Sylvie on Strike

Book 3 of The Sylvie Series is now available HERE.

When Sylvie catches Jonathan in a compromising position with one of his sexy students, hell breaks loose. She’s determined to stay firm and stay out of the bedroom until their relationship is sorted out, one way or the other, but the presence of a new coworker threatens both her resolve and her marriage. The hilarious cast of The Sylvie Series returns with mayhem and mischief in the third novella of The Sylvie Series, SYLVIE ON STRIKE. 

But wait! If you haven't read the first two in the series, please check out Sylvie and the Spark first. It's available HERE and perfect if you love mischief and laughter. 

Yoga Wardrobe Malfunction

I've pretty much worn the same exercise top for the past four years. It's a gray t-shirt. Boring and old. In light of the fact that my yoga obsession has a reached a fever pitch of late, I decided to treat myself to new gear. I went to Title 9. Note: I cannot afford Title 9. I went anyway and bought four expensive tops for yoga. They are colorful and have elastic to keep parts in place. They are tank tops with cool necklines that I'm sure have fancy words to describe the cut, but I don't know what those words are. In any case, I was very excited.

I went to one of my regular classes. I arrived late and the room is small, so I was relegated to the front, right next to the teacher. We began with opening awareness and the setting of intentions. The usual drill. I felt good in my new top. I felt downright fashionable.

We stood and the heat kicked on. The room was already warm and this was not a hot yoga class. The heating system was simply malfunctioning and forcing us into a hot yoga class.

We began a standing series. We flowed. And it quickly became apparent to me that my cute little new top would not, in fact, contain my breasts. This, despite the presence of what I considered a built-in bra. They hovered dangerously close to escape during down dog, but then really threatened to break free when I came through for up dog.

This is a picture of upward facing dog. Except this woman was smart enough to secure her breasts first. 

Shit, I muttered, which completely contradicts the peace-love-free-calm-happy feeling that I strive for in yoga. I tried to discreetly tuck the girls back into place a few times. But when you're standing at the front of the class and everyone else is facing you, discretion is tricky. It simply wasn't going to work.

The heat continued to malfunction and pour into the room from a vent above me. At the same time, I admitted defeat and put on my hoodie. It was my only option, other than leave. The hood fell down over my face on every forward fold, the ridiculous amount of clothing I wore, combined with the relentless heat, made me extremely uncomfortable, which again, contradicts the whole point. But I finished the class with my boobs hidden from sight. For which I believe my classmates are truly grateful. I still love the top, and it will look great with a pair of jeans. But when it comes to yoga, I'm going with my old gray t-shirt.

Relaxation and Ax Murderers

I'm a big fan of meditation. I try to listen to a hypnotherapy session a few times a week. This is a twenty minute recording during which a voice assures me of my general competence and fosters optimism about my dynamic and compelling future. Seriously, I'm not making this up. And while it may sound a little flaky, it works.

Last week I decided to listen to my meditation recording while relaxing in a hot tub. I could ease my mind and muscles at the same time. It would be the do-it-yourself equivalent of paying big bucks to be pampered at a spa. This is what I told myself.

I put my headphones on, blocking out all other sound.

I closed my eyes.

But after a few seconds, I stopped focusing on my dynamic and compelling future and started imagining an ax murderer creeping up behind me. Because there I sat, marinating in the hot tub with my eyes and ears closed off from the world, the perfect victim waiting for this guy to come along...

So I'm going back to meditating while in the safety of my home and behind locked doors, because I've learned that suffocating terror is a direct impediment to optimism. You learn something new every day.

You Are What You Eat (and Watch, Breathe, Hear, and Feel)

You are what you eat. We all know this to be true. If you eat healthy, you'll be healthy, and vice versa. Except for the occasional person who defies rational science and manages to break these rules.

I've found the same to be true in other things we consume. Not just food, but music, culture, images, advice. If you take in the negative, it will be nearly impossible for you not to BE negative yourself. Not that I'm in favor of turning a blind eye to the real but negative issues affecting our world, but there are a lot of needless negatives that we consume on a daily basis. In an effort not to turn into these things, here's my list of 8 damaging things I vow to eradicate from my life:

• Useless, hurtful Facebook rants that in no way instigate positive change or understanding.
• Depressing movies. I can appreciate the artistic aesthetic, but I need to consume these in moderation. Life's too short to be sad.
• Scary movies. What I said before. Life's too short to be scared.
• Music that brings me down. If it doesn't bring a smile to my face or at least a vague sense of peace, I'm skipping it.
• Talking heads. I love the band. Hate the angry political instigators.
• Gossip and Tabloids. I'm making a conscious effort to recognize these for the false and damaging things that they really are. 
• Television comas. I never wake up thinking, "Gosh, I wish I'd watched more t.v. last night." I always feel better when I've gone to bed with a book instead. 
• Couch time. A good day requires physical movement. This one's non-negotiable for me. 

Here's to more light in your life. 

New Kid on the Mat

I started yoga at a new gym. Granted, I'm no expert.

This right here...

Yeah, that's not me. I'm not even close.

But I have been doing yoga for many years. My mat shows sufficient deterioration, I can hold a pretty good dancer or camel, and my twig is nothing to sneeze at, either.

Recently I decided I wanted more yoga in my life, so I began attending classes at a new gym, to supplement the ones I already take. It's wonderful. I feel fantastic.

EXCEPT for the fact that I can't help feeling like the new kid on the mat. The new classes I attend are overcrowded and the regulars seem particularly wary of new attendees in an already cramped studio. Of course, the classes are crowded for good reason. The instructor is phenomenal. But as much as yoga involves strength and flexibility, it also involves peace and love and calm, and I'm not feeling much of those things when my classmates shoot daggers at me for adding one more body to the room.

They're not mad at me, of course. They're angry with the facility for providing its members with insufficient studio time, but they're taking it out on me. It's like being sold a ticket to a sold-out theater. It's not your neighbors fault, it's the theater's fault!! But wait... peace, love, and calm. That's better.

I spent much of the last class with someone else's shoes in my face. I was pressed up close to the wall where others had stashed their things, and by the end of the hour I'd built up a healthy resentment toward a particular pair of zebra print Danskos. (Peace love calm peace love calm)

I'm not giving up on the class. I'm going to suffer through being the new kid on the mat for as long as I have to. Most of my classmates will stay, but some will come and go, and eventually I won't be the new kid anymore. When someone else comes along to fill this role, I'm going to scoot my mat over and welcome them with a smile. And I'll sure as hell move my shoes out of the way.

Blog Tour Coming Soon

I’m gearing up for a blog tour. This is a way for indie authors to get the word out about their work. You prey on the generosity of book bloggers, those dedicated readers and reviewers to whom many of us owe our success.

A blog tour involves getting the attention of bloggers to gain greater exposure through their sites. Hopefully, those bloggers specialize in the genre in which you write. A writer or publisher will also offer giveaways during the blog tour. Any writer can set up a blog tour on her own by doing a little research of blogs relevant to her work. You can also hire a company that specializes in this type of PR.

A blog tour for Sylvie and the Spark will take place in March or April. If you have an erotic blog and would like a review copy, please email me at giannadaybooks@gmail.com.

Happy blogging, happy reading. 

Funny, Sexy, and Free

Sylvie and the Spark is a free download right now on Amazon. Here's the link.

This is the first novella in a trilogy. It will make you laugh and turn you on. Now if only it would exercise for you, too, it would be perfect. Download it, read it, and please please please review it. You'll know after the first chapter if it's for you or not. Go on, give it a try.