Motivated Monday: Sometimes You Win, Sometimes You Learn

I came across this quote, and it kind of reminds me of an Alanis Morsette song. Either way, the message is on point. Live and Learn, Win and Learn. Always make sure that there’s an “and” in between.

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“Sometimes you win, and sometimes you learn.”

Sending Love and Light to all of you.
Luck of the Irish, Holiday Heartbeats#3, is now available.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, writing. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Memory is Love’s Partner

“Lost love is still love.”

"Lost love is still love. It takes a different form, that's all. You can't see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken another heightens. Me-3.png

“Lost love is still love. It takes a different form, that’s all. You can’t see their smile or bring them food or tousle their hair or move them around a dance floor. But when those senses weaken another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it.”
― Mitch Albom

Sending Love and Light to all of you.
Get FREE books from numerous authors for a limited time.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Nothing Stops Love When It’s Time

Get your copy of Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3), available now.

“When it’s time for souls to meet, there’s nothing on earth that can prevent them from meeting, no matter where each may be located. When two hearts are meant for each other, no distance is too far, no time is too lo

“When it’s time for souls to meet, there’s nothing on earth that can prevent them from meeting, no matter where each may be located.
When two hearts are meant for each other, no distance is too far, no time is too long, and no other love can break them apart.” – Jaime Lichauco

Sending Love and Light to all of you.
Luck of the Irish, Holiday Heartbeats#3, is now available. The first chapter is available for free on Wattpad. Read it here.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Fight for Love (Luck of the Irish is now LIVE!)

Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3) is LIVE! Get your copy today.

he stood in front of her door. Uninvited. Unannounced. Unwanted. Still, he knocked.-3

“He stood in front of her door. Uninvited. Unannounced. Unwanted.
Still, he knocked.”
– Luck of the Irish, Holiday Heartbeats #3

Sending Love and Light to all of you.
Get FREE books from numerous for a limited time here.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Character Spotlight: Jack from Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3)

Meet Jack Smith

“He couldn’t even remember how he got there, but now he stood in front of her door. Uninvited. Unannounced. Unwanted. Still, he knocked.” – Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3)

brandonbeemer-inspired-jack-in-luck-of-the-irish-atina-atwood
Actor/model Brandon Beemer captures the angst that Jack has in Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3)

I think this quick moment from the book sums up Jack in this story. He’s hella-angsty, privileged with a promising future ahead of him – and is as miserable as he can be.

Jack’s a native of Boston but his family moved to San Diego when he was about ten. His mother is Irish, and his high-profile politician father is Irish-American. Jack is the youngest of three children, the only son, and is destined to follow in his father’s political footsteps. Because of this, Jack’s always felt the heavy pressure of his father’s scrutiny. Always hungry for his dad’s attention and approval, Jack doesn’t trust himself to reveal his long-term relationship with Nhu to his family.

When he’s faced with the dilemma of choosing between the love of his life and proving his loyalty to his father, Jack’s against the wall in a no-win situation. His decision will change everything.

The song that comes to mind whenever I think of Jack is Post Malone’s Better Now. Without a doubt, Jack is willing to fight for his love – but is it too little, too late?

Sending Love and Light to all of you.
Luck of the Irish, Holiday Heartbeats#3, is now available. The first chapter is available for free on Wattpad. Read it here.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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#MotivatedMonday: Persevere​

Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3) is LIVE. Download your copy today.

Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th. -Julie Andrews

“Perseverance is failing 19 times and succeeding the 20th.” 
– Julie Andrews

Sending Love and Light to all of you. August is Support Indie Authors month.
Luck of the Irish, Holiday Heartbeats#3, is now available.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Love is Untamable

Love is Untamable

love-is-rebellious-atina-atwood

“Love is a rebellious bird that nobody can tame.” – Georges Bizet

Sending Love and Light to all of you.
Luck of the Irish, Holiday Heartbeats #3, is now available. Free books from various authors are available here.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Character Spotlight: Eoghan Kelly from Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3)

Meet Eoghan

First of all, it’s pronounced “Owen”. Yes, this is a bit of a mystery, but Eoghan isn’t the kind of guy to keep you guessing for long. What you see is what you get, and well, Nhu likes what she sees.

luck-of-the-irish-eoghan-kelly
I’m sorry to say that I don’t know the name of this Irish male model, but he is definitely rocking the vibe that Eoghan Kelly has in Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3).

Eoghan Kelly

Eoghan’s from Dublin, Ireland, and he’s in San Diego interning with a local aquatic organization while he completes his studies to become an environmental engineer. He’s staying with his cousin, Jack Smith until his leased beach house on Coronado Island is ready. The two were best friends when they were kids, but now, time isn’t the only barrier that’s creating a distance between them.

Nhu is unlike any woman he’s ever met, and as the two get to know each other, Eoghan finds himself falling in love with the woman who has a fierce sense of independence. As the two grow closer, an unexpected connection throws their budding romance in a tailspin.

Regardless of Nhu’s choice, Eoghan will respect it. He’s also unwilling to destroy his relationship with his cousin, Jack. Never before have his love and loyalty been challenged like this.

The song that comes to mind when I think of Eoghan is “If I Can’t Have You” by Shawn Mendes. Like Eoghan, the song is upbeat and refuses to mince words. The feelings that Eoghan has for Nhu are like nothing he’s felt before, but that’s not going to stop him from enjoying them and pursuing them.

It’s been a blast writing Luck of the Irish, and there’s a heck of a lot is packed into this novella. I can’t wait for you to get to know these characters and Nhu’s Holiday Heartbeats story.

Luck of the Irish is available at your favorite online book retailer for download.

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Love Sees No Barriers

Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3) is LIVE. Download your copy today.

Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.

“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” – Maya Angelou

Sending Love and Light to all of you. August is #SupportIndieAuthors month!
Get FREE books from numerous authors for a limited time here.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter and Pinterest for more, and sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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Character Spotlight: Nhu Hoang from Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3)

Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3) is LIVE! Order your copy now.

Say Hello to Nhu

There have been a few times where someone’s asked me if I’m inspired by people I know in the characters I create. So far, I can confidently say not exactly. It only takes a spark – a sentence, scenario, or even just an image – to open the gateway into the world where one of my characters lives. After that, I feel to a certain extent, the characters reveal themselves to me, little by little. I just have to be in tune in with their stories in order to pick up their nuances. (Often easier said than done.)

While writing Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3), I’ve been introduced to three very strong characters: Nhu, Eoghan, and Jack. The more time I’ve spent with them, the more I like all of them (which is a terrible thing to do when a love triangle is involved). Their story has quickly become my favorite of the series (although Love Games still has a soft spot in my heart).

Earlier this summer, I sent an exclusive link to my mailing list subscribers with the entire first chapter of Luck of the Irish. I’m an impatient person, so I had to share some of Nhu’s awesome story before then. Likewise, I’m excited to share a quick Character Profile with you.

Vu Thi Hoang My _Nhu Hoang.png
Images of Vū Thi Hoàng My totally inspired my vision of Nhu’s persona.

Nhu Hoàng

Nhu is 26, originally from San Jose, California but moved to San Diego when she was 12. Marisol Aguilar (Love Games) is her best friend from law school. Nhu’s an only child who’s strong-willed, driven, and charismatic. Currently, she lives on the gorgeous Coronado Island working as a barista while she prepares for the California State Bar Exam for the 2nd time. She’s also setting up a freelance career as a Contract Analyst for those entering the modeling and performing arts industries.

Her boyfriend of nearly two years is Jack Smith, son of a presidential candidate. He’s kept their relationship a secret from his family the entire time, but he swears that he loves her. What will happen to their relationship when Nhu begins to recognize and own her self-worth?

Inspiration for Nhu

While writing Love Games, Nhu popped up as Mari’s best friend. As no-nonsense as she came across with Mari, I was surprised to see that she tolerated Jack’s chronic flippancy in their relationship. When looking into her character, I came across an image of model/actress Vū Thi Hoàng My. I loved how her last name was just like Nhu’s, and as time progressed, I could see a likeness in the way I envisioned Nhu’s expressions and mannerisms.

The song that STILL won’t get out of my head when I think of Nhu is Halsey’s Without Me. Honestly, it’s Nhu’s Leitmotiv and a bit of an own for Jack. Even as I write this, the intro is jammin’ away in my head. *Sigh*

In any case, I thought I’d share a little bit about one of the folks living in my head. Stay tuned for character profiles on Jack… and Eoghan. Luck of the Irish (Holiday Heartbeats #3), is now available. Haven’t read Love Games? It’s currently free in this sweet romance showcase for new mailing list subscribers.

Sending Love and Light to all of you.

©Atina Atwood 2019 Exploring Love and Life, One Word At A Time.™

– Atina Atwood is a southern girl who moved from Europe to the West Coast. A former university professor in Germany and California, Atina stepped away from Academia to focus on her miracle child, life, love, food, quilting, and of course, Romance. She is the author of the Holiday Heartbeats series. Follow her on Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Instagram,  Amazon, and Facebook for more. Sign up for Atina’s newsletter here.

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