Happy New Year, IWSG & X-Files!

Happy New Year! 

Happy New Year, friends!  I wanted to start this year off with a cheers and well wishes to all my friends for a happy a healthy new year.  If you're a writer, I pray that your works are your very best and that the publishing gods make all your wishes com true,  If you're a reader then I pray that the best books find their way to you.

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IWSG:  New Year and Writer Beginnings

IWSG was created by Alex J. Cavanaugh and this month's host are L.G. Keltner, Denise Covey, Sheri Larsen, J.Q. Rose, Chemist Ken, and Michelle Wallace!  Since we're at the start of a new year, I thought I'd ask my friends to reflect on why they started writing.  For many of us, we've been at this craft for years, for others they may have started just yesterday.  One thing's for sure, there's usually a reason why we got started.  Was writing always in your blood or did you just one day pick up a pen and the stories began to flow?  Did you have a favorite teacher who inspired you or did you write as a way of therapy to rationalize all the insanity of your life?  It's an interesting question as we ponder a new year and the expectations you have for 2016.  Never forget why you started.  It's those initial beginnings that may give you the inspiration to keep going, especially when you hit some hurdles.  I saw this quote from J.K. Rowling that really hit home with me.  What about you?  Do you ever find inspiration in your writer beginnings?

Ever feel this way?

X Files is coming January 24th!

If you haven't seen the trailer it's here below.  I'm so excited about this series reboot!  X-Files was one of my favorites way back when.  From what I've seen so far, it's looks like these two gems, Mulder and Scully will pick up where they left off.  I hope this reboot delivers.  If you missed a few seasons or haven't had a chance to watch this classic sci-fi series, then check out Netflix before the season starts.  Netflix is streaming all nine seasons of X-Files so you may want to watch an episode or two. Other then writing and reading a great book, I can't imagine another way to kick-off a fantastic new year.

What about you?  What are your insecurities this month?  Are you excited for X-Files too?

Happy writing.  Have a great week!


Mina Burrows

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

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Boo!  The Spooktacular Giveaway Hop is here, hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer, and just in time for Halloween too!  I've already checked out some other blogs and the giveaways are scary good.  

To me, creepy books are a perfect giveaway for this hop.  But still, the horror genre might not satiate your book thirst.  Not to worry though.  I like to keep things simple with these hops and with my giveaway, you can be as choosy as you want.

I'm giving away one (1) FREE $10 Amazon Gift Card so the winner may pick their poison.  See the details below on how to enter:

To enter…

You MUST be a follower of my blog and MUST fill out this entry form. (And yes, I do check GCF)

Extra entries…
+2 Subscribe to my blog
+2 Like me on Facebook/MinaBurrows
+1 Follow me on Google Plus
+1 Tweet this Twitter (limit 1 retweet)

Entry-Form

The giveaway runs from 12:01 AM on Oct. 15th - October 31st, midnight. Contest is open to

 International participants. 

Want to see who else is participating?  Visit I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and check out all the links and hop on by.

Mina Burrows

Get Ready for Halloween!

Are getting ready for Halloween?  Well, kitty is getting ready.  Seriously though, there's a ton of stuff happening next month so I thought I'd share some cool spooky things to see if you're interested in participating.

Wicked Kitty Source

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

6th Annual Spooktacular Giveaway Hop starts on October 15th and runs until the 31st.  There's always a good amount of participants and with that some great prizes are up for the taking.  You can either join the linky list to host your own giveaway or you can mark your calendars to visit that blogs and enter to win.  How's that sound?

More details about the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop here.

The IWSG Short Story Contest 2015

ISWG has an short story competition with the top ten stories getting published in an anthology. How exciting is that? The story word count is 5000-6000 and the theme is Alternate History/Parallel Universe. The details are listed on the IWSG website. The entry deadline is November 1st so with Halloween around the corner, this should be a fun one to enter, right?

Share a Scare Blog Hop 2015

Looking to create your own fun this Halloween?  This hop encourages all bloggers, writers and artists to feature a scare on their blog -- the creepier the better.  Bloggers can review a favorite scary book, writers can create their own frightening tale and artists can post a wicked picture they created.  Details about this cool hop are here.

That's it for now!  Sounds like fun, huh?  If you have any other cool ideas for Halloween, comment and share the fun.

Have a great weekend.

Mina Burrows

IWSG: Keep Calm & GRRR ARGGHH!

It's September and time for the Insecure Writers Support Group post.  A special thanks to Alex J. Cavanaugh for creating this monthly opportunity to purge all our ill thoughts on writing. I also want to give a shout out to all the co-hosts: Julie Flanders, Murees Dupé, Dolorah at Book Lover, Christine Rains, andHeather Gardner!

IWSG:  Keep Calm & GRRR ARGGHH!

I just want to say thank you to all my friends who had such kind words to say about Fred.  As I mentioned, Fred's passing left a real emptiness with our family, but we are doing much better now.  And Fred's ashes are safely back with us so things are indeed better.  On a side note, I find myself snuggling more with the other pooch, Spike, because the poor thing was seriously depressed after his buddy died.  I never knew that dogs would be so effected by another dog's passing, but apparently that can happen.  It's a pack thing and I feel silly for not realizing that sooner.  For the dogs remaining, you have to watch them closely for signs and give them additional attention.  I learned that after reading a few of Cesar Millan blog posts.  All is well here as are hearts are slowly on on the mend.

That said, my kids have gone back to school and we've been fine-tuning our schedule of activities and so forth. I mention this because my schedule is paramount when trying to fit in my writing.  I've also done some major purge-cleaning and plan on doing more of that in the coming months to help keep me more organized.  So far so good.

With that, my goal this month is to keep calm and write a ton.  Since most of my friends are Joss Whedon fans, I wanted to share with you all this throwback that just made me chuckle and gave me some inspiration.

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What are your insecurities this month?

Happy writing.  Have a great week!

Mina Burrows

Rest in Peace Fred

It is with great sadness that I inform you all that Freddie, my faithful dog and beloved friend for the past sixteen years, passed away last Thursday night. Words cannot describe the hole I feel within my heart since he left us. This may sound strange to some of you, but Fred was truly a vital part of our family.  Since he was a puppy and well throughout his life, his happy-go-lucky personality and unconditional love were always there, offering our family (me, in particular) silent support. I suspect in the future there will be countless days where I will subconsciously call for him as if he's still alive. I always knew I was blessed to have a dog as wonderful as Fred, but now more than ever, I feel the blessing tenfold. To me, he will always be one of God's finest creatures.

Rest in peace Fred. We miss you dearly.  

Freddie, July 4, 1999 - July 30, 2015.

Mina Burrows

Book Review: West of Paradise by Marcy Hatch

Not too long ago, I read Marcy Hatch's latest book, West of Paradise and for some time I've been meaning to post my review.  This time-traveler book hooked me from the start and was a great book to add to my summer reading collection.

From the author:  When Jack McCabe gets the opportunity to go back in time, he jumps; it’s the adventure he always dreamed of - until he meets a beautiful but deadly train robber. Katherine Kennedy can't believe an ignorant bounty hunter has mistaken her for a criminal – until she sees the picture, which looks exactly like her. Neither of them imagines how the past has a way of catching up with the present. Set in the old west, this is a tale of mistaken identity, romance, and murder.

My thoughts:  For those that aren't aware, I'm a huge fan of historical romance as well as paranormal books.  Marcy's West of Paradise has both and what a fantastic read!  I haven't read a good time travel book in a long while, so I was do.  Have you ever wanted to trade your current life for one in the past?  Our two main characters, Katherine Kennedy and Jack McCabe decide to do this and like any good story, they have no idea what awaits them.  Both Jack and Katherine have their own reasons for traveling time and essentially it's to escape their current realities and responsibilities.  Jack manages to find his own path in the past in the Old West.  As the story unfolds, he's created quite a life as a bounty hunter and in his mind he's content until he meets the confounding Katherine Kennedy.  Like Jack, Katherine longs to escape into the past, but when she arrives, her life spins wildly out of control from a case of mistaken identity.  Can you imagine be mistaken for an infamous murderess and thief?  And worse, having one of the best bounty hunters on your tail?  As much as Jack wants to capture the elusive, Alanna McLeod, Katherine halts much of his progress.   Katherine is pretty amazing, but does she have what it takes to survive the Old West?   This story takes you on a wild ride filled with bank robbers, murder, deadly family ties and of course romance.  If you're looking for time traveling romance adventure with taste of the Old West, then you'll definitely want to check out Marcy Hatch's West of Paradise.  I really enjoyed it and I think you will too.

Get your copy via Amazon today!

You can follow Marcy on her blog, or on Twitter.  Also, you can find Marcy and West of Paradise on Goodreads.

Happy reading.  Have a great week!

Mina Burrows

Friday Summer Blend: IWSG, NetFlix, & Fred

It's July everyone!  Can't believe how much 2015 has disappeared.  TGIF, though.  Since I've missed too many Fridays this year, I decided to do a quick Friday post featuring a few topics such as, IWSG, NetFlix, & last but not least....Fred.

Insecure Writers Support Group

Although I missed Insecure Writers Support Group this month, I wanted to post a brief comment on my insecurity status. It's been a few months since I posted with IWSG and there are no excuses other than work and taking care of my family. That said, my biggest insecurity surrounds my inability to manage my time better. This month, I've managed to get back on track though. I'm back into writing and of course editing. I found this clever image online on precisely how I feel about editing. Other than that, I'm still plugging along.

What about you? What type of insecurities do you have plaguing you this month?  

So true!

What's Hot on Netflix - Sense8

From IMDB, the Netflix original series Sense8 is about "a group of people around the world are suddenly linked mentally, and must find a way to survive being hunted by those who see them as a threat to the world's order."

After binge-watching this series, I have to say this brief description above doesn't do the show justice. In the Sense 8 world, there are a group of individuals who are connected mentally and have the ability to communicate with each other despite being located in various countries all over the world. It's amazing how these eight individuals can get into trouble and what's cool is these eight can physically support each other when dire circumstances arise. Have a problem with a drug dealer or gangster? No problem. When you're a part of the Sense 8, just call upon the group's ninja master to step into your body and kick some ass. Yeah, it has some intense action like that, and it's endless in this series. If you get a chance, don't hesitate to watch it!

On a side note, this series has graphic nudity and content and is definitely a Rated R series.  Not for the kiddos, folks.

Fridays with Fred - Birthday Boy

Last weekend Fred turned 16.  I thought it was 17, but then double-checked and realized, he's only 16.  And for those that don't know, he's an Independence baby too since his birthday is on July 4th.  Last weekend, Fred, my loyal friend, celebrated another year of greatness.  He's getting up there and at times moves slow.  Other times, he's limber and still likes to jump and frolic with his two-year old friend, Spike.  Some days he can hang, others not so much.  Anyway, it's been too long since I posted about Fred.  For those interested, he's still kicking!  Happy Birthday, Fred!

Stay tuned on Monday when I post about a review on another book I read from fellow author friend, Marcy Hatch and her latest novel, West of Paradise.

Hope you all have a great weekend.  See you next week!

Mina Burrows