Holy ketchup. I mean catch-up.

Hey everyone!

First of all, my deepest apologies to anyone who still reads this blog. I've been wrapped up in life the last few weeks. We've had some tragedies in the family and in our neighborhood. Then I went out of town for a week. It's not like there wasn't internet way out in the middle of sunny Utah, but I just didn't feel like blogging while spending time with my awesome sister-in-laws. That's right. Us girls got together without our husbands. Now that's real sisterhood.

Now I'm back and I'm crackin' my knuckles, ready to get back to it.

We've had two giveaways end here on Deborah's Books.  All of the winners have been contacted and have responded. If you weren't contacted, you did not win. I'm sorry I didn't do a big announce post. I hope the winners enjoy their prizes. Don't forget to leave reviews on Goodreads or Amazon.

And there are a few of you out there who still haven't read The Gifted. Am I condemning you? No way! I'm just sayin' you might want to get on it. If you really think about it, I'm just looking out for you. I don't want your TBR pile to reach the ceiling, then topple over on you in your sleep. You might get a concussion and have to go to the ER. So I'm trying to keep you healthy. To make that goal a little easier to obtain:) , Amber at Jade Louise Designs is giving away THREE copies of The Gifted. A paperback copy and two Kindle versions. That makes this an international giveaway. Head over, check out her awesome review, and enter to win a copy of The Gifted.

In the mean time...has anyone else been sucked into the Pinterest vortex? I just barely clawed my way out, and I'm now down to spending about 15 minutes on Pinterest a day. That's saying something, considering part of the reason I haven't been around for the last month is because I got lost in there. Wow.



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Hard Times

I generally like to keep things sort of non-personal here on my book blog. But to explain why I've been gone and why I won't be back for a while, I need to give you some personal information.

A few months ago my husband and I went to the doctor for our 20 week ultrasound. This is the big one where they tell you the gender of your baby, and in our case babies. We were so excited. They'd told us they thought both babies were girls, but it was sort of too early to tell.

In the course of the ultrasound, we soon realized that something wasn't quite right. The technician was quiet and asked us strange questions about my pregnancy history (she was a new technician we hadn't seen before). She confirmed that one of the twins was a girl, but the other one was being modest and she couldn't quite see.

When we saw the doctor, she explained that Baby A (the modest twin) had low fluid surrounding her. This was partially the reason why the technician couldn't see the gender. We would later discover that "low fluid" was a euphemism for no fluid. Troubled, we were sent home and I was put on bed rest. A few days later, I had an appointment with a perinatologist - a doctor who specializes in high risk pregnancies.

The news we got was shattering: Our baby was dying.

The doctor wanted to see us later that week at a hospital in Salt Lake City, but he told us the baby would probably be gone by then.

I cannot even attempt to tell you what life was like for us after that.

Later that week, we met with the specialist again. This time, the news was a little more hopeful. The baby was still alive. She was still fighting and working hard to create more fluid, but it seemed as if nature was against her. Basically she was lying on the cord, which restricted her blood flow, making it more difficult to create fluid and thrive. And since there was no fluid, she was putting more weight than normal on the cord, which compressed it even further cutting off her supply even more.

The doctor gave her a 5% chance of survival. He put me on side bed rest (meaning I had to lay on my side at all times as this improved my circulation) and told me it probably wouldn't do much, but it was the only thing we could do to help.

I admit, we were hopeful. The doc had told us the baby wouldn't survive the week, and she had! A 5% chance was still a chance, right?!

A little over a week later, we went in for another ultrasound.

The baby was gone.

We have no words to express how saddened we are by losing one of our precious children. Life is a little confusing at the moment. To say that our world has been turned upside down would be putting it lightly. To say that nothing will ever be the same is probably a fair assumption. Some days are hard, some days are better. We have our sweet little boy who is just magical and brings us so much joy. We recently celebrated his 2nd birthday, and he makes us laugh every day. We are also mourning the loss of our baby while still fighting to keep our Baby B safe and healthy. I'm nearly 28 weeks pregnant, and we're hoping to make it to at least 32 weeks. Every day I wake up and think, "You made it one more day. Only 30 more days. Please, you can do it."

We are trying very hard to stay positive. Baby girl has been healthy and strong this whole time, and we pray she stays that way. We are, indeed, counting our many blessings.

So what does this have to do with my book blog?

Well, the moment we found out that our baby was in trouble (which was about 2 months ago), I stopped reading and haven't picked up a book since. That's a lie. I started to try to get back into reading about a week ago, but I made it about 2 chapters into a book and had to put it down. I just don't have the emotional stamina to devote to recreational reading. I am not sure that I will for a while.

And there it is. I have no idea how long I'll be gone from the blogging world, but I hope to start back up someday.

Thank you for your support, and I will keep you updated when I can. Pin It

Buckle Up.

Hello there. If you're reading this, you deserve a medal. I've been totally unreliable as a blogger for the last six months.

So, I've been out of town a lot lately. And then this strange thing happened where I just didn't feel like reading.

Yes! You read that right. I didn't feel like reading. It was weird.

But here's my other dilemma. I have about 15 book reviews that all need posted because the books are coming out and I need to just get them out of the way so that I don't feel like I'm behind. When I feel like I'm behind, I start to procrastinate to avoid all the work that's piling up, and I think that's why I don't feel like reading at the moment. And let's face it, I've only got a few more months before my twins are born, so I need to read my TBR pile, like, yesterday.

Yeah, I'm rambling here. I'll get to the point.

I'm going to post all my book reviews on one day, that way they will be on my blog and out of my hair (figuratively speaking, of course). Then I can start with a clean slate.

So buckle up and get ready. Sometime soon (maybe Tuesday or Wednesday), I'll post over a dozen book reviews for some really good books!

And just because I think it's stinkin' adorable, here is a picture of my son giving his baby siblings kisses.

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Bad for my Ego

I recently joined the 21st century and got a smart phone. I realized it was necessary when my long distance family constantly tried to text me pictures and videos, none of which I could accept on my blocky little phone that didn't even have games.

And speaking of games. Now that I have a smart phone, not only can I take pictures and videos, check my emails, get GPS directions, and a slew of other amazing things (that I won't mention because I sound like a total dork), but my phone now has awesome games! Of course, I have to go to this magical place called the app store and buy them. But hey, they're still games! And not just ordinary games. Oh no, my friend. The sun has set on the era of Worm and Parachute, and it has risen on the day of Angry Birds and Fruit Ninja.

My recent obsession? Word games. I can now challenge my husband, my sisters, my brothers, my nephews, my mother-in-law - whoever I want! - to a word duel. The game is set up very much like Scrabble, with letter tiles and a board with spots to gain extra points. The nice thing is, I play my turn and wait. The opponent plays their turn from their phone when they're ready. And then it's my turn again. So it's not a sit around and play this game until it's finished type of thing. A single game can last weeks.

I was so excited, I squealed in delight the first time the little icon popped up and said, "Your Move."

Words, ha. This should be easy! I thought gleefully as I rubbed my hands and practically salivated at the tiny screen. It was deliciously empty, just waiting for me to display my literary genius.

I am, after all, a writer. Words are my life.

Boy, it really hurts falling off your high horse.

Long story short, I have played dozens of games...and as much as it pains me to say this...I've never won a single round. I've played against people my own age. People older. People married to me who should cut me a little freaking slack. I've even played against my twelve-year-old nephew. Twice! I'm currently horn-locked in a gripping game with my ten-year-old nephew, and I seem to have the upper hand. But hey. I have almost 20 years more experience with words than he does. That's hardly fair. And who knows? Maybe in the end he'll surprise me and stab me through the gut with his victory.

Just like everybody else.

Sigh.

If there is one thing I know about myself, without a doubt, and will be the very first to admit it, it is this: I am a poor loser.

As much as I still love these word games, it's almost physically painful to play them because it's a CONSTANT reminder of something I'm trying not to admit.

I stink.

Now when the little icon pops up and says, "Your Move," I want to hurl my phone against the wall.

But then I'd be left to my old blocky phone with no internet. No picture and video text messages. No email and GPS. And worst of all...no games.

I suppose I'll just have to endure the public humiliation of my never-ending defeats until, one day, I rise victorious. Even if it is at the expense of a ten-year-old. Pin It

Love...what is it?

I love a good love story. I adore getting my heart racing wondering if two people will finally realize the universe has conspired to bring them together. I need to have my heart melted every now and again, and nothing does that like reading about a good, sweet first kiss.

But let's be frank for a moment.

My genre of choice is YA. I read a lot of paranormal, and that usually means paranormal romance.

Is love - passionate, all consuming, ache in your chest love - reserved for only the young? And when the hero is more handsome that a Greek god, and the Heroine embodies beauty herself, and the two cannot keep their eyes (or their hands) off each other...is that love?

To me it sounds like a heavy case of lust. Or hormones.

If a teenager tells her boyfriend that he is her entire world, her only reason for existing, that when they are apart she feels physical ache, and that she would cease to exist if he ever left or died...is that love?

To me, that sounds like she has separation anxiety.

Do I think the young have no concept of love? Absolutely not. I think they are as much capable of loving as the rest of us. We just have more experience and know that there is life after a break-up, even if he is more handsome than Edward Cullen.

And why is it that when I read "love" stories in adult books, or romance, as they're called, the books are mostly about sex? There is usually a deeper thread of understanding and appreciation and real, genuine love between the characters. But there is also sex, and a bunch of other things I'm not comfortable blogging about.

A relationship that focuses around physical contact...is that love?

I don't know. To each their own. I think we all have a different way of viewing love, expressing love, and desiring to be loved.

To me, love is having my husband in the kitchen baking banana bread because he knows I'm not allowed to be on my feet for long. Or having my husband get his work clothes ready the night before so he doesn't wake me up in the morning. Or sleeping in on a Sunday and waking up to the smell of French toast.

To an impressionable and passionate teen, my sense of love might make her think of one word: boring. And that's totally fine. I just worry sometimes the message we send when we write love stories are love is all good looks and heroic acts. Maybe that's why we write them. Real life isn't as fun to read about.

To me, love is not sex or lust. Love is not good looks and social standing. Love is not...well, you get the picture. To me, love is reliable. Honest. Enduring. It starts as a seed of friendship and attraction, and it grows over time.

I think I could probably go on forever talking about my favorite topic. So, while I enjoy good love stories, I get a little tired of reading about teenagers who border on unhealthy obsession and call it love.

I guess the point is, if you have teens (or you are a teen), make sure they have a healthy sense of reality. Pin It

Feelin' Popular

Since I usually strive to be honest, I'm going to take a crack at it now. I have been deliberately neglectful of my blog for the last few months.

Why?

Well, most of you don't know me personally, so I'll just give you a quick synopsis. My almost two-year-old son is adopted. Recently, I underwent some extensive medical...uh..."stuff" and hip-hip-hooray! We're pregnant! With twins. No joke.

So, needless to say, I spend a lot of time curled around the toilet (or feeling like I need to be curled around the toilet). The other part of my time is spent taking care of my little guy.

With so little promotion of my blog and my writing, my Goodreads page and blog have become stagnant.

Until this morning.

I woke up to three friend requests and two followers on Goodreads and a few more blog followers.

Although I was pleased with my sudden increase in popularity, I was suspicious. "Something is up," I thought. I finally discovered what it was a few minutes later when I saw my picture on I Am a Reader Not a Writer.

For an interview and a chance to win a book from yours truly, CLICK HERE to read all about my awesomeness.

(Besides being honest, I'm also quite humble.)

And to my new readers, Welcome! I'm sorry it seems kind of boring around here. I'm trying to ease back into it. If I'd known you would all be coming so soon, I would have tried to pretend like I'm more entertaining. Pin It

Where have you been?!

Hello? (tap, tap, tap on my computer monitor)

Anyone there?

OK. I deserve the cold shoulder from my readers. It's not like I've been actively blogging for the last month or so.

You've probably been saying to yourself, "Remember that one time I used to follow that blog of that one person with the book?"

Yeah, that's me. And like I said, I deserve that.

So exactly where have I been?

Well...I can't tell you. Not yet. I've had to take some extremely necessary personal time for family reasons.

And while I've been absent from the computer, I have been reading. Let me just say I've read some great books lately! If you bear with me, I will eventually tell you all about them. Sooner rather than later, I hope, because being behind is a pet peeve of mine. It gives me anxiety.

What do you have to look forward to? (In no particular order except as they popped into my memory...)

Ashfall by Mike Mullin
Gone with a Handsomer Man by Michael Lee West
Vaclav & Lena by Haley Tanner
Growing Up Gracie by Maggie Fechner
Cinderella: Ninja Warrior by MAureen McGowan
All About Daisy by O'Dell Hutchinson
The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky
Violet Midnight by Allie Burke
Dread of Night by Joshua D. Boeringa and Robert Forest
A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban
A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine

See? Lots of good books. I haven't been slacking as much as you think. This list is only the books I've recently read; it does not include the books I need to read.

But...I'm still working on the family issues. My TBR pile was literally towering on my dresser. I would look at it and feel overwhelming guilt for the authors who are patiently waiting for reviews. With so much going on in my life right now, I decided I can't do it. I gathered a healthy stack of books, and asked a friend and fellow reviewer, Ems, if she would take he load off my shoulders.

She's agreed!

So please be sure to check out In Which Ems Reads Books for awesome reviews. Give her some blog love and follower her. To make it worth your while, she's offering some sweet giveaways right now!

And if you're still reading this, thanks for sticking around. You're the best.No really, you're the best. Pin It

Where I've been

One of the most satisfying things about being an author is hearing what people think about my work. I've never done drugs, but I kind of think the high I get from a good review could be comparable to a controlled substance. Just sayin'.

As a small thank you, I try to send some of my readers over the the blogs and websites of those who've reviewed The Gifted. Phew, was that a mouthful or what?!

I've compiled all the sites into a nice neat page. Up at the top of my blog, you'll see a tab called "Where I've been". Click on it and you'll see it's full of awesomeness.

If you review The Gifted on your blog or site, send me a link and I'll add it to the list. Even if you hated the book, I'll still add it. Promise. If you've already featured The Gifted on your site and you don't see your link, leave me a comment or send me an email and I'll apologize profusely and fix the problem.

I've listed them based on date. It might have made more sense to do it alphabetically, but...I'm an author. I can do whatever I want. ;)

Cheers! Pin It

For real?

Whenever someone comments on my blog, a copy gets sent to my inbox. Instead of responding to readers in the comments, I just hit "reply" and send them an email.

Or so I thought.

Last night I was responding to a comment. When I hit "send," I noticed the return email address was something like "no-reply@blogger.com".

Huh?!

Seriously? Are all of my reply emails being ejected into cyberspace where they are quickly eaten by the black hole of no-reply?

Ugh! (Insert forehead slap.)

Has anyone received a reply email to a comment they've left?! I know I've responded to Kimi, Dena, Ems, Maggie, Maura, Judy (G), and countless others. Those mentioned are just the ones off the top of my head.

So, if you've asked me a question or left me a thoughtful or helpful comment (or commented to tell me you bought my book!) and were surprised I never responded, I'm so sorry! I really did respond, I promise!

I'll just have to start replying in my comments. Pin It

Review by Fire and Ice

Thanks so much to Heather at Fire and Ice for reading and reviewing The Gifted! (You can also see her review on Goodreads)

Hop over there and check out her thoughts on my book. Show her some blog love and follow (if you don't already). And while you're there, enter the giveaway to win a copy of The Gifted!

If you already have your copy in hand, GREAT! I thank you sincerely. In that case, just leave Heather a comment and thank her for being so nice to me. :) Pin It

My first reviews!

Ok, folks. The Gifted has been out in the wild for a little over a week now. A few of you have gotten your hands on its goodness, and already the reviews are starting to trickle in.

Allie Burke reviewed The Gifted on her blog, and you can read that here. I've also had a few reviews on Goodreads, and you can see those here. One reader is going to post a review on Amazon, so that will probably be up later today.

Thank you everyone for reading the book, enjoying it (so far), and taking the time to review it. As an author, I can't tell you how much I appreciate readers taking the time to share their thoughts and feelings on a book. It makes all the effort worth it when someone says they stayed up late, just to finish the book! And for the record, I've had 3 people say that so far. :)

Yeah, I'm on cloud nine at this point.

I have been interviewed for a few blogs, and I'll give you more details as they become available. For now, plan on catching me at From The Shadows on April 21st. Pin It

A couple of things.

First of all, I woke up this morning to a fantastic surprise! An email from fellow Author (with a capital A) - Allie Burke. She has a three-book series, The Enchanters, and I won book one of the series: Violet Midnight. I'm beyond thrilled. I've been wanting to read this book for a long time now.

Thanks Allie! (Check her out and give her some blog love.)

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Second, I got a cool email today from O'Dell at BookTwirps. I've been picked as an official judge in the YA New Summer Reads Competition!

Authors - do you have a YA book released between January 1, 2011 and August 1, 2011? Then this is your chance! See the submission guidelines here. Good luck! I actually considered entering The Gifted, but since I'm a judge in the category, I think it wouldn't be too fair. :)

I'll keep you updated with progress and reminders. I'm very excited about this opportunity. It's an honor.

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Third, I got a knock on the door tonight, and was presented with another surprise. In honor of my book release, my friend brought me a cake:

(I'm the cutie on the right. I didn't even photoshop this picture at all, so you get to see my big toothy grin.)

Isn't that amazing?! She even used the colors of my book cover and the copied the cover's embellishments. Wow! Now THIS is friendship. Can you see there are even pages and a book mark? She is so sweet and fantastic.

Thanks, M! You're amazing.

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And lastly...


TOMORROW (3/28) IS RELEASE DAY!!!!!!!!!! (Insert never-ending happy dance here)

That means I'll be up until well after midnight tonight making sure everything runs smoothly and that The Gifted shows up on Amazon and on the estore via the publisher's website. Luckily, my sweetheart let me take a nap today while our little guy was asleep. And hey, if I get drowsy, I've always got cake to keep me occupied! :) (That and Firelight)

See, lots of really exciting stuff! Sorry I crammed it all into one post, I just didn't think I could wait on any one of them. Pin It

Blog Award

My blog has been awarded. Thank you Evie!

I am supposed to link you back to Evie, tell you 7 interesting things about myself, and then pass the award to 7 other bloggers.

1. We used to own sugar gliders. They were the cutest pets we've ever had. Not a hard feat considering the only other animal we've had are fish. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to everything with four legs and hair. That may or may not include some humanoids.

2. I am the second oldest of 10 children. The youngest is a week old. Before you start envisioning the Duggars - and I love the Duggars, so I'm not dissing them - let me tell you the youngest four children are adopted.

3. I live in a teeny tiny town, and I adore it. Ok, so we're not teeny tiny, but we're pretty small. I just love the small town feel.

4. It took me five years to convince my husband to take me to Disneyland. He finally did and we loved it! We hope to go back in a few years with our little boy.

5. I spent a summer in Ecuador volunteering in orphanages. It was a life changing experience. I cried for months when I got home. My only regret was being so homesick while I was there.

6. I have gone horseback riding in the Andes Mountains. This goes along with numbers 1 and 5. I was so allergic to the horse that I had hives underneath my eyelids. And the only reason I got the opportunity to go was because I was in Ecuador.

7. My husband and I have been married for almost seven years. We met in college, graduated the same year with the same degree, we both love small towns, and we both like old John Wayne movies. Other than that, it's safe to say opposites attract. :) We are the proud parents of a little boy who just happens to be adopted.

Ok, so was that relatively painless?

On to the bestowing of the award. I realize a lot of blogs are award-free, and I can now understand why. This was a little difficult.

Check out these stylish blogs and give them some love.

Em at In Which Em Reviews Books
Ottilie Weber
Talia Jager
Lea at LC's Adventures in Libraryland - this is a brand new blog, but I already adore it.
Maggie at Mommy's Always Write
Jamie at Fantasy Book Chick
Gabby at ...and the rest is still unwritten

These are obviously not the only amazing blogs I follow. Thanks again, Evie, for thinking I have style. Pin It