~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~it's all about the love~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday, December 25, 2015

Gratitude & Giving Day 25 - Cody Kennedy

A very special thank you to beautiful K-Lee for inviting me to participate in this wonderful event on her blog. Trust me on this: you haven’t met a pure heart until you’ve met K-Lee. Not to mention... she rocks!

I practice positive thinking as a matter of course. I’ve done it for so long that it is habit and one I’m thankful I have. It’s helped me through tough times and I’m more than a little grateful for, and protective of, my positive outlook. So much so, I struggle not to resent it when something rains on my parade. I haven’t had a bad year since 2005—a horrible year that culminated in a major health event two days before Christmas and put me in the hospital for 35 days. Since, things have been great and I dared to believe bad years had gone the way of the dodo for me.  Not true. This year sucked for me personally. It doesn’t matter why. It simply did. #TrueStory

When I have a year such as this, it’s easy for the black hole of depression to swallow a positive outlook. If you’ve ever suffered depression, you know it hurts. When this begins to occur, I remind myself that positive thinking is a matter of choice and I must simply get my badass on. 

My badass self is made up of all kinds of anger and frustration that I’ve lived with since early childhood and learned to channel in positive ways. I am very grateful for the life I have and hope I can bestow you with the happiness I feel as often as possible. It wasn’t easy to learn how to do it. I tripped and fell a million times before I succeeded at doing it as a matter of habit. But I did master it. This year reminded me just how tough things can be and I’m proud of myself for refusing to succumb. Better yet, I’m ending this year on a fantastic note thanks to all of you.

As this year draws to a close and we begin again, I thank all of you believing in me, my books, but above all, for being my friends. In our extraordinary information age, and being an introvert and painfully shy, I struggle with being social, accepting compliments, etc. To my elation, all of you kept me going. You offered encouragement, support, and kicked me in the ass when I needed it. Your inspiration and acceptance has rocked my world and I appreciate all of you more than you can imagine. Thank you for being there for me, but most of all for being you. Each and every one of you contributes something unique and special into my world. Please don’t ever hesitate to let me know if I may do the same for you in some way—no matter how small. Take this post personally because it is all about you. 

Give me an example of your badass self and what you're grateful for along with your email address in the comments, and my macaw, Kismet, will choose a winner at random to receive an e-copy of Safe!

Thank you for supporting my brand of badass! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Sleight of Heart coming in January, 2016 from CoolDudes Publishing.
Add Sleight of Heart to your Goodreads and Booklikes lists!

Lord Taliesin Solitaire was born albino, cursed mute by the fey, and betrayed by a vampire lover. For two hundred years the vampire mage has vowed never to love again and has only used sex as a means to a meal. Until a palm-reading gypsy finds himself in peril and Taliesin can’t resist rescuing the beautiful young man.

Pesha Sinclair is the eldest but smallest son of King Vaida Sinclair, the oppressive ruler of the Kåle Romani Compania. Deemed impure by his father, Pesha is shunned and mistreated by his band and four half-brothers, and one brother in particular wants him dead. His pale, silent savior gives him safety, security and a love he never could have imagined. As Pesha falls in love with his handsome white knight, his half-brother does the unthinkable.

Can Taliesin rescue Pesha from the cruel clutches of his half-brother a second time?

About Cody Kennedy/Aisling Mancy

Ash is an author who lives, most of the time, on the West Coast of the United States. Ash writes adult fantasy, science fiction, adult romance, and fiction for gay young adults as C. Kennedy.

Raised on the mean streets and back lots of Hollywood by a Yoda-look-alike grandfather, Ash doesn’t conform, doesn’t fit in, is epic awkward, and lives to perfect a deep-seated oppositional defiance disorder. In a constant state of fascination with the trivial, Ash contemplates such weighty questions as If time and space are curved, then where do all the straight people come from? When not writing, Ash can be found taming waves on western shores, pondering the nutritional value of sunsets, appreciating the much-maligned dandelion, unhooking guide ropes from stanchions, and marveling at all things ordinary.

Find Ash on blog, Twitter @AislingMancy, Facebook, Goodreads, Booklikes, Amazon and Ash does respond to emails because, after all, it is all about you, the reader.


22 comments:

  1. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you too! My example of my badassness :-) is enrolling in my last two classes to get my AS in Accounting by June 2016. I'm grateful for my family and how they support me.

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    1. Just realized I forgot to include my email! nidabland@msn.com

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    2. Wonderful, Nicki! Great badassness!!! Well done!!!

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  2. I'm just grateful for a wonderful family. I'm also grateful for the internet because it has connected me with a lot of like minded people These online friends keep me grounded and also make me realize my life could be worse. Don't enter me in the draw I Nguyen as I already own Safe and have enjoyed poo eyed more than on certain. May your holiday be wonderful and don't forget to treat the birds. Lol

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    1. Okay autocorrect is not my friend. That was meant to say I own Safe and have re read it on numerous occasions. Lol

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    2. Thank you so very much, Denise! Yes, the birds are spoiled! May 2016 bring you all the wonderful things you deserve and make correct your autocorrect!

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  3. I love your positivity. I lost mine this year, and I desperately need it back soon. If not for my family, and my love of reading I probably be in a corner somewhere chewing my fingernails. :)
    Thank you for the giveaway!
    Wishing you a very Merry Christmas & a Happy New year.
    Also wishing you the best & continued success!
    Pomma
    pommawolf @hotmail.com

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    1. Thank you, Pommawolf! Here's to you getting your positivity back! Your badass self is going to have a great 2016! Keep your chin up, stay strong, and have a wonderful new year!

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  4. I'm grateful for a warm home, my loving dogs, my family, and my facebook friends who keep me going. My bad-ass is determination to hold my head up and put one foot in front of the other. Keep moving.

    I am very glad to be part of Ash/Cody's life. From 1,000 miles away, through virtual reality, he has been a positive influence on me. I'm happy to hear that I've helped and encouraged him too.
    kerryp2004@msn.com

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    1. Thank you and back at you, Kerry! Happy New Year!

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  5. I am grateful for my family. As you shrink in number, you cherish those that are left.
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

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    1. I agree, Debby. It's heartrending to lose the ones we love. It's also difficult to believe, short of one person, I'm the eldest person in my entire family! #CodyisOld

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  6. This is such a wonderful blog post, Cody. It reminded me of how beautiful and fragile life can be. I love you, my friend.
    I'm grateful for all I have been blessed with.

    (Please don't enter me into the drawing as I own an e-copy of Safe.)

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    1. Thank you sweet, Sandy, and back at you! Blessed to call you my friend!

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  7. I found this blog post inspirational. As Cody knows, I am grateful for all the help and hope he gives me, but this post reminded me that even the mentor, the one who always seems strong, can have tough times and needs a badass self for the hard times. And he needs people he knows he can trust and depend upon. (Please do not enter me for a drawing as I own and have read and LOVED Safe.)

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    1. Thank you, sweet Mia! The help, hope, and mentorship go both ways!

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  8. Merry Christmas Cody and I hope the new year continues to bring you happiness. My badass is that part of me that keeps trying even when I am on my own. I am so grateful for this community ❤️ I am thankful for your friendship, Cody. You always have a friend in me.

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    1. Thank you so very much, Sara, and back at you! Always. You have a great self, badass or otherwise! <3

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  9. I used to have a very positive outlook and became the target for negative people only able to feel happy when they drag others down. I struggled until I wasn't protected by our policies at work and the person bullying and harassing me got away with it. I was suffering because I followed the code of conduct I signed. After a break down and very long recovery, I still find myself being pleasant and professional - until I am pushed. Then my badass self comes out - the cold professional who makes it very clear personal agendas will not be tolerated.
    hojurose(at)gmail(dot)com

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    1. That is wonderful to hear, Blackcrose. All to often we're subjected to others who dwell on the dark side and attempt to swallow us into their black hole. Congratulations on your badass self and pulling through! Well done!

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  10. Through a very scientific process, Kismet has randomly chosen BLACKROSE as the winner of an ecopy of Safe! Thank you all for participating in K-Lee's wonderful even and for stopping by and commenting! Happy New Year!

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