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What Teaching Kindergarten Taught Me

1/24/2014

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What Teaching Kindergarten Taught Me

Robert Fulgham’s book   All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten inspired millions. It also supported the belief that kindergarten is a soft, warm, fuzzy place. As a former high school teacher, I thought subbing in kindergarten would be easy.  There was a reason why these positions were the hardest to fill. If I were in the building subbing for someone else, the principal would find me before I put my purse down to fill a kindergarten slot. Here is what subbing in kindergarten taught me.

 1.       If there is a classroom aide, she’ll always be absent the day you sub.

2.       It’s all about crowd control. Often the teacher is the equivalent of the musclebound security team, except there’s only one of her and she does not get to kick children out of the class for rowdy behavior.

3.       Herding cats is similar to getting kindergarteners from point A to point B.

4.       Some teachers leave behind beautiful detailed lesson plans, others don’t. This resulted in me trying to get kids who couldn’t count to ten to count by 3’s & 5’s. It never occurred to me that math was simply coloring in blocks until one boy explained it to me.

5.       Some kids will adore you simply because you walked through the door. The flipside is an equal number of children will regard you as the devil.

6.       The children also know where the regular teacher hides everything including candy and Band-Aids.

7.       While some kids lie with a perfectly straight face, other children will tattle on them.

8.       Uneven numbers do not work well in work or play. When a third child joins a group, often there is great resistance.

9.       While change is inevitable, kindergarteners resist it.

10.   Whenever you sub, there will be an assembly, fire drill, schedule change or the lights will go out.

11.   Being line leader is all. If a teacher didn’t leave specific instructions, kids will run, shove, and even lie to be the line leader.

12.   Who a child is going to be is apparent in kindergarten. There are leaders, followers, creative thinkers, bullies and victims.

13.   Kindergarteners believe something is good if you put enough enthusiasm in your voice and tell them it is good. (Adults fall prey to this in commercials.)

14.   “I don’t want to” or “I don’t like it” appear to be acceptable reason not to do assignments.

15.   The average five year old has a fifteen-second attention span even if bribed with candy.

16.   Children have no personal boundaries. They’ll often climb into your lap, give spontaneous hugs, and stroke your hair.

17.   While some children happily color the cow purple, others want to be told what the right color is.

18.   Children get more attention by imaginary illnesses than good behavior.

19.   Bad behavior results in more attention from the teacher. Kids, who kick or pull hair, get to walk by the teacher holding her hand for the safety of all the other children.

20.   Zippers are difficult for little hands. Imagine having to zip up twenty coats before you can go outside.

21.   All kindergarten classrooms should have several tissue boxes. Murphy’s Law designates there will be one tissue box with two tissues left in it the day you sub.

22.   Girls whine, tattle and cry to get their way. Oddly, boys tend to avoid whining and crying, but they are not above tattling.

23.   If you make return appearances to the school, you are treated like a visiting celebrity, as long as you’re subbing in another room.

24.   Children cherish routine. Do something out of order and they’ll let you know. A few will even go into meltdown because you didn’t get in line by birthday months.

What this has taught me is to be appreciative to the brave souls who teach kindergarten, better yet to applaud them. I can see a kindergarten teacher as a future heroine.


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Chasing Anya

1/13/2014

4 Comments

 


Been there. Done that.

Feisty and independent, Anya Davies lives by her own rules. The one thing she’s hell-bent on avoiding is a conventional relationship. Nor is she interested in romance, thanks to her abusive ex who refuses to stay in the past. The second complication in her life is a secret that condemns her to constant guilt and a solitary life. A series of near misses and escalating threats are a third and worrying factor. Only a special man would understand or live with Anya’s challenges and demands.

Casual sex...so not having that.

Enter Christophe Mondesir. Two years ago, Anya dumped him without explanation. An accidental meeting shoots Anya back on Christophe’s radar. He refuses to be denied and plans to breach the fortress Anya has built around her heart—if she’ll commit to more than a casual liaison. He’s also determined to find out what she’s hiding. That’s if the stalker who’s after Anya doesn’t end her life first.

Genre:  Romance, Women's Fiction
Content/Theme(s):  Sexual Content (not graphic), Post Abortion Sydrome, Relationships, Spousal Abuse,
Release Date:  January 13, 2014
Publisher: The Writers' Suite



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He stood before her, pressing kisses to her neck. Then his lips covered hers. Soft. Persuasive.

She resisted him at first, but the memory of his lovemaking warmed her blood and she relaxed against him. The unknown word he’d spoken came to mind and she twisted away from him. “I’m not so sure I should let you touch me, ’specially since I don’t know what you said earlier. What was that anyhow?”

“I said you should stop talking like a slut.”

She mashed his toes with her foot. “How dare you talk to me like that?”

“Ouch! If you insist on treating sex as if it is some sort of pill—”

“If you were sensitive to my needs, I wouldn’t have to resort to asking for sex.”
He narrowed his eyes. “You know what? I’m going to give you what you want.”

That said, Christophe pressed his lips to hers, forcing her mouth open. She fought him, but this time he ignored her attempts to escape.

The intensity of his kiss frightened her. His grip on her arms was too tight and she felt suffocated by his strength. “No, Christophe, I—”

His hand glided under her shirt and the words lodged in her throat. She cast aside her objections, swept away by the fire his touch lit on her insides.

They landed on her bed, struggling to free themselves of their clothing. Minutes later, Christophe reduced her to an orgasmic shudder.

Then they started over.

When they were satisfied, she panted against his chest.

Christophe eased away from her and rolled onto his back to stare into a corner of the room.

Now what was wrong with him? She raised herself up on her elbow. “What’s bugging you now?”

It took him a while to look her in the eyes. “D’you realize I just raped you?”

She almost giggled. “Well, it was the best rape I ever had.”

He sighed. “I’m serious. You said no, and I didn’t listen.”

He murmured something she didn’t hear and rolled onto his side, away from her.

Anya stared at a mole on his shoulder, unable to believe what she was seeing and hearing. Was he serious? Wasn’t she supposed to be the basket case?

She scratched at the skin around the cast. It was itching like hell lately.

Christophe got up and went into the bathroom. The toilet flushed and she waited for him to come back to bed. Instead, he got a pair of jeans from the cupboard and pulled them on, along with a tee-shirt.

Anya gaped at him. “Where the hell d’you think you’re going?”

“Home. I need to think.”

“What d’you need to think about, Christophe?”

“Things.”

She yanked her shirt on and stood in front of him. “Every time I get mad and tell you to leave, you refuse to go. Now, we don’t even have a serious quarrel and you’re running away. What’s wrong with you?”

He slipped both hands in his pockets and wouldn’t look at her. “I have to go.”

Using her hand, she tipped his head so she could see his eyes.

He was in pain.

She didn’t understand what the problem was, but something had gone terribly wrong. She grabbed his arms and spoke softly to him. “Don’t walk out on me now. I don’t know what’s going on with you, or what you think you did, but I need you.”

“I’m sorry, Anya.” He stepped out of her grasp and walked away.

She sank on the bed, rubbing the frown line on her forehead. Would he be all right? Her heart rate went up and she pressed a hand to her chest. Christophe had left, but she needed to check whether he’d locked up.

The lock was engaged and she was alone in the house. She leaned against the front door, feeling as if she’d bought a bus ticket and the driver had dropped her off miles away from her destination.

Her eyes smarted, but she would not cry. While she was sure Christophe’s withdrawal was directly related to her, she sensed there were other factors at play.
If he didn’t want to talk, how could she get to the root of what was eating him?


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Image of J. L. Campbell
J.L. Campbell is a proud Jamaican, who is always on the hunt for story-making material.

She writes romantic suspense, women's fiction and young adult novels. She is the author of Anya's Wish, Chasing Anya, Contraband, Christine's Odyssey, Dissolution, Distraction, Don't Get Mad...Get Even, Retribution, Saving Sam and Hardware (written under the pen name Jayda McTyson).



Where to find JL Campbell:



Social Media

Author site: http://www.joylcampbell.com
Goodreads: JL Campbell
Twitter:     @JL_Campbell
Facebook:  JL Campbell
Amazon:    JL Campbell




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Soul Mate Search Release & Giveaway

1/10/2014

6 Comments

 

This weekend only The Soul Mate Search is 50% off. All my books are half-priced too. http://www.sweetcravingspublishing.com/
Coupon code: Sale50! 1/11/-1/13.

Scroll down to find out how you can get dinner and a book. You have to comment about what makes a soul mate plus leave your email.

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Blurb:
Nina can’t control love in her ordered universe. It has eluded her until a mysterious fortuneteller, Helena, reveals she’s already met her soul mate. Three times in fact and has only four times remaining before he passes from her life forever. A magic crystal ball allows her to see what he looked like several years ago, but no address. Helena warns her if she forces the meeting it won’t happen. 

Tony’s life has hit a major rough spot with Sheila kicking him out of his house when he discovers her in bed with another man. If that wasn’t bad enough, she spreads rumors that she’s afraid of him because he’s abusive. What did he do to deserve this? All he ever wanted was to love one woman until he died. At this rate, he’s destined to die alone. It will take magic to meet his soul mate.











EXCERPT

She held her shoes in her hand, as she gingerly stepped into the rowboat. The unsteady boat caused her to catch her breath more than a few times as she eased into a seating position on the bench seat. All right, she’d got into the boat without tipping it over. Pleased with her accomplishment, she rested back on her arms and looked at the rope securing the boat to the dock. Obviously, she’d need to lose the rope from the hook. Too bad, she hadn’t considered unhooking the rope as she scampered onto the boat. Doing it now would mean more swaying and the possibility of ending up in the lake, not something she wanted.

Staying in her position, she considered how much she wanted the boat to move as opposed to how much she didn’t want to wear lake water. A glance up at the dock showed a man walking toward her, just like her dream. She’d have to warn him to untie the boat first. Her breath caught in her throat. The urge to close her eyes tempted her. She wanted it to be Tony, but if it wasn’t she’d just look foolish sitting in a rowboat with her eyes closed. Where was the fog from her dream?

Logically, she knew fog would have burned off by afternoon. Part of her urged her to leave now, go, before she could be disappointed, or worse yet, screw things up. The man drew close enough for her to take in the details of his white shirt and light colored pants, the same as in her dream. Propelling herself out of the boat now would end up with her going head first into the water. In her effort to flee, she’d have to run past him.

Even though she vowed not to, she closed her eyes for just a second to gather her courage. Calmness settled over her, and she could hear Nonna’s voice. “Live your life, Nina. Live with passion. Don’t turn away from the good things. Have faith in me. This is a very good thing coming toward you.”

A laugh bubbled up out of her at the words. They were so Nonna Caprice. Her eyelids flickered open, and he stood above her, gazing down at her with a playful grin. He squatted on one leg, placing one foot in the boat. It didn’t rock as much with him or maybe he knew how to get into a boat. Shifting his weight, he eased the second foot in. Once in the boat, he flexed his knees lowering his center of balance and picked the knot free. She would have to remember to do that.

The rope dropped backed into the boat allowing the boat to drift a bit. Up until then, he said nothing. He sat on the bench seat facing her and put his hands on the oars. His legs spread wide took up the maximum amount of space. Nina accommodated him by placing her legs into the open V. It seemed right as opposed to being intimidating.

“I figured this might be my best bet to talk to you since you always disappear on me.” The oars dipped into the water propelling the boat into a glide across the water.

“It has merit. I’m glad you waited until you were in the boat to untie it.” She ran her fingers through her hair grooming it, making sure no tangles had developed during her search, not like untying it first as in her dream.

He angled his body toward hers, stopping the oars for a moment, but keeping his hands on them. “You dreamed about the boat too?”

His gaze held hers, sincere, mesmerizing. How did she miss those glorious eyes on her way out of the grocery store? Oh yeah, it was a reaction due to too much ginger. “I did, but there was a fog.”

“Yes, the fog.” He nodded and put his back into the rowing, moving the boat away from any neighboring crafts. He reached the middle of the lake and stopping. “I have really tried to meet you, but all my efforts failed miserably.”

“Hard to imagine you were trying to meet me.” She touched his calf with her bare foot. This pleased her more than words could describe. This meeting was no random card trick of a fortuneteller.

The oars rested in the locks, allowing the boat to drift a little with the current. Tony touched his neck. “Um, me climbing in the boat and taking off didn’t scare you, did it? You didn’t think ‘here comes this crazy guy I don’t know’?”

Using the side of her foot, she tapped his leg to get him to stop. “Please, no more. I knew you were supposed to get into the boat, just like I knew I had nothing to fear from you.”

“Really?” His posture straightened as his right hand came up to touch his neck. “How is that?”

Fantastic. How could she explain this without sounding nutty? Biting her bottom lip, she wondered what she could say without mentioning soul mate or the fortuneteller or the seven chances. The desire to count their meetings almost overwhelmed her senses to stay in the moment. Perhaps that’s why his soft kiss on her lips surprised her.

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Morgan K Wyatt, raised on a steady diet of superheroes, believed she could fly at a very young age. After using trees, barn lofts, sliding boards, and even a second story window as launch pads, she found her flying skills were limited to fast and downward. By the age of nine, her dreams to be a superhero needed some modifications, which caused her to turn to writing and horseback riding as alternatives to flying.

 At the age of twenty, she had another chance at superhero greatness as being one of the few female soldiers trained for combat. The fact that women will be able to serve in combat soon indicates that all the witnesses to the grenade incident have retired. The grenade incident didn’t prevent her two sons or daughter-in-law from enlisting in the service. Having different last names probably helped.

Morgan recently retired from teaching special needs students to write fulltime, instead of in the wee hours of the night. With the help of her helpful husband and loyal hound, she creates characters who often grab plot lines and run with them. As for flying, she prefers the airlines now. 
Web: www.morgankwyatt.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMorganKWyatt

Twitter: www.twitter.com/morgankwyatt

Blogs:

www.writerwonderland.weebly.com

www.datingafterfortyeight.blogspot.com

www.frugaldivatellsall.blogspot.com

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/morganwyatt/

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6936818.Morgan_K_Wyatt

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Morgan-K.-Wyatt/e/B008EEC4EY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1370798169&sr=8-2


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Cloaked in Fur Tour Stop & Giveaway

1/9/2014

10 Comments

 

Author T.F. Walsh is giving away $20 Amazon gift card and signed book to celebrate her new release.

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ABOUT CLOAKED in FUR

Urban Fantasy with Strong Romance.

As a moonwulf, Daciana never expected to fall in love with a human. Hell, she never imagined that she’d abandon her pack, endanger everyone around her, and break the worst rule possible. But she did.


A rogue werewolf is killing Daciana’s friends, and she sets on capturing the creature. She’ll do whatever it takes to stop the beast. The police and her boyfriend, Inspector Connell Lonescu, are starting to question her involvement in the murders, which is endangering the pack’s secret existence. But when the pack alpha kidnaps Connell, revealing the awful truth about the creature and its connection to the pack, Daciana must choose between saving the man she loves and saving her pack family from certain death.





EXCERPT:

My emotions tore between apologizing and confessing everything, yet all I managed to do was stare at his bare torso.

“Your institute has been issued passes to travel into the woods, and Vasile has yours. I can give you a lift there.” Connell cleared his throat and took my cup to the sink. “You’re awfully quiet.”

Heat exploded across my skin, and I climbed to my feet. “My mind is a swirl of thoughts, but I can’t pin any of it down. I’m devastated that my neighbor is dead, the police suspect me, and even worse, I feel you slipping away from me. So, what am I supposed to say?”

Instead of collecting me into his embrace and kissing me, Connell stood there like one of those God statues in museums that wore almost nothing, but were sculptured to perfection. I wanted to forget everything the day was about to bring and beg Connell to make love to me until I passed out.

*****REVIEW*****
Do you like strong female characters, mysterious deaths and a strong twist of paranormal?  Then you have a great deal in common with Daciana, the protagonist of Cloaked in Fur. Daciana is an animal expert and is sometimes called into identify the animal behind gruesome attacks. The problem is the latest series of killings have all the hallmarks of being wolf-related. Major issue because she’s a Wulfkin and her involvement may endanger her pack.

Daciana is desperate to find who is behind the killings to guard her pack and protect her growing attraction to a human detective. Unfortunately, he suspects she might be behind the killing. Talk about putting a crimp in her love life.

This is a tightly written tale that kept me up past my bedtime, rubbing the sleep from my eyes to keep reading. Daciana is a strong female character who wants to protect her pack, herself and her burgeoning romantic relationship. It feels hopeless. How can a Wulfkin do what a human can’t? You’ll have to read Cloaked in Fur to find out. I highly recommend this riveting paranormal.   


Where to Purchase Cloaked In Fur:
Amazon

Amazon UK

Amazon Canada


Barnes and Noble 


iTunes

All Romance


Kobo Books


Googleplay



a Rafflecopter giveaway
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR: T.F.  WALSH

T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she's always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling. 

She writes young adult and adult fantasy fiction.





CLOAKED IN FUR, a paranormal suspense novel, is her debut novel from Crimson Romance.

Connect with Author T.F. Walsh:

Website | Twitter | Facebook |  Pinterest |  Goodreads |  Amazon






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