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UNEDITED TEASER FOR THE GUARDIAN ANGEL
Oh,
how I hated to ruin my family. I did not want to be the cause of their
lives changing. It’s so unfair that I have to open them up to the
ugliness of cancer.
“There’s no other way to say this, other than to come right out and tell you. So...” I begun, trying to keep my composure, which wasn’t working.
“You’re Mommy is sick.” Carson jumped in, helping me out.
“Oh, we can make you soup. You’ll feel better in no time.” Reed said, elbowing Rebecca, who agreed.
“Mommy is a little sicker than what soup can help.” I said carefully.
I wanted to say it right. How do I explain to a seven year old and an eight year old that their mother may be dying?
“I have what is known as cancer.” I said, as I noticed Lynn, Elizabeth,
and Leah’s eyes widen with surprise. I knew they would understand that
term.
“How bad?” Lynn asked.
“It’s not good. I have to see the doctor tomorrow.”
“The doctor can give you medicines to help you feel better. Then, Reed
and me can make you soup. I think that is a great idea. Don’t you Reed?”
Rebecca said hopeful.
I could not hold back the tears. How was
I going to get them to understand that I didn’t have the common cold? I
have cancer. Their beautiful little minds weren’t going to be able to
grasp the severity of this situation.
“The type of sickness
Mommy has, will take a lot out of her. She has to see the doctor
tomorrow, so they can help fix her. She’s going to need a lot of
medicine and we’ll have to help her out. The type of sickness Mommy has
is called cancer.” Carson told the younger ones.
“Oh geez, it’s not that hard to say that you’re sick and could die!” Lynn yelled as tears ran down her face.
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I'm so glad you stopped by. I'm asking for the reading community to help me out. As we all know, I am going to be writing another non-fiction book based off of my experiences with pregnancy after loss. This is another part of my journey which means a lot to me. Therefore, I'm trying to figure out the perfect title for it. For those who don't know, a rainbow baby is the baby born after a loss. I'd love to some how put this into the title, however I'm not wanting a super long title for this book.
If you have an idea, please list it in the comments below.
These are a few I'm thinking of but they don't jump out at me as THE one...
Journey to Our Rainbow: Pregnancy After Loss
Pregnancy After Loss; Our Journey Through the Storm
My Journey to Our Rainbow
Thank you for taking the time to read this and a big thank you to the ones who chimed in with ideas last month when I asked this question on my author page.
I'm super excited to share with you the decision I made. I plan on writing another personal book for you all.
This book branches off of Dakota's story, "Saying Goodbye without Saying Hello." I haven't picked a title out for it but you have the opportunity to help with that. (I'll explain in a moment.) This book will be centered on life after a loss. It'll focus on my pregnancy with my rainbow baby. **A rainbow baby is the baby born after a loss.**
Once again, you'll be able to walk the journey with me through my words. I'll be pouring every part of my soul into it. The feelings will be real and I plan on sharing everything I have/am going through. I plan on taking the book to follow a little bit of the labor and life after with our rainbow.
As for the title, I've posted a thread on my Facebook page where I am taking suggestions for the title of this book. I'm thinking it may be a novella or come really close to being another novel. Only time will tell for that. So, if you would like, please take the moment to add your idea of the title on the thread.
So the move didn't go as smooth as I thought it would. I ran into some problems along with my Hubby loosing his job. At this time I have no idea what is going on with writing. The stress here at the home front and being pregnant seems to be too much for me at times.
**To those who I still owe books to from my last giveaway, I truly apologize for not sending them out as quickly as I had intended. I did not foresee all the financial problems and it's next to impossible to mail them out at this time. Once again, please don't hate me because it seems as if life does right now!**
Until then, please keep spreading the word about your favorite books that I wrote and I'll do my best to finish up the few I'm working on now. Well, as soon as I find the box with my thumb drives in it... I'll be back to writing again.
I wanted to inform you all that I'll be MIA for the remainder of the month due to an unexpected move. Once we are settled into our new home, I'll be back. In the meantime, I'll be writing between packing boxes, moving, and unpacking. Please pray that everything goes smoothly, as I am almost seven months pregnant and high risk.
Kristy didn't realize how she was affecting Eros. He held his posture with no anger or animosity in his expression. Although he felt he could burst. Leave it up to him to grab a smart ass who didn't know how to keep her trap shut. Without thinking, flames engulfed Eros and he flashed across the room, standing directly in front of Kristy. He conjured a fireball in the palm of his hand and threw it across the room with so much power; it crumbled part of the wall where it hit. Kristy's face paled as she took in the black singe marks left on the wall from the fantasy she believed only existed in a story.
In honor of Dakota's first birthday, I have decided to give away a
SIGNED paperback copy of her story, Saying Goodbye Without Saying Hello everyday for the duration of the event. That means each day between May 26th and June 1st you have a chance to win.
How do you enter?
It's easy. All you have to do is follow the tour. Yep, that's checking out EACH blog for EACH day and leaving a meaningful comment for the blogger. Then, visit each link and leave a meaningful comment on the posts that are part of the celebration but not the main tour. That's it! It's easy.
I'll be posting each day during the tour for which blogs you should visit via my Facebook page. So, be sure to "like" and get the notifications for the page.
At the end of the tour, I'll go back through the Rafflecopter and see who was the most active with following the tour. You can even recruit others for another entry into the giveaway! If you're here by the means of a referral, please leave a comment saying who sent you on the Rafflecopter. Remember, use the same names that others used to enter.
The winners will be announced AFTER the tour is completed. You can follow along with the tour from my website too.
I have previously mentioned in a blog post a few months back that my book, Saying Goodbye Without Saying Hello was nominated and won in three different categories within the Turning the Pages Awards. They held a book signing and award ceremony in Orlando, FL this past April, which I was not able to attend.
However, I did request that my awards be mailed to me and guess what.... here they are.
I want to take a moment to thank Turning the Pages for such a wonderful event and I hope to make it there in the future. It's such an honor to have been part of the awards for 2013.
Next, I want to thank ALL readers who nominated and voted for Saying Goodbye Without Saying Hello. It warms my heart to see that my daughter's story won THREE different categories within the event. I'm truly grateful for this and words can't express how happy this makes me.
Here are the pictures from the awesome package I received this week in the mail....
This is everything I pulled out of the package. I must say I am super happy to even have some bookmarks, author cards, and other swag from authors who were part too!
******
Health
Book of the Year 2013- Health
Up close look at the medal for the Health genre.
*******
Religious
******
Non Fiction
It's it A-MAZ_ING? I am super thrilled and can't wait to hang them up to display them. Once again thank you so much for nominating Dakota's story and voting.
You were not a "lost pregnancy" or a
"stillborn" as some have described you. You were not a
sad thing that
happened to us or a tragic circumstance.
You were a baby, my baby, our baby!
A human being. AND YOU STILL ARE!!!
Saying Goodbye Without Saying Hello is....
The journey of pregnancy brings hope, joy, and love for the expecting
mother. The hope of giving birth to a new life. The joy of feeling this
new life grow inside of her. The love that starts with a test that
doesn’t ever end. Dreams for the unborn child flood the new mother’s
mind, as well as those around her. Each step of the pregnancy is a
cherished moment. The anticipation of meeting her cherished baby builds
from the very first month and ends after birth.
This is the
story of one mother and how a few words changed her life forever. How a
piece of her faded when she heard these words: “There’s no heartbeat.”
When RaeBeth Buda laid in the hospital in labor, she and her husband
heard those dreaded words.
What happens when all of those
dreams are shattered in a moment’s notice? How does one cope with the
loss of their child? This is the story of their journey and of the
devastating grief of the loss of her daughter, Dakota Emily Buda.
On May 27, 2014 my darling daughter, Dakota will be celebrating her first birthday. Not only is it her first birthday, but it's her first in Heaven too. Therefore, I have teamed up with Sparkle Blog Tours for a birthday celebration in her memory.This blog tour is one that is close to my heart so I'd like to start getting the word out there about this event. My hope for this tour is that Dakota's story reach many people who could benefit from her journey and for her story to become known.
The book tour will run from May 26th (the day I went into labor with her) to June 1 (the day we laid her to rest). I'll be doing a giveaway right here on my blog as the tour is going on. So, not only will I have several amazing bloggers helping me with this celebration, but I'm willing to spread awareness with some special prizes too!
I'm super excited to see what Sparkle Book Tours is going to do for this very special occasion. As I get new information for the tour, I'll be filling you in too. This way you're with me every step of the way. Until then, please share this post so help create awareness for that special week.
If this video will not play for you... watch it on YouTube or you can read the script below:
What not to do as a New Author
Over the course of time in which I have self-published, I
have had several new authors come to me seeking advice. In answer to all these
requests, I decided to do a vlog to hit up every point I can to help you out.
Please remember that this could vary between authors and this is based upon my
experience. This is the blunt truth with no sugar coating. Unfortunately, I
have seen writers dive in without a clue of what to do.
·I
see this a lot, especially when it comes to self published authors. Publishing
the book before it’s REALLY ready. It doesn’t matter that
you managed to write a paper for school and your teacher told you that you have
an amazing writing talent. ALL authors need to do this regardless of your
experience. It takes time to write a good quality book and even more time to
have it properly edited and formatted. I have seen writers rushing through the
self-publishing process without properly preparing for it. They’ll skip over a
professional edit, and then complain when reviews mention the bad grammar
within the book. You should not have your friend who did well in English look
over your book and call it edited. Do your research! Find an accredited editor
who has a portfolio and reviews. Talk to your book friends/authors to see if
they have heard of any great editors. Take your time with this process. Believe
me; your readers will see when you rushed.
·Giveaways
and Facebook parties are great, but most of the time they do nothing for the
good of your book. They attract many readers who, most of the time, are there
for the prizes. This is, in my opinion, a waste to do when you’re a new author.
Work and focus more on your writing and building a fan base.
·Create
some type of marketing plan. Yes, self-publishing is a lot of work and it takes
time. However, most of all, you should invest in your work. When asked, I would
suggest investing more in the book cover, editing, and publication of a new
book I have been told, “I can’t afford that.” Personally, I think that is an excuse.
If you are not willing to invest in your books, what makes you think readers
will want to as well? If you can’t afford something up front, take the time and
save up for it. It will pay off in the end. Know who you’re marketing to. If
this isn’t in your plan, I advise you to add it in. You don’t want to rely on
solely other authors to see your work, but the demographic for your genre.
Spamming different groups on Facebook and around the net, doesn’t help either.
Most of the time... it gets annoying. Successful writers know who their
audience is and market to that niche.
·Reviews.
Now this is a big one! Reviews are the way for readers to share what they liked
AND didn’t like about ones book. Get it into your head now... your book WILL
and I repeat WILL get low star reviews along the way. That is okay because not
every book out there is for everyone. So, when you begin getting them, DO NOT
bash the reviewer or jump down their throat for a less than perfect review.
This won’t get you readers nor will it create a good name for you. When you ask
for an HONEST review, be prepared for an HONEST review! NEVER beg for reviews.
This is tasteless in my opinion. I have seen where writers have even paid
people to review their books, this isn’t good either.
When you get your first one star review (I guarantee it) do
not under any circumstances be snarky about it. ALL books get bad reviews.
However, you should prepare for the bullying type reviews, yep you heard me.
When you get one, DO NOT respond to the bully in comments or engage them in any
way. As hard as it might be, report the abuse and LET IT GO!
Well, these are the few tips I have for you today. I’m sure
over time I’ll be back with part two, but until then... Happy writing and thank
you for tuning in to my vlog.
