Evernight Teen (Teen Read Week) Scavenger Hunt-Win A Kindle!

Juggling Motherhood, Work & Dinner time

Without a doubt, it's a challenge being a mom, working full-time, writing, promoting a book, and being an MFA student.

Sometimes, I feel like I go from one job to another, so when it's time to cook dinner, it's a source of major stress. I actually like to cook, but I don't know how to cook too many things. This past year, I've focused on eating fresher foods so I'm not in favor of box-a-meals, although I do use them.

I'm fortunate to have a dietitian at work and I've recently starting keeping a food diary on My Fitness Pal. My meals are too carb heavy so I was challenged to come up with some other ideas.

I'd like to branch out and learn more quick meals so she gave me an awesome cookbook, The New Soul Food Cookbook. It's actually a book for diabetics which I'm not, but I am trying to make meals low in carbs and sugars to help me lose weight.

It has delicious looking recipes with only a few ingredients-Perfect for a working mom. I can't wait to try some.

Tonight we made a really tasty meal and my daughter actually made the hot dog dish. I made the quinoa salad.

Here's how we did it:

Hot Dogs: (Let your kids make this)

I put some melted butter in a small bowl, and she painted slices of 100% whole wheat bread.
She put a turkey hot dog in the middle, then wrapped the bread (buttered side out) around the hot dog. We fastened it with a skewer because I didn't have a toothpick.

We baked for 18 minutes on 325 degrees.

Quinoa:

I made the quinoa according to the instructions on the box, except I used vegetarian broth instead of water to give it extra flavor. I put some yellow squash, carrots, and zucchini in my mini food processor, then added that to the quinoa. I also threw in some grape tomatoes and green beans from our garden.

Quinoa is a good alternative to rice or pasta. It has protein in it and isn't as starchy. Plus it's a great dish to hide your veggies in.

We added some fresh strawberries as another side dish.

It was a filling meal, not to mention nutritious. It was great to have my daughter actually make part of the meal and she was so proud of herself. It only took 20 minutes, and was minimal clean-up. Two big positives in my house.

Here's a photo:

Steampunk 101

I remember when I first heard about  steampunk. It was a new and emerging subgenre that was getting a lot of press due to the release of Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan. I checked it out and fell it love with the look and feel of the period. The Victoria era wardrobe juxtaposed with the metals and innovation of the steam era.

This past week-end I attended DogCon2 at the Thurber Center. There were writing workshops, readings, Tarot Card readings, and kid's activities. I attended a workshop on Steampunk so I could learn more about it.

The speakers were from a local Columbus group called Airship Archon. They discussed the clothing and accessories of which the majority are handmade or hand sewn. They named estate sales, vintage shops, and Etsy as great places to find materials. If you live in Columbus, they recommended, The Alley Store.

They also discussed the literature that inspired them. From the classics, you have Jules Verne and H.G. Wells. Verne wrote novels such as Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea, Around the World in Eighty Days, and The Carpathian Castle. H.G. Wells is probably best known for The Time Machine, but also wrote The Invisible Man and The Island of Doctor Moreau.

For more contemporary literature they mentioned Gail Carriger's novels. They also noted that it's hard to find good steampunk literature that is true to spirit they embody at Airship Archon. Most of it seems artificial with all things steampunk thrown in haphazardly.

They are an amazing group of people. They hold monthly events which are open to the public. They get together to create costumes or other steampunk related items. They also speak at numerous conventions. The list of topics is listed on their website.

There were two surprising facts for me:

One is that steampunk is considered a subgenre of science fiction. For some reason, I never put that together.
Two is that there are subgenres of steampunk such as clockpunk, meatpunk, dieselpunk, and cyberpunk. Each inspired by an era of invention.

I also learned how to make a pair of steampunk goggles from welder's goggles. Each speaker was so creative and a pleasure to listen to. I came away with an idea for an art piece so we'll have to see if that works out.

Evernight Teen Summer Ebook Sale-.99 on Amazon

Need a few more books to read during summer vacation? All Evernight Teen titles, including my YA mystery, Unraveled, are on sale for a week on Amazon.

Check them all out: Evernight Teen Amazon Kindle books:

Disintegrate by Christine Klocek-Lim
Phoenix: The Rising by Bette Maybee
Shrapnel by Stephanie Lawton
Elysium by Sylah Sloan
Unraveled by S.X. Bradley
Slayer for Hire by P.E. Cunningham
Blood Hex by Erin Butler

 

 

 

Inside the Actor's Studio Questionnaire-Writer Style

I'm a huge fan of the show, Inside the Actor's Studio. I always wondered how I would answer the 10 questions James Lipton would ask. Since the chances of me being on the show are nil, since I'm a writer not an actor, I'm using my blog to answer them for fun.


1.What is your favorite word? Mommy

2.What is your least favorite word? Hate

3.What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Intelligence, Loyalty, a good heart, a great story

4.What turns you off? Unkept feet

5.What is your favorite curse word? WTF

6.What sound or noise do you love? My child laughing

7.What sound or noise do you hate? The alarm clock

8.What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? CSI Investigator

9.What profession would you not like to do? Anything that has bad smells

10.If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Ya did good.

Unraveled Ebook Winner

Congrats to Evernight Teen Blog Hopper, Wendy. She won an ebook copy of Unraveled. Thanks to everyone that participated in our fun event.

Win Kindle Paperwhite eReader

Being a writer affords me the liberty of creating characters who mean something to me and have characteristics that I like to see. I love getting to know them, then standing back and letting them tell me their story.

Here is some insight into the men of Unraveled:

Caedon Keene: the hot blackbelt who is interested in Autumn. He's sensitive, but deadly which makes him even more alluring.

Eduardo: Autumn's Taco Bell loving cousin. He's her partner in crime and modeled after Tommy Lee of Motley Crue:

Papi: Autumn's father. He's a baker, and an honest hardworking man. He doesn't understand Autumn's math gift, but believes in her talent.

Now for the cool stuff 

What’s up for grabs on my blog?

A FREE E-book of Unraveled

How to enter? Answer this question in the comment section below:


What's your favorite mystery novel?

What’s up for grabs on during the Blog Hop?


• One lucky hopper will win a KINDLE PAPERWHITE eREADER sponsored by Evernight Teen.
• Every book blogger/reviewer site is giving away one free eBook from Evernight Teen (winner’s choice of any eBook from Evernight Teen’s website).

• Plus, each author offers their own unique prize! So visit each blog hop stop for a host of fabulous prizes to win.


Be sure to leave your answer and your email address in the comments below to be eligible to win an eBook of Unraveled.


Continue hopping to the next stop!

Here is the Link so you can go on to the next blog for a chance to win more prizes.


Click here to go to the next blog and more chances to win...

Surviving SARPE surgery

Am I glad I did it? Yes.

It was worth it to have my bite and teeth fixed correctly for the second time. I wore an expander and braces as a teen-ager, but my teeth decided to move around.

Here's what I've learned:

1) When you tell other adults you got braces and need surgery, they'll show you their crooked teeth despite having worn braces as a teen. Seriously, there needs to be a permanent post-braces process, so we only have to live through it once.

2) Even though SARPE surgery is out patient, if you can stay the night in the hospital- do it. I was well taken care of. Ice for my ice packs was brought to me every 2 hours. My vitals were taken every 2 hours to make sure I was recovering well. Through my IV, I was given antibiotics, anti-swelling and pain medication. Having the adjustable bed was helpful because I could sit up which was more comfortable.

3)Buy your post surgery food in advance. I purchased protein powder, applesauce, pudding, ice cream, soup, and tons of fruits & vegetables that I juiced. My favorite go-to drink was the chocolate carnation instant breakfast.

4) Sit up as much as possible to help with the swelling

5) Make sure you have someone to help you out because you're going to be tired and healing.

6) Get the best chapstick you can because your lips are going to get super dry and chapped.

7) Stay hydrated-nothing will make you feel worse then getting dehydrated

8) Make you sure you have an experienced, reputable surgeon. I had hardly any bruising and wasn't really in to much pain.

9) Be prepared to be gap toothed. As you crank the expander, a gap will develop and you'll look like Madonna.

If you are going to have SARPE surgery, I wish you good luck and speedy healing.

Wearing Braces as an Adult

There's nothing like a pair of braces to make you feel like a teen-ager again. I don't have a bad perm and now wear contacts, but I still feel like I'm fourteen all over again. What's been interesting is that people stare. They stared at 14 and they stare at 47.

I have clear braces on top and metal ones on the bottom. My rubber bands on the bottom are turquoise because it's my daughter's favorite color. They didn't have fancy colors when I wore them the first time.

If the braces weren't bad enough, I have an expander in. Once I have my SARPE surgery tomorrow, it will help expand my narrow upper jaw. Right now, it only serves to make me talk weird  and is a haven for food getting stuck.

Thanks to YouTube, I've been able to get the 411 on the SARPE surgery. I got some tips like using frozen peas for the swelling since they'll mold to your face.

I also recently watched the movie, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead, on Netflix and loved it. I bought a juicer and have been enjoying some delicious juice. It will come in handy for my liquid diet post surgery.

A stack of books is on my nightstand waiting to be read. I hope I feel up to it because I relish the time I'll have to just heal and read.

Unraveled on sale for .99 cents

In honor of my characters' Hispanic heritage, we are celebrating Cinco de Mayo by having the Kindle version of  Unraveled on sale for .99 cents.

The sale runs from May 3-May 8th.

http://www.amazon.com/Unraveled-ebook/dp/B00BCRL8ME/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

I'm on a Blog Tour

I'm doing a blog tour this week and next. Hope you can drop by one of these sites. A few of them have giveaways, so you can enter for a chance to win my book, Unraveled.

April

15 – Spotlight @ Dana’s YABook Pile

15 – Guest Blog and Giveaway @ A Little Bit of R & R

17 – Spotlight and GIveaway @ The Rambling’s of a Toddler’s Mom

17 – Interview @ Laurie’s Non-paranormal Thoughts and Reviews

18 – Spotlight & Review @ Lindsay’s Scribblings

18 – Spotlight @ The Bootheel Cotton Patch

19 – Spotlight & Extended Excerpt @ Laura Diamond

19 – Guest Blog & Review @ My Guilty Obsession

22 – Guest Blog @ Karen Y.Bynum

24 – Interview & Review @ Out There Reviews and Stuff

25 – Interview & Review @ Girls Heart Books

26 – Spotlight & Review @ Falling into Reading Reviews

29 – Spotlight @ New Age Mama

30 – Character Post & Review & Giveaway @ Reader Girls (Post from Autumn's Point of view: What makes a great FBI profiler and what she expects to gain from becoming one?)

Goodreads Giveaway

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Unraveled

by S.X. Bradley

Giveaway ends March 15, 2013.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Valentine's Day Blog Hop

Happy Valentine's Day to all my fellow YA & Mysterybook lovers.

In honor of Valentine's day, I am giving away an Ebook or paperback (You choose) of my new YA mystery novel, Unraveled.

Sixteen year old math whiz, Autumn, spends her days reading about serial killers and dreaming of becoming an FBI Profiler. She never dreams her first case will be so personal. Her world is shattered when she comes home from school and discovers her murdered sister’s body on the living room floor. When the initial evidence points to a burglary gone wrong, Autumn challenges the police’s theory because of the personal nature of the crime. Thinking that finding the killer will bring her family back together, she conducts her own investigation using her affinity for math and forensics, but her plan backfires and her obsession with the case further splinters her family.

When her investigation reveals the killer is someone she knows, Autumn offers herself up as bait and sets a dangerous trap to unmask his true nature and to obtain a confession for her sister’s murder

 

 

To win  just leave a comment with either your favorite YA or mystery novel and the author's name and I'll choose a winner at random on Feb 18th, so please include your e-mail..

 

Please visit my fellow Evernight Teen author's websites to win more prizes. Click the links below.

 

  -->

 

Unraveled is Released

 

My young adult mystery is out Friday, Feb. 8, 2013.

 

Available in Paperback and E-book from major retailers.

 

 

Unraveled Cover is Revealed

Forensic Friday is being replaced with Freak-Out Friday.

Unraveled now has a cover and is on the front page of www.evernightteen.com

It's a milestone as a writer to see your book cover. I wish this feeling on all the writers out there.

Forensic Entomology

Forensic Entomology is the study of insects found in and/ around a dead body. Think of Grissom on CSI: Las Vegas. He loved his bugs and used them to solve crimes.

• Necrophagous are the insects that are found on corpses.

• Insects can disturb and affect the crime scene. They can walk through blood and leave tracks. They can ingest blood, and then leave deposits elsewhere.

• Insects found on a body may point to a specific location based on the natural habitat of the insect and the material they eat.

• You can determine time of death based on insect activity and life cycle stage

• Forensic entomology can be used in helping to solve criminal, civil, food contamination, and abuse cases.

• The use of forensic entomology was started in the 14th century in China

• In the novel, Silence of the Lambs, by Thomas Harris, the rare moths were one of the ways the FBI was able to find the serial killer

• Child killer, Kevin Neal, was convicted using forensic entomology

• Dr. Neal Haskell is one of the most renowned forensic entomologists and has participated in hundreds of trials.

• If you are a forensic entomologist, you can join NAFEA (North American Forensic Entomology Association.


<
Resources:

http://www.forensic-entomology.com/

http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/criminal_mind/forensics/kevin_neal/13.html

http://www.saintjoe.edu/academics/biology/haskell.html

http://www.nafea.net/

All About the Digits

1. The study of fingerprints is called Dactylography

2. Fingerprints are identified using three patterns: whorls, loops, and arches.

3. No two fingerprints are alike even on identical twins.

4. Most commonly used forensic evidence worldwide

5. The AIST (Academy of Investigation Services & Training) offers a fingerprint identification course.

6. IAFIS (Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System) database is used by more than 20,000 agencies worldwide for the identification of fingerprints

7. Fingerprints are produced by the sweat and oil in your fingers

8. Normally, when you injure a finger, the same fingerprint pattern appears on the new skin. If you damage the inner skin layer, you may have a new fingerprint pattern.

9. Gangster John Dillinger tried removing his fingerprints but dipping his fingers in acid. It didn’t work

10. Fingerprints are the “pegs” that connect your outer skin to the inner skin layer

Resources:

http://www.forensicsciencecentre.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=40&Itemid=48

 http://odyb.net/forensics/5-facts-about-the-fingerprint/

http://fingerprintcourse.com/

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/tech/columnist/aprilholladay/2004-08-06-wonderquest_x.htm