There’s this strange thing that happens to me when I fly or travel for long distances. I watch the world go by from a unique perspective–especially at night when houses are lit up and you get tiny peeks into the lives of others. As the miles go by, homes and people move past me like water tumbling over rocks in a stream. And I’m reminded that each dwelling contains, what I consider, a a whole eco system. Each one has joy and sorrow, hope and fear, the expected and the unexpected–just like my house. Just like my family. And when I think of how complicated, in both good and bad ways my own little universe is, I’m blown away by how much exists in the world and how small my mind is. And in those moments I’m absolutely positive that I understand next to nothing, but this excites me because it means that I have so much left to learn. And perhaps, if I am brave enough to look into even the tiniest fraction of the world’s windows, I will never run out of stories to tell.
I have barely touched the surface…
Tags: Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Pondering, Touching the Surface, writing
I have this babysitter, Amy.
I love her for all the usual reasons–like she watches my children once a week so I can go to my dance class, she’s cleaned up vomit, she plays games with my competitive yet whiny kids and she plans awesome crafts and projects. My boys adore her.
But I love her for my own selfish reasons–she’s my friend. And I had to tell her that in the acknowledgment pages of my book.
“And to Amy Miccio, boy-watcher extraordinaire, you are important to me.”
I could write another book–a book of reasons why she has become someone special in my life–but one will be enough to convince you it’s true…
She made me my first paper crane for my birthday. And then she helped three little people that I love make the second, third and fourth…
And I am reminded that there is nothing more special than having someone say…you are important to me. I am too warm and fuzzy to ask a question–just talk amongst yourselves.
Tags: Babysitter, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, paper crane, Touching the Surface
I thought that I’d do a funny post highlighting some of my greatest birthday presents of all time. I mean–heck I’m 42 this year–I’ve gotten some great stuff. But my mind kind of went here first and wouldn’t go anywhere else…
If my dad was still alive–today would have been the day he shaved his winter beard. He did it every year for my birthday. He knew how much I “hated” his scruffy kisses when he rough-housed with my brother and I. He used those scratchy whiskers as a weapon in the tickle wars while putting us to bed. It was the perfect torture. Ironically, after all of the initial complaining I did–begging him to shave it off–every year I got used to it. And every spring, when March 19th rolled around, I’d be sitting at the kitchen table, eating breakfast and trying to figure out why he looked so funny that particular morning. I think the trickster in him loved that, as much as he liked to get me with his scruff. I wish he was still here to give me that present–it was one of my favorites.
What’s you’re favorite birthday present?
Tags: Birthday, Birthday Presents, Dad, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini
In a weird coincidence, I’d just cracked the spine on my very own copy of THE GATHERING STORM by my Class of 2k12 sib Robin Bridges, when the ARC Tour copy showed up in my mailbox. Guess I was reading the right book at the right time. I love it when the universe sends me cosmic confirmation signals. Here’s a little bit about THE GATHERING STORM in case you have had the chance to drool over it yet…
In superstitious 1880’s Russia, Katerina of Oldenburg hides a dangerous secret: she can raise the dead.
St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.
An evil presence is growing within Europe’s royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina’s strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar’s standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina’s help to safeguard Russia, even if he’s repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.
The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?
THE GATHERING STORM can be purchased at…
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Click HERE for a list of other available booksellers
Kimberly’s Review of THE GATHERING STORM
The absolute coolest thing about this book was the melding of paranormal and historical. And what really intrigued me most was that this wasn’t your “typical” historical era that we so often read about–this was Russia!!! The story was filled with all kinds of new and unique things that I’d never read about in a YA book before. Obviously, there was a mind boggling amount of research that must have gone into THE GATHERING STORM and that’s what I loved about it. It felt authentic–which meant that when Bridges introduced her paranormal elements into the story–the lines between reality and fiction were often blurred, making for fantastic story telling.I also really loved Katerina’s drive to be a doctor and her own person and more importantly, I adored her father. He only wanted the best thing for his daughter, even if it defies convention.The Gathering Storm had love, intrigue, history, magic and all of my attention. I can’t wait until the next installment of the Katerina Trilogy!!!
By day, Robin is a mild-mannered writer of fantasy and paranormal fiction for young adults. By night, she is a pediatric nurse. Robin lives on the Gulf Coast with her husband, one soon-to-be teenager, and two slobbery mastiffs. THE GATHERING STORM is her first novel.
And if I haven’t already sold you on Book One of the Katerina Trilogy, check out Book Two…
THE UNFAILING LIGHT is now available for Pre-order!!!!
Available October 9, 2012
Having had no choice but to use her power has a necromancer to save Russia from dark forces, Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, now wants to forget that she ever used her special powers. She’s about to set off to pursue her lifelong dream of attending medical school when she discovers that Russia’s arch nemesis–who she thought she’d destroyed–is still alive. So on imperial orders, Katerina remains at her old finishing school. She’ll be safe there, because the empress has cast a potent spell to protect it against the vampires and revenants who are bent on toppling the tsar and using Katerina for their own gains. But to Katerina’s horror, the spell unleashes a vengeful ghost within the school, a ghost more dangerous than any creature trying to get in.
You can find out more about Robin Bridges and The Katerina Trilogy–THE GATHERING STORM and THE UNFAILING LIGHT here…
Tags: Apocalypsies, Book Review, Class of 2k12, Kim Sabatini, Kimberly Sabatini, Robin Bridges, The Gathering Storm, The Unfailing Light, YA Author, YA Book, YA Novel, YA Writer
