Disaster Crimes Series Playlists with Scene Breakdowns + GIVEAWAY

UPDATE: I’m beginning to think I shouldn’t provide these updates anymore because every time I share good news, there’s a setback immediately after. My mom has been in the hospital since Sunday evening after an early trip to the ER and a diagnosis of pneumonia. She’s feeling better, and if everything works out we’re hoping she’ll be coming home today, April 12 aka my birthday. So, you know the drill…my return visits to blogs and replies to comments will be delayed but not forgotten.

In my last post, I shared playlists I've created for writers, so I thought I should also share the playlists I've created for the Disaster Crimes series. Today is also my birthday, so I really wanted to do a fun post. :)

Feel free to check out the Playlist page on my website for all of my playlists.

Click the links below to go directly to each playlist on Spotify.

You can also go to my Spotify profile to follow me.

I hope you enjoy the playlists!

DISASTER CRIMES SERIES PLAYLISTS:

HURRICANE CRIMES:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Hurricane Girl" by Alexz Johnston - The opening of the story with Beth and Hurricane Sabrina.

"Look At Those Eyes" by Alexz Johnston - When Beth and Donovan meet and Beth looks into his eyes.

"Blow Me Away" by Breaking Benjamin - When Beth sees the breaking news bulletin.

"Hurricane" by Thirty Seconds to Mars - Hurricane Sabrina.

"Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickelback - Intimate scene and the end.

"Living In The Eye of the Storm" by Trapt - While Hurricane Sabrina rages.

"The Thunder Rolls" by All That Remains - The Crimes Before the Storm (prequel), Donovan before he crashes his car in front of Beth's house.

SEISMIC CRIMES: 

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Waitin For You" by Demi Lovato - Beth as a kickass self-defense instructor.

"Army Of Me" by Christina Aguilera - Beth's theme song.

"Fight Song" by Rachel Platten - The theme song for The Fighting Chance, Beth's self-defense studio.

"My Kind" by Hilary Duff - Beth and Donovan intimate after they're allowed to leave police department.

"Free The Animal" by Sia - When Beth is undercover at Viper's.

"Catch My Breath" by Kelly Clarkson - Beth's growing love for Donovan.

"The Sun Will Rise" by Kelly Clarkson - Beth walking through San Francisco alone after the quake.

"I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers - When Beth is trying to get back to Donovan.

"One Step Closer" by Linkin Park - Donovan's PTSD following his brother's murder.

"Somewhere I Belong" by Linkin Park - Also for Donovan's PTSD.

"Getting Away With Murder" by Papa Roach - Buck's theme song.

"I Bet My Life" by Imagine Dragons - Donovan alone in San Francisco following the quake.

"Use Somebody" by Kings of Leon - Intimate scene with ice cream.

"Back At One" by Brian McKnight - Donovan's love for Beth.

"Without You" by David Guetta, Usher - Also Donovan's love for Beth.

"I'll Never Break Your Heart" by Backstreet Boys - For Donovan's promise to Beth. The end.

TSUNAMI CRIMES:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Riptide" by Vance Joy - Opening surfing scene.

"The A Team" by Ed Sheeran - A song for April.

"Hit Me Like a Man" by The Pretty Reckless - When Beth is undercover as a sex worker.

"Drive" by Halsey - Car chase involving Beth.

"All Of Me" by John Legend - Beth and Donovan's wedding and honeymoon night.

"Kings and Queens" by Thirty Seconds to Mars - Surfing in Hawaii.

"Dead in the Water" by Ellie Goulding - Beth and the tsunami.

"Anchor" by Skillet - Donovan and the tsunami.

"My Blood" by Ellie Goulding - Beth post-tsunami.

"Lifeline" by Papa Roach - Donovan post-tsunami.

"Tears Don't Fall" by Bullet For My Valentine - When Beth is kidnapped.

"Paradise" by Coldplay - Also for when Beth is kidnapped and held hostage.

"Broken" by Seether, Amy Lee - When Donovan searches for Beth, and when they are reunited.

"Human" by Krewella - Beth's PTSD.

"Walk on Water" by Thirty Seconds to Mars - The end.

FLAMING CRIMES:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Girl On Fire" by Alicia Keys - Beth's theme song for Flaming Crimes.

"All Around Me" by Flyleaf - Beth's PTSD and Donovan's love for her.

"Just Drive" by In This Moment - Donovan's monster truck driving/competition.

"Fire and Fury" by  Skillet - Beth and Donovan intimate.

"Fire Meet Gasoline" by Sia - Beth and Donovan intimate.

"Let It Burn" by Red - For all the fires burning throughout Central Florida, and Lori's house.

"Burn It Down" by Linkin Park - For the fire surrounding Beth and Donovan's house.

"Let Us Burn" by Within Temptation - Beth confronting Viper in the middle of the inferno.

"My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark" by Fall Out Boy - Beth and Donovan intimate after the fire.

*All the Demi Lovato songs represent Beth, and all the Daughtry songs represent Donovan.

FROZEN CRIMES:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Feel Invincible" by Skillet - Theme song for Frozen Crimes.

"Somebody's Watching Me" (Epic Trailer Version) by J2, Lola - Stalker at the window, stalker in the car.

"Applause" by Lady Gaga - Donovan performing in his monster truck.

"Home" by Daughtry - When Donovan comes home after traveling for monster truck shows.

"Anchor" by Skillet - Beth and Donovan intimate when he returns home.

"Broken Arrows" by Daughtry - Donovan feeling helpless.

"Traitor" by Daughtry - The stalker messing with Donovan's head.

"Battleships" by Daughtry - During and after the blow-out between Beth and Donovan after the stalker sends explicit photographs to taunt Donovan.

"Every Breath You Take" (Re: Imagined) by Denmark + Winter - The stalker's theme song.

"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" by The Carpenters - Slow dance with Beth and Donovan during their holiday party.

"All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey - Another song Beth and Donovan dance to at their holiday party.

"I'll Be Home For Christmas" by Michael Bublé - Slow dance with Beth and Donovan during their holiday party.

"Where Are You Christmas" by Faith Hill - Played during their holiday party.

"Wonderwall" (Acoustic Stripped Version) by J2, Miranda Dianne - Beth's point-of-view during the times when Donovan is trying to get back inside the house to her, post-blizzard.

"Aint No Mountain High Enough" (Epic Trailer Version) by J2, Coleen McMahon - Donovan's point-of view while he is trying to get back inside the house to Beth, post-blizzard.

*The rest of the songs I listened while writing the holiday party and blizzard scenes.

A FIGHTING CHANCE:

FOLLOW ON SPOTIFY. Click the ❤️.

PLAYLIST BREAKDOWN BY SCENE:

NOTE: May contain spoilers.

"Face Down" by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus - Amanda's past abusive relationship from when she was still with Damon.

"Skyscraper" by Demi Lovato - Amanda's theme song.

"Crawling" (Acoustic Stripped Version) by J2, I AM WILLOW - Amanda's PTSD and anxiety from past trauma, as well as her panic attack after Damon shows up.

"What About Now" by Daughtry - Opening scene when Thorn is getting up the courage to ask Amanda out on a date.

"Waiting For Superman" by Daughtry - For Amanda before she meets Thorn for their coffee date at the park.

"The Sound of Silence" by Disturbed - Thorn's point-of-view following Amanda's panic attack after Damon shows up.

"Every Breath You Take (Re:Imagined) by Denmark + Winter - When Thorn realizes Damon has been spying on Amanda.

"One Way Or Another" by Until The Ribbon Breaks - Damon's theme song.

"Halo" (Epic Trailer Version) by J2, I AM WILLOW - Amanda falling in love with Thorn more and more.

"Feels Like Tonight" by Daughtry - The moments leading up to Thorn and Amanda making love for the first time.

"Love Me Like You Do" by Ellie Goulding - When Amanda and Thorn make love.

"Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" by Denmark + Winter - When Damon breaks in during the storm.

"Warrior" by Demi Lovato - Amanda fighting Damon off.

"Blown Away" by Carrie Underwood - The tornado.

APRIL 5 – 22

PRIZES: Signed paperback copy of A Fighting Chance, XOXO wall art décor, XO bath bombs coconut scent, travel size first aid kit, and an emergency flashlight that you recharge by squeezing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

QUESTIONS: Do you make playlists for your books?

Spotify Playlists for Writers (and Readers...ANYONE!) + GIVEAWAY

UPDATE: On Valentine’s Day my mom rang the chemo bell. At the end of February she was hospitalized for two nights due to complications. The beginning of March she completed radiation. Then she had a CT scan done that showed the tumor in her lung has shrunk from 5.5cm to 2.2cm. She has started once-a-month immunotherapy treatments to continue to kill cancer cells and maintain the positive outcome of her previous treatments. ❤️ Thank you for all of your prayers and kind thoughts. Its not over yet, but this is great news. Continued prayers appreciated. ❤️

📣 ANNOUNCEMENT 📣 

I am a judge for the Florida Writers Association’s annual Royal Palm Literary Awards, and I couldn’t be happier! When I looked into the contest, I was pleased to see their diversity statement, the fact that they implement diversity training for all judges, have an LGBTQ+ category for fiction and non-fiction, and have separate categories for young writers so they can enter and see their dreams realized, too. This is a competition I can support and am honored to be a judge for.

I have judged three entries already, which is the amount we must judge before announcing we’re a judge. I can’t say which genres/categories I’m judging, but I will say that it’s several. I am looking forward to reading more entrants and seeing the winners announced later this year.

****

While I was participating in NaNoWriMo last year, I was also creating a bunch of playlists for writers. I updated the Playlist page on my website.

On Spotify, you can see the full playlist and also follow it by clicking the heart icon. The widgets below only go up to 100 songs, and some of the playlists are longer than that.

Click the links below to go directly to each playlist. Then click the ❤️ to add that playlist to your library.

You can also go to my Spotify profile to follow me.

MY SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS:

Romance Playlist for Writers (...ANYONE) - Love songs. Listen while writing romance scenes of all heat levels, reading romance, & when you are with your love. Classics, 90s, and current hits.

Heartbreak Romance Playlist for Writers (...ANYONE) - Heartbreak/sad love songs. Listen while writing romance/scenes when your characters are heartbroken, or when you're feeling the blues from a breakup. Classics, 90s, & current hits. 

Erotica Playlist for Writers (...ANYONE) - Sexy playlist. Listen while writing steamy romance and erotic scenes, reading erotica, or when you want to get in the mood for sexy times. *wink* 

My Top 10 Favorite Battle Songs - These are my top picks for battle songs I listen to while writing battle scenes. They're ordered to be a progression from before, during, and after a battle. 

My Top 10 Favorite Fight Songs - These are my top picks for songs I listen to while writing fight scenes.

Action Playlist For Writers (...ANYONE) - Rock music and heavy metal. Listen while writing action scenes (fights, battles, etc.), reading suspense, or during those times when you need to vent anger.

For Fighters/Warriors/Survivors - A playlist to support survivors of domestic abuse and all forms of violence. These songs are about strength. Let them lift you up, make you feel powerful. Workout Playlist. Pump Up Playlist. All genres. 

Other Playlists I’ve Made:

Woman Empowerment

You Are A Goddess

Money & Abundance

Powerful Songs

Fun Songs To Get Up & Dance To

10 Fun Songs To Sing & Shout

10 Sings That’ll Make You Cry

My Top 10 Favorite Christmas Songs

APRIL 5 – 22

PRIZES: Signed paperback copy of A Fighting Chance, XOXO wall art décor, XO bath bombs coconut scent, travel size first aid kit, and an emergency flashlight that you recharge by squeezing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

QUESTIONS: Do you use Spotify? Do you listen to music while you write OR to get inspired?

Habits and Quirks / Character ER + Question of the Month

This is my 500th blog post! YAY!!!! :D

A simple way to give a character more depth is to give your character a habit or quirk…or two. I eat salad and eggs at night for a snack, randomly sing “Jingle Bells, Batman Smells”, and wear socks every day even in the summer and even then my toenails are always painted pretty colors. Those are a few of my habits and quirks. I bet you have some, too.

Habit – a regular tendency or practice that is hard to give up.

Examples: smoking with a cup of coffee or after sex, flossing your teeth twice a day, cleaning when stressed, waking up early to exercise, binge watching TV shows or checking social media when bored, biting nails, comfort shopping, cracking knuckles, speaking with a full mouth, talking to yourself (aloud), and humming to yourself.

Quirk – a peculiar behavioral habit, a characteristic that makes someone special.

Examples: dots I’s with smiley faces or hearts, needs ice in every cold drink, quotes movies or books, always has a particular item wherever they go, replaces curse words with silly words, only eats specific candy colors (red M&Ms), sprouts off a lot of useless trivia, always sings the wrong words to songs, wears sunglasses even indoors, doesn’t step on cracks in sidewalks, and sighs while sleeping.

Giving your main character and a couple of the most important minor characters a couple good and bad habits and strange/funny quirks is a great way to make them realistic, fun, and memorable.

QUESTION: What are a few of your habits and quirks?

I always drink green tea in the morning and decaf coffee in the afternoon, and I put my feet on the coffee table.

***

To join this monthly blog hop visit MichaelG D'Agostino's blog.

QUESTION: What kind of music best speaks to you?

This is a tricky question. All kinds of music speak to me. I listen to it all. Even rap and country, although I will admit those two I listen to less than the rest. On the top of the list of musical genres I enjoy is rock music and all of its variations, especially what is termed "gothic rock opera." Bands like Within Temptation kill this genre. I listen to their music and get tingles. Yes, tingles. I even listen to a band called Hollywood Undead, which blends heavy metal and rap music. Certain Christian music is great, too, but Christian Rock is my favorite. See? Rock music always pulls out on top. 

But...*pumps brakes*...that doesn't mean it "speaks to me" the best. I love rock music and listen to it the most when I write action/suspense, but the genre of music that speaks the most to me is from the '90s. 

Yes, '90s music. When I listen to '90s music, memories flood in and an instant smile lights my face. If I'm not listening to rock in one form or another, or one of my current obsessions (this has been Sia, Demi Lovato, and Lana Del Rey), I can be found listening to '90s music. I have a playlist on Spotify full of my favorite '90s songs. The first song is "Kiss from a Rose" by Seal and the last song is "Zombie" by The Cranberries. (I'm always adding to it.)

SEISMIC CRIMES Cover Reveal + Music & Words Award

I am on Unicorn Bell today with Dear Scared Writer. 

Do certain things about writing/publishing scare you?

Title: Seismic Crimes

Series: Disaster Crimes (Book 2)

Genre: Romantic-suspense

Format: Digital and Print

Length: 282 pages

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Cover Artist: Kim Mendoza

World Wide Release - April 22nd! 

AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER!


Support my first Thunderclap Campaign! Click HERE

BLURB:

An Internal Affairs Investigator was murdered and his brother, Donovan Goldwyn, was framed. Now Donovan is desperate to prove his innocence. And the one person who can do that is the woman who saved him from a deadly hurricane—Beth Kennedy. From the moment their fates intertwined, passion consumed him. He wants her in his arms. More, he wants her by his side in his darkest moments.

Beth Kennedy may not know everything about Donovan, but she can’t deny what she feels for him. It’s her love for him that pushes her to do whatever she has to do to help him get justice, including putting herself in a criminal’s crosshairs.

When a tip reveals the killer's location, they travel to California, but then an earthquake of catastrophic proportions separates them. As aftershocks roll the land, Beth and Donovan have to endure dangerous conditions while trying to find their way back to one another. Will they reunite and find the killer, or will they lose everything?

DIGITAL $4.99: 

Amazon US / Amazon UK / Amazon Canada

Barnes & Noble / KOBO / All Romance eBooks

The Wild Rose Press 

PRINT LINKS TO COME!

QUESTION: What do you think of the cover?

Once accepted, the award process has five steps:

- Link back to the person who nominated you

- Answer the questions with words AND music

- Pass the award to 5 bloggers who inspire you with their posts about music

- Tag your post with #MWA, for Music & Words Award so that we can all find you down the line

- Quote these 5 steps and the award icon in your post. You can display the icon on your sidebar as well.

I was given this award by Cherdo. Thank you!!!

Q1: What does music mean to you?

Music is my escape. Almost like reading can be. But for me, music sinks deeper than the words of books. It inspires me, moves me, motivates me. I listen to music whenever I am creating something artistically, whether it’s while writing or drawing a fashion design. I use music, and the many genres, to influence my mood for whatever I have to create. The first song to really sweep me away and influence my writing was this:

Q2: What is your first music-related memory?

Sitting in the backseat of my mom’s car, driving somewhere in our relatively empty city (it had just started growing at the time), probably getting groceries or going to the library, and listening to the radio. Whenever I hear Celine Dion’s song The Power of Love, this brief memory pops up. It’s so simple and yet it makes me smile.

Q3: What was the first album you’ve purchased yourself?

When I was younger, I didn’t purchase albums because I didn’t have the money. The few I got when I was younger was purchased by my parents. The first album I bought and remember being so excited about came much later and was A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds to Mars. This song is the one that sold me on this band:

Q4: What was the latest music you purchased? (No online streaming or free downloads, I’m talking about cash here!)

1000 Forms of Fear by Sia. I listened to all of the songs on that album on Spotify, which was free for me to do. I even saved each song on my account, but I loved the album so much that I bought it. I usually don’t buy an album these days unless the music really speaks to me. Here’s a live version of the song that started it:

Q5: Which song did you listen to last? (No cheating, come out with the dirty pleasures!)

I had to check Spotify for this answer and it said: How Could an Angel Break My Heart by Charice

My Nominations:

Sherry Ellis

Crystal Collier
Ilima Todd
Lisa Thomson

Alex J Cavanaugh

How to Create a Website +QoM

NOTE: This is tailored toward authors but these tips can benefit anyone.

A website is a must-have for authors. A blog is good but websites are better landing places for readers to get all the news about you and your books. It’s where readers will go to more often. Having one also makes a good impression. It says you are serious. (Please don’t think that translates to that you’re not serious if you don’t have a website, because that’s not what I mean.) But having a website is a good sign. Agents and publishers like to see that, and readers will think you’re more established even if you’re new.

If you want to create a website, follow these steps:

1. Research website hosts.

There are a lot of website hosts out there like GoDaddy.com and many more. Not all of them are equal. Their rates differ, some offer more, some offer less. Google website hosts, ask authors you know what host they use for their site, and weigh the pros and cons before you commit. FYI: I use Wordpress.com for my website.

2. Think long and hard about your URL.

You’re going to have a DOT COM! This is something that will be on the Internet for everyone to see. You don’t want to mess it up. The first and best option is to use your name/pen name. Mine is www.ChrysFey.com. Simple and easy to remember. You can add “author” to it if you need to.

TIP: Do a Google search to make sure the web URL you want is not already being used.

3. After you decide on a web host and URL, make your payment…make it permanent!

4. Spend some time getting to know the ins and outs of the site before you do anything.

5. Once you feel comfortable with the site, pick a layout. You can use a free one, one you have to pay for, or have someone create one for you and implement it. On Wordpress, it’s easy to choose and set up a layout.

6. Add a banner if you can. Make it unique to you and your brand.

7. Work on the Home page. Make it the static post if you have to (like with Wordpress), so it’s the first thing everyone will see when they go to your website.

Things to add to a Home page: 

-   Welcome message. 

-   An announcement if you have a new book release, an upcoming event, or a giveaway going on. 

-   An event calendar if you do a lot of book signings or author visits. 

-  Fun insights into one of your books or characters.

TIP: Update news and announcements periodically. And try to change up your Home page every 1-2 months. Make it fresh for returning guests.

8. If you have a sidebar, spice it up. (In Wordpress.com you can add widgets.)

Things to add to the sidebar: 

-   Your author photo. 

-   Social media icons. 

-   Images of your published books. 

-   A list of pages on your website. 

-   And whatever else you think is important. On my website I have a grab button for my website and an icon for my publisher.

9. Create pages that your readers can click on and explore.

Possible pages you can create:

-    About Me (with your complete bio and links.) 

-   My Books (with the cover art, blurbs, and links for all of your published books.) 

-   Blog (You can use a direct link to your blog, so when someone clicks on the tab it’ll bring them right to it.) 

-   Press Kit (see: How to Create a Press Kit) 

-   Newsletter (If you have a newsletter, create a page that’ll take a visitor to the opt-in form.) 

-   Services (If you do editing or cover art work, set up a page to talk about these services and how someone can hire you.) 

-   FAQ (If you get a lot of questions about your books or services, create a page to highlight these questions and show your answers.) 

-   Testimonials (of your services, writing and blog to show potential clients and readers how professional you are.)

-   Freebies (This is good for someone who has eBooks that are always free. You can also add giveaways as you host them.) 

-   Contact Me (Include your email, social media links, and a form so a visitor can send a message right from that page.)

     You can also have drop-down links, so if someone hovers over a page, more will reveal themselves. I have a few drop-downs on my website. One of my pages is called Fan Fun and the drop-down pages are: Book Extras, Recipes + Excerpts, and Flash Fiction + Poetry.

     10. Get creative! Make your website reflect you, your style and your books. Explore the websites of your favorite authors to get some ideas. 

     TIP: Get people to come to your website by offering something new daily, weekly, or monthly and by promoting that.

     When your site is how you want it to look, let everyone know about it! Add the URL to your email signature, to your social media sites and your business card if you have one.

   QUESTIONS: Do you have a website? What do you like to see on an author’s website?

To join this monthly blog hop visit Michael G D'Agostino's blog.

    QUESTIONS: Have you ever met an idol/influence/someone you really admire? How did it go? (If you haven’t met any of your idols before, talk about the person you’d like to meet.)

     If I could meet one of my idols, it would be Lady Gaga. She is extremely talented, unafraid to speak up for what she believes in, and is proud to be exactly who she is, even if others don’t like it or understand it. I’ve been a fan of hers almost from the beginning. I saw her range and talents when she performed live (on TV) years ago—way before she surprised everyone with her tribute to Julie Andrews and sang the National Anthem at this year’s Super Bowl. Yes, I even liked her wacky style back in the day, and designed several outfits inspired by her.

     I image us drinking tea on a pretty couch and discussing everything from being bullied to creativity and female empowerment. She is so wise and intelligent that I know I’d walk away from that meeting feeling twice the woman I was before.

     Check out this moving performance she did at the Oscars:

Blake's Grilled Cheese Recipe / Very Inspiring Blogger Award

EXCERPT from 30 SECONDS:

“I figured if you wanted to cause me harm, you sure as hell wouldn’t be cooking for me.”

He shrugged as he continued to stir. “I thought you’d be hungry.”

“You thought right. The last time I had something to eat was a bagel at one o’clock this morning.”

“Then you’re starving.”

She chuckled. “I am.”

He motioned for her to sit at the table. “I don’t know what you like, so I made everything I know how to cook.” He set a plate on the green placemat in front of her. She looked at it and grinned. He had made a tomato grilled cheese sandwich, homemade mashed potatoes, and spaghetti.

Blake sat across from her with his own plate and looked at her. “Why are you smiling at the food?”

“No reason,” she insisted. “It’s exactly what I would’ve made.”

“Is that bad?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s good. It looks good.”

With that said, she dug right into her food. The cheese was gooey, the mashed potatoes were excellent, and the spaghetti tasted like it came from an Italian restaurant. And she ate every last bite. “Those mashed potatoes were fabulous,” she claimed.

“My grandmother’s recipe. It was the only thing she was able to teach me how to cook. My sister is the chef in the family. That spaghetti sauce was hers.”

“She makes her own spaghetti sauce?”

“She uses it in her restaurant and sells it to her customers. She gives me a couple of jars every month.”

“Tell your sister she makes the best damn sauce I’ve ever tasted. And that grilled cheese was also the best I ever had. No lie.”

“Well now, I created the grilled cheese on my own.” He picked up the plates and set them in the sink.

“I’m going to go up and take a shower. The door will be unlocked if you need me.”

“Okay.” She didn’t know why the little detail about the door being unlocked while he was wet and naked had her heart racing.

Oh, wait, that’s why!

Amazon US / Amazon UK / NOOK / KOBO

Goodreads

***

I didn’t describe Blake’s grilled cheese sandwich like in the recipe below, but when I thought more about how Blake would’ve made it, he told me. It’s a bit gourmet than your traditional white sandwich bread and American cheese combo, but it’s delicious!

Blake’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Need:

Two slices of thickly sliced bread

Shredded mozzarella cheese

Shredded cheddar cheese

Tomato, diced

Butter

Garlic powder

1. Mix a dash of garlic powder into a tablespoon (or so) of butter. Slather the garlic butter onto two slices of thickly sliced bread, such as Italian, French, or Cubano.

2. Heat a skillet, set one slice of bread, buttered side down, onto skillet.

3. Sprinkle a generous amount of shredded mozzarella cheese on top.

4. Add diced tomatoes, top with an equal amount of shredded cheddar cheese and the other slice of bread, buttered side up.

5. Brown each side to a nice golden. Cut in half, let cool, and enjoy!

NOTE: Blake says you can omit the garlic better if you want. But to add flavor, you can smear a little basil pesto on the inside of the bread before adding the shredded mozzarella cheese.

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

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

Thank you so much, Sherry Ellis, for nominating me for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award. Getting one of these awards from a fellow blogger always feels like an incredible honor, and it never dulls. Lidy Wilks nominated me for this award a few days later. Thank you! :) 

Below I am sharing 3 things that have inspired me recently. When I had to nominate bloggers, I had a major brain fart and I wanted to get this up quickly, so I only nominated 6 people. If you’re reading this though, I nominate you too! :)

The Rules:

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and link to their blog.

2. Display the award logo.

3. Nominate 15 other bloggers (more or less) and provide a link where they may be found.

4. Go to their blog, leave a comment to let them know they have been nominated.

5. Mention three things that inspired you the most during the past few weeks.

Three Things that Inspired Me Recently:

1. I have been listening to the song “Chandelier” by Sia on repeat for days. I remember when I first heard it on a trailer for a movie last year and my ears perked up like a dog expecting a treat. I desperately wanted to know who the singer was and what the song title was, but time went by and I still didn’t know. Silly me, I could’ve Googled it or just listened to the newest album for a singer I like. Well, I finally stumbled upon it last week and I’ve been listening to “Chandelier” ever since while writing book 3 in my Disaster Crimes series. The rest of the songs on Sia’s album “1000 Forms of Fear” are also amazing! The video for “Chandelier” is also inspiring.

2. Roland Yeoman recently posted his 8 Simple Rules. While reading each one I was nodding in agreement. His posts are always thoughtful, but this one really inspired me because he shared a story with us that demonstrated how bad life can get, but he followed it with a reminder of how blessed we are.

3. I’ve wanted to go to Ireland for years, and next year I may just get the chance, so I’ve been doing research on Ireland and writing things down in a pretty journal I got for Christmas. Planning a dream vacation that may actually happen feels wonder, and Ireland, a place of mystery and magic, has always inspired me.

Nominations:

Roland Yeomans' posts are creative and thoughtful. Sometimes the ghost of Mark Twain takes over his blog.

Arlee Bird created the Blogging from A to Z April Challenge. How much more inspiring can you get? You can sign up NOW! 

Gina Stoneheart is a dear friend of mine. Her posts are insightful.

Lisa Thomson blogs about marriage and divorce. You don’t need to be going through divorce to appreciate her advice. I often use her tips for relationships with my family and friends.

Stephen Tremp blogs a lot about space, which I love! The stars, moon, and planets have inspired me ever since I was a kid.

Cherdo's posts are funny and sarcastic. They make me smile and a smile is always inspiring.

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QUESTIONS: Do you have a ingredient you use when you make grilled cheese? When was the last time you had a grilled cheese sandwich? I had one for lunch yesterday! :) What has inspired you recently?

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