Bumpdate: Week 18!

So since the positive pregnancy test, Mr. Jen and I have been taking these lovely weekly pics of my pregnancy bump that felt very strange given as how I had no bump. I felt even stranger sharing them, which is why I haven't. But as I entered Week 18... it happened! At first I thought I just ate too much guacamole, but the bump appears to be here to stay. I'm so excited to finally have some pregnancy street cred and plan to post semi-sporadic updates from here on out. Emphasis on the semi-sporadic - I'm very lazy.

• How far along: 18 weeks.
• Symptoms: Um... I'm really thirsty? Is that a thing?
• Belly button: Still there. Oh, and still in.
• Wedding Rings: They still fit, but I still forget to wear them most days.
• Exercise: Walking on the treadmill every day, but only a mile. I told you I was lazy.
• Sleep: No more sleeping on my back! Three-point-turns just to change sides! Waking up at 2:00 a.m. to pee! I think this is Mother Nature's way of preparing future moms for sleep deprivation.
• Cravings: Very disappointed to have nothing to add here. No pickles, no dirt. I wouldn't say no to some Red Vines, I guess.
• Looking Forward to: My ultrasound in a couple of weeks, even though we aren't going to find out the gender. #TeamGreen baby, baby!

Cover Reveal: Altar of Reality!

Today is the cover reveal for Altar of Reality, the first book from Shifted Realities--a brand new series by Mara Valderran. This YA dystopian is set to be released January 31st, 2015 by Curiosity Quills Press. Mark your calendars, and be sure to add the book to your Goodreads list! Want to stay up to date on all things Altar of Reality? Sign up for Mara's newsletter so you don't miss a thing!

And now...the moment Mara's we've all been waiting for...

When sixteen-year-old Madeline suffers her first grand mal seizure, she finds herself in an unfamiliar reality, surrounded by strangers wearing familiar faces. Her best friend, Brandon, tells her that the world has fallen to chaos, the aftermath of World War III ten years ago. Madeline doesn’t remember anything from this life— especially not the explosion four years ago that killed her parents and landed her in a coma, or the Lord Commander; a zealot leader of the Southern Territories now searching for her.

Madeline barely has time to process everything before waking up to the life she’s always known. As soon as she dismisses it all as a strange and vivid dream, she finds herself back there once more. Unsure if she’s truly caught in the middle of a brewing rebellion, or teetering on the brink of insanity, she finds herself flipping between the two lives. Her heart becomes torn between two versions of the same boy and the lines between her realities begin to blur as she struggles to save her lives in both worlds.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Mara Valderran is an author of young adult and new adult books, but she's more than just a madwoman with a writing box. She is an avid reader and fan of all things sci-fi and fantasy. She loves roller skating and movies, though typically not together. She lives in Las Vegas with her husband and demanding cat. She hopes to one day meet Daniel Jackson from SG1, or at least the actor who played him. When she’s not writing, you can find her reading, playing video games, or counting down the days until DragonCon.

Find Mara Online: 

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Be sure to check out the Heirs of War, Crown of Flames blog tour going on right now! There are excerpts, interviews, a giveaway, and more. You can find the tour calendar here.