More on the Heart Chakra or What's Love Got to Do With it?

 I'm all emotional today and it has me reflecting on the heart chakra. I'm sure there are hormones involved, but more so are the stories I'm writing right now. The Love and Light Series is really about love always being the answer. It doesn't mean tolerating abuse or not defending yourself or not taking proactive action to protect yourself. 

Those actions are loving--they turn love into a verb. Protecting yourself is loving yourself enough to acknowledge you deserve to be treated lovingly. It is also an act of love towards the one who attacks or mistreats you. 

Just as a parent is loving a child when they discipline that child, so we are loving another when we show them what's not allowed and set clear boundaries. That's not to say we should take a parental approach to others, just a loving one. 

I am reminded every day that love is the answer, no matter the question or situation.  For instance, I could get irate about the cellphone company messing up my account for the third time in as many months, but that disturbs my peace, and that is neither loving towards myself nor to the employee who has to tolerate the abuse.  After all, the customer service representative who answers your phone call is not likely the one who caused the problem.

Even if he is, so what?  What do you gain by berating him?  Do you think you're going to get better service by being an asshole to him?

I was in the service industry once-upon-a-time, and I remember all to vividly the people who lit into me for a mistake made by the kitchen or myself.  Did it help the situation?  Not. At. All.  It either made me nervous and more prone to mistakes or pissed me off.  I was more likely to ignore them.  I mean, I wasn't going to get a tip out of them at that point, so why bother?  Not saying that was mature or right, but the reality none-the-less.

So think it about next time you have the urge to go off on someone.  Are you contributing love or contaminating with fear and hate?  Please join in the conversation and contribute by posting a comment, a link to some great stuff on love or a picture or quote on the topic.

These random thoughts brought to you by my morning meditation. Om shanti shanti shanti. Namaste.

Follow my Pinterest Heart Chakra board for more tidbits on loving yourself, as well as my Love and Light Campaign board.

Samskaras Teaser or What's your new book about?

Samskaras, Book 2 in the Love and Light Series Teaser

Sometimes, you just have to roll with the punches.  While I hit a few speedbumps on my way to publication, Samskaras is so close to being ready.  I hoped to have this book out by next week, but I'm happy to take an extra week or two to polish and prepare.

But I am DYING to share it with you, so here is the first of four teasers I'll be doling out over the next ten days.

Enjoy and share!

Namaste, dear friends.

What the Hell are Samskaras or When's Your Next Book Coming Out, Damn it?

As I've been prattling on about book 2 in the Love and Light series, Samskaras, releasing soon, I have been repeatedly asked:  What the hell is a samskara?  Here, in a nutshell, is my take on the concept:

Samskaras are the grooves of our past played out in our present.  The way we feel, think, act, speak and view our world are all impacted by our earliest experiences.  There are some who say they go back to the womb, and those who profess they go beyond even our birth into previous lives from whence we acquired the stuff we cram into our karmic luggage.  Either way, wherever and whenever we pick up our habits of existence, we have a duty to peer into the dark depths of our oceanic unconsciousness.  What we see there may be disturbing or enlightening or downright scary, but it is who we are at our un-interpreted base, and dredging these waters is our most important work.  Our very lives depend upon it.

Of course, you don’t have to face your fears, dear friend.  You can choose, instead, to bumble around your life wondering why bad shit always happens to you.  When the rollercoaster ride grinds to a halt and you take your last, conscious breath on this plain, you can assure yourself that it was better to ride blindfolded and to have settled.  Sure. You can do that.  Or you can pull on your big kid Underoos and take a chance.  Do something nerve-wracking and uncover the negative patterns that keep tripping you up.  And when you face your bug-a-boos and survive, the most amazing thing will happen:  you will create the life you crave with every cell of your being.  I kid you not, dear friend. 

But be forewarned: it’s going to get hot and your head is going to hurt and your body is going to scream for relief, but you will not regret a single, solitary moment you spent chipping away at what holds you back.  Oh, and not all samskaras are negative, but they tend to be the ones that we cling to like an old, worn-out blanky.  The comfort of the devil we know is oh so sweet compared to the terrifying fucking clown that lurks beneath, no?  Be brave, dear friend, and dig out the negative by the root, so you can sow the seeds of your dreams, and reap the life well-lived.

Thoughts, comments, questions and random facts are all welcome here.  Leave them below and remember to sprinkle your words with a generous helping of love and light.

Namaste, dear friends, namaste.

My Carefully Organized Eating Regimen a.k.a. Healthy Eating Requires Planning and my Turkey-Beef Mini-Meatloaf Recipe

Sunday is food prep day for me and on the menu this week is grilled chicken breast, turkey-beef mini meatloaf, peaches and cream oat cups, banana protein bread and my traditional black beans and rice. These combined with a fridge/freezer well-stocked with frozen veggies, sweet potatoes, fresh salad veggies, hummus and fruit will get me through the week. And I've planned some fun foods too (one of the secrets to my healthy success): dark chocolate with candied orange peels, mini bottles of Merlot and Pinot Noir, and some raspberry merlot aged cheddar. This is the way to make healthy food fun and convenient and to make sure I eat while I bury myself in edits so I can get book 2 in the Love and Light series released before Memorial Day. (Please, please, gods of novels and editing, get me through this week and on to more fun things, like formatting.) Gack! Did I just write that??

 But I digress...

 My family likes to tease me about my "Carefully Organized Eating Regimen"--their words, not mine--which really is nothing more than planning ahead in order to turn healthy eating into convenience foods. I could buy those frozen so-called healthy meals, but I've had enough salt and whipped meat-products to last me a lifetime, thank you very much. I'm a comfort food gal (and come on, who isn't?), and I want food that is absolutely delicious that I can look forward to. Thus, Sunday is for food prep. And I like to pass on the good stuff, so here's the recipe for my healthy mini-meatloaf:

Turkey-Beef Mini Meatloaf
 Makes 12 servings

 16 oz. Extra Lean Ground beef (96/4)
20 oz. Ground turkey breast (99% fat free)
3/4 cup chopped onion
3 egg whites or 9 tbl. liquid egg whites
1 tbl. Mrs. Dash Salt-free Steak Seasoning
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 c. ketchup (optional as its rather high in sugar, but my family notices when I don't add this. You can substitute plain tomato sauce or salsa)
1 cup fresh parsley
1/4 c. oat bran

Nutritional Facts: 1 serving = 1 muffin, 128 Calories, 2.1 g Fat, 245 mg Sodium, 9.4 g Carbs, .5 g Fiber, 21.6 g Protein

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine all ingredients. It works best if you use your bare, carefully washed hands. ;-) Then, divide the mixture into a 12-cup muffin tin. Bake for 1 hour or until meat is cooked all the way through and tops of meat muffins are browned.

 I rarely add salt during the cooking process, preferring to add to taste at the table.  <----Good tip for reducing your salt intake. Believe it or not, you don't taste the salt as well when its cooked into the food, but you get that salty goodness you're looking for when you add it afterwards with much less.

                                                                                                                                     
Enjoy!  And if you try my recipe, please post a comment on how it turned out and if you made any changes to the recipe, what did you do?

What are your menu plans for the week?  Are you prepared for a healthy eating week?  For more healthy eating recipes and healthy living ideas, you can follow my Pinterest boards Perfectly Balanced Quick Meals, Breakfast, Healthy Lifestyle and Side Dishes.  I'm always updating so keep a lookout for new stuff.

Namaste, dear friends

Congratulations to the Winner!

Linda Kish has won the Spring into Books giveaway.  A signed paperback of Enlightened and a matching, custom bookmark hand crafted by The Book Swag Shop will be on its way shortly.  Thank you to everyone who participated and enjoy this magnificent
 spring.  Namaste, dear friends.

Review: Easy Bake Coven

Easy Bake Coven by Liz Schulte

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Liz Schulte has hit another homeroom with this series. I love that I get to visit with the Abyss in a new way and that characters from the Guardian series make appearances, some more than others. Should you read it? If you love paranormal romance, urban fantasy, and Schulte's Guardian series, you will definitely enjoy this book.

I'm not going to give a synopsis; you can read the book description for that. What I will say is that I enjoyed the twisty plot, the love interest(s), and the sex. Hot elf sex is hard to beat. I am not sure how I feel about our heroine, but she is likable, if somewhat indecisive. But she has very good reason to be. Everything she's ever known is about to be blown out of the water and that's going to affect anyone's decision making abilities.

You will not be disappointed by a Liz Schulte story.



View all my reviews

It's My Birthday!

Available on Amazon

It's my birthday! Yay!  And to celebrate I'm kicking off a blog tour of my debut novel Enlightened: A Tale of Love and Light with Lady Amber's Blog tours.  Download your copy today and I'll let you in on a little secret:  you won't have to wait too long for the sequel, Samaskaras.  It will be available next month. Woo hoo!!!!


Join me and Lady Amber as I tour with Enlightened over the next 30 days.  Read reviews and interviews by book bloggers and guest posts by yours truly, as well as tantalizing excerpts from the book itself.

Hop on over to today's stop at Free Ebooks and Those Responsible For Them.






Here's the schedule:


4/9   Free Ebooks and Those Responsible For Them

4/10 ParaSuperNormalism

4/11 Lady Amber's Reviews 

4/12 Shelves of Books Blog

4/13 Krystal Clearbook Reviews

4/14 Fated Paranormals

4/15 Book on the Bright Side

4/16 Out There & Stuff 

4/17 Confessions of the Paranormal

4/18 Momof2BookReviews

4/19 Life Between the Pages

4/20 Brianna Lee Book Reviews

4/21 Airicka Phoenix

4/22 Schmoeker-Welt

4/23 Dangerous Romance

4/24 Amazing Books

4/25 Peace, Love, Books

4/26 Kristina's Books & More

4/27 Lindsay and Jane Views and Reviews

4/28 My Home Away From Home 

4/29 Sweet Treat Reading Reviews

4/30 Racing To Read

5/1 Mythical Books

5/2 Paranormal Book Club 

5/3 The Crafty Cauldron

5/4 My Secret Book Obsession

5/5 Ever and Ever Sight

5/6 Naughty Bits Book Reviews

5/7 Recent Reads

5/8 The Book Diaries

     Staring at Square One

5/9

Books and their Wordly Realm

Heart Chakra Revelations and Bananas

*shouts* I have had a heart chakra revelation.  Finally!  *bows*

I've been waiting, crouched outside the tiny entrance to my subconscious, not-so-patiently for the inspiration to write this post.  *drums fingers* And it wouldn't come, damn it.  I walked away for a while, got distracted by the snow storm and school cancellations, went to the doctor about the fatigue and heart palpitations *hint* I told you about in my Solar Plexus chakra post…

And this morning I reread through the lab report my doctor mailed me.  My potassium and iron levels were low, which helped explain the heart flutters.  (I have a minor heart condition that doesn't present itself unless I’m overly fatigued or I've allowed my potassium levels to drop.)  

*shouts* And my heart stopped.  

Not really, but it suddenly hit me that all this time I've been focused on the feed and caring of my heart and heart chakra.  Duh. *shakes head* But anyway, as well as making sure bananas, coconut water and dark green, leafy vegetables (eating green foods is recommended for balancing the heart chakra) found their way into every meal, I've been instinctively taking action to balance my heart chakra. 

I've been taking as many walks in the sunshine as I could between the spring snows, in an effort to balance my Solar Plexus chakra.  While soaking up the sunshine, I was spending more time in my woods and in nature in general, a way to assist balancing the heart chakra.  I was also rubbing Cypress oil (a pine oil) on my chest (your heart chakra is located in your chest) to address my “hard-driving” need to achieve goals as quickly as possible. Turns out, this and other pine oils assist in balancing the heart chakra. 

When I was looking up oils for over-striving in Daniel MacDonald’s wonderful reference book Emotional Healing with Essential Oils, I came across this passage under Cypress:

"Cypress works in the heart and mind creating flexibility. …Cypress encourages us to cast aside our worries and let go of control so we can enjoy the thrill that comes from being alive.  It reminds us that ‘damnation’ is simply the discontinuation of growth and development.  Cypress shows us how to have perfect trust in the flow of life."

I knew I wasn't trusting the flow of life and thought I needed to push it—as hard as I could.  At the heart of the need to control and perfectionism is fear, the antithesis of love.  And love, unconditional love, is what the heart chakra is all about.  If I want to be honest, I have to tell you that for years I tried to win approval and validation from others through my achievements in hopes of filling what I misperceived as a big hole in my heart.  I think we all do this to some extent, but ironically this behavior leads us further away from love and deeper into fear.

And in my contemporary and relentless determination to achieve my goals, I suspect buried within are the remains of these deep samskaras from my childhood.  As a child, I thought if I didn't make the best grades or win an award, I wasn't earning my love. *sniff* I want to give that little girl a great big rib-popping hug and tell her that she doesn't have to earn anyone’s love.  That she deserves love without conditions or requirements.  That she is love incarnate and that she is safe and “right”.

That she is lovable just the way she was…and is.

Do you love yourself unconditionally?  Do you feel worthy of your life and loved ones? What do you think?  Leave me a comment below, share this post on your favorite social media sight or link back to my blog from yours and I’ll send you a Namaste button (US mailing addresses only).  Leave me a way to contact you (twitter account, etc.) and I’ll be in touch.

To learn more about the Heart Chakra, follow my Pinterest board and I will be adding more all week long.

Namaste, dear friends. 

P.S.  Don't forget to check out the Spring into Books Blog Hop and enter my rafflecopter for a chance to win a signed paperback of Enlightened.  

Spring into Books Blog Hop Giveaway

The birds are chirping, when its not raining.  The grass is green, when heavy snow isn't covering it up.  The kids are playing outside, when they're not whining about wanting to play Minecraft, instead.

It must be spring! Yay! Sort of.  That rat LIED on us in Virginia. *pouts*

Seriously, I love spring and all that comes with it, and to celebrate I've teamed up with the folks at Literary Addicts for their Spring into Books blog hop. First, I'm offering a chance to win a signed paperback of my novel, Enlightened (Open to US only).  Just enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win.  Then, check out all the other wonderful bloggers and authors in the links below.  Each one is offering their own giveaway.

It's raining prizes!  Hey, do April prizes bring May ... ummm...something?  Ugh.  Epic fail, as my daughter would say.

Anywhooooo, get started with the first entry in the rafflecopter:  Leave a blog comment: What do you love the most about spring?

And while you're at it, share this blog post on facebook, google+, etc. ;-)

Namaste, dear friends.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Solar Plexus Chakra Burnout and Other Misadventures

This week has been a lesson in the care and feeding of your Solar Plexus Chakra.  Perfect timing. ha! I don’t know what’s happened to my self-awareness lately, but it seems I have burnt myself out. And I had no idea.  Exhaustion washed over me all of a sudden on Wednesday.  I felt like someone pulled the plug. Without warning I was hit with a sudden and desperate need to get horizontal.  I needed sleep and I needed it now.  Unfortunately, I was driving to pick up my kids from school.  Worst timing ever.  And as I’m sure some of you know, there is not much scarier than thinking you could nod off behind the wheel.

And, for some reason, sitting in the running car for ten minutes waiting for the buses to leave so the line of cars would move made it worse. Go figure. *rolls eyes* Thank goodness I got us home where I could safely collapse in bed.  Unfortunately, when I woke up I didn’t feel much better; I shook and my heart raced when I stood up. I finally gave up and cancelled all appointments for the rest of the evening.

It’s taken me days to recuperate and in that time I've been ruminating about burn out and how it happened to me.  I have been on a mission to accomplish and improve and I have a case of Solar Plexus Chakra burn out. I have quite literally been pushing my personal power center to the extreme.  I've embarked on a new writing career, hardcore fitness goals and several other personal and family oriented self-improvement goals. Let me tell you: you can’t do it all at one time.  The consequences of burning the candle at both ends are adrenal fatigue, ulcers, over-sensitivity to criticism, and immune system deficiencies (i.e. catching every random bug the kids bring home from school).

These also happen to be symptoms of an unbalanced Solar Plexus chakra.  So this weekend I plan on getting lots of rest, soaking up some sunshine, diffusing lemon essential oil and wearing something yellow, all recommendations for healing your Solar Plexus chakra.  It’s your power center, the place you draw your self-confidence from and you know when it’s been overtaxed or under nourished when you get that anxiety flutter in your upper abdomen—right between your ribs and deep inside.  How’d I miss that?  Too busy, I imagine.

For more about the Solar Plexus Chakra, please follow my Pinterest board here. I’ll be adding new stuff over the next week.  Also, check out my Root Chakra and Sacral Chakra posts, if you haven’t already.  Make sure you’re taking care of yourself in a proactive way. Don’t wait until you have a health crisis, like me, to get your act together.

Love and light, my friends. And Namaste.

C.G. Powell Cover Reveal for Firewall, sequel to Spell Checked

I'm too excited and had to share.  C.G. Powell is close to finishing the sequel to her debut novel, Spell Checked, both part of the No Uncertain Logic Series.  To celebrate, she's revealing the Firewall cover.  I love her book covers, which she designs herself.  Not only is she a talented writer, but she's a fabulous self-taught graphic artist.  Why am I so dang excited? Because I am personally invested in the writing of this book.  Desperate to read more about Beck and the unbelievably amazing world he lives in and comes from, I resorted to breathing down her neck, quite literally.

For the past few months I have been packing up my lappy and spending almost every Tuesday, and occasional Wednesdays and Fridays, at her house in an effort to get her to finish the damn book. I don't think she'd argue if I told you she had ADD tendencies (although she likes to refer to it as her randomness).  We're quietly tapping on our keyboards and suddenly she's talking to her cat, Mae.  "Get back to writing, Christine."  She laughs and starts again.  Next thing I know she's fussing with the essential oil diffuser, opening and staring at the contents of the fridge, or fixing a cup of coffee.  *cracks the whip*  "Get back to writing, Christine."  Ahahahaha!  And its working!  She's past the half-way point and I have to say I am wiggling in anticipation.

I have the privilege and honor to spend hours talking shop with C.G. and I cannot tell a lie:  this book is going to knock your socks off.  Okay, enough jibber-jabber. Here's the beautiful cover and a sneak peek at what's in store.

Congratuations, C.G. Powell and hurry up with the rest, already.  ;-)

Firewall (book 2 No Uncertain Logic Series) by C.G. Powell

“I hate to cut things short, but the sooner we get down to business the better.  I’ve made arrangements for a transport to take us to the Atlantis which is sitting in the Meranna Sea.”

Before Sarik could finish, Jael interrupted, “When did you move the ship?”

“Shortly after you left for Ibis Prime.  Orion felt he needed to keep an eye on me once Aphrodite arrived, so he sent a team to assist the move closer to the capital city.”  He looked to Neria and Aphrodite.  “Ladies, if you will follow me.  I will take you to the transport.”

They walked to a smaller docking area where a transporter ship was awaiting them.  Neria’s bags were already on board, as was Captain Ross.

Sarik raised one brow.  “How did you get here so quick?”

Captain Ross cleared his throat and rolled his eyes towards the cockpit where Tal sat.

“I thought you didn’t trust mist traveling?”  Sarik laughed.

“It took a while to get used to, but it has its benefits if you can get past the nausea and the whole cellular disintegration reassembly thing.”

Sarik nudged the captain with his elbow.  “Are you sure it has nothing to do with quantum entanglement with a certain Jinn?”

Speechless, Captain Ross’ reddened face spoke volumes.  He excused himself and joined Tal in the cockpit.

Looping her arm in Sarik’s, Jael frowned and continued towards the passenger area of the transport.  “Why do you tease the poor Captain?  I think it quaint that he has taken a liking to Tal even if she doesn’t return his affections.”

“What kind of friend would I be, if I didn’t acknowledge his obvious fondness?”

“Do you really want me entertain your question with an answer?”

“No, not really.”

Over the intercom the captain’s voice boomed, “Good morning, this is your captain.  Today’s flight should be a clear shot to the Meranna Sea area.  We have favorable atmospheric conditions and low level winds upon approach.  Our estimated arrival is 14:80 standard atomic time, that’s half-past lunch for those of you who still struggle with the local atomic conversion.”

Jael, Salima, and Aphrodite all turned and looked at Sarik.

Pursed lipped, Sarik stood and yelled toward the cockpit.  “Okay, you win.  Now get us the hell out of here.”

Coming Summer 2013

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The Sacral Chakra and Masquerades

I think my sacral chakra is out of wack.  Why? Because I'm having a moment of self-doubt. Just the other day, someone did something that made me doubt my ability to accurately assess a person’s character and create a connection.  Amazing how the actions of one person can affect me so profoundly. What happened? They returned a gift.  I felt, well, dishonored.  I quite literally thought I knew this person, not in a deep way, but enough.  And I was so terribly wrong.  And now I am trying to figure out where I went wrong.  Most likely, I projected a personality onto this person that fit my past experience.  With the clothes they wore and the words they spoke, I concocted a persona.  We do this every day of our lives and seldom have the occasion to doubt our interpretation.  Do we go along under false assumptions on a regular basis, then?  Because we can't possibly get it right all of the time. I for one would like to know.

But is my doubt really about my ability to assess personality?  Or is this fundamentally about rejection?  Because I allowed myself to question who I am.  I haven't felt like that in a long time.  It has me turning to chakra energy theory for healing.  Based on my overemotional reaction to this situation and feeling uncomfortable in my own skin, I'm guessing my sacral chakra has been knocked out of balance.  Makes sense, when you understand what the sacral chakra, sometimes referred to as the spleen chakra, is all about.

The Sacral chakra, swadhisthana in sanskrit, is the second chakra located at your pelvis, from your lower abdomen to your navel center.  It is associated with the color orange.  It is our creative and emotional center and key to our sense of identity.  If we don't know who are (or are doubting who we thought we were), then it’s likely our sacral chakra is weak or out of balance.  If it is overactive we may be highly emotional and we may attach too much importance to what other's think of us.  If under active, we may lack the ability to connect with others or the creative spark.  And not least of all, it is the center of our sexuality.  Many of us have a problem with our sexual identity, whether we like to talk about it or not.

Actually, the fact that people have such a high-anxiety reaction any time sex is talked about speaks volumes about the unbalanced state of the sacral chakra in our society. But that’s a topic to discuss at length in another post.

My people watching has led me to believe that there is an epidemic of unbalanced sacral energy.  Most of us wear a persona to function in this world; that’s normal. What’s not good for us is the pretending we do to get by.  Because we are uncomfortable in our skins and need validation, we don a different mask for everyone we meet.  We tailor our words, our mannerisms and our clothes to a certain extent so that we have the least likely chance to offend.  On one hand, this is just common courtesy.  But when does it cross the line from good manners to deception?  It’s obviously polite and respectful to dress appropriately and mind our language when we go to church.  It’s deceptive when we pretend to be something we’re not so another will accept us.  But there’s so much in between.

Are you being true to yourself?  Are you sure you are seeing people for who they are? Take responsibility for self-deception and let go of what you can’t control: They’re self-deception.  Which is another important element of the sacral chakra:  the ability to let go.  I’m working on it. Put on an orange shirt today.  Follow my Sacral Chakra Pinterest board this week for more on healing and balancing the sacral chakra.

Stalking the Wyrd and Fae

I have been stalking following LK Rigel's facebook and blog posts for news of the next installment of the Tethers Series, Tales of Wyrd and Fae.  Give Me was the first book, and I absolutely fell in love with it.  This story came into my life at a time when I really needed it.  My grandmother had just passed away and I was having a hard time engaging in everyday life.  So I downloaded Give Me on the advice of a friend and lost myself in LK's world.  I read it in one sitting and it took me a week to digest everything.  Then, I couldn't just review the book, I had to wax philosophical with a few tears thrown in.

And afterwards, I stalked followed the author and nagged her about the next book.  When Bride of Fae came out I was over the moon when she gave me the chance to beta read it.  Now, I'm waiting anxiously for her to be done with whatever it is she's writing that isn't Tethers related and get working on Tethers, again, dang it.

LK Rigel puts magic in her stories.  I don't know how she does it. I aspire to breathe spells into tales the way she does.  Hey, LK, do you mix up potions with herbs and secret ingredients and drink them before you sit down to write?  Do you chant magical incantations over your keyboard?  Or do you pour your heart into your work? Do you ferret out the details that distract and leave the ones that absorb our attention? Do you intuit the emotions that we connect with and animate your characters with them?

I picture you waving your magic wand over a wooden Pinocchio, fairy dust lighting him up from the inside out until a real boy emerges from your brilliant mind.

Well done, LK Rigel.  Well done.

Who else is being stalked?

Valentine's Day Sale

 

27 books dropped to $0.99 for Valentine's Day. Get yourself a little something!

 

Click on the books to read more about them and buy.

I Put My Root Down

I just returned from the Olde City, New Blood Mini-Convention in St. Augustine and I am in the throws of post-vacation blues.  But its more than that.  I spent a week traveling, talking, connecting, complaining, commiserating, praising, thanking, laughing, sharing, eating, drinking, creating and being.  It was wonderful to meet up with my writing buddies and to take our friendship to the next level.  I came away with a deep sense of gratitude for having such wonderful souls to share my passions with.

I also came away with a serious case of the blues.  From the moment Christine dropped me off at my house after our 16 hour drive home, I deflated.  I came off a lofty high and slumped into bed with a glass of wine.  My husband said something I didn't like, so I sank deeper.  I woke up fuzzy and confused about the ache in my chest. What the hell?  I mean, really?  This felt like the day after Christmas when I was a kid. All the anticipation and excitement surged through my blood stream like sugar, only to abondon me and then-- CRASH.  Ugh. Post-sweets blues.

And without my sweet friends nearby to hug me back to normal, I have been fumbling around for a cure.  After trying laundry, a healthy lunch and meditating, I finally knocked on my husband's man-cave door.  I needed a hug.  I needed to reconnect with my family.  I needed to root down.  Find my balance, once again.

And the key to balance? Our connection to home and family.  Think for a moment about subtle energy theory - the Chakras in particular   Our root chakra, located at the base of the spine in the coccygeal region, governs instinct, security, survival and basic human potentiality (see http://www.chakraenergy.com/ for more info).  We learn our first lessons in these areas in our nuclear family.  Sometimes these lessons are solid and affirming, sometimes they create anxiety and a life-long sense of insecurity.  Regardless, we can always turn to the root chakra to bring a sense of safety and security back to our lives.

When I knocked on my husband's door looking for that hug, that's exactly what I was doing.  The family I've created gives me a strong sense of safety and I'm grateful for it.  After hugging on my man, I decided to comfort myself some more and worked on balancing my root chakra with essential oils.  I rubbed a blend from doTerra called Balance on my feet.  Balance contains tree oils like spruce, frankincense and rosewood.   Trees represent the ultimate in rooting down. I also diffused some sandalwood, another grounding and balancing oil.  Then I practiced rooting yoga poses like Mountain pose and Tree pose.

Anything red is supposed to help with the root chakra, so I donned a red sweater, ate some dried cranberries and put on my garnet ring.  A good night's sleep and exercise is the foundation for any day and recommended for stabilizing the root chakra.  So, I'll make sure I get to bed at a decent hour tonight and take a walk later today.

Whether you put any credence into chakra theory doesn't really matter, its the intention behind the actions you take that makes all the difference.  My intention today is to re-ground myself and steady my nerves.  Its also to incorporate my new family members, my writer friends that I just spent an amazing weekend with, into my made family.  I'm going online right now to reconnect with them because they are now part of my root-down practice.  Isn't that amazing?? That I now have friends all over the country I can root-down with?  Wow!  I am so blessed.  Adding them to my circle as my supporters and supportees is a privilege and an honor.

NOW, I think I can get back to work and feeling better.  For more information you can follow my Root Chakra pinterest board.  I'll be adding new stuff every day.

Namaste, dear friends.

First Draft? Done! Samskaras is on its Way

I couldn't wait until morning to share the news.  I finished the first draft of Samskaras, Book 2 in the Love and Light Series.  Woo hoo! Its been a trickier book to write, to be honest. I'm trying to keep several storylines interwoven and moving forward at the same time. It all works together and each feeds off the other. Its quite the chore keeping it in line--like herding cats. lol!

But its all worth it as the story unfolds.  There will be more updates as I work through the editing process and prepare for its release.  In the meantime, here's a tiny morsel to tweak your taste buds until it arrives.

Excerpt from Samskaras:

     “No. Stay still. I want to take you in. I want to remember you just like this.” His eyes glowed.

     “Like what?” She looked down. She was naked and her hands jerked automatically to cover herself, but she shrugged and dropped them. Looking back up, David was now a ways off, maybe half a football field. “David?” She shielded her eyes from an increasingly bright light. “David?”

     He ran towards her, picking up his pace until he was running full-tilt. Loti took a step back, wrinkling her forehead. What was he doing? Then he leaped at her with arms stretched out as if he were diving into a pool. Loti screamed as she threw her arms up. His body crackled with criss-crossed lines of blue lightening. Morphing from a man into a man-shaped piece of light, he plowed into her. She stumbled back, but instead of knocking her to the ground, he plunged into her. He disappeared inside her. She wrapped her arms around herself and screamed.

Endless by Tawdra Kandle Cover Reveal

    ENDLESS, The King Series Book 4, will be released at the end of this month! Just to get you ready, here's the official cover release! This beautiful design is courtesy of the incredibly talented Christine Powell Gomez. Enjoy. . .and get ready for the final chapter in Tasmyn and Michael's story!

After the tumult of her high school senior year, all is right in Tasmyn Vaughan's world. She's attending college with her boyfriend, and she's learning to control her powers. Everything is finally perfect, until it isn’t.

When her new part-time job leads to more than she bargained for, she is thrown into a deadly fight against forces of evil that she didn't even know existed. Mastering her extraordinary gifts—along with the strength of an endless love—may be the only weapon that can guarantee her a happily ever after.

Don't miss the first three books of The King Series: Read FEARLESS (only 99 cents right now!) BREATHLESS RESTLESS Follow Tawdra on Facebook and Twitter      
 Check out all the blogs featuring the cover reveal today! http://takingtimeformommy.com  http://mommyreadstoomuch.com     http://ereadingonthecheap.com/     http://time4mommy.com http://beautybrite.com     SavingFor6.Blogspot.com     http://livingatthewhiteheadszoo.blogspot.com reviewinginchaos.blogspot.com     http://www.craftymomof3.com     nikita-mattes.blogspot.com identitydiscovery.net     themochamonsterrants.wordpress.com     http://andisyoungadult.blogspot.com http://jennypennysbookreviews.blogspot.com/     coziecorner.blogspot.com http://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/     tawdrakandle.com     www.LizSchulte.com www.thestuffofsuccess.com     www.christinegpowell.com     www.ginaslibrary.info www.mnmrheinlander.com     www.bookonthebrightside.blogspot.com     http://museunleashed.com www.mrpolishauthor.com     www.Stephanie-Nelson.com     http://emleighwalsh.tumblr.com www.prettyopinionated.com     http://andrea-digiglio.blogspot.com      www.delphinareadstoomuch.com www.jamericanspice.com     www.oliviahardinwriter.com mommylessonplans.org     snifferwalk.org      

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Remember the most important thing when you are engaging with others in this world: Respect.  I would say love, but lots of people have argued with me about being able to love perfect strangers.  Hmmmm, I have argued they are the easiest people to love. But I digress.

Show respect when you choose to argue a point with a twitter or Facebook acquaintance  regardless of whether you think that person's opinion is based on fact or emotion.  And keep in mind there is a person associated with that Bill the Cat avatar.  I ran into a little disrespect the other day (imagine that) and had to walk away from the lappy for a few minutes.  I thought, what the heck does this person think they are accomplishing by being so myopic and rude?  Certainly, they don't imagine I'm walking away from the encounter with anything but a more solid belief in my own opinion, right? *crickets chirping*

That's when I realized that on some level he or she must think something to that effect.  I mean, why else keep at it like a jack hammer?  Pounding your reasoning (or lack thereof) into my thick skull until I am helpless under the onslaught of your forceful diatribe?  Mercy, I beg you.  And when I stop responding, do you think its because I have no more argument?  That it is a wordless concession?  Ummmm, no.  I stop responding when I realize this is not actually a discussion anymore. If it ever was.

Then, as I often do, I turned the situation around and wondered, "Wow! What if *gulp* they are thinking the exact same thing about me?"  Huh.  Wow.  And do I think my opinion is the truth?  Am I that convinced of my omniscience?  Uh, no.  Okay.  I give.  Am I being respectful and open-minded?  And the biggest lesson of all slaps me in the face, ONE- MORE- TIME.  Look to yourself, first.  Pay attention to the beam your eye, Melissa, and stop worrying about the dust speck in someone else's.  

My lessons in humility are endless, aren't they?  Please laugh with me.  heh heh.  um, yeah.

What about you?  Ever race off on some self-righteousness rant and then suddenly find yourself looking in the mirror? 

Please share your experience or post a comment on mine and I will reward you with some random book swag.

Love and light, y'all!  

Review: Captive in the Dark

Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



A well-written page turner that kept me up all night. There were times I had to close my eyes and take a deep breath, but I kept reading. I couldn't help myself. The story captured me to my fascinated horror. The effects this story had disturbed me, but I still couldn't put it down. Imagine one of your greatest nightmares peopled with intriguing characters and interwoven with erotica and you become captive in the dark. But be prepared to question who you thought you were along with Caleb and Livvie. This is certainly not for everyone and definitely for the over 18 crowd. Highly recommended to the open-minded, the dangerously curious and introspective.

Warning: For mature audiences only. Graphic sex and violence. Psychologically disturbing



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Review: Kiss the Dead

Kiss the Dead by Laurell K. Hamilton

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



First, let me say that I am an avid Anita Blake Vampire Hunter fan. I enjoyed this story because I got an opportunity to visit with my favorite characters: Anita, Jean Claude, Nathaniel, Asher, etc. I love how Anita has evolved towards acceptance of herself and her lifestyle. She is still resistant of some things, like taking on new lovers. Its surprising that as compassionate as she is, she doesn't seem to understand the pain she causes her new lovers when she refuses to accept them and the relationship as it is.

The story itself was not all that exciting. I didn't feel the "edge-of-my-seat" energy like I have in other Anita novels. That doesn't mean it wasn't worth the read; just don't expect the intensity of her other books, like Cerulean Sins and Obsidian Butterfly, and of course anything with Marme Noir. Maybe its because most of those previous issues have been resolved.

I still loved the sex, the play of relationships and there was some tense moments. Good book and I recommend it.



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