March 4, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

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

I spent this morning helping set up for the Spring Book Fair at school. I enjoy checking out all the new books, and so do my kids. They can’t wait for the Fair to open on Monday. This week I’d like to celebrate:

Books! They can enrich your life in ways you never imagined.
Another snow day! Or maybe I should call it an ice day, since we had more ice than snow. The roads were so bad that even police cars parked on the side of the road at accident sites slid off into the ditch by themselves.
Going to the movies this weekend! My kids aren’t little anymore, but they’ve never outgrown Disney. (And I hope they never do.)
Next Tuesday, March 8^th, is National Pancake Day at IHOP! Free pancakes! Whoo, hoo! I am so there.

What other celebrations are going on out there?

February 26, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

This has been a weird week weather-wise. We went from 0 degrees F. to 50, then back down into the teens in a span of three days. Mother Nature can’t make up her mind if it’s winter or spring. Or maybe she’s just teasing us. This week I’d like to celebrate:

School vacation week! It’s been a nice break from the usual hectic school schedule.
Getting started on my taxes. Last year I procrastinated until the last minute, which was not a good thing to do.
Going out for pizza! We were out shopping and running errands and spontaneously decided to stop for pizza before going home. Best decision of the day.
My son, the NASCAR nut, is celebrating the start of the racing season. He was glued to the TV for the Daytona 500 this past Sunday.

What other celebrations are going on out there?

February 19, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

I hope everyone gets a chance to check out all the authors participating in the 2016 2K Indie Book Tour. Their books sound like amazing reads. Celebrations for this week:

A snow day! School was canceled last Tuesday because of an ice/sleet/snow storm. My kids were ecstatic. And next week is school vacation!
I saw a flock of robins on a neighbor’s lawn this morning! Either the birds are really confused, or spring is on its way.
More editing progress! The end is in sight.
Carrie Butler of Forward Authority Designs did a fantastic job on the cover for Book II: Trouble By Any Other Name. I’m not quite ready to reveal it yet. Soon.

What other celebrations are going on out there?

February 12, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

It was -4 degrees (F.) this morning, and it’s supposed to be even colder over the weekend. Brrrrrrr! It sure feels like winter now. Celebrations this time around:

We had a great time visiting my parents and watching the Super Bowl last weekend. And the team my Dad and I were rooting for won!
I’ve “met” some interesting writers on the 2016 2K Indie Book Tour. The tour continues for the next two weeks with 8 more writers to meet!
My daughter participated in a Poetry Out Loud competition at school. She had to stand up in front of a lot of people and recite a poem from memory. She didn’t win, but she did a great job! I was impressed and proud of her for doing it and going so far out of her comfort zone since she’s generally very quiet and shy.

What other celebrations are going on out there?

February 5, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

I can’t believe it’s February already! And I thought December went by fast. This week I’d like to celebrate:

One of my favorite family traditions: I’ll be watching the Super Bowl with my Dad on Sunday.
I joined the 2016 2K Indie Book Tour, which starts on Monday!
Watching movies at home with my kids. My kids are teens, but we still have fun spending time together.

What other celebrations are going on out there?

January 29, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things! And the Release of Kate Sparkes’ Sworn

This week I’m celebrating continued progress with Book II: Trouble By Any Other Name. I’m getting closer to finishing up the edits. I’ve been working with Sue Archer, copy editor extraordinaire, and I couldn’t be happier with her efforts. I’ve given my cover design to the inimitable Carrie Butler of Forward Authority Design Services to turn into a professional-looking cover. Getting closer!

I’m also celebrating the release of Kate Sparkes’ new book — Sworn. Sworn is the third book in the Bound trilogy. I’ve added it to my TBR list. Looking forward to reading it!

Not every fairy tale ends with “happily ever after.”

The plan was simple: Find Ulric, the lost king of Tyrea, then return him to Luid to reclaim his throne from the tyrant who stole it. But though Aren, Rowan, and Nox accomplished the first part of their task, the rest is proving to be more complicated than any of them imagined.

Severn won’t give up his throne without a fight. Worse, it seems Ulric did not fare as well during his years in captivity as he’s led everyone to believe—and Rowan may not have escaped unscathed, either.

If Nox doesn’t find a cure for the king’s mysterious ailment, Aren will be forced to challenge Severn for the crown. It’s a battle Aren has little hope of winning. And if he does, it will cost him the love and the freedom he’s fought so hard to gain.

Check it out on Goodreads or the retailer of your choice!

What other celebrations are going on out there?

January 22, 2016 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

I took a little longer break than I had planned, but that’s okay. It was much needed, and I accomplished quite a bit. So without further ado, here are my celebrations for the week:

I finished and posted the latest version of the book trailer for my forthcoming second book, Trouble By Any Other Name! You can see it HERE.
Only 8 more chapters to go (out of 40) for my final edits!
My kids are finishing up their midterm exams this morning, and then it’s off for the weekend!
That big snowstorm that’s supposed to hit the East Coast on Saturday will likely miss us up here in northern New England. Since I’m a snow shoveler and not a skier or a snowboarder, that makes me happy.

Belated Happy New Year to everyone! What other celebrations are going on out there?

December 18, 2015 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

We’re down to one week until Christmas! Since next Friday is Christmas day, I won’t be posting then. I have two more posts lined up, and then I’ll be taking a break until January. It’ll be 2016, and who knows what possibilities the new year will hold? But for now, I’d like to celebrate:

Christmas vacation coming up! My kids go to school on Monday and Tuesday and then are off for the rest of the year.
Getting together with family and friends over the holidays. It’s always so much fun!
Continued progress with final edits. I’m getting there!

Happy Holidays to everyone! What other celebrations are going on out there?

December 11, 2015 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things!

Wow, this month is flying right by. I can’t believe it’s only two weeks until Christmas. My kids have been sick this week, so I’ve been doing more of my Christmas shopping online. I’m happy to say I’ve got a lot of it done now. Celebrations this time around:

My kids are feeling better after a nasty cold/flu/stomach bug thing.
My Christmas shopping is almost done.
Continued mild weather. It’s weird for this time of the year, but I like it.
All four books that I brought to the local Kinney Drug store have sold, so I brought in four more. Yay!

What other celebrations are going on out there?

December 5, 2015 by Lori L MacLaughlin

Celebrate the Small Things! — Weekend Edition

I took last Friday off from blogging for the Thanksgiving holiday. It was nice to have great weather for it, even though we didn’t have that far to travel. I know there were many other people who did have many miles to go. I enjoy Thanksgiving because it reminds me of how much I have to be thankful for. With all the craziness in life, it’s important to stop and be thankful and not take for granted all the blessings we have.

On that note, I’d like to celebrate:

Family and friends! Where would we be without them?
Simple things like getting a haircut and treating yourself to an ice cream sundae.
Getting into the Christmas spirit! I was able to get some shopping done this week, so I’m not so far behind.
Starting work on a book trailer for Book 2, Trouble By Any Other Name! I really enjoy doing those.

What other celebrations are going on out there?