Summer-where has it gone?

I had such good intentions to write a blog post every couple of weeks and actually get it posted.
You know what they say about 'best laid plans'.  :-)

I accepted a new position at my employer in April and its been an interesting transition; but I'm enjoying the new challenges and working in partnership with my new boss.

Did you take a vacation this summer?  I spent a week with my bestest friend in Orlando visiting her parents for a few days, going to Downtown Disney one day (its probably as close as I'm ever gonna get to see Mickey and Minnie) and attending the Indie Bookfest Convention (IBF).

IBF was an amazing experience!  It was her first author convention so we were both a little apprehensive about what it would actually be like.  We met some really great people-some of whom quickly became friends, attended discussion panels (she was on 3 and did such an amazing job on all of them) that provided tons of information, resources and ideas.  The Gothic Romance Ball was a lot of fun and CJ looked amazing in her dress.  Me?  I wore my standard party outfit...a black and white silk shirt and black slacks with amazing black and silver jewelry and a black fringe shawl.

I came away from IBF with the confidence and validation that an idea I had been seriously thinking about was worth pursuing.  So on August 1st I launched my virtual assistant business.  Take Wing Virtual Assistant Solutions main mission is to provide administrative support to Indie Authors specifically but I'll be assisting individuals and small businesses as well.  Its exciting and scary all at the same time.  I'll be launching the webpage for it later this weekend.

I was able to attend the Iowa State Fair with my other bestie on opening night for the Casting Crowns concert.  While the weather may not have been ideal (mid 90s, humid, no breeze); the concert was fantastic and spending time catching up with her priceless.

The season of Summer may have went by quickly; but I'm looking forward to Fall and all that brings!

I came back with SWAG from authors so be part of the conversation by leaving a comment and I'll put everyone's name who does so in 'the hat' and draw a winner next Saturday.

Until we visit again, have a great day!
Robyn

So, let me tell you about my best friend.....

"People let me tell you 'bout my best friend, 
She's a warm hearted person who'll stand by me till the end. 

People let me tell you bout my best friend, 
She's my oldest, my dearest pal, my sister of the heart

People let me tell you 'bout her, she's so much fun 

Whether we're talkin' serious stuff or just chatting on the run....

Cause she's my best friend. 
Yes she's my best friend."

(adapted from Harry Nilsson's song)

We've been bestest friends for nearly 48 years.
She's a wife (married 40 years this fall),
Mom of two great kids (who I'm blessed to say call me Aunt Robyn).
Mom of two fur-babies as well; the small fluffy dog Muffin and the entitled cat Mouse.
She works a full-time job in addition to her writing.
She loves a drink called Salty Dog; as well as wine.  And let me not forget her Diet Dew!
She longs to live in the mountains as they bring her peace and tranquility.
She has these amazing 'plot bunnies' running around in her head that lead her to create great characters and stories.
Of course she loves chocolate.
And....I'm blessed beyond measure to call her my very bestest best forever friend.
We've been through good, bad and down-right horrible times; know pretty much everything about each other and I don't know what I'd do without her.

As a young woman she dreamed of being a journalist but when she couldn't afford to go to college she put that dream away and concentrated on being a wife and mom.  Years later she was introduced to FanFiction and began reading stories based on her beloved Twilight series.  She came across a story that featured 2 of the male characters and had an epiphany, "Why", she says, "shouldn't people have books to read that feature characters similar to themselves?  Everyone deserves that.  They deserve to have a HEA."  And so her plot bunnies took hold and she began to write.

And today her second book is being published!  Its been a journey with this one with delays, disappointments, frustrations and despair.  Throughout it she kept moving forward writing novellas for several anthologies, publishing on her blog and working on what will be the second book in this new series as well as outlining story lines for other books to come.

So, let me introduce you to her book: Drifting Sands-The Warfield Hotel Mysteries-Book 1

As he approaches his fortieth birthday, Justin Warfield feels alone, drifting like the sand that blows along the beach near his family’s hotel. He has done exactly as his father wanted. Married the right girl and carried on the family tradition of running the Warfield Hotel. On paper things seem perfect, but happiness hasn’t been a part of his life for a very long time. 

Marcus Drummond once spent a summer with his best friend Peter at the Warfield Hotel and fell hard for Peter’s much older brother. Five years later he’s back, and this time hopes that Justin will see him as more than his kid brother’s friend. 

Sparks fly when the two meet again, but there are a few things standing in their way. The closet that Justin has himself buried in and someone on a killing spree, dumping bodies on the Warfield beach . . . victims that indicate Justin may be involved in some way.

Drifting Sands is available on E-Retailer sites:

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_14?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=drifting+sands+baty&sprefix=drifting+sands%2Caps%2C193

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/drifting-sands-c-j-baty/1121983368?ean=2940151927734

AllRomance:  https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-driftingsands-1805601-149.html

BookStrand:  http://bookstrand.com/drifting-sands

Kobo:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/drifting-sands

Bottom Drawer Publications:  http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net/#!drifting-sands/c1i4v

  I hope you'll join me in wishing her well on release day.

HAPPY RELEASE DAY CJ.!  

  

Until we chat again, I wish you quiet times with a really great book, your beverage of choice and of course some chocolate!

Robyn

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As a side note here....Indie Authors depend on word-of-mouth, reader reviews and spend alot of time self-promoting.  If you read a book by an Indie Author, post about it on your FB or Twitter and definitely leave a review on the e-retailer site you purchased the book.  

Books-2

Today I want to share about books.  I don't recall a time when I didn't have my nose stuck in a book to be honest.  And with the Kindle my obsession just keeps on growing.  Oh I still buy actual books; I love the feel of a book in my hands and actually turning pages.  I love the Kindle as it allows me to carry a multitude of books with me at anytime and it fits neatly in my bag so a win all the way around!

I'm currently reading a really great anthology; Romancing the Paranormal; 13 new tales.  I'm getting ready to start book 6 in this set and so far I've really liked what I'm reading.  You can find out more about the set here:  Romancing the Paranormal  Just 99 cents for a limited time!

Another anthology I'm looking forward to reading is Summer Fire: Love When Its Hot.  This set has 20 new contemporary romance stories by some terrific authors.  It releases tomorrow, Tuesday, 5/26 and you can find out more here:  Summer Fire  Just 99 cents for a limited time!

Anthologies are interesting....you never know for sure what you'll be getting.  Will you love them all? Only love one or two?  Like them but not overly crazy about any of them?  Or hate them?  What do you think?

And then there's the new novel by CJ Baty releasing on June 7th.  Drifting Sands is Book 1 in the Warfield Hotel Mysteries series and  you don't want to miss it.  Its available for pre-order on all e-retailer sites and you can find out more at CJ's blog: CJ Baty  There are contests for a free paperback copy of the book on BookLike and GoodReads and I know she's got something special planned to post on her blog this week.

And I could go on and on about the other upcoming releases I'm looking forward to; but I think I'll save those for another post.

Its Memorial Day today.  Remember that its not just an extra day off work, or an excuse for a BBQ or party (although all of things are great).  Its a day to honor those who  have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have.


I'm going to go refresh my sweet tea, grab a cookie and start the movie marathon I've got planned for the rest of my day.

Lets keep the discussion going.  Comment about what  you're currently reading, your thoughts about Memorial Day or how your weekend went.

Until we chat again ~ Robyn

Re-Launch!

I'm relaunching the blog today with a new look and the best of intentions to post more regularly!

So welcome to The Byrd's Nest where we'll chat about life, faith, books or whatever happens to come to mind on any given day.  So a little bit about me to get  things going.....

I grew up in a small town in southwest Ohio and am the oldest of 3.  My sister is the poster child for the definition of 'middle child' and then there's my brother the youngest-the only boy in the family and yes kinda spoiled.  Its true growing up we didn't have/get everything we wanted but my parents made sure we had everything we needed.  Especially their love and support of our dreams and goals.

BOOKS!
I love books!  For me books are like breathing, sleeping and eating...its a necessary part of every day. Going back as far as I can remember, I can't recall a time when I didn't love reading and could be pretty much be counted on to have a book in my hand or nearby.

Today's ramblings.....

Its a beautiful Spring day in Central Iowa!  The sun is shining and not a rain drop in sight (which after the past week is a great thing), the neighborhood is alive with the sounds of grass being cut, bushes being trimmed and the sounds of kiddos playing.  My windows are open and there is an amazing cross-breeze helping to clear out the stuffiness of the long cold winter season.

Spring arrives late here in Iowa; but no matter its here now and one of my favorite times of year.  The tulips, daffodils and lilacs are all in bloom and the peonies are shooting up and will be bursting forth right on time for Memorial Day weekend from the looks of the ones I've seen.

Its a short post today as I need to go prepare my dinner.

Wishing you a pleasant rest of the day!

Until we chat again ~Robyn