Sick and Tired

I spent all of yesterday morning in Children's Hospital with my nine year old.  He was writhing with abdominal pain and I was worried we were on the road to an appendectomy.  After five hours, an IV, blood and urine tests and a CTscan, I was relieved to learn that there was nothing wrong with his appendix; and that he was merely suffering from a viral infection in the intestinal tract. 

By the time we returned from the hospital, my son's abdominal pain had subsided and his appetite was back.  He ate yogurt and chicken-and-stars soup with some crackers and drank a blue Powerade.  I began to relax and thought we were over the hump and in the clear. 

Until....

He didn't want dinner last night and complained that his stomach was hurting "a little."  By 4:00am he was in the bathroom vomiting...and again at 5:20am.... 5:50am... 6:18am...and 7:30am and just a few moments ago.  He can't seem to stomach even a sip of Sprite. 

It is looking like today is going to be another miserable day for him; and another heart-wrenching Mommy day for me... the kind of day where I feel helpless, wanting to make him better but only able to try to make him comfortable and pray for this yucky virus to pass.

Suffice to say...we are all sick and tired.

 

Grinning Ear-To-Ear

I spent some time yesterday reading reviews of my books that are posted on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.  I just want to share some of my favorites, particularly those pertaining to the Just Call Me Angel  suspense series.

BookWatchMagazine called the series, “a non-stop ride of action and adventure.”

APEX Reviews called it, “a bona fide suspense thriller.”

RipeReviews said it was “suspense at its best.”

“A non-stop, action-packed thrill ride” said CanadaReviewers.

All Book Reviews says the series is “murder, suspense, and thrills-all enmeshed in wild, intelligent plotting.”

 

If you haven't read the Just Call Me Angel series yet, and you like suspense novels, I hope you'll order your books today.  If you have read the series, please take the time to write a review and post it on either Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.  Nothing makes a writer grin from ear-to-ear like hearing from their devoted readers.  ~

 

Review Reverie

Waking up to find new reviews posted can be both exciting and deflating, depending upon the nature of the review.  As a novelist, I want to write a story that people will enjoy...a story that will take the reader to the edge of their seat...a story that will tug at their heart, render them unable to step away and leave them forever thinking about what happened on the pages.  I want my books to pull the reader away from reality and completely absorb them into the story. 

 

Today, I am smiling big as I woke up and read this review: 

 

NYC Reviewers call the Just Call Me Angel Series "the best suspense series to come along in years," saying it is "a perfect blend of mystery and humor."

 



 

Needless to say, I am gleefully basking in a review reverie...for nothing pleases an author more than to hear that readers are indeed enjoying what has been written.   Thank you, thank you, thank you!

 

My books are available in ebook and print from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Smashwords and many other online outlets.

 

 

 

I'm Really A Dog

Have you ever felt like the dog in this picture... like you’re trying so hard to blend in but no matter how much you look and act the part, you’re still different?  I have.  In fact, I feel this way most of the time.  I’m surrounded by other parents whose methods of parenting are far better than mine.  I’m amid team moms that are more dedicated to the sport and to the team than I am.  I’m amongst PTA members who are way more obsessed with their child’s education than I am.  I’m in a Bible study with ladies that trump me in the department of morality and purity.   It’s not that I don’t care about my children’s education or if their team wins or about being a good mom… it’s moreso that I don’t talk about these things constantly or regularly voice my opinion on them.  Trying to look and act the same often requires a certain level of either silence or faking or both.

Blending in can be exhausting.  I think that’s why I seek solace in writing, for on the pages of a novel I can live vicariously through each and every character.  When I’m deep in the throes of writing a novel, I don’t feel the unspoken (and sometimes spoken) condemnation on the way I live my life or the choices I make.  On the page, I can simply be the dog.    

In real life, I often want to scream, but that, too, would be considered an abnormal reaction amongst the herd of sheep.  So, I sit quietly, stifeling my bark, and wondering if anyone will notice I’m really a dog.  ~

Crusty, Hard Nipples

When I was in elementary and even middle school things were not as hectic for parents as they are now; nor was it as expensive.  Our parents didn't have to spend a fortune nor devote two hours at Wal-Mart or Target, checking off a supply list. We had a lunch box, a backpack, a folder with pockets and some pencils, which we sharpened once we got to school.  Everything else was provided.

Now, the kids are required to have dry erase markers, colored pencils, Crayola brand washable markers, Sharpies, mechanical pencils with the replacement lead packets OR pre-sharpened #2 lead pencils (because Lord forbid we should sharpen them at school), a flash drive, personal pencil sharpener, a pencil bag or box, ruler, pens in blue, black and red, an eraser, thin-tipped multicolored highlighters, four hard-cover binders and four packages of 5-tab binder dividers, a three inch hard-cover binder, 1000 sheets of college-ruled paper, two reams of white copy paper, three boxes of Kleenex, three tubes of Chlorox wipes, a roll of paper towels, a locker mate organizer and their own Master lock.

Really?!

I have two children:  one in elementary and one in middle school.  Between the two, we spent over $400.00 just to get them ready for school.  Keep in mind, that does not include school clothing, tuition or lunches.

Unbelievable!

THEN, as an asterik on the bottom of the school supply list is a note that reads:  "Content area and/or electives teachers may require additional class-specific supplies."

What?!?

What else could you possibly need in order to teach my child? 

I don't mean to get off on a rant here, but all of these budget cuts on our school systems are milking parents dry.  Something's gotta give...and it doesn't need to be the parents! There comes a time when the milk dries up and eventually the schools are going to come looking for the suckling parental monetary tit and find nothing but hard, crusty nipples. ~   

Mafia Queen

I have had the opportunity to be featured in an interview, entitled "S.R.Claridge Mafia Queen" with Smoky Zeidel.  It was a fun interview and I hope you will follow the link (in red) below and check it out.  Also, come back here and leave a comment for a chance to win a free copy of one of the novels in the Just Call Me Angel series.


 

S.R.Claridge Mafia Queen by Smoky Zeidel

 

 

Baby Love

 There are moments when I look at myself in the mirror and wish I was twenty-nine again.  Oh, to have a flat stomach; one without c-section scars and the extra layer of flesh that rounds me out.  But then, I gaze at my kids and think, the scars and the extra pounds were more than worth it.  Babies change your body in ways that...well, let's just say, that aren't flattering.  BUT, babies change your heart, mind and soul in ways that are awe inspiring.

There's just something magical about the bond of mother and child... something that makes every sacrifice well worthwhile, even the extra bulge.

I may not look as good at the pool, but I wouldn't change it for anything in the world.  :)