I present to you…the cover!

Yeah, I know I never post on Sundays, but I was just too excited to wait!

My amazing, creative, brilliant, innovative…OK, I’ll stop now, but I could go on for days…hubby fashioned the book cover for Everything’s Not Bigger yesterday.

I am stoked to share it with you all.

Pending any unforeseen disasters in the e-book formatting process (those who have self-published know what I mean…wink, wink), my second novel will release on November 10.

It will be available via Amazon and Smashwords, which will distribute to Barnes and Noble and Apple once I receive the stamp of approval.

Without further ado…

Pardon my french, but I think he did a super bad ass job on this!

What do you guys think?

Beneath the Satin Gloves…News and Reviews!

Just wanted to give everyone a quick update on my recent e-book release.

Haven’t heard of my quirky spy novel yet? You can get up to speed right here.

In addition to Amazon and Smashwords, Beneath the Satin Gloves is NOW gracing the virtual bookshelves of Apple and Barnes & Noble.

A sincere thanks to my fellow bloggers, readers, family, and friends for your magnificent support as I navigate this whirlwind endeavor of becoming a novelist.

You keep me happy, sane, and inspired.

Check out the rave reviews thus far…

Spies, Sex, Glamour and…time travel?  I must begin by saying that I am not generally into reading about the WWII era, and have never before read anything about Germany during the war. I decided to take a break from my “preferred eras” to read this fun book and am I glad I did! Well-researched, with an intriguing plot line, Beneath the Satin Gloves had much to keep me glued to it on my Kindle. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and loved how some of the “bad guys” got theirs in the end. Not all, but THAT would be a spoiler. What I have to know now is WHAT HAPPENS NEXT????? Read this book and you will find yourself asking the same question at the end. I guarantee it! Enjoy!

Couldn’t put the book down…  Charming characters and vivid descriptions are what make this suspense novel a real page turner. I was able to imagine myself in war torn Germany during WWII. Britt Skrabanek is a talented writer.

One Lovely Blog Award!

To be considered lovely by anybody is just lovely, isn’t it?

So, I am overjoyed to accept the One Lovely Blog Award for a physical perspective from my charming friend Kristi over at Biscuits & NAVY. Kristi is an adorable fashionista with a knack for fun and elegant wardrobe combinations. Check her out!

I would like to thank all of my beautiful followers out there for your continued support and enthusiasm. You are beyond lovely.

Recently, my little blog surpassed 100 followers! Here’s the celebratory happy dance in case you missed it.

To accept, I must say 7 things about myself:

  1. My goal is to write 10 books in the next 10 years. There, I said it. Now I have to do it!
  2. One of those books is probably going to be about pirates. I thought they were cool long before the Pirates of the Caribbean movies came out.
  3. I can’t resist dark chocolate with sea salt. It rocks my world.
  4. I shudder when people crack their knuckles. By Golly, I even shudder just thinking about it.
  5. Lost In Translation is one of my favorite movies. A lot of people said they didn’t get it. I got it, and thought it was spectacular.
  6. I look like a clown when I wear lipstick, so I usually avoid it altogether.
  7. No matter what is happening in the world, I continue to believe in humanity. The power of positive thinking is always enough.

I would like to nominate the following bloggers for the One Lovely Blog Award (please note…the categories below are only a guideline; several of these blogs cover multiple topics.):

Writing

Travel & Food

Photography & Design

“Whatever makes an impression on the heart seems lovely in the eye.” – Sa’di

Life: The Yellow Traffic Light Theory

We have two choices to make when we approach a yellow traffic light. We can floor it, and rush through as quickly as possible. Or we can ease up, and take a moment to pause. The yellow traffic light defines how we choose to navigate our very lives.

For a long time, I floored it. I’m an overachieving go-getter, the epitome of Type A, trying to do everything at once and trying to do it perfectly. We have taken life and turned it into the Autobahn, evolving into thinking more and faster will give us the satisfaction we crave. Most of the time we find ourselves frustrated, stuck in traffic.

Where does all of this rushing lead?

The Red Light: How to run it
Multi-tasking is designed to be a shining quality in the workplace. It is recommended as the surefire answer to impress during an interview, and used as the determining factor for a lukewarm promotion.

But, multi-tasking also drives stress into our personal lives, crashing right into our precious free time. Evenings, weekends, even vacations have become taxing, because we’re over-compensating, pouring distractions and obligations right into the tank, and running on empty because of it.

The Yellow Light: How to slow down
Now I’m easing up. And, easing up is certainly not easy for me. I have to work hard at it every day, concentrating fully on every traffic light that I encounter.

Here are a few personal traffic laws I’ve been doing my best to obey…

  1. STOP saying yes to everything   We’re afraid if we say no to people, they simply won’t like us anymore. At work, we might be looked at unfavorably, jeopardizing our job security. But, this goes for personal time as well. I’m not saying you shouldn’t have a social life. Just don’t cram too much fun into your free time. Otherwise, it becomes work.
  2. STOP distracting yourself   The world is full of sneaky, little distractions, masquerading as entertainment. Computers, televisions, phones—and even though I’m a writer and I shouldn’t say this—books fall right alongside these other culprits. During your free time, turn everything off. You might feel bored at first, but over time you’ll start to feel more comfortable doing absolutely nothing. Believe it or not, we can entertain ourselves.
  3. STOP not taking care of yourself   A lot of us feel like we don’t have time to fully take care of ourselves. But, if you obey laws #1 and #2 above, you’ll have some bonus free time in your life. No more excuses! Exercise on your days off, because you probably don’t have much time otherwise. Then take a 30-60 minute nap, because naps aren’t just for kiddos and old folks. Slow down and enjoy your food. Food is one of the finest pleasures in life—it nourishes us, providing the energy we need to function. When it’s time to eat, don’t do anything else. You should be tasting your food, savoring every last bite. So, no more eating at your desk! Get up and go outside for once.

The Green Light: How to cruise
Sometimes we need to stop in order to slow down. If you find yourself rushing all the time, stop. Then you can take a more leisurely spin through life.

It’s OK to be a Sunday driver.

Let’s Get Physical

“Let’s get physical” is a very thought-provoking expression in my humble opinion. Automatically I think of Olivia Newton-John with her sweatband and leotard, because that’s the kind of silly, random thought that takes precedence in my head more often than not.

Physical is vague, yet meaningful, encompassing the body, the senses, activity, material things, and science. So, what is this blog, a physical perspective, going to cover anyway?

You might be asking yourself if you need to be good at math or wear slouchy legwarmers. Well, I’m terrible at math, so you can forget that. And, if you want to wear legwarmers while you read…go right ahead! As a dancer, I’ve spent most of my life wearing them and I think they’re great.

I’m Britt Skrabanek…I write, I dance, I live.

I am a life enthusiast, meaning I am a stalker fan of the breathtaking world we are privileged to have and I simply don’t have an off switch, because I don’t want one. I like to experience and share, sometimes in the physicality of words, sometimes in the physicality of movement.

My blog, a physical perspective, will be a bouquet of sporadic thoughts including:

  • tips on loving life
  • healthy ways to get through the day
  • how movement keeps you alive
  • why your bike should never have any cobwebs on it
  • and a bit about my new adventure as an indie author, trying to make it in the impossible field of writing.
  • And much, much, more!

I hope you’ll consider following this crazy little blog each week, so we can use it as a quaint, virtual cafe to share a delicious, steaming cup of life together. I would love to hear what’s on your mind in the form of comments and questions at any time, so feel free to speak up and speak often.

Lastly, I’ll leave you all with a little treat for your physical senses.

Even though I’ve heard the song “Let’s Get Physical” a million times, I just discovered the music video today and couldn’t resist adding it to this post. I am personally stamping this with a speedo alert, so be warned and enjoy!