Outside of our little community, you hear heartwarming stories of people selflessly giving of themselves for complete strangers around the holidays. It’s touching and wonderful to see these unsolicited random acts of kindness, but what about January through November?

People face hardships year-round, especially with the current state of our economy. We shouldn’t forget how meaningful the small things can be for someone.  Something small can make a lasting impact on one person’s life.

As such, we’re going to post monthly ideas for things you can do for others. Some cost money, but many are free or very cheap to do. Hopefully they will provide a reminder and guide for you as you move through 2012!

Be sure to check back each month!

Author | Amanda Plavich

Content © Modern Bliss

According to random.org, the winner of the eReader Cover from CW Creations is…………….(those periods represent a drum roll, please hear one in your head)…….

Entry number 15: KIMBA!!!

Congratulations, lady! Please PM ErinCB with the model of your eReader and your address and we’ll get this lovely thing out to you. Here’s a remind of what she’s won:

eReader Cover from CW Creations on Etsy

Thank you to everyone who participated in the interview, entered the contests, and helped make this a stellar debut for LARKSTORM. And thanks to Dawn Rae Miller for taking the time to answer all of our questions.

What’s better than discussing a book with your girlfriends? Discussing a book with your girlfriends AND the author! Meep!

Joining us on Modern Bliss today is Dawn Rae Miller, debut author of Larkstorm. The MB ladies read. They asked. And Dawn answered.

Stay tuned through the end of the interview for information on ANOTHER fabulous giveaway.

MB: How did you come up with the idea for Larkstorm?

DRM: I read The Hunger Games and my mind was blown. I wanted to write a main female character who had inner strength and didn’t need a boy to save her, but was feminine. Lark developed fairly quickly after that.

MB: The premise to the story is pretty unique, even with all of the YA dystopian books out there right now. Will we get some more details on the world Lark lives in and a deeper look at the way their society is organized (the whens and whys)? 

DRM: Absolutely. The bulk of Book 2 takes place in San Francisco – the heart of the State. I’m working on adding atmospheric details right now – technology, social roles, the relentless media. I also want to dive deeper into Caitlin’s story especially since Lark is worried about becoming like her.

MB: Have you always been interested in fantasy and the supernatural?

DRM: Until recently, I mostly read fantasy and dystopian novels. I read for escapism. I want to visit different worlds and lose myself in a book.

MB: What was the hardest part to write? What was the easiest?

DRM: The hardest was definitely figuring out what caused the two groups to split after the Long Winter and the Channing family history. I went through several different iterations before coming up with what’s in the book.

The easiest scenes were any that had Lark and Beck together. I love writing the two of them and my fingers couldn’t keep up with my thoughts.

MB: I’m always interested in the thought process behind elements of certain books. Did the song Allouette come first or the name Lark? 

DRM: Lark had her name for twelve months before Allouette came into play. I had received a revise and resubmit request from a major publishing house and had a phone conversation with one of their editors. She wanted the Splinter group to be creepier and Eamon less stereo-typically villain-ish. My family speaks French, so I understood the lyrics to Allouette. It seemed like the perfect fit.

(If you haven’t watched the Larkstorm book trailer yet, my step-father made an arrangement of Allouette for it that’s haunting and creepy).

MB: Which of your characters is your favorite?

DRM: I like Malin. There’s more to her than Lark knows.

MB: Did you cry at the end like many readers did/will? 

DRM: Is it lame to say yes? I cry every time. I actually wrote the end before many of the interior scenes, so I knew what was coming but it still made me tear up.

MB: I’m dying to know what happens… do you already know how the [trilogy] is going to end?

DRM: I have a detailed outline for book 2 and a short outline for book 3. I do know where the story is headed, but I won’t know all the specifics until I actually sit down to write the books.

But I’m guessing you want a spoiler. How’s this: I had to rewrite my synopsis this week because I needed to reflect Ryker’s role (if you don’t remember, Ryker is Beck’s friend who was kicked out of their house). He’s central to the plot in Book 2 and extremely important to Lark. [Editor’s Note: MEEP!]

MB: When do books two and three come out?

DRM: Book 2 is scheduled for June 6, 2012 and Book 3 is set for December 2012. However, I have a ghost writing job that takes precedence and book 2 may get shifted back by a month. I’m still aiming for June, but it depends on how focused I am the next 3 weeks.

MB: Do you know the title for Book 2 yet?

DRM: Book 2 is titleless. I despise coming up with titles, so if anyone has a suggestion, I’m all ears. :D

MB: Which comes first, the character’s story or the idea for the novel?

DRM: In this case, Lark formed first and the story grew from there.

MB: Who designed the cover of the book? 

DRM: I came up with the initial idea of a girl surrounded by birds but Sarah Marino, the illustrator, took it to a whole new level.

MB: Have you always wanted to be an author, or did you fall into writing later in life?

DRM: I can’t say I’ve always wanted to be an author. I liked the idea of writing, but didn’t really think it was a feasible career choice. It wasn’t until two years ago that I decided to go for it.

MB: When and why did you begin writing?

DRM: Larkstorm is the first book I’ve ever written and I started it at the end of January, 2010. The idea to write a book came from an acquaintance who was an aspiring YA author. I figured if she could do it, so could I.

Before that, I’d written for my high school and college newspapers and had dreams of being an editor at Vogue.

MB: Why write YA (young adult)? 

DRM: The simple answer: I love the hope and optimism of teens. All too often, I pick up an adult book and don’t finish. I don’t want to read about middle-aged men having a crisis, or dead children, or mortgage problems. I want to remember what it’s like to believe anything is possible. I want to remember the flutters of a first kiss and how something as simple as the way someone says your name holds all the secrets of the universe.

YA is also extremely diverse. In addition to Larkstorm, I ghost write a commercial YA contemporary series. It’s nothing like Larkstorm. I feel like writing YA gives me more opportunities to expand my writing abilities.

MB: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

DRM: Description. I have a tendency to not describe settings and have to go back and re-do those scenes.

MB: If you had to choose, which writer would you consider a mentor?

DRM: I’m fortunate that I’m friends with several published and soon-to-be published authors. It wouldn’t be fair to choose one of them over the others because each one has provided me with invaluable advice and handholding. I thank them all in my acknowledgements.

MB: Do you have any advice for other people who are trying to break into the writing industry? 

DRM: Be prepared for rejection – it happens at every level: agents reject authors, editors reject agent pitches, editorial boards reject editors. It’s brutal. BUT the most successful people are those who don’t give up. I’d wager 98% of breaking in is determination and luck.

MB: Can you talk a little about the process of writing while also taking care of your family?

DRM: I neglect them all! Just kidding…kind of. When I’m on deadline, I will write for 8-10 hours a day easily. My husband is in charge of everything during those times because if I’m in a groove, I don’t want to break concentration. But the rest of the time, I try to write from 7-11 every night. I home school my oldest son in the mornings and my youngest boy gets home from preschool at 11:30. Sometimes, I can squeeze in work before we have to pick up my middle son at 2:45. Then it’s off to sports practice, games, etc. Luckily, my boys go to bed at 7pm (Yes – even the 10 year old).

MB: What have been the biggest challenges of writing with small children in the house?

DRM: Mommy guilt. When I have to spend time working while they’re awake or home or want me to play with them, I feel terrible.

MB: Can you describe how it felt when the book went live? Was it surreal to have your hard work and dedication available to the world to read?

DRM: I won’t lie, I had an anxiety attack a few days before. The book had been read by so many industry people by that point, but still…readers were going to be able to buy it.  That frightened me. Would anyone other than my family buy it? Would it languish at the bottom of the Amazon pile? Would the reviews be scathing? Or worse – would no one review it?

A little known fact is that most debut books sell less than 1000 copies. Many debut authors disappear after their first books. I don’t want that to happen, but I have an uphill battle because I don’t have the marketing machine of a Big 6 publisher behind me. I’m doing all my own marketing. So if Larkstorm flops, it’s 100% on me.

But oddly, on the night of the 5th, I went to bed early, woke up around 2am, saw Larkstorm was up on Amazon, and went back to sleep. At that point, there was nothing else I could do – no more changes or edits. It was done and I had to live with it. And I felt extremely calm about it.

The most rewarding thing about the whole experience has been my ten-year-old son telling me how proud he is of me. As a mom, nothing means more to me then that – not even fantastic first day sales or making a list.

In addition to writing her own books, Dawn is the ghostwriter of a commercial YA series. She also spends too much time on Twitter. So much, in fact, her agent wonders how she actually finishes things. (Answer: She never sleeps.).

Dawn lives in San Francisco with her husband and three sons.

I want to thank Dawn for visiting and answering our questions. I think I can speak for all of us when I say–we can’t wait to read Book 2!

Larkstorm is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. And–super exciting–Larkstorm will be available in paperback later this week.

Now. The giveaway.

This GORGEOUS handmade eReader cover from CW Creations on Etsy. The design is so fitting for Larkstorm, it’s almost like it was made for the book. And while that’s not the case (but seriously, it’s like fate), it will be made just for YOU and whichever type of eReader you happen to own.

Custom made eReader cover from CW Creations

To win:

Leave a comment below

+1 if you submitted a question for the interview

+1 for sharing this interview on Twitter (You can C&P this if you’d like: “Today we’re interviewing @DawnRaeMiller, author of LARKSTORM, on @ModernBliss1 http://bit.ly/s5bTl9. Check it out!” –Super awesome if you add a hashtag such as #YA, #yalit, #eBook, or #amreading)

+1 for sharing this interview link on Facebook

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each entry. Contest deadline is 11:59pm on 12/21/2011 CST.

Contest winner will be posted and contacted on 12/22/2011. If you are not a member of Modern Bliss, please leave an email address (or other form of contact) so we can notify you if you win.

Thanks! Happy reading!

Get your eReaders ready! Based on a random.org drawing, the winner of their very own copy of Larkstorm is….(and this is the part where you imagine a drum roll):

Comment number 17–MB’s very own Laura!! Congratulations, Laura! Erin will contact you shortly with details.

Didn’t win? No need to fret! There are a few other places where you can still win.

The Addicted to Books blog still has a copy up for grabs (contest deadline is tomorrow). Go HERE if you’d like to enter. You can also read a character interview with Lark, for a glimpse into the world of the book before you start reading.

Author Alina B. Klein is also hosting a giveaway of Larkstorm. Plus a carrying case for your eReader.  (Contest ends Wed. 12/14).

And if you cannot wait until those contests end and you’d like to buy a copy for yourself, here are the places where the book can be purchased:

• Amazon (All English territories, so even the Canadians and Brits can get it)

• Barnes and Noble (Not available yet, I will let you know!)

• Smashwords (No need to fear, Nook users, Smashwords offers an ePub version for the Nook)

• iBooks

Now, the really fun part! Dawn Rae Miller will be joining us for an author interview on Tuesday, December 20, 2011. Anyone who wants to can submit a question for Dawn–about the book, writing, hybrid publishing, being a working mother, etc.

Here’s how to submit your questions (by Friday, December 16, 2011):

• By leaving a comment with the question on this post
• By emailing erincb1[at]yahoo[dot]com (just, ya know, use the @ and . in the appropriate places)
• PMing ErinCB on Modern Bliss

Anyone who submits a question will automatically receive an entry into our NEXT giveaway. That’s right. Another one. Because we love you THAT much. *Smooches* Here’s a hint:

Handmade eReader cover from CW Creations on Etsy

Congratulations, Laura! And happy reading.

And have a chance to win a free copy of the eBook?

Yeah?

Then join us in our celebration of LARKSTORM by Dawn Rae Miller, which releases today.

Blurb from Goodreads:

In the years following the destructive Long Winter, when half the world’s population perished, the State remains locked in battle against the Sensitives: humans born with extra abilities. 

As one of the last descendants of the State’s Founders, seventeen-year-old Lark Greene knows her place: study hard and be a model citizen so she can follow in her family’s footsteps. Her life’s been set since birth, and she’s looking forward to graduating and settling down with Beck, the boy she’s loved longer than she can remember.

However, after Beck is accused of being Sensitive and organizing an attack against Lark, he disappears. Heartbroken and convinced the State made a mistake, Lark sets out to find him and clear his name.

But what she discovers is more dangerous and frightening than Sensitives: She must kill the boy she loves, unless he kills her first.

Now, here’s how you get the inside scoop:

If you don’t win the free copy (details below), you can purchase a copy of LARKSTORM ($4.99) from: Amazon (available now in all English territories) and Barnes & Noble (available Thursday). The book is also available on Smashwords, Lulu, and iBooks.

Read the book. Fan-girl out. Make a poster of Beck for your bedroom. Erm. Kidding.

Read the book. Jot down all your burning questions. Submit them as a comment on THIS post, or email them to erincb1[at]yahoo[dot]com by Friday, December 16, 2011. (Modern Bliss members could also PM ErinCB)

The interview, featuring YOUR questions, will post on Tuesday, December 20, 2011 here on Modern Bliss.

A purchase is not necessary to participate, but it’s an awesome book. You really can’t go wrong. Give a little Christmas present to yourself. You can ask a question for Dawn even if you can’t read the book right now. Maybe questions that might make you want to read the book in the future? Or ask her where you should go to dinner should you ever visit San Francisco?

CONTEST DEETS

TO WIN A FREE COPY OF LARKSTORM:

Leave a comment on this post.

+1 for Tweeting (you can copy & paste this phrase: “Happy Book Birthday, LARKSTORM by @DawnRaeMiller! Visit @modernbliss1 to win a copy: http://bit.ly/tOcXVE”

+1 for posting about the contest on Facebook

+1 for adding the book on Goodreads

Be sure to leave a separate comment for each contest entry.

WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED THURSDAY, 12/8/2011 AND WILL BE SELECTED USING RANDOM.ORG.

The interview of Dawn Rae Miller, featuring YOUR questions, will post here on Modern Bliss on 12/20/2011, and will feature ANOTHER awesome giveaway (tip: those who submit an interview question will automatically be entered to win!). Stay tuned!

Happy Book Birthday, LARKSTORM! *throws confetti* *sings out of tune* *reads feverishly*

In addition to writing her own books, Dawn is the ghostwriter of a commercial YA series. She also spends too much time on Twitter. So much, in fact, her agent wonders how she actually finishes things. (Answer: She never sleeps.).

Dawn lives in San Francisco with her husband and three sons.

After 9-11 many of us bought or assembled emergency kits but if you’re like me, you’ve either pilfered the kit over the years or failed to keep it updated.  Or, you still may not have one at all.  Even if you don’t have a full on alien-invasion-I-can-survive-for-a-month-underground-kit you should have something ready in the event you are without power for a few days or forced to evacuate your home.

Before you build your kit you should take an inventory of your home and try to include serial numbers or some other form of identification for items in your home.  Photographs of your home and valuables will also be helpful.  This will ensure a fast and fair settlement with insurance companies.

You should also make copies of your birth certificates, ID’s and social security cards and put them in your emergency kit in water tight bags.  Being able to provide identification during an emergency will speed up being able to receive aid.

And then… BACK UP YOUR COMPUTER FILES.   It is wise to back your files up both with an online storage system (check with your internet provider, mine provides this service for free and I wasn’t aware of it until recently) as well as an external hard drive.  I bought this one, It is portable and very simple to use.  I procrastinated backing my files up because I wanted a “real” portable hard drive, a big 1T one.  But, I’m glad I decided to get what I have because it was more than enough to store 5+ years of photos (it was!) and all of my files.  Plug it in, transfer files, done.   My review is on the page as well – to prove I really do own it.  It would be wise to scan all vital documents (household inventory, mortgage documents, will and testament, name address and phone numbers , employment records, school transcripts, cherished family recipes, employee benefit information…) and back them up as well.

There are many, many items that can go into an emergency kit but many lists are daunting and expensive to put together.  We’ve put together a top 5 of items you should have in your kit in the hopes that this will motivate you to start one.  We also encourage you to visit Ready.gov for a full list of essentials to make sure your family is prepared in the event of an emergency.

#1: Water.  One gallon of water per person per day to total at least three days’ supply, but a week is better.

#2: Food.  You should have at least a three day supply of non perishable food.   Pack food your family will eat.  MRE’s may seem like the way to go, but if your children won’t eat them, they won’t do them any good.   Suggested items would be peanut butter, dry cereal, granola, crackers, canned items, non perishable pasteurized milk (or milk substitute).  Be sure to check expiration dates and update your kit when needed.  And don’t forget a can opener!  If you really want MRE’s, this seems like a pretty good deal. 

#3 Battery powered or hand crank radio AND a NOAA Weather Radio with tone alert and extra batteries for both.  This radio gets excellent reviews, and it covers both your bases.  I’ve been researching this for a while and this is the radio I plan on getting (and I’m an over researcher).  It can operate as a solar powered radio, or a hand crank.  It also serves as a  solar powered cell phone charger.

#4 – Flashlight and extra batteries.  I am going to recommend this compact flashlight.  In addition to being compact it is bright and inexpensive so you can pick one up for each member of your family.  LED lights typically last a long time and the reviews on this particular flash light are excellent.

#5 – First Aid Kit – there are many more to choose from and you should have one in each of your cars as well as in your emergency kit. 

Be prepared, stay safe and visit Ready.gov for more information on creating an emergency kit for your home.

I cannot believe I forgot THE most important disaster relief item to put in your kit.  One of our smartest members, Marie, was kind enough to point it out.  Beer.  And wine.  And Beer.

Comment #31

Which was…

MacMommy!!

Congrats!  We’ll e-mail you shortly in order to get your mailing address.  Thanks everyone for entering!

If you haven’t heard of Divergent yet, I’m officially inviting you to jump on the train.

Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she’s chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she’s kept hidden from everyone because she’s been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

The thing that drew me in immediately was Beatrice’s point of view. She lives in a seemingly simple world with near utopian virtues but immediately we get a sense that anything designed to be perfect is also designed to fail. How can a person be defined by just one choice? By just one virtue? Can human beings ever maintain a world where everything is black and white? These are the things Beatrice struggles with and the questions Divergent forces us to ask.

While the world of Divergent is dystopian, it is also familiar (especially to me, I love hometown settings). The world isn’t so torn apart that the reader feels disconnected, instead I found myself picturing exactly what it might be like to live in a world of factions, in a city I know. If you live in Chicago, if you’ve ever visited Chicago, if you’ve ever seen a picture of Chicago, if you have a vague idea of what a city might look like, you’ll feel it too. Beyond that, Divergent makes it obvious that human nature never really changes. The characters are believable and sympathetic, I found myself cheering for them (or wishing ill will, there are a few jerks, just like in the real world).

And romance. Ah…romance. I won’t talk about the leading man in this review, to avoid spoiling anything. But oh.my.gosh. I cannot WAIT to talk with you ladies about him. Beyond just being able to say he is H-O-T, he is also real. He is heroic yet has faults, strong yet vulnerable, hot but not just because of looks. He’s three dimensional and I’m certain you will love him just as much as me. Plus…he’s legal. So…yeah…we moms don’t need to feel too guilty about obsessing . Get reading. Fast! Actually, wait to see if you win this awesome giveaway…THEN get reading…I suppose I can be patient. Is that my foot tapping at you? No, I just feel like jumping. That’s all.

Now, that giveaway…

Modern Bliss is giving one lucky winner a copy of Veronica Roth’s debut!

How you can enter:

Post a comment

Tweet and/or Facebook the following (two entries if you do both):

“I entered to win Divergent by @veronicaroth on @modernbliss1: http://www.modern-bliss.com”

Be sure to enter a SEPARATE COMMENT PER ENTRY METHOD!!!

That’s it! Easy, huh?

One (1) winner will be drawn on Wednesday, May 25, 2011. Comments close at 11:59 pm on Tuesday, May 24, 2011. Be sure to use a valid e-mail address, as that is how we will notify the winner. Good luck!

Author | ErinCB | Modern Bliss Moderator

This App is called Abby – Easter Math HD. It has several games that may be a bit too difficult for a preschooler, but there are adding games incorporated. I started adding games with my daughter, and I was actually surprised at how well she did! It gave us a great opportunity to work together on the skill.

This App is called Easter Bunny Kids Math Games. It’s another great one for beginning adding skills! There is a free version for this as well!

Catch and Count is the name of the next App. Practice counting skills with Easter Eggs!

When we are shopping, we talk about the sales. She knows that we can’t get special treats, clothes, toys, etc. if they are not on sale.

On my wish list for her, of what I would like to get her in the future, is a cash register. I would have bought one earlier, but I really want one where the coins look real. I want her to recognize what a real penny looks like, not a big blue circle! I think that this one is the one we will be getting her, or one like it.

When she finds change, or I have have some in my pocket, she gets to put it in her piggy bank. When we do this, she counts the money, and we talk about what the coins are called, and the value of each. Once that piggy bank is full, we are sure to bring her along to the bank to deposit it, and to find out how much she earned!

We have a few traditional piggy banks around our home, but if your looking for something more, this one looks great! It has a screen to display the total amount saved, and announces every coin’s value as it is deposited! That is one smart pig! This particular one is by Imaginarium.

When she gets money from relatives for birthdays, Christmas, (she even got a total of $12 for Valentine’s Day), we talk about how the money is going in the bank.

There are also some great books that have to do with money!

Alexander Who Used To Be Rich Last Sunday is a cute book about a boy who just can’t save his money! The book goes through different coins and amounts that he has on certain days.

Tell us about ways that you teach money with your little one! Do you do an allowance? Jobs? Games? Let us know!