Saturday Seven - March 9th 2019 (Birthday Edition)

Happy Saturday, what have you been up to this week? Today just happens to be my birthday and so this is a special version of Saturday Seven. Let’s take a look back at the last YEAR and see what’s happened? Here is a rundown of highlights for the year. I hope you find them useful in your life! My goal as a person and a writer is to always Pay-It-Forward so please let me know how I can help you. YES YOU!
Enjoy your weekend & this post! Amazing things to come!
~Amy

·        What am I Reading? –  Over the past year I have been reading a lot of horror. Some of it amazing and some not so much. I’ve been trying to focus on more of the stories with ghost hunters in them as that is a huge part of my latest WIP. I gotta tell ya, I am finding myself in a similar place to when I wrote my first series, Trust Me. There is some awesome horror fiction out there, but nothing seems to be satisfying my fickle appetite. This must be remedied.

Currently reading Surge by Donna Elliot - In a flash, her world changes. And with only the touch of her hand, she kills him…When an X-class solar flare collides with Earth’s atmosphere, high-energy radiation annihilates millions and collapses world-wide power grids. Simultaneously, the electromagnetic storm rushes through the body of sixteen-year-old Mya Bernal, leaving her with “shocking” abilities. Suddenly faced with dwindling food supplies, a hostile town take-over, and the murder of two schoolmates, Mya struggles to control her new powers. But when she and her best friend become a killer’s next intended targets, a slowly-brewing storm explodes. Ideal for fans of the Red Queen, Divergent, or I am Number Four series, Surge is a fast-paced, electrifying adventure of friendship and survival.

·        What am I Listening to? –  This year has been all about self-help, help for myself and my children. I have listened to so many amazing books this year and all seemed to have a different but specific message for me. This is a good thing as I feel armed and educated to take on whatever comes at me in 2019!

You are a Badass by Jen Sincero

Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

Awakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das

Write It Forward by Bob Mayer

Waking Up by Sam Harris

Unbeatable Mind by Mark Divine

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill

Feeling Good by David N. Burns

·         What Quote am I pondering? –  “You are as young as you feel.” Well I feel 35, not 45 so I am 35, right? That IS how it works? I dunno, age is such a relative and subjective thing. A twenty-year-old thinks I’m old and a sixty-year-old thinks I’m young. So, which is it? My thought is –it all depends on where YOU are in your journey. For me, I feel like things are just beginning. I have learned a lot of lessons and now life is saying – okay your turn to make something happen! Ready, Set, Go!

·         What am I Researching? – Anxiety and Depression, a member of my family is struggling, and I have had my bouts as well. Wanting to learn more about triggers and ways to pull out of a slope when it happens. Seems like I have been researching this for years. I am determined to find an answer.  

·         Yummy Meal of the week –  Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings – the key to the yumminess is the sticky! One of the kids absolute favorites, these are perfect for a Friday night with friends over (kids or adults!)

·         What did I Learn this YEAR? –  “Lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” – Sometimes things happen, and everyone starts freaking out. Is this really the time to lose your cookies? Or is this the time to put on your big boy / girl pants and get it done? Get it done. Shut out the noise and the screaming and just get it done.

·         What am I Watching? – I finally finished The Umbrella Academy – so awesome. Best part of the series is the music. A little predictable but the ride is so worth it. Definitely take the time to watch The Umbrella Academy on Netflix. You will not regret it!

      We watched so many amazing things this year, I will name just a few. Aquarius, Haunting of Hill House, Daredevil, Haunted, Riverdale, Travelers, 9-1-1, Blindspot, The Gifted, The Runaways, and Future Man. Still so many missing that are on the list. Will get there eventually!

Have any thoughts on my week’s activity or want to make a recommendation? Drop me a line, or a tweet. One lucky commenter will win a free Romine book of their choice! Never want to miss a blog post or a Saturday Seven? Join my mailing list and I will be happy to send it straight to your inbox!

P.S. ~ I am on tour promoting my series Trust Me, (Serenity Lost, Veiled Deception and Jaded Promises)all month so make sure you stop by and say hello. Not only because you are AWESOME but because you could win a $50 Amazon. Check out my Twitter or Facebook for locations.

See the full schedule of tour locations.

** Added bonus, all of the Trust Me Series Books are on sale at the Extasy site for $1.99!!

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Friday Food Love ~ Slow Cooker Sticky Chicken Wings

So my son says to me, Mom make some chicken wings for dinner. I took the challenge foind a recipe and they were YUMMY~
Served with Sticky Rice and coleslaw.
Dinner Success~ Thanks you Damn Delicious.
View on damndelicious.net

Ingredients

3 pounds chicken wings

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

For the sauce

1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon Sriracha, or more, to taste

1 teaspoon ginger powder

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

Directions:

In a large bowl, whisk together soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, honey, garlic, Sriracha, ginger powder, pepper and onion powder.   

Place wings into a slow cooker. Stir in soy sauce mixture and gently toss to combine. Cover and cook on low heat for 3-4 hours or high heat for 1-2 hours. 

In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water. Stir in mixture into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.   

Preheat oven to broil. Line a baking sheet with foil.  Place wings onto the prepared baking sheet and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until caramelized and slightly charred.  Serve immediately with remaining sauce, garnished with sesame seeds and cilantro, if desired.

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Awesome Excerpt Thursday! - My Unconditional Valentine by Denise N. Wheatley

Even the most perfectly laid holiday plans sometimes go awry…

Entertainment industry “it” couple Sasha Williams and Drake Lancaster, who were first introduced in “A Naughty Jolly Christmas,” are still going strong. Sasha’s impeccable publicist skills have kept Drake on the A-list, helping him land the lead role in a major Valentine’s Day movie. When filming wraps, the twosome plan on heading to Cabo San Lucas, inviting both their families along to meet for the first time.

But plans go astray when Drake reverts back to his bad boy ways during filming and gets into a huge altercation with the director. He’s booted from the movie and replaced by Mitch Morrison, a hot young actor who’s recently taken Hollywood by storm.

While Drake struggles to repair his image, Mitch hires Sasha to help manage his burgeoning career. The move infuriates Drake, but Sasha insists it’s a great business opportunity. She doesn’t realize Drake’s threatened by Mitch’s good looks, charismatic personality and rising star.

The stress of it all puts a strain on the couple’s relationship, especially when Mitch admits to Sasha that he’s developed feelings for her and she realizes the sentiments may be mutual. With the pressures of Sasha and Drake’s rocky union continuing to mount, the anticipation of their families meeting, and Sasha’s elusive affections towards Mitch, the couple can’t help but wonder whether their once booming relationship is about to crash. In the end, they must figure out whether their love is strong enough to withstand these issues and carry them through this Valentine’s Day.

Order your copy of “My Unconditional Valentine” now!

https://www.extasybooks.com/denise-n-wheatley/?product_id=6332

Excerpt:

Sasha sped along the Pacific Coast Highway with her car top down and music blaring. The crisp ocean wind whipped through her hair while the setting sun warmed her skin. She readjusted her sunglasses and leaned back, relishing the moment. Sasha was happier than she’d been in quite some time. Life was good. As a matter of fact, life was great thanks to today, because everything had suddenly taken a turn for the better.

After she’d knocked her presentation out of the park that morning, Sasha received a text from Drake letting her know he had gotten the part. She’d screamed so loudly that Lori came tearing into her office, thinking something had happened to her. Drake then informed her he’d made dinner reservations at Hinata Sushi, the most exclusive restaurant in Malibu, and afterwards they’d check into the royal suite at The Malibu Oceanside, where they would spend the rest of the evening indulging in dessert and one another.

Sasha had something in store for Drake as well. That afternoon, she’d solidified plans for their Cabo vacation after deciding she would rather spend the evening reconnecting with him than coordinating the trip. She made some executive decisions on her own and created an elaborate agenda confirming the exact travel dates, resort location, and list of activities. Sasha sent the agenda to both sets of parents, and just as she’d expected, they got lost in the fancy presentation and agreed to everything.

She stopped at a red light and grabbed her phone, activating the voice-to-text feature then sending Drake a message asking whether he wanted to drive out to Malibu or arrange car service. She hadn’t heard from him since early that after noon, which was strange after they’d been communicating nonstop all morning. Sasha assumed he had gotten caught up in the whirlwind of preparing for his shoot and figured they’d hash things out when she got home.

She turned down her block and approached her house, expecting to see Drake’s car parked outside. When she didn’t, Sasha pulled into the driveway and tried calling him. She got his voicemail.

“Hey, babe, it’s me. Tell your film director Lee that he’s going to have you all to himself in Ontario soon enough and you need to take a break from your meeting to call your girl. But anyway, I just got home. Getting ready to freshen up and pack for our night. I’m so looking forward to this. Love you.”

Sasha disconnected the call and practically floated inside the house. She set her tote down on the couch, then walked over to the closet to grab her suitcase. On the way there, she saw a printout lying on the bar. She picked it up and squint-ed while trying to make out exactly what she was looking at. Upon further inspection, Sasha realized it was a dark, grainy photo of her and Mitch, sitting in the booth at the Diamond VIP Bar. Her stomach dropped to her knees. She trembled all over as beads of sweat formed along her hairline. Sasha held her breath, then read the blurb underneath the photo.

Our sly sleuths here at Gotcha! strike again, this time catching powerhouse publicist Sasha Williams cozying up to A-list actor Mitch Morrison. Sasha, who’s known for mixing business with pleasure, is also Mitch’s new publicist. So does this mean it’s a wrap for her and Drake Lancaster? Apparently so, making it Drake’s second humiliating termination in recent weeks after he got booted from King Gary Rosen’s latest blockbuster production, On Bended Knee. What’s worse is that Mitch was hired to re-place Drake on the film. Ouch! Will Sasha and Mitch make it down the aisle? Will Z-listed Drake go back to waiting tables? Stay tuned, as we here at Gotcha! work to getcha all the latest scoop!

Sasha leaned against the wall and slid to the floor. Tears streamed down her face. She looked down at the article again. A note from Drake was scribbled at the bottom.

Of all the guys you could’ve replaced me with, you chose Mitch Morrison? And I had to find out through some trashy blog? I thought we were better than that. Guess I was wrong.

Sasha balled the article up and threw it across the room. Her chest heaved with remorse. She sobbed for several minutes before grabbing her phone and dialing Drake again. The call went straight to voicemail. She hung up and sent him a text, apologizing profusely and asking him to please call her. Right when she hit send, a message came in from Nick.

In a meeting and can’t talk, but I got a call from Drake saying he wants to sign with a new publicist, effective immediately. What’s going on?

Sasha swallowed the bile that was creeping up her throat and struggled to steady her breathing. “This isn’t happening. This isn’t happening,” she said to herself over and over again.

She closed Nick’s message without responding and sent Amanda a text, telling her she had an emergency and asking if she could come over ASAP.

Amanda replied immediately.

I’m on my way.

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Writing Warrior Wednesday! ~ Writers are Athletes

In high school and even in real life we categorize people as either athletic or not athletic. This categorization is usually the result of your physical form or your abilities to play a sport. Personally, the only sport I ever enjoyed playing was volleyball and I wasn’t that great at it. Must admit, I had a killer serve!

So that would leave the rest of us as the non-athletics and more into the brain sciences like writing, math, science, art etc. Obviously, I am using generalizations to illustrate a point here, I know of lots of very athletic people who are mentally brilliant.

Being put in either category athlete or non-athlete comes with some standards. Typically, athletes have problems sitting still for more than ten minutes at a time, while non-athletes can binge-watch five hours of Stranger Things without lifting a muscle (except for the occasional drink or snack). Athletes are constantly hungry and or eating – non-athletes will get so lost in whatever project they are working on and forget to eat until 1 am and then scarf down bowl of cereal just to say they have eaten something.

My point being, both scenarios are misconceptions and absolutely wrong. Writers are just as much athletes as actual athletes and here’s why. The word athlete means - a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina.

Professional athletes, while getting paid way too much to play a game – in my humble opinion—work hard to be in top physical form and thus perform at their peak at all times. This means a strict regiment of diet, exercise, vitamins, and sleep. Many will even tell you it is the worst part of the job. However, they realize they need to fuel their bodies to fuel their activity.

So do writers! You require mental strength – discipline, skin of steel, and focus. Mental agility – the ability to keep track of plots, sub plot, characters and flow. Mental stamina – the need to be able to juggle lots of ideas and put them in a cohesive form and / or write when the rest of the world is binge watching TV or sleeping. All of this, not to mention everyday life. Most of us are not full-time writers, we have jobs, families, PTA, volunteering, night school etc.

So like athletes we need to keep our brains and bodies is top form to enable us to do the impossible – write 100,000 words, edit, rewrite, publish, &market.

As I said above, like athletes we need to make sure we are treating our bodies and fueling our minds as much as a physical athlete would. Which means, eating right, taking our vitamins, getting some regular exercise and scheduling time to sleep. We also need to make time for some much-needed fun! Relaxation and appreciate for where we are, what we have accomplished, and all the blessings our lives have to offer.

Being a writer, published or not is hard freaking work! Ignore people who think it is easy, a hobby or even a pastime. “Oh, you are a writer, that is a cake job.” BULLSHIT! It is mentally and physically difficult and you need to acknowledge – I HAVE a DIFFICULT job!

So, take care of yourself. Your brain and your body. Like it or not -- one is directly linked to the other and being conscious of this fact will put you ahead of the game! You are Writing Warriors and deserve to always be at your best to produce fight the good fight! This will also help with warding off negativity, stress and anxiety. A balanced life is a good life.

Could I have put more cliché’s in the post --- probably, but you get the point!

So how do you do it all? We will talk about that soon. For now, go take a walk and eat some vegetables for goodness sake!!

I love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment and let me know what you think and if the post was helpful! If you want more information, or assistance shoot me an email at writesromine@gmail.com or ping me on Twitter @AmyJRomine.

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Teaser Tuesday - New Sneak of Finders!

My current work in progress is entitled Finders.

A reality ghost hunting team uncovers a mass grave, a hungry demon, and a demonologist with a secret...

~

Jagged stone piled on top of one another created a patchwork of brown and gray hues. Smooth to the touch the hundreds of years of water must've had an effect. Following the stones upward she saw a break in the pattern. Claire estimated about four feet across and perhaps two inches high. 

"Damn right I am getting whatever I want," Claire tried in vain to dry her hands, cursing the extra ten pounds from her water-logged clothes. "A hot Venti Toffee Nut-Latte double shot," she started, grasping the cold slick plastic cord within her hands. "A scalding shower with, warm soft terry cloth towels, heated slippers and another hot coffee."

Claire briefly thanked her trainer, Jorge for making her develop her upper body strength. Using the cord, along with jutting rocks as foot holds Claire started up the well. Ignoring the swinging flashlights creation of odd shapes and reflections off the water, Claire focused upward on the light and sound from above.

The trek was slow going but she seemed to be half way there, judging from the size of the opening at the top.

Hot shower, hot coffee, you can do this...

Looking up she saw something falling toward her in the darkness. She yelped when it hit, hugging the wall. Something grabbed her shoulders throwing her back. Her head it the wall hard. She never knew what people meant by seeing stars until that moment. Losing her grip, she released the cord plummeting back down into the cold water. The shock of the icy water hit again, she kicked to return to the surface. Feeling something wrap around her ankle she focused on her feet seeing a skull like face. Her adrenaline soared, she kicked and struggled to free her ankle. She managed to break free, breaching the surface, gasping for air. 

***

A few more moments of deafening silence went by, and Luke looked to Grant. Pip growled at the darkness, showing his teeth. The sound of shifting a stone, followed by a scream got their attention. "Claire are you okay?" The sound of a splash echoed off the stone walls, and Luke looked back into the well.  The flashlight swung freely as if there were no weight attached, the light dancing off the water. "Claire?"

The water broke, and Luke heard gasping, struggling. Grant and Craig called out to her again, while Pip barked wildly. "Grant, Craig, anchor me."

Both men grabbed hold of the cabling. Slick and cold within his hands, he heard splashing and gasping again, spurring his movements to reach the bottom.  Releasing his grip, Luke slid into the darkness, the dim light leading the way. "Claire?"

He heard her gasp again. Her head broke through the water. She seemed to be struggling to stay afloat. "Hang on, Claire, I'm almost there." He watched the water break again and then there was silence. "Claire?" When he got no response, Luke released his hold and let himself slide into the water below. Cold, the water enveloped him quickly, his muscles screaming from the shock. The water seemed to be deep, his feet not touching the bottom. Grasping the flashlight, he struggled to untie it, Confusion and worry searing his brain.

There's not that much room down here, where is she?

Not seeing any sign of Claire, he took a breath and submerged himself.  Using the flashlight, he searched the water. Shocked to see the depth of the well he found her several feet below him, long brown hair billowing around her struggling face. Luke swam to her, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her up. Claire shook her head pointing down, and Luke saw something wrapped around her leg. Luke adjusted, tugging and pulling on what seemed to be a weed until it released its hold on her leg. Cresting the water, he gasped for air, as did she, "you okay?" Luke asked holding her tight against him. Her body cold he knew the answer. She nodded weakly.

"Claire, Luke, can you hear us?" Grant called, while Pip barked. "Yeah, we're here," Luke called back, looking to Claire. "You think you can hang on to me?" Shivering and teeth chattering, she nodded, her bright blue eyes focused and alert. "Okay let's get out of here."

Luke started his climb up the well, commanding his muscles to stay engaged. Only a few more feet and they would be out. A loud rumbled followed by the screeching of metal got his attention. "Luke!" Claire's voice, and the alarm in her eyes focused his mind. The water was rising exponentially. Luke quickened his pace. Metal. Luke stopped dead, seeing a flurry of activity above them. A metal grate had positioned itself at the top of the well trapping them. Water rising, no way out. They were in trouble.  "Grant, get us the hell out of here!"

~

That's it, that is all you get! :)
Hope you enjoyed your teaser of my upcoming release Finders!


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Finders Bucket List - The Door to Hell - Turkmenistan

In my upcoming release, Finders, the Finders Ghost Hunting team have been all over the world investigating paranormal events. One of the places on their ghost bucket list is -- 

The Door to Hell - Turkmenistan

The Door to Hell was originally a gas field set alight by Soviet scientists that has been burning continuously for over 40 years. Inexplicably, spiders seem to love this place and swarm there by the thousands.

According to Turkmen geologist Anatoly Bushmakin, the site was identified by Soviet engineers in 1971. It was originally thought to be a substantial oil field site. The engineers set up a drilling rig and operations to assess the quantity of oil available at the site. Soon after the preliminary survey found a natural gas pocket, the ground beneath the drilling rig and camp collapsed into a wide crater and was buried.

Expecting dangerous releases of poisonous gases from the cavern into nearby towns, the engineers thought it best to burn the gas off. Estimated that the gas would burn out within a few weeks, the gas has instead continued to burn for more than four decades.

In April 2010, the president of Turkmenistan, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, visited the site and ordered that the hole should be closed.  In 2013, he declared the part of the Karakum Desert with the crater a nature reserve.

Learn more here!

Read and an exclusive excerpt from Finders now!

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