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Saturday, November 28, 2015

Book Blast: Partners in Crime By Downey Greene @DowneyGreene @GHBTours






Partners in Crime
By- Downey Greene
Genre- Romantic Suspense
Publisher- Staccato Publishing
Publication Date- April 29th, 2014

Gun, badge... and a swear jar?

Detective Faye Kane is a good cop. So when she smells a rat in her city she follows the facts no matter where they lead even if it's right to Philadelphia's own philanthropist and hopeful new mayor, Martino "Millie" Maliano. But after a rough day, sometimes even a cop needs to feel like a woman.

Enter Ian "Griff" McManus, rumored lead problem solver in Millie's organization. After one hot night with a sexy stranger, he's given a new target his boss needs quieted: Detective Faye Kane.

Dirty cops, loyalty, betrayal, even love. Detective Kane needs to sift through the ashes of her beloved city after it all comes down to find the one thing that matters, if she's still standing.

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About the Author-
WE…yes you read right. We are two separate individuals who met in a writing group on FB. In this group we dabbled in writing and hit it off, each liking the other's strengths and complementing the other's weaknesses. When the opportunity presented to Downey to submit to a publisher she approached Greene to join her in the journey. Both with hectic lives they took turns writing, swapping ideas and chapters, thus creating their first book, Partners in Crime. Here is a little something about the Dynamic Duo.

Downey: Otherwise known as Maureen lives in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania. She is your typical suburban soccer mom; well ok there is nothing typical about her AND her kids play EVERYTHING but soccer. Downey as she is known in this duo has 5 kids ranging from 12 ½ to 19. And to answer the question swirling in your minds…YES, she is crazy. She has been married for over 21 years to her best friend and love of her life. She LOVES to read, her appetite is voracious for all things books. Her job at a local bookstore was by far one of the best experiences and fed her addiction to the written word. Going to book signings and having them at the store were her rock star moments; she is a total fan girl for authors. When that job disappeared she felt bereft, with much floundering she stumbled upon the underbelly of FB and fell in love with writing. Creating stories and weaving tall tales helped ease the indecision that plagued her. The feedback and support for her writing blew her away and prompted her to open Word and create. Loving how Greene weaved a story Downey decided they should become the Dynamic Duo. With the support of her family she has embarked on a totally unexpected new path. When she is not carting kids all over she is managing her kingdom…..in between all that she reads, blogs(BCWAB) and submerges herself in her make believe world and writes. Some days she feels invincible, other days…well they should hide. Never in a million years did she ever think THIS was a possibility, as they say when one door closes another opens. In her case, truer words were never spoken.

Greene: Otherwise known as Alison to family and friends, Honey Bunny to her husband since the dawn of time - or so it seems, mom to her 2 children, and momma to her one and only grandson, lives in a small area of Western New York known primarily as the birthplace of Gabby Hayes. Alison has always loved reading and writing was always a hobby while she harbored a secret dream to one day be published. How to do that when she's as twitchy as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs? Find herself a writing partner. Enter Maureen Downey.

Links-

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Blog Tour Organized by:
http://www.girlsheartbookstours.com

Friday, November 27, 2015

Blog Tour + #Giveaway: Tempting Scrooge by Various Authors @hottreepubs @HotTreePromos






12 Hot Scrooges * 12 Amazing Stories * 12 Days of Christmas

Kaithlin Shepherd - V. Cantrell - Katherine May - Mari Brown - Amy McClung - Becca Lee 

Lola Stark - Debra Elisa - Vanessa Morse - Ann Grech - K.D. Robichaux - Danielle Jamie




Sometimes hot alphas struggle to get into the festive spirit, but holidays offer the perfect opportunity to tempt Scrooge. Join 12 amazing authors and fall in love with their 12 Scrooges.

There's never a more perfect time than today to be swept away in sweet kisses and tempting caresses.



Amazon: US I UK I AU I CA




Thursday, November 26, 2015

Book Blitz: The X Factor: Confessions of a Naive Fashion Model by Ivan Sivec @Ivan_Sivec @XpressoReads @XpressoTours #XpressoBookTours








The X Factor: Confessions of a Naive Fashion Model 
Ivan Sivec
Publication date: August 16th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult

It takes three mistakes to be swallowed up and spat out by the fashion industry. 
You trust the wrong people. 
You think you know everything there is to know about life.
You take drugs. 
Maja started off as a regular 17-year-old high-school kid, fighting her inner insecurities while dreaming to become an actress like Marilyn Monroe. 
At a party her boyfriend Klemen introduces her to a renowned modelling agent. He sees a special X Factor hidden insight her. And a great business opportunity for himself… 
Fast forward a few weeks later. Maja’s charm and talent land her a modelling contract in the trendy and exciting fashion capital of Milan. She’s completely enchanted and determined to make it in the fashion world. 
But things don’t turn out the way she had planned. 
Exhausting long photo shoots, stressful fashion shows, strict dieting and wild parties start taking their toll on her soon enough. In desperate search for help Maja reaches out to her agent and other false friends from the fashion industry that emotionally and physically exploit her to the point where ‘Maja the Great’ is merely a shadow of her former self. 
She starts battling drug addiction that ends up in a tragic event. 
Maja has been finally swallowed up and spit out by the fashion industry with its endless traps. What price will the girl with the X Factor have to pay for her naivety? 
The young adult novel The X Factor by the bestselling Slovenian author Ivan Sivec is based on a true story and takes the reader on a frightening journey into the world of drug addiction among teenager fashion models.

EXCERPT:

It started like this:

“I’ll give you a fourteenth of an ounce,” Monica was unusually generous and understanding. “For extremely difficult times. Stop by if you need more. But be careful not to get used to it too much. Heroin, for example, is only meant for critical moments, but can otherwise ruin a person.”

At the time she didn’t know the director was a drug trafficker. A true drug dealer. By selling drugs to models she lured their hard earned money into her own pocket. Business is business, of course.
Everything in the world is about business.

And exactly because of this Maja was now even more convinced that this was the first and the last time she would resort to the white powder.

But destiny had other plans for her.


Maja felt lost after the incident. She thought everyone was talking about her behind her back, that everyone was judging her. At the time she didn’t have a hunch about the fact that she was only an insignificant speck people can crush easily without any bad conscious.

However, it all depended on whether this insignificant speck would allow others to crush her.
But time ran by relentlessly.

9th June 2004.

A gala dinner.


All the Crème de la crème of Milan society was invited. The models were keeping the guests company, but also the whole fashion show staff gathered.

The fancy invitation that had a big red rose on the cover page said:

After the very successful, attention-grabbing fashion show, our great fashion designer Riccardo invites his dear guests and co-workers for a gathering. The reception will take place on Wednesday 9th June 2004. “Wow, you’re Riccardo’s co-worker now!” Svetlana sincerely hugged Maja, after she showed her the invitation.


They both knew the only reason why the great designer Riccardo was organising this reception was to easier sell his new designs. Amongst the cream of society in Milan were mostly moneybags that liked to show off with Riccardo’s creations in theatres, luxurious receptions and other events.
Maja felt awkward because Svetlana wasn’t invited to the dinner party.

“I’m not going anywhere without you. I don’t know anyone there.” “What do you mean?” Svetlana tried to comfort her. “You know the great designer himself! And the whole of Milan, actually the whole of Italy knows you, after all you were on the cover of the Italian issue of Bravo.”

“They also know me because I stumbled at the fashion show,” she added bitterly.

“That’s publicity as well.”

Despite Svetlana’s convincing, Maja decided not to attend the gala dinner. Out of solidarity to her friend, but mostly because she was afraid that the reason why she fell was written all over her face, even though everyone accepted her stumble as if it was nothing special; as if things like that happened a thousand times before.

And then the phone rang.

“Hello, this is Monica.”



Author Bio:
In his rich and thriving career the writer, poet and publicist has written in many genres. His broad ‘repertoire’ includes historical novels and stories, biographies, psychological novels, adventure novels and travelogues, books with sporting themes, youth book series, picture books and books for the youngest readers as well as humorous stories.
He published over 125 books and is one of the most popular Slovenian authors. 

As a poet he has written more than 2,500 lyrics for ethnic and entertaining music for which he received many awards. 

Please visit facebook.com/the.X.factor.the.book
for more information! 

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Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Book Blitz + #Giveaway: Before the Dawn - The Ending #4 by Lindsey Fairleigh & Lindsey Pogue @LindsFairleigh @LindseyRPogue @XpressoReads @XpressoTours #XpressoBookTours

Before the Dawn
Lindsey Fairleigh & Lindsey Pogue
(The Ending #4)
Publication date: November 20th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Romance

A year ago, the Virus killed off most people in the world. 
A year ago, strange things started happening to those who survived. Some of them transformed into something dark and sinister, while others evolved, becoming something more, something beyond human. 
A year ago, Dani and Zoe were lost. They traversed the country to find one another, losing some of the people dearest to them along the way. They fought for their right to simply live, uncovered long-buried secrets, and discovered irreversible truths. And after everything Dani and Zoe have been through—even with the battle wounds that they bear—they’re still not safe. 
It’s time for the struggling to end, for survivors to take back their lives, their families, their safety. It’s time to really begin to live, and to do that, they must wait for the first rays of dawn.

EXCERPT:

For three hours, I’d been sitting at the dining room table, my sketchpad washed in the baleful color of late morning that shone through the narrow windows, overlooking what appeared to be a deserted farm. Everyone was hiding indoors, dehydrating food, wrenching, painting, and—in Annie’s case—playing with kitties, all sheltered from the sudden downpour.

Hearing the creak of the front door opening, I looked up. Tavis stepped inside, rain dripping off his coat as he leaned forward and peered into the dining room at me, his feet planted firmly on the welcome mat.

“Hey,” I said, folding my arms in front of me.

Tavis smiled, his warm, customary greeting. “Morning.” But even in his natural, easy air, there was something about the way he looked at me that made even the slightest linger of his gaze and the quickest glance seem like something more. I could’ve pried, could’ve peeked and prodded, but I was a little too hesitant to learn the reason.

“You seen our animal whisperer anywhere? We’ve got a horse with colic out here. We could use her Ability.” Tavis pointed to his head.

His facial expressions always made me laugh, and I couldn’t help but smile back at him as I glanced outside. Darker clouds approached quickly from the west. “She’s out with Jason,” I said, “foraging. Hopefully they’ll be home soon.”


“Ah, foraging,” he said with a wink. “Got it.” And then he was out the door, and I watched as he strode back toward the stable.

I took a sip of lukewarm coffee, settling back into work mode, and let out a sigh as I stared down at the start of my second blueprint of the day. I tapped my charcoal pencil on the tabletop and glanced between Jason’s hasty, ill-proportioned sketch and my own, hoping I was interpreting his floorplans for the new smokehouse accurately. I’d gotten quite good at looking past his scribbled letters and numbers, relying mostly on the arrows and the drawing itself to help me decipher the rest.

Footsteps creaking overhead and feminine laughter were followed by a muffled “You wish, buddy” that floated down the stairs of the otherwise silent house. No wonder Harper had been so anxious to rearrange the infirmary. Chris laughed again, a sound I’d been hearing more and more frequently over the months. My eyebrow rose of its own accord, and I reached for the mug beside my sketchpad. A contented smile splayed my lips as I appreciated the happy routine we’d all seemed to fall into, gloomy weather or no.

After draining the contents of my mug, I absently set it aside, deciding the beams in the smokehouse roof needed to be closer together if they were going to support the wide—

An ear-piercing cry rolled in with the distant rumble of thunder.

Eyes narrowed and heartbeat thrumming, I jumped to my feet and gazed through the window at the gravel drive. Opening my mind, I felt Dani’s desperation and anguish before I even saw her.

“—shot!” With hair matted from the rain and her clothes drenched, Dani sprinted clumsily up the driveway, her eyes wide with terror. “He’s been shot!



Author Bio:
Lindsey Fairleigh lives her life with one foot in a book—as long as that book transports her to a magical world or bends the rules of science. Her novels, from post-apocalyptic to time travel and historical fantasy, always offer up a hearty dose of unreality, along with plenty of adventure and romance. When she’s not working on her next novel, Lindsey spends her time reading and trying out new recipes in the kitchen. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her two very confused cats. 
Lindsey Pogue has always been a little creative. As a child she established a bug hospital on her elementary school soccer field, wrote her first YA manuscript in high school, and as an adult, expresses herself through writing. Her novels are inspired by her observations of the world around her—whether she’s traveling, people watching, or hiking. When not plotting her next storyline or dreaming up new, brooding characters, Lindsey’s wrapped in blankets watching her favorite action flicks or going on road trips with her own leading man. 

GIVEAWAY!



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Cover Reveal +#Giveaway: Anarchy Found - SuperAlpha Series by J.A. Huss @jahuss @XpressoReads @XpressoTours #XpressoBookTours


Anarchy Found
J.A. Huss
(SuperAlpha Series)
Publication date: December 2nd 2015
Genres: Superhero Romance

Everyone needs a hero. 
That’s what Detective Molly Masters tells me. “What we need,” she says, “what the whole world needs,” she pleads, “is a champion.” 
The only thing I want to talk about with Molly Masters is how I’d like to make her scream my name when I push her up against a wall, slide my hand up her thigh, and live out my wildest fantasies. 
“Someone who will fight against injustice,” she says.
I’ll fight against anything you want, honey. Just come a little closer. 
“Someone who will stand tall in the face of adversity,” she says. 
I’ll do it standing, sitting, or lying down. See how easy I am? 
“Someone who believes in the value of a good deed,” she says. 
I believe in the value of me, sweetheart. Because I’m Lincoln Wade. Jaded genius, obscenely wealthy, capable of violence, and looking for revenge. 
Molly Masters might have delusions of grandeur. She might see me as some superman capable of cleaning up the scum, filth, and corruption in Cathedral City. 
But I’m not the hero she’s looking for. 
I’m the dark alley where all her good intentions hide. 
So be careful what you wish for, Molly Masters. 
Because you’re about to get it.
Sign-up for the release blitz here!

Cover reveal video:

This is a hand drawn cover by Ambro Jordi – watch him draw the main image in time-lapse:






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Author Bio:
JA Huss is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than twenty romances. She likes stories about family, loyalty, and extraordinary characters who struggle with basic human emotions while dealing with bigger than life problems. JA loves writing heroes who make you swoon, heroines who makes you jealous, and the perfect Happily Ever After ending.
You can chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/AuthorJAHuss), Twitter (@jahuss), and her kick-ass romance blog, New Adult Addiction (www.newadultaddiction.com). 
If you're interested in getting your hands on an advanced release copy of her upcoming books, sneak peek teasers, or information on her upcoming personal appearances, you can join her newsletter list (http://eepurl.com/JVhAr) and get those details delivered right to your inbox. 

GIVEAWAY!



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Book Blitz: Meritropolis by Joel Ohman @JoelOhman @XpressoReads @XpressoTours #XpressoBookTours

Meritropolis 
Joel Ohman
(Meritropolis, #1)
Publication date: September 8th 2014
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

In Meritropolis everyone is assigned a numerical Score that decides their worth to society and whether they live or die. After a young boy is killed because of a low Score, his brother plots to take down the System. 
The year is AE3, 3 years after the Event. Within the walls of Meritropolis, 50,000 inhabitants live in fear, ruled by the brutal System that assigns each citizen a merit score that dictates whether they live or die. Those with the highest scores thrive, while those with the lowest are subject to the most unforgiving punishment–to be thrust outside the city gates, thrown to the terrifying hybrid creatures that exist beyond. 
But for one High Score, conforming to the System just isn’t an option. Seventeen-year-old Charley has a brother to avenge. And nothing–not even a totalitarian military or dangerous science–is going to stop him. 
Where humankind has pushed nature and morals to the extreme, Charley is amongst the chosen few tasked with exploring the boundaries, forcing him to look deep into his very being to discern right from wrong. But as he and his friends learn more about the frightening forces that threaten destruction both without and within the gates, Meritropolis reveals complexities they couldn’t possibly have bargained for…

Meritropolis is a bestselling YA dystopian that has been in the top 100 in the entire Kindle store for multiple days. It has over 100 5-star reviews on Amazon as well as great reviews from Kirkus, Clarion, MBR, and others! Grab your copy today!


MERITORIUM EXCERPT:


“Easier Said Than Outrun”

Charley crouched, motionless, willing himself not to blink. A bead of sweat bubbled across his eyebrow and clung to his eyelash: a warm and salty droplet hanging like a swollen piece of fruit, overripe and ready to fall. He stared straight ahead, eyes wide open; to move now would be disastrous.

The thing stopped, ears twitching. Charley willed himself not to make a sound, but was suddenly aware of the faint scent of his own sweat; he wondered whether the creature could smell it, too. He had been following it for half of the afternoon. By this point, the thing should have had ample opportunity to scent him, given Charley’s quite rudimentary tracking prowess, but it hadn’t yet. Each time Charley drew close enough to chance a shot with his bow—and he knew he would only have just one shot—the thing capered off, leading Charley even deeper into the brush.

Charley found it maddening how fast its four legs could move; the bushy forelegs of pillowy grey-white fur made it seem as immobile, docile, and non-threatening as a sheep. But, as Grigor had instructed earlier, to underestimate a llamabill was to invite disaster.

Charley reached over his head, slowly, and withdrew an arrow from his sheath.

The profile of the llamabill shifted slightly, revealing great big haunches of what Charley hoped would be today’s dinner, as well as the severe-looking face of a shoebill bird. Its body, with the exception of the incongruent webbed feet and feathery wings, was almost entirely reminiscent of a llama: big, wooly, and slightly ridiculous. The head, however, was no laughing matter. The wide shoe-shaped bill could decapitate a fully-grown man with one well-placed chomp. A standard shoebill stork is not a bird to be trifled with, at three-feet tall and a weight of ten pounds, let alone when it’s six-feet tall and a weight of 400 pounds with the body of an agile llama.

Charley notched the arrow and pulled back slowly.

He hated to do it, really he did. He didn’t enjoy the killing, but the truth of the matter was quite simple: they needed food, badly.

Charley steeled his resolve and dipped his head slightly downwards to his right shoulder while closing his left eye. He sighted in on the creature, aiming for the spot where its long wooly neck met its substantially muscled left shoulder. He reconsidered, tipping his bead slightly higher to avoid the feathery wing that jutted incongruently from the llamabill’s great side.

The muscles in Charley’s forearms stood out like corded bands. He held the bow drawn back all the way without wavering. He inhaled through his nose, and then expelled the air slowly through pursed lips, attempting to quiet his beating heart. He would release the arrow upon a full exhale, and in between heartbeats, just as Grigor had trained him.

It was as good of a shot as he would ever get. Charley didn’t really have to do anything, now. He just needed to relax the three fingers of his string hand, and the llamabill, still standing motionless, would be dead, motionless forever.

But he paused.

A glimmer of uncertainty, a pang of conscience—and for what? he wondered—it was just an animal.
The llamabill turned to look directly at him, its prehistoric eyes glinting sharply as they focused in on Charley.

A cold shiver crept up Charley’s spine. He had waited too long, and he knew it. The droplet of sweat plummeted from his eyelash, and Charley released the arrow. It went wild left, and the creature went wild right—directly at Charley.

The llamabill opened its enormous bill and screamed a challenge. For a moment, it looked like an anachronism to even more savage times, a winged dinosaur on the rampage.

Charley did the normal human thing first, and then the normal trained hunter thing second. He froze.

Then he ran.


Author Bio:
Joel Ohman is the author of the Meritropolis series --"The Hunger Games meets The Village with a young Jack Reacher as a protagonist". He lives in Tampa, FL with his wife Angela and their three kids. His writing companion is Caesar, a slightly overweight Bull Mastiff who loves to eat the tops off of strawberries.





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Tuesday, November 24, 2015

Release Blitz + #Giveaway: Sasha & Andriena by Marita A Hansen @MaritaAHansen @StarAnge13






Synopsis

Sasha has long lost his will to love, his slavery turning him into a vicious killer who would sooner shoot himself than kiss a woman. But after he is pitted against the daughter of a Sicilian Don in a Russian roulette game, he forms a connection with her that only death can break.

Andriena doesn’t have to think twice when she’s told to kiss a stunning blond man or place a gun to her head and pull the trigger. However, she quickly learns that getting close to Sasha isn’t meant to save her life ... but to destroy her soul. #A dark romance and a psycho-sexual thriller.

Purchase Links

Amazon 
US ~ UK ~ CA  


Excerpt

“Your eyes are so bright I can almost see your soul shining behind them. That’s why the color diminishes when someone dies. Their soul leaves their body. Maybe that’s also why my eyes are so gray. They lack color because I lack a soul.”

About the Author

NATIONALITY AND CULTURAL CONNECTIONS: I'm a true blue Aucklander, born and bred in New Zealand. I tend to write about cultures I have connections to, such as Croatian and Maori. I would love to visit Croatia again as I have family there. However, in My Masters' Nightmare, I have started writing about Italians. My husband is part Italian and I also have a degree in Italian.

SPORTS: As a teen my favorite sports were karate, badminton, and running. I also did unarmed combat and played in a touch rugby team (my gym teacher made me do the last one!) Now, I stick to coaching soccer and running. I have completed two marathons, numerous half-marathons and one 30K run.

CAREER PATH: I started off as a Graphic Designer, then went to Auckland University, where I got a BA degree in Art History and Italian Studies and a post-graduate Honors degree in Art History. I worked in the Art History field, then became a full-time artist, doing commissions. I eventually lost all of my senses and gave it up to be a poor, starving writer, smh.

FAVORITE FOODS: I'm vegetarian. I love pasta based foods, tofu, chocolate mousse and golden queen peaches.

BAD HABITS: I'm a major procrastinator that can't seem to earn money to save myself!

STATUS: Married to my high school sweetheart (which he hates me calling him). We have two kids.


Author Links

Giveaway



Virtual Tour + #Giveaway: Become You by Toneka R. Etienne, Ph.D. @tonekaetienne @GoddessFish





Become You

by Toneka R. Etienne, Ph.D.

GENRE: Self-Help, Personal Development


BLURB:

Ready to create lasting transformation in your life? Become You reveals a practical lifestyle blueprint for the modern day woman. Begin your deep dive transformation by turning an honest, but loving mirror on your belief systems, habits, and spiritual life. This book will help you create a balanced lifestyle so that you can passionately pursue your goals and dreams without losing yourself in the process.


EXCERPT:

Procrastination

Procrastinating is the art of actively postponing or
delaying something. And it’s just another one of the
obstacles that can potentially stand in the way of living the
life of your dreams. But did you know there are different
kinds of procrastinators? See if you fit into one of the
following categories.

1. Thrill-seeker - These are usually your last minute,
“get it done” kind of people. They wait until the last
minute to complete an important task or project and
attribute their procrastination to their “zone of genius.” I
am very guilty of embodying this one right here. I spent
the majority of graduate school being a thrill-seeker. I
would wait until the weekend before a huge paper was due
and spend the next day and a half writing around the clock
to get it done. This form of procrastination always caused
me a great deal of self-inflicted stress, and after finishing an
assignment, I’d always promise myself I wasn’t going to do
it again.

2. The Avoider - This person usually procrastinates
by avoiding the task and usually does so out of either fear
of success or fear of failure. This one crept up for me as I
was writing this book. So many times while thinking about
this book, I thought, “No one wants to hear what you have
to say.” I also thought about how the success of this book
could change my life, which brought up some fears that I
didn’t realize I had.

3. The Indecisive - This person can’t and won’t make
a decision. Unfortunately, even with her lack of action, she
still won’t take responsibility for her outcomes. Very rarely
does this type of procrastinator believe she has any
responsibility for her life, and she presents herself as a
victim in most situations.

So how can you combat procrastination?
Break it down. You can get really overwhelmed by a
complex task or project. Sometimes you may have a
project you want to tackle, but once you start to think
about all the pieces of the puzzle, it gets all too daunting.
At that point, you can either turn into the avoider or the indecisive.
So instead of looking at the project as this huge
mountain of a task, break it down in steps.
That was one of the things that helped me to complete
my dissertation. I focused on one chapter at a time and
didn’t allow myself to even think about steps 2 through
100!

Here’s another great tip if you’re still stuck: start at
either the beginning or the end and fill in the pieces along
the way. I almost never know exactly how something I
write is going to turn out. I start with just one section, and
it develops from there. You just have to trust the process
and take it one step at a time.

Reward yourself. As I stated before, I can be the thrillseeker
type of procrastinator, since I get so emotionally
charged up about the things I have to do. So to add some
spice to the mix, I put myself on a reward system to get
things done. I give myself a deadline to complete
something, and if I do it on schedule, I treat myself to
something that I know I’ll enjoy. I started with very simple
rewards, like an extra scoop of ice cream or a new
necklace. I realized that when I procrastinated, this dark
cloud remained over me, and I couldn’t enjoy my leisure
time. So I started to reward myself with things like more
family time, an afternoon at the park with my girls, or a
date night with my husband.

I’ve mentioned breaking down your tasks.
You don’t have to complete the huge task
to reward yourself. Instead, implement little rewards along
the way. While writing this book, I would give myself short
tasks to complete a section, knowing that if I did so, the
weekend time I spent with my family would be that much
more rewarding and pleasurable since I’d knocked
something off my list.

Reframe. Sometimes you get so wrapped up in your
emotions and fears that you forget why you started on this
journey in the first place. To reframe is to connect back to
your why. it’s your reminder of what’s most important.
When you connect to the driving force behind your
journey, allow that force to propel you forward in spite of
the temptation of procrastination.

Disconnect. Eliminate all possible distractions to create
your work environment. Turn off the cell phone and
television. Create a clean work space—whatever you need
to do to help you focus and get to work. When I go into
serious creation mode, I have to completely remove myself
from any familiar environments. While finishing my
dissertation, I spent two and a half days locked in a hotel
room. I wrote, ate, slept, repeat. And it worked for me, I
completed two of my five chapters. And for this book, I
took the same approach. For three days, I focused all my
attention on this book, in a hotel room, with tiny rewards
along the way. I rewarded myself with a brownie one
night, a hot tub party with my husband and daughters in
the hotel another night, and a new bathing suit the last
night.


AUTHOR BIO:

Toneka R. Etienne, Ph.D., is a Psychologist, wife, mother, Huffington Post contributor, and creator at www.tonekaetienne.com. Toneka is a self-love advocate encouraging women to balance their daily lives with the ambition to continually pursue their dreams. Her calling is to fully support women as they call soulful purpose and intention into their life and business connected to their deepest and most authentic selves. When she’s not holding sacred space for women’s transformation, Toneka can be found doing her favorite things: spending time with her husband and two daughters, traveling, reading, connecting with like-minded visionaries, and looking for divine inspiration.

Giveaway:

A signed copy of Become You




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