Adventure Inspirations – Advice from Edward Abbey

"One final paragraph of advice: Do not burn yourself out. Be as I am-a reluctant enthusiast... a part time crusader, a half-hearted fanatic. Save the other half of yourselves and your lives for pleasure and adventure. It is not enough to fight for the land; it is even more important to enjoy it. While you can. While it is still there. So get out there and mess around with your friends, ramble out yonder and explore the forests, encounter the grizz, climb the mountains. Run the rivers, breathe deep of that yet sweet and lucid air, sit quietly for a while and contemplate the precious stillness, that lovely, mysterious and awesome space. Enjoy yourselves, keep your brain in your head and your head firmly attached to your body, the body active and alive, and I promise you this much: I promise you this one sweet victory over our enemies, over those deskbound people with their hearts in a safe deposit box and their eyes hypnotized by desk calculators. I promise you this: you will outlive the bastards."

-Edward Abbey-

The Thin Person Inside

I’m pleased to welcome author Rochelle Weber to my blog. To get to know Rochelle and her work, I’ve put together a little question and answer segment. So, let’s get started.

Rochelle,

Q: Tell us about yourself, your family, where you live…

A: I live in Round Lake Beach, Illinois—a far north suburb of Chicago, close enough to Wisconsin to smell their dairy airs. I have two daughters, both of whom are engaged.  I have four grandkids, three step-grandkids and one step-great-grandchild.  Two cats allow me to live in their apartment and wait on them leg and paw.

Q: What is the best thing about being a writer?

A: I get to daydream and interact with other people who don’t think that’s a bad thing.  Many of the authors I admire are now friends of mine and some of them are making the best seller lists.  How cool is that?

Q: Has your life changed since you became a writer?

A: Not a whole lot.  I became disabled and now I have something to do during the day.  Before when I was out of work for any length of time, I knew it was time to go back to work when truck driving school started to look good.  Since I’ve been disabled, I’ve published one book three times (don’t ask!), and found a good home for the sequel.  I’m now working on a third book that’s not related to the other two. I also publish the Marketing for Romance Writers Newsletter and I’ve been on staff for the upcoming World Science Fiction Convention.  I know people who’ve received Hugo Awards and our newsletter has won a Predators & Editors Award.  I’m almost as busy as I was when I was still working my day job, but I get to wear PJs and slippers while I work.

Q: Who are your favorite authors?

A: The list gets longer and more eclectic every day.  Robert A. Heinlein, J.K. Rowling, Cyrus Keith (at MuseItUp Publishing, Inc.), Elle Druskin, Heather Haven, Ginger Simpson, Marva Dasef, Roseanne Dowell, (all fellow Musers and I’m sure I’m missing some); M.S. Spencer at Secret Cravings; M. S. Kaye, Colleen Story, and Estee Kesler at Jupiter Gardens Press.

Q: Who are your favorite characters among the books you’ve written?

A: So far, I guess I’d have to say Annie in Rock Bound.  Katie and Kristen are both aspects of me and Annie is stronger than me, I think.  She survives losing her husband, her child, her mother, her freedom, and she helps make a home for herself and her fellow prisoners on the Moon.  She’s a pretty gutsy lady.

Q: What makes a good book?

A: You have to have good characters.  If the characters don’t engage the reader, then nothing else matters.  The plot can have all the twists and turns in the world, but if you don’t care about the people, you probably won’t keep reading.  The plot comes next.  You can have great characters, but they have to do something.  They need some sort of conflict—some sort of obstacle to overcome.  I was at a sci-fi convention once and someone asked a best-selling author how she overcame the mid-book doldrums.  She said, “I ask myself ‘what’s the worst thing that can happen to these people?’ and I write it.”

Q: Where do you hope to be five years from now?

A: I hope I’ll have ideas for more books and not still be working on the same one I’m working on now.  I also hope I’ll have gotten better at actually selling what I write. I’d like to be making a living as a writer. Hear that Goddess?

Thank you Rochelle for sharing. Rochelle’s newest novel, The Thin Person Inside, was just released. Here’s more.

Blurb:

Kristen Jensen, a Navy veteran, tips the scale at a crippling three hundred pounds. In desperation she asks her VA therapist if she can go into addictions treatment with the guys where she meets Sean. With black hair, blue eyes, and a perfect body she figures the reason he’s speaking to her is that she’s the only other person in the room.

The Haystack told their lead singer, Sean Wesley, to get clean or get out. But none of the big-name clinics worked. Sean’s a Desert Storm vet, so they send him to a VA in the middle of nowhere. When he meets Kristen the first day, he thinks it’s tragic such a pretty girl’s trapped in a huge body. And her honesty, intelligence, and bravery are even more impressing. Sean’s drawn to Kristen, but she’s had decades to build layers of defense.

Bio:

Rochelle Weber is a Navy veteran with a BA in Writing from Columbia College in Chicago. Her novels Rock Bound and Rock Crazy are available in both e-book and print. Her third book, The Thin Person Inside, is available at MuseItUp Publishing, Inc. Ms. Weber edits for Jupiter Gardens Press, The Author’s Secret, and publishes the Marketing for Romance Writers Newsletter, winner of the 2013 Predators & Editors Readers’ Poll for Best Writers’ Resource. She also started Roses & Thorns Reviews and currently has two partners.

Ms. Weber battles bi-polar disorder, quipping, “You haven’t lived until you’ve been the only woman on the locked ward at the VA.” Her song, “It’s Not My Fault,” won a gold medal in the National Veterans Creative Arts Competition. She has lost over a hundred pounds and kept it off for over three years.

Rochelle Before weight loss

Rochelle After weight loss

  

Buy Links:

MuseItUp Publishing, Inc.:  http://tinyurl.com/rwmusettpi

Amazon:  http://amzn.to/1MSNTf9

BN:  http://tinyurl.com/rwttpibn

Author Links:

Website:  www.rochelleweber.com

Blog:  http://rochelleweber.blogspot.com

Blog:  http://rosesndthorns.blogspot.com

Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/rochelle.weber2

Facebook Author Page:  http://www.facebook.com/Rochelle.Weber.Author

Twitter:  http://twitter.com/#!/RochelleWeber

Amazon Author Page:  http://amazon.com/author/rochelleweber

Adventure Scrapbook – New Orleans Cathedral

When I first caught sight of the towering magical spires of the Cathedral-Basilica of Saint Louis or more commonly known as the St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, I thought it was a castle. The cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans and is among the oldest cathedrals in the United States. It's located in the French Quarter next to Jackson Square facing the Mississippi River. Framed by the beautiful gardens of Jackson Square it looked like a scene from a fairy tale.

Adventure Inspirations - Albert Einstein

“The one who follows the crowd will usually get no further than the crowd. The one who walks alone, is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been.” 

-Albert Einstein-

Adventure Scrapbook – Iguanas of Roatan, Honduras

Roatan, Honduras is a small island, only about 33 miles long and four miles wide, located about 30 miles off the north coast of mainland Honduras. It’s an idyllic spot of unsurpassed tropical beauty and pristine waters for diving and snorkeling. Beneath the beauty lurks one of its less attractive, but equally fascinating inhabitants, iguanas.  

Recent Release Roundup

There are so many great new books hitting the shelves all the time, making it difficult to single one out.  So, I’ve included a few recent releases that sounded interesting from writers I’m familiar with. For more, just click on each title which takes you directly to the Amazon listing.

Amanda Running Scared (Contemporary Romance/Suspense) by Georgina Sellwood.

Someone wants her dead... But why? 

When Amanda Vanderbilt is attacked at a party, she hides in a cowboy’s horse trailer to elude the masked man suddenly stalking her relentlessly. 

Bruce Palmer is on a mission to pick up horses for his boss across country in Seattle. A loner, he wants nothing to do with the pretty blonde he finds stowed away. 

But like it or not, he’s been lassoed into the mess, and it’s now his duty to protect her. 

Who is the masked man and why is he chasing them in a semi? 

The Last Princess of Meigen (Historical Romance/Medieval) by Rachel A. James.

She must choose between love and duty... 

A captivating tale of love and duty as the last princess of Meigen searches for her true purpose amidst conflict and betrayal. 

It is 626AD, and the ancient Kingdom of Meigen is left vulnerable to neighboring Saxons. To unite the kingdoms and bring peace, Princess Alena must enter into a royal marital alliance. But when the handsome physician, Sherwin, befalls her, matters become complicated. Torn between obligations to her young son and country, she faces a difficult decision. Will Alena obey the king’s orders, or choose to follow her heart?

Adventure Scrapbook – Altun Ha, Belize

 Belize is home to many Mayan ruins of varying size, complexity, and importance. Not far outside of Belize City, is Altun Ha, an early classic site which is considered one of the smaller historic Mayan sites in the area, yet one of the richest. Among the treasures discovered at Altun Ha are a jade skull of Kinich Ahau, the Maya Sun God, and the residue from a codex (fragments left after the organic material has rotted away). Only three codices and one fragment of a codex have been discovered, so even the remains of one of these rare Mayan books is a significant find. 

Alaska Gold Rush Era Fiction

Just released, Gold Nuggets, a young adult historical romance by Lynn Lovegreen.

In the shadow of Denali, she has a home, and he finds adventure. 

Charlotte Cooper wants to stay near her parents' home in Alaska. But her dreams of being a writer call her away to college or work, and she has to choose her own path in life. 

Henry Reeves is a wealthy New Yorker seeking a summer adventure when he travels to Kantishna near the proposed Mt. McKinley National Park. He discovers two passions, one for Charlotte, and the other for keeping Alaska wildlife from being wiped out like the buffalo. 

Charlotte and Henry find an attraction they can’t deny, but can they build a new life together between the wilderness and high society?

Lynn Lovegreen grew up in Alaska, and still lives there. She taught English for 20 years before retiring to make more time for writing. She enjoys reading, hanging out with friends and family, and hitting targets with a cowboy action shooting club. Her young adult historical romances are set in the Alaska Gold Rush, a great time for drama, romance, and independent characters. Visit Lynn on her website at www.lynnlovegreen.com. You can also find her on Facebook and Pinterest. Her novels include Fools Gold, Quicksilver to Gold, Golden Days, Gold Nuggets, and a novella, Worth Her Weight in Gold.

Get your copy of Gold Nuggets now from Amazon at

For more books by Lynn set in the fascinating Gold Rush era in Alaska, click on any of the links below to learn more or purchase through Amazon.

Golden Days

Quicksilver to Gold

Worth Her Weight in Gold  (Novella, only $0.99)

Fools Gold

Adventure Scrapbook – The Grandeur of Grand Teton

There are few places on earth more spectacular than Grand Teton National Park. The scenery alone is enough to take your breath away, but that’s only the tip of the iceberg. The geological and human histories tell an amazing story, and recreational opportunities abound. Grand Teton is home to an abundance of plant and animal life including some of the West’s most iconic species such as bears, wolves, elk, moose, pronghorn, deer, and bison. If you find yourself in the area this summer, don’t miss out on a visit to this amazing place.

Patriot's Pride

With knowledge, he believed he could find answers. She had only faith.

Derrick, a surgeon, is haunted by his brother’s death. When his prayers went unanswered, he turned his faith to science. He believes studying with an esteemed surgeon in England will return meaning to his life.

Margaret’s fiancé died at the hands of a doctor who bled him to death. On board the Prosperity, she meets the arrogant Doctor Fortune who considers her no less than a milkmaid. She considers him a butcher. Though she must journey to England to hear the reading of the will of her grandfather, the Earl of Broadcraft, she finds herself constantly confronting Derrick on his methods of healing. Yet, there is something about his soulful eyes that attracts her. When a British ship presses the Prosperity’s sailors into service, Margaret and Derrick must work together if they are to reach England. But can they ever learn to trust each other enough to allow love into their hearts?

Of this sequel to PATRIOT’S HEART, one reviewer said, “This tale is filled with adventure and conflict and woven well with history. The high seas and British society challenge both characters to grow in ways they never imagined and a far greater gift awaits both Margaret and Derrick. Faith is handled well and it is fun to see Margaret, a secondary character in Patriot's Heart, get her own story and see her lost dreams redeemed in surprising ways.”

Buy links for Patriot's Pride!

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1T32bNQ

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/patriots-pride-penelope-marzec/1056074417?ean=2940151450652

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/552029

                         

Penelope Marzec grew up along the Jersey shore, heard stories about Captain Kidd, and dug for his buried treasure. All she got was a bad case of poison ivy. Deciding books were better than buried treasure, she discovered romance novels and was soon hooked on happy endings. She became an early childhood educator and found her own hero in an electrical engineer who grew up in Brooklyn, played the accordion, and was immune to poison ivy. Now retired, Penelope either writes her stories or paints seascapes in oils. Sometimes she sings while her husband plays the accordion.

You can find Penelope at her website: http://www.penelopemarzec.com

Like her at Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/penelopemarzecbooks

Follow her tweets @penelopemarzec

Find her on Instagram @marzecpenelope

Happy Independence Day

I hope everyone has a happy, fun, and safe 4^th of July holiday. Independence Day is also a great opportunity to thank all those who are serving and who have served, and their families, for their sacrifices for our freedom. 

Thank you!