Erin Rhew's Blog

Deek and I have been teasing a little online about a big surprise coming up! Well, it's here!


So what's going on? You know that Deek and I want to become "professional" vagabonds in the future, right? Well, we have some very important reasons why we can't do that full time right now. However, it got us thinking...why can't we do a mini-vagabond? So, Deek got permission to work remotely (I already work remotely), and now we're spending a month--pets too--at the BEACH!!!!

Everyone loves the ocean!
OMG! I am so, so, so excited! We both *love* the beach, and the notion that we get to spend all this time here blows my mind. When we wrapped up work, we went for a two hour walk on the beach, hand in hand. So romantic and a perfect way to end the evening. 


But the evening kept being awesome when we also got to have dinner with my dad. Because guess what?? We inspired our parents to vagabond too! So, we'll be spending extra time with both Deek's parents and my parents over the course of the month. We have some pretty cool adventures planned with them, so I'm stoked about that too!!
We are both blessed with super cool, super fun parents who all get along swimmingly with each other!
And let me give you some Dave Ramsey-esque tips:
--Plan, plan plan: Deek and I have been planning and budgeting for this trip for a year. He requested permission to work remotely in December of 2018 in preparation. We've also been saving and allocating budget funds to this trip since then. So, everything is paid for, and we're here to have fun without financial worries!
Planning: It gives you such peace of mind to knowyou aren't racking up debt on your adventures!
--AirBnB: If you rent a place for a whole month from AirBnB, it's cheaper than renting for two week (sometimes cheaper than renting for one week!). You can get anywhere from 30-75% off your stay just for booking for a month. So, Deek and I were able to get one of those huge markdowns. We are living it up in style in a beautiful home right by the beach, and we obtained permission to bring both our cat and our dog (for no extra charge!). 
I'd say they like their new digs!

--A great practice in minimalism: We don't own much that is of value because we don't place value in stuff. And since 2014, we've been working on paring our lives down and becoming minimalists. Being able to bring only what you can fit in your car, for a whole month of living, is a great minimalist test. I, for one, am thrilled because I've been wanting to test out the capsule wardrobe concept. I only brought pieces that I love and that can be mixed and matched, and I'm going to see how I do wearing only those clothes for a month. If I "pass" my own test, I'll be getting rid of what I didn't bring and start doing the minimalist wardrobe!

I am so excited to be on this adventure, to take a break from our regular life and do something different and out of the box. But more than anything, I'm SO very thankful to be doing it with my family, the people I love the most. And I am STOKED to be here with Deek--my best friend, my partner, and my true love! He makes everything in life so much fun!


I adore this man so much!

When we go to comiccons and book festivals, we often talk about cosplayers, the event itself, actors we met, etc. But this time, I'd like to talk about the unsung heroes of these events--our fellow authors.

This past weekend, we were fortunate enough to attend a Book 'Em event. It started out on Friday night with a very nice author reception. I actually flat-ironed my hair for the first time in weeks. LOL! If you haven't seen my Instagram, let me catch you up--Erin and the longer hair situation.

Anyhoo, here is me and my sexy stud as we headed out to the reception.





At the author dinner, we met several super cool people like Hector Miray, who combines two fascinating topics in his book Faith and Fandom: Finding God In Sci-Fi, Superheroes, & Video Games . 
We also met the extremely lovely and kind Wendy Fields, author of It Was God and It Too Was God. She looks so much like one of my aunts that I had to do a double take every time she walked by!


We had a great time at the dinner, talking to the coordinators and learning about other authors and their books.
The next day, we headed out to set up our booth and discovered our boothmates (the people you sit next to in your booth). Boothmates can make or break an event, and we've always been fortunate to have really cool ones.


This time, we had Suzanne Adair to our left. She's the author of a historical fiction series about mysteries in the American Revolution. With the 250th anniversary on the horizon, she's busy doing all sorts of events related to her work! From sitting beside her, we discovered she raised two sons nearly on her own, lived in England, and loves speculative fiction.


Check out Suzanne's books: Mysteries of the American Revolution

To our right, we had retired military man R. Lee Linebarger and his sweet wife, Julie. Both Deek's dad and my dad served in the military, so we were excited to have a former soldier as a boothmate. He is a poet and has written poems about being a soldier. From sitting beside him, we learned about his children, met a military friend of his, and learned Lee doesn't like to smile for pictures! I actually found this endearing because my PaPa didn't smile for pictures either; he used to do his classic thumbs-up in place of a smile.

Check out Lee's poems: Thoughts of an Old Soldier

And last but certainly not least, we also shared space with Jordon Greene. Now, we've been boothmates with Jordon before, and we just love his energy. He's always ready with a quick smile! We admired his beautiful table set up and learned that his latest cover was made by an artist he met at a comiccon! This cover is *gorgeous*!!
If you don't already follow Jordon on social media, you so should!
InstagramFacebookTwitterWebsite

Check out Jordon's vast array of books from horror to YA: Jordan Greene

I love meeting fans, readers, nerds, and cosplayers, but I also love meeting my fellow authors. We're in this thing together, supporting one another in a hard industry. And I'm so very thankful we got to sit with these three amazing people for this event and meet or catch up with countless others throughout the day!
And a final thought...
What a hottie!
I am so, so, so fortunate that I get to do this thing I love with this man I love. I watch him interact with people--and I see how much they enjoy his company (who wouldn't--he's the best)--and I'm so very proud to be his wife and his partner! I love you, Deek Rhew! #Always

So, apparently Deek and I do our main comiccon circuit during the summer and fall. LOL!

Remember how I said GalaxyCon was so crowded that it almost wasn't fun? And HereosCon wasn't what we'd hoped either? Well, we'd started to wonder if maybe we shouldn't be doing ComicCons anymore.

Enter GreenvilleCon.

This little beauty was *everything* we love about cons--personable and nerdy with good traffic but not enough that people were stepping on each other.

GreenvilleCon, you restored our faith in ComicCons! We love you!!

All set up!
Pre-ComicCon smooches!
We saw cool stuff like this headband that sits on your eyebrows but looks like glowing eyes!
We saw AWESOME nerdom shirts!

And of course, the cosplayers...Deek's favorite!
Such a super cute dad and daughter.We loved talking to them!
Hunger Games, anyone?

And this lovely lady reads aloud to her husband every night.She was kind enough to read a few pages from The Prophecy for us!
We did not head into Greenville ComicCon with a great attitude because of the disappointments from earlier in the season, but I'm so very glad we went. We met some amazing people, sold and signed a bunch of books, and had the best time.
Thank you, Greenville ComicCon! We'll see you again! 

Confession: This post has been sitting half-written for two weeks. Eep! #EditorLife

So, as you know, Deek and I just got back from our first big international trip together. And lo and behold, GalaxyCon was right after. We usually work a booth at cons when we get the chance, but we knew we just wouldn't have the energy after being gone. So, we went as guests instead! Sometimes it's nice to just take it all in and go as a spectator!


Here we are, ready to get our nerd on!
Of course Deek found the Star Wars stuff right away (in a Trekkie shirt, no less--LOL!)
We also enjoyed seeing Hopper from Stranger Things.This guy rocked the cosplay on it!
Always fun to run into family at events.Here's my cousin, who does an awesome cosplay of Green Arrow!
The Ghostbusters' Car!
Huge Lego Deadpool
Cool red contacts!We saw this guy (Seth) again at another ComicCon the week after this one.He told us he's a stunt man for a Marvel show! How cool is that!?!Shoutout, Seth!
OMG! <fangirl squee>It's COMMANDER ADAMA!!!!<faints>
And a CYLON!!
There was a lot of fun stuff to see, but it was *way* too crowded. I am a total extrovert and love to be around people, but even I thought there were just too many at this con. I can't tell you how many times I got stepped on and knocked around. Not sure if we'll go back as guests or as vendors in the future. 
So. Many. People.
But I got to spend the day with my husband/best friend, and what could be better than that??
I love him so good! <3

Y'all, Deek and I made our first international trip! SUCH a serious and total blast!

As you may or may not know, I am *terrified* of flying. I mean it's phobic level. When I was young, I was on a flight that almost crashed, and it scarred me. My parents had elected to get us an earlier flight that day, and because of that, they were sitting at the emergency exits. I remember them frantically reading the manuals as we became weightless from falling out of the sky. I remember the really old lady beside me gasping for air and clutching her chest with fear, and I worried she'd die before the rest of us hit the ground. It was awful. AWFUL!

Image by Alexas_Fotos from Pixabay 
But Deek and I have big plans for travel, now and in the future, and I don't want my fears to hold me back. So, when work afforded us the opportunity to travel internationally, we took it.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay 
I am X number of years old and have never left the US of A. So, I had to go get my very first passport, like a big girl. I was TOTALLY stoked to have a real, live passport and be officially sanction to travel the world whenever I choose.

Image by Pam Patterson from Pixabay 
The momentous day finally arrived, and it was time for me to get on a plane again. I can't even tell you how grateful I am that Deek was by my side. He was so loving and encouraging. He helped me through each flight, explained things when I had questions, and held me when I was scared. He was my rock. I adore this man more than I can say, and every day, I find reasons to adore him more!

I love this man so much!
Holy crap. I'm on an airplane.We always ended up sitting near the flight attendants.This worked out well for me because I figured if they looked like all was well, it probably was.And they cheered for me when we landed. LOL!
Yeah, not thrilled.
I peeked out the window occasionally.
Deek is my rock!He's so calm, so patient, so loving, and so very encouraging!
I don't like flying, but I do like airports.Philly's was really cool!
Liquid courage. LOL!
And we're on the second flight. Lawd Jesus.
Peeking out again
I always feel safe when he's around.
Finally, the reward!We landed safely, took a little nap, and then....I got to have a special outdoor dinner with the most handsome man in the world!

Stay tuned for more about the Rhews' first international adventure!! 

Deek and I love to go to ComicCons (this is how I punctuate this word because I have yet to find a consensus on it)! We dig the vibe, enjoy the cosplayers, and adore talking about our favorite nerdy stuff with likeminded individuals.

Little Pink Vadar from SueperCon (now GalaxyCon) 2017
So, imagine our disappointment when we got to Charlotte's HeroesCon and found very little of that. The energy at the event was super low. In fact, other vendors kept saying both the vibe and attendance were way off compared to other years. We also didn't see many cosplayers. There were some, don't get me wrong. But we're used to seeing lots of people decked out in the most awesome gear imaginable. And sadly, a lot of the attendees just didn't want to talk. They'd come with their stack of comics and list of names, and they just rushed from place to place.

HeroesCon was not what we'd hoped.
I'm SO thankful I had Deek there with me because no matter the circumstances, we always manage to have fun. We talked and laughed, met our booth neighbors, and greatly enjoyed exploring Charlotte when the con ended each night.

Goofing off after "work"
Funny story: One of my cousins has a booth every year at HeroesCon. His mom got my booth number for him and his booth number for me. We spent all of Friday looking for each other, to no avail. But that night, we ran into each other outside the 7-11. What are the odds of that? LOL!

We don't know how other years at HeroesCon played out--maybe they totally rocked--but we won't be repeating this event to find out. Deek and I concluded that, from here on out, we will only attend cons that have actors, a large cosplay group, or both. If it doesn't have those elements, it's probably not the crowd for us.

Little Pink Storm Trooper from a different ComicCon.
But despite the bummer nature of HeroesCon, we had a blast exploring the city of Charlotte. We found a coffee shop with the coolest atmosphere we've ever been in (and we've been in *a lot* of coffee shops across the county). We also ate at a restaurant called Valhalla because...Thor and Vikings. Y'all the food was so heavenly (see what I did there?) that we ended up eating there twice!

Eating at Valhalla
All in all, we turned a blah situation into a blast. I am so very thankful to have a husband who rolls with whatever and always keeps a positive attitude. Even if things around us suck, we can carve our our own little piece of paradise. Deek Rhew is a true gem, my friends! And I'm the luckiest girl in the world!

Here's our pictorial view of Charlotte and the con:

We were *required* to wear these non-removable bands the whole time. I *hated* it.I don't wear bracelets or watches or anything because I don't like stuff on my wrists.I was SO happy to cut that annoying thing off.
Skybridge like in Portland!

Gorgeous church!
Some people are riding in style!
The *coolest* coffee shop ever (and we've been to all sorts of coffee shops across the whole country)But hands down, Coco and the Director has the best vibe!
View of the skyline

Our table setup rocked.Just sayin'...
Sam and DEAN!
Sam and Dean's car!
The Mystery Machine!
Deek on the Millennium Falcon!
Sporting our Tenacious Books Publishing shirts!
View from the behind the table (Erin)
View from behind the table (Deek)
My favorite picture from the whole event!
We did find a few cosplayers!I love it when whole families own it!
A wizardly bunch
Valhalla and Odin!
Finally back home and out to get more coffee--after a smooch, of course!

I know Deek already told you a little about our trip to DC, but here I am tagging along on his coattails. Ha!

I'm from the South, so when we say Washington, we mean DC. If we want to indicate the state, we say Washington state. But when I lived in the PNW, I found out that Washington means the state there, and DC is what they call Washington DC. Confusing, huh? But Deek and I managed to get those wires uncrossed. Now, we both say Washington state and Washington DC to be most clear.

Washington state
Washington DC

So, join me as we tour the nation's capital!


The first day, we went to AwesomeCon! We'd considered getting a booth there, but someone advised us to visit it first. So we did! Since it was near my birthday, Deek surprised me with an autograph session with Val Kilmer--my lifelong crush. I turned around and surprised him with an autograph session with Weird Al--one of his all-time favs. And since everyone was getting something, we bought his parents a photo session with the cast of Star Trek Next Generation since his dad is a huge Trekkie (as are we)!

I think this is some teenage dream come true for Deek! Haha!
They let me come in and meet Weird Al too! His staff was so kind, and he was beyond sweet!
OMG! OMG! OMG!I met Val Kilmer (sadly he didn't do selfies)!!
We stayed at an apartment complex that rented out rooms until all the units got sold. A very cool concept, and a VERY nice place. It had rooftop balcony with a fire pit overlooking the Capital building. Um, yes, please!
I love this pic of them!Did I mention I have some rockin' in-laws! <3
The second day, we focused on military sites. My father-in-law is career military, but this was his first visit to DC.
No words for this...
Or this...
Pentagon Memorial
The next day, we went to see monuments.
Many iconic moments happened here.
Love him! I'm so glad my husband modeled himself after such an amazing man! <3
Mr. Lincoln
Anyone else want to sing the Hamilton?
And then my mom texted me a pic of where she was... LOL!
The next day, we went to appointments at the three branches of government. Shoutout to our congressman's office for putting that part of the trip together for us and getting us all of our security clearances!
We started the day bright and early at the White House.Deek was so excited to be there!I was relieved to have made it past the eighteen levels of security without incident!
Deek's parents in the Green Room.
Such history in those walls!

Next, we had a surprisingly entertaining lecture at the Supreme Court.I learned a lot!
Kissing in front of the Capital Building before our tour.
And we found a lovely surprise!The Shakespeare museum...be still my heart!
The next day, we took it a little easy and visited the Washington Zoo. It's free!
Deek and iguanas is a running joke in our family, so we had to get this picture!
The baby gorilla was *SO* cute!
The tunnel o'doom!
Then, we spent the following day at museums.
The Bat Mobile
First Ladies Collection
Top hat worn by Lincoln on the night of his assassination
The Holocaust Museum -- there are no words
Smithsonian Castle
Deek and I hung out on the rooftop balcony and chatted by firelight with a view of the city!
And of course, no trip to DC would be complete without seeing the Air and Space Museum. We learned that it's the 3rd most visited museum in the *world*!! 
Space shuttle
Amelia Earhart Exhibit
Wright Brothers first plane -- the original
These two Trekkies love this exhibit! (PS. I did too--total Trekkie girl)
When you've walked 10+ miles for days and days,sometimes you need a pick-me-up!
For perspective...this is how big the inside of the Smithsonian Castle is!Those little dots are me and Deek!
We found a *really* cool restaurant to eat at!
Titanic Memorial.I had no idea they had one in DC!
Walking and smooching along the Potomac River
After that, it was time to say goodbye--to DC and to Deek's parents. We *loved* getting to spend that time with them and look forward to seeing them again very soon. Thankfully we live in a technologically advanced world, so goodbye isn't really goodbye anymore. It's more like, "See you in a few days on FaceTime, and see you again in real in a few months."
So, when you do keto, you have a lot of bacon... LOL!
On the train again.Back to life, back to reality.PS. Ain't my man sexy in his new Superman glasses?
Traveling essentials...
Sooooo super embarrassing picture, but it highlights what keto has done for me (2015 vs 2019).No, I don't get money from keto or sell products (those aren't legit anyway).I'm just someone for whom it made all the difference.

If you get the chance to go to DC, I highly recommend it. There is so much to see and do there, and most of it is free.

Until next time, adventure on!

Hello, everyone! I know it's been a while, but here I am! There's lots to tell you about, so I'll start off with this amazing book deal!

Our friend, Josh David Bellin (aka: The YA Guy) has his amazing trilogy on a limited promotion. In fact, today is the last day, so hurry to take advantage!!


In a far distant future, Earth's environment has mutated into the Ecosystem, a collective sentience that has pushed human beings to the brink of extinction. Only those individuals who are born with the psychic power known as the Sense can negotiate the Ecosystem's deadly maze in search of the food, water, and fuel their people need to survive. When Sarah, a seventeen-year-old Sensor with a grudge against the Ecosystem, sets out to avenge her mother's death, she learns more about the Ecosystem--and about herself--than she ever bargained for.
Book One: Ecosystem
Miriam, an apprentice Sensor, is lost in the Ecosystem, and Sarah sets out to rescue her. Joining Sarah is Isaac, a boy who claims to possess knowledge of the Ecosystem that will help their people survive. The harrowing journey to find the missing apprentice takes Sarah and Isaac into the Ecosystem's deadliest places. And it takes Sarah into the unexplored territory of her own heart, where she discovers feelings that threaten to tear her--and her society--apart.
Book Two: The Devouring Land
When Sarah’s village is overrun by monstrous creatures from the Ecosystem, she shepherds the survivors into the forest surrounding the village. Her own Sense badly damaged in an earlier attack, she must fight through a host of new threats in hopes of discovering the place where her mother was born, rumored to be home to a community of healers. But the City of the Queens is haunted by a dark secret of its own, and Sarah will have to learn the truth of her lineage in order to save the people she loves and protect the world she knows.
Book Three: House of Earth, House of Stone
The City of the Queens is under attack. Sarah is forced to flee into the treacherous mountains to the far north, where she hopes to gain allies to contest the power that assails the city. But to wage this final battle, Sarah will have to overcome an ancient curse that threatens not only the survival of her people but the existence of the Ecosystem itself. And she will have to decide whether to save Isaac, the boy she loves, at the cost of losing everything else she holds dear.

Link To Purchase
I hope you take Josh up on this amazing deal! And if you give these books a read, be sure to leave a review (author's love that stuff)!
Stay tuned for the latest Deek and Erin adventures! Happy Reading!

Wow, after many years in the making, The Transhuman Project (called the Molly and Ryder book for forever) is available to the world. Wut?

 
My friends and family keep asking me if I'm excited about the release, but I think I'm honestly just in a state of shock. It felt like this day would never come, and now that it's here, I can hardly process it. 
So, here's the skinny:


Back Cover Blurb:
When a video of Molly Richards is taken out of context and goes viral, she’s thrust into the upper echelons of social media stardom and becomes an overnight success in a country where Life Channel ratings reign supreme. As Kadar’s fastest-rising celebrity, her life becomes a media circus, a show put on for the shallow national audience salivating for the next new thing.
But in a world where image is king, danger and death hide among the shadows. In the nearby country of Pacifica, the brutal Caezar turns his citizens into robotic weapons who infiltrate Kadar as sleeper transhumans. They walk among the populace, unaware they are pawns in the madman’s personal arsenal.

Only Molly, her friends, and an elite group of Kadarian fighters known as the Cyber Knights fully understand the transhuman threat, and only they can break the Caezar's terrorist grip on both Pacifica and Kadar. Battling Fire Bots and humanoid agents, they seek to put a stop to the Caezar's tyranny by unraveling the secrets buried between layers of deception.

And they have to do it all while smiling and waving for the cameras.

As Molly and her friends peer behind the glitz and glamour, they discover something more frightening and more sinister than anything they’ve encountered yet...the truth.

Thank Yous:
I'd like to thank: 
--Anita Carroll from Race-Point, who put together this amazing cover from my incoherent babble and sample photos.


--The Dream Team because they always step in to save the day when I need them!

--My new honorary Dream Team members--Jennica, Nicole, Becky, Parker, and Jess, who stepped in to read and re-read my book until we got the kinks worked out. And who weren't afraid to tell me, "This has gotta go."


--My publisher, Tenacious Books Publishing (which is now open to submissions, BTW), and the publishing team for taking on this project and helping it grow to fruition!

--My friends and family who supported and encouraged me to keep at this dream, and who promote me more than I do.


--My PaPa. Losing you has been one of the hardest things that's ever happened to me. I miss you every single day, and I still can't think about you without choking up. You always loved, encouraged, and supported me. You don't even like to read--and you surely aren't the YA reader type--but you proudly read my other books. The way you loved me and the rest of our big ole Southern family is something I'll cherish always. But now there is, and always will be, a PaPa shaped hole in my heart.

Ya know, Mac reminds me of you a little. He's always after a laugh, and he loves his family like crazy.

--Deek, my Deek. Where do I even start? I think you're even more excited about this book release than I am. LOL! You are my rock. My companion, my partner, my best friend, my true love. When you came into my life, you filled with sunshine what was once dark. The brilliance of your soul is blinding, and I am thankful to bathe in the light of it. I could not adore you more, and yet, every day, I do. I'll always love writing because it led me to you. Thank you for supporting and encouraging me on this long and sometimes painful ride through Molly's life. I had several false starts on the offense, but you always had faith I'd get it right. Without you, there would be no book. I love you beyond beyond! 

So, if you made it to the end of this blog post, thank you for reading. If you're so inclined to give Molly, Ryder, Jason, MacCoy, and Tasha a read, I'd be very grateful! 
The Transhuman Project


Until next time...

Whoa, I have been MIA during the holiday season because...it's the holiday season. I could barely keep up with my own name, let alone blog posts. LOL!

But I'm back in 2019 and ready to kick this year off right. First up, I have a book coming out on January 15th!!


About The Transhuman Project
When a video of Molly Richards is taken out of context and goes viral, she’s thrust into the upper echelons of social media stardom and becomes an overnight success in a country where Life Channel ratings reign supreme. As Kadar’s fastest-rising celebrity, her life becomes a media circus, a show put on for the shallow national audience salivating for the next new thing.
But in a world where image is king, danger and death hide among the shadows. In the nearby country of Pacifica, the brutal Caezar turns his citizens into robotic weapons who infiltrate Kadar as sleeper transhumans. They walk among the populace, unaware they are pawns in the madman’s personal arsenal.
Only Molly, her friends, and an elite group of Kadarian fighters known as the Cyber Knights fully understand the transhuman threat, and only they can break the Caezar's terrorist grip on both Pacifica and Kadar. Battling Fire Bots and humanoid agents, they seek to put a stop to the Caezar's tyranny by unraveling the secrets buried between layers of deception.
And they have to do it all while smiling and waving for the cameras.
As Molly and her friends peer behind the glitz and glamour, they discover something more frightening and more sinister than anything they’ve encountered yet...the truth.

It will be on blog tour through Xpresso Book Tours from February 11-15! If you want to sign up to be a host, you can click on this link.

Deek and I are thrilled to be kicking off the new year with a new book release, and to add to the fun, we'll be attending several book festivals and cons this year. We'll start with the NC Book Festival on February 23! For more info, you can check out their page here!

Happy, Happy New Year to all of our family, friends, and fans! We wish you peace, joy, love, and happiness in this new year!

I got exactly what I wanted for Christmas! I woke up to Deek's smile and went to sleep in his arms! Heavenly!
That weird moment where Christmas and New Year collide.
Roar! It's a new year, y'all! Tackle it like a beast!
We plan to walk, talk, laugh, and hold hands throughout 2019 just like we did 2018!
Oh, did I mention we got married a third time on New Year's Eve at a popup chapel?This time, we had Shakespearean vows! Be still my heart!
I got 2 big dipped back New Year kisses!The first one...
The second one...
Until me, Deek had never done the kiss at midnight on the new year thing.I'm super happy we've been rectifying that situation for a while now! <3 <3
Until next time, y'all ROCK 2019!