Friday Celebrations & Revisiting the 80's with Tara Tyler

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Happy Friday! If it's Friday, that means it's time to Celebrate the Small Things. This week I'm celebrating that it was my birthday on Tuesday and I had a great birthday. I actually celebrated last weekend and had a great birthday cake, a birthday brownie, and lots of yummy food, all with wonderful people. Can't really ask for more than that.

The Celebrate the Small Things hop is hosted by Lexa Cain and co-hosted by L.G Keltner at Writing Off the Edge and Tonja Drecker at Kidbits. Visit Lexa's blog here to find out how join in the hop yourself and to see the list of participants.

And now I'm turning things over to Tara Tyler, an 80's girl like me, who is visiting as part of her Cradle Rock release tour. Welcome, Tara!

Teenagers, the 80s to Now!

That sounds like an adult hits radio station… I’m very proud to be a child of the eighties. They were such a bright, positive change from the harsh, psychedelic seventies. We had big bold hair, big bold colors, big bold music, and big bold dreams!

Here are a couple pictures from my teenage years in the 80s…

I can’t believe it’s been thirty years since I graduated from high school! The last twenty went the fastest and I blame my kids. All three boys in their teens - yes, I would like to tear my hair out some days...

Teens today are overloaded with technology, overloaded with activities, and overloaded with stress. With more information comes more responsibility, unfortunately, no one is holding anyone else accountable! I also think they should have time to be kids, too. Here’s my comparison: Teenagers - the 80s vs Now

TEENAGERS!

THE 80s	TODAY
In General...
Smaller world	The whole wide world!
Pay phones with cords	Cell phones and wireless
Bullies - physically and verbally abusive, seen, heard, known by all	Cyberbullies - mentally abusive, anonymous trolls who hide and lurk on the internet
Fashion...
Jeans - tight w/o stretch, tight-rolled, acid washed, name brands, high-waisted Big belts, leg-warmers, fluorescents, off-the-shoulder, headbands, chunky jewelry, mini skirts Eye shadow! Big hair for all	Casual - jeans, sweatpants, spandex in everything, leggings (ugh) Piercings and tattoos Colorful gym shoes, name brands Long hair, braids, colorful/dyed, top knots Beards
Music...
Pop, punk, hard rock, rock ballads, funk, insinuated	Pop, retro!, alternative, songs with a message, rap, blatant, crossover
Movies & Books & more...
The Outsiders, Pretty in Pink, Back to the Future, War Games, The Breakfast Club	Hunger Games, Divergent, The Fault in Our Stars, Harry Potter, Netflix, Youtube!
Communication...
Passing notes, talking on the telephone with a cord attached and a time limit	Texting, snapchat, facetime, etc... limitless!
TIMELESS UNIVERSAL SIMILARITIES
Dealing with Relationships - friends, parents, figures of authority, young love
Growing up - taking on responsibilities, managing time, setting goals
Getting a job, driving, chores, homework
Figuring out what you want out of life

My take on Today’s Teens - Innocence seems lost more quickly these days, but maybe it’s because there’s less shame and more openness which can be good and bad… The internet has brought instant information, instant feedback, instant gratification, but also anonymous antagonism, and TMI self-expression.

Eventually, the cycle begins again with the next generation of teens coming up with new ways to revolt and test their parents’ and societies’ "prudish" ways… I wonder how they’ll turn out! They have to be better than the millenials, right? Ha!

What do you think? Did you love the 80s? What’s wrong/right with today’s teens? Are you ready for the next wave?

Thanks for having me, Julie. Love coming over, and hope to see you more often!

WELCOME BACK TO THE FOREST!

CRADLE ROCK, Beast World Book Two

by Tara Tyler

Gabe the goblin just saved his town Broken Branch Falls from splitting apart. He also revealed that humans--horrible creatures of myth and legend--may actually be part of their history! But seriously? Nah!

Now Ona, Gabe’s girlfriend, is headed thousands of miles away to Camp Cradle Rock for Spring Break seeking evidence of humans. Gabe knows better than to tell a stubborn ogress she’s crazy, so he’s letting her go and spending the break at the beach like a normal teenage beast. And he’s determined to have a good time without her, whether he likes it or not.

But when Gabe hears Ona went missing, he and his friends set out for the wilds of the west to find her, no matter what dangerous creatures get in his way. Not even humans.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

Check out the Book Trailer!

Tara Tyler has had a hand in everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After moving all over, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. Currently she has two series, Pop Travel (techno-thriller detective capers) and Broken Branch Falls (fantasy adventures). To squeeze in writing, she economizes her time aka the Lazy Housewife. Make every day an adventure!

Talk to me!
Author Blog ~~ @taratylertalks ~~ Facebook ~~ Housewives Blog


I'm also giving away signed copies of Broken Branch Falls and Cradle Rock, some Beast World swag, and a $20 GC!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday Celebrations & Cradle Rock by Tara Tyler

Hello, all!! Happy December!

I took November off from blogging but now I'm ready to jump back in to the fray with the Celebrate the Small Things hop. Although instead of celebrating the week that was, I thought I'd celebrate the month that was and share my celebrations from November.

In addition to a great Thanksgiving, I had two fun book events in November that I'm still celebrating.

One, I got to hang out with Mr. Cutie-Patootie, Baby Moo himself, at Sunrise Sanctuary's Thanksgiving for the Turkeys. As you can see from the picture, it was COLD and windy as can be, but it was still tons of fun. Sunrise is always a great place to spend time, and since I also sold some copies of Baby Moo's Great Escape it was a great day all around.

Two, I participated in the regional SCBWI's Indy and Small Press Book Festival at Cover to Cover Bookstore in Columbus, Ohio. While he wasn't there in the flesh, Baby Moo was still one of the stars of the occasion. It was a thrill to see him hanging out in the window display!

So that's what I'm celebrating this week. How about you?


The Celebrate the Small Things hop is hosted by Lexa Cain and co-hosted by L.G Keltner at Writing Off the Edge and Tonja Drecker at Kidbits. Visit Lexa's blog here to find out how join in the hop yourself and to see the list of participants.




I'm also thrilled to be helping to spread the word about another great release from my friend Tara Tyler. Here is all the info on her latest, Cradle Rock!

WELCOME BACK TO THE FOREST!

Gabe the goblin just saved his town Broken Branch Falls from splitting apart. He also revealed that humans--horrible creatures of myth and legend--may actually be part of their history! But seriously? Nah!

Now Ona, Gabe’s girlfriend, is headed thousands of miles away to Camp Cradle Rock for Spring Break seeking evidence of humans. Gabe knows better than to tell a stubborn ogress she’s crazy, so he’s letting her go and spending the break at the beach like a normal teenage beast. And he’s determined to have a good time without her, whether he likes it or not.

But when Gabe hears Ona went missing, he and his friends set out for the wilds of the west to find her, no matter what dangerous creatures get in his way. Not even humans.

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Goodreads

Check out the Book Trailer!

(insert your comments here)

Here is the list of wonderful CRADLE ROCK RELEASE PARTY POST HOSTS:

	12/5	Patricia Lynne	Nerds Rule
	12/5	Heather R. Holden	Vampires
	12/7	Juneta Key	author spotlight interview
	12/9	Julie Flanders	Teenagers Now vs 80s
	12/9	Elizabeth Seckman	Beast-themed Recipe
	12/12	Lori L. MacLaughlin	Merfolk
	12/14	Sharon Bayliss	Ogres
	12/14	Tyrean Martinson	5 Reasons to use Chapter Titles
	12/16	Michael Di Gesu	Craziest Spring Break Trip
	12/17	Cathrina Constantine	Teen Dating
	12/19	Christine Rains	Hiking Faux Pas
	12/19	Alex J. Cavanaugh	Beast vs Monster - terminology
	12/21	Ann Noser	CR Quotes
	12/21	Heather M. Gardner	Discrimination - joking vs hurting
	1/4	Ken Rahmoeller	Dragons
	1/4	L. Diane Wolfe	Marketing Tips - Live & Online
	1/9	C Lee McKenzie	Grownup Stereotypes
	1/11	M. J. Fifield	Crazy Road Trip
	1/25	Crystal Collier	Poetry & Songs in Stories - Writerly Wed

Tara is also giving away signed copies of Broken Branch Falls and Cradle Rock, some Beast World swag, and a $20 GC!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Celebrating Baby Moo & Tara Tyler's Cradle Rock

This week's Celebrate the Small Things hop was an easy one for me as I am celebrating that my first ever children's book, Baby Moo's Great Escape, will be out in less than a week now! September 8 is the day. Thanks again to all who have volunteered to help me spread the word by giving the book a shout-out this month.

I'm also celebrating that I actually visited with Baby Moo himself last week when I took a trip to Sunrise Sanctuary. I had such a great time with all the animals! But of course Baby Moo got special attention and he is as sweet as can be. He was gracious enough to take a picture with me while he was hanging out in his barn in order to get out of the hot sun.

I'm glad Baby Moo and I got to be friends!

The Celebrate hop is hosted by Lexa Cain and co-hosted by L.G Keltner at Writing Off the Edge and Tonja Drecker at Kidbits. Visit Lexa's blog here to find out how join in the hop yourself and to see the list of participants.

I'm also super excited to welcome my bookfest buddy Tara Tyler to the blog and share the excellent cover for her new book Cradle Rock. Welcome, Tara!!



Thanks, for helping me with my cover reveal, Julie! I'm excited to see your MG book!

CRADLE ROCK is book two in my Beast World series. In it, there are many beast species. Each fantasy writer adds their own tweaks to traditional fantasy creatures, and today I'm going to tell you about one of mine.

GOBLINS

In Beast World, goblins, pixies, elves, and ogres are the closest to humans. They don't morph into other creatures or have animal appendages. Goblins and pixies are the most intelligent of that bunch, but goblins like rules and order, where pixies are the opposite.



Goblin Origins - from my research, goblins started in European stories during the Middle Ages and most stories depict them as evil or mischievous and dwarf-like with various abilities and dispositions.


Tolkien's goblins - evil, ugly, and wicked creatures!



Rowling's goblins - highly intelligent creatures entrusted to run Gringotts, the wizard bank.


Beast World Goblins - I like the Harry Potter version of goblins. Though my goblins are highly intelligent, they aren't perfect. They're small, green smarties with sass. They like to be in control. They aren't strong, so must use their cunning to provide order to the lesser intelligent masses - very similar to humans in that respect.

How do you picture goblins? What's your favorite fantasy creature?

CRADLE ROCK
by Tara Tyler
Publication Date: December 1, 2016

Welcome to the forest.
Gabe and his girlfriend Ona are headed in opposite directions for Spring Break. After finding out humans might be a real part of their history, Ona is determined to dig up evidence of them in the mysterious mountains at Camp Cradle Rock. Being a logical goblin, Gabe tries to talk her out of it, but there's just no reasoning with a stubborn ogress.

When Ona goes missing, Gabe and his friends fly to Cradle Rock to search for her and discover a village of trouble, igniting an age old war. His physical skills may be lacking, but Gabe won't give up. With the help of his diverse group of friends, he will find a way to save his girl and maybe all beastkind. Humans, bah!

Add to your Reading List on Goodreads!

 

Tara Tyler is a math teacher and writer who loves to help and inspire others. Her problem solving skills mesh with her vivid imagination to teach math in new ways and overflows into her productions of exciting action-adventure stories in a variety of media. Pop Travel is the techno-thriller series that started it all and Beast World invites a younger audience to join the fun!