Today, I'm very excited to be introducing this little Notebooking feature. Why am I so excited? Because this feature is about my writing. Writing has always been apart of me. Since I first started reading chapter books, I have been writing. Writing stories and poems and experimenting with language and words. And for the past couple of years, I've been learning to write again. I've written some stories, but nothing that I've ever shared. So what does that have to do with Notebooking? Let me explain.

In this feature, I hope to share my journey as a writer with you. I hope to share with you what I've learned, what I'm working on, bits of my stories and inspiration. It's not going to be something I can feature once a week. And I am probably not the best of teachers out here on the webs, but I'm not here to guide anyone so much as share what I'm experiencing as someone who is daring to write. I say "dare" because I've learned something in these last two years that I've been writing.

Here's what I've learned: first of all, writing requires practice, or you get rusty. You can always pick up that pen again, but it's not exactly like riding a bicycle. The craft feels a little put out that you've abandoned it for so long and doesn't always work with you the minute you decide it's time to start crafting again. So practice is essential. When I say practice, I don't just mean daily practices or prompts. Those are excellent and I use them a lot, but I also mean it to say, you need to simply sit down and work on your story. Or at least, I do as a writer. Which leads me to believe (and some writers have confirmed) that other writers do too.

The other thing I've learned is writing is damn hard work. Hence, the need to do it daily. Do I do it daily? I was. And it felt great. Even if it was just a practice, just for the sake of getting words down on paper, it kept the craft  happy. Kept me happy. Am I still writing daily? It's more like weekly. Again, of late, life has been busy and juggling it has been tough. Writing, like reading, has fallen to the wayside. And here is where you need to dare. Dare yourself to write anyway. Even though it's tough and you're busy, write anyway. That's been part of my journey, taking that scary leap and writing despite the fact that real life requires far more of my attention than I'd like it to at times. Writing for me, has been an act of daring myself to continue writing even though it's hard work.

So I've been daring myself. And I started something recently I'm excited about. Something I really want to see through to the end. If the end is ten thousand words, well so be it. At least I'll have finished something. If it's larger, well then...I might have me a book.  So this little Notebooking feature is simply me sharing my journey as a writer with you. Will you join me here, every now and then, because I write?

Dear Readers, 

I have for you today a Quote It! post of a book I was reading while I should have been reading something

 else--you know me, reader's ADD and all. Anyway, it was a book I fell in love with and I hope the quotes I've selected to share with you will show you why.

The quotes are from a wonderful historical romance, Sold to a Laird by Karen Ranney. I'm itching to read the rest of the trilogy as well, but all in good time.


"You rob the words from me Sarah," he said softly.

He would not leave her. He couldn't. She'd lost her mother, and possibly her identity. She wouldn't lose him as well. 

How had she lived without passion? How had she lived without him?

"You give me the power to be anyone I chose to be...Would you mind if I chose to be Sarah Eston of Kilmarin, instead?"
"As long as you don't forget your true role," he said, smiling. 
"The laird's wife?"
"The laird's love," he said. 

Perfectly delicious! Thanks for stopping by!

Introducing Feature Favourite! You might have noticed on my Feature page that I said I was going to be introducing this soon. I also hinted it in What's the Scoop? not too long ago.

So what is Feature Favourite? Simply put, it's me sharing my favourite books with you. Some might be older favourites of mine, some might be a newly discovered favourite. You'll not only hear me gush about my favourite, but learn a thing or two about the author and series. I'm starting with one a lot of romance fans have read, but it's a good one, not to mention my most favourite of favourites ♥

Lover Awakened 
Series: The Black Dagger Brotherhood
Author: J. R Ward

The novel: This has long been a favourite of mine. I think what struck me the most was how raw and moving and romantic this story was. For every moment that Zsadist is hurting, reliving a horrible memory, angry with himself and the world, or scared Bella is right there with him. I found that so very touching. And for as scarred and angry as Zsadist was, for how dangerous he came across in the first two novels of this series, we learn he's really very vulnerable and sensitive and loving. And despite everything she's been through, Bella stays strong and kicks ass in this novel while still being gentle and compassionate. From beginning to end, this novel was just devastating and has remained a favourite of mine for years.

The Series: The Black Dagger Brotherhood is a favourite and popular PNR series with thousands of fans. The main characters are all vampires, save for a few choice humans, and each warrior (brother) finds his soul mate, or shellan. And each romance is action packed, filled with sizzling hot scenes, raw emotion, and just wonderful characters. Sometimes gritty, but always ending happily, this series is edgy and sexy and stays with you long after the last page. Currently, the newest novel in the series is the twelfth, The King.

The Author: Is it any surprise she's a number one New Times Best Selling author? I think not. J.R Ward also writes contemporary romance novels as Jessica Bird, and also writes a PNR series called Fallen Angels. She has been a Rita Award finalist, received two Romantic Times Reviewer's Choice nominations and has also been a HOLT medallion finalist. Prior to writing, J.R Ward worked in the healthcare industry in Boston.

I'll add that her novels have made me cry. Yes, they are that good.

So, here's the scoop. If you've been following my blog since at least the summer, you'll have noticed that things have quieted down here. A lot. You may have wondered why.

There's a lot of reasons really. I've mentioned that I wanted to do more writing, something I am passionate about. And I've set myself goals and resolved and re-resolved towards that end. Unfortunately, since I also have a day job, it hasn't always been easy to sit down and get to writing.

Especially since I sprained my back in the fall. I spent two nights a week at physiotherapy from September till Christmas. It was not fun. I fell behind in my reading, my day job bled into my evenings, and thus, things quieted here. Things were looking up a bit come new year, but then the polar vortex hit. Yes, I said polar vortex. On my third day back from Christmas holiday, I stopped to put gas in my car before I went to work. It was freezing outside. And by freezing I mean -39C with the wind chill. Oh, you remember that day in January, do you? It was so cold the wind cut through my goose down coat and the two layers I was wearing underneath and I could feel it chilling my skin. 

No, I'm not kidding. For those of you that live some place warm, I'll just say this: even I, a seasoned Canuck was shocked by how cold it was. Anyway, I'm digressing. When I arrived at work that morning, my entire back seized and I could not move. So that was January.

But things have improved a bit since February. Slowly but surely. Until I got to thinking. I got to thinking that the blog needed a change. I wanted to re-focus it a bit. So I stopped posting my Weekly Musings feature thinking that I'd re-vamp it a little. And lately, while I was stuck at home with a sprained ankle (again, not kidding!) I started working on re-vamping the blog as a whole.

You might have noticed the changes. It's nothing big since I am not very techy. I've always wanted the blog to look clean and polished and yet reflect something of myself. So I got rid of some clutter, dolled things up a wee bit and viola! I have something of a new look. And I like it! It's still me, and it's still fun and I think it's more user friendly to have all my stuff and things on one side bar as opposed to two. Like I said, the changes aren't big, but more changes will be coming. The biggest change (and my most favourite) would be my new header. I found an amazingly generous and talented lady to do that lovely for me. I'm giddy about it. Just giddy. Especially since I was sure I wasn't going to be able to get such a gorgeous header since I can't do much with Photoshop or Gimp.

What are these other changes I hinted at? For starters, I'm discontinuing Weekly Musings. I've tried to re-vamp it, but nothing clicked with me, so I decided the best thing to do was to create an entirely new feature. Or two. If I have really important or really cool things to share that don't fit into those features, well then, that's what the What's the Scoop??? posts will be for! So really, I guess I have maybe three new features. Now, that is exciting news! What are the other two features? Well, you'll have to stay tuned to find out. But I promise they are coming soon.

Thanks for stopping by What's the Scoop??? at My Devastating Reads.

Kindle Edition, 2nd edition, 373 pages

Published May 15th 2012 

by Danelle Harmon 

(first published December 28th 1997)

Add to Goodreads

Series: The de Montforte Brothers, #1
My Rating: ❀❀❀❀❀
Genre: Historical Romance

Lord Gareth de Montforte is an irresponsible, fun-loving rake when beautiful Juliet Paige arrives from America with his late brother's baby, hoping to give the child a name. Gareth impulsively weds her, only to discover he wasn't ready for all the responsibilities of marriage and fatherhood. They're in for plenty of trouble and heartache, until they discover that their love can overcome anything.



A fun, romantic read with just the right amount of steam! The premise drew me in because I was sure it'd be a hot, sexy story with just the right amount of raw emotion. But I got more than I baragined for when I read this. Gareth isn't just an implusive rake who decides to marry his brother's fiance in order to provide a family for her and her baby (his brother's daughter) but also a man who is seeking to prove himself to not only his family and the world, but also to his own self. It's about Gareth growing up into the sweet, caring man that he really is deep inside and leaving the "Wild One" behind him. He's hard headed about it at times, or as Juliet calls him, proud, but there was a lot of layers to his character that I really loved. He's perceptive, funny, sweet and fiercely devoted to his family. Yes, he has a fair amount of pride and a temper, but I think it gave him the perseverance to throw off the cloak of the Wild One and become a fine man as well as a good husband and father.

The story starts out dramatically enough with Gareth rescuing Juliet as her stagecoach is being robbed and develops beautifully from there. I really didn't expect a lot of what happened--how they married, Juliet's doubts about it, the fight that follows the marriage, or how they ended up at Mrs. Bottomlay's and then Swanthrope. Everything flowed smoothly and logically,

Book Two of
The de Montforte Brothers

 and yet was just unexpected enough to keep me totally hooked and wondering what would happen next. And in the middle of all of this was a slow burn romance that kept me on the edge of my seat. 

I ought say a word about the herione. I honestly liked her. It might not have easy to like a herione who marries her late fiance's brother--and only to gain her daughter a father and name, and because she has a fair amount of desire for him, but Juliet was easy to like. She loved Charles, but she also gave Gareth a fair chance to prove himself to her, despite her uncerainity about everything. She questions whether or not she and Charles would have made a good match, and condemns everyone for comparing Charles and Gareth and allows herself to move forward despite the grief she has been living with for the past year. I admired that about her because it takes true strength to not only solider forward for the sake of her child, but to pick up the pieces of her life, put them in the past and carry on for her own sake as well.

The ending? Happily ever after of course, for Gareth and Juliet, but it does leave me wondering a couple of things. First, what else is the Duke of Blackheath (Gareth's oldest brother) up to? Why does he meddle in the life of his siblings--and why is he so sneaky about it? And secondly, what about Charles, the supposedly dead brother and Juliet's "late" fiance? I certainly can't wait to read the rest of this series. It promises both wonderful characters and refreshing stories. I will certainly be looking up more by Danelle Harmon.