Stress Relief: Author Style

Stress and I don’t really get along. It makes me sick, literally. There’s always a certain amount of stress involved in being an author thanks to reviews, deadlines, decisions, writing the actual book if you ever have time, and dealing with criticism.

blue houseAdd in a rather sudden decision by my husband and I to sell our house so we could buy a new one we really, really wanted to buy. Needless to say, since seeing the house for the first time on January 1st to closing three and a half months later…there’s been a lot of stress involved.

So, how do we combat it?


43b04-moviereelOur go-to family stress relief is heading to the movies. We all love watching movies at the theater, and if there’s nothing good on, we’ll have a movie night at home and pretend all the other craziness doesn’t exist for a few hours.


last of usIf it’s just me and my hubby feeling frazzled, we’ll either play video games (Last of Us has an excellent story!) or have a Netflix marathon.


When it’s just me that’s on the verge of a meltdown…I have a few hidden gems.


GhirardelliDarkChocolate-SeaSaltSoireeAnd I mean hidden, because my kids will eat my treats if I leave them out! Dark chocolate is my absolute favorite, but cupcakes or brownies will do in a pinch as well. Or froyo. Or peanut butter M&Ms.


dr-pepper-10-sodaStress=headaches=exhaustion. Solution? Dr. Pepper 10.


W7fcc5-yoga1hen I get stressed out, it feels like my muscles are all slowly twisting together. Roll out the yoga mats! Deep breathing, stretching, relaxing…definitely a must during stressful times.


way of kingsWhen I really need to unwind and clear my head, I reach for a book. Reading takes me out of the craziness and lets me focus on something else. Sometimes it’s an old favorite, and sometimes it’s a new find. Or both at once! Right now I’m listening to Brandon Sanderson “Way of Kings” on audio book and reading Jana DeLeon’s first book in her Miss Fortune series…again.


So, tell me, what do you do to unwind when things are too stressful?

Magic Morsels Blog Hop #ChickLitLove

MagicMorselsArtwork

Have you ever wished your were a princess? Or could just borrow their life for a day? Well…it’s not as easy as that. Charlotte and Leila from the DATE SHARK series are here to tell you why.

 

Portrait of beautiful and fashion model womanFirst, let’s meet Leila Sparrow, who just wanted to revamp her dating life, be treated like a princess, and stop being the perpetual last minute “plus one” because she was too nice to say no.

Even though Leila enjoys her work as a marketing manager for a popular clothing boutique, her boss’s absolute trust in her has turned into her being the only person allowed to handle a million different tasks each day. Leila and Ana are good friends, but at the end of the day, Leila feels a little like Cinderella trying to keep up with a houseful of demanding lunatics.

Even when Leila starts stepping out of her comfort zone and taking risks that she hopes will make her life better–like dating the adventuring loving Luke and befriending her dating coach Eli–things don’t go exactly as she hoped.

Cinderella Torn Dress

Luke may be incapable of sitting still for more than five minutes, but he’s fun and safe, in a strange way. Eli, on the other hand, is risky. Not only because he’s hiding something from Leila, but because figuring him out is harder than trying to get mice to make you a designer gown in real life. There’s a happily ever after waiting for Leila, but which path will get her there?

Cinderella Princess

 

And let’s not forget Charlotte, who’s been through some really tough stuff, but this time she doesn’t know if she can survive without help.silver elegant

Charlotte wasn’t raised by a wicked step-mother like Snow White was, but she’s experienced loss and hardship and abandonment, the kind that has the potential to truly make you crumble. She pulled through, and kept fighting, but things are quickly spinning out of control. The threat of death doesn’t come from a poison apple, but she’s facing losing her life all the same.

Snow White Apple

Snow White finds a band of dwarves to protect her and make friends with. Charlotte isn’t exactly looking for a hero, and to be perfectly honest, Guy Saint Laurent doesn’t really seem like the hero type, but a momentary wish to step out of her life, dress up like a princess, and just enjoy a night out with a friend leaves her with a choice. She terrified that Guy will leave when things really get rough, that accepting help will make her weaker, but if he stays…he could be everything Charlotte has ever wanted.

Snow White Prince

If you want to find out more about these two modern princesses in the making, check out the first two books in the Date Shark series here:

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“When it comes to choosing between obsession and passion, some lines should be crossed.”

Amazon : B&N : iBooks

 

 

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“The one woman capable of capturing his attention, may be the only one who can truly break him…”

Amazon: B&N : iBooks

 

 

And don’t forget, there are prizes!!

 Magic Morsels
 The Prize
The Grand Prize for this hop is the Congratulations Magic Morsels 48 Gift Box from Fairytale Brownieshttp://www.brownies.com/, which includes a bite-size assortment (Caramel, Chocolate Chip, Original, Raspberry Swirl, Walnut, Cream Cheese) of 48 delicious gourmet brownies.

Open to US residents ONLY

A winner will be selected at random and announced on Monday, February 16th, and you can enter at each stop on the hop, which means you can enter up to 21 times!

***HOW DO YOU ENTER???***

In order to enter, you must leave a comment, answering THIS QUESTION:

What aspect of princess life would you really NOT want to have to deal with?

***IMPORTANT: DON’T FORGET***

Leave your e-mail address along with their comment or we won’t be able to get a hold of you if you win! If you don’t give an email address, your entry won’t count.

Where else can you enter? Just follow the links!

#ChickLitLove #Valentines #giveaway #bloghop #princess #fairytale #sweets #win #chocolate