ASTRAY COMES OUT TODAY! And that totally rhymes! Want to win it?!?

Today, Amy Christine Parker's novel ASTRAY, comes out! 

In honor of my talented friend's second novel launch, I'm giving away a $25.00 Amazon e-gift card to a lucky winner so you can get yourself a copy, and if you don't have the prequel you can get that too! Giveaway starts tonight at midnight.

(Love, love, love this cover!)

In ASTRAY, Lyla is caught between two worlds. The isolated Community that she grew up in and the outside world that she's navigating for the very first time. The outsiders call the Community a cult, but Pioneer miraculously survived a shooting that should have killed him. Are the faithful members right to stay true to his message? Is this just a test of faith? One thing is for sure: the Community will do anything to bring Lyla back to the fold. Trapped in a spider's web of deception, will Lyla detect the sticky threads tightening around her before it's too late? She'll have to unravel the mystery of what Pioneer and the Community are truly up to if she wants to survive.

A few quotes from the novel (prepare for chills)

"I have eyes everywhere. You can't run from me."

"If you aren't with us, you are against us, and I will not mourn you one bit when you die." Brian, Member of the Community

"He turns the light out and I close my eyes and try not to listen when he starts to cry." 

"Everything will be okay," Pioneer says. His voice is dreamy. He brings the knife up to his own neck."

ASTRAY, is the sequel to Amy Christine Parker's debut thriller, Gated, about a girl (Lyla) who's grown up in a cult, but begins to question what she's been taught as the "end times" approach, causing Pioneer to alter his plans, which accelerate and grow ever ore dangerous for all involved.

http://amychristineparker.blogspot.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Astray-Gated-Sequel-Christine-Parker/dp/0449816028

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MAKING USE OF DEAD SPACE IN YOUR HOME!

How I turned my dining room into a writing and reading room—aka my office.

As a writer, I often move around the house, typing here and there. We have an office in a backroom that my hubby uses, but I cannot share a space with him and think. So I bought a small desk and put it in my bedroom, which offered me a quiet place to write, but when it came time for edits and a plethora of papers were on my bed and floor, I decided this didn't work either. I needed a space of my own. A place where I could spread out my novel, create a mess, and leave it as I try to work some magic by turning my crazy thoughts into a story.

Thus the vision of my office was born. I don't know about you but in my house the formal dining room is dead space. (Dining room table in back corner attached to the formal living room--another wasted space in the house. See how open the room is?)

We eat at the breakfast table or at the counter in the kitchen or at the outside table by the pool.

We've lived in our home for almost 9 years and have only used the formal dining room twice—for eating. Other times, we've used it for crafts or homework or projects but it still felt like a waste of space. So I decided to turn it into an office. My office. With no walls anywhere, this wouldn't be a simple project of hanging doors. I was going to need a contractor. I had done interior decorating part-time when my kids were younger and have always had a good eye for detail. I could envision what I wanted and was eager to see that image come to life.

After calling a few local contractors, I found a company whose owner ironically lived in my neighborhood. He had a great reputation and had done work for several families. He listened, understood my vision, and was ready to tackle my reno project. It only took about four weeks to do with the last week being touch ups and stuff. And the best part, I have my very own, private pretty little space, where I can lock myself in, leave a mess if I want to, and add the color pink!

I love it! Couldn't be happier and what was once a wasted space is now 100% functional.

Got any questions or projects in mind for creating a reading or writing space in your home? I love to give suggestions, advice, and help in any way I can.

Have a look at the before and after pics and let me know what you think!