Project 52:2

September 28, 2013

The weather is unbelievable! Knowing that the plan was to get outside and do something, I found the Ole Chipley Town Fair up in Pine Mountain as an end point. 

I just got in the car... no gps... no map... no plan.... just me and a diet coke. And Alt Nation on my satellite radio. I headed up GA 85 toward Pine Mountain. 

I rolled the window down and turned the radio up... It was gorgeous outside and I felt myself relaxing with each mile. 

GA 85 veered off to Alt GA 85 and that seemed like a sign so I took it....went way beyond Pine Mountain on Alt 85 and I was enjoying the cool weather, the sun, the tunes. I eventually made it to GA 85 and went ahead and headed back South. 

Came into Manchester and found this cute little train car.... I held the camera up and could see the bokeh even through the viewfinder and knew I had my shot.  

I continued on South and eventually saw GA 209 and decided I'd take that... didn't know exactly where it would go but I "felt" like it was headed back perpendicular and guess what? 

I was right!

I took 209 over to GA 27 and went on up past Callaway Gardens... it's about time to go back there one Saturday once the leaves all turn... but from Callaway Gardens, Pine Mountain is just down the road. 

I drove through the town... it was packed with folks visiting for Ole Chipley. I saw more mums than people it seemed like. Lots of people had set up yard sale tables and the place was packed. 

I didn't want to blow my relaxation buzz so I didn't really want to deal with all the people and after driving through town turned around and headed back down South on 27. 

Just on the other side of Callaway Gardens is this scenic over look... across the street from the Old Country Restaurant. I have eaten there a bunch of times and I love to eat at the big picture window that over looks a valley like this... just the other side of it.

But I pulled in and actually got out of the car and walked over to the fence. Views like this remind me of home.... although home is much better..... 

This will so much prettier once the leaves turn....

And I got back in the car and headed South. About thirty minutes later I was back in Columbus and realized I had been smiling almost all day!

Good times!

Yes I drew this as a map like representation of my journey today. I started with the line on the right. I headed north and looped around and then back over and up. before turning back south (the left line) and back home. It was amazing! 

Blog Tour: Templand and Permland by Jill Elaine Hughes

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Templand Blurb:

The heroine, Melanie Evers, is a plucky young working-class woman from Akron, Ohio struggling to support herself in Chicago in the post-9-11 economy. TEMPLAND follows Melanie's journey through the temporary employment world from a college student on "just a summer job" to a 28-year-old woman with a lot of intelligence (and a heap of student loan debt to match) through multiple layoffs and a series of ever-more-wacky temp assignments, as she struggles not only to survive, but also to find romance and always remain true to the honest, working-class values instilled in her by her beloved grandfather.

In her long, solitary journey through Templand, Melanie encounters adventure and romance on her search for that always-elusive Permanent Job---which she finally gets, along with her man. TEMPLAND is a highly entertaining, wickedly funny social satire, contemporary romance, and mystery novel all rolled into one.

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Permland Blurb:

SEQUEL TO TEMPLAND. It’s the beginning of 2003, a few months after the end of TEMPLAND. Melanie Evers is back as she struggles under the insane demands of her long-sought Permanent Job.  Now a human resources executive at Marquette Bank, what started out as a cushy well-paid job turns into a nightmare when her company is bought out by a Dutch conglomerate.  Melanie gets sent on a new series of wacky adventures as she tries to keep her head above water while her crazy new boss Pietra controls her every move, the Iraq War begins, and her boyfriend Dave is called up by the Army reserves to fight overseas. Is permanent employment really all it’s cracked up to be?

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Book Spotlight: Let Love In and Let Love Stay by Melissa Collins

 


 

 Let Love In: What would happen if you lost everything? If the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally were no longer there for you, how would your world change? That’s exactly what happened to Madeleine Becker when her parents died when she was ten years old. Ripped from her home and everything that she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again. The only way for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone at a safe distance. Her logic: she can't get hurt if she doesn't fall in love. That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly mysterious. He understands Maddy's pain all too well, but sharing his pain would mean breaking down the walls he put up around his own heart. Conflicted between loving Maddy and hiding his dark past, Reid starts to reevaluate his world. Maddy's inner strength, snarky personality and breath taking beauty help Reid to make peace with his past. Together they find out what happens when they let love in.

 Let Love Stay: If you’re lucky, you’ll fall in love – truly, madly and deeply in love. But what happens when that honest and pure love isn’t enough to erase your fears? What happens when your past rears its ugly head and threatens your future? Maddy and Reid had that kind of love – the all-encompassing, Earth shattering, once in a lifetime kind of love. Then life happened. Old wounds that were thought to be long healed and scabbed over are ripped opened and they are forced to face the possibility that, maybe, they are not strong enough to fight their demons and embrace the light. Together, they found out what love is, but now they will each need to heal on their own before they can ever be together again. They must face their fears and beat down their pasts in order to find their way through this crazy uphill battle called love. They’ve let love in, but now, they need to find out
how to Let Love Stay.

I’ve always been an avid reader. Majoring in English Literature was a no brainer. Becoming a teacher and instilling my love for reading into my students was also a no brainer. I’ve spent the last ten years teaching and I’ve loved (mostly) every minute of it. When I was home on maternity leave for my third son, I discovered a new genre that sparked my creativity. My passion for writing sprang from my love of reading and once I knew I had a story to tell, I couldn’t wait to get it out there. I only hope that my readers enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it.

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Let Love In

Let Love Stay

Let Love In by Melissa Collins from The BookChick on Vimeo.

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Cover Reveal: Hers by Dawn Robertson

The release date for Hers is October 31st, 2013.

Seven James is a stubborn woman. Strong, independent, sexual, and heartless. She takes what she wants with little care about others or their feelings. After a fucked up childhood, no one blames her. But when Levi Parker walks into her life, all bets are off.

If there is one thing Seven James is good at, it is hiding her scars. The scars of her childhood. The scars depicting the years of self loathing. Most of all the scars of a broken heart. When Daniel Alexander walked out of her life for the warm arm and trust fund of blonde bombshell Samantha Reese Warner, Seven knew her life would never be the same.

Levi Parker is a gorgeous playboy businessman, making his way through the Manhattan singles scene. A divorcee with little time for commitment, he has a big secret to hide. His need for new found sexual kink in the bedroom.A chance meeting at a club makes him question his single lifestyle for the first time ever, as he aches to chase the petite, tattooed brunette who rocked his world. 

But, when the woman in question, Seven James, walks into his board room, and tramples his boss all hope is lost.

What does the future hold for Seven, Daniel, and Levi?

Warning! Hers contains sexually explicit situations that may be uncomfortable for some. These include FF, FMF, and MFM interactions. Intended for readers 18+

 Author bio: Dawn Robertson is a New York City based Erotica author who quit her nine-to-five corporate job so pursue her love for writing. She is witty, sarcastic, and downright colorful. Dawn is a mother, entrepreneur, whiskey lover, and self proclaimed book whore.

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Project Saturday: A Year in Saturdays

 

I read a post the other day about the number of Saturdays from the time a child is born until they go off to college. 

Now, I don't have children but the number astounded me. Something like 940.  That seemed so low to me. But it got me thinking. 

We put off things-- until the next day, the next week, the next month. 

We either live so far in the past or so far in the future. (And yes, by we, I so mean ME)

A former counselor of mine told me that one way to slow my panic and anxiety attacks down was to stop living in the past and future and be more mindful. 

So my new project. Project Saturday is a year of being mindful. Doing something and paying attention to that something enough to photograph it. For 52 Saturdays.

A Year in Saturdays!

And wouldn't ya know? The first Saturday was totally rainy. 

But I was with my niece so who cares, right? Water wont kill us. 

Granted it cut down on the number of pictures and certainly influenced which camera I was going to use. Hmmm the water proof or the DSLR? 

Yeah, I went with the water proof Fuji and my iPhone... 

But the first Project Saturday submission (and nothing like getting it up late... ) is....

the 2013 East Atlanta Strut. 

 

Yes, Lewis and Debbie went on to the Strut to set up and get it all ready. Princess E and I stayed at the house for a little bit and we did "projects" That included making a snake and a monkey.... hmmm where did my picture of the monkey go? I know I had one. 

 

 

Princess E goes to Burgess Peterson Academy and they had a thing for the parade. She wore her Daisy uniform and walked with her Daisy's... but it was raining way too hard during the parade to get decent pics no matter which camera I used. The bag on her back has her eye patch and her pirate head scarf... there was a  pirate theme to the kids play area this year. Both her parents were in full pirate garb and I somehow took so many of their daughter... I didn't take any of her parents. Oooops!

 

But when you get to the Strut early you get to be first at face painting. 

 

My little butterfly is just tooooooo cute. 

 

 

Aren't all pirate ships captained by Butterflies?

I think they are!

 

Yes it was raining. It was 71 degrees but hey it's the East Atlanta Strut so one must have a King of Pops... and this one was creamy coconut!

 

Had to get some obligatory rain shots... just to show ya the rain and that people were out anyway.

 

There were puppies at this table but they didn't like the rain... and they weren't quiet about their dislike either. 

 

The only reason I am including this picture. And P.S. cotton candy doesn't work in humid rainy conditions... but I saw this picture when I was downloading them and, of course, that is Emilia standing their with her hand on her hip behind her Mama. 

But standing that way she looks just like MY MAMA!  Mama would toss out that hip and throw a hand up and I can't count the number of times I saw her stand just like that!

 

 

After I saw my peeps walk in the parade, I headed on back to the house. I grabbed a sandwich and my iPad and I sat down on their back porch to listen to the rain while I had some lunch. 

I love the idea of sitting outside listening to the rain while I read and really want to do something like that to my back patio... 

It was very restful and calming and peaceful! I realized after a few minutes that I wasn't reading; I was just being... and that made it a perfect example of mindfulness.

Emma Nichols Sinful Spotlight

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Blurb:

Sin at Sea:

When Alysin decided to surprise her boyfriend at work with dinner, the surprise was on her. Since he was going at it with his secretary on the conference table, she packed a bag and called her BFF. Jolie and Alysin had been traveling the country, working as digital nomads for ten years ever since graduation. Taking this as a sign it was time for a new move, they decided to take a cruise, regroup, and make a plan.

Then she meets Mr. Bedroom Eyes. Following her lead, they pretend to be married so that she can rid herself of the guy who started hitting on her before the boat left the dock. Though it was supposed to be a momentary arrangement, he asks her to take it one step farther. Then another and another. The cruise promises to be memorable in every way that matters. 

Along the way, Alysin learns that she won't have to fake an orgasm if she's with someone who knows what to do, that not all men suck, but the best ones suck really well, and that sometimes what starts out as something pretend, can fast become something completely real. Will the woman who lives life with no regrets, regret that she made that stupid rule about not exchanging names and contact info?

Vixen in Vegas:

It was supposed to be a week of simply being, of living in the moment, and enjoying every minute while it lasted. Of course, that kind of intoxication can have lingering effects. For Sin, she found herself wanting to break all the rules, to extend her time with the stranger who stole her heart. Vegas was just the right kind of place to take such a gamble. Meeting up with BE at the gondolas was a risk. Love went against everything they had promised, but the best things in life can’t be planned.

Soon Alysin will be tested. 

After guarding her heart for so long, she finally let a man in and discovered that the worst things in life happened when she least expected them. When she walked in on BE with another woman and overheard their heated conversation, she suddenly remembered there was a reason she made these rules. 

Will broken rules lead to broken hearts or will she realize that though love was a gamble, she was all in?

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Bio:

What made her decide to be an erotica author?

Simple.

How else was she going to parlay her two favorite past times into a career?

Emma is single and loving it. Like her first character, Alysin, Sin for short, she doesn't believe in settling or in settling down. She loves to indulge in her passions whenever the mood strikes and enjoys keeping all of life's cliche moments spicy.

Known for her sense of humor, Emma surrounds herself with friends whose antics often become the source of book fodder. Her ideal situation would be to explore the Caribbean while writing. She pursues that dream daily.

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I must admit, I enjoyed the series. It is definitely 18+ with adult language and content and while I had figured out certain directions the book was going to take, Emma Nichols sure threw in a few plot twists that left me unable to put the book down.

Blog Tour: Withstanding Me by Crystal Spears

Mature Content: Intended for adults 18+

The author provided me both a copy of this novel and the first novel in the Breakneck Series to review for my honest opinion. 

Color me crazy but until Breakneck, I wasn't one of the apparently many on the biker bandwagon. The bikers and the ladies of Breakneck have changed that. These are not easy books to read. Especially if you a romance and flowers kind of lovey dovey reader. 

I like that characters we met and became interested in Seize Me are back. This book (and quite possibly the entire series) is tough. There is drug use, alcohol use, murder and all sorts of random acts of violence and mayhem. But there is ZZ (short for Zig Zag) and his lady Storm. You almost have to read the book just to find out her real name! 

And yes, Winter and Braxxon (the MC Prez) from Seize Me finally tie the knot. ZZ has had his eye on Storm since she and her friends were saved from the club where they had been sold. She is now managing Winter's club and while her eye is also on ZZ, she isn't interested in being just a notch....

But life is short-- especially when you live in Winter's sphere-- and bullets fly and sometimes you just can't resist when temptation walks through the door with tattoos, body piercings and motorcycle boots. 

Seeing the more gentle and caring side of ZZ makes you realize that we may look different, we may act different, but deep down we are all so much more alike than we think we are. Watching ZZ with his daughter-- a mere 13 years younger than he is-- illustrates the frustration that parents all through time feel toward their teenage children. Seeing the camaraderie between the members of the club and their families is special.  

I am looking forward to reading the stories of the rest of the Breakneck series. It is hard hitting and brutal in spots. It is not for the faint of heart.... but it can be heartwarming.

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Blurb:

While the chaos and bloodshed have slowed for a short period, life is never quiet in the world of Breakneck. The club is taking time to regroup from internal betrayal and the changing of the guard in a rival group.

Zig Zag became a father at the age of thirteen. While raising a child has never been easy, now his eighteen year old daughter Tatiana makes his life downright hard. She has caught the eye of Travis, the new President of the rival MC Gunners, but all she really wants is Shadow, the newest addition to the Breakneck family. When Shadow’s rejection sends Tatiana running from the only family, home, and safety she’s ever known, ZZ is crazy with worry. The distraction caused by Tatiana’s disappearance could prove to be Zig Zag’s downfall.

If that isn’t enough, ZZ finds himself rampantly attracted to the one and only Storm. She’s beautiful, quick and witty. Their friendship is the one thing that keeps him from growing crazy, and Storm stands by ZZ through all the turmoil. Zig Zag is not accustomed to hearing the word no, so Storm’s constant withstanding just draws him in deeper. Their friendship is one thing keeping him from going crazy, until one night…

The club is regrouping and rebuilding from the mayhem known as the Russian Mafia. A hit is ordered on Tatiana, Storm, Winter, and Piper.

Tatiana’s egg donor reveals secrets that a thirteen year old Zig Zag was too young to understand.

Braxxon is out of reach while he helps Greg Cage deal with some dirty business.

Bloodshed… Secrets… Betrayal… Trauma… Welcome back to the Breakneck world.

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