Old post sent???

A weird thing just happened. I just received an e-mail with a post I published in January of 2012. I have no idea why it did this so if you received it please disregard it. 

I'm hoping to start blogging again soon.

Thank you

Carol

Where is your happy place?

The other day my grand daughter asked me where my favorite place is in the whole wide world. I told her - with my family and my bed, (it's so comfy). Since then I've thought about her question and one of my favorite places is my deck. Yes, the deck on the back of my house. It is where my family and friends meet to barbecue, eat yummy food & to visit and laugh about the past and silly things we've done. It is where we celebrate birthdays and where my grand kids play and where I watch them play. It's where I can sit and enjoy the beautiful mornings or look at the stars at night and think about what is beyond. It's where I read or write or just rest. It's a solace for me.

I was sitting on my deck and a cool breeze was rustling the aspen trees and giving me that lonely feeling ~ the one that tells me that the season is changing and fall is upon us. I look out at our garden and see a mass of tomatoes that are turning red and will be soon made into salsa. I look at the cucumber, squash and bean patch that has provided clean, healthy food for not only us, but our family and friends too. Beyond the garden our apple trees are loaded, waiting to be nipped with frost so the apples they can be eaten, bottled and dried. The black raspberry vines are finally bare as I've picked from them daily, freezing them until I have enough to make jam.

I love fall. Not only because of it's brilliant beauty and abundance, but because of the feeling. There's a ambiance in the air as the year matures.

I can't help but think about my life and how blessed I am. When I watch the news and know about the craziness going on all around me, I'm so grateful to live in my precious little corner of the world. I'm grateful that my happy place is so simple and with the people I love.

Where is your happy place?

Hugs

Carol:)

Life ... every day a gift

The name of this blog has been "Dare to Dream" but I've decided to rename it, "Life ... every day a gift." That doesn't mean that I'm finished with the Dare to Dream phrase, it just means that I'm at a different level now where life is still about dreaming, but it's also about doing, finishing and enjoying every day.

It sounds like I've had a close call with death or something. I haven't. But, I have had to make decisions the past few years that have altered my way of living ... and thinking.

"Life comes at you fast" takes on a whole new meaning at this point in life. Each birthday brings with it the thought, "What the heck? When did this happen? How can I be this old??" It was only yesterday that I was 18. I look back though and my life has been a whirl wind. I think I even knew it at the time, but I was so busy living each crazy busy day that somehow they slipped by me.

 As a kid, I grew up in a world where a kid was allowed to be a kid. Life was simple. Me and my brothers and sisters played outside and had to make our own fun. We had a TV but we didn't spend much time watching it. It had 3 channels and the TV Guide was our link to the world. Christmas advertising was looking at the Sears Christmas Wish Book.We had a lot of stores and people shopped in them. We very seldom went "up north" to shop in big stores. We grew a huge garden and had to water it through furrows with irrigation water from a ditch. Our garden was our main food source. We never bought processed food. It seems like we always worked. We sold night crawlers for .25 a dozen for spending money and I remember helping my brother, Ronny with his paper route. I cleaned old Mrs. Henry's house on Saturday mornings for .50. As teenagers it seems like we had a lot of free time as every minute wasn't scheduled. We would "drag main" looking for our friends or someone to hang out with. We went to each others houses and honked for them to come out, not text. Neighbors took time to sit on the porch at the end of the day and visit. Time seemed to pass slow then.

Then after getting married and having kids, that's when the whirl wind began and that's what brought me to this point - wondering where all the years went. I don't mind where I'm at age wise, but I sure don't like where I'm headed.

Sooooo ... that's the reason I'm changing my blog name. It's about living each day to it's fullest, enjoying life and sharing my insight and hopefully fun stuff with others.

Feel free to go back and check other posts I've written.

Hugs

Carol:)

WHAT DO YA DO WITH THESE PLUMS??

WHAT ARE THESE THINGS???

Italian plums are awesome! Cut them up and put them on your dehydrator and they make a yummy treat! It takes a while to dry them, but it's worth it.

 Here is my favorite fall plum recipe:)

PRUNE PLUM BUCKLE

BATTER:
1/3 melted margarine or butter                  1 1/3 tsp. baking powder
3/4 cup sugar                                              1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg                                                           1/2 cup milk
1 3/4 cup flour
Mix all ingredients together and pour batter in a greased, floured 9x13 pan.

Puree about a quart of Italian prune plums in a blender and carefully spread over batter.

TOPPING:
3/4 cup flour                             1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 cup oats                               3/4 cup soft butter or margarine
1 1/2 cup sugar

Mix until crumbly and sprinkle on top of pureed plums.

Bake @ 375 45 minutes and broil for a few minutes if you want it crisper.
Serve warm or cold with cream or ice cream.

This dessert is so pretty and YUMMMMMMY!! Kinda tangy tart:):)

 

MORE APPLES RECIPES:)

I LOVE to cook! And I am an avid recipe collector. I like tried and true recipes that don't use a lot of weird ingredients. AND...most of my recipes are definitely NOT for those watching their figure.

My APPLE PIE FILLING is in my last post so you can use it, or canned filling for a couple of these recipes. I promised more apple recipes so here they are:)

APPLE CARAMEL CAKE

2 cups flour                                   3/4 cup oil
1 1/2 cup sugar                              3 eggs
1 tsp. salt                                       1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda                          2 apples, peel, core & chunk
1 tsp. cinnamon                             1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix oil, sugar, eggs & vanilla. Add dry ingredients & mix well. Fold in apples & pecans.
Spread in 9x13 greased & floured pan. Bake @ 350 for 50 -55 minutes. If center not done, reduce heat to 300 and bake 10 more minutes.
(You can also bake in a 10 " tube pan and bake 1 hr. 15 minutes at 350. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes before removing to a serving plate then drizzle caramel glaze over cake.)

CARAMEL GLAZE

1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk

Combine ingredients in small pan, stirring to dissolve. Bring to a boil and let boil 1 - 3 minutes depending on how thick you want your sauce. Spoon over warm cake. Serve with whipped cream.
 Sooooo yummy!!!!


((This is one of my favorite Dutch Oven desserts!)
BROWN BEARS IN THE ORCHARD

Pour 2 quarts of my apple pie filling (Recipe in my last post)
(or 2 25 oz jars applesauce) into a 12" dutch oven. (Line oven with foil for easy clean-up)

Mix 2 - 14 oz. boxes of Gingerbread cake & cookie mix with 2 cups water. Pour over apples. DO NOT STIR.
Bake 45 minutes @ 350 in the oven or using 10 briquettes top and bottom of dutch oven

Serve with whipped cream or ice cream


APPLESAUCE COOKIES

1 cup thick applesauce                               1 cup sugar
1/2 cup shortening (no oil)                        2 cups flour
2 eggs                                                         1/2 tsp. cloves
1/2 tsp. cinnamon                                       1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
1 tsp. baking soda                                       1 pkg. milk chocolate chips

Put applesauce & soda in a bowl and mix. Set aside. In another bowl, cream shortening & sugar until mixed well then add eggs & beat until light and fluffy. Stir in applesauce mixture and sifted dry ingredients. Fold in walnuts and chocolate chips.  Bake @ 375 9-12 minutes on top rack.


OLD FASHIONED APPLE CRISP

4 cups sliced peeled tart apples (about 3 apples)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. allspice (optional)
1/3 cup cold butter or margarine

Place apples in a greased 8-inch square baking dish. In a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats and spices; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples. Bake @ 375 for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm with ice cream.


I have made some fun cookbooks for my family, but have never published one. That is on my bucket list though.

 I will post Italian plum recipes next:)

Please post any questions if you have any. Enjoy!!

Talk soon:)xo

WHAT TO DO WITH ALL THOSE APPLES!!

HAPPY FALL!! This is truly the best time of year -- the foliage is vibrantly beautiful and the harvest is bountiful. What a blessed season!

We have been taking orders for the most amazing apples, grown at the base of the Monroe mountain and I promised to share some of my favorite recipes with those who are ordering. I decided to share with everyone! (If you live near Manti, Utah and want to order and pick up, let me know asap:)

This apple pie filling is the BEST!! We use it for dutch oven cobblers, apple pie and I open a bottle or two to serve with pork roast dinner. YUM!! Enjoy:):)

                          APPLE PIE FILLING

 SYRUP: 

 4 1/2 cups sugar                                3 Tbsp. lemon juice

 1/4 tsp. nutmeg                                  2 tsp. cinnamon

 1 cup cornstarch                                3 drops yellow food coloring

 1 tsp salt 

 Whisk together sugar, cornstarch & spices in a nice size pan. Stir in 10 cups 

 water & cook, stirring until thick and bubbly. Add lemon & coloring.

 Pack peeled, sliced apples into clean, sterilized jars leaving 1" head space.

 Carefully fill with syrup. (Use a spatula to distribute syrup.) Clean top of bottle

 well before putting lid on or they won't seal.

 Water bath 15 minutes pints - 20 minutes quarts.

This recipe makes 7 quarts so adjust as needed. If you don't want to bottle the filling, reduce the recipe and just make a couple pies.

 *Best when used within 1 year*

  For Pie:)

  Prepare 8-9" crust. Put your yummy pie filling in and adjust top. Cut slits and

  Bake @ 400 for 50 mins.

More recipes to come...

Talk soon:)xo

                           

Life is fragile....

We go about our everyday lives thinking that each day will be the same as the last. We go through the motions and rarely take time out to realize our blessings and tell those who mean the most to us that we love them.

Then in an instant, something happens; an accident, death, illness...and everything changes. The things that you thought were so important becomes insignificant. You turn to your loved ones and God.

Ironic...because they're the only things that mattered to begin with.

Love your family and friends and tell them...
Love God and trust in Him....

Life is fragile...

WHY DARKSTAR WASN'T PROFESSIONALLY EDITED

Hmmm...where to begin??

Guess I'll begin at the end and pedal backwards....

GREAT NEWS!!:) DarkStar has just been republished with a clean, professional edit! It is available on Amazon as an ebook for only $4.99 and at www.createspace.com/3538868 for the book.

 BUT...in celebration of finally having DarkStar finally professionally edited -- AND...to get you caught up on the story so you can be ready for Wizard, the 2nd book in the series, I will be selling the newly edited DarkStar on my website: www.mydarkstarworld.com for only $8.00! (plus shipping if that's ok:) I will even sign it and throw in an EverDream DarkStar necklace for free!

So, you're wondering ... Why wasn't DarkStar professionally edited in the first place??

Answer: Ignorance...and money.

Elaboration...

When I started writing DarkStar, I just sat down with a pen and paper and an idea in my head. I wrote and wrote and wrote. (I did stop to eat and sleep once in a while;)
 As my story began to take shape, I recruited, what I now know are, beta readers, people who read your story and offer advice, editing, etc. The friends who helped edit DarkStar are awesome and did a great job and did so to the best of their abilities. I was pleased with the outcome and was anxious to share my story. I just knew readers were waiting for the next awesome epic/paranormal/fantasy/romance novel! I carried my manuscript everywhere I went -- and wrote. I hiked to the Wind Caves, a site in my book...and wrote. I wrote in Thailand and finished my "Wind Caves" chapter on the beaches of Phuket. Pretty cool huh:)

During the writing process, it became evident that at some point I would hopefully be able to get, what was turning into a novel, published. I began researching how to do it and instantly became overwhelmed by the literary world. I learned the different ways to have a book published and searched for agents who were looking for my genre of book.  For months I sent queries to agents, having butterflies every time I dropped one in the mail, hoping this would be the agent who would be intrigued enough to request to see more. The process is grueling and disappointing...especially when you finally realize that you are one in three hundred million authors who are doing the same thing.

I did have some positive things happen and DarkStar was accepted by a couple publishing companies, but after reading their contract and realizing that in the end, I would do all the work and they would get most of the money, I didn't accept their offers.

At one point I was going to release DarkStar as an e-book, on a new website that was to help unpublished authors get their book noticed. The concept seemed good at first, but I soon realized it wasn't for me. I had checked out self publishing, but was determined to get my amazing story accepted by an agent --  so I queried more of them.

Even though I was new to the literary world, I soon realized that the industry was changing...and changing quickly. I found that agents were being much more picky about what they were accepting because of these changes and that if you wasn't an existing (successful) author, a celebrity or had a story with a totally new concept that caught their eye, chances of being accepted were very, very slim:(

That's the point I got serious about self publishing. Like most authors, I'm not an English major, but I write. I had gone over my manuscript a million times, had help editing to that point and felt quite certain DarkStar was ready. I was anxious to have a book in hand, so I did it...I published!

I hate to say that it was a mistake...but it was:( Not to publish DarkStar...just to publish at that point.
It didn't take long to realize that I should have had a professional edit. I was at a low point in my life, struggling with personal issues. I didn't have the money to have it edited and was ignorant to how important it was. BIG mistake!

For most, DarkStar was a great read even without a professional edit, but a few people couldn't get past the errors enough to enjoy the story, which is understandable. I apologize. I had the hope (as all authors do) that DarkStar would be a best seller, but in reality, I was just excited to share my story with friends and family.

 I guess I didn't expect it to actually happen -- for DarkStar to be where it is now. DarkStar is very popular and it has fans all over the world! It's fun tracking DS fans from so many different countries as well as the US! Even without a professional edit, readers have enjoyed and grasped my DarkStar world, the DarkStar EP that the talent Matt Lande produced and our DarkStar music video's, produced by the amazing Daniel Webster:):)

I finally got to a place where I could get a clean, professional edit done on DarkStar. I should have done it to begin with and I wish I could have. I hired Author/Editor Tristi Pinkston and she did an amazing job of polishing my words and making DarkStar a better story to read. The story is the same.. the errors just fixed by a pro:)

Moral of my story:  If you're going to put your heart and soul into something, unless you're an English scholar or a professional -- GET A PROFESSIONAL EDIT before you share it with the world! You never know how far it will go...so do it right the first time! Don't let ignorance and money cloud your dream. Know what you need to do and DO IT!

THANK YOU to all of my family, friends and DarkStar fans (wherever you are) for your continued love and support! Tristi is now PROFESSIONALLY ;) editing Wizard and it will soon be ready for publish. I'm excited for you to read it...I think you will like it:)

Remember to check out the novel, music, videos, market and more at www.mydarkstarworld.com
 I'm grateful that so many of you are part of my DarkStar world and hope more of you will want to be! :)

The epic continues....

Talk soon:)xo

WE DON'T KNOW THAT WE DON'T KNOW:)

 It's been a while since I posted, but that's because I've been in the midst of making some huge changes in my life. When you're bogged down with a lot of responsibility, it's hard to stretch yourself any further than you already are. That's been the case with me. BUT....I must say that the changes being made in my life are awesome!!

I have people ask me all the time how I dare do the things that I do, so I will share some thoughts on that very subject.

The name of my blog is, "Dare to Dream" and I named it such because I think that it's important to have dreams, but I also believe it's important to pursue them. Why I say pursue them is because your dreams change and the reason for that is because WE change.

My kids joke and tell me that when I die, they're gonna put on my headstone; "When something in your life isn't working anymore, stop, regroup and head in a new direction!" I learned that early on in my career. You can work hard to make things how you want them and everything will seem to be running smoothly, but there will come a time when things aren't working anymore and changes need to be made. That's when you accept the fact that you need to stop, regroup and head in a new direction:)

When we want and need to make personal changes, it doesn't mean that it's gonna happen right away...it's a process. I remember hearing the phrase, "If you keep doing what you've always done, you'll get what you've always got." Another one; "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." How many of us do that...keep doing what we're doing, expecting different results? If that's the case, trust me...it's NOT gonna happen! It's up to US to make it happen.

I know what you're saying...How? I'm stuck in a rut, I'm stuck in a job or a bad relationship (or whatever it is.) How can I make it happen?

Here's a few things to think about...

One change in my life is that I'm studying to become a Master Educator in the cosmetology field. I was reading about how strong personal desire and self-motivation are key ingredients of making one great as apposed to average. It explains that desire creates what has been defined as unconscious incompetence. This theory states that we don't know that we don't know. A perfect example of this is the bumble bee because scientific evidence, based on aerodynamics, has proven overwhelmingly that the bumble bee cannot fly. Its wingspan isn't wide enough and the wings are far too light for it's heavy body weight, and therefore it is impossible for it to fly. BUT...the bumble bee has unconscious incompetence. It doesn't know that it can't fly and since no one has told it that it can't...it flies!! How cool is that!!

 So to make changes, first of all you need to have strong personal desire. Desire is something longed for or hoped for and it becomes the foundation of self-motivation. A motive is a need or desire that causes a person to take action, so motivation is that internal drive that will help us fulfill our desires. I also believe that we need confidence in ourselves and our abilities. We need to not be afraid of failure. We actually learn more from our failures than we do our successes. We need to realize that the trials we encounter will introduce us to our strengths so in essence, failure can actually be a positive thing:) One of my favorite sayings is, "If you never try, you'll never know." I think I've posted that before, but it's true! If you don't ever try anything because you fear the end result, you will never know if you could have done it. So....don't know that you don't know...and do it...FLY!!

I'm not saying that you should continually chase wild dreams. You need to be realistic and smart about what you desire. There is a time and a season for everything and if you have other people in your life, you need to make sure that the changes you want to make affect them in a positive way also. Remember:

• If you're not happy ... make yourself happy. You can't expect others to do that.
•  Don't sit on the sidelines watching and waiting.
• Don't stagnate and let your life slip into discontent and unhappiness. Life is too short.
• If you need to make changes ... assess your needs and desires and do what you need to do to accomplish your goals.
• Learn to change and grow with your dreams.
• Grow from your mistakes.
• Don't know that you don't know...and it will happen:)

Talk soon:)xo

PS...Feel free to comment or join my site. You will receive emails when I post:)

NEW WEBSITE!

My website has changed from darkstarblog.com to www.mydarkstarworld.com...check it out!!

www.mydarkstarworld.com

DARKSTAR VIDEO RELEASE!

Well, last night Matt Lande and I officially released our two DarkStar music videos and it was awesome! I had butterflies all day thinking about sharing what we have worked toward for the past year. I won't chatter much...the videos speak for themselves:)

  Talk Soon:)

BITTER SWEET...

Bitter sweet is a good description of what I'm feeling.  

Sweet... because a huge dream of mine has recently been fulfilled with the making of the 3 song EP which, Matt Lande did for my DarkStar novel and the filming of a couple of the DarkStar music videos. We just edited the third draft for the "DarkStar" video and it will soon be released. Can I just tell you have awesome it is to watch Matt sing as scenes from my novel bring my characters, Alec & Amrie, to life in the very settings they take place in in my book...so cool!!

Bitter...because this phase of our project is almost complete.

It's been a fun ride....

A year ago, I became associated with, Matt Lande, someone who I had no clue would become such a big part of my life. When he read my novel, I don't think either of us was aware of what a great venture we had in store for both of us. We teamed up on our Kickstarter project; Magic...when word & song collide, and was fortunate to be successful because of the amazing people who believed in what we were trying to accomplish. With the help of those backers, (you know who u are...TY!!:), we were able to move forward, complete the 3 song, DarkStar CD, (almost) complete Matt's "Welcome Home the Child" CD and connect with, Daniel Webster, the awesome, Park City, cinematographer who shot our DarkStar videos in Logan, Utah.

When Matt flew into Salt Lake on July 7th, believe it or not, it's the first time we had actually met in person. We've been working together for a year now and had planned on meeting sooner, but it never happened. It's amazing how technology has made it so you can associate with people so closely...without meeting. Matt & I actually met on Twitter, so I'm grateful for the social networks. It's kinda funny, because at the time we met, I had just barely become acquainted with Twitter and hardly knew how to use it.

Matt & I bonded instantly as we headed to City Creek to shop for him some new "British" clothes since he was playing the part of my main character, Alec, in our music video.  I have an awesome friend from England, Sharon Cairney, (my UK mentor and correspondent:) who advised me as to what Matt should wear since, Alec was considered born of Royal Blood. Nothing like breaking the ice with a shopping trip...oh yeah...and sushi. Matt loves sushi so I told him we would have it while he was here. It was the first time for me, but I gotta say, Matt did a great job choosing what we ate cause I thought it was pretty dang good.

That night we had the opportunity to do our very first, ( hopefully the first of many) joint book/music signing at Hastings Book, Music & Video in Logan and Matt also did a few sets and mesmerized everyone with his intriguing voice. I fell in love with Matt's voice the first time I heard it, but I gotta say, hearing him first hand and watching him when he goes into his "zone" when he sings was pretty sweet. What amazing talent!

 Daniel did such an awesome job shooting the videos. He was so organized and had everything figured out before we even began. We planned on being at the Wind Caves trail head at 6:00 a.m., but when everyone stayed up until the wee hours of the morning...no one was too spry when we began our hike. Two miles doesn't sound far, but since you're climbing up... it's a bit of a "kick butt" hike, and carrying all our gear made it even more so. You should've seen the reaction of people when they saw us carrying all our stuff all the way up there and especially, Matt's guitar...too funny. I wish I could tell you all the hilarious details of the day:)

 The Wind Caves are awesome! You don't even know they're there until you come upon them and once you're there...wow...amazing! When I hiked it the first time with my daughter, Brittany, I knew they needed to be part of my book and when planning the music video, filming there was a must. Daniel and I spent a day in June, going to all the places I wanted the video shot so he knew what to expect, but Matt didn't....lol. He got a first hand taste of our "Rocky Mountain High," coming to the high mountain elevation from sea level. He loved it though:)  Haley King played, Amrie and we knew she & Matt wouldn't even be able to get ready until we reached the caves. Everyone was such troopers, making the hike, changing clothes in the bushes, hanging mirrors in the trees to put on makeup & do hair, dodging rattle snakes...classic! I'm so glad we did the shoot there and so was everyone else....turned out pretty sweet...you'll see!!:)

We were able to shoot the videos in one day because of Daniels expertise, organization skills and his awesome film crew, Russ & Kinzie:). We shot footage at Second Dam, First Dam and on the summit above Bear Lake. It was a beautiful day, but very hot. For those of you who have read, or will read, DarkStar, you'll know that the scene at the Wind Caves was in the late fall, after the frost hit the foliage, but the scenery was so beautiful that I just wanted it left as it was. When you see it, you'll know why. Utah is an extremely beautiful state!!


I think that there is a stigma that follows Utah as many people think that, because we are a predominate "Mormon" community, we aren't cultured and that we don't know how to have fun. I think that Matt will beg to differ, as for four days, we shopped, ate sushi, Colombian, Indian, Mexican & Italian foods, hiked the beautiful Rocky Mountains and shot a music video in some of the most breathtaking scenery you'll find. He loved the serenity he felt here and I know he's excited to come back this fall to do more book/music signings and acoustic shows. I will keep you all posted as to where and when they will be.

I didn't think taking Matt to the airport would be as hard as it was. When you anticipate something for so long and it comes and goes in a flash...it's difficult. Dropping him off, so he could catch his flight to Florida, meant that we were finished with this phase of our project.Given, he will be back and we have a lot more planned in the DarkStar world, the filming of the DarkStar music video will always be near and dear to my heart. We have an awesome team in place and anticipate the music Matt will write for my next book, Wizard...and the fact that the music video's will be done in England!

No more bitter...just SWEET!!

Talk soon:)xo

DarkStar is a semifinalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2012!!

 I received this email today...just thought I'd share! I'm really kind of excited about it!!

 My novel DARKSTAR was chosen as a semifinalist in the Kindle Book Reviewer's Best Indie Books of 2012!! How cool is that! 

Check it out:)

 

 

 

The Following Books are Semifinalists in The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2012 Contest.

Only 5 of these will reach the TOP 5 (Finalists), announced on September 1, 2012. And only one will be the category Winner, which will receive the title: The Kindle Book Review's Best Sci-Fi/Fantasy of 2012: Winner.

All semifinalists will receive a KBR semifinalists gold-star badge.

These books were chosen because they hooked us in the first few pages, were well formatted and well edited. These titles also had above average star ratings!

Title & Author:

Aristeia: Revolutionary Right by Wayne Basta 

Bells and Blades: A King's Assassin Novel by M.M. Brownlow

Birthright: ILONA THE HUN by Erika M. Szabo 

Burn in Hades by Michael L. Martin Jr. 

Bypass Gemini by Joseph Lallo 

Caged by Amber Lynn Natusch 

Contract of Defiance by Tammy Salyer

DarkStar by Carol J. Hansen 

Dremiks by Cassandra Davis 

Endless by Matt Bone 

Fezariu's Epiphany by David M. Brown 

Kings, Queens, Heroes, and Fools by M.R. Mathias 

Lunara: Seth and Chloe by Wyatt Devenport 

Marlowe and the Spacewoman by Ian M. Dudley 

On Unfaithful Wings by Bruce Blake 

Osric's Wand: The Wand Maker's Debate by Jack D. Albrecht Jr.

Particle Horizon by Selso Xisto 

Seven Point Eight by Marie Harbon 

The Boy Who Lit Up the Sky by J. Naomi Ay 

The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin 

The Day of First Sun by Sheryl Steines 

The Grimoire: Lichgates by S.M. Boyce 

The Last King of Shambhala by Daniel Grant Newton 

The Prodigal Hour by Will Entrekin 

The Sorcerer's Promise  by Susanna Morgan

The Tears of Elios  by Crista McHugh

The Tube Riders by Chris Ward 

The Universal Mirror  by Gwen Perkins

Vixen by Nic Silver 

Whispers of a Legend, Vol. I by Carrie James Haynes 

Windigo Soul by Robert Brumm 

Wool  by Hugh Howey

Zero Time by T.W. Fendley 

Congratulations, authors!

 Here are the links where you can get DarkStar...if you haven't read it and would like too:)   

www.createspace.com/3538868 

www.amazon.com 

I also have the 3 song EP finished that goes with my novel and will be going with Matt Lande to Logan, Utah this weekend to do the music video for one of the songs.

Things are coming along nicely:)

Talk soon:)xo

DarkStar EP & Music Video....Who will play ALEC & AMRIE???

Thanks to all of the wonderful people who backed us on Kickstarter, Matt and I have been able to make some awesome advancements on our project!

Matt finished our 3 song DarkStar EP and I have it in hand! So exciting!! Now we're just waiting for his Welcome Home the Child CD to be finished so we can get them out to our backers before we release them to the public. I will be marketing the DarkStar EP with my novel, but will sell them separately for those of you who have already purchased my DarkStar novel. At some point, I hope in the near future, the 3 song EP will turn into a full album!! Pretty sweet! I'm working on setting up a new website so I can sell all my DarkStar stuff as well as Matt's:) I will keep you posted on that.

And...an exciting day!! I booked Matt's flight so he will be coming to Utah on July 7th to get our DarkStar music video filmed:):):) Matt and I have been talking about what we want to see happen in the video and I'm so grateful for his knowledge and expertise on the subject. He has been involved in making and being in music videos so if you haven't watched my favorite, his "Walking with Ghosts" video, I added it to this post so you can check it out! Love, love it!:)

We hired a cinematographer from Park City, Utah to do our video. He is currently reading DarkStar and he and I will be going to Logan on June 16th to scout out the areas I want the video filmed and spend the day hashing out what we will do. Then the three of us will make the final decision as to what will take place.

I'm excited to announce that Hayley King graciously accepted the opportunity to play Amrie in the video along side, none other than the amazing Matt Lande...my Alec! I am so excited to have these two play my main characters:):):):) Since we haven't decided on which scenes we want to use from DarkStar, I don't know if we will be adding other characters from my book, but I hope too.

I really hope that you all have read DarkStar and if not, will. You will be able to relate to the music and the music video through the words in my book. Matt and I called our Kickstarter project, Magic...when word and song collide...and that's just what is happening...my word and his song!!

 Click on the "JOIN THIS SITE" button on this page and you will receive all my posts to follow our amazing venture:)

For those asking, buy my book at www.createspace.com./3538868  or e-book at www.amazon.com   The DarkStar EP will be available soon:)



Talk soon:)xo

I'm an 18 year old grandma:)

Sometimes it's good to sit back and reflect and there's nothing that makes you do that more than when Heavenly Father sends you a new life... a beautiful, healthy grandson. That was the big event in my life last week. My daughter had her third child and my sixth grandchild.

Yep...that's what I said...six grandkids!

 When did that happen? It was just yesterday that my own three children were just little munchkins, and now, they're married...with kids of their own. Really doesn't make sense because, in reality, I'm not old enough to be a grandma to one...let alone, six!

At least in my mind.

When you hear the word, grandma, you automatically think of an older woman right?  Wrong! Who said grandmas are old anyway?? Grandma is a just a really cool name that you have the honor of proudly bearing when these cute little munchkins get old enough to say it:):)! Now...that's a happy day!!

Grandma's old???...na, I think not:)

I've decided that "old" is just a word and "age" a number that describes the realm our body is in.  Our spirit is housed in our body and it never ages.  From infancy it matures -- but it doesn't age. As each year rolls around, you add a number to the year you were born and it just means that you've enjoyed life longer than those who were born after you or less than those born before you. It means that every year on your birthday, your spirit gets to celebrate all the awesome and sometimes not so awesome, experiences you had during that year.

In thinking about it, I'm not sure how you're suppose to feel when you turn an age; given, when you turn 16, 18 and 21 -- they are happy, happy, happy ages...but, to turn 25, 30, 40 etc., how are you suppose to feel?

 It isn't a feel...it's an attitude:)

I know a lot of "younger" people who are really, really old  -- because of their attitude. I know a lot of people who are much "older" than I am who are very, very young -- because of their attitude! I actually have a client who is 82 years old and she still barrel races horses!! True story! Her attitude is amazing, her spirit is young.

If you ask any "mature"person, they may tell you that they're wore out or tired, but they will tell you that they can't believe they're as "old" as they are because they don't feel old, they still feel like they did when they were a teenager. That's the spirit talking.

I LOVE having six beautiful grandchildren and my "age" number may be getting up there, but spiritually, I'm an 18 year old grandma...and that's never gonna change. I sure hope I have many more years to act my (spiritual) age!

Life is good:)

Talk soon:)xo

THANK YOU KICKSTARTER BACKERS!!

We are eternally grateful for these amazing people who stepped up, became backers for our KickStarter project and made it possible for us to meet our goal! We wish to publicly thank each and every one of them for caring enough to support us and are excited to share our ongoing venture with them!! 

 

 

 Jeannie Cox, Jack Cox, Meredith Kent, Teresa Barrera, Susan Larsen, LeeAnna Haymond, Marnie Watkins, Judy Martinez, Brittany Zabriskie, Landan Hansen, Robbie Hansen, Clinton Hansen, Shauna Kelsch, Wendy Cheney, Ron James, Claudia Lowe, Amanda Mecham, Wilma Thomas, Merlene Robertson, Steve & Natalie Cragun, Keri Merchant, Amber Keisel, Jaylene Dalley Mortensen, Diane Cox, Lynda Wintch, Suzaune Richardson, Becky Kjar, Arlene Smith, Mary Pitt, Tammy Moore, Linda Blake, Anthony Cardno, Carol King, Tammy Braithwaite Jeffs, Ginnie Rivera, Nancy Sponable, hurrihottie, Maria Aparecida de Oliveria, Robin Mileto, Sarah Cheney, Gloria Sanchez, Eva Erkinger, Anastasia, Kris Jorgensen, Helen, Teresa, Darcy McCoy, Ellen Chieco, Janelle Harper, Ric & Jeanne Frasse, Darla Anderson, Darcie Dickinson, Susan Squire, Yvette Hudson, Nicki Naylor, Beth Shugrue, Lauren, Kim Hunt, Katie Gardner, Amy Toenies, Roy Nilson, Betsy, Tewana Jackson, Sharon Cairney, Christine Arthur, Sonia, Renee Kapella Johnson, Scarlett Beaves, Maggie Haught, Erin Omwake, Emily S., Vicky Robins, Rachel Dettinger, Linda Cooper, Patrick Duffy, Kristi Wintch, Natalie Adamson.

 

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!!

 

Carol & Matt:)

THANK YOU:)

I couldn't let another day go by without thanking all of our friends, family and fans for caring enough to support, and make successful, the project Matt Lande and I had on Kickstarter. A lot of amazing people stepped up and really helped us out. We both appreciate everyone because we know that times are hard right now and the generosity shown to us is humbling. We will be keeping our backers informed how our project is going and are excited to be able to produce our books, music & videos for everyone to enjoy. We know that without such great support, it wouldn't be happening yet. Now we can move forward:)We are eternally grateful!

THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU...THANK YOU!!!!

Talk Soon:)xo

Combo Interview with Anthony Cardno

Anthony Cardno recently climbed on board our Kickstarter project and did a combo interview with Matt and I. He has interviewed both of us separately and now together.
Anthony is an awesome interviewer, supporting people from many different creative aspects and we really appreciate all the support he gives all of us. His site is called, Rambling On and you can check out our interview at this link.
http://anthonycardno.com/2012/03/interview-with-carol-hansen-matt-lande/


Also, we only have 7 days left to reach our goal and if we don't reach it, we go back to square one. Please help us "kickstart" our project. We would really appreciate your support and want to say THANK YOU to all of those who have already pledged.

And THANK YOU, once again to our great friend, Anthony Cardno.

Talk Soon:)xo

My Mass of Confusion:)

Everyone keeps asking me when I will be finished with my second book, Wizard. I, seriously, am working hard to get it finished for all of you:)

 I didn't realize how difficult it is to write the second book of a series. When I wrote DarkStar, it just came...it flowed. I'm not saying it was easy, because it wasn't, but I was setting up everything in the story and anything that was added in the later chapters was easily adapted into the storyline. In writing Wizard, I am realizing that each of my characters could actually have a story all their own. There are so many different avenues that I could take and so much depth that it's difficult for me to decide which direction to go. There are questions that arose in DarkStar that need to be answered and situations that need to be addressed. Wizard does that, but at the same time, creates more questions & situations, some answered, some needing to be explored in the third book, The Mysticryss. Trying to figure out the whole plot and make sure everything is covered and that there are no holes and which book will contain what....talk about confusing!!! It takes A LOT of time. Believe it or not...I can spend hours just working on one paragraph! Craziness???...maybe.

So...all I can say is that... I have a WHOLE NEW appreciation for anyone who has ever written a book! As a reader, I didn't realize just how many hours an author spends sorting through this mass of confusion that their own mind creates. Now, as an author, I just hope that, in the end, the mass of confusion that I am creating....makes sense!

Just for the record... my mass is unraveling nicely.....

Talk Soon:)xo

KICKSTARTER PROJECT

We launched!
Yesterday Matt & I were finally able to launch our project on the awesome KICKSTARTER site:) We we're so excited to be accepted within one day of submitting our proposal to them! I won't say much about it here...just go to the site and you will learn everything about what we're doing...or trying to do.

I do want to thank Ryan Phelps and Gaven Cox from Channel 3 T.V. for putting together our awesome video:) I would REALLY appreciate it if everyone will check it out!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/622390070/author-carol-hansen-musician-matt-lande-merge-in-w

Thanx guys!

Talk soon:)