B is for Breaking Dawn

April A to Z Challenge - Day 2

Author Stephenie Meyer

I wasn't included in the fandom-faze when Twilight became a best seller. I was introduced into the Twilight craze when I joined my sister and her friend when they went to watch the first movie. It was shortly after my husband and I separated and were getting divorced. I didn't have much hope in love at that point in my life. But, thank you Stephenie Meyers for rejuvenating that hope in Edward. Yes, I'm team Edward. This was a fabulous series to follow and be part of the book releases and movie release fun. 

After watching the first movie I was immediately intrigued and started reading the books. My favorite, by far, was Breaking Dawn. The fourth (and sadly, last) in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyers. There is speculation (Midnight Sun) and such that there might be a continuation. That would be awesome, but as of date, have not read or heard anything to contradict Meyers claim that she will no longer be continuing the Twilight series.

Meyers holding Breaking Dawn

When I first read Breaking Dawn, I didn't have a night nurse for my son (two nights in a row) and thought it was the perfect opportunity to do a straight-through read. I was going to have to be up for the next two days and nights, so - why not. Let me just say, by the time I got to go to bed on night 3 I was hallucinating. Anyway, I'm not a fast reader, even though I try to be. I wanted to devour this book and did the best I could. I've now read Breaking Dawn at least four times. Once when it first came out, another time a few months afterward, and then twice more before each release of the Breaking Dawn movies.

Mr. & Mrs. Cullen - Wedding

The hardcover version of Breaking Dawn has over 756 pages. How in the world could you convert that many pages into one movie? The answer was simple - create two movies. Both movies, while I don't own them yet, are easily movies that I could watch over-and-over. Usually I am not a 'girly-girl', but for Breaking Dawn Part 1 I was a giggly girl for Bella and Edwards wedding. It was absolutely beautiful, having never had an actual wedding myself, my heart sank deeply watching the scenes. One of the most anticipated scenes was obviously the honeymoon, and it was done tastefully. I loved how they were faithful to the book and didn't squirm away from what Bella endured through her struggles after their return and up until the time Edward had to step in and take care of her. I remember seeing the movie for the first time in the theaters and the chills that coursed through my body when Bella's eyes opened at the end. Awesome.

Eternal Love - Edward & Bella Cullen

Nothing could prepare me for Breaking Dawn Part 2, it was highly anticipated and didn't fail to deliver. The only problem is, that you don't really want it to end. My sister and I went to the midnight premiere showing and were among the people originally shocked during the fight sequence. Luckily, we were able to breath and enjoy the rest of the movie like civilized individuals. I think the second part did a great job capturing the intimacy within the new lives of the Cullen's and those around them. The movie, along with the book, gave closure for the series and left a satisfied feeling, but also a sad one for the closing curtain of it all. My favorite part of the book - and one of my favorite scenes from the movie - was during the fight against the Volturi, when Bella was going up against Jane (hehehe). 

Links

Official Stephenie Meyer Website

Breaking Dawn (Book 4) by Stephenie Meyere on Amazon

My Mistake - Cover Reveal

Author Anne Conley & My Family's Heart Book Reviews & Tours present "My Mistake" Cover Reveal

TITLE – My Mistake

SERIES – Stories of Serendipity

AUTHOR - Anne Conley

GENRE - Contemporary Erotic Romance

PUBLICATION DATE - April 10, 2014

LENGTH (Pages/#words) - 70,000 words 

PUBLISHER – Anne Conley

COVER ARTIST – Vanessa Booke

Book Blurb/Synopsis- 

Welcome to Serendipity, Texas, where the days are hot and the nights are steamy. Meet real people with real problems, as they live life and find love in a small town.

12 years ago, Brent walked away from his one big love, and has regretted it ever since. He’s done nothing but make mistake after mistake with his life. Now, he’s finally getting his act together, starting up a sanctuary for abused and neglected horses, and staying clean.

Casey had put Brent out of her mind the best way she knew how, by going on with her own life: getting married and trying to have kids. When her marriage ends up being a mistake, she moves back in with her mother in Serendipity to lick her wounds. What she doesn't expect is Brent, waltzing back into her life.

Can they put their own and each other’s mistakes behind them to move forward together? When Casey’s life is put in danger, Brent steps up, but will it be enough?

My Mistake is book seven in the Stories of Serendipity. You will meet some of the same characters, but they are all stand-alone novels.

And now 

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the moment 

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you've all

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been waiting 

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for - Check Out The Cover

Excerpt-

When he came back around to the front of the barn, she was sitting on top of a bale of hay, holding up a brown paper back with a grease stain on the bottom. Mooch, traitor that he was, perched at her feet, looking up at her adoringly, waiting for her to drop the bag.

“Mama sent some chicken and biscuits.”

He grunted an acknowledgment, and pulled his hat lower over his eyes so he didn't have to see the pain in hers.

She stood, setting the bag down next to her, and sauntered over to the stall where he was spreading fresh straw.

“What’s wrong?”

He couldn't think of the words to say to her. Everything that came to mind was wrong, and Brent knew that there was no way to have this conversation without hurting her. But he had to, or else he would end up hurting her worse in the long run.

As he kicked straw around the floor of the stall, he knew he was being stupid. For the last two weeks, all he’d talked about was how badly he wanted her to stay with him. And now he was about to do this…

He finally stopped when she said, “Brent. You’re scaring me. Is this about me not being able to have kids?”

“No.” Brent brushed past her to go to the feed room. Rattling the bucket brought in the mare, an enormous equine with a shaggy coat and bones showing through loose skin. She followed him into the stall, as he emptied the bucket into her feed trough, and then started pulling the injections from his pockets and preparing them silently.

When he had the first one ready, he finally got the guts to raise his head and look at Casey and deliver the brilliant line he’d spent the past ten minutes coming up with. “I need to think about some stuff.”

Her mouth dropped, and Brent lowered his head to the mare’s shoulder. While she was distracted, eating, he pinched some skin between his gloved fingers and stuck in the needle, pushing the plunger.

Brent had no idea what happened next. All he was aware of was a swift intake of breath, before he saw a wall of brown crush into him, then a jumble of whinnies, a frantic woof, a shrill scream, some clatters, then hoofs aimed at his chest, before blackness took over.

Author bio- 

Anne Conley lives in a small town in East Texas, with her husband, two kids and numerous goats. She brazenly stole her pseudonym from her great-grandmother, a true pioneer woman who raised seven kids alone: churning butter, plucking chickens, knitting clothes, and putting coal oil on every visible wound. Anne’s Stories of serendipity feature real people, living life and finding love in a small town. She also has a Paranormal Romance series, the Four Winds about archangels “falling” in love and coping with turning into humans Her writing is escapist therepy, and she succumbs to it every chance she gets.

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A is for Anne of Green Gables

April A to Z Challenge - Welcome

Last year was my first year in the A to Z Challenge. I enjoyed it so much that this year I decided, like a crazy person, to sign all four of my blogs up for the challenge. A sane person would probably ween their way in, and say maybe sign two blogs up this year, three the following, and so forth. But, this gal decided to go all in. As such, coming up with themes for each blog wasn't challenging until I cam to this blog. What Shall I Blog About Today? started as my first blog after I self-published my first book. Then I wanted more organization of the different topics, hence the different blogs. This blog has developed into more of a book blog. So, I didn't want to make things easy and just write about books. I decided to write about books-to-movies. The first being...

Anne of Green Gables

The first time I was introduced to Anne of Green Gables was the local cable network MPT (Maryland Public Television's tele-thone, their showcase was Anne of Green Gables staring Megan Follows, Colleen Dewhurst, and Richard Farnsworth. The story follows Anne, an imaginative dreamer, through her challenges of being an orphan. Until she is mistakenly taken to The Guthbert's; an elderly brother and sister duo. Anne breathes live into their sleepy existence and with Anne's energy, mischief and mayhem ensue. 

While I never have read the book - it sits in my Kindle queue awaiting it's read - I cherish the characters and would recommend this series! Written in 1908 by Lucy Maude Montgomery, who was raised in Canada's Prince Edward Island herself and drew from her personal experiences in writing Anne of Green Gables, her fictional bestselling classic.