Love Conquers All

As I sit and write this difficult post, I'm still trying to make sense out of the tragedy in Connecticut at the Sandy Hook Elementary school. There are no words to express the sadness, the pain in my heart and soul, or the anger I feel over the loss of all those innocent beautiful lives.

Evil is very real in this world. That is the one truth in all of this. Take away every single weapon known to man, and evil will still find a way to corrupt the weak and hurt the innocent. Hope for a better world resides within us all. Love each other, help each other in times of crisis, and continue to fight for what is right, remembering those who suffer losses like this.

A truth I will forever hold onto:

Evil will not win.
Not today.
Not tomorrow.
Not ever.

I dedicate this post to these brave souls, young and old, who died on Friday, December 14.

Dawn Hochsprung - Principal
Victoria Soto - Teacher
Mary Sherlach - School Psychologist
Noah Pozner 6
Emilie Alice Parker 6
Grace McDonnell 7
Olivia Engel 6
Charlotte Bacon 6
Daniel Barden 7
Josephine Gay 7
Ana Grace Marquez-Greene 6
Dylan Hockley 6
Madeline Hsu 6
Catherine Hubbard 6
Chase Kowalski 7
Jesse Lewis 6
James Mattioli 6
Jack Pinto 6
Caroline Previdi 6
Jessica Rekos 6
Avielle Richman 6
Benjamin Wheeler 6
Allison Wyatt 6
Rachel Davino - Teacher
Anne Marie Murphy - Teacher
Lauren Rousseau - Teacher
Nancy Lanza - Mother

Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

Isaiah 41:10 - 
'Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.'

Revelation 21:4 -
and He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there shall no longer be any death; there shall no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away."

My prayers are with the families left behind, the first responders, the school, and the community. May they find peace, comfort and healing in the Lord's awesome embrace.

Love and Hugs to you all!

Dr. Noah and the Sugar Plum Fairy by Carla Rossi

Man December is flying by! I'm not even close to being finished with my Christmas shopping, but I'm determined not to let it stress me out. It will get done. It always does. :)

 

Here's another great book by a Northwest Houston chaptermate just in time for Christmas!  Carla Rossi is an awesome Inspirational writer. You must check out her books!  

 

 

College senior and not-so-ex-ballerina Jane Trumbull is home for Christmas break. She welcomes the joyful chaos of a happy family holiday – then the rollercoaster of emotions begins.

Veterinarian Dr. Noah Barron hopes his return to Texas and his new clinic will help him forget about his dark days in California. But he can’t outrun unresolved issues and doesn’t know how lonely he really is – until he meets slightly clumsy Un-Plain Jane.

Can Jane and Noah learn to share who they really are and what they really want? And can they allow God to send joy after sorrow, hope for hidden dreams, and healing for past wounds?

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What others are saying:

5.0 out of 5 stars Heartwarming, November 26, 2012

By

BookLover - See all my reviews

I love this story! What a great way to get in the spirit of Christmas. This has all the ingredients of most family holidays...a crazy relative, lots of love, and a heaping helping of festivities! I can't wait to read what Carla comes us with next!

 

5.0 out of 5 stars A sure-to-put-you-in-the-spirit Christmas read!, November 18, 2012

By

KAT - See all my reviews

Jane and Noah are adorable together and the cast of family are sure to engage you every step of the way. Light, enjoyable and fabulously Christmas. You won't regret one minute of this holiday story. And seriously, how can you not love this title!

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I've got my copy and I'm sending one to my mom as part of her Christmas gift too! Did you know when you gift a book to someone you get to choose the delivery date? How cool is that?! Now all I need to do is carve out the time to read my copy! :)




 

Broken Prophecy by Raven Raye

I've had this one on my kindle since before NaNo started. Moving it up to the front of my list, well, because I can! :) Rewarding myself with books for winning NaNoWriMo was the best idea ever!

This is another great release from a wonderful Northwest Houston RWA chaptermate. And the books just keep on coming. So many talented writers in this group.

 

Love this Cover!

 

 

Only Killian’s bloodline was created with the planet. No other can accept the Seal and no human can carry the seed to bear the Heirs of Aeden.

Killian, King of the Fey, is in love with Marcella Rowan, human and forbidden to his kind. An errant Angel, seeking revenge, awakens creatures thought long dead or mythological. Marcella’s life in danger and against the Divine Council’s orders, Killian saves her from death—by claiming her as his soulmate. As earthly and other-earthly creatures polarize toward good or evil, Marcella and Killian must survive the forces driving them apart. Only their love can unite the worlds of magick and mundane. Only their love can force their peoples to put aside bigotry, jealousy, and fear to overcome the evil tearing the earth apart. Only the magick they make together can repopulate Earth’s garden in Aeden.

 

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Specter by RM Brand

 

 

Lots of great books by this Northwest Houston chaptermate. RM Brand writes paranormal thrillers, romance, fantasy, something for everyone. :) And she designs pretty amazing book trailers and covers as well. 

Here's her Newest Release!

Blurb:

A gothic tale of a woman who finds herself embroiled in a sinister scheme that threatens to plunge her into the depths of madness. However, she meets a rather lugubrious ally, a ghost, willing to help her unearth the truth from the catacombs buried under a labyrinth of lies going back over a century.

 

 

 

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To see more of her books visit: RM Brand

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Specter by RM Brand

Hotter in Texas by Cristie Craig

'Tis the Season to be Jolly



 

 

 

Or so they say.

Out of all the months of the year, December has to be the toughest time for most people to be jolly. The stress of shopping, of finding that perfect gift for the hard to buy for, but oh so loved, relative. The traffic. Oh, my the traffic. This is the worst part for me. And then there is the long holiday break with the kids out of school. Keeping them busy and out of my hair so I can finish up the last minute details really pulls on those last threads of sanity. Somebody, anybody, please take me away!

But you know, the more I'm out and about this year, I'm finding people smiling and spreading the Christmas cheer where ever I go. I've heard frowning causes wrinkles and who wants those? Certainly not me. LOL

So smile even when you don't feel like it and I bet before you know it, the day will turn around and you won't even have to think about it anymore. Here's to spreading some cheer of my own this holiday season. :)

A few quotes to get you started:

“Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happened.” 
― Dr. Seuss

“Everytime you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”
― Mother Teresa

"Beauty is power; a smile is its sword.”
― John Ray
 

"Smile, it is the key that fits the lock of everybody's heart.”
― Anthony J. D'Angelo

 But most of all smile and enjoy each and every day, because you are loved awesomely! :)

Merry Christmas!!!
 

Powerless Consent by Janet Nash

With NaNoWriMo finally at an end, I've had time to think about other things. Like reading some really great books as a reward for reaching my goal. Yippe!! :)

Here's one by a fellow Northwest Houston chaptermate. I can't wait to start reading!

Blurb:

Kate Ballard thinks attending a gala on a luxury yacht honoring her old college friend will be the time of her life, but secret cell phone videos, threats to her family’s safety, and a hidden sniper force her into a world of deception and lies. Can her faith erase such horror? Though powerless, she relentlessly tries to outsmart her captor and return to the love of her life.

Her husband, Tom, refuses to accept his wife’s decision to leave and discovers that he must revisit his past. With the help of an unlikely ally, he finds evidence of theft and murder tucked away in an old storage locker. When his investigation starts to uncover the truth, he struggles with whom to believe. Will he trust his heart, or the deception before his eyes? One thing’s for sure, nothing can stop him from reuniting his family, not even a force as great as Invisible Surveillance.

 

Click below to get your copy today!

 

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NaNoWriMo - Halfway There

Today is the midway point for those of us trudging along in the trenches of NaNoWriMo. I've finally crossed over 22K words and have set my goal today for 25K. Oh, dear. Did I just write that goal down?! ack!

You'd think reaching 1,667 words a day would be easy. When nothing else is going on, I have to admit the writing does come pretty easy. I just write. I don't have to worry about the editing because that will come later. But let's face it. How often in life is there ever a time when nothing else is going on?

We 've had Birthday celebrations, Golf dinners, tennis lessons to get to, Drama tournaments, groceries to buy, dinners to prepare, laundry to wash and fold, etc. And no matter how early I start getting things organized and letting friends and family know my plans each year, this is about the point where I'm ready to throw in the towel.

I can see my family standing in the background with their hands folded across their chests as they secretly pray I'll do just that. They're supportive and happy I'm doing something I love to do. But, they're also a bit tired of warming dinner in the microwave and searching those blasted laundry baskets to find the clothes they want to wear and then having to iron it themselves. The horror! I believe I may have spoiled them a bit. :)

Well, I do hate to disappoint them. But I'm not giving up. Instead, I'm digging my heels in, determined to hit that 50K mark before November 30 is over. Or else!

They'll be so proud of me. And well, let's face it, I'll be a lot easier to deal with and live with as well.



I'm claiming one of those Big Ones for myself! :)

Keep those fingers going fellow NaNoers. Dont' give up! We can do this!
Too bad I can't count the words in this blog post! LOL
Now Back to Work!

Win a FREE Ebook Copy - Betrayals of the Heart Give Away

To celebrate my release, I'm giving away a FREE E-book copy of "Betrayals of the Heart" to anyone who stops by Everybody Needs A Little Romance and leaves a comment on my post telling me one thing you are thankful for this year. :)

Rules:

Vist the blog by Friday, November 9.
Comment on My New Release post.
Leave your email with the comment, or email me at melissa@melissaohnoutka.com, so I can send you the book. (I will not use your email for anything else. Promise!)

It's that easy!





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2nd Day of National Novel Writing Month

 

November is here and it's time to get back to business! 

 

What I'm working on for NaNoWriMo:

 

Murder on Hall D

 

A light mystery/suspense/comedy

 

 

 

 

Can't wait to see where this story takes me. LOL I think my brain is on overload from all the new adventures on the horizon. A senior getting ready to head off to college next year. Another getting ready to take her driver's test. And my son, who has always kept me on my toes, will be entering high school next year. Whew... Throw in the new puppy we got in August and top it off with the writing and I'm lucky I make it back home with a small bit of my sanity each morning after running errands. :)

 

NaNoWriMo is the perfect escape!  Ahhhh.....

 

 

Word Count so far:  3002