 While I have not personally had cancer, I have several family members and friends who have. Their struggles and faith are what inspired me to write this book.
Finding Hope is FREE through Friday, October 30th. If you haven't had a chance to read Lexi's story of hope in the face of cancer, I hope you'll take this opportunity. Whether you've struggled with cancer yourself, or know someone who has, I hope that this book will be an encouragement to you.
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 I'm very excited that Debbie Brown's new novel, Snow Job, has been released and I know that her fans have been waiting on the edge of their seats for it. Known for her Amethyst Eyes series, Snow Job is sure to become a favorite among her readers. Here's what the book's about: When NY divorce lawyer, Sarah Lindquist, stepped out of her office to clear her mind before her next client showed up, the last thing she expected was to come to in the middle of the Colorado Rockies, with two park rangers standing over her. The ex-military rangers are convinced someone wants her out of the way, but how do they find out who, without putting her life at risk and letting that 'someone' know they've missed the target? I'll bet that's enough to pique your interest. But if you need more convincing, reading the first few pages should do it. Debbie does an incredible job of taking the reader and immediately connecting them with character Sarah Lindquist. What does this accomplish? When I read about Sarah waking up in the middle of nowhere out in the Colorado Rockies, I felt like it was happening to me. From that point on, the book was a page turner and having to put it down to tend to "real life" was anything but easy. The characters in this book are incredibly well developed and memorable. The details and personalities of each of them adds to the story and makes it all the more complex. The story itself is one of suspense with a good mystery thrown in. From the first pages until the end, Debbie has created an amazing tale that kept me wondering what was going on. Who's trying to kill Sarah? Why are they targeting her? By the end, you're left with a book that you'd happily pick up and read again. This is one of those books I can see made into an action/suspense movie in the future. Well done, Debbie! You can purchase Snow Job at the following: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Kobo Google Play | Smashwords | iBooks CreateSpace | Paperback About the Author: All her life, Debbie has spun stories in her mind, watching the characters come to life. After working as a nurse, teacher, martial arts instructor, artist, and CIC officer in the Canadian military, her life reads like a story itself. Since graduating from the Institute of Children’s Literature, she is finally devoting herself to writing these stories down and taking us all on a ride we won’t quickly forget. Keep up to date with Debbie and her books:
Welcome to My World | Amethyst Eyes Facebook | Twitter | E-mail New Cover Reveal! Blue Hydrangeas by Marianne Sciucco Cover design by Perry Elisabeth  What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face, and couldn't remember your name? A pair of retired Cape Cod innkeepers struggle with the wife's Alzheimer's. A beautiful love story written by a masterful storyteller who happens to be a nurse. Amazon-rated 4.7 out of 5 stars Goodreads rated 4.11 out of 5 stars Readers say: Heartbreakingly beautiful. I felt drawn to Jack and Sara from page one and find myself wondering about them even now. The book is very well-written and believable. A heartfelt tender story that is entertaining and emotionally gripping! A real page turner and it gives you insights of the daily life events living with this crushing disease called Alzheimer’s. While not a "happily ever after" love story, Blue Hydrangeas is sure to be one you will ponder for some time after you have finished reading it. Purchase Blue Hydrangeas in ebook, paperback, and audiobook Amazon Amazon UK Audible Barnes and Noble iBooks iTunes Kobo  About the Author
Marianne Sciucco is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, she dreamed of becoming an author when she grew up but became a nurse to avoid poverty. She later brought her two passions together and writes about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. Her debut novel, Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story, is a Kindle bestseller, IndieReader Approved, a BookWorks featured book, a Self-e Selection, a 5-star Readers Favorite, and winner of IndieReCon’s Best Indie Novel Award, 2014. She's currently working on a YA novel, Swim Season, about the new girl on the team who challenges a longstanding school record, to be released in 2015. A native Bostonian, Marianne lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, and when not writing works as a campus nurse at a community college. She loves books, the beach, and craft beer, and especially enjoys the three of them together. Connect with Marianne Sciucco Why did I Write a Book about Alzheimer’s? An Interview with Author Marianne Sciucco Website Goodreads Google+ Connect with Perry Elisabeth Website Book Design  "House Lizards"
We have a lot of geckos outside our house. Our kids call them "Night Lizards" and every night before they go to bed, we go out on the back porch and see how many night lizards we can spot. Most of the time, they tend to congregate near the windows where more insects are located because of the light from the house. There have been a couple of nights this summer/fall where we've only seen one. I think the most we saw in a night was seven. I'm personally a fan of lizards in general and enjoy going out to look for them as much as the kids do. Now, I will tell you that when I go outside, I step out carefully and look above the door for any critter that might try to sneak inside. We've seen a couple of the baby geckos in the house this summer. Which leads to the story that has emotionally scarred me. Seriously. Story from the Past In June of 2009, I was letting our dogs outside before going to bed for the night. I opened the back door and the dogs raced outside. I stood just inside waiting for them. A moment later, I felt something touch my head. I immediately thought of a lizard or something similar and reached my hand up as it moved towards the top rim of my glasses. The moment I touched it, I know something wasn't right. I stepped backwards, grabbed the creature on my head, and pulled it down. It turned out to be a snake that had already wrapped around my glasses. I threw the snake to the floor (In the house, mind you. Not my finest moment - out the back door would have been MUCH better) and it took my glasses with it. So there I am, standing in the kitchen trying to squint at the reptile on the floor in the utility room in an attempt to ID it. I'm yelling for my husband who comes in, completely shocked to see the 18-24 inch snake laying there. Before we could figure out what to do about it, it crawled into the cabinet housing our air conditioner. We called someone to come and catch it, but they were unable to find it, saying that it probably went under the house via a large opening beneath the air conditioner. We never did see it again, but it was days before we kept watching for it (and we kept heavy books or furniture covering the air conditioner vents in the floor that night just to make ourselves feel better). We were told this particular snake was most likely a bull snake (non-poisonous) and had probably been trying to move across the door in search of a bird's nest. When I opened the door, it lost its balance and fell on me. Six years later, I still can't walk out of a door - front or back - at night without looking up first. I just pray something like that never happens to me again because once in a lifetime was enough for me! Have you had a nightmarish run in with nature? I love seasonal recipes! I got this particular recipe from my mom. I remember watching her make it a few times when I was a kid and loving it. Plus, there's just something memorable and cool about eating dinner that was baked in a pumpkin. I try to make this for my own family once a year - usually in October when it's easier to find pumpkins the right size. It's become a fun family tradition.  Dinner in a Pumpkin Preheat the oven to 375'F Make sure you move the rack to the lowest setting 1 medium pumpkin 2 lbs. ground beef 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/3 cup chopped bell pepper 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 cup soy sauce 2 tsp. brown sugar 1 can cream of chicken soup 2 cups hot cooked rice Cut the top of the pumpkin around the stem. Keep the top and discard the insides (or save the seeds to roast later). Brown the ground beef and drain the fat. Add the veggies and cook them until tender. Remove from heat and stir in the other ingredients. Spoon the mixture into the pumpkin. Replace the top. Lightly grease the center of a baking sheet or cover it with aluminum foil. Bake 1 hour until the pumpkin is tender. Scoop everything out of the pumpkin and enjoy! Personal notes: This recipe has room for a lot of variation. We use green onion, a cup of bell pepper, no added salt, and brown rice. Celery would also be a yummy addition.
If you decide to make this for your own family, I'd enjoy hearing from you!
 Today's the Day! I'm so excited to finally be able to share Finding Courage with you all today. It's available on Kindle as well as in paperback and I hope you enjoy it!
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