Cover Reveal for The Watchers: Flood and Fire


If you loved the covers for Knight of Light and Hidden Fire, you're going to LOVE the cover for Flood and Fire!


The Watchers: Flood and Fire
Struggling to control her new abilities, Auriella must recover a lost Neviahan who is essential to winning the war against the Shadow Legion. 
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    Free Doctor Who Book!



    Get Doctor Who: 200 Facts on the Characters and Making of the BBC TV Series for free on Amazon! Get it quickly because this probably won't last long. ***Update: No longer free. Hope you got one!

    Win $35 from The Kawaii OD

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    About The Kawaii OD

    Hi, my name is Amber I am pretty much a gamer and anime fan. I could never afford any of the cool stuff in the specialty stores when I was growing up, so I decided to take matters into my own hands. Even as I get older I still get inspired by the games and anime I love.

     Final Fantasy vii was my first VIDEO GAME OBSESSION 
    Sailor moon was my first LOVE
    League of Legends has been with me since 2009! 

    Visit The Kawaii OD on etsy, Facebook, Tumblr, DeviantArt, and Twitter.


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    Winner of The Watchers $25 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway!


    Congratulations to Judy Cox, winner of a $25 Amazon Gift Card from The Watchers by Deirdra Eden!




    Finding your own unique strength and courage is a major theme of The Watchers. The characters in this series are as diverse as they come: different nationalities, male, female, dwarf, human, dragon, pixie, noble, peasant orphan, young, aged. Yet, no matter the situation, whether tragic or triumphant, they find ways to grow and develop into something stronger. 

    The main character, Auriella (Aura), is born and lives in a society and time when girls, especially of her social status, didn't have opportunities for education or growth, let alone a chance to be a hero. The Watchers must learn to work together, despite differences, to defeat Erebus and the Shadow Legion, just as we, no matter our gender, race, age, circumstances, etc., are capable of great things. 

    Strong men and women grow in all situations and become heroes when one is needed. They don't think about it, they just do what's right. 
    -Deirdra Eden, author of The Watchers Series

    Book Summary
    Auriella’s new life as a royal protector is in shambles. The new king ignores her warnings of a Shadow Legion invasion and he is determined to marry her off. Ghosts from her past, the discovery of other Watchers, and a handsome Scottish warrior throw her off guard and weaken her emotional defenses. Caught in a web of secrecy and betrayal, Auriella struggles to control and protect the devastating power of Starfire. A terrible truth and a fateful choice will lead her to her destiny as the fabled Lady of Neviah, or could shroud the entire world in eternal darkness. 

    Filled with action, romance, drama, and comedy, Hidden Fire is an addicting read that you won't want to put down. 

    “Deirdra Eden has surpassed her earlier achievement in this daring tale of struggle between good and evil forces that exist in every universe.” Mark F. Cheney, author of MARK OF THE JAGUAR 

    “Thought provoking and full of action, I didn’t want to put the book down! I really loved the symbolism and it was a fantastic read.” Mary G. – age 15



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    My Battle for Better Health: The Aftermath


    I took the kids swimming at the Provo Rec Center yesterday. They had so much fun, which was important to me because we haven't gotten to do much so far this summer. 

    The Rec Center is amazing, but the air was so humid and the heated pools were too warm for me to cool off much. So, even though I didn't swim much (literally 2 walking laps with the current in the small lazy river and sitting around in the water for a bit), I left with my knees hurting (from my previous injury, see my last blog post) and feeling like I'd been swimming laps. Heat and humidity always make me super sick like this (so exhausted that I'm almost falling asleep sitting up), but I was hoping it wouldn't be so bad because of the water.

    Today, I'm really feeling the effects of it. I woke up hurting literally from head to toe. If you've ever felt feverish and had the all-over muscle/joint pain that comes with it, that's a lot like what I'm feeling. Even my eyes hurt. I'm still really tired even though I slept for about ten hours last night. My mood is terrible. The thought of doing anything (even writing this blog post) is exhausting, and I'm having trouble being around people. My poor kids, especially our youngest, want to spend time with me, but I'm only able to focus on them for a minute or two at a time before I need a break.

    But you know what? It was worth it. This is what my life is right now. I have to carefully measure cost vs benefit for everything I do. Before we left for the pool, I knew this was a likely outcome, but my kids really needed this. I'll have to spend a day or two recovering, but my kids are worth it.

    My goals

    I want to have energy to spend time and actually do activities with my family.
    I want to be able to be physically active. I’m not saying I plan on running marathons, but being able to exercise and do basic housecleaning on a daily basis would be nice.
    I want my mind to feel less foggy all the time so I can do my job well and enjoy being in the profession I love.
    I want to be healthy and be at a healthy weight.
    I want my life back!

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      Winners of The White Mandara Giveaway!





      Congratulations to Melinda Stephens, winner of a hand sculpted Night Fury pendant and Megan McCracken, winner of Night Fury sculpture from The White Mandara!

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      Win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!

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        Night Fury Pendant and Sculpture Giveaway from The White Mandara!





        This time, we have 2 prizes: a hand sculpted Night Fury pendant and Night Fury sculpture from The White Mandara.

        I actually started selling little dragons for a dollar on the play ground in the 6th grade, but the lunch lady supervisor made me stop. kids were buying my dragons and gem turtles instead of lunch. 

         I lost my job in 2010 and I started this Etsy shop as a way to make my car payment in a moment of desperation. Etsy and my supporters have been an answer to many prayers
        and so far every year here gets better and better.
        - Angela of The White Mandara
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        Perler Bead Q&A





        What do I need to start with Perler Beads?

        Here's a whole post, just for you! :) Getting started with Perler Beads


        Can you put glue on perler beads?
        Yes! Use E6000® Craft Adhesive. I've tried a lot of different glues, and this one is the best! It stinks like crazy, and you have to ventilate properly or use it outside because of fumes, but it works like nothing else.


        What's the best way to store perler beads?

        For bead storage, I have a few essential requirements. I need to be able to organize them in a way I like, and beads need to stay where I put them! I went through a few different craft organizers and hours of resorting spilled/mixed beads before I found this organizer at Home Depot. It has saved me so so many times when my kids have knocked my bins down. Once they're latched closed, they stay closed, and the beads stay in their own individual spots. LOVE it!



         Where can I  buy perler beads for the cheapest?

        It depends on what you're buying. If you're buying individual colors, it's usually cheapest to buy the beads directly from the manufacturer. If you're buying the jars, etc. Amazon's usually your best bet. Read more about where to find beads and supplies here.


        What's the difference between Perler, Hama, Fuse, Melty, Nabbi, Pyssla Beads, etc.?

        This is a long one, so I wrote a whole post about it. Read about them here.


        How do I iron perler beads?

        It's easier than you'd think! Watch my instructional video here.


        How do I turn my bead sprite into a magnet, ornament, or wall decor?

        Read my step by step instructions here.


         What if my design is larger than my pegboard?

        There are a few options for this. Whenever I can, I just use the superpegboard. Not only do you have less steps to worry about when ironing, it's more stable (so if you accidently bump it, the beads aren't disturbed as much-which is especially important with large patterns).

        If your design is larger than the superpegboard, there's the tape method, which you can watch here. The only problem I have with that video is the "hard fuse" that he does. He over-iorns the beads on purpose for stylistic purposes, but I personally don't like how they look, how unpredictable the results are, and how harsh ironing that long is on your equipment (and yourself!) So, far large designs, watch my tutorial to learn how to iron the beads, but watch this video to learn how to tape the larger designs.

        Have a question that needs answered? Email me or leave a comment below!



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        Coming soon:
        How do I design bead sprites?

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        My Battle for Better Health: All Legs

        Let's talk legs. 

        Last post, I mentioned that I have RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome), which isn't fun, but there are a few other things I want to talk about.

        With my symptoms, it's hard to tell where one problem ends and another begins, and somethings I have just assumed are part of my life without questioning. For example, I've always assumed I was just super clumsy and bruise easily. I always joke that I was as accident prone as Bella from Twilight,  or that people will start to think that my husband's been beating on me. (If you know my husband, you'd know that he's actually a really gentle person, the last one you'd ever see hitting anyone.) I never remember where my bruises come from, no matter how crazy they look. I also get really sick in heat and/or humidity.

         One of the hardest things is getting sick when I shower. This ends up being a lot like what I mentioned before about how I get sick and eventually black out (seems to be food related). One really weird symptom that I've noticed these have in common are my legs. I get terrible muscle weakness and feel like I need to stretch my legs really bad, almost like they're not getting enough blood pumping to them or something. I asked one of my sisters about it once, and it turns out, she gets sick when she showers too. Only, instead of feeling really weak and panicky like I do, she actually passes out.

        I asked the doctor about it and he said it could be a vasovagal syncope but there really wasn't anything to be done about it. Later, I asked the same doctor more about it, but he'd turned to the dark side. That's right, he said that it was all in my head. It might be something my sister has, but that I was just having panic attacks that were triggered because I remembered that my sister has. Then, he wanted to put me on anti-anxiety meds, because apparently there's no other hope for me.

        Anyhow, I'm still not clear what causes me to get leg pain, nausea, tunnel vision, muscle weakness, and fatigue when I shower, but it makes things really difficult.

        Back to the legs. So, being overweight and clumsy, it's really hard to get around, and I'm actually shocked I've made it this long....but on April 11th, I was rushing to a meeting, got my sandel caught in a huge crack in the pavement, and fell. To catch myself, I landed on my knees (mostly left knee), then hands. I had so much momentum that I fractured a bone on the outside of my knee and bruised the bones in my knees. But I made it to my meeting! I thought I was just being whimpy. I can't tell you how many times I'd skinned my knees growing up. I made myself walk it off. I kind of which I'd kept the picture of the bruises to show you-they were very impressive.

        Long story short. Two months later, they had to give me cortisone shots in each knee to help them heal, which ended up making them worse for the past few days.

        So, between the nearly passing out, hardly being able to walk, and lots of pain, my legs and I don't get along very well. I can deal with pain, I do every single day. What I'm having trouble with is not being able to clean myself or my house or to do the other things I'd like to get done. I'm not a pig, I don't enjoy living like one.

         My OCD and perfectionism gives me a very strict definition of how things "should" be. When they're not, like they haven't been for years now, I get very anxious and depressed. In fact, the night before last, I was driving my husband crazy because, while I wasn't able to get up and do a single thing, mentally, I was going a mile a minute. I was about ready to tear my hair out, and I kept snapping at everyone because I was so frustrated and depressed. That's actually when I started writing this blog. I needed something that I was driven to do, something that I felt made some progress in my mess of a life.

        What do you struggle with? Am I the only one at war with her body?

        My goals

        I want to have energy to spend time and actually do activities with my family.
        I want to be able to be physically active. I’m not saying I plan on running marathons, but being able to exercise and do basic housecleaning on a daily basis would be nice.
        I want my mind to feel less foggy all the time so I can do my job well and enjoy being in the profession I love.
        I want to be healthy and be at a healthy weight.
        I want my life back!


        I’ll post more later, I think I’ve done enough ranting for one night. Coming Soon: A possible light at the end of the tunnel?  

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