Tuesday, April 4, 2017

It's April!



Hello! It's been a while, huh?
Well, I'm going to try to pop in once a month with news of all that month's happenings. Bear with me and we'll see how things go 😊

It's April in Pittsburgh and it looks like Spring is finally here... maybe... I guess only time will tell. Pittsburgh weather is funny. It's never a shock when we go through all four seasons in one day (okay, I exaggerate, in two days).

Fun things are happening in April.

First of all my latest Renegades book is available. Yay! 
SHOOTOUT SAVE - Renegades 6
It stars Kaden O'Conner and Alison Bishop. 
Kaden is one of my favorite Renegades players (but I think I say that with every book).



Is it true that love overcomes all?

Gorgeous hunk, Kaden O’Conner is carefree and always smiling. Why wouldn’t he be? He’s hot property—one half of the Renegades star goalie tandem—a confirmed bachelor, and has his pick of beautiful women. Everything he ever wanted has landed in his lap, and he’s determined to enjoy himself.

Alison Bishop had her professional figure skating chances ruined by an injury, but the natural beauty picked herself up, built up her own business, and still manages to teach kids how to ice skate in her spare time.


When an ice skating lesson overlaps a Renegades hockey fundraiser, Alison meets Kaden by chance, and is quickly catapulted into a hot romance that would melt the ice caps! Skates are off as the two throw caution to the wind. It’s all fun and games—until it isn’t.


When reality drops a bombshell in their laps, they find their romance is suddenly on thin ice. Now Kaden is on a mission to thaw Alison’s permafrost before he loses the one thing in life he didn’t realize he needed.









Also in April, my hubby turns the big 4-0! Shhh, don't tell him I told you!
We've been together forever, and through thick and thin. 
He's my best-friend, my biggest fan and my support system. 💗
Happy Birthday, my love.


April is also National Autism Awareness Month.
I've been asked to join RJ Scott and a host of other authors and bloggers in RJ's Annual Blog Hop, highlighting World Autism Awareness Day, April 2nd and National Autism Awareness Month. Each participant will share a fact, a post and a prize.

Follow this link to RJ's master post and join us for the entire month of April. You might just win a prize but more importantly you'll learn a thing or two. 

This year the theme is Animals 


Fact: In the United States, it is estimated that about 1 in 88 children have some form of autism.  While there is no definite cause or cure for autism, the impact it creates on the whole family will be a lifelong struggle.  Children who have autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience developmental disabilities from mild to severe in the areas of communication, ability to interact with others, behavioral disturbances, and social skills.  However, there is new research that strongly suggests that therapy dogs can benefit autistic children in multiple ways. Here's a few of them:
  • Autistic children have a difficult time developing bonds with other children as well as other people. Many autistic children do not like to be shown affection and do not show affection towards others. Therapy dogs have been able to help autistic children develop these bonds that carry over to people as well.
  •  For many autistic children they need a “security item” or a transitional item in order to feel safe and secure.  Some parents are very familiar with this as some children on the ASD spectrum will sleep with their parents instead of their own bed to feel secure.  Therapy dogs have given parents their beds back as autistic children who have therapy dogs are sleeping in their own beds with their dogs.  The dogs have become their “security item”, and the children are finally sleeping in their own beds.
  •  Autistic children have a difficult time developing bonds and creating friendships due to these children being more withdrawn.  Therapy dogs have been able to help create bonds, friendships, and social skills with autistic children as dogs do not recognize these children as being different.
  
The facts above were taken from the article at http://www.uncoverdiscover.com/health/5-ways-dogs-can-benefit-children-with-autism/develop-friendships/

For More Information on Autism Check Out These Links:



https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/facts.html



Don't forget to go to my Facebook Page www.facebook.com/AuthorMelodyHeckGatto and comment with "Happy Spring" to be entered in a random drawing for an Amazon Gift Card!

April means the end of the regular season for the National Hockey League, and the beginning of the Post-Season for some teams (including my Pittsburgh Penguins).

In April my family prepares for a new grandchild (Don't look this way, it's not mine!).  My sister is having her second baby and we are having the fun family baby shower. I never knew they had them for second babies? And they call them SPRINKLES instead of SHOWERS. (Yeah, it took me a few days to realize the significance of that!)

Just in time for hubby's birthday, the newest movie in the Fast and Furious franchise comes out in theaters. The Fate of the Furious.
I'm a huge fan and have been since the beginning and we will be there to usher in this new chapter. The biggest thing that drew me to these movies were first, the cars (they were awesome), then I was introduced to handsome Paul Walker (who we lost in reality way too soon). The man was perfect. And following his adventures in real life only made me adore him even more. I regret that I never tried to meet him. He would be the only Hollywood star I would've loved to meet in person. I got to see one of his cars from the movie a few years ago at a car show. Really, I'm just a fan-girl at heart.
Anyways, I'm rambling, lol. 

In April I'm also putting the final touches on my newest book in the Renegades Series before I send it off to the editor. This book stars Sam Morris and Trina Kidd Morris. We saw them in UNTIL YOU and they popped up in various other books. (Sam is the surfer-dude looking guy, lol. Blond hair blue eyes, sexy smile...)
As of this blog, Renegades 6 will be named Blindsided, but that can still change. I hope to have it available to you this summer.
As soon as I have a pre-order link, I'll be sure to post it on here.

You can follow me on Facebook at www.facebook.com/AuthorMelodyHeckGatto

See you in May!
Melody






Did you know?

Did you know that I write two very different types of Romances? My Renegades Series is Spicy & Sweet Sports Romance. Lots of spice heati...