{Release Day} Daughter of Winter

Bargains. Only the truly desperate make them. Only the truly desperate need them. And always, the desperate pay. 

The silence and never-ending dark of winter are all Elice has ever known, for she is the daughter of the Winter Queen. Isolated in a northern queendom with only the seals for company, she dreams of color and music and life. So when a whaling ship crashes just offshore, she doesn't hesitate to rescue the lone survivor, Adar, who quickly becomes her friend. She must keep him hidden from her mother at all costs, for if the Winter Queen discovers him trespassing, she'll kill him. 

When her mother reveals just how dark her soul has become, Elice realizes she is as much a prisoner as Adar. To ever know true freedom—to ever become the woman she was meant to be—she must flee with him. But in their flight, she begins to see hints of something more nefarious. The darkness that has taken hold of her mother is spreading, staining the world with its influence. 

Unbeknownst to Elice, a bargain was made long ago. A bargain she was born to fulfill.

Here's the purchase links:
 Amazon: http://amzn.to/1N74pgi
iBooks: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/daughter-of-winter/id1061184951?mt=11
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/daughter-of-winter-1
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daughter-of-winter-amber-argyle/1123641840?ean=2940152478631
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17185327-winter-s-heir

Don't forget to leave a review after you've read the book! Even a one liner helps authors immensely.
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Daughter of Winter up for preorder

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1N74pgi

iBooks: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/daughter-of-winter/id1061184951?mt=11

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/daughter-of-winter-1

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daughter-of-winter-amber-argyle/1123641840?ean=2940152478631

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17185327-winter-s-heir

Happy reading! 

{Cover Reveal} Daughter of Winter by Amber Argyle

Daughter of Winter Daughter of Winter will be released April 21st. Here's the new synopsis: Bargains. Only the truly desperate make them. Only the truly desperate need them. And always, the desperate pay. The silence and never-ending dark of winter are all Elice has ever known, for she is the daughter of the Winter Queen. Isolated in a northern queendom with only the seals for company, she dreams of color and music and life. So when a whaling ship crashes just offshore, she doesn't hesitate to rescue the lone survivor, Adar, who quickly becomes her friend. She must keep him hidden from her mother at all costs, for if the Winter Queen discovers him trespassing, she'll kill him. But when her mother reveals just how dark her soul has become, Elice realizes she is as much a prisoner as Adar. To ever know true freedom—ever to become the woman she was meant to be—she must flee with him. But in their flight, she begins to see hints of something more nefarious. The darkness that has taken hold of her mother is spreading, staining the world with its influence. Unbeknownst to Elice, a bargain was made long ago. A bargain she was born to fulfill. To celebrate the upcoming release, the first book in the series, Of Ice and Snow, is free for a limited time. In exchange, for your free copy share this post on facebook and/or tweet this tweet and/or pin this pin. An author's success depends upon word of mouth, so sharing my freebie will draw attention to the series. Also, feel free to copy and paste any information in this blog into your own to help spread the word. Thank you in advance!

#Gramber Does it spark joy?

Why do you do the things you do?

It's a simple question, but it usually merits an answer that's anything but. I've found that the answers fall into two categories:

Because I have to.
--This often involves things like working to provide a living and cleaning toilets. It can be paired down and adjusted (getting a better job, for instance), but it doesn't go away.

Because I want to.
--Pretty  much everything else
falls into this category.

But how often to we try to shove our Want To's into our Have To's? How often do I see soccer rolling around again and think: I have to sign up for that AGAIN. Then I brace myself and grit my teeth and dive in to the chaos of drill sargent mom trying to get all the kids in the car because we're going to be late and where in the heck is that blasted cleat I told you to always put them in the same place and why, for the love of Pete, did you not take them off together?!

I had a moment this week where I though, why am I doing this? I don't like it. I'd rather be hiking or gathered around a campfire roasting smores. Or reading a book. So why aren't I? The short story is because I've made Want To into a Have To.

Now, I'm not saying soccer isn't great. My oldest loves it. What I am saying is to stop and ask: why?

As much as possible, our lives should be filled with the things that spark joy. The things that make us feel bigger and smaller than we are. The things that fill the dark spaces inside us with light. Find that light and saturate yourself with it.

The Link Between Depression and Table Salt

So I've been blogging for the last few months about my struggles with depression and our family's many medical issues. I decided to try a naturopath. She tested me. And it was weird. But when you get desperate enough, you'll try weird things. She said my iodine was really low, which was making my thyroid malfunction and my progesterone levels fall. She put me on kelp supplements.

Within a few days, I felt like a whole new person. My depression was gone, as was my fatigue. In the two weeks since I've been on it, I've lost 10 pounds (and I haven't been doing anything different).

I did some research on iodine and discovered that iodine deficiency is on the rise again. Many people have stopped using table salt (cause "salt is bad for you"). Many other people (like me) have gone to kosher salt and pink himalayin salt - neither of which have iodine in them. And iodine is not added to the salt you get in processed foods. It's only in specifically labeled table salt.

So if you have any of the following symptoms, maybe try a kelp supplement. And start using table salt with iodine again!

Weakness
Weight gain or increased difficulty losing weight
Coarse, dry hair
Dry, rough pale skin
Hair loss
Cold intolerance (you can't tolerate cold temperatures like those around you)
Muscle cramps and frequent muscle aches
Constipation
Depression
Irritability
Memory loss
Abnormal menstrual cycles
Decreased libido

*I'm not a doctor. Just wanted I'd like to pass along the knowledge.* 

Also, I suggest you all try a naturopath - but not one of the quaky ones who thinks conventional medicine is ridiculous. My naturopath was a nurse and fully believes in modern medicine. Her focus is balancing the body's systems, where medical doctors only treat symptoms.