Labor Day Blow Out - 99c eBooks!

WOOOHOOOO!!!

This Labor Day weekend is an ebook lover’s dream come true! Over 100 authors, over 130 titles, all priced to 99 cents as part of a Labor Day weekend sale to remember. It is the first annual Indie Book Blowout!

We are talking award-winners! Best sellers! All genres! New releases! All priced down to 99 cents PLUS, if you sign up for the newsletter, you’ll be entered to win a brand new KINDLE and $100 in gift card giveaways. Just head to http://IndieBookBlowout.com, shop, click, buy and enjoy! Happy weekend and happy reading!!

And, for those who haven't read Cherished yet, here's your chance to get a copy!

It's under romance or go to Amazon, B&N or Smashwords.



It's Available - Cherished Is HERE!!

Yep, you read right! Cherished is finally available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords!! I am SOO excited because here is everyone's chance to see just how amazing Darcy and Mason are. We saw how strong Darcy was in Without Mercy and we cried for her as she was put in the most horrible of situations. We saw a glimpse of Mason and many were intrigued. Well, Cherished is ALL them as they deal with the aftermath of Without Mercy and early readers have shared - SWOON!! Here's an excerpt to tempt you!

There was something erotic about the way he moved over me, his heated build pressed hard against mine. I couldn’t help the way my body reacted as I arched into his touch and sighed with deep contentment. When Mason found a certain sensitive spot, one he loved to tease me with, I decided I’d had enough and reached for him.

One moment my hands were touching him and the next they were pinned to the bed while he looked down at me wickedly. “Patience, Darcy. I’m not finished.  There’s one more place I haven’t savored.”

I held my breath, desire coursing through me and almost lost my mind as he nestled into my neck, nipping and sucking at the tender flesh. It was definitely a weakness of mine, the feel of his teeth and lips, the brushing of heated breath. I squirmed against him, trying to break from his restraining grip. All it did was add fuel to the fire already building between us.

      “Mason, you’re killing me here. Please.” I wasn’t beneath begging for him to kiss me.



*sigh* I'm not ashamed to admit I fell HEAVILY for Mason. He's perfect!

You can buy a copy of your own at:

Amazon /  Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

To celebrate, I have TWO ecopies of Cherished to offer today! All you need do to enter is be a follower of this blog and leave you name/email in the comments!

New Covers!!

Wanted to share two new covers of stories I'm working on....

Blood Oath

Book #3 in the Mystic Wolves series

(note that it's a NOVELLA)

and....

Taking The Lover's Leap

Book #1 in the Lovers series

I'm going to be a busy girl!! I love it ...



Exciting News - Cherished Is Finished!

I am so excited! I just sent off the finished copy of Cherished to my editor so I'm just one step closer to releasing it. I'm sitting here with a warm tingly feeling, going over in my mind the publishing checklist:

Finished story - CHECK

Kick ass cover - CHECK

Tempting blurb - CHECK

Help with formatting - CHECK

Eager readers waiting patiently - CHECK, CHECK, CHECK!

Other things going through my mind is whether to do a giveaway blitz for Cherished or because it's bigger (Yep, I was paying attention to everyone saying Without Mercy wasn't long enough LOL) should I do a blog tour with guest posts, interviews and teasers. I'm really leaning towards the later. It's a great way to spread the word and give some insight into the lives of Darcy, Mason and the Mystic Wolves. I know I'd like to know more about them LOL

If all goes well, the release date will be sometime in the next week or two. That's the beauty of self publishing - once you have all your ducks in order and confident you've got the best possible product, there's no waiting!

I'm excited to see what everyone thinks because unlike Without Mercy, Cherished is a lot more romance focused and focuses solely on the kind of relationship Mason and Darcy have. There's no action ... well there is but it's the good kind *insert wink* and judging from the way I sighed while I wrote it and the swooning from my beta readers, I'm pretty confident you'll be okay without the drama!

Just in case you haven't seen the cover or read the blurb, I'll leave you with it. This really has been an amazing experience. Thank you soo much for all your support. I love you guys!

 

Can Darcy let go of the shame of failure consuming her or will Mason convince her that after all is said and done, she truly is… cherished?

For a moment, Darcy almost convinced herself the last twelve hours didn’t happen. As image after image hits her, the sinking realization of all she’s lost overwhelms her and all she can think of is to run. Run far away where her shame can’t find her, and most of all, where she’ll never have to see the look of blame in Mason’s eyes. Feeling like a complete failure, she scrambles to make plans. But the voice of her mate-to-be penetrates her frantic thoughts, asking for the chance to show her just how much she is loved.

It hurts Mason deeply to hear Darcy’s thoughts, knowing the events of the previous night have completely rattled her. Grieving over the death of his beloved sister Jasmine, Mason knows he has to act fast. Darcy is all he’s ever wanted and the idea of life without her is unacceptable. Armed with his unswerving love and wolfish charm, he sets out to remind Darcy just how valuable she is and why there is no one else for him but her. 

Cherished Has A Blurb!

For a moment, Darcy almost convinced herself the last twelve hours didn’t happen. As image after image hits her, the sinking realization of all she’s lost overwhelms her and all she can think of is to run. Run far away where her shame can’t find her, and most of all, where she’ll never have to see the look of blame in Mason’s eyes. Feeling like a complete failure, she scrambles to make plans. But the voice of her mate-to-be penetrates her frantic thoughts, asking for the chance to show her just how much she is loved.

It hurts Mason deeply to hear Darcy’s thoughts, knowing the events of the previous night have completely rattled her. Grieving over the death of his beloved sister Jasmine, Mason knows  he has to act fast. Darcy is all he’s ever wanted and the idea of life without her is unacceptable. Armed with his unswerving love and wolfish charm, he sets out to remind Darcy just how valuable she is and why there is no one else for him but her. 

Can Darcy let go of the shame of failure consuming her or will Mason convince her that after all is said and done, she truly is… Cherished?

What do you think? I'm so excited!!



Tune In Today For My Radio Debut!

WOOOHOOOO!! For today only, Kelli and Amber from ParaYourNormal and the Indie Book Collective have asked ME *insert gulp* to come on their blog talk radio to talk more about Without Mercy and books. Ignore the knocking of my knees for a moment and SQUEE with me! I'm so excited for this opportunity so wish me luck, pray I don't stammer and tune in for my FIRST EVER radio appearance. Think about it... you've seen me as The Bookish Snob and you're seeing me as Belinda Boring BUT have you heard me? *cue mysterious sounding music*  Follow the link at 6.30pm tonight and prepare to be DAZZLED! LOL                                         Blog Talk Radio HERE

Holding Onto The SQUEE Moments

I have to say I'm a little stunned. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined the kind of response I've had with Without Mercy. I've been squeeing in my bedroom since it's release because I don't ever want to seem boastful but I've been told that I should celebrate and share my excitement because truthfully, my success is everyone's success. I wouldn't have been able to do this without the LOVE and SUPPORT from you all. From those that cheerlead me from the sidelines each day, to the countless well wishes and comments on Twitter and Facebook. From all those that encourage me to write and follow my dreams and do all they can to see it happen. This is as much for me as it is for you... THANK YOU!

So, since I'm squeeing, did you know?

Without Mercy was ranked:

#5 on Amazon's Best Sellers list for Urban Fantasy anthologies

#9 on Amazon's Hottest New Releases list for Urban Fantasy anthologies

#5 on Smashword's Best Sellers list for Urban Fantasy

Unbelievable, right?

I also have some amazing friends because I got this fun surprise in my email box:

Great Advice To Start The Day

 

I woke up this morning to see this quote on one of the Facebook groups I'm a part of...

"If I don't write every day, the characters begin to stale off in my mind--they begin to seem like characters instead of real people. The tale's narrative cutting edge starts to rust an...d I begin to lose my hold on the story's plot and pace. Worst of all, the excitement of spinning something new begins to fade. The work starts to feel like work, and for most writers that is the smooch of death. Writing is at its best--always, always, always--when it is a kind of inspired play for the writer. I can write in cold blood if I have to, but I like it best when it's fresh and almost too hot to handle."

~ Stephen King

I LOVE those last few words - ALMOST TOO HOT TO HANDLE. That's when writing seems effortless to me, it's the ideal frame of mind I want to be in each and everytime I sit down to write. I've been struggling with how to do and it seems that EVERY author I've talked to and read, share the same thing - WRITE. No secret formula, no magic words.... JUST WRITE. That's the way to keep the excitement alive and the creativity flowing. It's obvious if you walk away from your manuscript and don't connect with it on a daily basis, it will become distant and harder and harder to work on. Why would you think any different?

Did you hear that loud noise? That was it finally "clicking" in my head.

Talk about a DUH moment and I'm trying really hard not to bang my head on my keyboard *grins* Thank you to all the patient people who've gone before this quote... sooner or later it was going to sink in! Thank goodness it has.

Happy writing today everyone. I am eager and ready!

I've Had My First Interview!

I know I'm a little late sharing ... I blame it on an emergency move and a severe case of being distracted by my muse for Mason, *insert sigh* but I had my first ever author interview the other day! I knew it wouldn't be long before an author I put in the "hot seat" would want to return the favor and it was L.M Pruitt (she writes AH-MAZING urban fantasy stories that leave me speechless) who seized the chance. I have to say, I was TERRIFIED of how to answer her questions and she was super gentle with me.

So here's the beginning of the interview and the link that will take you to the rest. I will add... the last question she asked was if I had any crazy stories to share *hides face* I shared a DOOZY that involves what NOT to do when you meet a gorgeous cover model. Hope you get a giggle from it!

Interview with L.M Pruitt at Food, Fun and Urban Fantasy

You're well known in the blogging community for your awesome reviews of swoon worthy books. Why the jump to "the other side"?

Well, someone told me you guys gave away free ice cream and there'd be semi naked men here with killer abs! Hahaha see you can take a writer out of a reader, but you can't take The Bookish Snob out of a writer. LOL I actually started writing before I started blogging. I wrote a REALLY short story on... man, if I told you I would have to kill you. Let's just say, it got me really excited to explore and I decided to try write a fan fiction of one of my favorite paranormal romance series, Christine Feehan's Dark Carpathians. I loved it and tinkered around but it wasn't until the blessed meeting of my bestfriend Lacey, that I started thinking seriously. She encouraged me to take part in the National Novel Writing Month challenge last year (50,000 words in a month) and cheerleadered me the entire time. Writing is so addicting when you're focused and full charged! I completed the challenge and after that, I began writing. Every dream became a story idea and neatly filed away on my computer. Of course, being The Bookish Snob has put me in the path of some AMAZING authors who have encouraged, listened and offered a ton of support. Each book I read, I think "Hmmm I can do this. I want to see my name on a book I wrote." So here I am... on the other side. Actually come to think of it, I don't think I jumped... I was lovingly pushed LOL Thanks Lacey!

To keep reading, click HERE

A Surprise On Facebook

Okay.. another SQUEE moment. I've been getting such amazing support, comments and reviews for my first release Without Mercy. I feel like I'm walking on cloud nine and absolutely loving it! I have HUGE plans in store for my writing - more releases of the Mystic Wolves novelettes, two additional shorts and of course, the much anticipated release of my full length novel, Broken Promises. I'm having to readjust things but I'm heading in the right direction.

So... I was on Facebook the other day when I saw I had a message on my Wall from my Dad. Hands down, I'm a Daddy's girl - always have and always will be so when I saw what he'd written, it was one GIANT squee and cry!

"I've just read Without Mercy and Mam has downloaded it onto her Kindle reader and will read it later. To be honest Vampires and Werewolves are usually not on my reading list but I enjoyed your narative. Nicely written, well worded and interest gripping. Well done Belinda I'm looking forward to the next instalment. Lots of love Dad XXXXXXXX"

So there you have it... my Daddy's stamp of approval! Okay, back to writing. Thanks everyone!

WOW + Giveaway Winners!

I think this little kitty says it all! Have I told you all how grateful I am for all the support you gave for my first release?? I was so nervous and then you all blew me away with well wishes! Thursday was a whirlwind and it hasn't stopped since *giddy grin* In case I haven't said it...

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

Before I announce who won the giveaway (there was about 38 entries!) can I share how my day went and how I celebrated?

First, I spent it with my BFF Lacey

(she's the one that designed the cover and helped me get it released)

A HUGE thank you to her because she's been my greatest supporter and she helped my realize my dream...* hehe sappy moment*

I'm Now Officially ... PUBLISHED + Giveaway

I did it ... I am "officially" a published author! I can't begin to describe what an amazing feeling this is and I am SO grateful to everyone who helped cheer me along! Surprisingly, my first release isn't strictly a romance *insert gasp* I know, shocking isn't it? It's a novelette and introduction to my urban fantasy series called Mystic Wolves and the title is Without Mercy. You may recognize it as the title that was going to be included in the Dream On anthology but I couldn't wait so here it is...

Without Mercy

A Mystic Wolves novelette

Urban Fantasy

Published by 4 Corners Press

Buy from: Smashwords

What would you do if a simple errand takes a deadly twist, turning you from cautious prey to dangerous predator?

When Darcy’s outing takes a turn for the worst and tests her to the point of breaking, she struggles to maintain her humanity. Where loyalty and pack mean everything, she surrenders to the inevitable and only an act of complete trust can touch her. When all is said and done, with memories flooding her mind, Darcy holds tightly to the only thing that makes sense – it was all a dream.

Or was it?          

Pinch Me, Please!

This was me yesterday. Maybe it's all the good ju-ju and karma I've been stockpiling the last few months but I've never had such an overwhelming and exciting day where I had the manic urge to run around my house dancing and singing. It's no wonder I'm DOG TIRED today and barely able to breath from all the heart racing and head spinning. So what happened? Let me show you....

First off, I gathered enough to courage to send out a copy of my short story Without Mercy for a beta read and review. It's officially been set for a November 15th release but the impatient person I am, I wanted to know sooner what everyone thinks. Once the email was sent, I felt so nervous and then I received the message "Hey Bel, I've downloaded it to my Nook. It looks good." A quick trip to my email and what do I find??

That is MY story on that ereader... something I wrote! I can't begin to describe how validating it was to see that or how rewarding it felt to know this was going to become real. I'm a doubting Thomas, I thought it'd never happen and this was such an amazing way to say "Yes, Belinda... keep going. You're about to realize your dreams!" First major SQUEE of the day!

A little later I get the message, "Bels, there's something wrong with your story." My stomach sank and then I whooped when I kept reading, "IT WASN'T LONG ENOUGH!" Are you one of those people who can have a million people tell you something is good but you still have those moments of insecurites? It was at that moment I could imagine my BFF Lacey holding up a sign saying, "I told you so.... ROCKSTAR" Yeah, I need to work on that.

Shortly after that, I got my FIRST EVER reader review!! It was about this time that everything started getting a little surreal and I'd wondered if I'd fallen into the Twilight zone or something. A quick check and there it was on Goodreads under the Dream On book link:

Review by Stephanie Overton ~ 5 stars

"The Sneak Peek Gods were looking down on me today!

I got the wonderful gift of being allowed a sneak peek into the up coming release of Dream On, an Anthology of short stories.

So, what should appear in my inbox . . but an ARC of Without Mercy by Belinda Boring.

Darcy and Jasmine were only suppose to run into town for a quick stop and come right back. Mason, the pack Alpha and future mate of Darcy, had "fought" with Darcy about this very topic. He didn't want them out without back up, but he gave in and allowed them to go . . Now, Darcy is wishing she hadn't fought for this freedom. Staring down the barrel of a gun and no possible way to call for back up, Darcy tries to pull together a plan. . .

You won't want to miss how this story plays out. Be prepared to feel a handful of emotions come rushing at you while you read this short tale of Pride loyalty.

I for one will patiently await for more from this up and coming author.

Ok, so I never wait patiently for anything ."

Second major SQUEE for the day!

As if I couldn't get more excited, my book cover for Broken Promises FINALLY became official. This book (and series) is such a labor of love for me and I've wanted the perfect cover. I thought I had it but Hell decided to drag me in and some tough decisions had to be made. Thank goodness, I was able to have something created that not only has the EXACT feel I wanted but has made it mandatory the story I write matches it. The intensity I feel when I connect with the story and characters, the seductiveness I was after and heat I needed, is all right there on the cover. I am BEYOND happy with it and it features my favorite model and all time good guy, Jimmy Thomas. Want to see?

Hot as heck where all I want to do is stare all day and lick my screen! This has been such a team effort and a HUGE thanks go to Elizabeth Sharp, for braving the streets late one night to get the perfect alley shot. To Lacey Weatherford, who stayed up all night and braved the person "snoring" beside her and the helpful critiques from none other than Jimmy Thomas. Big smoochies to you all.... except for you Jimmy because if I do, I just might melt all over the place. Either that, or get a little "carried away" *blushes* Have you seen him ladies? Third major SQUEE of the day.

So there you have it. The day where I felt the constant need to pinch myself and one that will go down as unforgetable. Good thing about sharing it here is I now have it recorded, so each time doubt comes kicking down my door, I'll just reread this and know "Bels, you're on your way!" Happy writing everyone!

Much Needed Advice, Perfect Timing

Don't you just hate it? This has basically been me for the last few months when it came to writing on my WIP Broken Promises.With the stress of life and health issues, whenever I reached out to write, I found myself blank and unconnected. I'd try and struggle to reach for the story I knew was desperate to continue but after I while, I'd give up and move onto something easier to access and in the meantime... I'm miserable.

Are you like me in when you are "in the groove" and knee deep in creative productivity, you can't write fast enough? It's seems effortless and when you finally come up for air, you're left in awe over what you've accomplished. You're instantly recharged and begin setting goals on how to get the story finished. Problem is - how do you get there and more importantly, stay there??

This is where I am right now. It's time to get Broken Promises out of my heart and soul and onto paper. It's time to share with everyone the incredible story I've been going over and over in my mind since this time last year. I have a music playlist, a book trailer in the process of being created and a book cover so incredible, I can only hope I can do it justice. I can get my heart pumping and my muse beginning to dance but wouldn't you know it... sit at my computer and there I am staring at my screen again.

There needs to be a way I can "switch" it all on whenever I want to and not be at the mercy of when I feel like it. Honestly, life happens and there isn't always going to be ideal moments. I've been stewing over this and came across a blog post from an author I absolutely love. Kim Harrison, author of the popular urban fantasy Rachel Morgan series, was offering up some sound advice to aspiring authors and she shared something that struck me and I truly believe this is the answer to my problem.

She wrote in her post An Open Letter To "I Am Special" Writers:

1. Write every day, same time, same place, even if it's only for 20 minutes. This will train your creativity to turn on at a drop of a hat. Two weeks of agony, and you will start to notice you will not be staring at a blank page when you sit down, but writing immediately. I don't know any authors who write only when they feel like it. They treat it like the job that it is, even if it is a part-time job. This is hard, but it is worth it.

So this is my goal. Each day at the same time, I'm going to train myself to get in touch with my creativity. No longer will I wait for my Muse to come to me... I will now go to her. Wish me luck because I'm excited and before I know it, Broken Promises will be released.

Happy writing!



More Mock Covers!

I am so excited. I have completely fallen in love with Jimmy Thomas - a romance cover model who is amazing! He saw a niche in the market and created a company where he creates romance stock photos to then sell to the public. My BFF and I could seriously live on his site, each picture making us swoon. You would think it would be expensive to buy him but NOPE, just $15 an image!! Crazy, right? So with the free time I had off today, I designed two book covers for future stories. Please note: I'm a complete novice on Photoshop - doing this I wanted something visual to inspire me. Once it's time to publish, these will be tidied up by the fabulous Elizabeth Sharp, graphic design extraordinaire *grins*

So what do you think?

* If you're interested seeing more of Jimmy's work, go to Romance Novel Covers *

I Have An Author Bio!

Ask me to write about you, ask me to write about a book I've reading, heck - ask me to write about anything and I'll give you something. Ask me to write about myself and I'm drawing a blank. With Dream On being released within the month, I needed to write an author bio for it (I would've needed one eventually) but was stumped on what to include. I wanted something that gave a snapshot of who I am, something that was fun. I love reading bios where it adds a little quirk but when it came time for mine? I've sat on it for WEEKS! Finally, I got started yesterday and voila - here it is!

A homesick Aussie living amongst the cactus and mountains of Arizona, Belinda Boring is a self proclaimed addict of romance and all things swoon worthy. When she's not devouring her latest read, you can find her celebrating her passion for book on her blog The Bookish Snob.

With all that excitement, it wasn’t long before she began writing, pouring her imagination and creativity into the stories she dreams. Whether urban fantasy, paranormal romance or romance in general, Belinda strives to share great plots with heart and characters that you can’t help but connect with. Of course, she wouldn’t be Belinda without adding heroes she hopes will curl your toes.

Surrounded by a supportive cast of family, friends and the man she gives her heart and soul to, Belinda is living the good life. Happy reading!


Would you buy my book based on my bio? Slowly but surely, it's becoming official !!

SQUEE! Mock Cover For The Curse Of Illusions

SQUEE!! Nothing beats some visual motivation so without further ado, let me present the cover for my historical romance, The Curse of Illusions. It's of course, a mock cover but this is the general look and feel I'm aiming for. Just looking at it makes me a little giddy and kicks my Muse into hyper drive. All fingers (and toes and eyes) crossed, I'm aiming for an early 2012 release. Here's a snippet of what I've been working on. It's in the early stages but I want to share something:)

 *The Curse of Illusions Teaser *

One moment by the wall, now before her, Lord St James held firm to her and she recognized his intent. He meant to kiss her hand and she relaxed a little. Questions rose in her mind on how he’d been able to move so fast but she shrugged them aside. Maybe he wasn’t as far away as she’d thought.

Lowering her eyes out of habitual respect, all nicety of the moment vanished when he flipped over her hand and buried his mouth in her palm, nudging her with his lips. Heat pulsed through her as she felt the tip of his moist tongue caress her skin in light swirls.

Her knees buckled this time and strong arms banded around her waist, pulling her flush against his hard body. Every inch of her felt electrified at the closeness between them. Propriety demanded she ask to be released but her mind was muddled from being in his embrace.

Nipping the meat of her palm with his teeth, Catriona couldn’t help but shudder with pleasure. Something about the feel of his teeth caused her to conjure up the most erotic of images and she melted into him further.

That's it folks *grins*  I promise this will be a swoony read!

Progress Update - Broken Promises

A little snippet

“Look at me, Bree.” he ordered. Quinn’s voice had lost everything that made him the man I loved. It was harsh and cold, totally void of any emotion. If it wasn’t for the fact I knew it was him, I would have thought it was stranger talking to me.

“No Quinn, I’m won’t.” Maybe defiance wasn’t the way to go but I couldn’t let him think he had total control over the situation. I continued to stand there with my eyes closed, taking in deep slow breaths to steady my beating heart.

There was a long moment of silence where if my body wasn't so in tuned with Quinn’s, I could have been standing alone. But I knew he was there and he was waiting.

“I know you’re there, Quinn and I’m not going to open my eyes so you might as well just let me leave.” I knew it was a long shot, there was no way he was letting me go.

The silence was deafening. I frowned, doubting my ability to sense him when I heard him move slightly. Next I heard a whimper that turned into a gasp. Something was happening and as much as it killed me, I kept my eyes closed.

“Bree? It’s happening again, isn’t it? Oh my gosh, have I hurt you?” The small flicker of hope I had grew brighter as I heard Quinn finally speak to me.

“Quinn?”

“Bree, why didn’t you run when I told you to?” he asked. “I really could have hurt you.” With those few words, the confusion and sorrow in Quinn’s voice melted away what little resistance I held onto. I opened my eyes with the hope I’d see brown ones looking back at me.

I crumpled into myself as his cold blue eyes bore into mine. Quinn began to chuckle and took a step closer to me.

“Surprise, Bree.” He moved his finger in a mock wave, a smirk spread across his face. He didn’t even look the same anymore. He laughed again as he added, “And they said I couldn’t act?”

 

Follow Friday For Writers #4



Hosted by Elizabeth over at Some Sharp Words

(for rules, click on the link)

This week's question is:

Shakespeare asked What's in a name? But we all know better. So let's talk about names, specifically our blog's name. How did you come up with yours?

Hmmm, good question *grins* I actually have one main blog with a bunch of separate pages. So maybe I should explain the main blog's name and then how I came up with this page's name... I'll try to keep it short LOL

Main blog: My main blog is called The Bookish Snob and it's predominantly a book reviewing site - a place where I connect with other readers by sharing my passion for my genre of choice (romance/paranormal/urban fantasy) I have book reviews, giveaways, blogging activities, features and lots and lots of gushing! I've been blogging for almost a year now and I was completely PUSHED into it *giggles* Yep, I needed to be firmly prodded and led by the nose. My BFF was the one who set it all up and she was the one that chose my name.

She thought it was funny that I  basically only read romance. People would ask me "Belinda, have you read this *insert title*" and my guaranteed response was "Is it romance? Is it paranormal?" If the answer was no, then my reading the book wasn't going to happen. I just wasn't interested. My BFF laughed whenever I'd say it and she told me "You're the book snob" When she created the account for my blog, the nickname was already taken so she used The Bookish Snob instead. She then helped create the icon and the rest is history....

Writing Page: This one is simple. I wanted to share some of my work and thought to add it to my blog. Each page has a name according to what it's for. I chose "Writings Of A Dreamer" because that's how I get my story ideas. I wake up with a feeling or a few images and a story forms. I sit at my computer and free write and ten minutes later I have a complete outline. The story I'm writing now, Broken Promises, I wrote a three book outline from 2 dream images - eyes that change and blood being the key. With that kind of influence, it seemed a fitting tribute.

I can't wait to see what you all shared!

Happy Follow Friday!!



I Am A Writer - A Much Needed Declaration!

Add a laptop and I swear, this could be a picture of me having a "what the heck am I thinking!" moment. You know how those go - you're in the middle of creating something wonderful and just for spite, Mr. Doubt strides in and sneers at you. You take a look at what you have and you begin to shake - "Is it good enough? Do I sound stupid? Will my beloved book be ripped to shreds if it's not perfect?" All the while, Mr Doubt paces about you and when he notices you're fighting his influence, he throws in the deal breaker - that one thought that stings the most. For me, that thought is "I am not a writer... who am I fooling?"  Gets me EVERY time and Mr. Doubt can be pretty ruthless with it, especially now that I've reaffirmed my goals to finish Broken Promises.

I was talking with someone today and it's such a common thought amongst us all. It helps so much knowing I'm not alone and it gives me the strength to look Mr Doubt back in the eye and blow him a huge, old RASPBERRY.  I love the saying "As a man thinketh, so he is" I think that's the key to conquering fear and doubt - if I affirm myself, if I remind myself of what I am and the potential I have, then that's who I'll be. Mr Doubt only has the power I give him. So in the spirit of that thought...

Hello, my name is Belinda and

 I AM A WRITER!

Here is what else I think:

I have a voice and a strong imagination.

I know how to access my heart.

I have a beautiful muse.

I deserve to have my creativity published.

I'm not embarrassed to share my talent.

I have something valuable to offer.

So take that Mr. Doubt - be gone and bother me no more!