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Showing posts with label inspirational. Show all posts
Showing posts with label inspirational. Show all posts
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Monday, March 25, 2019
"Everyday Enchantments" by Maria DeBlassie
EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
Everyday Enchantments:
Musings on Ordinary Magic
Musings on Ordinary Magic
by Maria DeBlassie
Everyday Enchantments: Musings on Ordinary Magic by Maria DeBlassie is currently on tour with Reading Addiction Book Tours. The tour stops here today for an excerpt and a giveaway. Please be sure to visit the other tour stops as well.
Description
Spellbinding meditations on conjuring your own bliss.
Everyday Enchantments is a love letter to the magic of everyday life, the sweet moments and the profound that we often overlook in our hurry to get from one place to the next. This collection of essays reminds us to escape into the ordinary, find beauty in a simple cup of tea or rereading a beloved novel and joyfully let our world turn upside down when synchronicity strikes in the form of wrong turns down forgotten lanes and unexpected midnight conversations with the moon.
Everyday Enchantments is a study in what it means to live deliciously, joyfully, and magically. And it's an invitation to conjure your own bliss, because, let's face it, we could all use a little more magic in our lives.
Excerpt
To live with Enchantment is to see beyond the brick and mortar that make up your home and into the magic infused within its frame. It is made up of stories and dried bay leaves and dreams whispered into the heads of dandelions. Of bare feet on carpeted floors and the smell of burning sage. Crystals—amethyst, citrine, amazonite, smoky quartz—winding in and around your books; all the better to magnify their magic. It is to peel back the layers of your day-to-day and search for that elusive energy that winds its way up your spine and outward into your life. Let the snake at your base wriggle free of its coil to climb up to your shoulder blades and across your open back. There is no room for tightly stacked discs here, just the taste of joy when the sun licks your skin.
You might find it at the bottom of an empty teacup. Your future written in soggy leaves, or in the whisper of trees, their leaves rustling and murmuring secrets only they can understand. Sometimes they are kind enough to translate for you—if you listen long enough. If you shower their roots with distilled love songs and feed them the black earth from your compost. It’s there, too, when you run your tongue along the grooves and ridges of a well-loved sentence. It’s everywhere. Even in the spaces you think have lost hope, like the junk drawer where you keep your faded dreams, stray screws, and half-forgotten heartbreaks along with wine corks and a few rubber bands. They’re not lost, just resting like seeds in the earth before they are ready to break open.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
Winner of the Pinnacle Book Achievement Award in the New Age Category for 2018.
Finalist for the Body Mind Spirit Book Awards in the New Age Category for 2018.
“Maria DeBlassie has crafted magic within the pages of her new book, Everyday Enchantments. Her eloquent words offer the ‘promise of soul replenishment’ as one traverses the journey of her - and their - metaphorical metamorphosis. Page after page, readers will experience the soothing balm of DeBlassie's words as they encourage one to open her heart, her mind, her ear, her thoughts and her soul to the unique transpersonal book they hold in their hands. Just as DeBlassie mentions early on in Everyday Enchantments when writing of the unexpected delight of discovering a double yolk, her heartfelt writing is like ‘cradling ... gold’ in one's hands. Reading and absorbing the beauty of Maria DeBlassie's Everyday Enchantments will have readers conjuring their own magical life. Her words will caress their soul and embrace their heart with inspiration and encouragement. Everyday Enchantments blends together poetic consciousness such as from Maya Angelou and Mary Oliver all while weaving in powerful and deep inner wisdom such as from Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Yet, Maria DeBlassie beautifully stands out given the uniqueness of Everyday Enchantments. It's a must-read and a must to be gently and lovingly held in a sacred place of honor in one's personal library. DeBlassie's Everyday Enchantments is like a heart song that every woman should feel.” ~ Janelle Alex, Ph.D., The Writer's Shaman
“An insightful collection of short writings that make you look at the everyday in a whole new light. Ponder how different life could be if you stop taking everything for granted and find joy in the simplicity of it all.” ~ Erin Elliott, author of The Sword of Lumina series
“Reading this enchanted collection is so much more than reading a book ... it's an unearthing of things half-remembered and bringing them into the light. Gorgeous and luminous ... thank you, Maria, for unwinding this spell for your readers.” ~ Laura Bickle, critically-acclaimed author of Nine of Stars
“To build everyday bridges between the magick and the mundane out of the long-sought and hard-won materials of will and wonder is the act of a true Priestess. In this book, DeBlassie offers rich glimpses of daily rituals, miniature spells in their own right that prompt the reader to look for the quiet divinity in their own lives, to see the subtle majesty in their day-to-day routines, and to question their perceived barriers between the modern and the mystical.” ~ Danielle Dulsky, author of Woman Most Wild
About the Author
Maria DeBlassie, Ph.D. is a native New Mexican mestiza blogger, award-winning writer, and educator living in the Land of Enchantment. Her blogging life started as a year-long journey to write her back into happy, healthy, and whole through daily posts about life’s simple pleasures, everyday magic, and radical self-care. That year-long experiment turned into a lifestyle, a book, a press - and her ongoing blog, Enchantment Learning & Living. She is forever looking for magic in her life and somehow always finding more than she thought was there.
Giveaway
Enter the tour-wide giveaway for a chance to win a copy of Everyday Enchantments by Maria DeBlassie.
Links
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Saturday, January 26, 2019
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
"Abigail" by Jess Heileman
EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
Abigail
by Jess Heileman
Abigail by Jess Heileman has just been released and is FREE today only (22 January).
This book blast and giveaway is hosted by I Am A Reader.
Description
For Abigail Blakeslee, becoming a debutante and entering Society is happening far too quickly. But now, foregoing her first Season has brought an unwanted invitation to join her aunt and cousins for a summer at Timpton House, the large estate of the Stanton family.
Reluctantly accepting, Abigail is thrust into the vexing world of social propriety and match making. More vexing still is her cousin’s suitor, the young Timpton heir - Edwin Stanton. Moody and distant at times, remarkably endearing at others, Edwin seems a puzzle she can never solve, but can never quite put away. But then, Abigail has her own secret to hide - her own mystery to conceal. Perhaps such puzzles are better left unsolved, or perhaps love can find a solution.
Excerpt
The library was filled with books, and it reminded me of the one at Easton Manor with overstuffed shelves, large windows, and numerous seats for reading. I grabbed a thin book off a nearby shelf and held it in my hand. I traced my finger over the title, The Tempest. It had been sometime since I’d picked up a book. Mother taught me to read and had given me the joy of new worlds and unforgettable stories. I’d spent countless afternoons tucked in a chair in our library, unable to stop reading; but when Mother died, I found little delight in anything, including the things she’d taught me to love.
“Have you read it?” Edwin asked peering over my shoulder.
“Of course!” I answered placing it back on the shelf.
“And I presume you enjoyed it?”
“Very much. I admit I am easily satisfied by a happy ending.” I kept my eyes searching the books, having little desire to receive the look of censure awaiting me. “The Shakespeare writings I enjoy most are those that end well—Twelfth Night, Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Taming of the Shrew—the ones where love is victorious.”
“A common ideal among ladies, I believe, and the reason his comedies are so popular.”
I turned towards him, “Life has enough of tragedy and grief, is there something wrong with finding satisfaction in love and happy endings?”
“There is,” he said. “The harm is believing in something that isn’t real, Miss Blakeslee.” He stepped closer, and my feet faltered. “Love only brings misery. To think otherwise is foolish. You just declared life is full of tragedy—”
“And that is why love is needed!”
“And that is what love causes!”
Neither of us moved and I could feel his warm breath on me. It was only then I realized how close we stood, my neck craning to look up at him, but I had no desire to move away.
“You do not understand love then,” I whispered.
The resentment in his gaze caught me by surprise. “And you do?”
“Yes! Love has saved me.” His eyes searched mine, “The love I know has the power to lift and to heal, to see past weakness and turn it to strength.”
“Love is fickle and will fail you.”
“Never.” I said shaking my head as tears stung my vision. “I do not know what counterfeit you describe but the love I have found is faithful and unconditional.”
He said nothing and after a moment his eyes drifted from mine in contemplation. After taking a deep breath he looked down at me again. He wore the stern expression I knew so well and took a step backward. “I hope you are correct in your judgment,” he said with a brisk nod. “Thank you for telling me.”
As he turned from me I wanted to call out to him, but I was too confused to contrive a response. I followed him to the study in a daze. Edwin positioned himself near the desk with his eyes cast to the floor as Diana glanced between us bewildered.
“How is it you’ve found something to quarrel about already? You were in there less than five minutes! Perhaps I should take on the role of mediator instead of chaperon for the two of you.”
Neither Edwin nor I smiled.
“This will not do! What was the disagreement this time?”
“There was not a disagreement,” Edwin said. “Well, at least that is not what caused the discontent.”
Curious what the cause had been I glanced in his direction, anxious for him to finish. A knock interrupted his revelation.
Diana shot to her feet and reached out her arm towards me, “We will go out the library.”
Edwin blocked our retreat, “You are fine to leave out the study door.” He shifted his gaze at the repeated knock, “Come in!”
The butler opened the door, his eyes gliding over Diana and me, “The Slytons are here to see you, Mr. Stanton.”
“Show them in.”
The Slytons? I was familiar with the name, but surely they were not the same as I had known. My heart picked up pace regardless of what I told myself. The door opened again and a tall, wiry lady and a shorter, burly man stepped through the door. They were older and somehow uglier, but it was them. My knees nearly gave out, and I tightened my hold on Diana’s arm for support.
“Mr. and Mrs. Slyton, I am pleased you finally agreed to make the trip to Timpton. This is my sister, Mrs. Ellis, and our friend, Miss Abigail Blakeslee.”
Mrs. Slyton nodded in our direction but abruptly turned her attention back to Edwin. “With such a gracious offer, how could we resist?” Her scratchy voice brought a slew of memories that made my body tremble.
I cautiously turned to find Mr. Slyton inspecting me through squinted eyes. Did he recognize me? I hadn’t seen him since I was a little girl, and I hoped the years had done their job adequately enough to disguise me. I lifted my chin, attempting to appear unaffected by his presence and was relieved when Mr. Slyton turned towards Diana, appraising her with the same disgusting grimace he’d given me. I looked to Edwin and found him returning my gaze, a peculiar expression on his features.
Edwin moved to my side and placed a firm hand around my waist, guiding me to the door. My ears were ringing, and I was confident he said something to me, but I couldn’t be sure. As we walked from the study, his touch retracted, and Diana took his place directing me back down the corridor.
I was uncertain where I was being led and soon found myself seated in a distantly familiar room. “Bring refreshment at once!” Diana’s voice echoed through my mind. My head was spinning, and I rested it against the chair as my vision faded into blackness.
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“I cannot even express exactly how much I loved this book!! I have no doubts recommending it to everyone who loves great writing combined with a gripping story line. The author's writing is beautiful and she's an excellent storyteller! It was so well done and I loved every minute of it! It truly is an incredible book. Her characters are so complex that it was easy to care for them (honestly, even within the first couple of pages I was already hooked). Jess Heileman wove a great story that had layers to it that any regency reader would love. I'm so, so excited to have this on my bookshelves!” ~ Loretta Porter
“Coming from a person who is not much of a reader, this book took me by surprise. It hooked me at the prologue. Abigail had me laughing out loud, tearing up and blushing. It was my show that I couldn't wait to get back to. It was a clever, easy read that had me guessing, what could possibly happen next? A perfect escape! Time for a squeal! Loved it!” ~ David Brundage
“This is one of the best books I've read in a long time! I'm thoroughly impressed with her ability to completely captivate me with her amazing storytelling. I've never heard of this author before, but I'm going to read everything of hers I can find! Well done! Once I started, I couldn't put it down!” ~ HeavenlyMarie
“Jess Heileman has a wonderful way with words that caught me up in Abigail’s world from the first page. […] I couldn’t help but love this absorbing historical novel, with its engaging characters and mysterious plot twist!” ~ Emily Farlow
“I really enjoyed this book. I loved the characters and the relationships they build through out the book. It was full of surprises that will make you laugh and cry all at once. I never saw the end coming. It's clean and uplifting. It is a book I would be comfortable letting my teenage girls read it. It is a book that I will read over and over again.” ~ Wallaceandgrommit
About the Author
In kindergarten, Jess won a first prize ribbon for her original creation “Pigs in Wigs”. It was a solid storyline: there was this pig that wore a wig - and it rhymed. Not impressed? Neither were her children when shown the very masterpiece that influenced her to become an author. “You won a ribbon for that?” Yes. Yes, she did.
Thankfully, life has since exposed her to a thorough education with its share of awards and accolades - and, more importantly, to the trials and human experiences that form the heart of a storyteller and the substance of great stories.
Besides her love of writing, Jess is an avid reader, shameless people observer, international café loiterer, and partially retired photographer. She loves being a mother to five amazing humans and a wife to the greatest man she knows.
Giveaway
Enter the blast-wide giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.
Links
Tuesday, December 11, 2018
"A Me and You Thing" by Taylor Dean
EXCERPT and GIVEAWAY
A Me and You Thing
by Taylor Dean
This book blast and giveaway for A Me and You Thing by Taylor Dean is hosted by I Am A Reader.
More books by this author: Girl of Mine (read my blog post), Chasing Fireflies (read my blog post), Jailbird (read my blog post), Hothouse Flower (read my blog post), I’m With You (read my blog post), and Violin Words (read my blog post).
Description
The deepest heartache is the one you don’t see coming.
Golden couple, Sawyer and Quinn Denali, have an amazing love story. A match in every way, their happiness is evident to all who spend time with them. The arrival of twin baby girls completes their picture-perfect family.
When Quinn has the opportunity to help others on a two-week volunteer trip, she reluctantly leaves her family, knowing a short break from the demands of motherhood will be good for her.
She doesn’t expect the trip to change her life forever. But it does. It changes everything.
Struggling from day to day, the young family moves forward, finding happiness ... and love.
But fate isn’t done mixing things up in their lives. When an unexpected event leaves them all reeling, the unspoken question rings loudly and can’t be ignored: “What happens now?”
A Me and You Thing is a novel that explores the strength of enduring love and friendship.
Excerpt
SAWYER FACES ME as we lay in bed, snuggling the early morning minutes away before our eight-month old twin girls awaken. In spite of the background fuzz the baby monitor produces, the sound of the ocean and seagulls hit our ears through the open window. We love the fresh ocean breeze in our lungs all night.
“What are you doing?” I ask, wiping the sleep from my eyes.
“Watching you.”
“Is it entertaining?”
“Absolutely. The best thing I’ll see all day.”
He lightly brushes my lips with his own, and I scoot a little closer. Mmmmmm, five years of marriage and my attraction for this man has never waned. I never knew I could love someone so much. Even better, he feels the same about me. We’re far from perfect, yet we’re a perfect match for each other.
Frankly, that’s as perfect as love gets.
I bury my head in his warm chest, listening to the sound of his strong heartbeat. He hasn’t let himself go since we married. He runs every morning at unspeakable hours and, like a fine bottle of wine, ripens with age.
“Are you sure I should go on my trip? I’m consumed with guilt every time I think about it.”
I love our life together in our shingle-style two-story beach house on 5201 Beachcomber Lane. It’s a decent size home, even if it’s a little on the older side. No matter, I adore it. It might not be directly on the beach, but we have amazing ocean views from the second story. Close enough.
“You’ll be doing something important, Quinn, something that really matters. I love you for wanting to go, for wanting to help. Your passport arrived yesterday. See, it’s a sign. The universe just sent you a telegram.”
A light scoff emerges from me. He runs his hands through my longish blond hair. My brown eyes close while I enjoy his tender touch.
“What was I thinking? I don’t want to leave you or our babies.” “Hey, it’s only two weeks, sweetheart. In the scheme of things, that’s hardly any time at all. Besides, the Grandma Gang’s so excited, they’ve been ready to invade our turf for weeks now.”
His endearing term for our mothers makes me giggle. “Be afraid. Be very afraid.”
He kisses my forehead lightly. “Hey, my knees are already shaking.”
[Want more? Click below to read a longer excerpt.]
Praise for the Book
“Wow! This heart-tugging romance blew me away. It’s an emotional roller-coaster ride of epic proportions … so prepare yourself. My heart soared up into the heavens, then was dragged into the bitter misery of hell, like being dragged behind a pickup truck for a mile or so. Ouch! But I got my happy (actually, glorious!) ending, so I loved it. The ending was so much more fulfilling because of what my heart went through to get there with the characters. This story is unique and refreshing - not your run-of-the-mill predictable romance that doesn’t stick with you when you finish. No! This one is made of super glue, and will be stuck in your heart forevermore. ~ Author Charissa Stastny
“This was a very emotional read. I knew it was going to take me on a roller coaster, but I wasn't prepared for all I felt as I raced through the pages.” ~ Mylissa Demeyere, Author
“Hang on to your hearts with this one, friends, because it's a doozy of a ride!” ~ Aimee, Getting Your Read On
“Here's my recommendation. Don't read the summary. Don't read any more reviews. Order this book now! Clear your calendar and plan to spend the day reading. You'll be thanking me if you do.” ~ Kathy Habel
About the Author
Taylor Dean lives in Texas and is the mother of four grown children. Upon finding herself with an empty nest, she began to write the stories that were always wandering around in her head, quickly finding she had a passion for writing, specifically romance. Whether it’s paranormal, contemporary, or suspense - you’ll find all sub-genres of clean romance in her line-up.
Giveaway
Enter the blast-wide giveaway for a chance to win A $50 Amazon gift card or PayPal cash.
Links
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