I’m thrilled to welcome author Carly Jordynn to the Power of 10 series. Today, Carly shares ten of her best moments and her upcoming release, Shifter.
Here’s Carly!
I’ve chosen to list my ten best moments during my first 50 years of life.
10. Buying my first house was a wonderful experience, nerve-wracking, but great. I will never forget the pride of first time home ownership, decorating, and making it your own. I was a nervous wreck when I applied for the loan, but it all went through without a hitch.
9. My wedding day. Even though the marriage ended in divorce, I will never forget that day, my dress, the guests, and how I felt becoming a Mrs.
8. My Baptism. I was in elementary school when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I followed up with Baptism in the fourth grade. It was a special time. Many of my school teachers attended my Church so they were able to celebrate with me.
7. My senior year in high school was fabulous. There were so many activities, dates, and milestones. I was nominated for Basketball Homecoming Queen, Prom was an interesting evening shared with my date and our friends, I attended my first concert my senior year, Graduation was exciting, but sad in a way . . . everyone going their own way.
6. Graduating from college. It took me a long time to find a major and stick to it. I had a lot of false starts along the way, but finally made it through. I dated a lot during college so this probably didn’t help my GPA or making up my mind as to what I wanted to be when I grew up. I made so many good friends at the Baptist Student Union. Those friendships are still strong today.
5. My home life. I’m an only child and have two really wonderful parents who have loved and supported me over the years. Yes, I was spoiled, but not overly so. I am blessed to have these two for my folks.
4. First kisses. I love the newness of a relationship and those first kisses shared. It’s an exciting time. I still get butterflies when I think of some of the first kisses I have received.
3. Saying goodbye to a special friend. He passed away, but I will always treasure our time together. It makes me smile to think of him. I know that sounds weird, but towards the end we had some really fabulous conversations. There was no need to pretend to be cool, or anything like that. We were bare bones honest with each other. Those talks mean the absolute world to me and I am grateful for that time.
2. Becoming a published author. I couldn’t string a sentence together in high school nor in college. Realizing my dream of becoming an author after that was just amazing. I love every minute of my writing life. I have met some wonderful authors along the way who have been supportive and helpful. I have met industry professionals who have offered wonderful advice. I get giddy when somebody asks me to sign a book for them, asks for an interview, or asks me to talk to them about writing.
1. Becoming a mother when I adopted my daughter from Guatemala. What an adventure that has been. So many things did not turn out right and had the potential for disaster. Every setback resolved itself. God gave me my daughter . . . somebody else just had to give birth for me.
Blurb
Sasha Bishop is the Slayer. With her Halfling and Vampire allies by her side, she had fought and won a vampire war. Now some of her classmates are missing. When they resurface as vampires; they accuse Sasha as being their Sire. The trouble begins when Sasha’s 168-year old, vampire boyfriend, Hutch, sides with the newborns. It takes the war to a whole new level.
Angry and hurt, Sasha finds comfort with handsome vampire, Rhydian McDavid, who has an alarming connection to her Slayer past. Now, she must pair up with some unlikely allies to stop a vampire massacre at the Prom, all while being crowned the Prom Queen.
The battle doesn’t stop there. The Vamps of Craig’s Creek are back with a vengeance and plan on making Graduation a buffet. A storm, tornado, and some surprising revelations, guarantee Sasha’s life will never be the same.
Excerpt
Alarm bells went off in my head. “1848? Where have you been?” I then slapped my hand over my mouth as realization came over me. Rhydian laughed, shaking me up and down where I sat on his stomach.
“It’s all becoming clear isn’t it, Slayer?”
I put my hand on his chest. “You know Hutch, don’t you?”
He laughed again.
“Yes, I knew Andrew when he first came to Villa Mirage.”
“Did you know Joseph and Molly?” I asked. Joseph and Molly were my great-great-grandparents. Joseph had been Hutch’s best friend and Molly had been the Slayer. She was killed two weeks shy of her seventeenth birthday.
He sat up so I was now on his lap. We were nose to nose again. My lips parted of their own accord. His head came closer to mine and then he laughed. “I won’t be your rebound Vamp, Sasha.”
I felt heat rise into my cheeks. What was I doing? I loved Hutch.
Rhydian’s words were like a splash of cold water to my senses. Anger coursed over me. I stood and yanked him up with me. I reached for my stake in my boot and came up empty handed.
Rhydian held my stake up and grinned. “I’m disappointed. I thought the Slayer would have known I was stealing her weapons.”
I grabbed for the stake. He held it over his head, just out of my reach. I jumped for it and grabbed the stake triumphantly. That is when he grabbed me. He drew me close against his body. My heart thumped into overdrive. He grabbed the back of my head and crushed his lips into mine. It wasn’t a gentle kiss. This was a full out assault. He pulled me tighter against him, almost like pulling me into himself. My hands wrapped around his neck of their own accord. My stake dropped harmlessly to the ground. When he finally lowered me, I was unsteady, my lips throbbing. I looked into his eyes, almost afraid of what I would see there. His eyes were troubled, like he didn’t expect to feel anything from what we just did. What started out as a joke on his part to make me angry had backfired.
I bent to retrieve my stake and came up empty handed again. I knew I had dropped it somewhere. I felt Rhydian stiffen next to me. I turned slowly, knowing who I would see.
“Looking for this?” Hutch held my stake out to me.
I stared at him wordlessly. No noise would come out. What had I done?
Hutch glanced at Rhydian. “What are you doing back in Villa Mirage?”
Rhydian slipped his arm around me. I flinched from his touch. “Oh come on, Sasha. Don’t be that way. You know you liked that kiss.”
Anger, shame, horror, and dread washed over me. “Did you know? Did you know Hutch was out there?”
He laughed. “Of course, and if you had been paying attention, you would have known too.”
I turned to Hutch.
“I’m sorry.”
“Save it, Sasha,” he barked. “I have eyes. I don’t need a play-by-play of the details.”
Bio
Carly Jordynn is a writer from Northern Kentucky who loves to weave tales of fantasy, paranormal, and romance. When she isn’t writing a book, she writes lyrics for the Christian band, Phil Parks and One Step Closer.
Carly loves to travel. You can find her at various conferences and other author events throughout the year. Her hobbies include: travel, photography, reading, party-planning, dinner with friends, and hanging out with her family.
Carly is a member of the Romance Writers of America and the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.
Where to find Carly…
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon | Pinterest | Blog
In honor of my new release today, Wedding Day, I decided to list the top ten things (in my opinion) a cowboy should have. (I mean, besides a sexy body!) Here we go!
All writers, from time to time, experience the dreaded block. I’m not referring to the chopping block (though it may as well be) but rather ‘writer’s block’. This is a condition otherwise known as a withering, about-to-be dried up landscape once it descends upon a writer’s corpus callosum, kind of like a dust cloud. Writer’s block is a loathsome annoyance, and there are plenty of images of the greats (think Hemingway) who’ve demonstrated various coping skills by swigging unlimited bottles of wine or whiskey to dredge up something from the recesses of their dusty skulls.
Maybe you’re developing a hum-drum mood, or stuck in stagnation. Loosen up. It’s okay to have a glass of wine (just not a keg, mind you) to ease your mental straitjacket. Go buy a decadent dessert. Do something to reward yourself. You should avoid criticizing yourself and your work. All work and no play is never a good idea. Just don’t get lost in your playground every day.
Humor is one of the best strategies for coping with anything in life. Writing requires so much internal, right-brain thinking it can become exhausting. Humor, either for yourself, or introduced in your writing, can unleash a floodgate of ideas and a new perspective. A good belly laugh is always appreciated – by the writer and the reader.
Born in beautiful British Columbia, Kim developed a passion for writing at an early age. Her interest in people led her all over the globe, including a two year stay in Japan and a humanitarian trip to Rwanda.
Valentine’s Day is over and done with now, and I’m sure your local florist is reaping the benefits of the lovely holiday. Were their red roses sitting on your counter top from the holiday? Or what about pink or white? Have you ever stopped to think about what the color of the roses represent?
Where to find Stacy…
1. There’s nothing like hearing your favorite song while on the dance floor. Best of all when you hear that song again whether you’re doing dishes or stuck in traffic, you’ll be instantly transported back to the dance floor.
Joanne Guidoccio 