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Showing posts from May, 2014

Special invite and Freebies - Please Share/RT

I have decided (with editor's help) that for IMMORTAL SEPARATION, since it's a novelette, that I would do something nice for those who are a part of my newsletter. And something to tide you over until the release of my next novel. So! I decided that once I'm finished with the edits for IMMORTAL SEPARATION, (end of June or before), I will release ONE chapter every week in my newsletter. If you're not already signed up for the newsletter, then sign on up! This will be the ONLY way to get this book for the next couple of months. Unlike the others, it will not be released right away. I'm hoping that not only will this be a great way to introduce more people to my books, but it will also be a way to show all my subscribers just how much I appreciate you. This is an offer exclusive to subscribers of the newsletter. That is NOT the only goodie! There will be another special goodie (yay, right?!) that will not be mentioned until the end of the last chapter given

Ariana Browning Mini Story - Revenge

Here is the text version, and below is the image version. =============REVENGE=================== Inch by inch it crept upward. Drawn by the sounds.  Thump . . . thump . . . thump . . . the noises came. Long had it slept at peace. Long had it dreamed and enjoyed the silence. Thump . . . thump . . . scrape. . . . Grind . . . screech . . . thud. . . .  Inch by inch it continued upward. Above he was unsuspecting. Below he was not. The mouth gaped further and further as it came. Just out of sight. Thump . . . scrape . . . thum-- Silence at last. Beautiful silence. No more scraping, no more thudding. Peace and quiet once more. Downward it slid inch by inch. The flesh delicious, spiced with a bit of dirt. The metal not so. All that remained was a small shovel. =====================

Book Review - Stephen King - Nightmares and Dreamscapes

What to say about this one. . . . There were a lot of great stories in it. Then a lot of the stories were ones I skipped. I'm no longer a huge fan of short stories that are all clumped together. Or rather, I'll say . . . I'm not a fan of them right now. That could always change. Not sure why that is. Just a personal preference. I think the ones that I didn't really get into and I just skipped/skimmed over, were the regular stories. I know, I'm terrible, they were normal human stories. Right now to me, I'm in a phase of needing  to read something that captures me and I'm yet to be held by regular old stories. That isn't anything to Stephen King as a writer, or anyone else, it's a personal preference of mine at this moment. However, as to the writing, it was engaging and compelling. Typical Stephen King. I'll probably come back to this later on (years down the road) and end up reading the stories that I skimmed. I'd suggest reading this

Dark Illusions Series Media Page

For those of you who would like to share information about this series. Information is below Cover Image (You can resize to fit needs) Links I use: Amazon Author Profile - http://www.amazon.com/author/arianabrowning Smashwords Author Profile -  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/arianabrowning Website: www.arianabrowning.com Synopsis for the entire series: The Awakened have existed since time began. Always there; never seen. Vampires with the ability to shapeshift into wolves, who retain many of the wolf abilities. Kat is thrust into a world she never knew existed before. A world many humans are never privy to. Not only does she have to learn to accept the existence of these creatures, but she becomes entangled in a war that may have consequences for her that she never imagined possible. The Prince has long wished for the humans to be unawares of their existence. He has maintained order–despite some clans trying to always defy him–for many centuries until this on

Homemade taco seasoning

This is my secret to great taco seasoning, and meat. I am not a fan of premades because they include chili powder. I'm not a fan. So my secret is: Garlic Salt, Garlic Pepper Paprika, Seasoning Salt Yes, I can do them separately for the pepper and salt, but that's just me. Amounts are fairly equal. Adjust to taste, but equal parts each is good to start. For the meat. Brown your 1lb of meat, then add about a 1/4 c water, and 1/4 tsp each of the seasonings. Simmer and stir until most of the water is absorbed. Or for less salt, do 1/8 tsp for the salts. Mostly I use garlic, seasoning salt, and paprika. A tip for getting ground meat to cook small like the restaurants? Work with fresh meat, flatten out in pan like a pancake all the way to the edges. Then when it browns, try to turn it over in clumps, and begin breaking it up. Some people talk about using a masher, but the method I mentioned first, works for me.

On what happens when I have a bad day, and how I manage to shed those feelings so fast

I am sitting here in my bed, getting ready to read ( Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets ). Kendra is lying at my feet, Sabrina is upon her bed, which sits at the end of my bed. Soon, I will be joined by more. For now, it's just them and Zeva on her branch. Zeva is grinding her beak, preparing herself for bed as well (she does it before bed as a comforting thing). I am filled with a sense of peace. Overwhelming gratitude and joy is also in there. It has been a good day. It didn't start that way. By the time I post this, two days will have passed since this very moment, but I wanted to write now while everything is fresh. It is my goal to be more vulnerable and open this year. It has also become a goal to focus on the energy I put out into the world. I want to live with grace and beauty. I want to ensure that as I face each day, it is more on a positive note, and a peace state. Peace as in calm. I am usually as such naturally, but living around negative individual

On the essence of a past moment recaptured

I sit and watch the pup pups playing. I focus on one, and simply enjoy the show. I'm watching all the years of growth I've been around to see, all the years yet ahead. I sit and watch this fantastic beauty as she sleeps beside me on the chair, listening to the gentle sounds of sleep. I am reminded of the way she (Kaley) looked while she slept in her bed as nothing more than a worm with legs, along with her siblings, after they were born. My back would scream in pain, my legs would be worse after the long hours of caring for them and their mother, but I didn't care. I would sit, and I would watch. I observed the wonders of nature, of life, of love, lying there in that nursery bed. Admiring what came of nothing. Sometimes I will hold them and do nothing more than look into their eyes, seeing everything residing within. The intelligence, the love, the amazing way parts of nothing can come together to form such a beautiful creature. I don't thi

Fat vs. Skinny

Before I begin my rambling, I would like to introduce myself to you.  My name is Courtney. I live in Brooklyn, NY with my husband and two awesome kids. I am an artist, a public school art teacher, co-owner of Yellow Hook Necktie Co., and a mother of a five year old girl and a four year old boy.  Every year I am one of those people who makes a New Years resolution. I actually make the same resolution every single year.  I am going to pick one new thing and try it out, a challenge.  This year, my challenge is to write. Thanks Ariana, for giving me a platform. Fat vs. Skinny I am very careful and conscious about how I view my own body, the comments I make about it, and the clothes I put on it.  I have a five year old daughter, and while I encourage physical activity and healthy eating, I want her to love her body whether she grows up to be skinny or fat. Yes, I said fat. I have been "skinny" all of my life.  I write that in quotes because people feel that word is okay t

On the possibility that speaking your mind is no longer an asset

I was struck last night with the most random of ideas and this is what I thought of. Mind you, I was barely awake at that point so my higher self was more open to this idea. Now I think to myself, oh that's going to piss a lot of people off. Yourself (meaning myself) included. I am a proud person. Pride for me is my biggest battle. I used to think being blunt was a good thing. I thought to myself, I speak my mind, and I am blunt! so people know where I stand.  Okay, but then how far does one take something like that? I have been reading a lot of Eckhart Tolle books, and listening to the podcasts from him and Oprah so it only spurs me on to be a more conscious being who considers her words more carefully, including her actions. I am now coming to see that: Speaking your mind is no longer an asset, it could be a liability. Ariana Browning We are always speaking about the freedom of speech that we have. But with any freedom comes responsibility. I have the freed

On creating island beds in the front yard

Been working on the front yard off and on when I can. My mom gave me the okay to go ahead and landscape the front yard. Since it's her house/yard, I won't do something like that unless she's okay with it because the front yard is a big deal for her. She cares what people see when they first approach. I can't stand being in the sun too long, and it's been really hot so I don’t get too much done all at once (I’m one of those people who like to take their time anyway, so it works for me). That whole . . . part Irish thing gets to me when the sun comes out. I may burn fast, but more often than not, it’s the heat sickness. Staying hydrated and eating something sweet has been my method of staving it off, but still, being outside in the sun can’t be long-term. Because of that, it’s a bit slow-going because where I’m working, is right in the sunny area most of the day. By the time the shadows fall, it’s around dinner time and I am too tired to do more than the dishes, and c

On a life changing birthday

Three years ago, my entire life changed. I remember thinking to myself in those final moments, that though I had read up on it. Though I had studied my little heart out constantly. I remember thinking. . . . Oh my God, I can't do this. What am I talking about? Helping to birth puppies. Anyone who followed me on Facebook three years ago may remember that day well. I didn't tell anyone just how petrified I was that I would pass out; that I would not be able to handle it; that I would fail. I was scared most of all, that I would fail. That I would end up harming one of those puppies, or that I would worse . . . kill one. Of course the vet had prepared us for one of them possibly being stillborn too. The one that was up in momma's (Kendra's) ribcage. I was so incredibly scared. I didn't know if I could handle one of them coming out dead. With every one that came out, I grew more afraid that I would find that one the vet had warned about. With the way Kendr

On magic being found within the earth

I love to work in the yard and in the garden. To me, there is always something magical about doing so. I feel connected to the earth, in more ways than one. I'm not sure where, or when, it started, but I have always felt a sort of spirit, if you will, within plants, the earth, everything. Something that's there  if you're willing to see it, to feel it, to hear. I've been listening to Echkart Tolle podcasts from when he was on the Oprah show. He often speaks about feeling the is ness of things. It helps to remind you to be more present. To focus on the now . Because plants and animals only know how to exist in the now. By observing them, you learn to live more presently as well. I have to agree with that. Oprah told him about her experience when she was walking through the woods, and how she really understood that, because when she was by a tree, she really could feel the presence, the alive ness, of the tree. Ekhart often speaks of this. When we place a name  upon so

Happy Birthday Chewbacca!

Happy Birthday Chewbacca! Tell me this guy isn't the most adorable guy on the planet. haha Today is Chewbacca's SEVENTH birthday. This is a pic from when he was only about one year, I think. Not entirely sure. He's always been so easy-going. Love you chunky monkey!

On Being an Adult

When we get older, we find ourselves having to do things that normally we would not. Either we simply choose not to, or we think, “it’s not our responsibility so I do not have to do it.” But being an adult means that sometimes you do things that you do not want to do. It isn’t that you do them because you have to. At the end of the day, nobody can truly force you into doing a thing that you don’t want to. It’s called freedom. However, there is a little thing called, “taking responsibility.” Responsibility is something that comes with time, age, and especially with elderly parents. When the child becomes the adult, caring for the “new” child so-to-speak. Anyone in that position would understand what that means. Most people know that I live with my mom and I take care of the old biddy (what? I say it to her face, too, lol). She turned 73 as of October last year. A few years ago she took a tumble in the bathtub, ruptured her kidneys, and from then on it was back and forth to the hospita

Fun with Fossils

Welcome Dear Reader. First, a quick introduction. My name is Raymond Steyn. I’m the author of the recently published science thriller ANCESTOR (also my debut). My posts will concentrate on paleoanthropology and evolution, although other areas of science (and life) might also feature occasionally. My fascination with prehistory is difficult to explain. Perhaps it’s the human desire to unravel the fabric of nature – to explore our role, past and present, in the tapestry of the cosmos – or perhaps I just like woolly mammoths and hulking cavemen! For my first blog post, I present an extract from my new novel, THE FOSSIL KING, due out later this year (also the follow-up to ANCESTOR) and exclusive to Ariana's website. *** Despite his uncompromising management style, Brian Muldoon could turn on the charm when circumstances demanded it. A switch from ‘kick-ass’ to ‘kiss-ass’ his subordinates described the transformation. Which is what he currently tried to channel as he escorted inv