August Blog Hop WINNERS!!!!

Grand Prize: Brandy B

Second Place: Shadow_Kohler

Runner Ups: Sue B and Melissa Sanchez Dempsy

You each should receive an e-mail shortly, please REPLY to confirm. Thank you!

SULTRY SUMMER NIGHTS: IGNITE YOUR PASSIONS BLOG HOP TOUR (AUGUST 22-29)

Hi!  I'm so glad you are here!  As you can see to the right, my name is Melaina Lausen and I am a 'starving artist'.  Well not literally 'starving', thankfully my husband is financially capable of feeding me.

Being a stay-at-home mom to four very active kids has changed what the season of Summer brings to my life.  Summer used to mean 'carefree', go where you want and do what  you please.  I looked forward to those Summer breaks even though they also brought 110 to 125 degree weather days (back in Arizona).  And YES you can fry an egg on the sidewalk.  Even as a teenager I 'played' outside.  We rode bikes, rollerbladed, went swimming, hung out at the mall and walked EVERYWHERE!  Our skin was naturally tan and our hair had sun-made highlights.  We were healthy and active.

Summer to me now is almost dreaded.  What used to be fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants is now planned out and scheduled to a T.  Kids don't play outside like they used to and the world isn't as safe as it used to be.  I pack our Summer with free movies, trips to the parks, museums, beaches and libraries.  Every day has an agenda because in my house a day without schedule is a recipe for chaos.  I hope when my kids look back on their childhood they have fond memories like I do.

About my writing. I have co-created three books with my cousin Megan Bekkedahl.  Much to my husband's dismay we donate 100% of the authors' proceeds to charity.  ('dismay' is used sarcastically here)  The series is called Beyond Books, because we are 'thinking beyond ourselves'. 

Beyond the Clouds: two minute tales for women on the go~  Is a collection of very short fictional stories.  They are all written by women for women.  There are seven different authors with very different writing styles. There is something for every taste.  They are super short so you can read it anywhere.  The authors' proceeds are donated to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund in memory of Leslie Olson. 

Beyond the Diaper Bag~  Is all about mommy stories.  50 real moms with real stories contributed to this book.  It covers everything from pregnancy to Kindergarten.  If you have kids or will in the future this is a great book!  Most are extremely funny while others are touching.  As a mom it helps to know that there are others out there going through the same 'stuff' you are.  The authors' proceeds are donated to The Mommies Network. 

Beyond the Uniform~ Is a girl's guide through the military life.  It gives tips about insurance, deployments, housing, PCSing, care packages, hospitality, menus and so much more along with personal experience stories sprinkled in.  If you're a military girl (spouse or active) or know someone that is, this book is perfect!  The authors' proceeds are donated to Operation Hug-A-Hero. 


Check out The Beyond Books Blog for more information and to order!

For more about me visit my website at Melaina Lausen 

TOUR RULES:

1) HAVE FUN!!!
2) INVITE ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS!!! SPREAD THE WORD!!!
3) THIS TOUR STARTS: Monday, August 22, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
THIS TOUR ENDS: Monday, August 29, at Midnight (Arizona Time)
Winners will be drawn and posted August 30th! ***
4) MEET AND MINGLE WITH ALL THE AUTHORS AND BOOK PAGES! EXPERIENCE A NEW PARTY DESTINATION AT EVERY STOP! PARTICIPATE IN EVERY BLOG CONTEST AND BE ENTERED FOR CHANCES TO WIN MULTIPLE PRIZES! EVERY BLOG VISITED IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO WIN!!
5) PARTICIPATION AT ALL BLOGS IS RECOMMENDED, BUT NOT REQUIRED. REMEMBER, THE MORE BLOGS YOU HOP, THE BETTER YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING PRIZES. EVERY AUTHOR AND BOOK PAGE IS WAITING TO MEET AND INTERACT WITH YOU, SO PLEASE BE SURE TO SHOW EVERYONE SOME LOVE!
6) DID I MENTION TO HAVE FUN? WHOO! HOO!! HERE WE GOOOOOOOOOOOO!
***Authors have full discretion to choose an alternate winner in the event any winner fails to claim their prize(s) within 72 hours of their name being posted or after notification of win, whichever comes first. Anyone who participates in this blog hop tour is subject to these rules***

***CONTEST***
1. Click Follow at the top! (P.S. I follow back!)

2. Leave a comment or a question below and mention which book you'd like to win! (please include your e-mail address so I can notify you if you win)

3. Visit my facebook fan page at Author Melaina Lausen   If you 'like' what you see, become a fan and 'LIKE' me on your personal page.  (P.S. I also 'LIKE' back)

4. You can 'LIKE' one or all three 'Beyond Books' facebook fan pages. Beyond the Clouds   Beyond the Diaper Bag    Beyond the Uniform


***PRIZES***

FIRST PRIZE:  An autographed copy of Beyond the Diaper Bag sent to you along with Beyond Books bookmarks. (Only one winner will be chosen)

SECOND PRIZE: A PDF copy e-book of one of the beyond books, your choice and autographed Beyond Books bookmarks.  (Only one winner will be chosen)

RUNNER UPs: Receive autographed Beyond Books bookmarks.  (Multiple winners)



Prizes!!! (PDF not shown)



A work in progress

My first solo novel is currently in the works. It is tenatively titled "In Your Dreams". I hope to have it finished in the next few months and then start the search for an agent and publisher. Below is a brief intro followed by the first few pages.


Kirsten Gabriel has gotten herself into a mess yet again. Of course her mouth was the culprit. Who would have thought that a dry sarcastic sense of humor would rob her of everything she loved? As if returning to her hometown wasn’t bad enough she walks right back into the life of the man she left behind.

Jack Morris is a detective within the Mesa, Arizona police department. He solves the crimes that no one else can. His life is right on track as far as he’s concerned. At least until he begins dreaming of the woman he’s fought long and hard to forget.
(Enjoy the excerpt below)


It was a beautiful evening in October, not too cold and definitely not too hot; the latter being very hard to find in Arizona. This run was exactly what she needed. Finally away from her family Kirsten could actually hear herself think- something her sanity required. So many things still needed to be worked out. She had a new place of her own and a great new job. But the apartment in New York needed to be sublet, not to mention everything that she had left behind at the office. Kirsten could feel her stress level rise. She needed to get the panicky thoughts under control before she was caught in a full on attack.


Just run. Feel your feet hitting the ground. Concentrate on your breathing. In…..out……in….out…. She had to mentally shout to regain control over her thoughts.

Okay, she could totally do this. She was a strong and successful woman. If she could make it in New York at eighteen she could survive anything, even a deluded stalker. Or maybe Kirsten was the one that was deluded.

Why did these thoughts keep coming? Why couldn’t she just focus on the task at hand? Suddenly Kirsten had a feeling that she was being followed. She tried to glance behind her but got nothing but an eye full of landscape. She tried to tell herself that it was all in her head. That she had spooked herself by allowing her mind to wonder. But Kirsten just couldn’t shake it. Even though she was thoroughly soaked with sweat the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. She began to run faster, cutting off the trail and heading back toward her car. Still she felt as if someone was right on her heals, so she dug deep to run even faster. Her lungs were on fire and her legs were screaming as her car came into view. Fear gripped her as she realized there would be no way to get to her car, retrieve her key from the wheel well and get safely inside before whoever was chasing her caught up. Kirsten decided to either be very brave or very stupid and simply stopped running. She whirled around to confront her would be attacker, but saw no one. There was not a soul in sight. Frantically, she whipped about looking in all directions. Still no one. Her flanks cramped as she gasped for air. The adrenaline coursing through her veins left her shaking and with a metallic taste in her mouth. Her legs gave out and she fell to her knees on the asphalt, the jagged surface cutting into her. She tried to steady herself and regain control. Eventually, her heart rate and breathing slowed. Still scanning the park with wide eyes, she pushed herself up off the ground and went for the spare key hidden in the wheel well.

Copyright 2011 Melaina Lausen

Updates Updates Updates......

There are so many things going on! My book is now available on Amazon! That is so exciting! http://www.amazon.com/ Select books, search my name and you'll be taken straight to my book!  Beyond the Clouds: 2 minute tales for women on the go.

I spoke to the sixth grade girl’s of our church at a lock-in on Purity. I know I’m not really the best example but I think it went pretty well. I had planned on posting the outline to my talk on here but I went a bit off topic and I was so sleep deprived I barely remember what I said or how I said it. I’m usually in bed fast asleep by 9:30pm but I was doing the talk at like 10 or 11. The girls had so many questions. I was surprised but thankful for their honesty. They really are good kids.

The youth Pastor has recently come to me and said that he’s received a few messages about my talk……ALL good things! Praise The Lord! I know that complaints are all a part of the job but I am glad there aren’t any just yet. He has asked me to be a part of the youth’s fall retreat in October. I am completely flattered and so excited. I am so thankful to Susanne Scheppmann (of Proverbs 31 ministries) for pointing me in this direction. She is an awesome public speaker and published author. I feel blessed to have had the opportunity to have met her while I lived in Las Vegas.

One more bit of news…….I was asked to write a few articles for a magazine! Again I met an awesome couple in Vegas (The Reicherts). They have a magazine called Creative Child. They have started a new one called The Family Grapevine. I wrote three articles for them to choose from for the August issue and will do the same for September. It’s very exciting to have a third party publish my material! I can’t wait to see what they choose and how it looks in glossy print!!!

~God Is Good. All The Time.~

Where to buy the book!!!!!

This is the link to buy my new book!!!!!  Beyond The Clouds-2 minute tales for women on the go, is available!  Please use this link and purchase the book through Lulu.  Even though it is available through other online sites, purchasing it through Lulu sends more money to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.  Thank you for your support!


http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/beyond-the-clouds/6560019

So many things!

So many things are happening with my writing!  I have put my first novel aside.  I started it and even posted it on here.  The problem is, I think it's more my guilty pleasure and not anything that anyone would actually want to buy.  I started my second instead.  Now, I've not scratched the first idea or what I've written.  Just put it aside.

I had the first chapter of my second novel finished when Megan (my cousin) and I decided to self publish a book of short stories.  So I put my second novel aside for a few months while we worked on this new project. 

The book; Beyond the Clouds- 2 minute tales for women on the go, is very unique.  It is a book of short stories written by seven different authors.  All of whom are women!  The great part about this book is that we a donating all of the profits to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

The book will be available for purchase March 31, 2010 through amazon.com!!!!!!  Check us out on facebook or follow our blog!

www.facebook.com/AuthorsforOCRF

http://Beyondtheclouds-2minutetales.blogspot.com/

Just Breathe

This story appears in "Beyond the Clouds: two minute tales for women on the go".  This was the original story and is also unedited.                                               

                                               Just Breathe

                                                                 By: Melaina Lausen

     It was a hot summer night. I put my key in the deadbolt and turned it. The house was quiet; I didn’t bother to turn on the lights. There was a fire burning in the hearth and the room smelled of scented woodchips. A half empty bottle of champagne sat on the floor in front of the fireplace, next to my grandmother’s crystal flutes. I slowly climbed the stairs. I felt the smooth wood of the banister slide effortlessly against my palm. The first door on the right was ajar. Candle light filled the room casting shadows. Her beautiful, long, blonde hair spilled over the edge of my pillow, my Ralph Lauren sheets twisted between her thighs. The fluffy, down comforter trailed off the edge of the queen size bed across the floor. Even in the shadows she was breath taking. His dark hair was like a feather touching her shoulder, a stark contrast against her creamy skin. The stubble that covered his jaw aged him. His arm was wrapped around her. They looked peaceful; the scene much like one you read about in a romance novel. I paced to the closet on the left and silently opened the door. The smell of laundry soap and fabric softener invaded my senses. Reaching up, I removed the cardboard box from the top shelf. I was complacent as I returned to the open door; feeling the texture of the oak on my fingertips as I pressed it to open wider. I felt the cold, metal weight in my right hand as I raised it and squeezed. Twice.


     They tell me her name was Emily; I found it fitting for someone so striking. The chair that held me was made of hard plastic. The worn leather straps that bound me were soft against my wrists yet unforgiving. The hatch in front of me was just closing, I heard the suction seal. The sea foam green curtain before me slowly began to draw, revealing the glass observatory. Only one face was familiar. Her soft, sad, blue eyes stared straight into my soul, her elegant dark hair the same as her son’s. She touched her hand to the glass, reaching out to me; tears streaming down her cheeks. I didn’t deserve the love or forgiveness that she freely offered, after taking her only son.

     A deep voice materialized in the small space and asked for my last statement. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath; my throat was thick and sluggish to respond. “Two wrongs don’t make a right, I accept my consequence.” A thick cloud slowly rose from the floor. They told me not to hold my breath, not that I would have tried. I lowered my lids and thought, just breathe. I didn’t gaze up at the faces who watched. I focused on my breathing. In...out…in…out…in…out. Bit by bit, I slipped away.