before the sun, and leave the house! I don’t have to battle the rush hour traffic or hours before work to get through that traffic.

I won’t miss out on my daughters and the joy they bring me! I’m still in shock and so nervous what this new experience and job holds because it is new for me, but I’m blessed, and I know that! My daughters are healthy, happy, and growing into beautiful young girls and that thrills me beyond anything in this world!

So never stop believing. Never stop dreaming and aiming for those dreams. Anything is possible in life. You can make anything happen, be anything.

You just have to believe and this here is why I do what I do…

 

If someone tells you you can’t do something, don’t believe them and prove them wrong! I never would have believed that I would be a published author of six books and yet here I am, five years later!!! If I can do it, YOU can too! Don’t let the haters win. Dream big and do it! I know you can. Have confidence in yourself and DO IT!! There will always be someone who tries to bring you down, the haters of society, the jealous bags who don’t have anything better to do than bring people down but if there is one thing I’ve learned, it’s that I can do anything I set my mind too and so can YOU! Never stop believing or they win!

Dream BIG and accomplish those dreams, regardless of what others believe. You CAN do it!!

Here is my current list of published books for anyone interested! A little bit of everything but with romance! Who can’t use a little romance in their lives ❤️😃😁 Or course all available on Amazon!! Was this a shameful plug? Probably LOL

Valentines Day. A beautiful but freezing start but with the chill comes new possibilities and anything is possible in the grand scheme of things. My children are healthy and happy and spring is right around the corner. It’s time to start living!

My name is Desiree. I have two beautiful children, family I would do anything for, and wonderful friends who keep me on my toes. Let me tell you though, as I write this, I can’t WAIT for warm weather! I have so many plans and really want to make this summer fun for my kids but also for me. It’s time to start appreciating life, what I have, and the many blessings I’m surrounded by! Here’s to a wonderful 2020!!!

A mother doesn’t anticipate the scares of motherhood, the daily struggles of keeping your child whole, healthy, and happy. The terror is real. When our children are sick, all we can do is try our best and help them feel better. My daughter is two and she’s been sick for the past two winters. Very sick. Struggling to breath, congested, and a rattling cough that’s terrifying. She’s had croup three times in her young life, whooping cough once. When she’s sick, I cry, just wanting her to feel better. All parents want their children happy and healthy, to run, play, and life, just enjoying life. It hurts when they are laying on the couch with a fever. Thank goodness Winter is almost over!! Spring, for us, signals health.

However, this is the first winter where we have answers as to why and now I’m kicking myself as to how I couldn’t see it before, and in that way, would have been able to help my daughter better before now. The plus side is she’s getting a lot better and for that I’m thankful!

Where should I apologize? How? Life gets crazy and multiple aspects of my life are put on the back burner and unfortunately my blog and my writing seem to be a few of them 😩

My youngest was born ❤️, both of parents fell ill 😭 and I had to care for them and they are just now getting well enough to get around, and stress has a funny way of altering one’s perspective of life and what’s important. So I’m feeling my way through the mine field of reality and what’s been tossed my way but in the long run, I also feel like it’s made me stronger, made me realize what I can handle, and how to deal with what life can throw you. Nothing is impossible. There is always a way around any obstacle. It’s just finding that path that works for you and your family without falling into the quicksand that can easily sink your soul. I’ll post another update soon of my new releases since my last posts so stay tuned!

Thank you all! I wouldn’t be here without you all cheering me on!

❤️❤️❤️

Yours Truly,

Desiree

I’m back and with my lovely presence comes some exciting news!! Oh lord, I’m thrilled to anounce I have my FIRST EVER book signing this Saturday with the new release of Crescent Vendetta, Book One! I’m working on the second as we speak and after going through everything, I have decided to bring my blog back from the afterlife. This new release is a whole new take on shifters and the world they live in.

*****

The summary:

In her life there is one rule: survive. Kidnapped and forced into an underground fighting ring, Vanessa Burns knows each day could be her last. A win and she wakes up tomorrow. A loss and they toss her out with those she’s defeated. Escape is futile; she’d tried and failed. Multiple times. And as she’s forced to live in her shifted form, she’s utterly powerless. So, her life has been dwindled down to one option. And she carries it out to the fullest of her abilities.

Then, another shifter is brought in. Travis Kameron, an Alpha, proves to be a formidable enemy. She knows the day is coming — when she and the Alpha are pitted against each other. And she knows she won’t win. The deadly encounter results in a bloody promise, and Vanessa must choose what is more important to her: fulfilling her vendetta against her greatest enemy, or obtaining the one thing she wants most in her life.

****

This story is fast paced and full of awesome characters! One five star review consist of:

“Read this in one setting. Could not put it down. There is the beginnings of a great series and enough supporting characters to move and shift to have many storylines to build upon. She did a wonderful job on creating the arc of the story and the empathy for the characters early in the story and built on that from the beginning. The child, I was hoping would turn but I guess I will have to read the next book to find out about Ava. I will definitely be ready to read another and would highly recommend it to anyone else as an intriguing read.”

If you want a copy, you can pick it up here!! 🙂

http://www.amazon.com/Crescent-Vendetta-Book-Ice-Pack-ebook/dp/B01B4VNB5Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457022213&sr=8-1&keywords=crescent+vendetta

Until next time!! 🙂

WOW. I haven’t written ANYTHING on my blog for two years!! Time is flying by and it has been flat out CRAZY the last few years! I will be writing a LONG update today or tomorrow so stay tuned! I will also stay with my blog from now on! At least once a week. I hadn’t realized it had been so long! Has anyone else started something and looked at it later, only to realize that something had happened to the time?!?! Who pushed the fast forward button?!?! haha

My emotions today are conflicted as I realize that my dreams of being an author have finally come true. I know I’ve only self-published but do believe it is a step in the right direction, a way to get my name out there and to gain the experience of the industry. My book, “The Anthology of Murderous Connections,” is not only for sale on Amazon for $0.99 but the paperback is also for sale as of this morning at https://www.createspace.com/4269181 for just $5.99. I’m so happy and yet terrified at the same time. I do have seven wonderful reviews on Amazon so the fear is probably not necessary but will it eventually go away? I’m afraid it won’t. LOL I would also like to thank my wonderful support group that I met at my college that have been there for me from the beginning. Their support has been a saving grace for me when I wanted to give up. They wouldn’t let me. They are more than just my support. They are my family and without them, I honestly don’t think I would have made it. Thank you guys! I love you! 🙂 🙂

Everyone have a wonderful day!! 🙂

Someone asked me recently WHY I self-published my new and FIRST book and there are multiple reasons behind my decision but the one that stuck out the most was the control. Taking control is something that I continuously do and with this decision, I have complete control over everything, including but not limited to: price, percentage, and rights. I can choose the cover, the price, and where it is sold, not to mention that my royalties are higher. I eliminated the publisher and possible agent so therefore, instead of 30-50 percent, I get 70 percent, which makes a BIG difference in my decisions.

That’s not saying that I won’t publish through the traditional methods but for now, I’m happy. When I write, the feeling of total contentment is reached. I sit there and create a world where the hero/heroine wins; where the characters develop strengths, goals, and changes with each motion of their lives. That doesn’t mean that I control WHERE they go in life!! They seem to be telling ME lately! If they don’t like something, they REALLY let me know and my plot is altered. 🙂 It’s still a wonderful feeling and I pray that the more experience that I gain, the better that I will be. Success to me, isn’t about money. It’s about the appreciation for my work and the writing itself. It’s the feeling that I get knowing that I accomplished what I set out to do and to develop and create wonderful characters that grow and learn through the battles of their lives. It’s a way for me to live in this reality and NOT go insane. 🙂

Hi everyone! The excitement just keeps coming! In the last few days since I have posted, I now have a cover designed for my book, up to about 145 pages from 64 pages, just by editing and altering the endings, and within two weeks or less, should be an AUTHOR! It has been my dream for so long that I might go into shock!! 🙂 This first anthology will be dedicated to my darling friends for believing and supporting me, no matter what. I know my parents love me but they have never understood my passion for writing. I am now surrounded by wonderful people that do. Tune in later to see if I survive the shock!! 🙂 🙂

Good morning everyone!!

Today, I’m excited for a few reasons. First, I am VERY excited to announce that I have bought my first book cover and can’t believe it’s happening so fast. Reality is really starting to kick in and the doubts are beating down my door. Am I good enough? Will people like my work? Will they be satisfied with what I have to say? These are just a few questions, NOT the whole list.

Second, I am in the final editing stage of my Anthology, Murderous Connections, and can’t wait to be done with this project and start another one. The passion for writing has never been more powerful and for that, I am grateful. The words are clicking, the characters starting to come to life, and my recent class on Place and Setting has been a blessing. I know the editing stage is critical to the revision process but I am still finding it a pain! J

One bit of advice that I have for everyone. Please follow your dreams and let NOTHING keep you from fulfilling them. To be happy in today’s society is hard enough. Doing what you love with make life that much more special.

Have a wonderful day!! 🙂  🙂

A friend asked me a few days ago if I ever wrote paranormal, such as shape-shifters and with so many projects on my plate, well…………I had told her no but was planning on it. HOWEVER, I am writing a novella (possible short story) within the desired genre. A small excerpt is posted below, NOT all I have written but don’t want to give TOO much away. 🙂 I hope you enjoy the sneak peek. 🙂

The Chosen Ones

A chilly breeze ruffled through the leaves with an eerie quietness, the trees rustling with movement, yet no sound pierced the silence. A dense fog, a thick mist of pure gray, coated the hard ground; a warning.

She stood on the cliff, the ocean a raging mass of waves and violence. A vision of white, her pale skin glowed from the shimmer of the moon and black clouds rolled across the sky.

Within seconds, the light from the moon began to glow a bright red, the stars dimming. Another streak of lightning and thunder exploded throughout the sky.

She lifted her face and raised her arms, a silent cry of deep sorrow on a face framed by blue eyes and long black hair.
Her gray dress whipped around her slender body, the wind and rain tearing at the thin fabric. No jewelry adorned her slight frame, no art marked the skin.
She stood and waited; her heart calm and steady in the midst of the ferocious elements.

Eyes closed, a soft chant filled the air; a curse to those that had taken the lives of the innocent. “The Powers that be, please hear my prayers. Protect those that come and do not know of what they are; of what they possess. Help them fight what stands before me.”

Suddenly, the air grew hot, thickened, and steam rose from the ground.

She wasn’t alone.

The beast lurked in the shadows and watched her, red eyes gleaming, hungry for what she was.

She lowered her arms, head tilted as the presence behind her burned, a mass of fiery rage and hatred that seared the ground and turned the grass black. The heat, intense, almost scorched her exposed skin. If she had been human, she would have melted; the agony and fire consuming her body. The wolf circled and snarled, pacing the border of the trees.

He stood outside the line that had been drawn. One day soon, he would be able to cross that line. She heard the menacing thought and opened her eyes. She turned to watch him, her gaze dispassionate. The animal hissed and howled, the fog struggling to slide across the protection that encircled her. She lifted a hand and waved it gently. Small sparks flew from her fingertips and she watched as the line between them thickened. The fog retreated, slithering back towards the shadows.

The animal snarled and lunged in rage just as the wall of power flared to life.

He crashed a few feet away, stunned.

“You can’t hurt me here,” she said softly, eyeing him. Her own eyes turned gold.

The animal got back on its feet and shook his large head. Their gazes locked, a silent battle that time had not won.

They were coming; the chosen ones. Their fates had been sealed once they had discovered a piece of the stone.

Hundreds of years ago, in order to stop the beast, the stone had been shattered and thrown, the pieces scattered around the world, hidden.

Until now.

Good morning everyone! It is the start of another week and another day of creation on my end. 🙂 Writing has always been a passion of mine, ever since I was sixteen years old. It’s nothing that has ever left me. I’ve dealt with writer’s block for many years. When I began college, I went for the path that was most expected of me; the path that made the most sense. Thousands of dollars later, my MBA in finance was completed. That was in 2011. Then I started to think, am I happy? Is this really want I want to do with my life? I love my job, my co-workers, and the work that I do. I love the stability of knowing that I can support my daughter and parents but am I truly, completely happy? The answer, I was not surprised to find, was no. What was the one thing that I had dreamed of doing since I was sixteen?

It was writing.

So taking control of my life once again, in 2012, I started my second Masters in English and Creative Writing and honestly feel that my path, for the first time in years, is headed in the right direction. I’ll probably be in debt for the rest of my life but do I truly regret my decision? The answer is a firm NO. I love writing. I love to create different worlds and getting to know my characters. They lead me on journeys that astonish and shock me. They control what I write, how I portray their lives, and how they resolve their conflict. I feel like I have friends forever and monsters that I defeat, if that makes sense.

In today’s society, there is no control. In fiction, there is, to a point. Like I said, my characters, at times, do not follow directions well and yet I know that’s the process of a true writer.

I have a wonderful support group, with common goals and ambitions and honestly feel because of them, I have defeated the hated enemy of writer’s block. I haven’t written this much in years and hope to continue for many more.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Desiree

Well, I finished the short story that I will be including in the group Anthology that I am involved in!! So excited, that I can’t keep from smiling. The feeling is pure amazement! I included a small excerpt here!

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Cheri felt it coming. The pain started first as a fire in her stomach that burned like acid.

The little girl lay in her small, twin-sized bed; waiting for what she knew was coming. There was no stopping the inevitable.

Her eyes stung and burned but she refused to cry. She knew if she made a sound, her uncle would hear.

He always punished her severely.

Cheri choked back a sob; the dark, a cruel shield against the light.

She couldn’t remember her parents but could remember feeling loved, protected, and wanted.

The emotions were foreign now.

Her uncle was a cold and brutal man. He loved any sign of pain; and loved to inflict it.

Cheri knew what he was, what he was capable of, and what he did.  She had seen it.

She closed her eyes, her breathing harsh in the stark silence.

Cheri often wondered what her life would have been like had her parents survived and knew that life wouldn’t have been like this.

She was twelve years old and feared for her life.

All of a sudden, the dark fell away and she was no longer in her bedroom. It was brighter, and thick trees loomed all around her, the shadows flickered in the dusk of the day.

Cheri looked around, her blue eyes wide and cautious. She was too used to the different places that she visited within her visions so she stood still to get her bearings. This vision was no different.

Only……..

She was behind her house, deep in the woods.

She felt the light breeze caress her cheeks, the sound of the leaves rustled with the movement of the wind.

She began to walk, her bare feet floated above the ground. She didn’t know where she was going, only that the vision carried her where she needed to be.

The sounds of grunts and groans reached her ears and she flinched. She inched closer, her heart slammed against her thin ribs as her breathing grew ragged.

She pushed the rough thorns and branches and peeked through the opening. Even though she knew they couldn’t see her, the fear was still there, paralyzing and consuming. She saw the three men standing around in a circle, a fourth lying on the ground at their feet, his face bloody and eyes nearly swollen shut. Blood stained his dark clothes, the ground splattered with the red liquid.

Cheri wanted to run, to hide, but knew she couldn’t. Not if she had any hope of saving the man’s life in the next twenty-four hours.

She watched, her eyes moving, memorizing each feature, each branch, each blade of grass, and prayed that the vision held.

It had failed her before.

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