American Dreams

This week I'd like to introduce you to Melinda and Shaelee Elmore. Melinda is a Native American author who I had the opportunity to coach on her novel, NATIVE SPIRIT. Melinda is a wonderful, strong woman devoted to the culture of her ancestors. Her novel was sweet and filled with the traditions of the Native American West.

Tragically, the Elmore family unexpectedly lost their husband and father, Tom, last year, and Melinda's life turned upside down. She is now a single mother dealing with challenges she never thought she'd have to bear. Her courage and fortitude have impressed me as much as her desire to write and share what she loves.

Recently, Dancing With Bear Publishing featured a thirty page essay from Melinda's daughter, Shaelee. I agreed to share information about Shaelee's work, because not only do I believe all young writers should be encouraged, I know it would make her proud to share the memories of her father.

Click for purchase information

We are all brothers and sisters. Our families do and should mean everything to us. The Elmore family has reminded me of those who encouraged me to write while in my youth, and also that life goes on, even when we can't be with the ones we love. For now.

Best of luck, Shaelee.

~Danielle Thorne 

Find out more about Native American author, Melinda Elmore, at her website.

And the Giveaway Winner is...

I don't know why I think this picture is funny, but I do.

Congrats to Tamar W for winning this month's Lucky Leprechuan giveaway, and a big thank you to Random.org for providing a true random number generator. Throwing over a hundred names or more into a hat takes a looong time.

Tamar W, your $10 Amazon gift card is on the way, along with a copy of DEATH CHEATER. I hope you enjoy!

Have you read "the" book? This weekend I was looking forward to seeing The Hunger Games movie with a friend, but I've just returned from the theater ticket-less. Yup, everyone will be out to the movies this weekend except for slackers like me who didn't camp out for tickets, but that's what I get for not caring enough. Luckily, there are books and plenty of TV to catch up on, and I can do that without any crowds. 

So whether you're off to the movies or plan on a quiet weekend, I hope it's wonderful. Next week I will be spotlighting a Native American author who's interesting life and recent tragedy caught my attention. I hope you'll stop by.

~Danielle Thorne

**With over five hundred now following The Balanced Writer, giveaways will now run monthly as opposed to quarterly. I'll be featuring free books and occasional prizes along with my droll posts on the day to day living of an author and editor in the ebook business. 

Stay tuned!**

Lucky Leprechuan Giveaway Results:

True Random Number Generator

 Result: 98 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

Giveaway Time!

Click for more giveaways!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Whether or not you're Irish (I claim roots to the Monaghan clan), it's fun to party in memory of our Irish-American ancestors who celebrated the holiday in memory of Christianity's arrival to Ireland. These days it seems to be more of an honor of magic and fun, good luck and pots of gold.

It's time for the Lucky Leprechuan Blog hop giveaway. You can find oodles more blogs giving away all kinds of prizes by visiting our sponsor. What's up for grabs at The Balanced Writer?

GIVEAWAY: DOUBLE PRIZES

1.      One ebook copy of just released Young Adult paranormal, DEATH CHEATER.

Athena Gray lives vicariously through her sister because people in general avoid her. Whether it's strange things like dead butterflies fluttering to life, or the time she saved her dying grandpapa just by willing him to live, Athena knows that she is different. The only person who doesn't seem to think so is Dan, the most popular boy on Omega High School's baseball team. But even Dan can't understand the reason she acts haunted, until a spirit roaming the local historic burial mounds takes an interest in people Athena cares about.

2.      A $10 Amazon Gift Card via email.

 The winner will also receive a $10 Amazon gift card sent via email after responding to my verification contact announcing you as winner. 

 RULES:

You mean there's rules? Just a couple, so that I can contact the winner without having to hire a P.I. The winner will be chosen by a random number generator after all invalid entries are discounted. 

  

1. Follow this Blog. Please add yourself as a follower and enjoy weekly posts on writing, reviewing, food, exercise, favorites and other real life stuff.

2. Comment on this post. You must leave an email address so I can contact you. 

That's it. Really. Just comment if you're a follower, and if you're new, hop on board. If you missed the last post here at The Balanced Writer, you may want to check out that festive Lime Cream Pie recipe that was a hit at our house. Delicious and very Here-comes-summer!

Good luck!

~Danielle Thorne

SHARE TODAY'S POST AND PRIZES WITH A FRIEND!

Lucky Leprechuans and Lime Cream Pie

Be on the lookout this weekend for the Lucky Leprechuan Giveaway here at The Balanced Writer. This contest will feature a $10 Amazon gift card prize and a copy of my new release, DEATH CHEATER. If you're going to be in it to win it, remember to leave a contact email when you comment and to respond to my email query when I contact you. In other words, be sure to check out the fine print; our last giveaway prize was never claimed. 

Looking for something sweet, springy and green for this weekend's St. Paddy's holiday? We tried a new lime pie recipe this past week that I found delightful. Tweaked up, it's definitely going on my list of favorites. The best part is, this chilled concoction only takes a few minutes to whip up. Check out the recipe below, and let us know if you find it as delish as we did. 

Yay for limes! Hooray for giveaways! 

~Danielle Thorne

Lime Cream Pie

1 graham cracker pie crust

1/3 cup of cold water

1 small box of sugar free lime Jello

½ cup of lime juice (about 5 squeezed limes)

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

1 ½ cup of plain fat-free yogurt

In a small saucepan, add water and sprinkle with gelatin. Heat on low to dissolve, stirring. Remove from heat. In a bowl, whisk lime juice, milk and yogurt. Whisk in gelatin mixture. Spoon filling into crust. Cover; refrigerate several hours until set.

*I estimate this recipe to be about 9 grams of fat per slice. Try a low-fat pie crust to lose a few more grams.

App Happy

"There's an app for that." I love that expression. I love finding cool apps for my phone, too. Now I don't have like a zillion pages of useless app programs on my phone; just three. I dislike clutter, but boy, I sure use the heck out of some of them. They make so life so easy. And when do we ever find ourselves without our phones these days?

Looking over my phone, my apps in general include programs for weather, travel, diet, exercise, scheduling, social networks, books, and a few games. One of my friends, Traci W. from Idaho is in love with her Pinterest app. I have to admit, I have that one, too.

 

I asked around, and some favorite apps others are enjoying sounded pretty interesting. Author Sandra Sookoo loves her Mickey app. If you're a Disney fan, evidently there's apps for visiting the theme parks that can be used for everything, even to check line wait times. Amazing!

There's also a Geocaching app. I love geocaching when I have the time. Whenever I think about it, just one tap shows me all the caches in the area if I feel like a little scavenger adventure. (If you'd like to learn more about geocaching, visit the official, worldwide Geocache website.)

"Angry Birds" was mentioned to me from Stephanie Burkhart, "Word Mix" from my friend, Betty, also weather apps from several other folks. I really do like the weather app I keep on my phone. I use it daily, because, let's be serious, it's easier to pick up the phone than to walk outside. It helps me know how to dress my son the next morning for school, whether or not I need a jacket going out to exercise in the neighborhood, and if it's going to rain in the next week. My own personal weatherman. I also keep a pedometer for walking or jogging.

For readers, there's apps for ebooks: the Kindle app, the iBookstore (recommended by Gail Delaney), Stanza, and more. I have the Kindle app on my iPhone. It works well. 

                                                                                               

Now, besides my Facebook and email app, my favorite program is called "Fast Food Calories." I'm no health nut, that's for sure, but I really have to watch what I eat, and that's hard to do eating out. This program is simply a list of common restaurants and menus, with nutrition facts for each item. I've loved using it over the past year and find it very useful. 

From Fast Food Calories, I've learned how to make healthy choices at some of my favorite restaurants. For example, at Wendy's, a plain baked potato and small chili is only around 7 grams of fat. A grilled chicken sandwich, with bun, toppings and all, is only 4 grams at Chick Fil A. Can't beat that! At Panera Bread Company, I choose the black bean or french onion soup and an apple. You'd be shocked at the staggering amount of fat and calories in salads and sub sandwiches. 

This app even helps me out at steak houses where I've learned to go for the sirloin cuts (Run from that ribeye, honey!) and roasted veggies. While we like to think it only takes common sense to make smart choices out and about town, the truth is you never know what's on your plate if you don't ask.

So, what's your favorite app? Are there still some missing in your life? There are for me. Apps for parenting, editing, the dentist, and maybe even a remote control? Hmm. I may be on to something… 

~Danielle Thorne