Wednesday, October 31, 2012

THREADS


1// Head Scarf - Thrifted ---> Love the versatility of a small head scarf. Check out this helpful post on styling head scarfs! :) 2// Cream Poncho - Target ---> My new favorite find from target! 3// Maxi Skirt - Forever21 ---> I've had this for two years and I love the way it looks paired with golds and creams. So romantic. 4// Feather Earring - c/o Roots & Feathers ---> One of my favorite pieces by Laura. Instant bohemian. ;)

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So, Atlanta is COLD! I feel like we barely had the cool breezes of fall before I had to start triple layering and putting on my poofy jacket! These outfit pictures were taken right before all of the coldness hit. I'm hoping we might be able to squeeze in just a few more fall-ish feeling days before it turns to Winter. :)

Wrapping up for the day to go to Rome, GA, and celebrate Halloween with Zach and Leah! Can't wait for a yummy dinner and mini bonfire! What are you doing for Halloween?


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

FANCY SHMANCY: HALLOWEEN DINNER PARTY

I saw these stunning Halloween themed dinner party photos on Style Me Pretty last week and I had to share. It can be hard to find inspiration for a Halloween get-together that isn't "too novelty". I love this translation of building the decor around candles, monochromatic coloring and touches of Fall pieces. Can I be invited?


See the original gallery here and DIYs on how to make the pumpkin wine chiller, bottled candles, and sparkling champagne cider.

This year for Halloween, Jon and I are driving up to Rome, GA, to visit our good friends Zach and Leah. We're having dinner together and helping them pass out candy in their neighborhood since we don't get any trick or treaters at our place. On Friday night, we are throwing a casual costume party for our friends! Can't wait! :)


FALL IN AUSTRALIA

Hi there, lovely Maiedae readers. I'm Shell and I blog over at Kitty & Buck. I'm a graphic designer, musician, ballerina, and cat wrangler. I currently live in Sydney, Australia, but I dream of traveling anywhere and everywhere. I've visited many parts of Australia, Japan, the U.K, France, Ireland, and over 22 states in the USA, but I'm always hungry for more! Today I'm celebrating fall with you, because even though I'm enjoying spring right now, I am feeling super envious of your snuggly clothes and beautiful foliage. I've designed some lettering around an Albert Camus quote to set the mood, and then there's some photos from my fall, back in May. I hope you enjoy them.


Thank you so much for having me, Savannah! I'm honoured to be here on your beautiful blog today. If anyone would like to say hello, you can always find me over at Kitty & Buck, I'd love to meet you :)

Thank you for sharing your autumn with us! Shell is one of Maiedae's featured sponsors for the month of October! If you would like to sponsor Maiedae during the holidays, visit my advertisement page here. :) Be back later with some more Halloween themed inspiration! 


Monday, October 29, 2012

WEEKLY WRAP-UP

This weekend was so great. On Friday, Jon and I went to visit with his parent for Dinner. Jon's sister, Jessica, her husband and their new baby (my sweet niece) were there as well. Little Emerson is nearly 4 months old now and she's getting so big! She smiles and coos all the time, and we are so in love with her. I love being an aunt. :) Jon and I slept in a little on Saturday, I worked on framing some of the artwork for the dining room and we went with a couple friends to Six Flags for "frightfest", which was fuuunn...but WAY crowded. The best part was the company for sure. ;)

On Sunday, we met my parents for brunch and stopped by World Market to pick up end chairs for our dining room! I'm so excited that it's nearly done! During the evening, I met up with friends for crafting time, conversation and yummy snacks.

Snapshot(s) of the Week: 1// Finally framing my artwork! Can't wait to hang it up. 2// Atlanta is getting SO cold! 3// Goob. 4// Fall decorations outside our front door.


5 Favorite Posts:
* Recipe File: Halloween Compost Cookies by The Glitter Guide
* Easy & Last Minute Couples Costume Ideas by Say Yes to Hoboken
* Savannah Wearing Roots & Feathers by Roots & Feathers
* Tuesday Tastings: "The Birds" Cookies by Camille Styles
* Vegan Coconut No Bake Cookie Recipe by The Dainty Squid

Favorite Blog of the Week:
* A Merry Mishap - I love this "new to me" blog and all of it's visual goodness.

Inspiring Me this Week:
* My Christmas Pinboard - YES, I am thinking about Christmas already.

3 Things About Yours Truly:
* Last year, Jon and I were Brad and Janet from Rocky Horror for Halloween.
* I'm planning to make homemade "butterbeer" from Harry Potter this year for our Halloween party. Yum!!
* Speaking of Rocky Horror...that's my favorite movie to watch during Halloween, that and old episodes of "Are you Afraid of the Dark?" from Nickelodeon.


Friday, October 26, 2012

BUSINESS + BLOG CARDS

I've had "design new business cards" on my to-do list for months! Since Jenny and I are business partners and we each have our own lifestyle blogs, we decided to create a Maiedae business card that shows us as graphic designers and separate "blog" cards to feature our individual blogs. :) I used MOO to print my cards and love the quality of how each of them turned out. MOO has amazing customer service, a great turnaround, and easy to use site. Love them!




Here are my blog cards! For these I went with the standard business cards in matte. I love the feeling of these and the thickness. On the front, I featured a portrait and our Maiedae icon. On the back is information on how to find me and icons that share all of the social networks I'm linked to...it's so helpful to have my handle be the same for each one! The first batch of these had an error on the front. I accidentally included a "+" mark right in the middle of my face. Opps! I contacted MOO about the error and they shipped me brand new ones, fixed, at no extra charge. They get an A+ in my book. ;)


And these are our new Maiedae business cards! We decided to go with a really simple and clean look. These are their luxe business cards with a black edging (which adds a nice little touch). While I DO love these and think the thickness is great and that they would also be great to write on...I actually prefer their standard business cards more. :)

Jenny and I are scheduled to attend some local Atlanta events, especially in 2013, and can't wait to start handing these bad boys out! Hello, networking! Oh! And if you'd like a special 10% discount via MOO you can click here.

Enjoy your weekend, friends!!


Thursday, October 25, 2012

THREADS


1// Olive Poncho - Urban Outfitters ---> Anyone else a fan of blanket-like outerwear? Yes, please!

2// Tunic - Forever21 ---> Great basic and perfect for layering. I've discovered that as the weather gets cooler, I'm much more of a layer person than a sweater person. I like to have a lot of visual interest in my outfits and it's difficult for me to just wear a sweater.

3// Jeans - American Eagle ---> A good pair of sturdy jeans is always a great closet piece. I love the deep indigo dye of this pair.

4// Boots - Minnetonka ---> These boots are so, so comfy. They are especially perfect for fall weather, festivals, picnics outside. AND they are great quality, which is always a plus in my book. ;)

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I've been breaking out the outerwear from my closet lately and I love it. I'm an extremely cold natured person, so wrapping myself up in big cozy layers is one of the highlights of the season for me. An excuse to throw wood in the fireplace, sip on a hot drink, put on a giant sweater, and watch a favorite show? Sounds like a perfect day. :)


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

PROJECT CONDO: CARAMEL COUCH

Remember my rule about focusing on decorating one room at a time? Remember how I kinda broke that rule with this small purchase for the kitchen? Well if the kitchen purchase wasn't considered a "cheat" on my rule, then this most certainly is!

If you've been following my dining room progress posts, we are still about 30% incomplete with some major "decorative" pieces left to tie everything together. So, how did I get off track again? Well, I blame Kate. ;) During a slumber party at Kate's a couple months ago, I immediately fell in love with her big, caramel colored, leather sectional. It was a perfect size, super comfortable, and a color to die for. It was love at first site. Fast forward a couple weeks during a get together at my place and conversation came up about what type of couch I wanted to replace my tattered ikea purchase. Without hesitation, I said, "Something exactly like Kate's couch!". Kate turned to me and said, "Well, I'll sell it to you!". Bam! Agreement made. A couple weeks later, I picked the couch up from Kate's and Kate purchased a new couch for her place.


I love this couch. It's a sectional with a chase lounge and comfortably seats 5-6 people. Jon and I spent the first couple days breaking it in with a marathon of Dr. Who. So, I may have deviated *a little* from my rule, but there was no way I could pass this beauty up. I'll be re-focusing on the dining room since I'm hoping to completely finish it for a Thanksgiving dinner we're hosting for friends in late November. I'll be sure to share more pictures of the living room once the dining room is finished! In the meantime, I need to get my booty into high gear and get my projects done for the dining room!!


Tuesday, October 23, 2012

SNAPSHOTS: CELEBRATING FALL IN NORTH GEORGIA

I'm back! As some of you know, Jon and I turned off technology last week to focus on resting and spending time with each other. It was seven days of unplugging, eating healthy, spending time together, and rest. We had an amazing time and feel so rejuvenated and closer. We love the idea of making this a new tradition in our family before the holidays start each year, so we can gain perspective and slow down for the seasons. We spent time cooking, working on a puzzle, taking walks, working in the yard to dress it up for fall, cuddling, reading, and talking about life, the future, and how we want to grow as individuals and as a married couple.

On Saturday, we decided to end our week with a short day trip to Ellijay, Georgia. Ellijay is in North Georgia and is a beautiful place to see fall. We went to downtown Ellijay and visited some antique shops, watched a parade, and shopped around some of the outdoor vendors. Afterward we drove to the fair grounds to visit the Apple Festival. We left with homemade pumpkin bread, peach cider, olive oil, spreadable cinnamon honey, apples, and a piece of pottery. After visiting Ellijay, we took a drive through the mountains and stopped at Burt's farm to pick out some pumpkins for our yard.


As soon as we got home, we stopped by Trader Joe's to pick up a loaf of bread and soak it in our garlic and herb olive oil from the festival. So, so good!!

I feel so blessed to have had such a special time with Jon. I'm also so excited to be back and share some exciting things with you throughout the rest of the month! Also! A huge thank you to all of the wonderful ladies who contributed guest posts while I was away. I feel so loved. :)


Saturday, October 20, 2012

LISTENING TO THE SEASON






This month, some of my sponsors are sharing their favorite autumn song. I love finding that one song that you could listen to over and over again. It seems to embody the season and your place in life. I love making music a memory trigger for a special time in my life. Take a listen to this short playlist by my sponsors and get to know some new faces. :)


1// Cats & Dogs by The Head & the Heart ---> "This band evokes so many romantic, comfy and relaxed emotions. To me, this is what fall is in a nutshell." - Maddie of Thriftary [Blog & Facebook]

2// The Rocky Road to Dublin' by The Dubliners ---> "I picked this song because I ADORE Celtic music and because this song makes me think of warm pubs and yummy Irish food." - Leah of Unearthing Words [Site & Goodreads]

3// Wonder by Emeli Sande ---> "Emeli entertains us with her big band, yet blues-y style and lyrics that uplift and encourage the everyday girl. Wonder is a feel-good song that breathes musical notes into the sheer wonder and mystery of life - reminding us to take heart and not let life's struggles over shadow the beauty of the journey." Emily & Allie of The Wonder List [Blog & Facebook]

4// Desperado by The Eagles ---> "Lately I've been listening to this song a lot for some reason. A sweet friend sent me an amazing mix in the mail to cheer my up and this song was on it. It's just calming and a nice jam to work to...plus I might enjoy pretending I'm an awesome singer and blurt out the words as loud as possibly ;)." - Dana of Wonder Forest [Blog & Shop]

5// Home by Phil Phillips ---> "I love the idea of family and friends coming back together during the fall for parties, laughter and fellowship together." - Kate of Revelrey [Blog & Twitter]

  Fall by Savannah Wallace on Grooveshark 

What are you listening to this season?


Friday, October 19, 2012

DIY: "THE BIRDS" INSPIRED PILLBOX HAT

Hi, my name is Maddie Flanigan and I am the blogger behind Madalynne, the cool pattern making and sewing blog. If Steve McQueen was the "King of Cool", then Madalynne is the "Queen of Cool." Three to four times a week, I post about a myriad of subjects - tutorials on how to draft a sloper to interviews of independent pattern makers//designers and what projects I'm currently working on. For the past two and a half years, my day job has been in the technical design department for a very large fashion company in Philadelphia. A couple of months ago, this company took note of my personal blog and asked me to start and Intranet blog that would create a cohesive voice for all their brands. Cool, right? I consider myself one lucky gal to be able to do what I love both day and night (blog and sew), not to mention I receive a stellar discount off some really fancy clothes!

Enough about me though, let's talk Halloween! The holidays are my favorite time of year. Seriously, I kid you not. From early September to late January, I'm all about pumpkins, nutmeg, cinnamon, spice, evergreen, apples, red and green, and black and orange. All my senses - taste, touch, smell, sight, and sound - gobble up anything and everything holiday related. The first holiday, Halloween, is my least favorite of the holidays - I usually don't dress up - but I didn't want that to be the case this year. To get gung ho about October 31st, this sewing and pattern making geek did what she does best – make something… a Halloween costume.


Along with sewing and pattern making  old movies are another love of mine. If you're an old movie lover like me, then you are aware that Citizen Kane was recently knocked out of the number one spot for Vertigo. Vertigo is an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Rear Window, North By Northwest, and Strangers On A Train are all Alfred Hitchcock movies. Another one of his movies, and the inspiration for my Halloween costume is, The Birds. Starring Tippi Hedren, the movie chronicles a shi-shi San Francisco socialite who pursues a man to a small town that slowly takes a turn for the weird and bizarre when birds suddenly begin to attack people. The movie is not one of my favorites, but Tippi Hedren is and that's what I decided to be for Halloween.

Below, I show you how I created my Tippi Hedren costume. Surprisingly, it was very easy and quick - total assembly was less than two hours. Even a busy gal can carve out some time to make this number.

S U P P L I E S
* Hat ---> First, you will need a pillbox-type hat. Coincidentally, I owned one that I used for my costume. If you don’t own one, Etsy.com has many options.

* Tulle ---> I bought 1 yard of tulle and cut it into rectangular squares of varying shapes (see tutorial below). The color of the tulle should match the color of hat (if you want to mix it up though, go ahead and use a different color!)

* Needle & Thread ---> Depending on the thickness of your hat will determine what size needle needed (For me, a thinner needle is easier to sew through thick plys of any kind of fabric). Also, any type of thread – cotton or polyester – is okay. Just make sure the color of the thread matches the color of the hat and tulle (again, if you want to jazz it up, go ahead and use a different color!)

* Birds ---> I bought my birds at the dollar store. What was great about these birds was that wires were attached to the bottom of their feet, which meant attaching the birds to the hat was a cinch. If the birds you find don’t have wire attached to the feet, you will need to buy wire separately – you could use paper clips – or glue the birds to the hat. Etsy.com and any craft store will have birds. Cake toppers that are birds is also another option.

S T E P  B Y  S T E P
1// Attach birds to hat using glue or wire. I suggest trying on the hat beforehand to determine the placement of the birds

2// Begin sewing tulle to hat. Like I said before, I cut my tulle into rectangles of varying sizes. There was no rhyme or reason to the size I chose. Stitch once to secure and then start folding tulle in varying ways to create pleats that stick OUT and UP

3// Sew more pieces of tulle onto the hat, folding and pleating as desired and sewing one layer on top of each other, until the desired volume, size, and shape is achieved

4// Trim outer edges of tulle as needed to create desired volume, size, and shape

5// Ta-da! You’re finished!

Thank you, Maddie, for putting together this fantastic DIY! I LOVE the look of your hat and I can't wait to see pictures of your entire costume at the end of the month! 



Thursday, October 18, 2012

INVITED IN: MOOREA'S HOME

Hi, everyone! I was so thrilled that Savannah invited me to share a little bit of my home on her blog, as her Project Condo series is a favorite of mine. I am a major budget shopper. As much as I would love to be able to splurge on some fancy decor, most of the bits and pieces you see in these photos were found in flea markets, yard sales, thrift stores, and on good ol' craigslist. I so recommend trolling the FREE section of craigslist every so often, because you can find some major scores on there.  My boyfriend found 4 cactus plants that were being given away 2 blocks away from my old apartment and those spiky little guys have stayed with us a few years now! Here is a peek into my living room:


Do you guys have any secrets for decorating on a budget?  I'd love to hear your ideas!  Be sure to stop by my blog sometime and say hello :) Thank you, Savannah, for having me! xo Moorea

I love your space, Moorea! Such a cozy and inviting place. Thanks for inviting us in!!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

INTERVIEW: ON BECOMING A NEWLY PUBLISHED AUTHOR

I wanted to introduce you to a very special friend of mine! I met Leah a couple years ago and over the past year, we've developed a close friendship. Leah started working for Maiedae last year as an editor, ad manager, and admin. She is an amazing addition to Maiedae and is so invaluable to the business. Jenny and I love having her do work for us! Besides doing work for Maiedae, Leah recently quit her full-time job as a teacher to pursue writing full-time. This year has been an exciting year for Leah, because she independently published her first book! Leah is so driven and it has been a thrill to see her accomplish her dreams! I sat down with Leah and asked her questions about her first book and her insight on being an indie author. Enjoy!

1. Congratulations on becoming a published author! Such an amazing accomplishment. I'm curious to know what led you to pursue writing and become passionate about it. When I was little, I learned to read before I started school. As soon as I could decipher and understand the written word, I fell in love. My parents tell me that as soon as I understood what stories were, I began to write my own. In fact, before I could write, I dictated my stories verbally to my mother who wrote them down for me. As soon as I could hold a pen on my own, I started writing funny short stories and later on, bits and pieces of unfinished novels. I was always inspired by the books I read and as I grew older, I knew I wanted to be among the ranks of the fantasy authors of the world. I was especially inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien and his Middle-Earth.

I decided I wanted to be a full-time author in third grade, but I didn’t get serious about pursuing my writing until after I was married. In the back of my mind, there was this tingling desire to pursue publishing, but I was not hugely committed. In February 2011, my husband challenged me to write for an hour a day. “If you’re serious about writing books and getting published,” he said, “You’ll make a commitment and stick with it.” So, I took his advice and made a commitment to write an hour a day! No exceptions unless I was physically ill or an emergency came up. Within a year, I had written four manuscripts (complete): three novels and one novella. The first manuscript I wrote became my first published book!


2. Your current book, "Night Bells" is part of a series, when did the idea for this series first come about? What inspired you to write it? I first got the idea for Night Bells in college. I sat down and the words flew from my fingers. I quickly finished the first chapter. At the time, I had only the barest hints of a universe based around the story and the history behind it. Soon, as I grew more involved with the manuscript, however, it became apparent to me that I had created a HUGE world to play in! As well, I grew attached to my characters and wanted to write more about them. The series idea grew over a year’s work on other novels. I missed my Night Bells family and wanted to continue their story.

I was inspired to write the series based on my love of science fiction and fantasy. My novels take place in a fictional universe concept called “The Primoris System”. It operates under the assumption that mankind left Ancient Earth to colonize a new solar system with ten habitable planets out of twelve. The world on which Night Bells takes place is one of those ten planets. I loved Norse mythology and fairy tales, so I incorporated some of those aspects into Night Bells and the sequels I’m currently working on. The other planets in this universe have inspirations from other cultures and myths.

3. Give us just a brief description of your first book! Lord Maslyn has been a prisoner in his own home for the last six years. When the twelve year old noble of New Kristiansand discovers a secret passageway in his tower, he delves into a world of adventure, intrigue, and secrecy. With the help of a mysterious stranger and his friend Arna, Lord Maslyn seeks to unravel the secrets of his past and to plot his escape from his castle prison. As his life changes drastically, he is drawn into the larger tale of his elder twin brothers. Can he unearth the secrets of his family’s past without endangering those he has come to hold dear?

4. So, you used to be a teacher, but now you work from home full-time as a novelist. What motivated you to take that leap? As soon as I started work in schools, I knew it wasn't my heart’s passion. I was good at it and I enjoyed many aspects of teaching, but all day at work, my mind would dwell on my novels and writing ideas. I carried notebooks with me everywhere and made notes and sketched out character sheets and plot summaries. I researched writing articles during my planning time. When all the other teachers were getting excited about their classrooms and upcoming units, I was getting more and more homesick for my first love: writing. Two years into the teaching world and I knew I was done. I have the highest respect for teachers and I know how difficult it can be to care for and foster the growth of twenty+ children. However, for me, my heart belonged elsewhere.

My husband inspired me to leave teaching behind and pursue my writing full-time. Before I left teaching, I was working that job full time, Maiedae in the evenings, and still committing to my hour a day writing schedule. It was too much. My husband saw how much I wanted to work full-time from home on Maiedae and my novels, so we reworked our budget to make it happen. The summer of 2012 was the most productive summer of my LIFE! I started a self-hosted website about writing and my novels, I published my first book, I took on more responsibility at Maiedae...and I’ve never been happier in my career. I am home. I am doing what I was wired to do.


5. How do you stay disciplined and productive working from home? Any tips? I am a highly motivated and self-disciplined person. I knew working from home would have its challenges, but I never worried about my ability to be productive. For one thing, I LOVE schedules and to-do lists. Most days, I keep regular “office hours”. I’m at my desk by 8:05 AM everyday and I’m usually done around 4 or 5. Having a normal schedule (while my husband is away at his job) really helps to keep me on track. I also have a semi-permanent order in which I do things. I typically write, blog, and read during the mornings. In the afternoons, I work on Maiedae tasks, edit manuscripts, and market my book. This routine helps me to know exactly what I need to sit down and accomplish during each portion of the workday.

If I were to offer any advice on staying productive from home, I would suggest having a regular routine and set time that you work and reward yourself throughout the day. By reward, I mean that you should encourage productivity by dangling the proverbial carrot in front of your eyes. Let’s face it, the internet is a HUGE distraction—especially when you must use it for work, like me. So, instead of fighting the urge to check Facebook and Twitter, I use those things as a reward for a certain amount of work done. For instance, I’ll write a whole page, then I can have a minute or two of browsing time. I’ll edit 5-10 pages of a manuscript and I’ll get to check social media. It works wonders for my productivity and it keeps my brain happy.

6. You are self-published, what made you decide to be self-published and what are some tips and resources you have for others looking to self-publish? I decided to self-publish after seriously researching it in comparison with traditional publishing. As someone who very much loves "doing it all herself", I knew self-publishing was the route for me. For people who love to write, design, format, market, and run a website all by their lonesome, self-publishing is the perfect path! I thoroughly enjoyed learning how to properly format my book for its eBook and print releases. I also loved creating attractive book covers. Marketing and website maintenance is fun, too! That doesn't mean all these things aren't challenging, time consuming, and frustrating sometimes, though. If all of that freaks you out or looks like you would hate parts of it, self-publishing may not be for you. The happiest self-published authors are those who love the nitty gritty bits of getting a book published. It’s for those who love having control over every aspect of their work. You can certainly outsource bits and pieces of the process, but it’s still YOU running the show and making all the decisions.

If you’re looking into getting self-published yourself, I’d highly recommend familiarizing yourself with Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing program (for eBooks) and Createspace (for print). Outside of Amazon, you should read through Barnes and Noble’s PubIt! program as well. If you don’t mind a lack of DRM protection on your files, check out Smashwords. If you want to start your own publishing house (in case you want to publish yourself and other people’s works as well), check out Lightning Source for printing your books. There are many authors out there making a living from self-publishing. Some notable ones are J.A. Konrath, Lindsay Buroker, Zoe Winters, and Daniel Arenson. Google those names and you’ll find a WEALTH of information about self-publishing, their experiences, and tips! As well, if you’re a book reader, check out Zoe Winters’ Smart Self-Publishing: Becoming an Indie Author. That book might have some views on DRM that I don’t agree with, but the book itself is an invaluable resource. As well, I have many articles about the topic on my website.

7. How do you go about writing a book? What is your process? I’m what they call a “pantser” in the writing world. Ideas and characters bounce into my head and I just start writing! It is a wild ride and because I don’t plan out every aspect of my stories, I am often surprised by the direction my novels take. It is a hugely fun way to write, but it can be tricky sometimes. Eventually, there are days when I have to sit down and plan out some plot progression points or character details. I don’t spend more time doing that than writing, though. I love to start with a completely blank page and just jump in! Somehow, my characters seem to unearth their pasts and the plot finds its way. I named my website “Unearthing Words”, because that is what I feel like I’m doing when I write my novels! In some ways, it feels like the story is already there and I’m an excavator unearthing its bones and hollows. It can take me anywhere from a few months to a half a year to finish an entire manuscript and most of my books are between 80,000 and 110,000 words.


8. What are some of the biggest lessons learned from publishing your first book and completing a dream you've had for many years? Well, first off that dreams can come true. I never expected to be a published author at twenty-four years old. I had been dreaming of that day since I was 8 years old! That is definitely the biggest lesson. Another I’ve learned is this: when you’re working on the career that makes your heart sing, you’ll do whatever it takes to continue doing it! I could not wait to leave my teaching career, but if someone tried to take my full-time writing away from me, I’d definitely fight them tooth and nail to keep my dream job. There is nothing like knowing you are literally doing what you were created to do. I firmly believe that part of my God-given mission on this earth is to write stories that enchant, inspire, and comfort people. It is an incredibly high honor to be able to work full-time on that mission. I am blessed and fortunate to have this chance. The last biggest lesson I’ve learned through this process is that once you achieve your dreams, you have to fight to keep them alive! Anyone who has published a book knows that marketing makes all the writing and prep work look easy in comparison. Now that I’ve become an author and fulfilled a lifelong dream, I have to make sure I sell enough books to keep my dream operating in reality.

9. What's next for you? I am currently writing the third novel in my Tales from Niflheim series (of which Night Bells is the first). The sequel to Night Bells is in the editing process and I hope to publish it before the end of 2012. I also have plans to finish a novella in the series before the end of 2012. My hope is that the third book in the series will be out in early 2013. After this series, I have another series I plan on producing. If all goes according to my hopes, I’ll be writing books forever! :-)

10. Where can we find you and your book?
I’m around lots of fun places on the interwebs! You can find me at the following places:

Website  |  Email  |  Facebook  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter

My book is available in eBook and print on Amazon and in eBook at Barnes and Noble.

If you love fantasy and science fiction stories, I hope you’ll give Night Bells a read! If you’re on Goodreads, you can add the book to your shelves! Thank you so much, Savannah, for having me on Maiedae today! Thank you to all of those who read my interview and who consider reading Night Bells!

Thank YOU, Leah, for such a wonderful interview. You are such an inspiration!! OK  everyone! Time to add Leah's book to your wish-list! :)