You don't have kids?!?!

I hate this question/accusation.
For the past 14 years, I've worked in Health Care. April 2013, I quit to pursue writing - both grants and novels. A few months ago I got freaked and decided to sign up for an agency, where I could go into different hospitals and work, keeping my skills up and making sure I'd always have a job. Last night was my first night back into the foray.
Everyone always wants to know about the new person, doesn't matter if you'll ever see one another again, you always have to ask the routine questions. Are you married, do you have kids, why do you work agency, etc. I was taking a break last night when this guy came in and asked if I had kids.
"Nope. I have cats," I replied.
"Are you going to have kids?" He inquired further.
"Nope, I'm good." I answered, curtly.
"How come?" He pressed.
"I don't want kids." I lied to us both. Someday, I'll actually believe it to my core.
"Are you married?" He asked with increased curiosity.
"Yep. Been married for over 9 years now." I responded with a smile, knowing where this conversation was headed. It always goes down this path.
"And he's okay with you not having children?!" The disgusted shock was palpable.
"Yep," my curt tone was back. Any sane person would recognize the tone and end the conversation.
"So you're not having kids?"
"Nope."
"And you're both okay with that?"
"Yep."
"He doesn't want kids?"
"Nope."
I won't bore you with the remaining repetitive questions, but this conversation went on for a good 7 minutes. Normally, just to end the lengthy series of inquiries, I just tell the truth. I wanted kids, I'd love to be a mom, but I can't. I had cervical cancer at 18 and giving birth was taken from me. I can have miscarriages, which are fun (not), but cannot carry to term. This revelation usually completely changes the tone of the conversation. Only once have I had someone ask me why my husband hasn't left me because I can't provide him kids.
That was the only time I was left absolutely speechless.
I can't tell you why I didn't say that, except to say that I'm really tired of telling people things that are really none of their business.
I know what you're thinking, "What's the point of this, Jean?"
Here it is: Why is having kids so important? Since I've accepted not being a mom, I've been content with that decision. Why is that wrong? Why can't my family just consist of me, my husband, and our cats? Why does having people children create a "family"? I don't understand it. Why am I deemed defective simply because I don't have people children? What's wrong with not wanting kids?
I don't treat you badly because you chose to have kids that run in front of my car, spill things on me when I'm shopping, or scream in my ear because they want a toy and you haven't taught them that tantrums are unacceptable. I don't send you dirty looks in restaurants, look at you sympathetically when you tell me you have a bunch of kids, or ask you if you'd like to give them up for adoption when you talk about how sometimes you'd like to be without the kids.
I understand that having, or not having children, is a personal choice. I'm always shocked and amazed at the judgement I receive from others in today's society. I naïvely think that we're an enlightened and accepting generation, and am constantly reminded that we're not.

The Kittens aka the triplets

Gunther and Bry at Halloween

Frost, Saphyra and Gunther just turned 6. They're from the same litter, and I also am the proud owner of their mother.


Gunther is my big scaredy cat, although he does the cutest thing to get pet, he stands up and arches himself into your hand. He also knows what a laser light is and where it's kept in the house. When I ask, "Where's your light?" or "Where's the laser?" he gets super excited, runs to the drawer and paws at it.

Saphyra in her tent

Saphyra is mommy's girl. She's my shadow, my little pain in the butt, spoiled rotten, youngest girl. She has her spot on the bed when it's time to go to sleep, and if I'm not laying correctly, or (God forbid!) someone else is in her spot, she yowls until the grievous error is fixed. Sometime during the night she finds herself snuggled up to her brother, Frost.

Frost being cute

Frost is a big marshmallow. He loves being brushed, preferably by my hairbrush, and absolutely loves the toilet brush. He has his own human toothbrush that he chews on when I brush my teeth, but if he could, he'd snatch the toilet brush and chew on that until his gums bled. I will never understand this. He's a pain in the butt in the morning. Once he was tall enough, he learned how to turn off the standing fan we have in our bedroom. So, for 5 years, I've woken at various times during the wee morning hours to a cat "ticking" the fan, trying to turn it off. What he's really trying to do is to get me up and turn the fan off so he can have the warm spot without air blowing on him.

I came home from work today and Frost sat in front of my computer with his paws on my shoulder, sniffing my ear. Apparently he's celebrating National Hug Day. <3

Release of Accepting Destiny by Christa Lynn

Up until 3 months ago, Ally Sanders lived a normal life and was focused on her career.  She didn’t have time for parties or love, and that was just the way she wanted it.  But Jackson Bentley had other ideas, and pursued Ally with all that he had.  But bumps in the road and dangerous situations kept them from being truly together.

Now that life has calmed down a bit, Jack and Ally start to focus on their relationship.  But outside forces want them apart, and will stop at nothing to make sure that happens.  Even murder.

Will Jackson be able to save Ally?  Or will his past destroy them both?

***This novel includes sexual situations and sensitive subject matter.***

Release party on Facebook! Join us for your chance to win prizes including Running from Destiny and Accepting Destiny.

https://www.facebook.com/events/467506803351431

Visit Christa's Author page:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christa-Lynn-Author/186996248141318

About Christa:

She has been married for almost 17 years and has a teen age son. Christa lives in the Southern US and has the accent to go with it.  Running from Destiny is her first book in a series of two, Accepting Destiny is due to be released January 18, 2014.

Running from Destiny(Book 1) Available on:

Amazon

http://smarturl.it/runningfromdestiny

Barnes and Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/running-from-destiny-christa-lynn/1116480153?ean=2940045364195

Titan InKorp Bookstore

http://www.booktitans.com/erotica/Running-from-Destiny

Moon

I absolutely love the moon. I could spend hours every day outside just staring at the night sky, watching the stars and the moon. I find peace then, peace that escapes me when the sun shines brightly. For me, I come alive at night. I light up, thrive and am awakened to life's infinite possibilities when the moon hangs high in the sky. 

I took this photo a long while ago. I've found myself staring at it on occasion, time just escaping with my thoughts and frustrations. I'm not sure why I'm so drawn to it, but am grateful for the peace she brings. 

What brings you peace? What settles your soul when the chaos of the world seems too much?

Library

I went to the main downtown library today to do some work, mostly because people keep telling me that working in the library or Starbucks is wonderful. I walked in,  found a small table in the outskirts of the large room, and set up my tablet. The Internet kept cutting out, people kept walking by, and the noise!
Whatever happened to the soft whispers of the library?  When did it become a haven for the unwashed homeless?  Why do pimps actually wear purple velour suits and meet with others in the library in the middle of the day?
Needless to say, I didn't get anything done today.

Celebrity photo op

Today Bry and I ran into a character from Harry Potter.

Bry took my photo as Hoot's handler stood by. Hoot has been in many movies over the years, one series in particular, Harry Potter.
While you may not be able to tell in this photo, I'm actually terrified of birds. Hoot was very kind and professional, allowing me to pet his soft feathers when we finished taking photos with him. So while we weren't expecting this, we had a great time meeting a character from one of my favorite movies. :)

Interesting tidbit

Had a meeting today for work that was interesting, followed by another, impromptu meeting with my co-workers (my mother and brother's girlfriend, yes, I have an awesome job) that quickly turned to paranormal discussion and the history of my mother's late teen years.
After 32 years of knowing her, I was informed that my mom actually didn't graduate high school, but obtained her GED instead. I knew she was living on her own when she went to high school, but had no idea she didn't graduate. She was talking about her pregnancy with me and how at 3 months, she had an asthma attack. The doc told her that she could either take meds and see what happens to the baby, or not take meds and the baby would be retarded. I was reminded how far healthcare has come in 30 short years.
This whole revelation came about because of yesterday's post and a discussion my mom had with her boss. Apparently, I have more in common with her boss then I knew and I can't wait to call her up and have lunch. That'll be an interesting conversation... heehee
In the meantime, I'm hanging out with Bry and the cats at home, relaxing and about to watch season 3 of Spartacus.

Nothing big

Thursdays are always fun days. They are the days when my husband gets to come home from working out of town. He comes straight from working 10 hours, his beard blackened from the coal dust, blue eyes sparkling from beneath coal marred brows. He smiles at me, teeth whiter against the blackened beard, and it's impossible for me not to smile back. I have to restrain myself from leaping onto him in a big bear-hug until after he bathes. Otherwise, I'd need a shower too.
The cats all wake up from their respective slumbers, greeting him in their unique ways. Damian, who loves Bry best, shuns him, curling around my legs, sitting on me, and rubbing against me until he's certain Bry understands that he upset the cat. After that, Bry has a cat velcro-ed to him for the remainder of the weekend. Damian glares and yells at me, as if it's my fault his daddy has to leave every week.
So until Bry comes home, I work, exercise, and try to get back into my stories. Once he's here, I only have two full days with him before he leaves again. After 9 years of marriage, I've learned to let go of my stuff and take advantage of the time we have together, because it's never enough.

Past lives

I've always believed that a soul can live multiple lives, learning and growing until it has experienced everything. I've thought about going to a past life reading, then thought I was silly and have always chickened out.
The other day, I saw a FB posting that one of my acquaintances, who happens to be a past life psychic, was doing a free radio show. For shits and giggles, I called in. (This was huge - I'm WAY too shy for my own good!)
She told me that she was getting a feeling from me that she rarely received.
"I keep seeing an egg, accented by sun's rays and highlighted, almost glowing. The spirits are telling me that your origins were alien. You were hatched from an egg with others."
I was stunned into disbelief. Seriously, an alien? She continued.
"I can see you. You were a small, lizard-like creature with webbed claws, although, you are not reptilian. Your claws were used to climb a lot as a youngster, and the webbing was to grip the leaves. You lived on a planet that's 200 million light years from Earth. It's warm, approximately 150 - 200 degrees, arid and so moist a human couldn't survive. Even now, I'm finding it difficult to breathe. Spirit is telling me you survived with dural oxygen. The two suns constantly showed. There was no night."
The description of the presumed me was intriguing. Made me think of writing a story about this creature.
"Your race was protected, nurtured, loved. You were intuitive, communicating telepathically with the other healers. You lived in a harmonious environment for 5,000 years before your death. If you concentrate, you can still communicate telepathically with this race."
I had no idea what to say. "Gee, that's awesome and creepy at the same time," came to mind, but the words were never spoken.
Her partner piped up, "because of this history, in this life, you find yourself easily seeing the big picture, having answers, and knowing that a harmonious life is possible because you've already lived it. You were sent here to be a teacher, to guide others in finding balance and harmony. You know what you're talking about and you need to quit doubting yourself. Don't let others get in your head, you need to trust yourself and your instincts."
I was completely at a loss for words. I've been feeling like this for a long time. I can see a peaceful existence, practically grazing it with my fingertips, but am smothered in self-doubt. These are feelings I've not spoken to many, but it floored me at how easily they pulled my biggest hurdle into the forte.

Have any of you had a past life reading done? What was yours like? Do you believe in them, or are you a skeptic? Even after experiencing this, I'm not certain it's real. I want to believe, and I felt a ring of truth as they spoke, but really, an alien? How weird is that?

Happy New Year!

What a crazy year it's been! 

My husband sent me on a much needed and appreciated vacation in January, where I was able to visit my claimed sister and spend a day in New York City. We saw Wicked on Broadway, spent time in Central Park after dark, saw the Statue of Liberty, and I devoured half of an authentic New York Pizza. In February, I got together with someone to help with marketing, and while it was an interesting experience, it's not a relationship I'm continuing in the upcoming year. April saw the end of my healthcare career, much to my relief, joy and terror; along with the birth of my grant writing career and continuation of Novel writing. Three Anthologies, and two novellas were published this year, with progress on Convergence, the 5th in the Origin's Series. New friends were made, old friends were lost, and peace began to settle in the Booth house. It's been a crazy adjustment not only to be working from home, which is much more difficult than people realize, but to also relearn to live in the daytime.
While there have been struggles and challenges this year, I'm hopeful and excited to see what the future holds.
I'm so grateful to have experienced this year with you all and can't wait to see what 2014 has in store for us!
How have you grown this past year? What do you hope for in 2014?

Happy Holidays!

I'm the oddball in my family. While everyone I know and love, including my husband, looks forward to, and celebrates Christmas, I do not. I support them and smile with them, doing my best to share in their joy of the Christmas season. Bry and I have a tree and we open presents with the cats on Christmas day, after Santa Paws has been to visit. It's silly, but it's fun. We also spend Christmas Eve and Day with some of our families. I have a blended family, and only some of them live near us, so it's a bittersweet time.
I, however, celebrate the Solstice. Quietly retreating to my office or the backyard, I sit in solitary meditation, giving thanks to Spirit, the god and goddess, and taking the time to send positive energy and healing to those who may need it. It warms my heart, heals a part of me that I never really knew needed the healing, and brings me peace and joy during this time of year.
While I do say, "Happy Christmas," "Happy Chanukah," and "Happy Holidays" to people, I don't force my beliefs on them and don't get offended if others forget or ignore my beliefs. I believe this time of year is a time of remembrance, love and charity to and for all.
So, no matter what your beliefs are during this hectic season, I hope you find joy and blessings with those around you. <3

Cover release

I know you guys have been waiting for news regarding Origins #5, and boy do I have some news for you! The title and cover-art are being released TODAY!!!
I'm still writing it, and am hoping to have it available early 2014. Enjoy!

Head on over to Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Smashwords to get caught up on the Origins of the Supernaturals!

The Weaver Saga

In preparation for the release of Flickers *December 10*, John Abramowitz has discounted Weaver and Void to $0.99!!!

This is what John has to say about the Weaver Saga:

For the first few chapters of Weaver, Book 1 of The Weaver Saga, readers might think they're delving into a young adult paranormal romance. The book starts out in familiar enough territory: shy, socially isolated girl meets the boy of her dreams. But from the moment I started writing, my plan was to take this well-worn plot device and twist it into something terrifying. My fifteen-year-old protagonist would meet the boy of her dreams, all right--but the dream would be about him killing her. And rather than a romance, readers would get a thriller. (Though there are plenty of romantic elements for those looking to swoon.)

There were two reasons for the bait-and-switch. First, I'm contrary by nature. When I write, nothing makes me happier than defying reader expectations and genre conventions. The last thing I want is for a reader of mine to say "Oh, I know where this is going"--and then end up being right. Predictability leads to boredom, and if my readers are bored, I'm not doing my job right.

The other reason is that I'm tired of abusive love interests in young adult fantasy fiction. I will admit up front that this is a genre that I watch more than read. I watched The Vampire Diaries until it jumped the shark completely during season 4 and still keep up with its spinoff series The Originals. Until it was cancelled, I also enjoyed The Nine Lives of Chloe King. And maybe it's just me, but when the first thing a character does onscreen is assault someone who's done him no harm (as happened in The Nine Lives of Chloe King), that character should have no chance as a love interest. At least not without some serious rehabilitation first. Similarly, a character who puts his hands around the throat of the woman who is carrying his child (as happened in The Originals) should immediately lose all chance of winning over the girl of his dreams. And I don't think snapping the neck of your lady love's younger brother should be an aphrodisiac, either. (The Vampire Diaries, season 2, episode 1.)

I wrote The Weaver Saga, as much as anything else, to question whether writers should hold up such characters as ideal partners for young women (or role models for young men seeking to "get the girl"). An attractive monster is still a monster. At the same time, though, there's a reason that the "bad boy" character gets re-used so often: "dangerous" and "sexy" often do go hand-in-hand. And sometimes bad people really do find a measure of redemption, so I didn't want to discount that possibility, either. I tried to look at the issue from all sides.

Oh, and I threw in an FBI agent and a secret society and some superpowered kids, too. Just for extra fun. If I haven't scared you away with all the parentheses in this article, I invite you to give Weaver a shot. Buckle up--a new kind of young adult fantasy awaits.

Envisioned - Origins of the Supernaturals Book 4.5

Available Now!

Envisioned
Origins of the Supernaturals Book 4.5 by Jean Booth

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Smashwords

As leader of the wolves, Auto holds immense power and responsibility. He's Stephan's second, and his oldest friend. In truth he'd give it all up to find his mate, his Alma Xemelga.

Sage was plagued with nightmares of a wolf hunting in the Michigan forests. Drawn to the wolf for reasons she can't understand, she never spoke of these dreams... until she met him.

With Auto's secret in her hands, he wonders, can she accept him for what he truly is? And when he learns of her powerful, hidden talents, will she be able to accept herself?

JEAN BOOTH lives in Nevada with her husband and cats. When she's not out risking her neck on the back of her motorcycle, she enjoys the more calm activities of reading, gardening, and spending time with her friends and family. She has worked in health care for most of her adult life before deciding to finally share the stories that have been living in her head.

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