Celebrate the Small Things

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Celebrate the Small Things!

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

It’s the Weekend! And I’m happy to be celebrating some exciting and fun things, like —

1.  A fantastic review from the Booklife Prize in Fiction! The reviewer said:

“MacLaughlin’s plot is exciting, fast-paced, and full of surprises. From detailed maps of the fantasy world to the overall magical mystery, MacLaughlin’s work possesses the charm of the work of Holly Black and Neil Gaiman, and the supernatural and whimsical elements evident in such worlds as C.S. Lewis’s Narnia. The Road Once Taken is titillating and terrifying, an enchanting novel that straddles the line between the fantasy and mystery genres.”

I may not win the actual Booklife prize, but the review is enough of a prize for me.

2.  I started writing Book 4! One chapter down, many more to go. This isn’t the book I’m supposed to be working on, but it’s the story that’s loudest in my head right now.

3.  Drive-in movies! Last summer, my family and I rediscovered drive-in movies. I used to go to them when I was a kid. They were a lot of fun. Last night, we went to see Christopher Robin at the Sunset Drive-in. Very cute family friendly movie. From where I was sitting in the driver’s seat, I actually could see all four movie screens — Christopher Robin in front, The Meg and Incredibles 2 out the side window, and occasional glances at The Spy Who Dumped Me in my side mirror. It was great.

4.  A fun trip to a waterpark! Swimming and sliding and just cooling off. It was sooo nice after all the hot weather we’ve had.

What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2018. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the Small Things! – Back from a very long blogging hiatus

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here.

Happy Summer! I’m jumping back into the blogging pond. Or maybe I should say ocean. I don’t know if I will be able to keep up with posting every week, but will try for every other week, at least. I’m looking forward to catching up with what’s been going on with everyone.

Celebrations in general:

  1. My daughter graduated from high school last month and will be heading off to St. Michael’s College at the end of August!
  2. My job is going well.
  3. I finally managed to publish my third book! The Road Once Taken came out in e-book in April, and the print version came out June 1st. I have a book signing tomorrow from 2:00 to 4:00 at the Eloquent Page bookstore in St. Albans, VT. Woo hoo!!

TheRoadOnceTaken

The Road Once Taken

 Jacinda Harper just wants a vacation — a little time to spend with an old friend and her new baby. But a speeding car on a rain-slicked road crashes just ahead of her, and alters her life forever.

 The last wish from the dying woman in the wrecked car sends Jaci to a lonely mansion, where she finds a mysterious grandfather clock, a cryptic diary, and a strange key… and magic…

 Unwittingly transported into a fantastical world of ominous castles, wild forests, and rebel swordsmen — a world ruled by a ruthless sorcerer whose quest for world domination has long been thwarted by the loss of a magical key stolen from this world long ago — the key that Jaci has just brought back into his reach…

 Jaci must find a way back to her own world before the sorcerer finds her.

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What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2018. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the Small Things — Today’s the Day! And Lynda R. Young’s New Devotional: Cling To God!

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

Today I’m celebrating the Independent Publishers of New England Book Awards! Today’s the day I find out if I’m the Finalist or the Winner. The winner will be announced at the IPNE Book Awards ceremony this afternoon at 4:30 as part of the IPNE 2016 Publishing Conference in Portsmouth, NH. Wish me luck!

I’ll be at the conference over the weekend, so I’ll return comments and visits when I get back. Either result — Finalist or Winner — will feel like a win to me. So exciting!

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And now for another super celebration — Lynda R. Young’s new devotional, Cling to God, is here!

cling-to-god-by-lynda-r-young

 

Cling to God: A Daily Devotional
by Lynda R Young

Release date: October 18th, 2016
Published by Freedom Fox Press

 

Cling to God in the chaos of life…

Cling to God is a book of devotionals for every day of the year. The aim is to encourage Christians in their faith, to help them think about their beliefs and learn more about God. The devotions are short and inspirational so that people with busy lifestyles will still be able to spend time with the Lord each day. It will appeal to a wide Christian audience, to those new in their faith as well as those matured beyond milk and honey.

Kindle      Amazon     Nook     B & N     Kobo     iTunes     Goodreads

 

lyndaryoungLynda R Young writes devotionals, articles, and speculative short stories. In her spare time she is also an editor, game developer, artist, and dabbles in photography and all things creative. She lives in Australia with her sweetheart of a husband. You can find her here:

Blog     Twitter     Facebook     Goodreads


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What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the Small Things — Weekend Edition!

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

Sorry I’m late to the party! This week’s celebrations:

  1. I have a short story for the IWSG Anthology Contest, which is an accomplishment for me, because rarely does anything I write end up short. Ironically, though, the story is actually too short for the 3,000 to 6,000 word limit, so I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do with it.
  2. We went to my daughter’s National Honor Society induction ceremony. I’m so proud of her!
  3. On Saturday, we made our traditional trek through the corn maze! It’s always fun, and the best part is eating bakery treats afterward. Yum!

What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the Small Things!

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

The leaves are really starting to turn here, and it’s just beautiful. The Green Mountains are showing off their red, orange, and gold. For this lovely fall week I’d like to celebrate:

  1. Book Awards! As I mentioned in my IWSG post, I won a Finalist award in the Independent Publishers of New England Book Awards contest. Originally, I thought that “Finalist” was my final position, so to speak, but I found out last night that the winner’s trophy was still up for grabs and that the contest was down to two people, me and one other Finalist. I still have a chance to win. Whoo, hoo! So exciting!
  2. We went to “Paying for College” night at the high school and learned about the process of applying for college financial aid. My daughter is a junior this year and she’s starting to think about life after graduation. My baby is growing up. *sniffle*
  3. This Saturday is Indie Author Day! From the website:

“During the Inaugural Indie Author Day on October 8, 2016, libraries from all across North America will host their own local author events with the support of the Indie Author Day team. In addition to these local programs, each library’s indie community will come together for an hour-long digital gathering at 2 pm Eastern featuring Q&A with writers, agents and other industry leaders. Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity for libraries and authors to connect on both local and global levels!”

Are any of you authors joining in the celebration?

What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the Small Things!

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

Wow, how did we get to the end of September already? This week I’d like to celebrate:

  1. My parents came over to my house and my Dad helped me fix my broken picket fence gate and a couple of other things. He’s great at that sort of thing.
  2. We went to open house at the high school and I heard nothing but good things about my kids.
  3. I went through a jurying process and was accepted into one of the larger craft shows that will be coming up in November. So now I have four craft shows/farmer’s markets lined up for this fall, plus an event at Barnes & Noble, and I’m hoping to add one more craft show for the holidays.
  4. I had my car inspected and all they found wrong with it was that it needed new front tires. Whoo, hoo! (I was expecting much worse.)
  5. We survived another driving lesson.

What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the Small Things!

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

It’s been another one of those crazy busy weeks. Things to celebrate:

  1. The Ghost Walk Tour! It was a blast. I had no idea there were so many hauntings in Burlington, VT.
  2. Apple picking, cider donuts, and apple crisp! Yum!! Our annual trip to the apple orchard is one of my favorite traditions.
  3. College Fair Night! Over 200 college representatives filled the gymnasium at local St. Michael’s College to answer questions from high school students. My daughter is a junior this year, so off we went into the maze of college brochures and financial aid info. It was overwhelmingly noisy and crowded, but we came out with a lot of useful information that will help as we move on with the process.
  4. Farmer’s Markets! The last craft day at the local Farmer’s Market was on Thursday. One lady bought both Book 1 and Book 2 and said she couldn’t wait to read them, which made me happy. 🙂

 

The haunted Timothy Follett House

The haunted Timothy Follett House

 

The spooky window of the Follett House where apparitions have been seen lurking.

The spooky window of the Follett House where apparitions have been seen lurking.

 

The full moon during the Ghost Walk.

The full moon during the Ghost Walk.

 

What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the Small Things! And Cover Reveal and Giveaway for Crystal Collier’s Timeless!

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

The air is crisp, the leaves are turning, and it’s time to start thinking about Autumn and Halloween! This week I’m celebrating:

  1. I gave my daughter her first driving lesson, and she and I and the car emerged unscathed.
  2. That same daughter received an invitation to join the National Honor Society!
  3. I made my annual trip to IHOP to celebrate the kids going back to school!
  4. Tonight we’ll be going on a Ghost Walk Tour of the city of Burlington, VT. We’ll get to hear all about the ghostly history and spookiness of the city.

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And now take a look at this gorgeous cover —

timeless_ebookcover

 

 

timeless_printbookcover

 

Title: TIMELESS

Author: Crystal Collier

Publisher: Raybourne Publishing

Series: Maiden of Time, #3

Publication: November 1, 2016

Category: Young Adult (YA)

Genre: Paranormal Historical

Time is the enemy.

In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming.

In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil, and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission.

Can Alexia escape her own clock?

 

Buy link     Amazon Preorder Link     ARC requests

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Crystal Collier

moonless_cover

 

❀Unleashing the dream world, one book at a time ❀

  Blog | Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Website

 

 

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What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the Small Things! And Julie Flanders’ Baby Moo’s Great Escape!

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

This week I’m celebrating nine print books plus a couple of e-books sold at the Mad River Valley Craft Fair in central Vermont this past weekend. It was a new venue for me, and I was happy to have some sales in a different part of the state from where I’m usually selling. Hopefully, it will help spread the word.

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I’d also like to celebrate the arrival of Julie Flanders’ new children’s book —

Baby Moo’s Great Escape!

fullsizerender

 

Baby Moo has a dream. He wants to travel the world and sing on the stage of the Sydney Opera House! While he loves his home at Sunrise Sanctuary, it hasn’t been the same since a piglet named Nathan showed up and stole all the attention away from Moo. Jealous of the new baby, Moo decides now is the time to make his escape and pursue his dream.

But the world outside the sanctuary gates is not quite the fun and exciting place Moo imagined, and he quickly finds himself in big trouble. Moo’s friends Missy the dog and Ruthie the cat rush to help him, and land in some trouble of their own.

Lost and frightened, Moo and his friends must rely on each other to find their way back home. Will they ever see Sunrise again?

 

Release date: September 8, 2016 from Native Ink Press

Links:

Amazon

https://julieflanders.blogspot.com/p/baby-moos-great-escape.html

Add on Goodreads

Julie Flanders will donate $1 to Sunrise Sanctuary, home to Baby Moo and numerous other rescued animals, for each copy sold in September.

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What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.

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Celebrate the Small Things!

Celebrate the Small Things is a weekly celebration created by VikLit and now hosted by Lexa Cain to celebrate the happenings of the week, however small or large. You can learn all about it and sign up for it here. CelebrateSmallThings_Badge

Today I’m very much enjoying the cooler air of fall! Spring and fall are my favorite seasons. It won’t be long before the leaves are turning in earnest and painting the hillsides in glorious color.

Celebrations for this week:

  1. VT Comic Con! I had mixed results at Comic Con last weekend. Sales weren’t stellar, but I did give out a lot of book cards for, hopefully, future purchases. I think the attendees were more looking to spend their money on comic/anime-related things. The good part was that several people recognized my books, having seen them either at local bookstores or when they popped up on Amazon as being similar to something they were buying. One person said her coworker had read my first book and enjoyed it, so she took a photo of the second book with her phone and sent it to her coworker to let her know there was a sequel. I thought that was pretty neat.
  2. The Champlain Valley Fair! So many things to enjoy — the rides, the entertainment, the animals and crafts, and the food! Maple frosted donuts, ice cream, and caramel apples! Yum! And then we went back in the evening a couple of days later to see the Double Figure 8 race and Demolition Derby, which my son loves.
  3. Getting back into a routine now that school has started. My kids may not be happy about being back in school, but I get a lot more done.
  4. The Mad River Valley Craft Fair coming up this weekend! This will be my first time participating as a vendor there, so we’ll see how it goes.

 

JackSkellington

Jack Skellington

 

Storm Troopers examining artwork made entirely from duct tape.

Storm Troopers examining artwork made entirely from duct tape.

 

0827161014a

 

One of 2 rollovers from the Double Figure 8 Race. (No one was hurt.)

One of 2 rollovers from the Double Figure 8 Race. (No one was hurt.)

 

View from the top of the 125 ft. tall ferris wheel.

View from the top of the 125 ft. tall ferris wheel.

(Sorry for the photo quality. They were taken with my phone.)

What other celebrations are going on out there?

 

 

 

 

© Lori L. MacLaughlin and Writing, Reading, and the Pursuit of Dreams, 2016. All rights reserved.