****THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED***
The winner of Friday’s book, Witch Blood, is Stephanie F, who said, “There is nothing like feeling like a fish out of sea when you are 40 yrs old and going to college around a lot of teenagers right out of high school.” Congrats! Please drop me an email, Stephanie! Anyabast (at) gmail.com
Today’s book……
Sarafina Connell is having the worst week of her life. It takes an even darker turn when an infamous playboy kidnaps her and reveals a world she never knew existed….
It’s a world where magick is real, and where Sarafina is given a chance to join a secret cabal that is bent on gaining absolute power. They could use a woman like her—a witch with an untapped gift for creating fire. But she isn’t about to get in league with the devil.
Rescued from her captors, Sarafina is introduced to a coven that is duty-bound to fight the forces of darkness. She’s pleased that her savior is the imposingly seductive Theo—until the trust between them goes up in flames. However, as the war between good and evil is waged, Sarafina and Theo realize they have no choice but to unite in the battle for supremacy—that’s getting hotter by the minute.
Read the first chapter and/or watch the book video.
Answer in the comments for a shot at a copy of Witch Fury. Don’t forget to check back tomorrow to see if you won.
Like many of my heroines, Sarafina is forced to find her strength during the course of this book. When it opens she’s in a very bad place, grieving and directionless. Then circumstances force her into finding her power. Have you ever been in a position in which you were forced to become stronger than you ever thought you could be?
When my grandfather was dying and after he died I had to find the strength to be stronger for my family. All I wanted to do was curl up and cry but I knew that I could not do that, that I had to help the other members of my family be strong. He died almost 5 years ago, and I have not been able to step foot in that hospital or the church where his funeral was held since then. 🙁
by June M. March 29th, 2011 at 6:27 amWhen I got confirmation that my son has Autism. I realised then that I am going to have to be strong enough to fight the battles he can’t and support him in the ones he can. I wouldn’t change him for the world but I would love to help change other people’s perspectives…
by Michelle McMichael March 29th, 2011 at 6:33 amI have horrible social phobias and don’t like being in crowds at all. I would be perfectly happy just to stay at home and never go outside again….but I had a child and had to reach deep down inside myself to make things good for my child. I made myself go to her school plays, after school programs, talk with the teachers and take her to the mall and all the other things that parents ahve to do with their kids and don’t think twice about it. But it was hard for me..my daughter is ow 19 years old and she told em she now realizes how hard it was for me, she could see it as she got older and she really appreciates everything I did for her. Even though I am a bit messed up, I raised a good kid and I am proud of that.
by Mary Kirkland March 29th, 2011 at 7:12 amWhen my father was diagnosed with cancer, I was with him from beginning to end. I’ve never had to be so strong. My mother was a mess. I was the one who made sure he ate, took him to radiation treatments. I guess maybe learning from him during that time is what made me strongest. He never complained even though he was in so much pain.
He made me stronger.
by Kimberly Flood March 29th, 2011 at 7:52 amwhen i got hurt at work and then they fired me for it. i worked for a big university and it took alot of strength and courage to take on the big guys because it wasn’t just a school but a state run university so it is like filing a lawsuit against the state itself. it has been an uphill battle and they have tried to intimidate not just me but the other people in my family that work there too. i have never been the type of person to stand up for alot of causes or jump on the bandwagon for anything but i am hoping that once this lawsuit is won it will put new laws into effect so that they can’t do this to anyone else.
by tammy ramey March 29th, 2011 at 7:56 amI am going through a period like that now, I now I have the strength but it is hard at times
by Tamara Shurling March 29th, 2011 at 8:07 amI was diagnosed with Junior Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 8 years. Basically overnight I had to say goodbye to my childhood and start living a completely different life. I do know from all the things my family, friends and even doctors have said in the years since that everyone was proud of the way strength I showed and how I got though my struggles due to the disease. Who knows if I would be the same straight forward, unafraid type person I am today if I hadn’t gone through hat I did.
by Mandy B. March 29th, 2011 at 9:09 amYes I have been. When I left home to go to a foreign country to study for 8 months. I never been away from home for longer than a week. And being in a foreign country without friends and family was really difficult at the beginning, but I learned to deal with it and feel like I am a much stronger person!
by betul E. March 29th, 2011 at 9:15 amI had a situation like that when I was 12. My dad went to prison for the accidental fatal shooting of his best friend. I had to grow up fast after that.
by Ashley A March 29th, 2011 at 9:29 amAbout a year and a half ago my mother had a heartattack and I had to step up in a major way. Everyone but myself and my boyfriend left the hospital to get supplies for her and never came back for hours. I was the one soley taking care of her. It was so hard trying to be strong but I was able to do it for her.
by Danielle Gorman March 29th, 2011 at 9:57 amThis may be small or big depending on what you think.. it is the only thing I can think of to answer this question. One thing is I am suffereing from bipolar, schitzophrenia and some other issues.. I decided two years ago to try for disability, because my issues kept blocking me from properly maintining any form of job. one of these is actually a fear of people. Well I had struggled with finances and health issues, and well I had to have a hearing. In the hearing the “judge” asked some very personal questions, and that was one heck of a day. I layed my self out on the table. I told experiences from my life, and things that I daily have to deal with. I was had started therapy about a week before hand..In therapy I had never really had to describe day to day thought proceesses. I came out of that meeting room with tears on my face, but you know what I now understand that talking about my issues, and disabilities is something that has made me love myself, just a bit more, and to tell them to a complete stranger made me realize that I could openly tell people about my issues, and disabilities.
by Phillip Albright March 29th, 2011 at 10:57 amI don’t think of it in that way but I have gone through breast cancer. I was 42 at the time with two teenage boys. All in all I think you just step up and do what you have to do.
by Viki S. March 29th, 2011 at 11:44 ami was 12 years old. my uncle had died. i was lost because he was my world, i was constantly with him. and when he died i felt like i had fallen in a black hole. it took me one morning i realizedi needed to get myself out of the depression. i forced myself to get out of bed and go to school. it had been weeks since his death, and i never knew i had that much strength in me at such a young age.
by ruth cardoza March 29th, 2011 at 12:01 pmThose times when someone very close to you dies is a time when you have to be strong and when my father passed at 45, then my brother at 29 I found strength I didn’t knew I had.
Valerie
by Valerie March 29th, 2011 at 12:44 pmin Germany
It’s happening right now, ma grandma who I loved my whole life and depended on her has been slowly falling victim to dementia and now depends on me like a child. It’s really hard to reconcile this person with a strong self-sufficient woman I knew.
by Fran March 29th, 2011 at 1:11 pmI graduated college last May and have since then been enrolled in an internship program. My tough situation is now because, while I am currently living with family, I am not getting paid and have my loans piling up. On top of that, my parent’s are struggling with debt and having four kids still depending on them to help out when times are tough. My mom also just filed for retirement after 25+ years of teaching. It’s a tough time right now for my family and with me being so far away I cannot help out. I’m just hoping for a good job-outlook come June so that I can be less of a burden to my parents.
by Ashley L March 29th, 2011 at 1:31 pmMan there are so many strong woman commenting! Its amazing the strength you can find when you need it. I’ve always considered myself strong but this past July my father ended up in the hospt with heart issues. The 3 of us kids found ourselves makings those really hard decisions that no child ever wants to make. The decision to remove life support will probably always be the hardest decision I will make in my life.
by amanda Pizzolanti March 29th, 2011 at 1:35 pmI can’t think of anything in particularly but the closest would be dealing with a breakup… you just have to get over it and learn from it.
by Lynn March 29th, 2011 at 1:48 pmOh, yes. Quite a lot of the time, actually.
by Chelsea B. March 29th, 2011 at 2:03 pmLike many of my heroines, Sarafina is forced to find her strength during the course of this book. When it opens she’s in a very bad place, grieving and directionless. Then circumstances force her into finding her power. Have you ever been in a position in which you were forced to become stronger than you ever thought you could be?
Oh yes definitely; I think the situation that best fits this question is several years back.
For me it was the day my parents went to court to settle their divorce, I knew getting through that day would be hard but it was even harder than I thought because that was also the day of the terrorist attack in New York.
Both those events will be things that I’ll probably be thinking about for a very long time; I’m not quite sure how I made it through. But I do know that I’m stronger now than I was then, I guess I made it through mostly because of the support I had from my friends and family.
I think I also made through because I read and wrote so much, I think that having a healthy hobby during a hard time in your life is one of the best things you can do.
by Gabrielle J. March 29th, 2011 at 3:36 pmThe year I turned 16 I took a 2 and a 1/2 story fall. this was also the year my maternal grandmother died. When my mom went to care for her mom I was left as the eldest at home with four younger siblings years 1,4,6 and 14. the 14 year old and I did not get along at this time, however with a TBI and full household responsibilitys I had to quickly learn to get along with her and pull together. That or kill each other off. Today Anna and I are very close and I could not ask for a better friend and sister.
by Sarah Ulfers March 29th, 2011 at 5:49 pmI lost a family member and my parents got a divorce in the same week.
by Stephanie M March 29th, 2011 at 6:06 pmI had to decide to get the house out of foreclosure and pay the credit card debt of over 80,000 dollars. I had ignored the finances for a year and had to stop hiding.
by Lindsey E March 29th, 2011 at 6:34 pmI was sick for a year. During the same year my mother in law was dying from cancer. There were days I just wanted to whine and act like a baby. There was just no point. I put on my big girl panties and held it together when other people were around. It was exhausting but it was worth it.
by Jen B. March 29th, 2011 at 6:35 pmI had to get over my fear of needles when I got pregnant. Good Lawdy, they want to stick you like every other day, but I had to do it to make sure my baby and I were healthy.
by Bethany C. March 29th, 2011 at 6:52 pmAbout four years ago my grandfather fell very ill and after 2 months of hospital stay passed away. I was the one who had to talk with the doctor at the time death, notify family, and even call the funeral home were just to distraught. Then help my mom with his final bills and things.
The worst came when my mom was supposed to get his house but all of her syblings were not in agreement with that or what to do with some of his belongings. My grandfather was like a 2nd father to me – spending more time with me as child than my own father did. Dealing with his loss, taking care of finalities, and the family arguments were a very trying time. It took a lot to move past and forgive/make peace with the rest of the family.
pams00 @ aol.com
by Pam S (pams00) March 29th, 2011 at 8:11 pmyes, when i was 17 i had my son. his dad went to jail and we split up. I have raised him with help from my parents. but i’ve had to deal with stuff i never thought i’d have had to do because i want the best for him. he’s now 7 1/2. loving school and life 🙂
by Sabrina March 29th, 2011 at 9:13 pmI can’t say that I have been. There have been some tough spots in my life, but I’ve always had friends or family to lean back on when things got too tough for just me.
by Lauren March 30th, 2011 at 12:58 amWhen I found myself & my children in a ‘bad place’ I had the courage and strength to leave and make a better life.
by Mary Preston March 30th, 2011 at 1:05 am