Art Un-covered 1.3

I'm thrilled with how this scene came out. "Battlefield" is from my second book 'Legacy of Stone'. Enjoy the image and the passage.

"A sudden movement caught in his blurry vision. Shaun lifted his head slowly. A figure moved through the battlefield with sure steps. It stopped periodically leaning down to peer at a body now and then. Shaun almost called out. The cry strangled him as the figure walked within sight. He was huge. Black plate armor covered every inch of him. In his grip a lethal obsidian blade defied the light. It's deadly tip dragged the ground. Shaun stared at the specter. The black knight jerked around as if he could feel Shaun's eyes upon him. It moved towards him ignoring the bodies of the dead underfoot."

Review for "The Sable City"

"The Sable City" is the first book in M. Edward McNally's "The Norothian Cycle" series.
☺☺☺☻☻
A faded compass looks out from a background of swirling ink and parchment. A tiki style mask stares outward with silvery eyes. A musket and a katana are crossed in front of the mask baring it from coming towards the reader.
Matilda Lanai is chosen for a special task by the head of her guild house, an ancient dwarf named Captain Block. Together the two will travel across oceans and seas, cities, kingdoms, and whole continents to save the House of Deskata. Their journey will take her to the fabled city of Vod'Adia, also known as the Sable City, and into a tangle of death and intrigue.

 

What I liked:

• The characters were intriguing if not completely fleshed out. The most unique of which was Neshatari.
• The banter towards the end of the book between the characters is occasionally giggle worthy.

 

What I disliked:

• Holy run on sentence, Batman! I'm not usually a stickler for punctuation but that changes once it becomes difficult to read. And The Sable City was definitely difficult to read. I saw dozens of sentences which lasted no less than 4 or 5 lines of type. Sometimes one sentence took an entire paragraph. Come on, man, take a breath!
• Next, I'm all for world building but there's only so much of it one can take. The author described every scene, every country, every piece of useless history ad nausem. Pages upon pages were dedicated to describing each place our characters visit without actually moving the plot along one whit or making us any more invested in our heroes.
• As stated earlier none of the characters are completely fleshed out. Maybe if the author had spent a little less time building his world he would have noticed that his characters were a little one-dimensional. What's the use of an epic sprawling landscape with paper cut outs for people? A death that should of felt like a cannon ball to the chest was more like a whisper of wind. Why? Because the author didn't make us invested in the character. 
• The Sable City is long. That is not in and of itself a bad thing, but its also incredibly slow. The journey drags its feet every step of the way, introducing more and more characters and pushing the reader further and further away. Every single time barring the last time that I picked up the book it was a struggle to not put it back down again within minutes. That didn't change til about 75% of the way through. Then it picked up and became a serviceable story.
• Our breath taking mind boggling surprise in Camptown is not a surprise at all. Nope. I felt like I was just treading water til it could be revealed. My arms got tired.

"The Sable City" was this close *imagine my thumb and pointer finger almost touching* to being a two smiley book. I mean it. This close. At about the 3/4 mark it began to redeem itself. But quite frankly the book up and until that point was useless, flat, and unentertaining. The only reason I soldiered on to get to that point was because I intended to review it and it doesn't seem fair to review a book that I haven't completely read. So if you don't mind a long bland beginning then this book is for you, otherwise pass it up. There are other much better free novels out there. "The Sable City" is available for free at the time of this review. The following books in the series, of which there are currently 4 more, are all priced at $4.99  You can find out more about the series and the author at www.sablecity.wordpress.com
☺☺☺☻☻
3 out of 4 smileys
Recommended for those that have alot of time to spare and enjoy world driven versus plot/character driven stories.

Synopsis"For the first time in a hundred years, Vod'Adia - the fabled Sable City - is Opening. All across the known world, adventurers hungry for gold and relics from the Witch King's era are making their way to the legendary ruins. For many of them, the Sable City will claim their lives and perhaps even their very souls. But for one heroic fellowship bent only on rescue, entering this deadly place may do worse than destroy them. It may destroy the entire world.
The journey begins in the Miilark Islands, where a most unusual dwarf makes a most unusual choice. Captain Block, charged with finding the exiled heir of House Deskata, picks Tilda Lanai to accompany him - a young woman newly trained in the arts of the Guild, but completely untested. With the help of a rag-tag company that includes a ronin samurai, a semi-competent wizard, a noblewoman in disguise, a healer, a warrior-priest and two ex-soldiers (one in danger of being hanged for desertion), Tilda's quest leads her into the very heart of the Sable City--where devils and demons roam freely, and very little is what it seems. "


Art Un-covered 1.2

Welcome back for our second installment of Art Uncovered. I'm calling this one 'Set Adrift'. Its a scene from my second book 'Legacy of Stone'. Please enjoy the image and accompanying snippets.

 

"He woke to birdsong echoing through hazy green light as the sun squinted down at through an impossibly high canopy of verdant green. He lay there for a few moments enjoying the warmth of dappled light and the quite slosh of water before sitting up and letting the covers pool around his waist...Shaun rubbed halfheartedly at his eyes only then realizing the bed was set adrift on an endless plain of water...Shaun watched passively, noticing after a while that his sleeptime raft was sinking as well. For one frightening moment as the water swamped the bed, he was afraid. Afraid of letting go, afraid of holding on. It looked like drowning either way. The water lifted him up even as it crowded over his nose and mouth."

Review for "Through the Door"

"Through the Door" is the first book in the urban fantasy series "The Thin Veil" by Jodi McIssac
☺☺☺☺☻
The cover features an ornate antique lock, the patina of age marring its surface. We feel compelled to look through the keyhole though there's nothing to see.
Upon preparing for this review I found the new cover. It is fall in the forest, a carpet of orange and brown leaves blankets the ground and the sky. Our focus is drawn to the center tree where it appears a large rectangular piece of bark is swing open. Bright light flows out of the cracks.
A young Cedar McLeod is in love. She's ready and willing to spend the rest of her life with her boyfriend, Finn, creating a home and a family together. But disaster strikes when Finn just disappears one day, leaving nothing behind, not even a note, except for the unknown baby growing in Cedar's womb. Seven years later Cedar is still struggling to put the memories of a happier time out of her mind. That becomes almost impossible when Eden, Cedar's six year old daughter, opens the door to her bedroom one night and walks into Egypt. Now she's desperate for answers, desperate enough to go looking for the man who abandoned her years ago. But the answers she finds only bring up more questions as she is thrown into a world of myth and ancient magics.

 

What I liked:

• Cedar McLeod is an interesting and unique take on the usual heroine. Most characters that I see are very young and only just discovering who they are as a person. Cedar is beautifully unique in that she is the mother of a six year old little girl.
• The relationship between mother, daughter, and estranged father offers a sense of poignancy that is usually lacking.
• The idea of opening and closing sidhe portals is one that I haven't seen before either.  Also the idea of the Tuatha de Dannan being refugees of a Tir na Nog war was also beautifully unique
• The pacing was well done, with barely a slow moment in between
• Each character has its own faults and depth, even Nuala.

 

What I disliked:

• First off there were way too many proofreading errors. I saw one probably around every chapter. In fact this book would have gotten a five smiley rating had it not been for all the errors. They were usually jarring enough that I had to reread a sentence or two to glean the true meaning, which means that I was pulled from the story world with a bit more frequency than I could ignore.
• Spoilers: The ending was a little odd what with characters returning to life without any previous setup. It also makes me wonder if Cedar would have gotten her true gift back instead of the one Maeve had given her. And well she wither away and age or will she be a true Tuatha de Dannan in the end.
• Spoilers: Also through the whole book the author goes to great lengths to make us think that Cedar is just human. I have to say I never believed it for a second and was just waitng for the big reveal. Also I thought that Cedar was Brogan's daughter all along, but I was wrong in thinking that her mother was really her mother.

All in all 'Through the Door' was a wonderful unique read and a fresh take on the Tuatha de Dannan line. The story and the plot line deserve 5 smileys but due to the proofreading errors I couldn't bring myself to do it. It is currently available on amazon for the kindle for $3.99. You can also find the second book in the series 'Into the Fire' for $4.99 You can read more about the author and her series at ww.jodimcissac.com
☺☺☺☺☻
4 out of 5 smileys
Recommended mostly for adult fantasy lovers who can truly appreciate the relationship and poignancy between mother and child. I think teens would probably enjoy the book as well but I dislike recommending it to this age group due to the unwed pregnancy.



Synopsis: "It’s been seven years since the love of Cedar McLeod’s life left with no forwarding address. All she has left of him are heart-wrenching memories of happier times and a beautiful six-year-old daughter, Eden. Then, one day, Eden opens her bedroom door and unwittingly creates a portal that leads to anywhere she imagines.

But they’re not the only ones who know of Eden’s gift, and soon the child mysteriously vanishes. Desperate for answers, Cedar digs into the past and finds herself thrust into a magical world of Celtic myths, fantastical creatures, and bloody rivalries. Teaming up with the unlikeliest of allies, Cedar must bridge the gap between two worlds and hold tight to the love in her heart…or lose everything to an ancient evil. The first in the Thin Veil series, Through the Door is a pulse-pounding adventure that takes readers across the globe and deep into the hidden realms of Celtic lore."

Art Un-covered 1.1

I feel like its a little presumptious to call my illustrations and designs art at this point but hey it makes a good title. So from now on til the inspiration for my digital drawings fails I thought I would do a once weekly blog post called Art Un-covered, where I introduce my latest 'doodle'.  So without further ado...

This is the last illustration I'm going to do for 'Cloud's Keeper' for a little while at least.
It's rainy, mist rolls in around Tempest's hooves. Cloud sits atop the massive stallion. In the right hand corner you can see the shadow of Blaze as she ducks through the weather. It's not a scene from the book persay but I still love it.

Review for "Initiate"

 "Initiate" is the first book in Tara Maya's 'The Unfinished Song' series.
☺☺☺☺☻
A young woman stands in front of the mountains, her hand outstretched to touch a floating blue fairy. The fairy leaves an arc of sparkles in its wake.
Dindi is kinda the odd duck. She loves to dance. She sees visions. She plays with fairies. She dreams of one day becoming a Tavaedi, a member of the secret society of dance, magic, and war. It encompasses her every thought. But in order to become Tavaedi, Dindi must pass the Initiation and be chosen. What's worse no one in her family has ever been chosen and if she fails she can never dance again.
Kavio is the Rainbow Labryinth's chief's son. But that doesn't save him from being exiled for a crime he didn't commit, a victim to political intrigue when he should be hailed as a hero.

What I liked:

• The author merges mythologies and cultures seamlessly to create a bold and beautiful new world. I often imagined the characters as being native american or spanish in origin, usually with my thoughts tending towards Brazil for some reason. But at the same time the fairies are celtic in nature like the pooka and kappa. 
• The way the Tavaedi's dance and move in battle reminds of the Brazilian style of martial arts known as capoeira.

What I disliked:

• First off there were more than a few proofreading errors, that I noticed
• I think the author introduced a few too many characters. It would have been a little better to focus on maybe the first two instead of adding in all the others. 
• Dindi's perfomance at the Initiation doesn't make sense to me. I know if she'd thought it through it would have ended the series too quick but she could have proved she could see the magic of Tavaedi's just by pointing each of the lights she saw out along with their color, since she saw them all. And if Kavio can see her magic why can't anybody else?
• Brena married and had two kids with the man who essentially raped her during her Initiation ceremony. Really! What the hell!
• It ended rather abruptly without any closure and without cool down period from the climax. I feel like that even though a book is part of a larger series each one should have its own satisfactory ending.

It was nice to find a fairy tale with a different setting, it made for a unique and captivating read. 'Initiate" is currently available for free for the kindle and if you don't mind being left hanging its definitely worth adding to your virtual library. The series continues with 'Taboo', 'Sacrifice', 'Root', 'Wing', and 'Blood' with prices starting at $3.99 and making their way up to $5.95. You can find out more about the author, the series, and her other works at www.taramayatales.blogspot.com
☺☺☺☺☻
4 out of 5 smilies
Recommended for older teens and adults who would enjoy a unique foray into a new world, especially those who find native american/south american cultures fascinating.
Synopsis: " DEADLY INITIATION

A DETERMINED GIRL...
Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.
AN EXILED WARRIOR...
Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile."

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Review for "My Sparkling Misfortune"

"My Sparkling Misfortune" is the first book in Laura Lond's 'Lakeland Knight" series.
☺☺☺☺☻
Two men stand in the foreground the first dark and foreboding, the other glittering brightly and slightly effeminate. A huge monstrous lizard sneaks up behind them looking very similar to a gigantic iguana. A white stone tower juts out of the background into a clear blue sky. The style of illustration puts me in mind of my youth back before digital manipulations became all the rage, a simply pen and ink coloring. It's charming and quaint, a perfect addition to the story itself.
Lord Arkus introduces himself as a villain and rightly proud of it. He's no stranger to battle, kidnapping, torture, and all the accoutrements that go right along with a life of villainy. He handles life and the occasional wanna be hero with a wry wit and the delightful humour to go along with it. But when he mistakenly captures a 'sparkling' ( a good spirit) instead of a 'gormack' (a bad spirit) his life is about to head in a whole nother direction.

What I liked:

• The introduction of Lord Arkus, *gasp* a villain, as our protagonist/hero is a novel and entertaining concept.
• Thankfully Arkus and the author don't take themselves too seriously so its easy to just sit back and enjoy the ride
• The dialogue flows nicely, even realistically most of the time.

What I disliked:

• For a self proclaimed villian, Arkus doesn't really do anything very dastardly. He's really more of an anti-hero in some ways, doing the right things for the wrong reasons and vice-versa in some cases. And his supposedly unlikely transformation into a hero never feels unlikely at all. 
• I could have done with a little more backstory into Jarvi. I think it might have made it more poignant, instead of about two little sparse lines into something that obviously was meant to shape Arkus's entire life, including his decision to choose villainy for a career. 

When I picked up this book I was whole heartedly expecting something like Piers Anthony. An action packed story line laced with bad, albiet hilarous, puns and various levels of wordplay and tom foolery. I didn't get quite what I expected but "My Sparkling Misfortune" did deliver a quick and entertaining jaunt. By quick I mean I finished it easily within a couple of hours. It's a perfect evening read when the world is just a little too dark and depressing for you. Lord Akrus and Jarvi/ Tulip(*snicker*) will leave you shaking your head from time to time at their antics and relationship. "My Sparkling Misfortune" is currently available for the kindle for $2.99. The next book in the series "My Royal Pain Quest" is also available at $3.95. You can find out more about the author, her other books, and the illustrator at http://laura-lond.tripod.com/.
☺☺☺☺☻
4 out of 5 smilies
Recommended for kids, young adults, and adults who don't take themselves or their heros too seriously.

Synopsis: "Lord Arkus of Blackriver Castle readily admits that he is a villain and sees no reason why it should stop him from being the protagonist of this book. After all, Prince Kellemar, an aspiring hero, has defeated him in a rather questionable way. Bent on revenge, Arkus attempts to capture a powerful evil spirit who would make him nearly invincible, but a last-minute mistake leaves him with a Sparkling instead--"a goody-goody spirit that helps heroes, watches over little children, and messes up villains' plans." Bound to Lord Arkus for five years of service and sworn to act in his best interests, the Sparkling is not easy to get rid of, and of course his understanding of "best interests" is quite different from what Lord Arkus has in mind."

Review for "Whispers in Autumn"

"Whispers in Autumn" is the first book in Trisha Leigh's "The Last Year" quartet.
☺☺☺☺☺
As the reader we find ourselves staring into the blue depths of a young woman's eye, as if we're peeking through a keyhole or our camera lens is set to macro we can't see much more of her but that. A few fallen leaves, most likely maple or maybe oak, are trapped in her auburn hair. The title is circled by a matching orange/yellow frame that reminds me of both a floral pattern and circuit boards at once.
Sixteen year old Althea lives on a future version of Earth. A version where an alien race known simply as the Others as taken control of all mankind and become caretakers of the earth and its people. The Others are in charge of everything from what we eat, what we learn in school, who we marry, and we what we do both for work and in our free time. The protect us from the diseases of the Wilds and it's animals and the violence of our past all for the good of mankind, or so they say. Althea knows differently, knows that she is different from the mindless droves of seemingly content people. No one is happy here nor sad, never angry or jealous, never in love. No one but Althea and she's about to find out why.

What I liked:

• The author manages to expertly convey the gamut of emotions that our heroine experiences on a daily basis. Fear, quiet anger, boredom, mistrust, everything nearly jumps off the page begging to be experienced.
• Althea is a quiet heroine but a heroine nonetheless. She rebels against the status quo in her own quiet ways, her compassion for others though is admirable. 
• The addition of Althea's unique talents was surprising and made the story that much more interesting. 
• The trust and relationship between Althea and Lucas builds slowly but in a natural way.
• The Others are sufficiently terrifying in their own way.

What I disliked:

• Every once in awhile the forward progression of the story kinda lagged, not enough for me to get bored, but just enough to be a tad noticeably. 
• If anything was going to attack the kids and get them sick/infected, I would have thought it would be the skunk not the raccoon. Why do raccoons get such a bad rap?

"Whispers in Autumn" is a far cry away from the type of stories that I normally tend to read. You've probably noticed by now that I usually read and focus on fantasy, sword and sorcery, and the occasional paranormal romance. By the time I get around to reading a title on my Kindle it's probably been waiting for two or three months. I don't remember the synopsis or previous reviews or excerpts or anything so I was surprised when I realized it was a science fiction alien story line. I was even more surprised when I thoroughly enjoyed it. As soon as I finished it I wanted to start the next one in the series, which is now on my wish list for the future. I can't help but think that this series would make a potentially awesome movie. "Whispers in Autumn" is available on the kindle for $3.99. The three remaining books in the series are "Winter Omens", "Betrayals in Spring", and "Summer Ruin" for $3.99 a piece. You can find out more about the series and the author at www.trishaleigh.com. For a kick visit the site and see the covers put together for a more complete view of our blue eyed girl.

☺☺☺☺☺

5 out of 5 smilies
Even though the series is labeled young adult, I feel comfortable recommending it all the way to mature younger readers, mature due to a mildly graphic brain on the ground scene, all the way up to full fledged adult readers. You'll know if your kids are mature enough to handle a teensy weensy bit of blood and gore; its definitely no worse(not even comparable really) than what can be found in almost every single video game on the planet these days.

Synopsis: "In 2015, a race of alien Others conquered Earth. They enslaved humanity not by force, but through an aggressive mind control that turned people into contented, unquestioning robots. Except sixteen-year-old Althea isn’t content at all, and she doesn’t need the mysterious note inside her locket to tell her she’s Something Else. It also warns her to trust no one, so she hides the pieces that make her different, even though it means being alone. The autumn she meets Lucas, everything changes. Althea and Lucas are immune to the alien mind control, and together they search for the reason why. What they uncover is a stunning truth the Others never anticipated, one with the potential to free the brainwashed human race. It’s not who they are that makes them special, but what. And what they are is a threat. One the Others are determined to eliminate for good."

Review for "The Choosing"

"The Choosing" is book one in Jeremy Laszlo's Blood and Brotherhood Saga.
☺☺☺☻☻
The cover is rich in warm brown tones, reminding me of leather. A man stands in the foreground close enough to the frame that pieces of him are cut off. His eyes, his hair, one side, his lower body all hidden from sight. What we can see of him is full, almost pouting lips framed by stubble, thick corded neck muscles that disappear beneath a dark metal breastplate. In one gauntlet hand he holds a sword, its blade disappearing somewhere off the page. Smoke or mist or something more sinister curls up around the weapon. In the background a tribal design reigns supreme, looking like an enraged dragon curling into the air.
Seth lives with his father and twin brother, Garret, in a small country town much like many others scattered across the world of Thurr. Together the family runs the town's only inn. But with the approach of their eighteenth year the brothers must leave their home and everything they've ever known to participate in a country wide ceremony known as the Choosing. It is at the Choosing that their lives will be mapped out by the kingdom, for the kingdom. Garret dreams of valor and glory on the battlefield, but Seth simply wants to run out his years of service to the kingdom as quickly and quietly as possible so that he can return home. Together with a young man named Ashton, they set out to Valdadore, the Choosing, and their destinies unaware of the weaving manipulations of unseen war-torn deities.

What I liked:

• Tumultuous relationship of the gods with their believers, blessings, and each other sets the scene for an epic sprawling battle where the humans are but mere pawns in an everlasting struggle for power.
• The vision/dream sequences are by far and away the best parts of the book. They are vivid, exciting, and well-fleshed out, it's a pity there aren't more of them.

What I disliked:

• We are told in the very first chapter that Seth and Garret are not actually twins, that Seth isn't actually related to them at all. Given the prologue it makes it fairly obvious that Ishanya is Seth's real mother. But throughout the rest of the book Seth knowing the truth still refers to and thinks of Garret as not only his brother but his twin, never revealing the truth, not even in confidence to the woman he loves.
• The dialogue is stiff at best and plain clunky at its worst, with frequent additions of 'bro', which come off forced and unnatural. Who talks like that?
• The love affair between Seth and Sara becomes too much of a focus. The author spends a great deal of time fleshing out their desires and temptations even down to the ahem 'nightie' that Sara wears in Valdadore. It begins at several times to sound suspiciously like a bodice-ripper romance novel though doesn't quite veer into that territory completely. The only commendable part of this is Seth's moral fortitude in insisting to wait on marriage to complete their relationship though even this manages to cast Sara into the light of moral-less hussy.
• The actual Choosing ceremony is barbaric to an extreme. Why would a kingdom call all of its young people together and risk their lives in such a way when the need for bodies in the field is at an all-time high?

I tried very much to like "The Choosing" especially with the nice cover that drew me in so completely. I was expecting so much more and was repeatedly let down the further the book progressed. By the end of it, I was happy it was over and had no desire to read the next book in the series. In preparation for this review I've noticed it has a new cover, featuring a sword turned into a scale and red boiling mists. I kinda like the first cover better, to be honest. "The Choosing" is currently available for the kindle for $2.99. Several of the following books in this saga are also available and are as follows: The Chosen, $5.99; The Changing, $5.99; The Contention, $5.99; and The Champions, $5.99. The author has also released an omnibus version of the first three books in the series for $8.99. So if you are interested in this series it would behoove you to get the omnibus and save a few dollars in the process.  Jeremy Laszlo has several other books available. You can find out more about him and his books at http://jeremylaszlo.wix.com/author
☺☺☺☻☻
3 out of 5 smilies
Recommended for adult weekend readers, hard core fantasy readers need not apply.

Synopsis: "Seth is a young man torn by fear and indecision. His life no longer in his hands, he fears an uncertain future where the only certainty is a life of servitude to the kingdom. Fortunately for Seth, he is not alone. His brother Garret too attends the choosing ceremony where their fates will be decided. Together the twins make their way to the castle city of Valdadore for the choosing ceremony but along the way Seth notices a strange new trend in his life. Time after time strange circumstances befall him in what others might call a coincidence, but Seth knows something else is amiss and begins mentally cataloging each new and strange event. Learning his past is all a lie, Seth begins to fear more for his future as a dark goddess vies for his service to her cause. Seths loyalties and responsibilities begin to stack up as he makes friends and allies and even falls in love, but with the choosing ceremony growing ever nearer will he be forced to flee the kingdom into a life of exile, or choose to serve the goddess who swears that only through her will he find peace."

In like a lion

I don't know about you but I am sooo glad that April is over with. You know Alexander and his terrible horrible no good day, well April was Cindal's terrible horrible no good month. I've never been happier to put something in my rearview. I'm also hoping that since April was the proveribial lion with gnashing teeth and razor claws that maybe sweet May will be the fuzzy warm little lamb who puts us back together again.
I suppose you're wondering what exactly happened in April. Maybe you're not, maybe you could care less. If that's the case stop reading, go on about your life, and be happy that your April was not like mine. April started off with doctor's appointments, needles, and blood. One right after the other for me and for him. We went in for what amounts to be physicals, the just checking kind of appointments. Turns out I'm fine, not anemic or hypothyroidic as people have so often suggested to me.All my hormones in line. I learned my blood is A+. All well and good. My husband didn't fair as well. The dr. suspected he might have diabetes. Two more appointments and blood draws later, it was confirmed with an A1C level of 9. For those of you who don't know a 7 or over is diabetic. Everything sorta spirals out of control at this point. We're going to the gym, watching what we eat like hawks, making daily trips into town to test his blood pressure, basically changing our entire way of life. It's hard, but not intolerable. However April decides to heap on. His car breaks down leaving us with one vehicle and my motorcycle. The extra dr. bills and medications put a strain on our finances in an already bill heavy month. Then my mother-in-law has a stroke, that puts her in the hospital and as of the end of the month a nursing home. My father-in-law decides to be a rat bastard and refuses to help take care of, starts talking about selling all her stuff including their house, and blames us for not doing more. Watching my husband go through this has been more rough than many of you can imagine. Not being able to do anything to help, not being able to fix it, is horrible. There are so many days I just want to be an ostrich, to stick my head in the sand and pretend that life isn't out there. Stress takes its toll on both of us. My jaw where I've struggled against TMJ gets stiff again, I start having 'night paralysis' episodes again complete with wonderful hallucinations *sarcasm*, dark circles bleed out from under my eyes. I watch as my husband struggles to sleep, struggles with his pills in the morning, pricks his fingers, shakes when the stress overwhelms. Ontop of that it's rained all month it seems like and our basement flooded, well not flooded but a good inch or two of water in few places. It's been hard.
And now for my monthly resolution update.

1. Weight loss. Like I mentioned earlier as soon as we were told of the suspected diabetes I got us memberships to the local rec center. We've gone two to three days a week for an hour at a time every week this month. I think my husband lost about 10 lbs. I'm so proud of him. He has done so well with the exercising and the new diet. My beginning weight this month was 144.2 lbs. My highest weight was 144.4 and my lowest weight was 140.4 lbs. At the end of the month it was 142.6. I think all and all it would be fair to say that I lost about 2 lbs. As far as waist measurements go beginning was 27.0, high was 27.1, low was 26.3 and end was 26.5. So I've lost another half an inch off my waist.  Again there's no way I'm going to make my goal of the end of June. But I already feel much better, my heart I know is in better condition and I'm not getting out of breath at the slightest provocation anymore.
2. 50 books in a year. I read 6 books this month and got back on track. So far I've read and reviewed a total of 15 books. I'm almost a third of the way to my goal. I'm pretty sure I can reach it.
3. Dark Divinity. Did you read the first part of this post? Yeah I didn't write. At all. But I've done some pretty cool artwork for some of my other books.
4. Fairytree. It rained all month, I'm sure I mentioned that once before. Which doesn't bode well for a photographer who does most of her work outdoors in natural light. I did however meet and book two more wedding clients for later in the year.
5. Nothing new on the remodeling front again, aside from I got a few plants for our deck and garden.

I'm ready for May. I'm ready for a fresh take and a fresh start. We will walk through the fire and come out tempered on the other side.  For everyone struggling out there, you are not alone even when it feels like you are, you are stronger than you know, and you will overcome.