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Saturday, June 29, 2013

The Kabrini Message Book Review





Synopsis:
An alien race. A shocking message. Let the evolution begin…

During an archaeological dig in Greece, Jeffrey Driscoll stumbles upon a miraculous find: ancient crystals with celestial coordinates that will connect humankind with the Kabrini, a highly advanced alien civilization. His discovery leads him on a quest from the jungles of Africa to the Islands of Greece, from the streets of London to the tombs of Egypt, from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, Jamaica, and Vienna, and finally to the deepest depths of space and Earth’s first global space effort, the Legacy mission.

When Driscoll Mining and the U.S. Army complete deep space construction of the Kabrini communications network, the Legacy mission is deemed a success. But a dangerous terrorist group hungers for revenge, and Driscoll will stop at nothing to save the project. As his obsession with the Legacy mission spirals out of control, he risks losing everything—his company, his grasp on reality, and the one thing he’s ever truly loved: his wife. And when humankind finally makes contact, they discover the Kabrini Message isn't exactly what they expected to hear…

Author, J.R. Egles




Title: The Kabrini Message
Author: J.R. Egles
Publisher: Etopia Press, April 22, 2013 (paperback); January 17, 2013 (digital)
Format: Mobi; ePub
Genre: Science Fiction; Action Adventure
Location(s) Available: Barnes and NobleAmazonAmazon UK



One of the main reasons I signed up to with Writer Site to review The Kabrini Message was because I wanted to help spread the legacy of author J.R. Egles (who's no longer with us) through his writing. While I do read science fiction and enjoy it, it is not my go to genre of choice. The Kabrini Message was also a way for me to pick up a sci-fi book and I do no regret it at all. 

The Kabrini Message definitely has action and adventure through out the book. It has comedy, love and most definitely the science fiction. When I began reading it, I felt like I was watching an Indiana Jones movie because of the all the action in the beginning. The action was comedic in that the adventurers set out on their quest, prevail in their quest, yet through a series of funny events that leave you wondering how in the world did they ever come up with such a plan. 

The story is told over a series of quite a few years. We get to see how the main character, Jeff, has grown and matured since his days of an adventurer. While he's always been an intelligent person, we get to see him put his intelligence to fruition. 

While the story also had an Indiana Jones feel to it, it also delivered quite well with the science fiction part. This was quite entertaining because it reminded me of several Doctor Who episodes (I enjoy watching Doctor Who and his space adventures). 

Discovered manuscript
However, put all that aside because what I took away from the book and what stayed with me the most, was the message the Kabrini sent to planet Earth, not the U.S.A., not Europe, not Asia, not any other country but to planet Earth. It really makes you think, as an individual, what life really is about. What being part of the human race really is about. Yes, we may be citizens of a particular country, but, in the end we are all part of the human race and as one race, we all share and live together in the wonderful and amazing planet we call home, Earth. 

I agree that The Kabrini Message was written years before it's time. That's part of what science fiction is about, thinking ahead of your current time to a near or distant future. Creating these wonderful stories and images for us to see and think, "wow, can that really happen?". Also, thinking ahead of how these what if's scenarios can impact society and what society will be like years from now. Now, I'm not saying that receiving alien messages will happen. However, the message behind the book, yeah... we are living that now and I suspect we'll be living it for quite some time to come. 


Please leave any thoughts for J.R. Egles family to read and enjoy. Thanks for reading! 


Friday, June 28, 2013

The Kabrini Message Excerpt

The Kabrini Message is an action/adventure and science fiction book. I normally don't read science fiction as an every day read but I do enjoy it every now and then. When The Kabrini Message was available on Writer Site, I decided to take a look at it. What drew me in was the fact that the author, J.R. Egles, is no longer living. I know it sounds morbid but something about a story coming to life after it's creator is no longer with us, draws me in. His story was found about 25 years after it was written by his sister. When the story's description says that The Kabrini Message was written 25 years ahead of its time, I must agree.

Please read along for an excerpt of The Kabrini Message.




Prologue

Hovering in a small shuttle against the endless backdrop of black and stars, Mark Ranier wiped the faceplate of his suit to get a better look at the
destruction.  He squinted as he took in the scene, attempting to wrap his brain around what had happened.  From what he could tell, a support stanchion had caught the arm of the torch, breaking it at a joint.  The broken segment had pushed backwards into the torch, smashing its hastily rigged control panel.  The torch must have ignited as it rammed into the coupling, and it had already cut halfway through the massive metal link holding the two ships together.
“Mark,” Lou said.  His face was strained.  So was his voice.  “We can’t shut it down!”
A shudder raced through Mark’s body as his mind suddenly made the terrifying leap to the only logical conclusion of their situation.  If they wanted to save the Network—mankind’s only form of contact with the Kabrini—there was no turning back.  Not to the City.  Not to Earth.  Not to anywhere other than the Barge’s pre-programmed course to oblivion in the darkest depths of space.


Part One
The Secret of the Oracle
Fifteen Years Earlier
Chapter One
The Big Safari


Bradley Prescott never saw it coming.  He certainly never heard it.  He didn’t cry out or do any of the things people do in the movies when they get shot.  He just fell.  He was dead.  It was that simple.  He was alive
before, and now he was dead.

Jennifer Prescott, on the other hand, did all of the things people do in the movies when they see someone get shot.  She stared, she pointed, she screamed, she ran, she fell down, she got up and, mercifully, she fainted.  If she had continued running, she probably would have been hit too.  But now collapsed in a heap in the tall grass, Jennifer was hidden from view and safe for the moment.

Jeffrey Driscoll watched from the edge of the woods where he had dropped like a ton of bricks as soon as he heard the shot.  He wondered what he should do.  If he tried to crawl to Mrs. Prescott, the movement of the grass would give him away.

He considered running, but he felt a nagging responsibility for having forgotten his very own personal first rule of guidesmanship: the richer people get, the stupider they get.  He knew they couldn’t really be that stupid or they wouldn’t stay rich; but these wealthy folks sure took a lot for granted.  The Prescotts, a loaded couple in their early 60s, were as easily
confused and naïve as two little children.  He had told them repeatedly never to go anywhere without him…but as he was breaking camp, the filthy rich idiots had run ahead.

Driscoll silently cursed them now as he lay motionless in the grass.  He was positive that Bradley Prescott III’s last living thought was, “How dare you kill me!  I’ll sue!”  And he probably would—or at least his estate would.  The trouble was they would probably sue Driscoll.  This guide business really sucked.  Driscoll despised escorting these senseless affluent assholes through the jungles of Africa, and he’d been threatening to quit for some
time.  And this looked like a real good time.

But Driscoll’s sense of duty won out.  So he concentrated his gaze on the thicket across the river, where he was fairly certain the shooter was hiding.  Driscoll then proceeded to fire an entire box of twelve gauge shotgun shells into the thick underbrush, the gunshots exploding in earsplitting echoes throughout the jungle.  He had to stop once to reload and let the gun cool off for a minute.  Seeing absolutely no movement in the thicket, he dove
across the grass and landed a few feet from where Mrs. Jenny Prescott lay.  He dragged her back, half-conscious, to the camp, thinking all the way that he should have just left her there and got the hell out.  Now there was one, possibly two, people dead.  And if this woman didn’t recover, guess who’d be left holding the old bag?  He snickered at his clever pun.

By the time Driscoll reached the camp, Jennifer Prescott was awake, sputtering, and gasping something about dear old Brad.  Driscoll threw her into the back of the Land Rover and proceeded to beat what he was certain must be the all-time speed record between Khartanga and Moombato Bay.  He never entertained the slightest notion of going back for Bradley, as
Mrs. Prescott seemed to think was so important.  “There’s no point going back for your husband…he’s dead!”  Driscoll shouted toward the backseat.  Mrs. Prescott continued her pleas until he reminded her, in graphic detail, of that instant before Brad fell, when a rather large part of his head started off for town ahead of them.  Only then did she shut her trap.  Actually, Driscoll’s cram course in Creative Anatomy did more than shut her up.  Now she was in shock, Driscoll realized with a twinge of guilt.  But at least she was quiet…and alive.

Later that night, Driscoll sat alone in a dark corner of a small, dingy bar in Moombato Bay, where he got very drunk as he tried to figure out what had happened.  What had he missed about that spot?  Why would that place be so damned important to somebody?  There’s nothing of any value there.  Nothing.  He took another swig from his beer.  Well, that wasn’t quite true.  The place was a study in natural beauty, and the Prescotts weren’t the first to visit that lush area of pristine jungle.  He had taken other tourists through there himself, and he knew other guides had as well.

Discovered Manuscript
As he continued to wrestle with his thoughts, Driscoll ran his fingers through his ruffled brown hair and turned his sky blue eyes up to the ceiling.  Out of habit, he rubbed his face stubble with calloused fingers before he grabbed his beer, downed it in one big gulp, and slammed the mug on the table.  He motioned at the bartender for another.  Driscoll was only twenty-five years old, but he felt like he’d lived a lifetime since he’d left the States just five years before.

Though most of his friends in Africa would never guess, Jeff Driscoll was a dropout from Princeton’s prestigious Astronomy program.  In fact, he had been fascinated with the stars since the age of ten.  Not coincidentally, that was the same year his dear old alcoholic dad hit rock bottom.  Tom Driscoll got off work at the auto parts factory at four o’clock every evening and headed straight to the local pub, where he bellied up to the bar and drank for four hours straight.  Each night like clockwork, at eight fifteen on the dot, Tom would stumble into the house reeking of cheap gin just as Jeffrey and his mother were washing the last dishes from dinner.  Seeing the crazy look in his father’s glazed over eyes, Jeffrey would race upstairs and hide out in his room for the rest of the night.  He’d spend countless hours building his own telescopes from scratch, studying constellations and poring over books about the universe…anything to escape from the grim reality that festered downstairs.  As he tinkered with his telescope parts, he’d slip on his headphones and turn up The Ramones full blast to drown out the sounds of his wasted father yelling, sobbing, and breaking dishes.  Jeffrey would gaze out his bedroom window at the endless vista of stars and daydream about visiting space—where he imagined it must be peaceful, silent, and completely safe from raving alcoholic lunatics.

One October night, a few weeks after Jeffrey turned eleven, he and his mother stood side-by-side at the kitchen sink washing dishes.  As she rinsed the last plate and handed it to her son to dry, a cool breeze gusted through the kitchen window, rustling the curtains and sending a chill down Jeffrey’s spine.  And then something strange happened: The clock clicked over to eight sixteen.  Jeffrey and his mother stood by the sink staring at each other in silent expectation.  They both held their breath, listening for the familiar sounds of tires screeching on the driveway followed by the front door slamming.  A dog barked in the distance.  And then…nothing.  Jeffrey’s father never stumbled through the door that night or any night after that.  The drunken bastard had disappeared into thin air.

For the next seven years, Jeffrey’s mother showered him with love and attention, constantly struggling to fill the gaping hole Jeffrey’s father had left behind.  She worked two full-time jobs just so she could buy every telescope part and constellations book her son’s heart desired.  Although Jeffrey was a precocious child who excelled in math and science, his teachers often referred to him as a “lazy genius”.  Things just came too easily for him—and in reality, he wasn’t so much lazy as he was distracted.

By the time he turned twelve, his passion for the great beyond was often overshadowed by his obsession with beautiful girls.  Jeffrey was a charmer, an athletic kid with rugged good looks and rippling muscles.  He played baseball and racked up a record number of homeruns during his high school career.  “It’s all physics,” he once told his mom when she asked how he always hit those balls out of the park.  “It’s like I can see the trajectory in my head when the ball is coming at me.”

Although he was clearly a brainiac, Jeffrey kept this bit of information under wraps for the sake of his reputation.  Every few weeks, he could be seen walking arm in arm with yet another cheerleader or homecoming queen, each more gorgeous than the last.  The nerds Jeffrey quietly beat out at the Science Fair year after year absolutely despised him: Jeffrey Driscoll, the magnetic, handsome genius who seemed to have it all.

Driscoll’s mother was absolutely delighted when her only son scored an Astronomy scholarship to Princeton—though she suspected it might have had something to do with the attractive, young biology professor on the interview panel who spent more time fluttering her eyelashes at Jeffrey than asking him questions.

As a Princeton freshman, Driscoll treasured the many hours he spent in the observatory—but he quickly grew bored of his Intro to Astronomy courses, which focused on fundamentals he’d been secretly studying in his bedroom since he was ten years old.  So once again, he turned his attention to beautiful women…both on and off the Princeton campus.  For nearly a year, he wined and dined the loveliest ladies throughout the Tri-State area until his bank account—and his scholarship funds— ran completely dry.

In the wee hours of a brisk April morning, Driscoll staggered toward campus after an interesting evening with a gorgeous Psychology TA.  So TA stood for Teacher’s Assistant?  He could think of something else T and A stood for.  He wore a smear of crimson lipstick on his neck and reeked of Scotch.  Then he spotted it: a bright yellow flyer tacked to a telephone pole, flapping in the wind as if trying to get his attention.  Driscoll snatched the paper off the pole and read:

Need Extra Cash?

“Hell yeah, I do!” he slurred loudly in response as he
swayed on the empty sidewalk.

Crave excitement?

“You bet your ass!”

Become a Tour Guide in Africa!

“Africa?”  He stared at the flyer for a few moments before folding it up and jamming it in his pocket.  “Okay, then.  Why the hell not?”

Less than two months later, Driscoll found himself in Moombato Bay, where he quickly learned the art of African guidesmanship.  And now, with five years of experience under his belt, he was like a cynical old veteran guzzling beer in a grimy local bar.

Author, J.R. Egles
Leaning back in his chair, Driscoll propped his crocodile boots on the edge of the table and considered how lucky he was after today’s shooting incident.  Not only was he alive, but he wasn’t even behind bars!  Lord knows he had been an overnight guest of the Moombato Bay jail quite a few times before, and for offenses much more minor than this.  The local Police rated men like himself on a scale that ranged between Adventurer and Cutthroat.  But the Moombato cops tolerated Driscoll and the other guides because the same rich tourists that hired them also spent a lot of money in the town, doling out cash for unnecessary permits before and after their big safari.  Funny, Driscoll thought as the bartender set yet another mug of beer on his table.  They didn’t have a word for bribe in the native language.

But things were different this time.  He had set off with two of their best high-spending American big shots, and now one was a basket case and the other was Jungle Pizza.  This was definitely not travel brochure material.  When Driscoll had taken Mrs. Prescott to the station earlier that day, he assumed they would lock him up at least until the old lady could coherently
confirm his story.  But after questioning Driscoll, the Police told him he was free to leave the station as long as he did not leave town, which he couldn’t do even if he wanted to.  The cops had impounded the Prescotts’ Land Rover, Driscoll’s only means of transportation, and poor old Bradley never had a chance to pay him his fee—which meant Driscoll couldn’t really afford to do anything but stay put.

He took another long, slow drink of beer.  Now that he had time to think about it, the Police really hadn’t seemed that put off or surprised at all by the whole jungle fiasco.  In fact, they almost seemed prepared for it—which was a little fishy because, around here, no extension of the government was ever prepared for anything.

It suddenly occurred to Driscoll that there was only one thing about that spot in the jungle today that was different from any other day: Bradley Prescott had been in it.

Driscoll dropped his boots to the floor with a loud thump and sat up in his chair straight as an arrow.  He had been set up.  He began to wonder if he had killed the man in the thicket.  He hoped now that he hadn’t.  It wouldn’t do his reputation any good around here, and somebody, somewhere, might be slightly annoyed with him for eliminating their hit man and almost fouling up an otherwise successful assassination.

When he was leaving the Police barracks earlier that day, he had noticed a Jeep and a truck heading off in the direction he had just driven in from…to recover the bodies, he knew.  He also knew that in this place you could buy anything if you knew the right people.  And he just happened to know all the right people—and tomorrow he intended to buy a look at the death
certificate of Bradley Prescott.





                    

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Book Release Day and Interview with Sydney Lane - Author of Choices

Who doesn't like a good interview that goes along with an awesome giveaway!? Read more so you can have the opportunity to enter the giveaway and win some cool swag! Love me some book related swag!

Recently, I had the opportunity to read Choices by Sydney Lane. I knew what the story was about based on the synopsis but I honestly did not expect for the story to be more than what the synopsis said. The story was more than just a young college freshman deciding which guy she's gonna date. I'd like to call it a coming of age story yet it is more than that.

Ms. Lane was kind to provide an interview. Don't miss out on this interview for it will give you an insight to Choices. 






Author Sydney Lane
How do you hope Choices will inspire or help Young/New Adults?
Choices is very near and dear to my heart, and I would hope to inspire young adults to be aware of who they are and where they are headed in life. I also hope this book is a platform for teen bullying and depression/bipolar awareness.

What made you decide to write a book?
I have always wanted to write, and I have all of these ideas just floating around in my head. I actually "fasted" my Kindle for a month for a church event, and I decided that if I couldn't read, I would write instead. I also do a lot of beta reading, and I was inspired by some of the indie authors I've met.

What was your method for writing Choices- did you plan it out or fly by the seat of your pants?
I probably used an unusual approach in that.... I didn't really have one! I actually wrote the ending first. From there, I just wrote wherever the characters took me. There was no plan, only the ending. You might be interested in knowing that the ending actually changed! Over time, I came to love my characters and to think of them differently. The ending I built the whole book around was not the ending you will read.

Do you have any advice for new authors?
I'm still new to this game, and I'm learning more every day. With the help of some very sweet indie authors and bloggers, I have learned some valuable lessons. First, just put your story on paper first. Don't worry about editing until its's written. Make sure your book is copyrighted before you share it with ANYone. And look for trustworthy, honest beta readers. With indie publishing, networking is everything.


Will there be a sequel? 
I do plan on continuing the series, maybe even writing a book from one of the guy's perspective. However, I do not plan a direct sequel. I guess we will see where the readers take me.

Was any part of Choices based on your personal experience/life; if so, how much of you is in the main female character, Quincy?
Essentially, Quincy is me. I grew up in my sister's shadow. I loved her, I hated her, I was ashamed of her, yet I defended her. And I really did miss that phone call. It was a soul-searching, soul-baring story to tell, and I had not intended for it to go that way. I was going to write a love triangle, but Quincy took me somewhere else, somewhere I could finally find peace.
As for Declan and Brody.... the story wasn't real, but the boys were.

I guess you could say that Quincy was always buried in me, and she finally found a way out

Please leave any comments or questions below for Author Sydney Lane. I hope you enjoyed reading the interview as much as I did. 

Choices is being released, today,  June 25th via Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Don't forget to "like" Author Sydney Lane's  Facebook page and enter the giveaway for a chance to win some Choices swag. Here's the giveaway link: http://bit.ly/12LTT5Z








Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Messing Around with My Blog

Lately, I've been trying to soak up and learn as much as I can about blogging and all it entails. It's been a process. It can be confusing and daunting at times. Yet, it can also be very fun knowing that you can do things with your blog.

I've attending several Google+ Hangouts where I've learned some tips and tricks about blogging and being a work at home mom. 

Same DiNamics started out, and really still is, as a place where I can share my journey (now adventures) into becoming a more better me yet remaining true to my core values and beliefs. Same DiNamics has now evolved into a place where I share book reviews and my crocheting projects. 

My goal, as of now, is to eventually make some additional income via blogging. I need to contribute somehow to our family, financially. Obviously, it won't be anything close to an income earned through a job outside the home but it can help to finance family vacation and needs or wants. Something is better than nothing, right? I'd like to start doing product reviews and work as a virtual assistant, preferably to authors but I'm not picky. 

In my quest to reaching my goal, I need to make my blog attractive. Same DiNamics has had many face lifts over the course of 6 months. These face lifts have all been pre-designed templates provided by +Blogger. Today, for the first time, I created two headers/banners for Same DiNamics but used a template for the background. I like it, for now. Here are the two banners I made: 

This is the first one I made. It was too large to fit on the page. I like the buttons. 


This is the 2nd one I made and it fit nicely. This is the one I went with. 

I also changed around the font and colors of the links and such. I quite like how it looks. However, I know that in the future Same DiNamics will be getting another face lift. 

I used +PicMonkey to create my banners. It's free and quite easy to do. Share your thoughts. If you want to know how I did my banner and want a walk through, send me an email at diannevhunt@gmail.com. 


Monday, June 10, 2013

Autumn Storm (The Witchling Series Book Two) Book Review





Synopsis:
A girl with no memory, hidden in plain sight... A boy with no hope, spiraling into Darkness... Only one knows the truth, and only one has the power to save them.

Autumn doesn't know why she remembers a boarding school she's never visiting, or why her reflection is sometimes that of a ghost named Summer. She struggles to recover her memories and understand the warning conveyed through her magick. Caught between the Turner twins, she isn't certain who to trust: Decker, the mysterious master of Dark, who makes her heart catch, or Beck, the cautious Master of Light, whose touch soothes her pain.

Unable to recover from Summer's death, Decker slowly surrenders to the Dark. The guilt he feels when he falls for Autumn - and betrays Summer's memory - drives him farther from the Light, until he completely loses control and takes the souls of Light witchlings.

As the protector of Light, Beck is caught between his allegiance to his twin and his vow to protect new witchlings. He must keep the Darkness from consuming his brother for if Decker fails, he'll take down the only person who has a chance of saving them all.

Title: Autumn Storm
Series: The Witchling Series Book Two
Author: Lizzy Ford
Publisher: Evatopia Press
Format: Paperback (404 pages); Mobi; ePub (256 pages)
Genre: Young Adult; Paranormal
Location(s) AvailableAmazonBarnes and Noble


Book Review

Another great story by Lizzy Ford. In Autumn Storm, Lizzy brings to close the story of Summer and Decker. Once again, we go on a wild ride of loyalty, honesty, love, betrayal and pure evil in the form of crazy. There's even a fantastic fight scene that keeps you plugged in.

In the end of Dark Summer, I was left wondering how the heroes were going to win. Lizzy did a fantastic job at bringing their story back to life, drawing me in and filling me with emotions.

We still see the arch nemesis that is Dawn. Oooh.. she makes my blood boil. I've read countless stories where the villain is super evil and you can't help but hate them, right? Well, I don't think I've ever wanted a villain be killed off in a story as much as I wanted Dawn to be out of the picture. Hmm... there's still hope.

Just when I think the story is over, several new characters are introduced. I must say that I loved how they were all introduced. It fit nicely into the story. I really think that I am going to like the new feisty red head that will surely take over when the next book Winter Fire come out. I cannot wait!

Do I recommend this book? I do. It's a really great YA story of the supernatural that will keep you at the edge of your seat or rather up at night trying to get as much as you can in one evening.



Tuesday, June 4, 2013

My Biggest Fear

As parents, we all have our fears. They are very different for each and every one of us. The degree of this feeling of fear varies greatly as well. Each one of these fears that we have are valid. They are our fears and very real to us. We should never let anyone tell us differently. What we do with those fears and how we react to them, is what helps to define us.

My Biggest Fear...
  • is not being able to provide for my children;
  • is not falling ill and becoming a hardship or burden for my family;
  • is not dying.
My Biggest Fear....

is FAILING my children. 


Ever since my oldest was born I wondered how I would be a good mother. I wondered whether I'll have all the patience necessary to raise him. I found it and got over it quickly. I have never feared about the love that I have for him and never will. 

Then came my second son. My fear moved past having patience. I figured by that point I was either gonna have it, find it, pray for it and get it or not. My fear was replaced by how I could love a second, tiny human being as much as I love my first. Guess what? I was able to love him and his brother, equally yet differently. 

Oh, but wait, thought I was done at two? Noooo... along came the third. My baby.... the one who pulled me out of an environment that was surely gonna send me to becoming someone who I would not like. By this point, my fear was definitely no longer patience nor being able to love more than one child with such fierce intensity as my first. I'd had two boys, what's a third boy added to the mix? Come on, I had this. 

When the "baby" (I put baby in quotation marks cause, really, he's no longer a baby) came along, I decided to stay home. It was perfect or so I thought. This went well for the first 3 years or so. I was having the time of life. 

Then something changed, inside me. I don't know if it was a gradual change or a sudden change. I don't know what brought it on. I just don't know. All I can say is that my patience started running thin, my emotions were all over the place, my sense of direction (not geographical but life wise) was failing. I felt that I was on the verge of depression. I really was. If I'm being honest, I think I was. Maybe not full on depression but a mild form perhaps. I never went to the doctor. I didn't want to be medicated. 

Gradually, I started feeling better. I decided it was time to suck it up and "get it together" as I so often tell my boys. Through the creation of this blog and finding things that were of interest to me and that could help to define me as more than "just a mom" things started to, and are, looking better for me. 

*BUT and this is a big, fat, huge, ginormous BUT every now and then, I slip. I start loosing that patience. My emotions get the best of me and control me. Rarely do my precious boys witness this. I try so hard to hide it. I do! On the rare occasion that they have, this is when I feel like the biggest failure of all, like I am failing my children.. 
  • I feel like what I do now will gravely impact my boys when they get older. 
  • I feel like I am the worst mother out there. 
  • I feel like I am not doing my job adequately to raise my boys to be well rounded men. 
Fortunately, these bouts are far and few in between. That side of me rarely appears. I have a purpose in my life. My purpose is for my children. My purpose is for my husband. My purpose is to be the best me that I can be for them.

I share this, not for sympathy nor for pity, I share this because, you know what, it sometimes needs to be said. All parents need to be able to share their fear with others without fear, there's that ugly word again, of being judged by their peers. It is okay to share these things knowing that in the end, all will be right and we will not have failed. 




Monday, June 3, 2013

Aha! Serendipity!

You know that moment when you're happily going about your business and something/someone appears in your life when you least expect it? When you feel like this is exactly where you were meant to be? When you know that THIS was the reason why you made the conscious decision to be at that place at that exact moment? These happy little accidents? Well, I had such one of these moments this past week. It was incredible.

It all started with a Google+ Hangout that I attended on learning how to be a Virtual Assistant. The host, +Alyssa Avant , wrote a book called FaithLeaps: A Christian Mom's Guide to Passion, Purpose and Profits. During her session, one of the attendees brought up her book. Alyssa mentioned that she's in works to relaunch her book but needed extra reviews in order to accomplish that. I immediately jumped at the opportunity being that I do book reviews. Little did I know that I would also be getting a lesson, an eye opener, my AHA! moment out of reading this book. 

FaithLeaps is a non-fiction, self help type of book. I normally don't read those but every now and then there are a few that interest me. The title of the book called to me and said "read me". Seriously. I was at the right place, at the right time

FaithLeaps spoke to me. The language Alyssa uses is straightforward and easy to understand. I could relate to Alyssa as she guided me by sharing her story. There were moments through out the book where I was going "hmm" and "ahhh" out loud. To the point where my husband was teasing me, in fun way. Of course I had to talk his ear off about what I was reading. 

FaithLeaps gave me several things to think about. What is my passion in life? What is my purpose? What can I do to pursue that passion and purpose? What am I good at doing? Alyssa had us take a personality test and a spiritual gift test. The results of the first was very surprising. The results of the second were a confirmation. 

I wrote down things that I am passionate about. Unsurprising, at the top of my list was reading (I wrote a post about it here). Well, here's my list:




This isn't an all inclusive list, since there are more things that I am passionate about, not to mention my family and children. So when Alyssa asked to take a moment to write down my passions, it gave me a lot to think about. Honestly, I'm still thinking about them. 

She then asked to write down the things we are good at. I'd like to think that I am great at a lot of things that whole "Jack of all trades, Master of none" phrase came to mind. I am the type of person that can learn things and apply them when needed. I love learning new things. More so as I've gotten older since my priorities have changed. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would. Alas... I made choices in my youth that have led to where I am today. Okay, I'm getting off tangent (as I almost always do). I came up with a list of things that I am good at. Here is my list: 


Once again, not an inclusive list of things but some that I felt were relevant. I almost put down that I'm good at writing but I felt it would have been a little too arrogant. I like to share my thoughts, feeling, things I've learned and accomplished with all through my blog. Though I do this, I know that I can improve my writing skills some more.

The personality test is one that surprised me the most. Why? Well, Alyssa had us take a personality test based on Florence Littauer's book Personality Plus: How to Understand Others by Understanding Yourself. My results were: 


Hmmm.. 77% Sanguine, really? While I do love to talk, my husband can attest to that, and other friends too, I've always considered myself shy. Well, that is until I get to know you better or feel comfortable around you. I even took the test just now to make sure the results weren't "off" the first time around. 

My spiritual gift results were: Showing Mercy. I am very forgiving and believe in second chances though I might get burned again. I believe in helping others and caring for others in the best way that I can.  

All these things that Alyssa had us do, opened my eyes. It made me think of the direction my life is going in right now. When I first started this blog, it was because I needed an outlet to share my journey into making some positive changes in my life. Remaining true to my values and myself but adding some richness to it. Adding some new adventures. Discovering things I've never known about myself. Becoming more than just a mom and wife. I needed to add more meaning to my life. Feel more accomplished. 

It seems that the choices (my path) that I've made thus far, have taken me in the right direction. My blog has evolved and I imagine it will continue to do so, as I, myself, evolve. I started doing book reviews, which I truly enjoy. (This post is a review of sorts but you can see my Amazon review here.) Now, I have been participating in Google+ Hangouts where I can learn more about blogging and explore all that blogging has to offer. I have even applied to an internship program with +Kelli Miller of 3boysandadog

All in all, FaithLeaps has given me the confidence and guide to continue following the path I'm on. I never set out to do what I'm doing now but it is just where I've been led. This book came into my life when I least expected it but when I needed it most, if that makes sense. I was destined to attend that Google+ hangout where Alyssa shared her book. Had I not been there, I would have missed out on a grand opportunity to read FaithLeaps. 

My Aha! moment was when Alyssa confirmed that all the things I want to accomplish are attainable if I just continue to have faith. I need to put my faith and trust in the Lord for He will continue guiding me on my path. I have always believed, and will continue to do so, that everything I do and have has been because He has given it to me. Because God has provided it for me. 

Picture provided by http://www.flickr.com/photos/4thglryofgod/

So, I will continue to pray for guidance and trust in the Lord that I am on the right path. I do feel as I've added some more meaning to my life. My relationship with my husband has continued to grow beautifully. I've met new people who will surely add some value to my life. I truly feel like I am on my way to being a richer (not materialistic) me. 

Thank you for reading, I know this post was long.