Special Guest – Author Kate Collins (Giveaway too!)

I am super excited to Welcome Kate Collins to Escape With Dollycas Today!

The Flower Shop Mysteries always put a big smile on my face and this time Dollycas even made the Praise Page so this girl was chair dancing!!

Follow Your Bliss

By Kate Collins

I almost titled this, “Paralyzed by Fear”, but that sounded too negative, and I want this to be a positively uplifting blog.  Just so you know, I’m using the word bliss to reference what makes us happy in life, what makes us want to get up in the morning, what fulfills us as human beings.

Stalled careers are a big problem among writers both published and unpublished. I’ve met people who want to be published, who have the ability to write, but can’t bring themselves to send their work out to a publishing house for fear of rejection. I’ve met talented musicians and artists with the same problem. The only thing keeping them from achieving their bliss is fear. They are afraid to trust their talent. They’re afraid of how bad rejection will feel. They’re afraid they’ll be humiliated. Ask successful writers/artists/musicians about those fears and they will tell you they had to let go of them or they never would have made it.

Being out in the public as much as I am, I encounter so many people who are stuck in a cloud of fear and negativity — from stalled careers, money troubles, relationship issues, parenting problems, and on and on. But then I see others who have had the same or worse tribulations and still found ways to find their bliss. I’ve heard unbelievably touching stories of people who’ve come from some of the worst conditions in the world – impoverished villages in Africa, dangerous ghettos, prisons—who made their dreams happen against all odds. Their secret was that they never stopped believing in themselves. 

Believing in yourself gives you the power to achieve. Letting fear take hold keeps you from achieving. You have to ignore fear, push it aside, and say to yourself, “I want to do this. I will do this. If I get rejected, that doesn’t mean I failed. It means I have to do better. I will learn from this and try again.” That’s what I call success. After all, what is the worst that can happen? You may discover that your talent lies elsewhere. But how will you know unless you try?  As in a quote I read recently, failure isn’t trying and not succeeding, failure is not trying at all.

Write down your goals on a piece of paper and post them where you can see them. Meditate or pray about them every day. If your gut is telling you to go for it, if a little whisper in your mind is saying, “Write that book!” or “Get that song published,” don’t ignore it. Those gut feelings, or whispers, are coming from a higher power. Listen. Let go of your fears and seek your bliss.

If you haven’t found your bliss, what fears are holding you back?

 ~Kate

Kate, this is inspirational and just what I needed to read today 🙂 Lori

About Kate Collins

Kate Collins is the author of the national best-selling Flower Shop Mystery series. Her latest mystery, SEED NO EVIL, #14 in the series, hits the shelves on August 6, 2013.Her books have made the New York Times Extended Bestseller List, Barnes & Noble best-seller lists, the Independent Booksellers lists, as well as lists in Australia and England. All of Kate’s mysteries are available in print, digital, and large-print editions both in the U.S. and in the UK. Kate’s historical romances are also available in digital format at Amazon, B&N, and other e-book sellers. For more information visit Kate at: www.katecollinsbooks.com. Kate loves for fans to visit her on her Facebook page, too. www.facebook.com/authorkatecollins/

 

Seed No Evil:
A Flower Shop Mystery
14th in Series
Cozy Mystery
Obsidian (August 6, 2013)
Published by The Penguin Group
Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
ISBN-13: 978-0451415493
E-Book File Size: 569 KB
ASIN: B009GSFZTI

 

It’s finally time to say, “I do!” As long as I can keep my mom
out of jail long enough to get her to the ceremony….

With her wedding just 2 weeks away the last thing Abby Knight needs is for anything else to go wrong. The cooler in her shop is leaking all over the floor and she knows it will be an expensive part that needs to be fixed, her glands are swollen and it looks like she is getting a rash, her preggers cousin is “rehearsing her pregnancy”, Marco is acting distant and the actual place to hold the ceremony is still up in the air. Enough already!!!

But then Abby’s mother finds a dead body. Abby was so excited when her mother started working at the animal shelter. It gave her something to do besides create the “masterpieces” Abby had to try to sell in her store. Why did she have to be the one to find the director of the Protecting Animal Rights charity killed suspiciously in one of the cages? The woman trying to save animals from being euthanized has someone put her lights out permanently and Abby’s mother is the main suspect.

Abby just doesn’t have time for this, but she and Marco are going to find the real killer so her mother can be at their wedding, wherever it takes place, and not behind bars!!

Dollycas’s Thoughts
This is one of the best cozy mystery series being published today!!

I love everything about this series. It has a strong cast of characters and it is set in a place that could be my hometown or many hometowns throughout the country. I can see myself having my morning tea with Grace at Blossoms while Abby is in the back filling orders, lunch at Down The Hatch and bumping into Francesca, Lottie and even Jillian while out running my own errands. I can even see myself at the animal shelter rescuing a puppy or kitten. I have done it several times in the past. I may even adopt a very special canine like Seedy. He is a very important part of this story.

Kate Collins writes these characters in such a way that they can’t but help work your way right into your heart. She puts them in what could be very real situations with all the twists and turns necessary to root out the real culprit making the pages just fly.

Snappy dialogue, a clever mystery, the perfect amount of humor and a wonderfully happy ending. I have called more than one book my favorite of this series. To Catch a Leaf was my favorite book out of almost 200 that I read  in 2011, but Collins has topped herself with this one. This is definitely the best one!! yet……

If this series is new to you the author does give you enough depth to be able to read this one as a stand alone but I recommend you start at the beginning. These books are like a beautiful fragrant floral bouquet and each stem deserves to be thoroughly enjoyed one at a time.

Thanks to the people at Penguin I have 1 copy to give away!

Contest is open to anyone over 18 years old
with a US or Canadian mailing address.

Duplicate entries will be deleted. Void where prohibited.

You do not have to be a follower to enter but I hope you will find
something you like here and become a follower.

Followers Will Receive 2 Bonus Entries For Each Way They Follow.
Plus 2 Bonus Entries For Liking My Facebook Fan Page.

Leave a comment for Kate for 5 Bonus Entries !

If you publicize the giveaway on Twitter or Facebook or anywhere you will receive
5 Bonus Entries For Each Link.

Contest Will End August 22, 2013 at 11:59 PM CST
Winner Will Be Chosen By Random.org
Winner Will Be Notified By Email
and Will Be Posted Here In The Sidebar.

 

CLICK HERE FOR ENTRY FORM

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. Receiving a complimentary copy in no way reflected my review of this book. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”