The Grunt by Latrivia Nelson

Okay, I'll go ahead and admit from the onset that I'm a HUGE fan of Latrivia Nelson. Her Medlov Crime Family series is a favorite of mine that I still pull out when I need a boost. Her latest, The Grunt (part of the Lonely Hearts series) is destined to be re-read over and over again as well.

Like the author, I'm married to a retired military man and I love stories that have strong military heroes. Brett Black is a hard-core lifer in the Marine Corps who gets hit with the  one-two sucker punch from hell courtesy of his gold-digging wife. He's left a single dad trying to raise an adorable little boy who will steal your heart. His saving grace arrives in the form of Courtney Lawless. Down-to-earth and nurturing, Courtney brings stability into their lives and they give her a renewed sense of purpose.

This book took me through a wide range of emotions from beginning to end. I wanted to dish out an old-fashioned beat down to the sleazy wife. I wanted to hold Brett and protect his son. I wanted to have Courtney's back when she finally stood up for herself and most of all I wanted a happily ever after for her and Brett. You will not be disappointed in the journey Ms. Nelson takes you on with this engaging story. It's a must read so pick up your copy of The Grunt today.

Happily writing,
Elle

Elle's Back In The Game

Life can be a real B*tch sometimes. Such has been the case for the last couple of months in my world. Things at the day job reached critical mass in June (I work in public education and we're in a recession, you get the drift) and I'm still recovering from the fall-out.  My extended family all lost their minds at once and my muse went into hiding. On top of all this my hubby and I are trying to purchase a new home and dealing with all the headaches involved with that.

My saving grace during this upheaval has been my Princess who's been working hard to gain entry into the US Air Force. She's had to endure repeat physical exams (she inherited her Momma's poor eyesight), long delays waiting for waivers (for the aforementioned bad eyesight) and the rigors of getting into shape for basic training. As her Mom I willingly went on this journey with her. That means at least three days per week I was working out at a local park with her and several other young recruits. I walked while she and the other 20-something year olds jogged. I lifted eight pound weights while they did push-ups by the dozens. Almost two months later and we can both see and feel the difference. I actually FEEL stronger. My energy level is climbing everyday and my muse is happy again.

Now it's time to catch up. This blog has suffered enough so get ready for some fresh content in the coming weeks. My debut novel Wynter's Blossom is still going through a rigorous editing process with my publisher and I'm learning so much and growing as an author. I'm finishing up a short story with one hot-as-hell SWAT officer and going back to another story about shifters in small town USA. There's also my very first novel which I never submitted but plan to in 2012. Yeah, I'm definitely back in the game and loving it.

Happily writing,
Elle