At this writing, I am dealing with a loved one who chose to not make some healthy choices. So, when Paige Johnson sent me this guest blog, I thought "Perfect Timing!" Some time in your life, you will deal with one of the situations Paige discusses. Put her great advice in your tool kit for future use. She provides ways to show your unconditional love without damaging the relationship. -Carol McKibben

-By Paige Johnson
Helping your significant other find ways to be healthy is not always easy. In fact, if you have reached a point where you’re worried about his or her well-being, it’s possible that he or she is already self-conscious about the choices made, and having a significant other bring it up will only lead to defensiveness or a confrontation.
 
Luckily, there are several ways you can help your loved one make better choices for his or her mind and body without being aggressive about it. It’s important to show your partner that you support and want him or her to be happy; this can go a long way in helping a loved one make the right move. Here are some of the best ways to get a significant person in your life on the right track.
 
Keep it simple
 
Instead of coming right out and saying you think your loved one needs to lose weight or quit smoking, start the conversation lightly. Tell him or her you’re thinking about making a lifestyle change of your own--such as taking on a new, healthy meal plan--and ask what he or she thinks about trying some new things. If you haven’t already, make your home a smoke-free zone, which will force your loved one to re-evaluate his or her habit. If he or she is on board with quitting, help along the way by providing sugar-free candy and fresh veggies to use in place of cigarettes, and do a thorough cleaning of the house to de-smoke everything.
 
Teamwork is key
 
Particularly where losing weight is concerned, teamwork is key. Help your partner see how much better he or she could feel by changing diet and exercise habits by doing it yourself, and encourage them along the way. Offer to go for a nightly run together or get a membership at the Y or a local gym with an indoor pool so that you can both swim year round. Or you might also create a date night that incorporates some activity.
 
Get backup
 
If you feel like you aren’t making much headway when it comes to convincing your partner to make big changes, you can always get backup from a family doctor or dentist. For instance, hearing that being overweight can cause diabetes, which in turn can cause problems with the gums and teeth, might not have the same effect coming from you as it would coming from a medical professional.
 
Keep realistic expectations
 
Trying to force someone to do things your way almost never works, and often it only causes conflict. It’s important to keep realistic expectations and be patient with your loved one. You know this person better than almost anyone else, so consider finding ways for him or her to make changes on their own terms. For instance, instead of trying to convince a loved one to go to the gym with you, incorporate something they’ve always loved or always wanted to do, such as play baseball or learn to box. Help your significant person find classes or groups to join. We all have much more success when we’re doing something we love.
 
Paige Johnson enjoys writing about health and fitness for  LearnFit.org.
 

Lonnie Ostrow has been my editor from when I wrote Luke's Tale and beyond. Even when he wasn't sure about me writing the tales of a vampire dog, he indulged me and made me better. 

I now hold in my hands an advanced copy of his novel, which he has been working to get published for many moons now. It is so terrific that I wanted to share a little bit about it with you. Here's the plot summary.

"It’s not that I don’t love you, and my tears are yet to dry. But you can’t go back and forth forever and we’ve already said goodbye.” 

Through these words, a young poet unearths his musical soul while severing ties with the woman he loves after her stunning betrayal. Unknowingly, in writing this ballad of liberation, he will soon evolve as one of the fastest rising stars on the pop music landscape. 

The year is 1991; the place, New York City. Here we meet Johnny Elias, a college student from Brooklyn with boundless adoration for two things in life: timeless popular music, and the heart of a sweet, complicated young woman who is clearly out of his league. 

Megan Price not only is the object of Johnny’s affection, but also the only daughter of New York’s most powerful PR woman: the indomitable Katherine Price. 

Projecting that her daughter’s boyfriend will never live up to the family standard, Katherine cleverly perpetrates a series of duplicitous schemes to rid Johnny from her high-class world. But in her callous disregard, she inadvertently sets him on a determined course to his improbable musical destiny - while sending her own daughter spiraling down a path of devastation. 

Poet of the Wrong Generation tells the symmetrical story of a lovable underdog and his meteoric rise to stardom, his humiliating downfall and his unprecedented attempt to reclaim his place as the unlikely musical spokesman for his generation. At the heart of Poet is a tale of star-crossed lovers and their struggle with unforeseen success and disillusionment, in an attempt to rediscover lasting harmony. 

Uniquely integrating a variety of original song compositions, Poet projects the epic clash between true contentment and the fable of stardom’s rewards; a nostalgic journey through the major events of the 1990s, with a cherished cast of characters and a stunningly unpredictable conclusion.

I can't recommend it enough. It's one of those books that interferes with my own work because I can't put it down! It will be available on November 10th and is in pre-order on Amazon now.

Congratulations, Lonnie! And, thank you for such a wonderful read!

Til Next Time,
​Carol

My editor is still working on it... but I wanted to share a few excerpts from Snow Blood Season 4 for your comments! This Season brings us a new character, a character from my heart. For those of you who know me, no explanation is needed. For those who don't, this book is dedicated to Aramis, my winged Friesian angel, who will forever live in my broken heart. 

His name in the book is Mathias. 

I hope you enjoy this excerpt and that it piques your interest. But, consider this, why has Mathias appeared? Why is he protecting Seth? What new evil could want to harm Seth, Snow Blood and his family?

Snow Blood Season 4 Excerpts:
She was finally mine, in body and soulless soul, bound together through eternity. Nova pressed against me. Snowflakes fell across her salt and pepper coat and glistened like small diamonds on her fur. Shadows of prey lurked in the surrounding darkness as we padded home through the forest. I would have wanted the true death if she had failed to return my love.
 
Too caught up in the afterglow of our mating, I missed the tell-tale signs Nova instantly sensed.
           
Something watches us… follows us. Her telepathic message jarred me into alertness. We both circled each other, she-wolf to husky, eyes outward, looking for the intruder. I felt the presence of something… not dangerous. Searching the trees with my keen vampire vision, I glimpsed the shadowy outline of a… horse? I sprang in its direction with Nova on my heels only to discover nothing…

...AND LATER

I turned and ran faster to catch Kane with Scrawny behind me.

The three of us pulled up short about a quarter of a mile west of the estate. I recognized the field where Brogio confronted Artemis and Zeus. Zeus’ presence there had burned the field. No grass would ever grow there again. The field had become a landmark of sorts to mark our war with the gods. That all seemed long ago, when in reality it had only been a little more than six months.

I gawked at the winged horse standing in the middle of the field. He was a magnificent black horse with long, flowing mane and tail. His hoofs were covered in black feathers, and his black wings spanned what appeared to be ten or more feet each when he spread them out to his side when he saw us.

Kane strode up to the creature. “You are a relative of Pegasus, no doubt?”

Scrawny and I sniffed the ground and approached cautiously.

You may speak to me telepathically so that all can participate. The horse tossed his head in Scrawny’s and my direction.

Who or what are you?

I am Mathias, friend to Seth.

Kane’s insatiable curiosity got the better of him. Your breed carried knights into battle, didn't it? What is your origin?

Mathias stomped his right foot. I am Friesian. I am guardian for Seth. I told you, I am his friend. He is in trouble. He needs you now.

Kane pressed for more information. What has happened?

Mathias flung his head irritated by Kane’s questions. In helping you with the aspecting ritual to connect with Hades to locate where Hecate had taken the vampire dog, Seth is in trouble with the other white witches in his coven. They strictly forbid the use of dark magic, and Seth has broken that rule. They threaten to take Seth’s abilities from him. They are passing judgment on Seth at his home now. Follow me.

Mathias spread his magnificent wings and took flight. Because vampires have the ability to move from one point to the next with lightning speed, we covered the eighteen miles from the estate to Seth’s cottage outside the north end of Wolfville in a matter of minutes. Scrawny and I scampered after Kane, dodging trees, shrubs and even prey that we startled as we whisked by them. Mathias landed just as we arrived next to a cluster of trees in front of the cottage with the vibrant blue door. Smoke curled from the brick chimney, and angry voices tried to shout each other down from inside. “I tell you, if I hadn’t shown Kane the aspecting spell, his friend would have been destroyed! What choice did I have to save an innocent! I…”

“Not acceptable!” A strident voice interrupted Seth’s plea. “You deserve to be stripped of your abilities.”

“Yes!” Several voices added their agreement.

“Wait,” a soft-spoken voice melted through the din of dissatisfaction. “Seth was trying to help save a life. Isn’t that what we do? Granted, he showed another how to aspect Hades, but he didn’t do the ritual himself.”

Another husky, unpleasant voice attacked. “Shush, Glenna! You’re being too soft. We have ethical behavior that guides the use of our magic.”

Kane waited no longer. He pushed open the door and made his presence known in the sitting room of the cottage. Scrawny followed, but I could not cross the threshold since I had never been invited in before. I stood outside and waited. Kane and Scrawny found themselves in the midst of a large circle of some twenty witches of all ages – young, old and in-between.   In the circle with them stood a tall blonde man with the most angelic face I had ever seen. The word good sprang to mind when I looked into his pure pale blue eyes. Dressed in a white shirt, slacks and shoes, his fair hair spread out around his wide shoulders.

“Ah, Kane, this isn’t a good time,” Seth said. But before the beautiful man could finish, the tallest of the witches took one look at Kane and shrieked. “Demon! Vampire!” With a wave of her hand, she threw Kane and Scrawny against the wall next to the fireplace.

*****************
What do you think will happen next? Can you weave the plot from Season 3 into this?

Til Next Time,
​Carol