Drive

Recently, one of my friends told me she admires me for my drive. While I took this as the compliment it was, I feel undeserving in the sense that I don’t see myself as going above and beyond, or necessarily doing more than anyone else. I simply do what has to get done.

As a work-from-home mother of three children, one of them on the Autism spectrum, as well as a new inductee into the Sandwich Generation, I’ve got a lot on my plate: helping the teen figure out what classes to take next year in high school; steering a pre-adolescent through the daily drama of school and fair-weather friendships; dealing with the constant headaches of IEP meetings and the home-school vs integrate debate; making sure my mother, who now lives with us, gets what she needs in order to maintain some sense of independence and dignity; etc. The list goes on, and nothing ever really gets checked off.

I am just as busy in my professional life, too. As a self-published author I am currently working on four novels, three of which are on tap for a 2013 publication date. I often hear questions like “How do you do it?” and “Don’t you ever get confused?” Well, I do it because I have to, both for the creative release and for financial gain. As far as getting confused . . . I guess I can’t be any more confused than I already am! All joking aside, working on multiple projects at once keeps my writing fresh and interesting. At least to me. 

But there’s also another reason for this so-called drive of mine, and it’s because I live and labor under the eternally optimistic, and maybe a little bit narcissistic, belief that I’m destined for something great. What that “something” is, I do not know. Maybe I’ll be one of those self-published authors who gets discovered and signs a six-figure deal with a major publishing house. Perhaps my husband and I will start that much-needed school for special needs kids we keep talking about. Or quite possibly the greatest achievement of my life will simply be helping my children live up to their potential and reach their own dreams.

What I know is this: Whatever that something great is, it won’t just come to me. Or to you, either. We have to go out there and get it ourselves.

~Melissa Luznicky Garrett
An author of adult and young adult novels. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, three children, and numerous animals. Look for THE PROPHECY, the much-anticipated conclusion to THE SPIRIT KEEPER, coming May 2013. In the meantime, connect with Melissa on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MLGarrettwrites

What I Can Do~Hurricane Sandy

My younger kids' elementary school recently raised over $600 selling baked goods and movie-night concessions to support Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Not too shabby, eh? But it got me to thinking about what I, personally, could do in the way of fundraising. As a one-income family, we don't have much left over after all the bills are paid. And I'm not talking about not having enough to eat out as much as we want to or buying only one cute shirt instead of two or choosing the less expensive manicure. I'm talking about not having much left over for basic necessities such as food (yeah, food) and winter coats for the kids. We're pinching pennies like a lot of people and it hurts. Boy, does it hurt. But I'll tell you one thing: It doesn't hurt more than someone who's lost everything.

I'm a writer. It's what I do. And if I can't, or am not willing, to help someone by doing what I love more than anything in this world (friends and family excluded) then maybe I should reevaluate my priorities. I can sit here and feel sorry for myself that we're eating canned soup for the second night in a row, but at least we have a home of our own to cook it in. We have heat and electricity and gas and water. My children aren't shivering. They aren't hungry. They're not wondering where their next meal is going to come from or if they'll get to go to school tomorrow or if they'll ever have a place to call home again. As a parent I'm not looking at my kids' scared little faces and silently worrying what the hell am I gonna do now?

But this is what I can do: write and sell books. 

For every Kindle copy of TURNING POINT, THE SPIRIT KEEPER, and BLOOD TYPE that I sell during the month of November, I will donate $1 to the American Red Cross. For every print copy I sell of those same three books, I will donate $2. That might not sound like a lot, but it's about 50% of what I make in royalties from each copy sold. It's the least I can do, but I hope in some small way it helps.

~Melissa Luznicky Garrett

Blood Type Has Released!

Since getting attacked by a vampire, I didn’t believe in beginnings. Only endings. Every person born to this world comes with an expiration date, but I had never considered mine. At least not until I met John.

Now the end was all I ever thought about. I woke up every morning wondering if that day would be my last. Venom pulsed in my veins and seeped into my bones, infecting all my vital organs and changing me from the inside out. Slowly killing me.

But I’d welcome death in the end, if only because the alternative was even more frightening.

Popular girl Blake Ehlert has it all: a prime spot on the cheerleading squad, a jock boyfriend who’s strong and sensitive, and the winning vote for Homecoming Queen two years in a row. But when she strikes up a conversation with loner John Kelly, her entire world starts to crumble.

John Kelly is a vampire—what’s known to his kind as a Compeller. It’s his job to recruit human Donors with a particular blood type.

And Blake is his next target.

Melissa Luznicky Garrett is an author of adult and young adult novels. She lives in upstate New York with her husband, three children, and numerous animals. Melissa is currently hard at work on her next project. Visit Melissa’s blog or connect with her on Facebook.

Blood Type is available in print through Create Space, or in print and digital through Amazon.

Stop by Melissa’s blog starting September 22^nd and enter to win a signed print copy of Blood Type. All are welcome to participate. The winner will be chosen and announced October 1^st. Also, claim your free Kindle copy of Melissa's most previous YA Paranormal, The Spirit Keeper, on Amazon September 22nd through September 26th. *As always, please make sure it's marked as free before you download.*

The Spirit Keeper Garners a Great Review

Melissa Luznicky Garrett's new YA paranormal novel, The Spirit Keeper, has received an excellent review from A Reader Reviews!

For those who don't know, the Spirit Keeper is about a teen girl named Sarah whose family has kept the truth of their Native American heritage secret her entire life, refusing to acknowledge where they came from. But when a family that has direct ties to their past moves to town, Sarah’s true identity is revealed.

Here is a taste of the review:

"Garrett nicely captures the emotions and thought process of a teenage girl, who is, at turns, resolute in the face of bullying by classmates, grateful to her aunt and uncle for their care, and both impulsive and careful as she falls in love for the first time." ~Michelle of A Reader Reviews. 

To read the remainder of the review and more from A Reader Reviews, click here. 

Cover Of Turning Point Is Featured

Indie Reader.com recently chose Turning Point, by our own Melissa Luznicky Garrett, as an outstanding indie cover to feature on their site. They did an excellent interview of Melissa asking everything from what the cover conveys about the books to what inspired it.

Congratulations to Melissa on the feature! To check it out go to Indie Reader.com. Our hats are off to Indie Reader for choosing one of the Indie Elite to feature.

Author Interview And Giveaway

Melissa Luznicky Garrett is over at Natalie Allen's blog today doing an in-depth interview about her novel, Turning Point. Natalie didn't miss a thing with this one so it's your chance to learn all about the novel and Melissa. To add to the fun Melissa will be giving away a digital copy of her book! You can check out the interview and enter to win here. 

Press Release and Giveaway for Turning Point

Here is the press release for Turning Point by Melissa Luznicky Garrett:

She recalled her mother’s warning: Bad things always happen to nice girls like you. Convinced a fresh start is all she needs to escape the problems at home, seventeenyear-old Jenna Lyons runs away in the middle of the night. But when her car breaks down on the outskirts of La Grange, Missouri, population less than a thousand, she gets sucked into the small town, and one family in particular. Jenna discovers there’s a liar in La Grange, and he’s deceived everyone. Now she must decide whether to run away from the truth, or blow his secret wide open.

“The tornado isn't the only thing that twists in this story--if you love dark characters with even darker secrets, TURNING POINT is for you!” ~Anne Riley, author of The Clearing.

“TURNING POINT is a YA thriller that will rock your socks, young or old. You should add it to your wish list immediately. I recommend it to anyone who loves stories that expose hidden secrets.” ~Tegan Allen, review on Goodreads.

Published by Create Space
ISBN 1461149703 (ISBN13: 9781461149705)
Available In Print and Online:
Create Space
Amazon
Smashwords
Barnes & Noble
Watch the TURNING POINT book trailer on YouTube

And stop by Melissa's site to enter to win one of five copies of Turning Point!