Have you ever wondered how much we depend on internet services on a daily basis?

I never thought about this question until my internet and cable happened to go out late Tuesday night. It didn’t bother me at first as it gave me a chance to catch up on some reading. By the time I turned in for the night the internet sill hadn’t returned, but once again it didn’t bother me because typically when the internet goes out the cable company would restore the internet services in the early morning hours. There was no reason to worry right?

Up bright and early, I set a bowl of cereal and steaming cup of java on my desk shortly before I sat down in the comfortable leather cushioned chair. I check my inbox and nothing happen. I glance at the internet modem and there was still no connection.

I thought, “No big deal. I can watch the local news.” I grabbed the remote, spun the chair around, and turned on the television to watch nothing as the cable was still out.  As I turned back toward the computer screen, I wondered if I received a reply from the PR Company about reviewing a product. Did I receive the guest post for the upcoming book blog tour? Did my recently found half-sister send me another email about her life?

Well, it seemed I would never know the answers to my questions.

Hi Billy! Thanks for having me as a guest on Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. I do have a question though, can you be a writer and not be coffee addicted? Just kidding. I ask because I think writing and coffee go hand in hand. Writers need that caffeine to stay up late and hit those deadlines, to get up early and write before work, or to keep up with a life that includes kids, dogs, and spouses. (Those spouses need attention too!) I know that those days I wake up at five (well before my alarm) I go straight for the deep, dark, rich, jolt of java juice. MMMM.

If you want to lure writers of all types, but particularly romance writers, all you need to do is toss out that invite to a coffee shop. Or show up with chocolate. Hold up a bag of dark chocolate at romance writer’s meeting and see if you get out alive. Authors love lurking at their local coffee shop and there are very specific needs for an author who is trying to write. While writing Little Red Riding Wolf I got my best writing done after work (away from the kids, house, and husband) at my local coffee hang out.

Here’s why when twisting fairy tales and writing about shape shifting lovers I go to my small town coffee shop:

What or whom inspired you to become a writer?

I can’t say that there was a person or thing that happened that made me want to be a writer. I just remember that as far back as I can remember it’s what I wanted to do. I’d say, “I want to be an artist and writer when I grow up.” I took a detour into another area, but it’s never too late to pursue your dream ;-) I credit my husband for getting me back into writing. I wouldn’t say that he “inspired” me. It was more like he kicked me in the arse! I kept talking about wanting to write but I didn’t have time, blah, blah, blah – excuse, excuse, excuse. He firmly, but lovingly, told me just do it! He didn’t want to hear about any more stories, he wanted to read them. That was in 2007. I’ve been writing ever since. 

What types of books do you read?

All kinds! I read a lot of YA, especially fantasy and paranormal/magical books. I’m deep into the Game of Thrones right now and loving it! Two of my favorite books over the past couple of years – The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern, and Gone Girl, by Gillian Flynn, and The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green. I also read quite a bit of non-fiction, particularly books that relate to my fiction writing. 

What well-known authors do you admire most?

Oh, so many, and the list changes depending on what I’m reading! I love the Hunger Games, and I admire Suzanne Collins’ ability to write amazing hooks that pull the reader to the next chapter. I’ve recently taken on the challenge of reading the Game of Thrones series and I’ve become a huge fan of George R.R. Martin. I admire his ability to create an incredibly complex world with a complicated plot and viscerably real characters – unparalleled. I also admire John Green. In my opinion, he’s one of the best writers of young adult fiction in our lifetime, maybe ever. My writing is nothing like his, but I admire his craft. And from the old school, I admire Shakespeare and Charles Dickens, both masters of story. 

What were your writing habits while writing Emily’s Trial?

Welcome to my weekly rambling titled "Monday Morning Madness"! I originally planned on writing about my New Years Resolutions, but due to recent circumstances I will save my resolutions for next week.

Life just plain sucks sometimes! The world is going through a continuing financial chaos caused by governments that can't balance a checkbook; the fringe media can't tell the difference between tabloid nonsense and actual news; and you can't go anywhere, not even online, without being insulted by ignorant people.

Personally, the only excitement in my life is when the mail carrier arrives at a decent time. Between my tonsillitis scare, toothaches, the thought of one day of getting glaucoma, my constant sinus dilemma, my on and off again depression, social anxiety, the fear of never finding love and dying alone, I thought God wouldn't dare throw me another curve, but I was mistaken.

Out of the blue, from a complete stranger, I received a message that my birth father, who I have never met, wants to meet me, and I have a half-brother and a half-sister that I never knew existed. Plus, there are several nephews and nieces.

Why is God putting me in this situation? Is he testing me?

OMG I Lost My Job! What Do I Do Now?
By Carolyn Woods
Publisher: CreateSpace
B00ALKFYYG
Pub. Date: December 11, 2012
ISBN: 978-1481207768
ASIN: B00ALKFYYG
Pages: 66
Buy Link: Kindle, Paperback

Review:

Let's face the facts, the world's economy is failing resulting in hundreds if not thousands of job losses everyday and it's not going to improve anytime in the near future. Carolyn Woods has a written an informative handbook for anyone that is unemployed or is afraid of losing their job.

Finding a job is tough, so if you lose your job you should go ahead and start planning your next move. OMG I Lost My Job! What Do I Do Now? can give you a guideline to use as you try to figure out what to do next. One of the first steps is to look into your funds, cut back on a few unwanted items and look into how many days or months you can live off your savings. Finding a temporary paying job as fast as you can is a must while you get your resume ready to send out. If you can't find a job right away, volunteering is great way to spend your time and taking a few college classes would look good to possible employers.

Back in 1993 the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers debuted on television, which is the US version of the Japanese series Super Sentai. I was in the sixth grade at the time and I didn't even know that the show existed until I was part of a tutoring program for kindergartens, where I was assigned a five-year-old to tutor. All the kid wanted to talk about was the Power Rangers. Eventually I started watching it at 6:30 in the mornings so I could understand what the kid was talking about. I continued to occasionally watch it until the of Power Rangers in Space.

I only recently found out that there was a new incarnation on Nickelodeon. Out of curiosity, I recently reviewed two new DVDs - Power Rangers Samurai: Volume 3 A Team Divided and Power Rangers Super Samurai: Volume 3: Rise of the Bullzooka, which both will be coming out from LIONSGATE on January 15th at the list price of $14.95 each.

I invited my heroine and hero from my paranormal romance, Kindred of the Fallen, to join me in playing “finish the sentence”. After a bit of negotiating, Serenity and Cyrus both agreed.

I’m thrilled to go first. Finish the sentence- 

1. One book I wish I had written…The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice.

2. One food I never eat…okra. Yuck! My husband loves it, but I can’t stand it.

3. One movie from last year that I loved…Magic Mike. Lol! Honestly, I haven’t seen it…yet. My hubby is still deployed so I don’t think he’d mind if I ordered a little eye candy on Netflix. Seriously, I loved The Dark Knight Rises.

4. If I could spend a day with a writer, it would be…Nalini Singh.

5. My favorite scene in my book (tough since I have a few, but will go with my favorite in the first 100 pages): While Serenity and Cyrus are in a deadly struggle with a Kindred suffering from blood rage, their latent powers emerge.

Cyrus, finish the sentence- 

The Lesson
By Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Revell
Pub. Date: January 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0800719890
ASIN: B009ZC4398
Pages: 304
Buy Links: http://ow.ly/gtVkj   
Blog Tour Link: http://litfusegroup.com/campaigns/thelesson

Review:

Mary Kate Lapp (or as her family and friends call her, M.K.) is a nineteen-year-old yearning for a mystery in the third and final book in the popular Stoney Ridge Seasons series by Suzanne Woods Fisher.

M.K. plans of leaving her small Amish community comes to a crashing halt as she literarlly crashes her scooter into the schoolteacher, Alice Smucker, causing the old woman to abandon her teaching duties for ten weeks because of her injuries. The Bishop orders M.K. to become the substitute teacher since she was the one that ran into Alice.

The poor girl had recently found the body of a farmer that had been shot to death and she eagerly wants to investigate it, but the authorities, her family and friends tell her not to get involved.