There are days when I feel good about my body; others where I feel like a blubber-stuffed elephant. Throughout my life, I’ve heard women of all sizes proclaim their issues with their body, their figure, particularly their weight. It seems so many of us have an ideal, an image of what we should be rather than embracing who we are. Having people around you who love & support you only helps so much because this isn’t an external battle, despite the outer issue; it’s an internal one.

I’ve struggled with my weight since my mother’s death when I was 8. The harder life hit me, the more weight I gained. Now I have medical conditions that make that weight more difficult to lose, and given that we live in such an image-driven society, it’s hard to find solace, to find happiness in the size I am. The size we should be (supermodel 0) is what’s pounded into our brains all the time. Did you know the average female celebrity in Hollywood wears a size 2. You’re getting a bit chunky by a size 6, and you’re obese according to most rag mags by the time you’re a 12, which is a whole dress size less than the national average of a 14 for women.

When & how did we get to this point where we question our figure, doubt our beauty? When did self-confidence in elementary-aged girls come about? I about died when my daughter mentioned her name & fat in the same sentence at the tender age of 6. I was flabbergasted because she wasn’t even wearing size 6 clothes by that point.

It’s the culmination of my personal journey, my personal struggles, plus that of all the other wonderful plus-size women on this planet, that has driven me to write a line of adult romance books featuring only plus-size heroines, and also why I try to include women of all sizes in my books. Somehow, some way, we need to empower ourselves again. No woman should ever become a shell of a person because she gained (or lost) weight. No woman should ever be ashamed of her body, regardless of the number on the scale or the tag of her pants. We are all beautiful. Maybe, like me, you don’t believe that some days, but you ought to.

I’m starting small. Rather than trying to accept myself, my body, all at once, I’m focusing on loving & accepting a new part of myself every day. For instance, my eyes appear dark brown at first glance, but if you take the time to peer at them, honey streaks are present, adding depth & character to them… That’s exactly how it is with me. At first glance, one might see just an overweight woman, but keep looking, keep watching & you will see the depth of my character; learn that I am far more than I appear to be.

Which brings me to my newest contest. Either on my personal facebook page, the fan facebook page, my twitter or right here on this website, post at least one thing that you love about your body. Don’t just state ‘eyes.’ Tell me what it is you love about that part of you. Make me fall in love with that feature; help yourself get one step closer to loving your whole body. The contest will be running until March 31st. I will be choosing only 1 winner, and that person will receive an Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook. It will be the winner’s choice. So pull out your mirror & try to find 1 thing you like about every square inch of you. Because you are beautiful. Everyone’s definition of that word is different, and I’m challenging you to define it with yourself. Beauty isn’t perfection; it’s perspective.

Now go positively change your perspective on yourself while I work on catching up with everyone & everything. I’m so far behind!

Have a great day. Smile!
~Christin

P.S. Check back this Saturday, March 3rd, for a new excerpt from book 4

Hey Everyone,

I’m sitting here, music in my ears, trying to catch up on everything. Having limited to no access to internet in PR really set me back. I didn’t get nearly as much writing done as I would have liked to, nor could I keep up with all of you like I like to. I returned on Tuesday night and had to immediately go grocery shopping Wednesday since the older ones and the hubby were literally feasting on crumbs. It also happened to be my daughter’s 7th birthday Wednesday. We did a little party that night so my evening was joyfully monopolized. Feeling jet lagged and like I was coming down with something though, I went to bed early.

Thursday I did get a little bit of writing done, but was then pulled away by the remodel that started Friday. I had to dash to Ikea and Target for some decor items and ended up going to dinner with my sister. Then, Friday… oh Friday… I redid the entire house… BY MYSELF. Every piece of furniture was moved, every room redecorated; every cupboard, drawer and cabinet cleaned out. I vaccuumed, dusted, organized; the OCD part of me was in heaven, but my body has been out of commission ever since that super long day. On the up side, my daughter now has her own room and the boys are sharing one. I lost my office space, which occupied the solarium, so she could have her own space, which was a big thing for her. So now, I’m located in the back of the living room, sharing a desk space with my hubby. (We’ll see how that goes.) I will say, it feels great to have everything be totally clean and organized, but doing all that further set me back with writing. I have a gazillion books all being written at once at the moment. Once I catch up with all of you via your comments and e-mails, I will feel a lot better. Once I catch up on book 4, then I will feel amazing.

(NEW OFFICE)

Which brings me to the whole reason for this post. Most of you have been asking when the book will be released, and while I was aiming for something sooner, realistically, it won’t happen. So based off of what I have pieced together thus far and my schedule over the next month, the RELEASE DATE FOR BOOK 4, VAMP VERSUS VAMP, will be SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 2012.

For those of you who are anxious for another sneak peek at book 4, hop on over to Delphina’s blog this Friday, February 17, 2012, where I will be guest blogging and posting an exclusive excerpt there.

Now, in the meantime, I plan to spend this week catching up on all my e-mails and comments here as well as (hopefully) making significant progress in writing. Please be patient as I work to get back to each and every one of you. I truly appreciate all of you taking the time to reach out to me. Your support means a lot to me. Thank you for reading the books and thank you for helping further my career.

Have a great Sunday!
~Christin

So, I’ve finally gotten to a place with internet. Currently I’m sitting in the middle of a non air conditioned living room. (FYI, no house in Puerto Rico has central air.) It’s eighty-something degrees out and humid despite it being “winter” still. Where are the island breezes when I need them? The mosquitoes seem to be in love with me too. As of right now, the count is at 86 bites on me. The baby got bit too, but only once luckily. In fact, everyone else in the house has not a single bite on them. I guess I’m more sweet. Haha. We know whose blood a vampire would go to first based off the mosquitoes’ choice.

It’s not all bad here though. I’m really very lucky to be here. The food is very different, even at McDonalds. For instance, there is no dollar menu here, only a few by the airport have the coffee line and smoothies, and they sell Chicken Macs. Yes, that’s exactly what you are thinking: a Big Mac with chicken instead of beef. (Yuck!) The authentic food of the island is delicioso! Tomorrow, I am going to El Yunque (book 3). I love the rain forest. It’s beautiful. (For those of you who haven’t seen a picture of it, I’m posting one here.)

Okay, so since this will probably be the only time I have access to the internet for the rest of my trip, I’m going to try to catch up on e-mails. I’ve already gone through all the comments on the website so if you don’t see yours there, then it didn’t come through to me.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend! I plan to continue writing book 4 in intervals when given the opportunity here. I will be announcing a release date by next Saturday

~Christin