Friday, November 27, 2015

5 Reads to Get You in the Holiday Mood


Grab a mug of hot chocolate. Get cozy under a soft blanket. And escape all that holiday stress with these 5 picks to get you in a festive mood.

1. Looking for some unexpected romance mixed with humor and a little adventure? Bestselling author, Debbie Macomber weaves a tale of two strangers forced to share a rental car after all the pre-Christmas flights become booked. I'm taking a guess and venturing these two fall in love. Or at least, hit up a sprig of mistletoe.
Find it here on Amazon.

2. Looking for a getaway this holiday season but can't afford one? Here's the next best thing. Take a literary vacation on Nantucket Island. Your accommodations include a cozy inn with owners who know a thing or two about family drama. And author Elin Hilderbrand knows a thing or two about creating memorable characters!
Find it here on Amazon

3. Think you have baking troubles? Not like these two friends. Toss those burnt cookies in the trash and prop your feet up with this tasty read. Plus, it's low in calories for your wallet, as in 99 cents.

Find it here on Amazon.
4. Traveling this holiday season? Probably not like these ladies! When 85 year old Joy and her younger neighbor Miranda set out on Route 66 in a decked out camper, there's bound to be some interesting plot twists.

Find it here on Amazon.

5. Finally, if you're short on time this holiday season, a collection of short stories may fit your schedule nicely. Christmas, Actually has six short stories with one same theme, the holiday season with all its joys and dramas. 

Find it here on Amazon

Happy reading this holiday season! Have you read any of these choices? Leave a comment. I'd love to know!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For more great reads, check out www.audryfryer.com

 

Monday, November 16, 2015

Self Doubt is a Double Edged Sword, Guest Post by Destiny Allison

If you're woman living on this planet, you need to read this post! 
And, men, you can certainly benefit from the truths told here by today's guest writer, Destiny Allison, author of the soon to be released book The Romance Diet: Body Image and the Wars We Wage on Ourselves.


I'm so excited to launch Destiny Allison's pre-release tour! For more stops along the tour, click here for a complete list.

Self Doubt is a Double Edged Sword

by Destiny Allison

One morning, a couple of years ago, I came out of the bedroom wearing an old terrycloth bathrobe. Hair snaked Medusa-like across my head. My husband rose from the couch, pulled me into his arms, and whispered, “God, you’re beautiful.”


“Ha!” I replied. “You’re lucky I didn’t turn you to stone.” He kissed me gently and released me, turning back to his television show.


Later, as we headed out the door, he stopped me again. “You look wonderful.”


“No, I don’t. I’m having a bad hair day. Maybe it’s the new shampoo, but I just can’t make it work right.”


He shrugged, opened the door, and followed me out without another word.


That night we got into a terrible fight, another in a long string that threatened the demise of our marriage. I don’t remember how the fight started – I think I was upset he was flirting with someone -- but I clearly remember how it ended. He screamed, “You call me a liar all the time. You obviously don’t trust me. Why are you even married to me?”


I gasped in shock. “What do you mean?”


“Destiny, I told you, you are beautiful. You are who I want. I don’t care what you’re wearing, how messy your hair is, whether or not you’ve brushed your teeth. The beauty I see is in your eyes, the way you move in the world. It’s who you are, but you obviously don’t believe me. That means you think I’m lying. And if you believe I’m lying about this, you probably believe I’m lying about lots of other stuff. How do I combat that? How do I make you trust me?”


Sometimes, truth resonates like a church bell. I fell silent, listening to the reverberation.


Like most women, I look in the mirror a lot. I compare myself to others and know my looks could never stop a crowd. Thin, brown hair hangs limp on my shoulders. Wrinkles worry lips and eyes. No matter what I do, or how slim I get, my pregnancy-scarred belly sags and wiggles like jelly on a Popsicle stick.


My husband was right. I did believe his compliments were lies.


Self-doubt and self-criticism are vicious swords. They rip and tear with each invisible thrust. Double-edged and swung wide, they are relationship death. And yet, every day women succumb to them. In spite of our savvy awareness and the progress we’ve made toward equality, we just can’t seem to shake the conviction that we’re flawed.


In my upcoming book, The Romance Diet: Body Image and the Wars We Wage on Ourselves, I talk about how women suffer a thousand tiny cuts each day. Media influence, our mothers, even our best friends confirm our belief that we’re not good enough. That doubt is destructive to us and the people we love.


Learning to say thank you when paid a compliment wasn’t easy, but I had to do it because anything less invalidated someone I loved. Vowing to never again compare myself to other women helped me find something beautiful in every woman I met. If the mirror hasn’t exactly become a friend, it is no longer an enemy.


Equality and confidence are rooted in self-love, but as long as external voices control the conversations in our heads we’ll be relegated to the back of the proverbial bus. If we are to build healthy, loving relationships we must start complimenting ourselves.


About the Author:

Destiny Allison is an award winning sculptor and author. The Romance Diet: Body Image and the Wars We Wage On Ourselves, is her fourth book and due for release in January 2016. Other books include Shaping Destiny: A quest for meaning in art and life, and two novels, Pipe Dreams and Bitterroot. She currently lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her loving husband and rambunctious dogs. Find out more about Destiny Allison on her blog http://shapingdestinythebook.com/

Twitter: @SFSculptor


About the Book:
The Romance Diet: Body Image and the Wars We Wage On Ourselves by Destiny Allison
Sunstone Press (January 18, 2016)
Read a Sample:
Brave, raw, and unflinchingly honest, this book is a weight loss journey, a love story, a heart beating loudly on the page. Every day we battle against something–injustice, our spouses, our weight. Seldom do we acknowledge the real wars we wage. Repressing feelings and silencing our voices, we suffer under the surface, attributing emotional distress and unwanted pounds to the inescapable effects of hormones or age.
But weight gain, anxiety, and marital difficulties aren’t always so easy to explain.
In her poignant and touching memoir, Allison doesn’t offer recipes, exercise tips, or advice. Instead, she shows us how to stand up, express what we want, and develop empathy for ourselves and the people we love. In doing so, she provides invaluable insight for those seeking to lose weight, save a marriage, or make a significant life change.

Thank you, Destiny Allison for stopping by All Things Audry with your thought-provoking and uplifting post! For a list of more stops along the pre-release tour, click here.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


For more information about blog hostess, Audry Fryer,
please visit www.audryfryer.com   


Friday, November 6, 2015

Ignite Your Right to Write: 12 Quotes for Inspiration

gosh, this actually sounds quite like how I became a writer. insert my mother for the doctor, and voila.:
Need some motivation to write? Here you go! These quotes from well-known, successful authors will get those fingers typing, or if your prefer, your pencil scratching!

For those who refer to themselves as writers, this month means so much more than too early holiday commercials and making travel plans for awkward (or quality) family time. For writers, November is associated with an odd sounding acronym, NaNoWriMo. No, I didn't just tell you to live long and prosper in a made-up alien language. You see, NANoWriMo is actually National Novel Writing Month, an event when mere humans wish they were aliens as they attempt to write an entire, full length novel in 30 days.

For all of you out there participating or attempting this feat, I commend you. Plus, I'll do you one better and attempt to give you some inspiration mixed with humor with these quotables:

Speaking of having a book in you, just waiting to come out:
<br /></div> These 33 One-Sentence Quotes Will Blow Your Mind Every Time. Especially The 8th One.:

Can you relate?

Excerpt from Why We Write. Quoted in Huffington Post article: http://huff.to/YukcrD:

This is how to get the book out of you:

24 Quotes That Will Inspire You To Write More:
24 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Write More

&
24 Quotes That Will Inspire You To Write More:
24 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Write More
But what about finding the time to write?

"Be ruthless about protecting writing days, i.e., do not cave in to endless requests to have 'essential' and 'long overdue' meetings on those days." --J.K. Rowling:
24 Quotes That Will Inspire You to Write More
Book ready to pop out  - check. Time to get it done - check. Wait, wait, wait.
Cold feet? It happens. Warm them up with these quotes:

25 Quotes That Will Inspire You To Be A Fearless Writer:

&

25 Quotes That Will Inspire You To Be A Fearless Writer... I'm not really a writer, but I would like to be.:

Remember this about your first draft:

@Kristen - Storefront Life Dunskey  we need to keep this in mind when we feel like "stinklings" instead of inklings.:

Now, here's some advice that could make that first draft super interesting:

Ernest Hemingway Art Prints, Posters - Illustration Poster Print - Art Posters - English Literature - Literary Art - Writer - Writing Quote:
Or perhaps, write an entire chapter while sleeping with your eyes open:

Wow. How could I even describe my love for writing? Whenever I need to express myself, I always find that I write it down. Ever since I was little, I have kept journals that hold all of my thoughts. Along with writing down my feelings, I have always loved to write stories and create characters. I find it so incredible how authors can come up with amazing story lines and write them down. This may sound crazy but I actually do not mind writing essays, I love being able to share all of my thoug...:

Keep going! Remember ...

“You fail only if you stop writing.”  Ray Bradbury – Dissolve writer's block!  Explore empowering quotations for creative inspiration at http://www.examiner.com/article/forty-quotations-for-writing-inspiration:

And if that wasn't enough inspiration, consider this:

.:

Inspired yet? I hope so! Now get back to that novel! 

"I don't always write fiction...but when I do, I write 50,000 words in November." November is National Novel Writing Month! http://www.nanowrimo.org/:


Well, I don't always write a novel in a month, 
but when I do write and publish a story, 
you can find it here:

Did you like this post? Share it with friends!
Are you participating in NaNoWriMo?
Share your work in progress here
 or on my Facebook Page!