Simple Healthy Banana Milkshake

I've rediscovered the simple joy of a banana milkshake. I don't like eating ripe bananas alone. I prefer them a little green. So I can only do three things with ripe bananas: 1) Use them in banana bread, muffins, or pancakes, 2) freeze them to use in icy smoothies, or 3) put them in a blender with some almond milk (or other milk) and puree it into a delicious, frothy shake. Mmmm. So good! And so healthy. I don't add any sugar and my kids love it that way. Bananas are packed full of sugars anyway. ENJOY!

Shadows of Valor Cover Reveal!

Here it is! The cover to my medieval fiction, Shadows of Valor. I LOVE IT! My heroine, Elsbeth, is at the top (gorgeous) and my hero, The Shadow, is in the bottom right corner (so handsome and mysterious). LOVE IT!!! Though Jolly Fish Press' executive editor, Christopher Loke, and his design team touched up the photos and designed the awesome cover, it was Yelena Baykova who shot the pictures of cover models Paulina Baykova and Brady Knighton who portrayed my main characters, Elsbeth and Sir Calan/The Shadow. Thank you all for working together to create a beautiful and striking cover for SHADOWS OF VALOR! GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY! Release date September 7, 2013!

Below is the Facebook banner for Shadows of Valor (wonderful cover models!)

I've seen Shadows of Valor book cover!

I've seen it! The cover to Shadows of Valor, and it's AWESOME! I'll plaster it all over the internet as soon as it officially gets released from Jolly Fish Press (hopefully this week). I'm so dang excited. My story has a FACE *smile*! EEEEEE!

UP IN THE AIR by ANN MARIE MEYERS

UP IN THE AIR, a middle grade fantasy!  

With themes of confidence, trust, guilt, and forgiveness, Meyers has crafted a novel that will inspire children and adults alike. Ever since she can remember, ten-year-old Melody has always wanted to fly. And when she leaps off a swing in the park one day and lands in the mystical realm of Chimeroan, her dream finally comes true. She is given a pair of wings. She can fly! Life cannot be any better. Yet, dreams do come with a price. Even with wings, Melody realizes she cannot outfly the memories of her past. The car accident that has left her father paralyzed, and her unscarred, still plagues her with guilt—she believes that it was entirely her fault. In Chimeroan, Melody is forced to come to terms with her part in her father's accident. She must choose between the two things that have become the world to her: keeping her wings or healing her father.

Watch the YouTube trailer here

ANN MARIE MEYERS grew up in Trinidad and Tobago in the West Indies. She has a degree in languages and translates legal and technical documents from French and Spanish into English. She lives in Toronto, Ontario, with her husband and energetic daughter. Meyers is an active member of SCBWI and facilitates a children's writing group twice a month.

Find the author online here:
Twitter: @AnnMarie_Meyers
Website/blog


BUY THE BOOK:
Barnes & Noble - Paperback
Barnes & Noble NOOK
Amazon - Paperback
Amazon Kindle

Emissions Test Failure!

http://cheezburger.com/5373701376

Well, my husband's 1988 Chevy S-10 didn't pass emissions inspection this year. Grrr. I dread these inspections every year. We have thirty days to figure out why white smoke comes out the tailpipe when it's revved up. Maybe something to do with antifreeze leaking onto an engine component or something. Who knows until he gets under the hood. Frustrating. He'll be spending his upcoming weekends fixing his ancient truck instead of spending time with his little girls. It's tough keeping an old vehicle alive. It'd be nice to simply purchase a newer truck, but we just don't have the money. As it is, we also live in the in-law's basement, and we are trying to find an affordable house of our own. Doesn't leave much room for a new/used vehicle.

To top it off, the belt on my old Eureka vacuum broke and I'm having a surprisingly difficult time finding a replacement belt. The vacuum model number doesn't match store catalogs anymore (guess it's too old), leaving me with the task of finding a generic belt, which resulted in smoking rubber from under the vacuum when I turned it on - YUCK! - STUNK UP THE HOUSE! Had to open all the doors and windows, for there's nothing as bad as burnt rubber stench. Can't afford a new vacuum right now, either.

These things being said, my intent is not to come across as "poor me," but to point out that I'm trying to count my blessings in this way:

If the emissions problem isn't fixed in time to register the truck for June, we'll be down to one car. A hassle, but at least we have one reliable vehicle, which, I realize, is more than some unfortunate people have. Also, living with my in-laws, I can borrow their vacuum until mine can be fixed. This is called focusing on my blessings and not the inconveniences of life (easier said than done at times, but always a good rule of thumb).

Shadows of Valor new release date: September 7, 2013!

My publicist just informed me that due to internal changes at Jolly Fish Press, and other preparatory reasons, the release date for Shadows of Valor has been set back to September 7, 2013. I've already waited SO LONG, and now I'm waiting longer. Aaaa! But I know Jolly Fish has my book's best interest in mind, so I'm grateful the only inconvenience is changing the date on all my blog posts, twitter, Facebook titles and so on. Could be worse I suppose *smile*. And so goes the way of the publishing world *shrug*

Teri Harman's witch fantasy BLOOD MOON

Welcome to the Magical World of Witches!

 

PROVO, UT—Jolly Fish Press (JFP) has successfully signed a three-book deal with Teri Harman. Harman's groundbreaking debut YA fantasy/paranormal novel, Blood Moon, the first installment in The Moonlight Trilogy, completely reinvents the modern concept of witches. Blood Moon will be released Summer 2013 in conjunction with Litha, or the Summer Solstice, a classic time for magic of all kinds.

Overview: A hand slowly reaches out a crack in the window to feel the light sprinkles of rain. The hand, cemented with dirt, sweat, and blood, trembles like a withered leaf hanging to a dead branch. Although filthy, the hand emits a history of grace and elegance long lost to the evils of torture and imprisonment. . . . From what Willa recalls, seeing this pitiful hand, and, eventually, the person connected to it, was the catalyst to her realizing she wasn't like everyone else. Willa is a witch, and it turns out her boyfriend, Simon, is a witch, too. That would explain their strange, nearly overwhelming connection. Simon and Willa's journey to free the imprisoned owner of the pitiful hand marks the beginning of their dangerous, yet magical immersion into the hidden world of witches. Soon, they are catapulted into a world of covens, true friends and enemies, and the mind-bending power of magic.

Watch the book trailer for Blood Moon on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3axG-GlAegs

Blood Moon’s release date - June 22, 2013 in hardcover, paperback and electronic wherever books and e-books are sold! Below are the links to the Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads listings. If you've reviewed the book, we welcome you to post your review/rating there.

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Moon-Teri-Harman/dp/1939967015/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1370531937&sr=1-1

Barnes &Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blood-moon-teri-harman/1114940694?ean=9781939967008&itm=1&usri=9781939967008

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16104353-blood-moon

Even before she wrote Blood Moon, Harman was already fully immersed in the world of writing. She writes articles on writing and book reviews for both Deseret News and KSL.com, runs a monthly television segment on books for Studio 5, Utah's number one lifestyle show, and has appeared on a plethora of radio shows and writing festivals. When she's not writing, Harman spends time with her three crazy kids and brilliant husband.

You can find Teri Harman online here:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTeriHarman

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeriHarman

Website: www.teriharman.com

Teri Harman's blog tour schedule: http://teriharman.com/events-calendar/blood-moon-blog-tour/

Below is a link to the giveaway for the tour, which will go live June 10th to July 3^rd:

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/MDQ4NmY1MmY0NmFkNjI0NTc2NDI1MTIxMWYxNTE4Ojg=/

SHADOWS OF VALOR pre-order and overview!

(This post updated 5 July, 2013)
OH MY GOSH! I'M SO EXCITED!!! Shadows of Valor is available for pre-order at Barnes and Noble!!! Aaaa! Someone pinch me! This is so AWESOME!!! Here's the link to the Barnes and Noble page showing Shadows of Valor: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-valor-elsie-park/1114940696
Eeeee! My insides are jumping! Release date September 7, 2013!

SHADOWS OF VALOR overview:
    On the surface, Graywall is content and booming. Lord Shaufton, who presides over the city, is a fine ruler. The poor are well-cared for, the area is popular, and morale is high—but within Graywall's roots, something dark is stirring. This darkness threatens to overpower the once-peaceful town, until a mysterious figure appears: The Shadow.

    As much a figure of fear to the unruly as legend to the innocent, The Shadow is a well-known enforcer of justice and aid to the King. Due to an outrageous export tax set by King Edward, smuggling has tainted the kingdom, so The Shadow is sent to hunt the smugglers down. Contrary to legend, The Shadow is simply a man known as Sir Calan who, although talented and just, struggles to keep his dark thoughts of revenge from becoming ruthless action.

    Due to sheer coincidence, The Shadow learns of a deadly plot against Lord Shaufton on a journey to Graywall. Now, he must enter a pseudo courtship with Lord Shaufton's daughter under his original guise of Sir Calan, all while old emotions are stirred by the lovely Elsbeth, Lord Shaufton's niece. Elsbeth, it seems, is the only woman who can heal his troubled soul, but she has a story of her own. What entails is a glorious tale full of deceit, greed, inner struggles, betrayal, and most of all—love.

All about SHADOWS OF VALOR

Many people have asked about my book, Shadows of Valor, and what it's about (being that it'll be released September 7, 2013).

In a nutshell: In 1300 A.D. England, a knight-spy (aka The Shadow) for King Edward hunts down smugglers and brings them to justice. A childhood acquaintance, Lady Rawley, enters the scene, adding a touch of PG-rated romance. Together the duo search out thieves, often at the peril of their lives, and contend with the danger of traitors, sword fights and fires. As The Shadow struggles to keep his dual identity a secret, misunderstandings arise with complicated circumstances and strong emotional ties.

For those interested, here are links to articles I've posted on my blog about the book and the music I composed for it that will be included in the publication. My cover and book trailer will be released soon, and I will share them when they come out.

-TEN QUESTIONS I ANSWER ABOUT MY STORY: http://elsiepark.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-next-big-thing.html

-THE BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT FROM JOLLY FISH PRESS: http://elsiepark.blogspot.com/2012/06/heres-my-book-announcement-from-jolly.html

-MY RESEARCH PROCESS: http://elsiepark.blogspot.com/2012/07/normal-0-false-false-false.html.

-DESCRIPTION OF THE MUSIC I COMPOSED FOR SHADOWS OF VALOR: http://elsiepark.blogspot.com/2012/07/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_31.html

-COMPOSING THE MUSICAL SCORE FOR MY BOOK TRAILER (including a sheet music sample): http://elsiepark.blogspot.com/2013/04/composing-musical-score-for-shadows-of.html

-BASIC INFO ABOUT MEDIEVAL CLOTHING AND INSTRUMENTS: http://elsiepark.blogspot.com/2012/09/normal-0-false-false-false-en-us-x-none_20.html

-BASIC INFO ABOUT MEDIEVAL ENGLISH SPEECH: http://elsiepark.blogspot.com/2012/07/medieval-english-speech-formal-vs.html

I want to thank all those who have shown an interest and excitement for my debut novel and for your WONDERFUL love and support! I love you all!

Fairy Godmothers Inc. book review

Fairy Godmothers Inc., a 299-page novel by Jenniffer Wardell, is a fun PG-rated romantic comedy that’s unraveled at a nice leisurely pace.

Usually a fairy godmother is the one bringing about a happily-ever-after, but what if the one needing help with her relationship is the fairy godmother? To whom does she turn to sort out the trials and pitfalls of her budding romance? As one character says to the prince in the story, “It strikes me as horribly ironic that you apparently need a Fairy Godmother to properly manage your courtship of a Fairy Godmother.” And so it would seem.

Ripe with quick wit and continual references to fairy tales the reader will recognize, this amusing read cleverly melds old-world tales and new-world business techniques. Wardell introduces a new take on the fairytale with a behind-the-scenes look at the production end of fairy godmothers, but not everything is smooth sailing. In fact, under the surface, questionable practices brew, create issues for the company and its clientele.

And what of Cinderella (Rellie) being set up with someone whose not her intended prince? Misunderstandings and shady business tactics cause problems that seem near impossible to sort out. Will this story achieve its happy ending?

Pick up a copy of Fairy Godmothers Inc. to see how everything turns out in this new and unconventional tale.