The Winner and Reflection

And the winner of the signed copy of The Second Shadow is.....

*drum roll*

SHERI LARSEN!!!

Congratulations Sheri! I will forward your information to Elizabeth Arroyo and she will contact you about sending you your signed copy! Many thanks to everyone who participated!

On a more somber note, Liz had a sudden death in her family. My thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family during this difficult time. 

At the skating rink there is an older gentleman that brings his granddaughter to skate every Thursday. He always asks me how I'm doing and I reciprocate. Today when I asked him, "How are you doing today sir?" His face broke into a big wrinkled grin. "I'm just happy to be alive today." 

When he said that, it made me pause and remember that every day is a gift. Sometimes we get stuck in the daily grind and we stop to appreciate the beauty around us, give that extra smile or hug, or listen a bit longer than we want to. I try to reflect on these things as much as I can, and enjoy each day to the fullest. But sometimes it's hard. Everyday is different. But we still should try =).

Sunday Sketch

It has been an urge growing for months--wanting to sketch. I had stopped many years ago when I was an insecure teenager. I had been in art classes for as long as I can remember, but somewhere near the end of eight grade I decided sketching and art in general weren't for me. I had the blessing (and the curse) of being in art classes with some extremely talented people (some of whom have turned art into their full time career). Everything they created was always exponentially better than my own work. I think a lot of my dissatisfaction with my own artistic skill had to do with a lack of patience. I wanted to sit down and draw something spectacular in less than an hour. I was deluded I know. But when you're thirteen you're priorities are a bit different.

Before middle school, I used to write stories complete with illustrations. And then I'd bind the books stamp the cover, with "By Anita Saxena" and I was a triumphant self-published author. My biggest fans were of course my parents and my grandfather.

About a week ago I picked up a pack of drawing pencils and I started drawing. I can't figure out why I ever stopped. It's so relaxing and fun. And art seems to compliment writing somehow, like I'm using a part of my brain that had been dormant for over a decade. It's so nice to have use of that portion of my brain again. Writing seems easier now somehow. But the feeling may just be temporary. We'll see.

So in the vein of Natalie Whipple's Saturday Sketch (which by the way she hasn't posted a Saturday Sketch in a very very long time), I'd like to share my Sunday Sketch of a mardi gras magnet I found in the infamous everything drawer in my kitchen.

The Second Shadow....COVER REVEAL & GIVE AWAY!!!

I love cover reveals! And today we are sharing Elizabeth Arroyo's cover for THE SECOND SHADOW--the sequel to the THE SECOND SIGN. It's fiery and appropriately reflects the hotness of Jake.

THE SECOND SHADOW will release on September 5, 2013 by Sapphire Star Publishing.

Jake thought being demon meant a shredded humanity, stripped of all human emotion. Chaos and self-preservation dominates a demon’s instincts. But Jake feels every ounce of pain and despair around him.

And it’s driving him deeper into Hell.

Gabby’s choice to save him last summer left a fissure in Hell’s gate that released a malevolent evil. When Jake’s given a mission by the demons to shadow a human girl who may know the whereabouts of an ethereal weapon, he doesn’t expect to see Gabby. 

But Fate has her own agenda.

When Jake and Gabby are thrown together on a camping trip with a group of delinquent teens, Jake begins to grapple with the haunting choices he made in the past.  When the evil finds them, the group begins to battle for their lives, alliances are made, and truths revealed.

As the evil begins to influence Jake, he questions his link to the demons, his purpose, and his love for Gabby. But the answers to those questions are only found in Hell. And it may cost him his soul.

Check out the rafflecopter giveaway below to win a free signed copy of THE SECOND SHADOW (open to U.S. residents only).

a Rafflecopter giveaway