Monday, February 29, 2016

Cover Reveal for Painting Sky by Rita Branches

Today, I am working with Xpresso Book Tours and I get to reveal a cover! Coming out on April 25th, Painting Sky is part of the emerging genre, New Adult.


Synopsis:
Nobody ever said life was easy...

People pleaser, Jane Skylar wants nothing more than to earn her art degree, start her life, and bask in the bliss of living with her boyfriend.

But things don't always go as planned...

Struggling with her creative side, Jane finds herself in turmoil, often confiding in her roommate - another, more talented art student, Keith Hale. Keith just so happens to be her boyfriend's older, brooding brother. After a devastat ing breakup, Jane turns to Keith for comfort. But when the lines blur between roommate and lover, Jane's life becomes more complicated than ever before.

When Keith's past comes back to haunt him, their lives all get turned upside down, forcing the truth to surface. Now Jane must fight for what she wants--even if it hurts everyone she loves.


Author Bio:
Rita Branches is an independent YA (young adult) author who enjoys spending every free moment (when she´s not reading) writing emotional stories

Saturday, February 27, 2016

What Happens During a Root Canal

I went in to get my Root Canal last Friday morning because that's how I like to start my weekend.

First, let me say: I signed up for Medicaid right after I found out in needed a root canal. Fresh off my dad's insurance plan, at the age of  26, I didn't have health insurance and I had no income.

Yeah, I'm living the life. That adult responsible life.

I know.

Anyway, on Friday, they had to numb me three times before they could start. Not only could I not feel anything around that tooth, but I couldn't feel anything on the whole left side of my face either. Including my left eye. 

I became one of those awkward one-eye-and-then-the-other blinker for the procedure and then some hours afterward. Thank God I don't know anyone yet.

When I was finally all numbed up, Dentist brings out the buzz saw and, I swear, I could see little white tooth bits flying through the air. And this machine screamed with the worst, metal on chalkboard screeching sound.  

Apparently, I started shaking because the dentist asked if he needed to stop and to schedule me at an office where they can put me fully under anesthesia. You could tell he was so done with me. Like that weary "Are you fucking kidding me?" look is just painted on his face.

So, I roughed it out because I'm an adult. A root canal, by the way, feels nothing like getting a cavity filled. After sawing into the tooth, this wriggly drill is pushed in and it pulls out all of your tooth root.  

Then, Dentist said he had to take measurements and grabs this string looking thing, but--MAN--it felt like a screw was pushed into my tooth where the root was. He tugged on it too and honestly I thought he was trying to pull my tooth out.

Fast forward from there, he takes out the screw-things and stuffs something different into my rootless tooth, puts putty stuff on top, and then leaves so that the lady dentist can add the filling. 

After she finishes, I'm done! (Kind of)

P.S. your tooth will still hurt for about a week afterward and you can't eat anything hard on that side of your mouth until you get a crown put on otherwise your newly sawed-in-half tooth might crack.

Also, I'm not sure how to end this post, but I do know that I switched between past and present tenses. I'm tired so suck it.

Friday, February 26, 2016

Cover Reveal for Black Water Tales: The Unwanted


This book is out at the last day of March and it sounds pretty cool. It's adult horror so be warned. I might get to review it so stay tuned.
 
Synopsis:
In the remote, eastern European town of Borslav there is St. Sebastian orphanage, a place where people discard their unwanted children. For the American, Blaire Baker, it’s the perfect place to volunteer her services. Paired with a cheerful volunteer nurse, Blaire is enthusiastic about the possibilities, but is quickly discouraged when she encounters the nefarious nature of the staff and the deplorable conditions of the facility and the children.

Upon arrival, one of the children informs Blaire, “There’s something in the basement.” It isn’t long before strange things begin happening, including Blaire’s flashbacks of the accident that killed her parents. The children soon suffer injuries that Blaire, first, fears may be the deeds of the callous workers but she soon thinks the abuse may originate from a source that is less than human, something unwanted.

The unwanted is coming but in order for Blaire to fight it, she must dig into St. Sebastian and herself in search of truth. Blaire wants nothing more than to help the children, but when discovers the tragedy that happened in the basement and learns that the same evil forces are still at work, it will be Blaire who needs help… There’s something in the basement.


She was born in the tiny, but lovable town of Centralia, IL which has a two screen movie theatre, one high school and still celebrates May Fete. She has been writing since childhood and Black Water Tales: The Secret Keepers is her first novel and the first book.

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Suddenly: A Root Canal is Necessary and a Dentist is Dead

I had to get a root canal last week.

First of all: What the fuck is that? I felt like my tooth was being pulled out, but I'll come back to this in another post.


I was just at the dentist a year ago and he said I didn't have any cavities. This was in Hawaii in January so how did I suddenly go from great teeth to needing a root canal. I feel like Hawaii Dentist wasn't doing his job well.

And, let me tell you, I want to talk more shit about him because back in April I was calling the office over and over without getting anyone on the line. (I was trying to cancel an appointment because I didn't have dental anymore.) Anyway, a thousand unanswered phone calls and one Google search later, I realized he wasn't answering because he was dead. He died suddenly from a heart attack in March. 

So, I can't really talk the shit I wanted.

I go in to Comfort Dental in Colorado because they only charge $25 for a quick exam and some x-rays. And I don't have insurance and my tooth hurts.

One exam later, we see a huge dark spot on Tooth #12 and Dentist Doctor Benjamin Butler (so close to Benjamin Button) tells me I need to get part of my tooth sawed off, clean out all this decay, take the roots and nerve out of my tooth, and then seal it all up.

Also, he said it would cost $1250 and, if I didn't want to do it, then I would have to get the tooth removed.

So I wasn't looking forward to this at all.

Monday, February 22, 2016

Wishing Rules and Superstitions 2

I've decided to do a second version of Wishing Rules and Superstitions because of its popularity. Let's go!

Disclaimer: Wishes are more likely to come true if they are realistic and/or benefiting others selflessly. However, you can still wish for whatever you want. It may come true anyway. Wishes also are not on a time schedule and like to come true in odd ways so you must be very specific. But, sometimes you are limited on wishing time (like 11:11) and it can cost you that wish.


Wishing Well/Fountains
Everyone knows this! Take a penny, make a wish, and toss it in. If you have a coin with a higher denomination, the more likely your wish will come true. If the fountain is multi-tiered then you have to aim. The higher you get the coin, the higher your chances of success.

First Star
Star light, star bright,
The first star I see tonight;
I wish I may, I wish I might,
Have the wish I wish tonight
But it has to be the first star to come out and sometimes it appears during the day so it's easy to miss.

Four-leaf Clover
 














This might be more of a good luck charm, but I feel like--if you're lucky enough to find one--you get to wish on it too.

Give an Offering
Some people would count this more like a prayer. You give something of value to your idol, tiny temple, tree spirits, etc. Then, you wish for what they can offer in return like good grades or a safe trip.



One of the biggest mistakes College Park students make with Testudo is they give him basically trash like mostly empty Starbucks drinks.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

How to Move with Nothing: Finding a Place to Live

Mister and I recently moved across the country. What a lot of people don't know is that we did it with very little money, no real place to stay once we got there, and without jobs. 
However, within two weeks of our arrival, we were working, earned our first paychecks, and signed a lease on an apartment. Today's short post in the series will go over how we found places to stay and then a place to live. 

It's important to find a place to stay immediately. While sleeping in your car might be acceptable one or two nights, you run the risk of tickets for illegal overnight parking, being towed, and having your belongings stolen since everything you own is probably in the car with you.

You will also want to be showered and rested and without wrinkled clothes for the next day in order to go on interviews.

Temporary Housing Idea 1: Camping
Campgrounds are usually more secure than parking in some parking lot and many camp grounds have bathrooms and showers to clean up in. Some even have laundry facilities. Mister and I would have done this if it were not winter.

Temporary Housing Idea 2: Hostels
Staying at a hostel is usually cheaper than a hotel. You have so share a room sometimes or a bathroom, but you've got that bed! Hostels.com and HostelWorld are great sites to check with.

Try contacting the owner. Sometimes the hostel needs help and you can work out a work exchange where you clean/do small repairs/work the front desk for a free place to sleep.
 
Temporary Housing Idea 3: Hotel
Use Kayak and other discount travel sites to book rooms while you are still searching for that place to live. Even $50 per night adds up quickly and credit card rates are crazy

Talk to the manager of the hotel and see if they would provide a discount for an extended stay. Some hotels already have deals in place. Other hotels are made for extended stay and have suites with full kitchens.

Even the cheapest hotels can add up with $50/night becoming $350 +tax by the end of the week. And, if you put it on your credit card, it can get out of hand fast.

Permanent Housing Tips
Finding an apartment without cash for the initial deposit is hard. You'll be looking for something available now and it might not be the best fit, but you don't really have time to wait. When you search for places, look for apartments with:
  • Flexible rent terms; month-t0-month, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months
  • Online payment portals including deposits
  • Release from rent contract terms
When you don't have a job, you'll need to show proof of income. Make sure to have a credit card with space on it, previous pay stubs,  proof of retirements savings (just in case), and letter from temp agency about employment if possible.

How to Move with Nothing: Getting a Job