Family Matters

There's a lot of noise in my head these days. I worry too much, I think too much, and I go to bed exhausted every night. Time moves fast, and quite simply, there's not enough of it.

There are days that go by when I don't think about writing at all, because I just don't have the brain power to get there. I get up at 5 a.m., drop my daughter off at daycare, head into work, do my job, pick her up, commute home, make dinner, eat, give my daughter a bath, get her down to sleep...and by that time, I'm ready for bed myself. So sleep it is.

Then there are days (usually the weekends) when all I do is think about writing. I think about the next phase of Nightfire, I think about what recipes I need to post on Cocktail Cutie, and I think about all of the things that I want to tell my readers here, on my author blog. There are so many things I want to say, so much ground I want to cover...but then, I can't find the time. It just flies away, and sometimes I take a look around and wonder where it all went.

Today, though, I have something that I want to say, something that I've had on my mind for a long time and something that I really and truly believe is of utmost importance.

In my day-to-day life, no matter how busy I am, no matter how tired, no matter how badly I just want to sit on the couch and veg (or cry, or sleep, or a combination of all three), there is something that is so important to me that I cannot and will not stop doing.

That something is reading to my daughter. Every day, no exception.

One of my daughter's favorite books is Goodnight Moon. It's part of our bedtime routine, and we read it every night. When I pull her into my lap and show her the book, her entire face lights up with a big smile. That smile fills me with so much love I can hardly stand it, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the entire world.

We started reading together even before she was born, and even though it felt a little silly, I did it anyway. Though part of me selfishly wants nothing more than for my daughter to share my love of reading not only as a child but as she grows up, I didn't just do it for that reason. Studies show that it's important to read to your children even as infants - not only does it stimulate their brain development and vocabulary, but it helps the parent-child relationship as well. When parents read to their children as babies (and as they grow), those children associate reading with love and affection. In fact, last year, the AAP issued a new policy advising that parents of young children should read aloud to their children, as well as talk about the pictures that are illustrated in their books (you can read more here or here).

Please, please, please READ TO YOUR CHILDREN. It doesn't matter if it's a "classic;" kids - especially those as young as my 13-month-old daughter - don't care. They don't know Dr. Seuss from someone less familiar.

The fact of the matter is, our children's environments are inundated with technology these days. Television, computers, tablets, cell phones...the list goes on and on. And as easy as it might be to let our tired bodies sit on the couch and get sucked in to one or more of those things, there's so much benefit to everyone - both to us and to our children - when we push through the exhaustion and spend time with each other. Your children need active, attentive interaction in order to thrive and grow, and the joy you'll find in forging these bonds with them is irreplaceable.

That's all I've got for today...hopefully soon I'll be able to share more of my thoughts with you.

Take care.

Spoiler Alert! Where will we go from here?

To those of you who haven't yet read Nightfire, be warned: this blog will contain spoilers, or at least hints of them. If you don't have your copy yet, what are you waiting for? :) Go get one (there's a handy-dandy link in the right column of the blog just waiting for you to click on it!).

If you've finished the first book in the trilogy...thanks for reading!! Are you chomping at the bit to see what happens next? It's a new experience for me, being on this side of the story - but I know exactly how you feel. In fact, I'm one of those readers who will (if I can) wait for an entire series to be published before I start reading, simply because I read SO fast and I don't want to have to wait too long in between books to find out what happens! If you're like me, I'll go ahead and say thank you for picking up Nightfire despite the fact that the second book isn't out yet - nor is it completely written - and for being patient with me while I work on doing just that. My goal is to ideally have the second book out in 8-10 months, but we'll see how quickly I can get those fingers typing! ;) I'm not going to say too much, because let's face it - I don't want to give away the plot just yet...but I'll give you some things to look forward to.

A lot happened in the first book. You met the core group of characters, perhaps even fell in love with one or more of them, watched them struggle and fight and change in ways that you may not have expected. You learned what it means to be Nyiathan, and a little about what it means to be Siek. You watched a forbidden relationship bloom, felt the sting of betrayal, saw futures change forever in an instant. So where do we go from here? Here's a short glimpse into what you can expect from a few of the main characters...but for those of you who might still be reading and haven't yet read the book...seriously! You'll want to read the book first!

Kaida. She has a lot of recovering to do, both physically and emotionally. She had a pretty rough go of it in Nightfire, but as you know by now - she's strong, and though she's found herself susceptible to some of the most powerful human emotions (love, for example), she'll end up even stronger as a result. Killing Ari changes her, frees her from the dark chains that were holding her down.You'll see her "mature" as the series progresses, moving on from a reckless, broken girl to the fierce, confident warrior that, deep down, she's always known she was capable of being.

Sam. I'll admit, without pause, that Sam is one of my absolute favorite characters. He's really been a favorite of mine since the conception of this idea, and I can't wait for you to see him grow and change and maybe even completely blow you away. It's ironic that Sam is now the "bad guy," because he's good, through and through. Becoming Siek will prove an immense challenge for him, an internal struggle that he will fight to overcome...though not without some stumbles along the way. In the end, he'll have to decide what side he's really on - and what he'll sacrifice to protect the people he loves most.

Nuriel. Almost losing Kaida to the Sieks was more traumatic to Nuriel than he wants to admit, and in her darkest hour, he begins to see her in an entirely new light. Once frustrated by her negligence and inability (or her simple lack of desire) to follow the rules, he'll find himself impressed by her strength and drive to overcome the battle that almost ended her life. We'll see a more vulnerable, "human"-like side of him than we've ever seen before, and his relationship with Kaida will evolve as a result. The Guard will face terrors worse than they've ever imagined, and Nuriel will lean on Kaida's new strength to help lead them.

That's all the insight I'm going to give you for today...but I hope you're excited about seeing what will happen next!

So now it's your turn...tell me, who are your favorite characters? What do you hope to see happen for them? Oh, and if you haven't already, please take a few minutes and write a review (an honest one) on Amazon. I'll love you forever :)

Until next time...