Top 10 Signs Your High School Boyfriend is a Vampire

Photo By Katie Tegtmeyer

 












 Every girl should know the top 10 signs that her boyfriend is a bloodsucker. Then you just have to ask yourself: Do the pros of dating an older man from another century outweigh the cons...?

1. His idea of humor isn't the same farting jokes of your other guy friends. (He's too mature for that...)

2. He holds doors open for you.

3. He feels like he just stepped out of a freezer.

4. He likes to help you with your homework - and can - in all subjects.

5. He has no living relatives - just a pale adoptive family.

6. He's well groomed (got the coiffed hair going), well dressed, wears awesome coats and has a perfect complexion.

7. He helps you pick up dropped books, but need a band-aid and he's nowhere in sight.

8. Dinner dates aren't his thing.

9. Fluffy hisses at him and runs in terror whenever he shows up.  (Come to think of it...animals just don't like him.)

10.  He tends to show up after hours to stare at you while you sleep. (Aw, he misses you a LOT.)


You've been warned! Don't ignore the signs! Unless that's your thing, in which case, lucky you!

Friday Favorites!

So this is the first installment of Friday Favorites! Hands down, my newest love is for a special brand of tea. I discovered these teas by Zhena's Gypsy Tea on a whim. After trying it out and reading over the ethics of the company, I am thoroughly impressed. They are 100% fair trade and 100% organic, they also use eco-friendly tea sachets, and even cooler, it was pioneered by Zhena, who is of true Ukranian Gypsy decent. The teas have aromatherapeutic and health properties and the ingredients are all hand grown.

The reason I initially chose this as my Friday Favorite, was because I've been brewing a cup of Zhena's Coconut Chai tea every night before I begin writing. Soon it became a habit and I needed a cup before I could settle into my work. I've also tried Zhena's Red Lavendar and it's equally tasty!

After deciding on looking into the company more, I was even more impressed with their dedication to the product and also their attention to the environment, health, and fair trade. Plus, they come in these whimsical cans that are fun to keep and refill with more tea sachets! They even have a cool aromatherapy chart explaining their teas' soothing, energizing, uplifting, or detoxing effects. You can find Zhena's Gypsy Tea on sale through Amazon here.

Well I hope everyone is enjoying their Friday evening! I think I might wind down with a hot cup of tea. Good night!

Thursday: Author Update

I can hardly believe it's Thursday already, this week in particular flew by! My goal for today's post was to create a plan for my blog, which you'll noticed I changed the title to. I wanted to switch things up and be able to post a variety of my interests, in addition to Oriana's Eyes. So I created a brand new schedule for my blogging practices:

Real Magic Mondays - As a fantasy author, of course I love the way magic fits into real life! So I want to spend manic Mondays talking about some of my favorite mythical creatures, folklore, and other magical happenings.

Paranormal Tuesdays - I love a good ghost story! And there's plenty to discuss under this category that doesn't just include vampires, werewolves, and hauntings, but I'll be talking about those too!

Writing Tips Wednesdays - If you're a fan of literature, poetry, and novels like I am, then you'll appreciate Wednesdays dedicated to a writing workshop. I'll be sharing some of the advice I've learned along the way as an author, English writing grad, editor, and journalist. Expect a few guest authors too!

Author Update Thursdays - As you probably already guessed, Thursdays I'll share my own personal updates on Oriana's Eyes and the progress of the sequel. I may share additional Missing Letters from Odon's University or other sneak previews and freebies, you'll have to wait and see!

Friday Favorites - "These are a few of my favorite things..." (humming to the Sound of Music song), whether it's books, movies, tv, websites, quotes, or something that's just plain fun, what better day than Friday to share some favorite goodies?

Well, that's my new blogging plan! Hope you enjoy it and I look forward to sharing future posts with you.

~ Celeste Simone

Fairies, Fantasy, and Fridays!

 

http://selinafenech.com/portfolio/#all

Today is a good day! The sun is shining, oh yea and it's Friday! Also, I've been devoting time every night to working on my second book...and pondering when to reveal the title! Stay tuned...
On the topic of good news, I discovered my new favorite artist! Her name is Selina Fenech, she lives in Australia, and has the most amazing artwork! I love how magical her paintings are and how each one seems to tell a story. I can just imagine the thought and detail she has put not only into the image itself, but everything the subjects suggest with their manners and facial expressions. What can I say? I love fantasy!
I asked Selina if I could share this particular piece on my blog called "Impossible Love." It reminds me of a scene you might find in Oriana's world...oh and because it's so beautiful!
There are plenty of other great works on her website: http://selinafenech.com/portfolio/#all So you should check it out!
Hope everyone is enjoying their Friday!

Finding the Silver Lining

I think lately I've been trying to see the silver lining in everything, or at least hanging onto that belief that even if I can't see one now, that one exists. Our lives are a series of trial and errors, but I like to think that ultimately we are working towards inner growth. So every dark night leads us to a bright morning. In light of the recent hurricane that hit the east coast, it can be difficult to know what good such devastation can bring. How can we justify so much damage and find comfort in the face of tragedy? Are moments like these a testament of our true will and bravery? I feel very grateful that none of my friends and family were severely effected by the storm, and maybe that in itself is the silver lining, finding gratitude for what I do have again. It's strange waking up and seeing everyone continue about their day, trying to sit at work and start my Monday morning like so many others. It feels almost like I'm ignoring Mother Nature's blatant message, to enjoy life and respect it. To recognize the gift that it is and to appreciate every moment. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day, in our mind chatter and our incessant worries, however trivial they may be.
It's almost as if nature is trying to snap us out of it and force us to take a look at the bigger picture. I recently read this poem that I found to be very enlightening, someone had shared it in a forum and I felt the need to do the same:

Rumi ~ The Guest House

This being human is a guest house
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out for some
new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

(In a lot of ways I feel this poem shares Oriana's message: Her greatest weakness, set her free.)

Today's silver lining for me happens to be another great review! It's amazing how just one kind word or gesture can really make your day, and for me that was Denna's review of Oriana's Eyes on her book blog:Chronicles of a Lonely Bookee. In other news, I'm giving away three copies of Oriana's Eyes on Goodreads! Check out my new funky widget on the right side of my blog!

Know Thyself

I have to be honest, when it comes to trying to market a book, I really struggle to figure out where to begin. I don't have an agent taking the reins of my marketing plan and telling me where to go and what to do. It's really just my own dream, one that at most times seems to be far off in a distant future that I can only grasp at.
Recently, I've been trying to put all my energies into sharing as many copies as I can. I really appreciate all the reviewers who have taken interest in Oriana's story, and I hope they believe in it as much as I do. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion of course.
The hardest part is trying to juggle my full time job with my full time dream! But, I think I'm managing alright so far. (Although maybe that's just a result of having a naive, optimistic mind.)
While most publishing companies are probably gunning for the over a million sales, I get excited when one more person adds Oriana's Eyes on Goodreads. I know, pathetic, but every little bit counts when you're an indie author. I got a really generous email from a reviewer recently who said they thought my website was beautiful, which means a lot to me when I've spent hours working on it. (No web designer to pass that torch to, just lil' ol' me.) Especially when I was up past midnight trying to figure out why the heck I couldn't access my ftp site. (Resolved now.) I was trying to add the new review to the home page. Finally I figured out I was being a doofus and realized how to put it up.
For all you fellow indie authors out there, I hope you all keep seeking your dream! I titled this blog, Know Thyself, because I wanted to be real about what I'm trying to do and accept that at this point, I'm doing the best I can and that's okay. Even if you're taking baby steps towards your dream, your still trying and sometimes that's all you can do. It's a lot better than giving up.

Time for Giving

I can't believe how long it's been since I posted here. I should really be ashamed. Despite the lack of blog posts, I have been very hard at work spreading word of Oriana's Eyes, and "dun dun dun" completing the second book!
Just the other night I could not go to sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about everything happening in the second book. I do have a title, finally, but I can't reveal it just yet. I feel like it's the right fit, but I can't be sure just yet. Too early in the game. A lot of questions about the University, how the half-bloods became tyrants and all the mystery surrounding Odon will be revealed, but that's all I'll say for now.
Anyway, I hoped you've checked out some of the Missing Letters of the University or Dorian's Last Say, because that's really my favorite thing to add to this blog and I'm thinking that there will be more of those. If you like them??
In other news, stay tuned for a number of reviews and giveaways going on! Many thanks to Becky's Barmy Book Blog for her review of Oriana's Eyes. I think everyday I've sent out another couple of copies to reviewers and I can't thank them enough for their willingness to give Oriana's Eyes a chance. Until then I'm going to keep writing, and maybe even a sneak preview on the blog? What do you think? It's going to be difficult to keep everything to myself for much longer.
One last thought, if you have any fan art, I'd love to share it on my blog and website. Feel free to email me at celeste@celestesimone.com.