Don’t Necessarily Beware the Ides of March…

A year ago today, we had the nor’easter to end all storms in New York City.

I love a good snowstorm, but I missed that one in its entirety. I was asleep most of the day. Literally, I was under the knife, having brain surgery to place a shunt in my head.

I saw none of it until one of my best friends picked me up at the hospital and shuttled me — and Coop, who was staying with her — home from Manhattan to Brooklyn.

Most people tend to beware the ides of March. However, I now embrace the old curse. Hey, Friday the 13th was always my luckiest day, and as far as I’m concerned, March 15 brought a lot of positive changes to my life.

I lost most of my sight last year due to spinal fluid building pressure against my optic nerves. Hence, the shunt to siphon away all that icky stuff. When I went into the surgery, I pretty much couldn’t see anything but a blur of white. I didn’t need the blizzard. I already had one built into my eyes.

Although I’m still legally blind, I gained so much from that day beyond the minimal sight that eventually did return.

Now, I live every single day as if it might be my last. I snuggle Coop a little tighter, and maybe he’s gained a few ounces from too many treats. I don’t just say, “I love you.” I show the people in my life how much they mean to me in whatever small ways I can. And I make the time in my crazy, hectic life to create memories.

Having lost one of my oldest and dearest friends last year to a heart attack at 45 — and having my own dose of my imminent fatality slap me in the face — I know that time is all too fleeting. I do what I want when I want, and I appreciate every second of the joys that life continues to reveal. And I’m glad that I told everyone who means something to me how much I love them before I went under on that wintry March afternoon.

March has always been a strange month for me. My mom passed away twenty years ago at the tender age of 51. I think of her every day, but this month has always been difficult.

This year, though, I think she’s telling me from beyond to celebrate all the good that I still have in my life. And I am, with the people who matter most.

Among other things, living in New York City has taught me resilience. The everyday fight just to exist ain’t easy. I’m used to that. And that mindset made me strong. I’m just lucky that I had some amazing friends over the years who have helped me to understand that endless fight of survival against contentment. There’s a happy medium, and I think I’ve almost found it.

There’s no time for senseless stress in my life anymore. I only allow myself to get anxious over the stuff that really matters — the things I’m most passionate about. In a lot of ways, I’m happier now that I’ve lost most of my vision than before I got sick.

They say that if you’re a year out after shunt surgery with no revisions, you’re doing pretty damn good. Not that there might not be complications in the future, but you’re doing okay. And I’ll take that.

As I head into this next year, I’m sure it will be full of challenges, but I do have so much good in my life, and that needs to be celebrated. Regardless of what the future holds, at least I can say to myself with absolute conviction: I’ve got this. I’ve got this. 

 

SMITTEN is LIVE!

 

Smitten ebook#RELEASEDAY #LIVE #SMITTEN #JULIETBRADDOCK #BDSM #EROTICA #RomanticComedy #99Cents

Who says there’s no humor in BDSM? Wait til you meet January Gallimore. I am so excited to share with you my erotic comedy, SMITTEN, live now on Amazon!

January Gallimore has arrived at a crossroad in life.

A short-lived scandal that had made her the darling of the BDSM community did little to damage her status as America’s sweetheart. However, her career starring in romantic comedies hasn’t given her any insights into figuring out her own love life.

For five years, January shared a long-distance love affair with French rock legend, Etienne Marceaux. Their relationship is passionate but comfortable. Caught in the whirlwind between New York and Paris, they indulge in stolen moments in between their chaotic celebrity lives.

Although Etienne certainly knows how to entertain her with his Dominance, January realizes that something is missing. Now a thirty-something actress, she wonders how long her career will endure, and she questions some of the decisions she’s made.

On a spontaneous trip with her best friend to Provence, January encounters a chance meeting with a younger Englishman, Nigel Hereford-Smyth. With his naivete and somewhat awkward aristocratic ways, Nigel, nevertheless, sweeps January off her Louboutin pumps.

As they romp about the French countryside, January tutors her young suitor on the finer points of BDSM, and Nigel unwittingly leads January on a deep exploration of what really matters in her life. While she allows herself to revel in the bliss of a possible new man in her life, she also realizes that Nigel carries his own set of baggage.

Forced to leave Nigel by her filming schedule, January returns to the hustle of Hollywood, only to find her confusion mounting.

Will she choose Etienne, who makes her body sizzle…or Nigel, whose charm and manners leave her SMITTEN?

SMITTEN is the first book in the “Paris Après Minuit” Series, which will include a range of erotic standalones, all set in the City of Light and surrounds.

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I had so much fun writing this book. January is not your typical submissive. She’s played the scene for far too long. She knows what she wants. And she’s not afraid to ask for it. Confident and smart, she also appreciates the every day foibles life tosses her way.

I also enjoyed writing the setting for the book, which chronicles January’s journey from Paris to Provence. I love visiting France, and I am obsessed with French pop culture.

Enjoy and Happy Reading!

SMITTEN is available exclusively at Amazon and on Kindle Unlimited. Grab it for 99 cents for a limited time.

 

 

EVENTS for SMITTEN

Smitten ebookHere’s my takeover schedule for SMITTEN. Stop by and say hello.

Pre-order and have it on your Kindle tonight at midnight!

Tuesday, March 13, 8 PM EST
Read, Recommend, Repeat
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1721252041435916/

Wednesday, March 14, 8 PM EST
Bestsellers of Romance
https://www.facebook.com/BestSellersBestStellarsofRomance/

Thursday, March 15, 8 PM ES
Beneath the Covers
https://www.facebook.com/groups/BTCAfterHours/

Sunday March 18, 9 PM EST
Kinky Girls Book Obsessions
https://www.facebook.com/groups/kinkygirlsafterdark/?ref=group_header

Monday, March 19, 8 PM EST
Kylie’s Fiction Addiction
https://www.facebook.com/groups/kyliesfictionaddiction/?fref=mentions&pnref=story

Tuesday, March 20, 8 PM EST
Rock Star Book Muse
https://www.facebook.com/groups/351130518569862/

Tuesday, April 17, 7 PM
Romance Readers Recommend

 

Share SMITTEN…

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Have you supported the Thunderclap for SMITTEN yet? Well, what are you waiting for? #HelpAnAuthor get the word out!

There’s no cost. All ya gotta do is click. And they won’t even spam you. In fact, you choose where you want to share the message on release day.

Come one…get that #OneClick finger going. Stop by the page below and give it a share or two.

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/67105-smitten-is-live