Blessings in the Storm

by Isabella Norse // March 23, 2015 // No Comments

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A few weeks ago, I wrote a post about stress, eldercare, and life as a member of the sandwich generation. Little did I know how timely that post would be. In the month since that post went live, my family has been put through the wringer eldercare-wise. My mother-in-law fell twice, the first time fracturing a rib, the second time fracturing two vertebrae in her back. The past few weeks have been filled with stress, much time at the hospital, and hard decisions. Continue reading →

Tips for Tattoo Virgins

by Isabella Norse // March 9, 2015 // 9 Comments

This one was virtually painless!

So, you’ve been playing with the idea of getting a tattoo for a while and now the time has come. You are finally ready to take the plunge and lose your tattoo virginity. Before you rush out and plunk down your hard-earned cash, there are a few tips to keep in mind. Some of this advice may seem kind of obvious but, I’m a mom, so I get to go there. Continue reading →

This Too Shall Pass

by Isabella Norse // February 19, 2015 // 4 Comments

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As I sit down to write this post, I am so stressed out I can hardly breathe. When I feel overwhelmed, I have to write it out. Writing is how I best express myself. If we met face-to-face, I would put up a good front and push everything down inside. That said, I am willing to put my heart on a page and put it out for the world to see. I guess that’s a good thing, since writing is my passion! Continue reading →

Cover Reveal for The Purrfect Partner

by Isabella Norse // February 9, 2015 // 6 Comments

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Animal rescue is a topic near and dear to my heart. I have been an animal rescuer for many years, both as a part of formal rescue groups and on my own. Each story in my new Paws and Effect series will involve animal rescue in some form. The Purrfect Partner, the first book in the series, releases on Wednesday, 11 Feb 15, just in time for Valentine’s! Today, I am thrilled to reveal the cover. Continue reading →

Why I Don’t Do Writing Contests

by Isabella Norse // January 26, 2015 // 10 Comments

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Let me preface this post by saying that I have nothing against writing contests, per se. Contests are a great way for an author to get feedback on their writing from both fellow authors and agents/editors for a (usually) small fee. If you are lucky enough to place, you can then refer to yourself as an Award Winning Writer and bask in the glory the title brings. I had to enter a few, both as contestant and judge, to find out they just don’t work for me. Continue reading →

The Changing Face of Romance in Video Games

by Isabella Norse // January 19, 2015 // No Comments

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If you have followed my blog for any length of time, you know I’m a gamer. My favorite games are role-playing games, or RPGs. An RPG is like an interactive story in which you get to talk to the other characters, develop relationships with them, and yes, even romance them. My favorite games are made by Bioware. Per their website, Bioware’s mission is to “create, deliver and evolve the most emotionally engaging games in the world.” In this gamer’s opinion, they deliver in spades. This post looks at how Bioware has evolved the world of virtual romance over the course of their Dragon Age franchise. Continue reading →

Changes

by Isabella Norse // January 5, 2015 // 4 Comments

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I generally don’t do New Year’s resolutions. As someone who tends to beat herself up over every little thing, I’ve always felt that failing to stick with some random resolution just gives me more ammo to use against myself. However, this year I am breaking with my usual lack of tradition and giving it a try. Continue reading →

From the Heart

by Isabella Norse // December 22, 2014 // 3 Comments

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This is not the post that I intended to write this week. I planned to write a humorous post about how quiet our house is now that our light and sound ornaments no longer work with the bulbs on our pre-lit tree. Spending Sunday in the Emergency Room with my husband changed that. Continue reading →

The Sounds of the Season

by Isabella Norse // December 8, 2014 // 2 Comments

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As a very aural person, I love music, especially Christmas music. Now, I do have my limits. There are a couple of local radio stations that I no longer listen to because they begin playing Christmas music 24×7 on November 1^st. I’m sorry, but there are only so many times one can hear Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer and I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas and remain sane; these stations hit that limit within a week. Continue reading →

TGIO

by Isabella Norse // December 1, 2014 // 2 Comments

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TGIO – Thank Goodness It’s Over! What “it” am I referring to? Take your pick, Thanksgiving, November, NaNoWriMo. They are all officially in the rearview mirror. If you saw my last post, you know that this year’s NaNoWriMo was a real struggle for me and I seriously considered quitting. As a matter of fact, somewhere around November 21st, I had had it. I was going to quit. Yet that same weekend, I put on my big girl panties and started writing – and the words started flowing! I managed to pound out over 6,000 words over the weekend leaving roughly 13,000 to “win.” I couldn’t quit when I was that close so I just kept on keeping on. I crossed the finish line with a win just before 11pm on Saturday, November 29th – a whole day early. Continue reading →

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