Remembering...

Today is a strange day for me...July 23rd... my mother's birthday. She would have been 75 today and I'm a bit overwhelmed how much it's affected me. I mean, I live everyday knowing she's gone. There are more than a few times something happens and I reach for the phone, only to remember that she's not at the other end anymore. That my questions remain unanswered from the previous 'wise' woman of the family. And if you know anything about me, I'm so not the wise woman of the family now. I'm more like a ram... headstrong and stubborn, using sheer will and determination to make things happen.

She had a plan. She learned from her mistakes and made adjustments. I just keep hoping the rules will change, or that, this time, I'll be able to bend them more.

My mother was a strong woman. She'd suffered for many years with chronic illness but never let it defeat her. Even in the end, she held on longer than I thought possible. I pray I maintain half her strength as I face the world, not alone, but not whole. At least not yet.

Funny, how there are so many firsts in life. First laugh, first smile, first kiss, first love. Yet, in the long line of firsts, there are those that happen we wish we didn't have to experience. First loss, first birthday without a card, first anniversary you don't celebrate...first birthday that's no longer important.

But, on a more pleasant note, I decided that since I couldn't give flowers to my mother, I'd give some to my daughter. Share the happy thoughts instead of the sad. Look to her for glimpses of the part of my mom that still lives in her...and remember...

Happy Birthday Mom.

love your daughter

Five Delightful Divas for Checkmate...

Seems I've been posting about reviews a bit lately, but this time I have a reason to want to shout. Checkmate got five delightful divas from Shelly at Dark Diva reviews.

Now, I realize that moments like these should be treasured because with every great review I'm sure there's a not-so-great one hanging around somewhere, lol. But I'll chose to celebrate the great today.

Shelly said...

If you like romantic suspense, you're going to love this one. Kendall's brother, Trace, is kidnapped and FBI Special Agent, Dawson Cade is called in to protect Kendall and help find her brother.

Kris Norris weaves a very fine tale of mystery and romance with a persistent criminal who stays one step ahead of Dawson Cade. He leads them on a twisting path through the wilderness with an unrealistic time-frame to complete various tasks with a multitude of threats to keep them moving. Through all of this, Dawson comes to care for Kendall and fights his attraction to her, knowing he's there to protect her.

Forced into constant contact, Dawson and Kendall want to seek comfort from each other in a difficult situation, but know they have to keep each other out of harms way. Dawson is torn when he realizes he must use Kendall to lure the criminal out of hiding.

Kris Norris ties everything together in a fast-paced, detailed story that's very easy to get addicted to. Dawson is the perfect hero. In the end, he’s there to save the day and get the girl. The sexual tension between Dawson and Kendall, as well as the mystery of solving the crime kept me on the edge of my seat. Checkmate was a truly enjoyable read and I will definitely seek out more stories from Kris Norris!

You can check out Dark Diva Reviews to read the entire review and look for more if you'd like.

I'm quite thrilled folks are enjoying Checkmate. It's definitely a book that's dear to my heart. I actually took up adventure racing so I could write Kendall as realistic as possible. Plus, I felt I wasn't living on the edge enough...taking up too much space. I'm also thrilled because Checkmate will be available in paperback later this summer, so here's to more reasons to celebrate.

Thanks for tuning in.

Kris

Romancing life...one adventure at a time.

LOL!!! I LOVE This Video!!!!

Disclaimer...

...the author of this blog is not knocking reviews nor reviewers, but is mainly trying to find balance, serenity, and a sense of humour in the outrageous world of I loved versus I hated...

OMG!!!!

Okay, I know it's been forever since I've posted, but this one post is going to grant me forgiveness and make you pee your pants. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time.

As writers, we all look at reviews as a love/hate relationship. We love the good ones and hate the bad. But moreover, quite often we don't get more than a one line explanation of why someone didn't like our work, and sometimes not even that. (Don't you just love the poor star rating without a word to go with it...) Even with an explanation, it seems that what one person thinks is brilliant, another thinks is a unbelievable. I also find it funny how a great review lifts us up for a short time, while a meh or bad review can bum us out for days or even weeks.

As I release more books, and have a few more reviews coming in, at least I think they'll be coming in, lol, I'm trying to keep an even keel...I can't please everyone and some folks simply won't like what I've written. It doesn't mean others will feel the same and I have to learn to roll with it... of course I'd much rather do as this next author in the video.

If EVER there was a single creation to sum up the roller coaster ride known as reviews, this is it!!!

See... I told you it was hilarious. I think the woman's expressions are what puts it over the edge for me. Thanks to my great pal Bron for sending me this link and making my day... you rock girl.

Hugs to all and thanks for dropping by.

Kris Norris,

Romancing life...one adventure at a time.

KrisNorris.ca