GUEST POST: The Top 5 Blogs I Just Can’t Get Enough Of by Debra Druzy

Thank you for hosting me on your blog, Louise. And G’day to your fabulous followers. 

When it comes to blogging, I’m always short on ideas, so part of my pre-writing procrastination consists of checking out the scoop at my favorite online hangouts… which brings me to this post. 

Thanks to my Smartphone, I’m online A LOT. When I’m not tracking my caloric intake via the Lose It app, or updating my word count in the Writeometer app, or saving baby panda’s in Panda Pop, or narrowing down new character names on Babynames.com, or responding to email, or Googling a new recipe my family will all agree to eat, I’m scrolling through my Facebook feed, discovering things to “like.” Some things turn in to favorite things, like the following blogs. 

HOW BOUREGOIS - http://howbourgeois.blogspot.com

About three years ago I grew out my dark-brown dyed hair because I couldn’t keep up with covering the grays. Rather than cut it super-short (something I didn’t want to do again), I did like Elsa and just “let it go.” While rainbow and ombre hair was/is the trend, I hoped I could blend into the crowd, but going gray was a far cry from the hip, exotic look. In fact, it was quite a tortuous journey, however… Lauren of the blog HOW BOURGEOIS was my go-to girl for motivation and inspiration. If it weren’t for this “silver sister’s” uplifting posts, I might have gone back to the dye-bottle. I am sooo glad I hung on, because it was worth it. Not that I don’t love visiting my hairdresser (he does amazing work with my crazy hair), but I l-o-v-e my silver strands.

NATURALLY CURLY - http://www.naturallycurly.com

I’ve fought with my natural curls all my life. As a child, my mother globbed on the Dippity-Do to hold down my out-of-control bangs against my forehead. After growing out my silver strands, I realized direct heat and hot styling tools are not my friends. I would straighten my new silver hair like I did when I dyed it but quickly realized if I used too much heat to get that super-sleek look I wanted, the ends turned a burnt-yellow. I was horrified. I figured I was destined to wear a top-knot ponytail forever. Then I found NATURALLY CURLY, which changed my life—no exaggeration. Up until the last two months, I was never a fan of hair products other than a smoothing gloss, because everything seemed to stiffen my hair, or make it feel sticky, or weigh it down. Then after reading articles and watching videos on this blog, I discovered I’ve been doing it wrong—from washing to scrunching to products to drying. I’ve never gotten more compliments on my hair since I went curly, and I’ve never loved my curls more than I do now. 

PEOPLE I WANT TO PUNCH IN THE THROAT - http://www.peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.com

My friend turned me on to this blog. As a mother, housewife, and human, I am in a constant state of hanging onto the last shred of my sanity caused by my inability to master the stress of daily life, with kids bickering non-stop in the backdrop. Once I read PEOPLE I WANT TO PUNCH IN THE THROAT, I thought YES, this is for me! Jen is cool, snarky, and real. This blog makes for some fun and funny company while sipping morning coffee, eating lunch alone, or chillaxing in bed before turning out the light. And Jenn is a New York Times Best Seller. 

DAVID WOLFE - http://www.davidwolfe.com

If you’re on Facebook, you probably get posts by David “Avocado” Wolfe—“the rock star and Indiana Jones of the superfoods and longevity universe”—in your newsfeed. I enjoy his tips on how to live healthier. With so much online information on ways to live longer, eat right, stay fit, look better, keep a positive mental attitude, and have an overall clean lifestyle, I tap this blog for expert advice. 

THE WRITER’S CIRCLE - http://writerscircle.com

Another favorite blog I found via Facebook, which you probably know if you enjoy writing, is THE WRITER’S CIRCLE. Their mission is “to help connect, encourage, and highlight writers around the world.” They offer resourceful articles, valuable tips and tidbits, and interesting information, perfect for any level of experience. 

About the Author

Debra Druzy is a married, stay-at-home mom, writing Sweet ’n Spicy Contemporary Romance in between running errands and doing household chores. She is the author of SLEEPING WITH SANTA and DARE ME, published by The Wild Rose Press. Visit her website at http://www.debradruzy.com/ for story excerpts, works in progress, upcoming releases, and social links, and you can drop her an email at DebraDruzy@gmail.com. 

About the Books
DARE ME (A Candy Hearts Romance): For wedding stylist Misty Morningside, mixing business with pleasure is a professional no-no. That is, until she runs into wedding photographer Adam Wright at a Valentine’s Day event. Dare they set aside business for one night of pleasure?

SLEEPING WITH SANTA: When Nick reluctantly accepts the temporary transfer to the Scenic View Fire Department he doesn’t plan on playing Santa Claus for the kiddie Christmas party. Sticking around town for the special assignment will give him a chance to get to know lonely, local sweetheart Lily and find out why she wants nothing to do with him. Lily is a lifelong fixture in Scenic View, sick of living hand-to-mouth in a place where everyone’s nose is in her personal business. Just when she’s ready to move out of town, she meets the gorgeous newcomer, and it’s lust at first sight. The only thing is she doesn’t date firemen, which is too bad, because charming Nick seems like a real keeper. With a little Christmas magic and help from the Santa suit, will Nick find a way into Lily’s heart and change her mind?

 

Find Debbie all over the internet:
Debra Druzy Online, Subscribe to Debbie’s Newsletter, Amazon

The Wild Rose Press, Facebook, Twitter

Blog, Google+, Pinterest
Goodreads

Send Debbie an email at DebraDruzy@gmail.com

A Wedding at Meadows Shore by Eva Charles #Contemporary #Romance

Eva Charles will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Meadows Shore is the childhood home of the five Clayton sisters and the six Harrington brothers, the family seat where these irresistible characters gather regularly…or whenever they need the comfort of Portuguese home cooking and the love and wisdom of elder women.

After Sophie Clayton catches her husband in bed with a young intern, she creates a new life for herself as the executive director of a failing domestic violence agency. It’s the perfect job for a woman born to fix everything. A friend’s broken heart, a tattered agency, a flat tire—she’ll roll up her sleeves and make it as good as new. Sophie rarely encounters anything she can’t fix…until she meets the devastatingly handsome and insufferably arrogant, Max Parker. One of Boston’s most eligible bachelors, he’s never without a stunning young woman on his arm and in his bed.

When Sophie’s forced to deal with Max, sparks fly, and somewhere in the crossfire of verbal daggers and clever barbs, she discovers his darkest secret.

Excerpt:

“Do you mind if I throw this in the freezer?”

“Of course not, dear. You may need to move a few things around, but there should be plenty of room. Max, my hands are wet, would you help Sophie get that ice cream into the freezer—the one in the pantry. What flavors did you end up making?”

Sophie headed toward the pantry off the kitchen. “Coffee for Daniel, vanilla, and mint chocolate chip. I thought they’d all work with chocolate cake.”

He took the cooler from her. “You made the ice cream?”

She nodded, opening the freezer.

“I’m impressed. Mint chip is my favorite.”

“Really? I would’ve pegged you more as a rocky road kind of guy—dark, with bitter chunks, and nuts—not too smooth.”

He could only see her back at the moment, but he knew her eyes were twinkling and the corners of her mouth were curved up. He could hear it in her voice. 

He grabbed a piece of ice from the freezer and reached around her, touching the icy half-moon to the hollow of her neck, the sweet spot right where it meets the collarbone. The very spot he wanted to kiss. She jumped, startled by the unexpected cold against her skin, and raised her hand to swat him away.

“I don’t think so,” he crowed. Letting the ice cube fall to the floor he grabbed both her wrists, holding them while she struggled to get free. He leaned against her, pinning her between his body and the refrigerator door. Even the chill from the open freezer wasn’t enough to cool what was smoldering between them. He could feel her pulse racing, saw her lips part in anticipation. He bent to kiss her, but caught himself just in time, emitting a low growl instead. As much as he wanted it, this wasn’t the time or the place to steal a kiss.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Eva Charles is the author of the multi-titled Meadows Shore Series that chronicles the lives and loves of the Clayton-Harrington family. She invites you to visit their beloved Meadows Shore nestled in the charming seaside town of Fair Harbor, where you’ll enjoy love, laughter, loyalty, and an abundance of mouth-watering food, Portuguese style.

After being a confirmed city-girl for more than thirty-five years, Eva moved to beautiful western Massachusetts in 2014. There, she found herself living in the woods with no job, no friends (unless you count the turkeys, deer, and coyotes roaming the backyard), and no children underfoot, wondering what on earth she’d been thinking. But as it turned out, it was the perfect setting to take all those yarns spinning in her head and weave them into a romantic tale.

When she’s not writing, trying to squeeze information out of her tight-lipped sons, or playing with the two cutest dogs you’ve ever seen, Eva’s creating chapters in her own love story.

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14223913.Eva_Charles

https://www.facebook.com/evacharlesauthor/

http://www.amazon.com/Eva-Charles/e/B0140FZ442

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Eerie by C.M. McCoy #Mature #YA #Paranormal #Romance

C.M. McCoy will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 As seen in People Magazine…

Hailey's dreams have always been, well...vivid. As in monsters from her nightmares follow her into her waking life vivid. When her big sister goes missing, eighteen-year-old Hailey finds the only thing keeping her safe from a murderous 3,000-year-old beast is an equally terrifying creature who has fallen "madly" in love with her. Competing to win her affection, the Dream Creature, Asher, lures her to the one place that offers safety--a ParaScience university in Alaska he calls home. There, she studies the science of the supernatural and must learn to live with a roommate from Hell, survive her ParaScience classes, and hope the only creature who can save her from an evil immortal doesn't decide to kill her himself.

Excerpt One:

A Guarded Girl

“Of all forms of caution, caution in love is perhaps the most fatal to true happiness.”

Bertrand Russell

Hailey stared at the empty can on her tray, silently willing the caffeine to kick in. The last thing she needed was to fall asleep, dream of monsters, and have an “episode” in front of her 200 closest non-friends.

No way she’d let that happen.

Now if only her droopy eyelids would cooperate, because the hard plastic chair under her butt sure wasn’t. The dang thing was teasing her and feeling mighty comfy, like a puffy armchair, and she was sinking fast. Thankfully, though, just as her head bobbed, the bell rang, jolting her into a wide-eyed, full-body spasm.

Great. Real smooth, she thought, rubbing her face with both hands as a few gigglers shuffled past.

She groaned, rising with all the enthusiasm of a mushroom, not at all looking forward to another two hours inside the social torture chamber, or as everyone else referred to it, South Side High School.

She was so intent on avoiding the students there for the rest of her senior year that she rarely looked up from her books anymore, and those last two hours dragged. When three o’clock finally rolled around, she bolted outside, took the first open seat on the bus, rested her head against the window, and let it bounce there. She was just about to make it through another day of school very happily unnoticed, when Tage Adams smacked her on the back of the head.

“Ah!” she yelled, startled from sleep.

The bus was waiting at their stop, like normal, and Tage was waiting for her in the aisle, politely—not normal.

Tucking a wayward strand behind her ear, she hurried off the bus.

Tage followed.

“What’s up with you today?” he said nonchalantly, adjusting his pace to walk next to her.

He’d never done that before.

“Nothing,” Hailey said, surprised Tage was talking to her. They’d been catching the bus at the same stop for four years, and he’d never so much as looked at her.

“You’re usually not like that, that’s all.”

“Like what?”

“Nodding off in class, falling asleep on the bus…you know, slacking off. It’s just, you know, you usually have your nose in a book.”

He watches me?

“Oh,” she said, unsure.

“Guess you were working late last night…St. Paddy’s Day…”

“Yeah.” Of course she was working late. Her family owned the most popular Irish pub in Pittsburgh. Hailey pressed her lips together. Small talk was not her thing. Especially not with him.

Her mind went blank.

Searching the pavement for a thought, she chewed her lip as too many seconds stretched the silence. Finally the pressure forced her good sense aside and she opened her mouth to say…anything.

“What’s—”

“Well, see ya ‘round, Dancing Queen.”

She snapped her mouth shut and waved as he peeled off and trotted down Bridge Street. She tried to form the word, “bye,” but all that came out was “buh—”. Standing dumbfounded, she stared after him. She hadn’t realized Tage knew she existed, let alone the fact that she waitressed. And danced.

Stunned, Hailey walked, then jogged, then stopped dead to puzzle over what had just happened. Then she jogged again until she finally reached the pub.

Nobody at that school “chatted” with Hailey. Not since the fourth grade, not since the day a particularly mean girl concocted a particularly ugly rumor—that Hailey had started the fire that killed her parents. The whispers and sideways glances lasted close to a year, and in trying to defend herself, Hailey only made things worse. By the time she figured out that nobody else believed in pyromaniac-nightmare-monsters, it was too late. She’d already earned the label, “weirdo,” which, unfortunately, stuck.

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

C.M. McCoy is an Irish dancer and former Air Force officer living in the Great White North. Though B.S.'d in Chemical Engineering and German, she’s far happier writing stories involving Alaska and a body bag (with an awkward kiss in the mix.) While working emergency dispatch for Alaska State Troopers, she learned to speak in 10-codes, which she still does...but only to annoy her family.

Social Media Links

★ Watch the awesome book trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPx4FELVxH4

Website: http://www.cmmccoy.com/

Blog: http://www.cmmccoy.com/blog

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/eerie_o

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27274308-eerie


Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0176M19RM

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Eerie-C-M-McCoy-ebook/dp/B0176M6MA6

Amazon Canada: http://www.amazon.ca/Eerie-C-M-McCoy-ebook/dp/B0176M19RM

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/9781623422332

Apple iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/eerie/id1052918810

BAM: http://www.booksamillion.com/search?query=9781623422332

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/eerie-17

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/C_M_McCoy_Eerie?id=yfDPCgAAQBAJ

a Rafflecopter giveaway