BLOGOVERSARY: GIVEAWAY and GUESTPOST with author Lisa Beth Darling

Welcome everyone! This week, Novel Addiction is celebrating its SECOND BLOGOVERSARY! I'm also celebrating my birthday, so it's a super fun week! Be sure to check back every day for more great, fun content - go HERE to check out the schedule. Today, I'm lucky to offer you a guest post from Lisa Beth Darling, author of "The Heart of War"!!! And Lisa has kindly provided a copy of "The Heart of War" to giveaway! See below for details!
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My Special Day
by Lisa Beth Darling

I'm very happy to be here today to help celebrate this occasion with our wonderful hostess, Amanda! In the spirit of the day, I was asked to write an essay on a special birthday or anniversary in my own life. Like most others, I suppose, my 16th birthday popped into my head immediately. Then a little voice reminded me that there was a more important day in my life.

When I was younger than I am today I had two birthdays. Yep, two. How lucky can you get, right? I had my regular birthday-October 4th and then we had my Anniversary, which was December 13th. My birthday was always celebrated as any child's birthday would be; balloons, games, cake made by Mom, good food and good friends. While my birthday parties were always fun and something I always looked forward to it was my Anniversary that meant the most to me, after all, everyone has a birthday but not everyone has a special day outside of that. My Anniversary was a day just for my parents and me to be together and celebrate the day we became a family.

Confused yet? At this point, I should probably tell you that I'm adopted.

December 13, 1968 was the day the adoption became final and we were officially a family. Although most people do not believe me, I remember the day with near crystal clarity—especially for a 2 year-old. We drove up to Hartford from New London in a sky blue Pontiac Catalina. Back then there was no such thing as car seats or even seat belts, as such, I sat on my mother's lap the whole ride up and the whole ride back. They bought me a special new coat just for the occasion; it was an azure blue with real fur buttons and matching bonnet with real fur tassels. I loved that coat! I was terribly upset when I outgrew it and my parents gave it away.

My parents were there, of course, and my social workers was there-Miss Leavenworth, I still remember her quite well too. Everyone kept telling me not to be nervous just to stand up and tell the Judge what I wanted. We walked into a rather large and stately room, it was yellow with thick wood trim and wooden benches. Dad sat me on his lap while Mom smoothed out my hair—I had a terrible cowlick back then!

I remember being scared; what if the Judge didn't like me? Worst of all, what if he said I couldn't stay in my new family and I had to go away?

The most experience I'd ever had with Judges was on a TV show called "Laugh-In" and when the Judge entered the Courtroom, I remember singing the little ditty from the show; "Here come de judge, here come de judge." My parents laughed, the Judge laughed, and so did I. I believe I even asked him if he knew where the 'Fickle Finger of Fate' may be. (You really have to be 40 or over to understand those jokes! Sorry!)

The Judge looked at me, asked me if I knew who Edwin Darling was. I said; "That's my grandpa!" The Judge said, yes it was. He asked me if I knew who the people with me were. I said: "My new mom and dad." The Judge again said yes they were. Then he asked me if I liked them and if I wanted to stay with them. Were they nice to me? I said: "YES!" The Judge smiled, banged his gavel, and declared us a family in the eyes of the Great State of Connecticut. He also told me to say "Say hello to Grandpa." Years later I found out the Judge and my grandpa had been friends in their much younger days.

That was it. I slid into my new pretty coat with the fur buttons and tassels and we drove home. My father didn't stop smiling the entire ride back to New London. He kept glancing over at me on my mother's lap with this huge grin on his face and my mother kept telling him to: "Keep your eyes on the road, Richard! We just got her I want to get her home in one piece!"

From that year onward every December 13th my parents and I did a little something special together; a movie, dinner, maybe roller skating. Right after Halloween and Christmas, December 13th was my favorite day of the entire year.

I'm grown now and my parents are gone, I'm married with adult daughters of my own. No one celebrates my special day any longer but I never forget it. I always look up and say: "Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad, I love you."

See "The Heart of War" trailer!

Blurb:
Meet Ares God of War, the greatest Warrior the world has ever known. He's moody, grumpy, dominant, ravenously sexual, and above all, built like a Greek God.


Suspected of killing his Daughter in-Law, Psyche, and long in exile from Olympus, the solitude of Ares' secluded Greek Isle is interrupted when Magdalena MacLeod a plucky little Fey washes up on his shore after believing she's been shipwrecked. It's not mere fate that has brought the unlikely couple together yet it may be what tears them apart.

Branded with a golden chastity belt bearing the mark of Cernunnos, Celtic God of the Forest and Death, Alena has been on the run from her husband the Great Horned God for 200 years.

When the Olympians discover her presence on Ares' island, they send Apollo to the island while Ares is away with orders to bring her to Olympus. With nowhere to run and strikes a bargain with the God of War--her virginity for his protection.

Ares sees a sweeter deal; her in his bed and himself back in his rightful place on Olympus among the Gods. If it means turning Alena over to Zeus afterward, well that's of no consequence to him...is it?

After Alena proves herself to the God of War in battle and in his bed, the Ares must choose between his Divinely Dysfunctional Family, his pride, and Alena.

Get lost in this sweeping dark saga of lust, rage, revenge, and redemption. Battle Ancient Gods while falling in love with Ares God of War and Alena MacLeod. They share a love that will rock the world from the heights of Olympus to the Celtic moors, but will it be enough? Will love triumph, or will revenge and rage win the battle for the Heart of War?

Now for the GIVEAWAY! Lisa is offering an ecopy of "The Heart of War" to ONE lucky winner! I know you all want it, right? See the rules and form below to enter!

RULES and GUIDELINES:
~ Fill out the form to enter. Comment does not count as an entry.
~ There will be ONE winner.
~ Contest ENDS Sunday, July 17th, at 7pm EST. Winner will be announced Monday, July 18th.
~ Open INTERNATIONALLY.
~ You must be at least 13 years old to enter.
~ Novel Addiction is not responsible for items lost in the mail, or authors/publishers failing to deliver prizes.

EXTRA ENTRIES:
+1 for following Novel Addiction
+1 for commenting on the guest post!



Be sure to check out my giveaway for Lori Foster's novels! One lucky duck will win all three of her new releases! Go HERE to enter.
Want to get me something for my birthday? Here's my RAK wishlist. ;)

Happy Reading! And be sure to come back tomorrow for more fun!
~!~ Amanda ~!~