Winter Sparkle Blog Hop

                          

Today I am participating in the Winter Sparkle blog hop hosted by Lisa at Pine Ridge Treasures.

Let me show you what Lisa sent me to work with:

That is a lot of beads.  Great colors, and exactly what I would associate with winter sparkle.  I have to be honest.  I live in Wisconsin, and we have had a very cold winter and quite enough snow now thank you very much.  So I had a bit of a hard time thinking about winter in a good way.  But I really liked those beads, so that helped a lot.  I created a bracelet, using all the leaves, a lot of the crystals and the metal cylinders. I tied the beads onto the chain with c-Lon cord to add a bit of texture.

I really wanted to use the large holed beads in something, I really liked them.  I started a micro macrame bracelet with them Monday night.  This is a new technique for me, and it took longer than I had planned, so it's not finished but here is my in progress picture so you can see what I have so far. 

It will be long enough to go around my wrist twice, I need about 7 more inches.  I'm using the large rounds, crystals, seed beads and 3 colors of c-Lon thread - 2 different shades of purple and a white.  I will post another picture on the blog when it's done.  If you are interested in micro-macrame, Sherri Stokey has several great classes on CraftArtEdu.  That is where I learned how to do all the techniques I used in this bracelet (on Sunday - procrastination is my friend). 

I hope you like what I made, please go and see what the other participants did with their beads!

Your hostess:  Lisa Lodge, A Grateful Artist

Melissa Trudinger, Bead Recipes

Kathy Zeigler Lindemer, Bay Moon Design

Eleanor Burian Moore, The Charmed Life 

Jo-Ann Woolverton, It's a Beadiful Creation

Chris Eisenberg, Wanderware

Carolyn Lawson, Carolyn's Creations

Toltec  Jewels, Jewel School Friends

Christie Searle Murrow, Charis Designs Jewelry

Heather Richter, Desert Jewelry Designs

Ev Shelby, Raindrop Creations 

Dolores Raml, CraftyD's Creations

Kim Dworak, Cianci Blue  <------- You are here!

Cassi Renee Paslick, Beads: Rolling Downhill

Annette Rivers, Mama Owl's Mess

Tammie Tusher Everly, TTE Designs

Crystal Thain, Here Bead Dragons

Marybeth Rich, A Few Words from within the Pines

Norbel Marolla, She Flies Again Jewelry

Karen Burg, KEB Designs

Karin Grosset Grange, Ginkgo et Coquelicot

Jasvanti Patel, Jewels by Jasvanti

Release Party - Curses, Fates and Soul Mates

5 full-length novels from 5 of the hottest authors in New Adult Paranormal Romance!

 I am participating in the launch party for Curses, Fates and Soul Mates.  Kristie Cook is one of my favorite authors and I'm excited to read the other books too!  I do love me some paranormal romance :-)

Escape reality and immerse yourself in these steamy paranormal romances. With everything from tattooed bad boys and sexy demons to hot, otherworldly bodyguards, you’re going to fall in love. Beware: you’ll be up reading well past your bedtime!
ONLY AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED TIME!
Retail value = $14.95
Limited time release = $.99

Recommended for readers 16+
Approximately 1,200 pages
Get your copy now at:

Amazon
Amazon UK
Kobo
IBooks

Check out the links in this post to join us in the release day fun! We have lots of prizes up for grabs, including a Kindle Paperwhite!!

THE SPACE BETWEEN by Kristie Cook: Self-contained dancer Leni Drago and inked-and-pierced playboy Jeric Winters must discover the truth behind their connection as well as their ties to a journal from 1989 – and they must do it fast, before all evidence that they ever existed disappears. Two love stories, one mystery and a paranormal twist that readers call “mind blowing.”

About Kristie Cook

Kristie Cook is a lifelong, award-winning writer in various genres, from marketing communications to fantasy fiction. She continues to write the Soul Savers Series, a New Adult paranormal romance/ contemporary fantasy, with the first five of seven books, Promise, Purpose, Devotion, Power, and Wrath currently available. She’s also written a companion novella, Genesis: A Soul Savers Novella, currently available. Over 300,000 Soul Savers books have been sold, with Promise peaking at #54 on the Amazon Top 100 Paid list and at #1 in the Amazon Fantasy category.

The Space Between kicks off her second New Adult paranormal series, The Book of Phoenix, with part two, The Space Beyond, releasing in 2014.  Besides writing, Kristie enjoys reading, cooking, traveling and riding on the back of a motorcycle. She has lived in ten states, but currently calls Southwest Florida home with her husband, three sons, a beagle and a puggle.

Connect With Kristie Cook Online

I love to hear from and connect with readers. Please don’t be shy.
Email: kristie@kristiecook.com
Author’s Website & Blog: http://www.KristieCook.com
UK Fan Site: http://www.kristiecookfansite.co.uk
Soul Saver Series Website: http://www.SoulSaversSeries.com
Facebook: AuthorKristieCook
Twitter: KristieCookAuth

FROSTBITE by Lynn Rush: Love is warm and fuzzy for most people, and it would be for eighteen-year-old Amanda Smith, too, if her kisses didn't cause frostbite.

About Lynn Rush

Driven to write, Lynn Rush often sees her characters by closing her eyes, watching their story unfold in her mind. Lynn Rush is a pen name that is a combination of two sources – Lynn, the first name of her mother-in-law, who passed away and Rush – since the author is a former inline speed skater and mountain biker. All of Rush’s books are dedicated to Lynn, her namesake.

Connect With Lynn Rush Online

Lynn loves to hear from readers!
Catch the Rush™
Email: lynn@lynnrush.com
Author’s Website & Blog: http://www.LynnRush.com
Facebook: LynnRushWrites
Twitter: LynnRush

CURSED by R.K. Ryals: Sometimes being bad is better… A vintage-loving witch. A cocky demon. An old grimoire. An ancient curse. A family secret that changes everything.

About the Author

R.K. Ryals is the author of emotional and gripping young adult and new adult paranormal romance, contemporary romance, and fantasy. With a strong passion for charity and literacy, she works as a full time writer encouraging people to "share the love of reading one book at a time." An avid animal lover and self-proclaimed coffee-holic, R.K. Ryals was born in Jackson, Mississippi and makes her home in the Southern U.S. with her husband, her three daughters, a rescue dog named Oscar the Grouch, A Shitzsu named Tinkerbell, an OCD cat, and a coffee pot she honestly couldn't live without. Should she ever become the owner of a fire-breathing dragon (tame of course), her life would be complete.

Connect With R.K. Ryals Online

I love to hear from readers. Please visit me online!
Email: requests4rkryals@gmail.com
Author’s Website: http://rkryals.com/
Facebook: RKRyals
Twitter: RKRyals

RETURN OF THE ASCENDANT by Raine Thomas: Party plans derail for college student Kyra Vaughn when she’s nearly killed…twice. She’ll have to rely on a sexy stranger with unusual abilities to keep her alive and help her discover who she’s destined to be.

About the Author

Raine Thomas is the award-winning author of bestselling Young Adult and New Adult fiction. Known for character-driven stories that inspire the imagination, Raine recently signed with multiple award-winning producer Chase Chenowith of Back Fence Productions to bring her popular Daughters of Saraqael trilogy to the big screen. She's a proud indie author who is living the dream.
Raine is a hopeless romantic with a background in the fields of mental health and wedding planning...two areas that intersect far more than one would think. Her years working with children and young adults with emotional and behavioral challenges inspired her to create protagonists who overcome their own conflicts. When she isn't writing or glued to e-mail or social networking sites, Raine can usually be found vacationing with her husband and daughter on one of Florida's beautiful beaches or crossing the border to visit with her Canadian friends and relatives.

Connect With Raine Thomas Online

I love to hear from readers. Please visit me online!
Email: Raine@RaineThomas.com
Author’s Website: http://www.rainethomas.com
Facebook: RaineThomas
Twitter: Raine_Thomas
Pinterest: Raine_Thomas

REPOSSESSION by Rachael Wade: The Invaders have come for Earth, and Skylla Warden’s in the very center of the upheaval. On a mission to take back what is rightfully theirs, Earth’s population is determined to make sure this isn’t the end. But some endings were never theirs to begin with.

About the Author

Rachael Wade is the Amazon bestselling author of THE PRESERVATION SERIES, LOVE AND RELATIVITY, and the upcoming New Adult sci-fi series, THE KEEPERS TRILOGY. When she's not writing, she's busy going to concerts, watching too many movies, and learning how to protect animals and the environment. She's an avid Brandi Carlile fan and loves all things Tim Burton.

Connect With Rachael Wade Online

I love to hear from readers. Please visit me online!
Email: AuthorRachaelWade@Gmail.com
Author’s Website: http://www.RachaelWade.com
LightsOn Website: http://www.lightsonlove.com/
Facebook: AuthorRachaelWade
Twitter: RachaelWade

We are celebrating this release with lots of fun, games and prizes. We would love for you to join us!!

Souls of Indie FaceBook Group

Curses, Fates & Soul Mates Release Day Party on FaceBook

Curses, Fates & Soul Mates Release Day Twitter Party

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Review - Creatura by Nely Cab

Isis can control her dreams. Or she could—until recently. The creature in her nightmares has been haunting her for months. As if being dumped wasn’t bad enough, now she dreads going to sleep. She decides to confront the creature and win back some of her peace; only, she finds that he’s not a monster and he’s not a dream.

A sacrifice for love, a shocking discovery and a jealous ex-boyfriend blur the lines between reality and dreams, making it hard to tell who the real monsters are.

Who would’ve known…that sometimes love is lethal?

*****************

I really enjoyed this book.  It was a fast read, and I did not want to put it down.  The plot was unique and interesting, and the book is very well written.  The point of view changed a few times between the two main characters and I liked seeing things from David's eyes.  The characters are likeable, and it was easy to sympathize with Isis.  There was a cliffhanger ending that made me really wish I had the next one in my hands.  I hope to visit with Isis and David again soon.  I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.  It is available from Amazon here.

*I was given a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Book Review - Prelude by Nely Cab

It’s not easy creating life, but that’s what Deus was meant to do. And as amazing as his new creations may be, Deus finds that there’s nothing wonderful about being the only person in existence. Using his power, he molds a companion to keep him company; only, something goes awry and Starr soon proves to be as wild as the animals he’s crafted.

What do you do when the only other person in the universe hates you? You fall in love, of course…because that’s how forever begins.

*************

Prelude is a novella set in the Creatura universe, it's the full story of Deus and Starr that David told Isis in Creatura.  Deus creates Starr to be his wife, but Starr has a mind of her own and doesn't really care what Deus wants her to do.  I really enjoyed reading their story and I absolutely loved this book.  I laughed out loud many times while I read it.  The author has a great sense of humor and the ability to make her characters vividly real.  I felt sorry for Deus (sometimes) and just loved Starr.  I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.  It is on sale at Amazon for a limited time here.

*I was given a free copy of this book by the author in exchange for an honest review.  All opinions in this post are my own.

Introducing Hal

This is Hal.  He is between 8 and 10 years old according to my vet, the shelter paperwork says he is 12.  He was in a kill shelter and Basset Buddies Rescue, who I volunteer for, needed a foster home so they could get him out of there.  I saw the post and that was it - the thought of him at 12 in a kill shelter just made me crazy, even before I saw his picture.  I talked to the Mr, and we decided we could foster him on a temporary basis, until a regular foster home had room so that they could spring him out of the shelter.  So the night before Thanksgiving, I drove about an hour and picked Hal up, I thought we'd have him for a couple of weeks, maybe until Christmas.  Hal however, had other plans.

I mean really, how could you say no to this face?  He doesn't do well with stairs, and is very skittish around young children.  It was hard to find another foster home that he would fit into, so we decided since we were happy and he was happy, we'd continue to foster him until he found a forever home. Hal still had other ideas, and Heidi completely agreed with him.

Wulfie didn't object to the idea very much either.

The cats even like him.  He's warm, and sleeps a lot, so they are perfectly happy to lay next to him.  It's like having their own personal heater.   It was becoming increasingly obvious that he was home and the humans were the only ones that wouldn't admit it.  So, I contacted BBR, and let them know that he was ours and we wanted to make it official.  His gotcha day is the day before Thanksgiving, because that is the day he came home. 

I can't say enough about how wonderful he is.  He is really calm and easygoing, doesn't mess in the house, he only barks if he has a reason, he is teaching Wulfie manners (!), he adores Heidi and has become a knight is shining armor for my fairy princess girl.  Heidi adores him right back, and Wulfie gets along with him very well.  He walks well on a leash, brings you a stuffie when he needs to go outside and is just a joy to have in our family.  

I used to think that I shouldn't adopt a senior because they won't be around long.  Hal has shown me how wrong I was.  Gunter passed away last year and he had just turned 7.  I have realized that you never know how long you are going to have with a dog, and the important thing to remember is to make the most of every single day that you do have. I will make sure to do that with all of mine, and every minute will count.  Hal says - It's about time you realized I wasn't going anywhere - you are almost as stubborn as a basset!!