Like Mother like Daughter

In an effort to refute any possible stirrings that I might be less than satisfied with my family or my life, I wanted to write a quick post to re-word my earlier ramblings.  Don't worry - I am still anything but your normal girl.  And thanks to my amazing and anything but normal mom, I am VERY happy being as abnormal as possible.  For the simple reason that she is just as abnormal as I am.  For she is not your typical mother.  So instead of my 15 reasons I suck at life...  I am posting 15 reasons my mom is abnormal in the best way:

1. She taught me the difference between paper scissors and sewing scissors (if you don't know, you shouldn't be using sewing scissors in the first place).
2. She taught me what it means to be trully independent.

2. She can sew an entire wardrobe with her eyes closed.
4. She sacrificed everything for us.

5. She took me to the library every weekend and instilled the love of reading within me.
6. She made my favorite stuffed animal and my favorite quilt with her own two hands.

7. She began working again after retirement to pay for my wedding.

8. She taught me how to chase my dreams...and catch them.
9. She always created our wreaths out of the bottom branches of our christmas trees and she made our stockings.
10. She's never grown up.  And I hope I never do either.

11. She made the Pinterest-inspired birthday parties of today look like childsplay.
12. She taught me how to make jewelry.
13. She inspires others to follow in her footsteps although she tries to cover those same footsteps up along the way.

14. She secretly videotaped the cheers and dances for cheer tryouts in seventh grade and helped me get every motion perfect.
15. When I told her I just wanted to be 'normal' when I was 8, she told me normal wasn't always a good thing and that I was perfect the way I was.

I love you, Mom!

Book Cover Reveal - Chosen!

I can't believe how much I've learned about creating covers over the last couple of months and I'm definitely not the best at it, but it's SO much fun!!  For my next series, I've already got a million and one ideas as to what I want the covers to look like, but that will have to wait until this series is finished (wink, wink)! 

After looking at every cover ever published, I noticed the most popular covers have a random girl in a prom dress on a beach, a rock, or lost in a forest.  As cliche as they have become, they catch my eye every dang time!!  It's incredibly maddening.  I also see alot of covers that have the Twilight complex; black and white with a color splash of red.  Just like the prom dress damsels in distress, they suck me right in too!  Damn you, you product marketing geniuses! 

So anyway, the Daughters of the Sea covers are obvious in their similarities - the color blue, see-through cryptic symbols, and the ocean.  Each cover is also pulled from a specific scene in that particular book.  So with that said below is the cover for Chosen! I'll let you marinate on what significance the lightning and crescent moon symbol could possibly have in the story line:)  Can't wait until Jan 29th!!!!!

15 Reasons Why I Suck at Life!

After slopping through the litany of Christmas photos on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram featuring happy, smiling families in matching red outfits, a proud Mom standing in front of her beautifully decorated house, puppies with santa hats, and giggling babies, I got the urge to throw my computer across the room.  Not because I hate babies and puppies, but because each perfect moment of other people's lives reminded me of my not so perfect life. 

Every family has their own level of dysfunction and problems, but we don't see that on Instagram and Facebook.  We don't see the raging headaches or the maxed out credit card behind that proud Mom's Good Housekeeping-esque decorated house.  We don't see the resentment behind Dad's eyes at Mom's insisting on him wearing a christmas tree sweater.  We don't see the shoes the cute puppies devoured 3 seconds before the picture was shot.  We only see chosen snapshots showcasing the happy, happy, happy parts of people's lives.

So in an effort to remind people that no one is perfect, I'm going to do 15 days of Why I Suck at Life.  15 pictures on Instagram showing the 15 things I suck at, hate about myself, or cringe at in my life.  Not because I want sympathy or therapy, but because I think my friends out there in the twitterverse and blogosphere should see some of the not so great things about me.  Train wrecks - that's what people like to see.  Why else would anyone watch Honey Boo Boo or Cops?  It makes us feel better to know there are people out there more screwed up than we are.

I'll be adding #whyisuckatlife to my tweets, so if you'd like to join in and let us all know about your smelly feet, that toothless Uncle Barney you refuse to claim as part of the family, or your burnt brocolli casserole please do!!

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Instagram: kris10day

Twas' the Night Before Christmas - A song for Sandy Hook Elementary

 Twas' 11 days before Christmas, around 9:38,

when 20 beautiful children stormed through heaven's gate.

Their smiles were contagious, their laughter filled the air.

They could hardly believe all the beauty they saw there.

They were filled with such joy, they didn't know what to say.......

They remembered nothing of what had happened earlier that day.

"Where are we?" asked a little girl, as quiet as a mouse.

"This is heaven." declared a small boy.

"We're spending Christmas at God's house."

When what to their wondering eyes did appear,

but Jesus, their savior, the children gathered near.

He looked at them and smiled, and they smiled just the same.

Then He opened His arms and He called them by name.

And in that moment was joy, that only heaven can bring.

Those children all flew into the arms of their King.

And as they lingered in the warmth of His embrace,

one small girl turned and looked at Jesus' face.

And as if He could read all the questions she had,

He gently whispered to her, "I'll take care of mom and dad."

Then He looked down on earth, the world far below

He saw all of the hurt, the sorrow, and woe.

Then He closed His eyes and He outstretched His hand,

"Let My power and presence re-enter this land!"

"May this country be delivered from the hands of fools"

"I'm taking back my nation. I'm taking back my schools!"

Then He and the children stood up without a sound;

"Come now my children, let me show you around."

Excitement filled the space, some skipped and some ran;

All displaying enthusiasm that only a small child can.

And I heard Him proclaim as He walked out of sight,

"In the midst of this darkness, I AM STILL THE LIGHT."

Written by Cameo Smith, Mt. Wolf, PA

And the Winners are...!!

I have the remedy for your Holiday Stress!  I am sorry to say the happy pills giveaway has been postponed.  I found the empty bottle open on the counter last night.  I had nothing to do with that whatsoever.  True Story.  But I do have something even better!  Books & Jewelry!!

And the WINNERS of the Awaken Blog Tour Giveaway are.....drum roll.....another drum roll.... 

The Forsaken and Awaken E-books go to:

Alexandra Marta

Cassie Hoffman

Amber Nicole

Jolene A.

Natasa May

DeeDee Brinkman Griffin

Artemis

The homemade Stasia inspired necklace goes to:

Shadow Kohler!

 (how kickass is her name?)

And last but definitely not least: The homemade Finn inspired necklace goes to:

Stephanie McCamy!

CONGRATULATIONS you guys!!  I will be emailing the ebook winners to find out which type of file you prefer.  And I'll be mailing out the necklaces to their new owners today!!

Good News/Bad News

Bad News first: the release date for CHOSEN has been pushed out 3 weeks to January 29th!  Fret not, my Finn fangirls - it will be worth the wait!  There will be several chapters from Finn's perspective and amongst several more twists and turns, ALL will be revealed...

Good News: The Forsaken/Awaken giveaway has expired so the winners will be announced shortly!  I've got the Stasia and Finn inspired necklaces boxed and ready to ship!