Pages: 573

An angle of the Light, Azrael, makes his descend onto the earth, but in the form of a living-flesh body. There are scars on his back where his wings once were. Confused and naked on the street, he is confronted by young thugs. He quickly picks up their language and begs them for help. Azrael realizes that he had no other choice, but to defend himself and take one of the thugs clothes.

Azrael finds Celeste in a sleazy bar and tell her to come with him. Of course, she doesn’t want to go with a psycho. He eventually tells her who he is and that he is there to protect her from the evil forces that have been ruining her life. A horrible battle for control of the mortal realm is coming, and Celeste is now in the middle of it. The angel has one problem, the longer he stays in his half-human form, the more he becomes human. He starts to have desires, and is very attractive to Celeste. T

To same the human race, Celeste must show Azrael the dark world and addictions that she has been living in her entire life, or the forces of evil will take over.

There are many books written about fallen angels falling in love with humans, and a few movies too. When I signed up to review Surrender the Dark, I didn’t realize that it was about angels. I changed my mind after reading the intriguing prologue, as the Azrael leaves heaven and descends upon the Earth. Many heroines are clichéd, but Celeste is a bit of fresh air and realization. She is a strong willed women with many weaknesses. She was never looking for a knight in shining armor to rescue her from her bad lifestyle, until Azrael came into her life. I can easily see this as a blockbuster movie. I recommend Surrender the Dark to all urban fantasy fans.

*I would like to thank Pocket Books for sending me a copy to review.

When did you become interested in storytelling?

My father and grandmother were great wits and storytellers, so I grew up surrounded by wonderful Southern stories. I have loved the art of storytelling as long as I can remember.

Are there any stories/tales that did not make it into your book?

An anecdote entitled "English as a Second Language" did not make the cut. The gist is on occasion my husband has been known to confuse the English language. My husband and I were in France on a tour with another couple. The tour guide was putting us onto buses according to our native language. The guide asked us if we spoke English to which our friend quipped, "Three of us do!" That was the morning my husband ordered a croton for breakfast. Imagine his dismay when the waiter served him a plant instead of a croissant! I soon discovered the apple does not fall far from the tree. At Christmas, I asked my son to attend the cantata at church. As we were seated and the singing began, he turned to me and said, "I thought it was a covered dish!"

What types of books do you read?

I love anything Southern-especially Southern humor. I love the Classics. I love English authors. I love historical fiction and a good love story is always a treat.

What well-known writers do you admire most?

My most loved book is A Tale of Two Cities-I love all of Charles Dickens' works. My other favorite English author is Daphne du Maurier. William Faulkner, Taylor Caldwell, and John Steinbeck are all favorites. Pat Conroy is my favorite modern day author. The Prince of Tides is one of my favorite books. I have read and loved all of Pat Conroy's books. He is a master of words and descriptions. You can sense and feel his settings and his characters become a part of you. Anne Rivers Siddons has especially strong women characters. As a Southern humorist, Fannie Flagg can not be beat.

What is the most difficult part of writing?

Writing down oral stories is very difficult. You tend to write like you talk and it often comes out confusing and opaque. There is an art to telling stories and an art to conveying those stories in the written word.

Do you find it hard to balance your writing with your personal life?

This is my first book and marketing a book is extremely time-consuming in addition to finding time to continue writing. When Miss Hildreth Wore Brown came out, the scheduling was a little overwhelming. I decided quickly I wanted this to be a fun experience and am now doing a better job of balancing my writing and personal life.

Do you have any other works in progress?

Though I do have some ideas bouncing around in my head, my main goal right now is marketing Miss Hildreth.

Do you have a bog, website, or links to share?

My website is http://www.oliviadebellebyrd.com/

You can read an excerpt, see my coming events, email me, and order the book. A new exciting event is my April Blog Tour! You can follow it on my website. I love to interact with my readers, so feel free to email me.

EFT for Procrastination
BY: Gloria Arenson, MFT

You have to think positive thought if you want to achieve your goals. For ex., Tell yourself I can do this, and I can be a better person. Through out the book are true stories on normal everyday people who struggle with procrastination. They struggle to accomplish goals and making the proper changes in life. They took the EFT, aka emotional acupuncture, and have made successful changes.

I never heard about Emotional Freedom Techniques before reviewing this book. Techniques are about tapping on certain parts of your body, like under nose, under eye, etc., to step into the energy that flows through your body. I tried this, and honestly, I just didn’t get it. Maybe it takes lots of practice, but I can’t see this ever working on a person. I can understand repeating the positive phrases during the EFT, but can’t a person just close their eyes and repeat the phrases to calm their nerves down.

I enjoyed most the chapters that Gloria Arenson wrote herself and the stories she shared about others. Despite the fact that I didn’t care for the EFT, I still think that a person can get a lot out of reading the book.

*I would like to thank Energy Psychology Press for sending me a copy to review.

Are you sensitive to your own feelings? These is one of the questions the author wants you to ask yourself to help you overcome your fears and doubts. She recommend using the using the EFT, Emotional Freedom Techniques, method founded by Gary Craig.

I personally, have never heard about Emotional Freedom Techniques before reviewing these books. Techniques are about tapping on certain parts of your body, like under nose, under eye, etc., to step into the energy that flows through your body. I tried this, and honestly, I just didn’t get it. Maybe it takes lots of practice, but I can’t see this ever working on a person. I can understand repeating the positive phrases during the EFT, but can’t a person just close their eyes and repeat the phrases to clam their nerves down.

I’m somewhat shy, well I was as a kid, and that was one of the reasons I wanted to review this book. The author has a checklist for you to find out how sensitive you are. I checked only for, therefore, I’m not that sensitive as I thought. There people out there that are sensitive, and I would recommend EFT for the Highly Sensitive Temperament, as they may get some benefit out of reading it.

*I would like to thank Energy Psychology Press for sending me a copy to review.

Wow, it is already Thursday, again. I was ill for a few days, but I am much better now. I just heard on the news that there is more snow on the way. It is spring! I do not want any more snow!




Nickelodeon released a sneak preview of the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles that will air in 2012. Twenty-six episodes have been ordered and will be made in 3D animation. Let me just say, I hope they work on the animation before it airs because I am not impressed by the preview.

Interview Q&A

I want to thank you for being my guest here on Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer.

What inspired you to write?

Tom: I started writing just as an outlet to express myself through story telling. Song writing is the same way for me. I enjoy telling a story that takes a person somewhere that they can relate to.

Heather: I enjoy writing as a way to escape to a different place and look at ideas in different ways. It is fun to see where a story can go.

What type of books do you mostly write?

This is our first children’s book that we have written. So, we are enjoying the whole process of seeing a small idea turn into a full colored book that children will find enjoyable to read.

Do your children inspire any of books, characters, or plots?

Tom: Yes they have. Their personalities and their uncanny way of looking at life inspire me every day.

Can you share with us a little about your current book?

This is a story about a little girl who wakes up for school one morning and finds that her little brother has been replaced by a monkey in his bed. The story takes you through their day as the little girl tries to explain to everyone about the monkey wearing her brother’s clothes. There is a twist at the end of the story when the truth of the story is revealed.

The world of children’s book publishing is extremely competitive, with many authors hesitating between trying their luck with a traditional publisher or self publishing. What advice would you offer writers who are oscillating between these two publishing venues?

Tom: I don’t know what the right answer is for everyone. I self-published Monkey Made Dream ourselves mainly because it was for fun. I also like to be involved with the whole process of marketing. This is our project, and we want to have a say in how to get this children’s book out to the public.

Is there anything else you would like to share with us?

Tom: Just keep writing every day.

Heather: Enjoy the process!

I thank you for taking the time to share with me and my readers about being an author.

Like all good Southern storytellers, I hate to waste a good story. While repeating one of my tales one too many times my husband said to me with exasperation, “Why don’t you write this stuff down?”
What began as the quest of a husband to keep his wife quiet segued into a collection of Southern stories assembled as a Christmas gift for my children. Thirty-one months and fourteen rejection letters later, Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle was published by an independent New York publisher.

Thus was the beginning of Miss Hildreth—a humorous, satirical romp through my Southern life. I like to call it real-life fiction as all the people, places and events are real, but like all good Southern stories exaggeration and embellishment have been added to these real events. Because they are actual occurrences, the reader is drawn into the warmth and familiarity of the characters and their stories. What Southern mother has not threatened her offspring with grits and water for supper if that thank you note does not get written? What quaint Southern town does not have a grand dame who wears turbans and dark sunglasses and calls everyone “dahling” whether they are darling or not? Where else but the South can a mink be mistaken for possum?

Being raised by a Southern father and grandmother of great wit, humor flowed as freely as water from a faucet in our household. More years into adulthood then I am going to reveal, when prodded by my husband’s bid to shush me I put pen to paper and the stories poured forth as though an age-old tap had been discovered and turned on. With hours of sweat, spoonfuls of tenacity, and several strokes of plain good fortune, the amusement and idiosyncrasies that are so unique to the Deep South came to life on the pages of Miss Hildreth Wore Brown. The stories are punctuated with everyday mishaps that Southerners seem to have a knack for turning into entertainment. It turns out Bostonians do not always appreciate being called “ma’am” and New Yorkers can have Southern manners.

My humorous foray through Southern life has led me into a joyous romp through the land of authors and readers. As an old reader and a new writer, it warms the cockles of my Southern heart to know there are so many book lovers in this world. Through books, we become what we dream, we are educated and inspired, we travel into the souls of characters and find ourselves. To be a new author in the presence of so many creative minds has been a gift. To be in the presence of so many lovers and readers of books has been an inspiration. I believe deeply in the written word. Very simply, it gives meaning and beauty to life.


About the author


Olivia deBelle Byrd is a self-proclaimed Southern Belle who resides in Panama City, Florida, with her husband, Tommy. She is the author of Miss Hildreth Wore Brown—Anecdotes of a Southern Belle, which is her first collection of satirical essays.

http://www.oliviadebellebyrd.com/