Colleen Houck


“I took hold of that scourge -filled ship and crushed it between my limbs, hurtling it into the second sun, the red one that gave me strength. But I was too late." Terraformer

Colleen's blog


  • Black and White: Eyeliners for your Waterline

    April 16, 2016


    *WARNING*

    If you have eye phobias you might want to skip this post.  🙂

    BLACK EYELINERS

     

    Layering eyeliner in your waterline adds a sophisticated flare to your make-up. You can also tightline, or get the liner in a thin layer as close as you can on your lash line, your eyeliner on your upper and lower lashes it make them appear fuller and frames your eye in inky mystic. 

     

     

     

    Your waterline is that thin piece of skin above your lower eyelashes, and the skin right below your upper lashes. 

     

     

    As you can see below the eye appears larger and the lashes thicker.

     

     

    How to Tightline Your Eyes // love this makeup trick! #fashion #beautiful #makeup

    pretty much my weekend go to makeup look now

     

    If you don’t like the look of black liner on your bottom waterline try it on the upper water line.  Just that little bit of extra black liner adds the illusion of thicker wispy eyelashes.


     WHITE or NUDE EYELINER

    I’ve seen many actresses and actors with white or nude colored liner on their bottom water line to brighten and create the look of a larger eye.

    What I love about cat eye,is that once you do i, your lashes look so big, and dark :) I just love it. Andy

    Some make up artists feel a pure white liner is too harsh and instead opt for a nude eyeliner that is more flesh toned.   A very popular nude eyeliner is Rimmel London ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Eyeliner.


    How to Videos & Favorite Liners to Buy

    The Best Eyeliners

     

     

     

    Top 10 Favorite Eyeliners

     


    Colored Liner Ideas

     

     

     

     

    My favorite eye make-up for the summer. Simple, can be worn with all black for night or white for day time.


    Tips for Eyeliner in your Waterline

    1. Dry out your waterline with a Q-Tip before you put liner on your waterline.

    2. Use the soft tip of a regular eyeliner to dip into a pot of long lasting gel liner. The pencil is easier to use than a make up brush. Don’t blink, and let it dry.

    3.  If you wear contacts put your eyeliner on first and let dry for a minute so your contacts don’t get coated in eyeliner.

    4. Liner in your waterline needs to be touched up.  It can goop up in the corner of you eye so use a long wearing waterproof liner, and check on it often.

    5. Be careful…you are super close to your pretty eyes and they don’t want to be poked by a sharp eyeliner.

    This entry was posted in Beauty.

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    Shara Lane

    I'm Shara, a wife, mother, bargain shopper, and I love to critique everything from food to mascara. I'm a sister of Colleen who lives in the desert of Arizona. My favorite time of day is when I pretend my kids are asleep upstairs, and I can catch up on my favorite shows with my handsome husband. Once Upon a Time, Dr. Who, Mythbusters (husband's choice), Big Bang Theory, Sherlock, and Castle. I turned 40 but feel around 30ish, and wonder where the time has gone. I love new clothes, new make-up, new food, and anything new to try out and critique. It's not mean, I promise, I just really like to figure out how to make things better :-)

  • Modern Ink Society-April 2016

    April 9, 2016


    FEATURING GUEST

    Melinda Salisbury

    Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before Getting Published

    Welcome to the twenty-sixth session of

    THE MODERN INK SOCIETY!

    at-vintage-typewrite


    “Your value doesn’t decrease

    based on someone’s inability

    to see your worth.”

     — Unknown

     


    Introducing Melinda
    Melinda-Salisbury
     Her Featured Book is
     26625494
     

     

    Ten Things I Wish I’d Known Before Getting Published

     Growing up, I didn’t even dare to dream of being a published author. It seemed like a goal too far, like aspiring to be an archangel, or a mermaid. You see, I grew up on a housing estate, I got free school dinners. We were poor, and I thought writing novels was for rich, well-connected people who had spent long years at Oxford or Cambridge studying, or were somehow related to Dickens. People like me weren’t given that kind of opportunity. Obviously something changed, or I wouldn’t be writing this post. What changed is a story for another time, but it involved a Harry Potter conference, a cross-US trip to San Francisco, severe airplane turbulence, a magic candle, and getting fired. After all that, I had no choice but to try and become a writer. All or nothing.

    I just wish I’d know the following beforehand:

    1) Everything in the publishing industry happens waaaaaaaaaaaaay in the future. People are genuinely excited about things planned for two years from now. People are panicking about things they only have a year to work on. I saw the cover for my second book before I’d even finished writing it. I would advise all authors – budding and old timers – to get a hobby that gives you something to focus on in the here and now. Otherwise you might miss out on cool stuff happening around you while you’re looking into the distance.

    2) Everything is a secret. I am currently keeping over ten publishing secrets, some of them are mine, some of them belong to author friends. Every single stage of my career has been wrapped in secrecy for a while. So you need to make sure your poker-face game is A+, and that you have a few trustworthy friends to gush at. Or you’ll explode.

    3) Writer friends are very important. At the start, I didn’t have any writer friends and I didn’t think it mattered too much, after all, I’d known my other friends for ages; they knew me. But writing can be very lonely, and very confusing, and sometimes your non-writer friends just don’t care that you had a really tough day making stuff up in your head, when they had to deal with real people, and broken equipment, and nasty customers. That’s not to say that writing is less important, or less hard work, than any other job, but it’s all relative: a surgeon isn’t going to understand why a barista finds their job challenging, a teacher isn’t going to think a banker deserves sympathy for working long hours.

    And it’s not to say non-writers don’t get that you’re under pressure. It’s just good to have people around you who understand why you’re freaking out because your character won’t do what you want them to. And who know what you mean by it. And who have also been there too.

    4) People can be cruel. We live in an age where it’s easy to broadcast thoughts and feelings. And a lot of the time, that takes place in a medium that removes the physical interaction from an exchange. Which makes it easy for people to be nasty. I thought the hardest part of being published would be getting an agent to believe in me, but it was actually reconciling myself to the fact that people will be cruel, as though by having a book published I’m somehow fair game. They will include me in exchanges where they’re negatively critical of my books. They will message me anonymously on Tumblr. They will comment on photos I’m tagged in on Instagram. They do not seem to care that I am a human, and that their words might hurt me. And that came as a hell of a shock. I wish I’d known to brace for it.

    5) Which leads me to DO NOT LOOK AT YOUR REVIEWS. EVER. Even if you are tagged in them, it doesn’t make them “safe”. And you will gain nothing from scrolling through the creative use of GIFs chosen to express just how much someone hated your book. I’m sure there are some people who can read negative reviews and shrug them off, accepting maturely that they can’t please everyone.

    I’m sure there are some people who take valuable insight away from them. But if you are like me, you will read them and you will end up having anxiety attacks in the middle of the night, that culminate in you lying in a bath of ice-water in a bid to slow your heartrate down. You will email your agent telling her you understand if she wants to fire you, because you are worthless. You will refuse to leave the house for a week. Read a review if your agent sends it to you. Don’t read any others.

    6) That said, book fans are more incredible than I could have ever imagined. That there are people who are invested in my world is the most amazing feeling I’ve ever had. I get emails from France, the Czech Republic, Poland, the US, India, as well as the UK, from people who did like my books. Who LOVED my books! Who loved my characters and who are desperate to know what happens next!

    I’ve seen fan art of my characters, and people cosplaying them, and people making playlists for them! In the first ever panel I did, I was asked what I thought would be the best thing that could happen, and I said it would be someone telling me that my books were their favorite. And that has now happened and I was right, it is the best thing that happened.

    7) You might end up being a source of comfort, without ever setting out to. When I wrote The Sin Eater’s Daughter, I ended up writing about what it means to have very little control over your life, and what a gargantuan task it is to overcome that. I wrote about a girl discovering who she is, and what she wants, in a world that’s never considered she may be anything more than what it chooses for her. And so it hurts when I receive emails from girls who identify with Twylla. Who have very religious parents, or very strict, controlling ones. Girls who are manipulated, and threatened by the people that claim to love them. Girls who want to leave their homes but don’t have the money, or anywhere to go. I once got a Tumblr Ask from an Anon who wanted to know why Twylla ‘doesn’t do anything to help herself… it made her weak and unlikeable’, and I was astounded; she’s 17 years old, she has no money, no friends, and nowhere to go. She’s been abused by her mother, and then by her guardian – what part of any of that suggests she’s the weak one? And how does that mentality help the real-life girls and boys in Twylla’s position?

    So I’m glad I have a platform where I can say to these young people that they’re not alone, and it’s not their fault they’re in the places they are, and that it’s not their responsibility to ‘save themselves’. I think that the vast majority of fiction depicting ruthless, strong, fighting teen characters is amazing, and much-needed, but it’s not always possible for someone to wield a sword, or shout and scream, and for it to make a positive difference. I never planned to write something that would resonate in such a way, I thought I was writing a fairy story. But for some people Twylla’s life is a reality.

    8) You have responsibilities and you need to step up to them. As stated above, you have a platform where you can do good, or bad, with your work, and people are watching. So it’s your job to do good. The best thing you can and should do is show a diverse society, including people of different colours, abilities, class, gender, and sexuality, where possible in the confines of your world. My first book is very white; the series is set a pseudo-Nordic country, in the very north of their world, and Twylla only meets one new person throughout. Everyone else is native nobility or staff. Despite that, it felt wrong for me to not include more diverse characters, but I had to obey the rules of my world, and the fact is Lormere is a pretty bigoted country. Kind of a North Korea, to Tregellan’s South. But in book two, the world opens, and therefore so does the spectrum of people. That’s my job, to reflect the world I live in in my writing. To make sure anyone who reads my books would feel they had a place in that world. Not that they’d necessarily want one…

    9) From the moment you sign a contract your book is not YOUR book anymore. It’s also your agent’s book, and your editors’ book, and your publicist’s book. Your book is no longer your precious baby, but something a lot of people – including people you haven’t met, and may not meet – all feel very strongly about. All of them are as invested in your book as you are. All of them are passionate about it, and want good things for it. You are part of a big, warm, scary machine. It takes a village to raise a kid, etc.… At first, when I met publishing people, and they told me they loved my book, I’d be like “Yeah, sure, you have to, you paid for it.” This was bad of me. I didn’t get how deeply book people love books. How much they need to love your book to even want to pay for it. No one in publishing is doing charity work – they believe absolutely in you, and your project. Some days they love it even more than you do. But that means you have to let it go a little. You have to listen to them when they tell you something isn’t working. Or that you need to cut something. You’re not messing around, neither are they. Use them, and their love, and their expertise. They know what they’re doing.

    10) That it’s the best job in the world. I get to make stuff up and I get paid to do it. I wish I’d known it earlier, I might not have spent so much time messing around doing other things.


    Wow, very informative and eye opening, thanks Melinda for sharing! If you’d like to learn more about her and her books you can check her out at melindasalisbury.com.

    Also, don’t forget to participate in the ongoing chat  right here on this blog with Melinda and Colleen through the end of this month! Don’t forget, there will be a GIVEAWAY!

     April CHBC

     

    ~Till next time,

    Linda Louise Lotti

    This entry was posted in Featuring Authors, The Modern Ink Society.

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    Linda

    I’m Linda Louise, one of the bloggers on this website and Colleen’s little sister. I’m just a girl in her mid-thirties who feels thirteen when I play outside with my boys, fifteen when I sing my heart out listening to tunes while driving by myself, and sixty five when I go out past ten at night. I have a thing for junior mints, Mt. Dew, shrimp and kale (though not all at once) and I have a crush on Superman. I still get girlish butterflies when I read Twilight, cry when I read These is My Words, and smile from ear to ear when I read Anne of Green Gables. I have nightmares about aliens on a regular basis and I have a bad habit of midnight snacking. I love everything sports, except golf (although can that honestly be considered a sport??), and I hate anything that slithers, hisses, or stings. I have a problem with giggling at inappropriate moments and I sometimes wish life was a musical. I love science, hate math, love Dr. Seuss, and hate olives. My family is my world and my joys come from their happiness. I’ve learned I don’t know much about anything and I live for a good adventure, naps, cuddles, stories, exceptional food and The Shire.

  • YASH Bonus Material

    April 4, 2016


    For those of you who participate on the YA Scavenger Hunt, you may have already seen this but for those who missed it, here are the three things I revealed on the Hunt. The first thing is the title of the third and last book in the Reawakened series. This is the book I’m currently writing. The title of book three is…REALIGNED! The second thing I revealed on the hunt is a sneak peek screenshot of the still in progress book trailer for Recreated. Are you ready?

    And the third thing was a sneak peek from RECREATED. Enjoy!

    Colleen Here-One of Lily’s challenges as she tries to rescue Amon in RECREATED is that the bond that exists between the two of them causes romantic feelings to overwhelm any immortal that comes across Lily. In this scene, Lily attempts to fend off the advances of the very good-looking god, Horus.

    “I beg you not to go,” he said, interrupting my thoughts. “The netherworld is dangerous. It’s unlikely you’ll survive, let alone rescue your”—he frowned—“boy. Stay here with me. You’ll grow to cherish me over time just as I do you. There are so many things I can show you. Teach you. I can take you to a world where we can swim in a purple ocean and float on pink clouds. I can keep you warm on a planet of sparkling ice that casts prisms of light so high into the sky that the world is encased in rainbow hues. With me you’ll never experience pain, sorrow, or death.” Horus took a step closer and touched his forehead to mine. “Stay with me and be my love. Or, if that is not something you can do, then . . . just stay.”

    This time Tia wasn’t the only one moved by his words and I knew that was inherently dangerous. His promises stirred the air, wrapping around us, brushing against our defenses. The wispy tendrils seemed to touch the tender spots of my consciousness. It was tempting. How easy it would be to just let everything go and remain in the golden city of Heliopolis. Not worrying about the complications of being a sphinx. Not feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders. Just heading off to the far reaches of the universe and seeing the amazing wonders these gods have created.

    Tia was the one to pull back this time. She’d wanted to experience the passion he offered, to perhaps find a mate of her own, but she wasn’t willing to give up our quest. Flashes of our prior dream filled my mind. We must stop the Unmaker. He is not what we . . . what I . . . need at this time.

    Closing my eyes, I nodded. Grateful for her acquiescence, and giving Horus a tight smile, I determinedly pushed against his chest and stepped away. Turning toward  the mirror, I looked up at him in the reflection. “We must fulfill our purpose,” I said. “We are flattered . . . no . . . we are privileged,” I amended, “to have one such as you find us interesting. Honestly, we don’t know what awaits us and we are frightened, but we must try. Do you understand?”

    Horus didn’t reply immediately but ran his hand around to the back of his neck. His eyes were wild with fear and he was desperately seeking something, anything to dissuade us. I gazed at him steadily, confidently, and he finally straightened and nodded. “I do.” He lifted a hand toward me and then stopped as if he thought better of it. With his head lowered, he said, “Will you allow me to help you prepare?”

    I turned, surprised. “I thought everything was done.”

    “Not quite.”

    He picked up a small jar and poured out some of its contents into his hand. The scent of perfume wafted toward me. “What is it?” I asked.

    Indicating I should turn around, he rubbed his palms together and stroked his fingertips down my neck. “It’s a mixture of oil and myrrh, the purest oil in the cosmos. It’s taken from a flower that grows in the snow at the upper altitudes of a mountainous planet a great distance away.” Horus moved to my side and took my hand and then pushed the sleeve of the robe all the way up my arm. Slowly he massaged from my shoulder down my arm, over my elbow to my wrist and then down my hand all the way to my fingertips, making sure to get oil between each finger.

    As he moved to my other arm, he asked, “Do you know how Anubis prepares bodies at the time of their death?” I nodded. “You must be adorned in a similar way.”

    “Do I have to wear mummy wrappings?” I asked.

    He smiled. “No. But you will need to wear white. You must be dressed in fresh clothing of the purest shade. If you cannot remain barefoot, you will wear sandals of the same color that wrap around your legs.”

    Speaking of legs, Horus had now crouched down and taken hold of my foot. As he ran his oiled palm under the sensitive arch and then up the back of my calf, I danced away nervously.

    Horus let me go and looked up at me. “I won’t hurt you.”

    “I . . . I know. I’m just not used to getting a massage standing up,” I stammered, trying to come up with something less embarrassing than nobody has ever touched me like that before. Tia wasn’t helping either. She was enjoying his ministrations too much to protest.

    Frowning slightly, he asked, “Would you prefer to lie down?”

    “No. Let’s just . . .” I wrung my hands and shook them out. “Let’s just get this over with quickly. Okay?”

    “As you wish,” he said softly, and held out a steadying hand.

    I leaned against the table, fingering the soft fabric as his palm found my leg again. He swiped the oil up and behind my knee, to halfway up my thigh, only lingering there for a fraction of a second before he did the same thing to the other one. Relief spilled out of me in a shaky breath as he stood up and turned me to face him once again.

    Ignoring my obvious discomfort, he dipped his fingertips back into the jar and stroked his thumbs across my eyebrows. Asking me to close my eyes, he touched each eyelid, leaving a whisper of moist, tingling oil behind. The lobes of my ears were next and then he traced the edge of my jaw on both sides. The last thing he did was touch the pad of his thumb to my bottom lip.

    His gaze fixed on my lips and his expression became hungry and hot. Lifting his eyes to mine, he whispered, “You are ready.”

    I swallowed, the sensation thick and searing my throat. “Thank you,” I murmured languidly.

    “You’re welcome,” he answered with a warmth that spoke volumes. We stood, unmoving for a few more heartbeats until I noticed he was smiling. “Lily,” he said.

    “Yes?” I answered, my eyes now drawn to his mouth.

    “If you keep looking at me like that, I’m not going to let you go anywhere.”

    I inhaled and realized I had stopped breathing for a few seconds. Turning away from him felt torturous, but somehow I did it and stepped toward the little table containing my weapons and my dress. That’s when I noticed the heart scarab peeking out from under the folds of white. I brushed my hand against it and the passionate fog that I’d been enveloped in dissipated, my mind completely clear.

    Narrowing my eyes, I turned and my suspicions were confirmed when I saw the self-assured grin on Horus’s face. “You tricked me, didn’t you?” I accused.

    He shrugged like the popular boy at school who knew he could get away with naughty behavior if he flirted with the teacher. “There’s no way you would have paid any attention to me at all if you had that on your person. Catching you unawares while bathing was the only way I could try to steal you away from him.”

    “You’re despicable,” I said, though my skin was still too warm from his touch to lend any weight to my words. “I knew we should’ve strangled him, Tia.”

    Horus raised his hands in surrender. “I’ve lost. I’ll admit it. And rightfully so.” He sighed. “It’s been centuries since I’ve had to work so hard to gain a woman’s interest.” When he saw my irritated expression, he added, “Take heart. You rejected me all on your own.” Leaning closer, Horus stretched out a hand to find something on the table behind me and brought his very tempting mouth to within inches of mine. He smiled when he found what he was looking for and added, “Mostly.”

    This entry was posted in Bonus Material, Recreated.

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    Colleen Houck

    New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science fiction, and romance. When she's not busy writing, she likes to spend time chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband and a huge assortment of plush tigers.