I had planned to regale you with stories about our drunken robins today. This winter’s record lows froze the berries on our palm trees. When that happened, the palm berries fermented on the vine or, in this case, on the frond. Those same record lows sent huge flocks of robins into our heavily wooded, Central Florida back yard, and kept them there longer than usual. The birds gorged on the berries. Result—a goodly number of tipsy robins. So, we were going to talk about my drunken birds who, when they do manage to get off the ground, can’t fly straight. But…
I set off the house alarm at five a.m. this morning. So, instead of tipsy robins, I have some heavy duty apologies to make.
Especially to Dear Hubby. Last night was one of “those nights” when insomnia got the best of him. He was finally drifting off to sleep when the claxon sounded loud enough to give us both heart attacks.
I am sooo sorry about that.
I’m sorry, too, that, even though I punched the code and hit the cancel button, the monitoring company called…an hour later.
And I’m very sorry that by then I was on the treadmill and didn’t hear the phone ring. I’m sure that nice young police officer was just doing his job when he banged on our door. And no, it wasn’t my idea to invite him on a tour of the house. He just wanted to make sure no one was holding a gun to anyone’s head.
As long as I’m apologizing, I’m sorry that thieves broke into our car just before Christmas and that the house behind ours was robbed. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have had the security system installed in the first place.
Most of all, I’m sorry that, despite living in a normally quiet neighborhood in a very small and very quiet town, we also live in a world where security systems are necessary.
I promise not to set ours off at five a.m. anymore. All that racket disturbs the robins. And if there’s one thing worse than a drunken robin, it’s a tipsy robin with a hangover.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Fitness 101
posted by Lee McKenzie
I hate exercising. I really do. As a kid, I was actively involved in all kinds of physical activity—swimming, cycling, skiing, skating, field hockey, track and field. As an adult, I pretty much turned into a sloth. I became busy with family and work commitments, and I stopped making time to exercise.
Oh, I would go through periods when I had good intentions, sometimes I even went so far as to sign up for an exercise class. Tried aerobics. Hated it. Tried aquacise. Hated it. Also not a big fan of public swimming pools, but that’s a separate issue. Took out a gym membership. Hated it.
Two years ago, I had surgery for melanoma followed up with a grueling year-long course of immunotherapy. There were days when I felt not bad and other days when I felt like staying in bed. One of the profound effects was a total loss of stamina. I couldn’t walk more than a couple of blocks without being spaghetti-legged and completely out of breath.
The recovery period has been long and gradual, and in the last couple of months I have finally started to see noticeable improvement. Over the Christmas holidays, my husband and I spent a week in San Francisco and we did a lot of walking. In spite of its hills, San Francisco is a very walkable city, and I realized I could actually walk up one of those hills without requiring emergency resuscitation!
When we arrived home after New Years, I decided I really needed to get moving again. It wasn’t so much a resolution as a realization that at this stage of my life, fitness is important. That realization took me back to the dilemma of finding some form exercise I would enjoy and not quit after two sessions.
So I signed up to walk in a 10K race.
Yes, that’s 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles.
I also signed up for a training clinic and for the first time in...well, pretty much forever...I’ve found something I really, truly enjoy. The group is made up of runners, run/walkers, and walkers. The instructors and group leaders are wonderfully supportive and motivating, but best of all they remind us that they’re not just there to teach, they’re on the same journey we are. Further along, but still journeying!
Each session starts with check-in and a guest speaker. Last week it was a yoga demonstration. That’s followed by warm-up exercises, a walk or run with the appropriate group (each week the walks get a little longer), and cool-down stretches.
I’ve been properly fitted for footwear and even learned some basic techniques for walking properly—posture, stride length, arm position, and most important of all...breathing!
The race itself will be held on Sunday, April 25, so I still have a couple of months of training ahead of me. To facilitate that, and to challenge myself a little more, I signed up to walk in a 5K fun run on Sunday, March 7. My daughter has registered to run the same race, and last Sunday we decided to check out the course. I went online, printed the map and we walked the 5K route together. According to our wrist watches, we completed the course in 55 minutes.
Let’s face it, at 11 minutes per kilometer I am not breaking any records here, but on race day I now have something to aim for—walking the route in a record-breaking 54 minutes!
Until next time,
Lee
The Writer Side of Life
I hate exercising. I really do. As a kid, I was actively involved in all kinds of physical activity—swimming, cycling, skiing, skating, field hockey, track and field. As an adult, I pretty much turned into a sloth. I became busy with family and work commitments, and I stopped making time to exercise.
Oh, I would go through periods when I had good intentions, sometimes I even went so far as to sign up for an exercise class. Tried aerobics. Hated it. Tried aquacise. Hated it. Also not a big fan of public swimming pools, but that’s a separate issue. Took out a gym membership. Hated it.Two years ago, I had surgery for melanoma followed up with a grueling year-long course of immunotherapy. There were days when I felt not bad and other days when I felt like staying in bed. One of the profound effects was a total loss of stamina. I couldn’t walk more than a couple of blocks without being spaghetti-legged and completely out of breath.
The recovery period has been long and gradual, and in the last couple of months I have finally started to see noticeable improvement. Over the Christmas holidays, my husband and I spent a week in San Francisco and we did a lot of walking. In spite of its hills, San Francisco is a very walkable city, and I realized I could actually walk up one of those hills without requiring emergency resuscitation!
When we arrived home after New Years, I decided I really needed to get moving again. It wasn’t so much a resolution as a realization that at this stage of my life, fitness is important. That realization took me back to the dilemma of finding some form exercise I would enjoy and not quit after two sessions.
So I signed up to walk in a 10K race.
Yes, that’s 10 kilometers or 6.2 miles.
I also signed up for a training clinic and for the first time in...well, pretty much forever...I’ve found something I really, truly enjoy. The group is made up of runners, run/walkers, and walkers. The instructors and group leaders are wonderfully supportive and motivating, but best of all they remind us that they’re not just there to teach, they’re on the same journey we are. Further along, but still journeying!
Each session starts with check-in and a guest speaker. Last week it was a yoga demonstration. That’s followed by warm-up exercises, a walk or run with the appropriate group (each week the walks get a little longer), and cool-down stretches.
I’ve been properly fitted for footwear and even learned some basic techniques for walking properly—posture, stride length, arm position, and most important of all...breathing!The race itself will be held on Sunday, April 25, so I still have a couple of months of training ahead of me. To facilitate that, and to challenge myself a little more, I signed up to walk in a 5K fun run on Sunday, March 7. My daughter has registered to run the same race, and last Sunday we decided to check out the course. I went online, printed the map and we walked the 5K route together. According to our wrist watches, we completed the course in 55 minutes.
Let’s face it, at 11 minutes per kilometer I am not breaking any records here, but on race day I now have something to aim for—walking the route in a record-breaking 54 minutes!Until next time,
Lee
The Writer Side of Life
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Promotion Updates
Promotion is the bane of some authors' existence, and, I freely admit, I'm one of them. Between writing, family, and my job, finding those few hours a week to devote to promoting myself is impossible. Right up there with finding those few hours a week to devote to exercise and losing weight (another bane of my existence).
I am happy to announce that, after six months of working on it here and there, I have a brand new website with a completely updated look. I'm really pleased with the results, and I hope you'll stop by, have a look around, and let me know what you think.
www.cathymcdavid.com
In addition to the website, I've also joined Facebook in the last couple of weeks. I've resisted for a year now, convinced online social networking was yet another task that would require too much of my time. It does, but I'm also having fun and connecting with people I haven't see in YEARS.
That also means I'm currently on the lookout for new friends. If you're a member of Facebook and you'd like to be my friend (she asks in a small voice), let me know or search my name. I'd love to connect with you and have the chance to, yet again, avoid exercising (ha, ha).
Warmest wishes,
Cathy McDavid
P.S. The promotion fairy would scold me if I didn't tell you to check out my newest release, TAKING ON TWINS, out this month!!
I am happy to announce that, after six months of working on it here and there, I have a brand new website with a completely updated look. I'm really pleased with the results, and I hope you'll stop by, have a look around, and let me know what you think.
www.cathymcdavid.com
In addition to the website, I've also joined Facebook in the last couple of weeks. I've resisted for a year now, convinced online social networking was yet another task that would require too much of my time. It does, but I'm also having fun and connecting with people I haven't see in YEARS.
That also means I'm currently on the lookout for new friends. If you're a member of Facebook and you'd like to be my friend (she asks in a small voice), let me know or search my name. I'd love to connect with you and have the chance to, yet again, avoid exercising (ha, ha).
Warmest wishes,
Cathy McDavid
P.S. The promotion fairy would scold me if I didn't tell you to check out my newest release, TAKING ON TWINS, out this month!!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
My Birthday Confession
Today is my birthday. That's reason enough to reflect on the past year, the past decade, or my entire adult life. Here I am at age 7, a good year in childhood because I was always looking forward to being age 10, which seemed sooooo mature. Believe it or not from this photo, I was a tomboy.In many ways I'm not a very good adult. If I don't have to get up, I sleep late, especially because I stay up late. Way too late, actually. If there are "bad" foods to eat around the house, I will usually eat them. If there's a way to put something off, I'll find it. And don't even get me started on how I avoid exercise.
I think I just never developed any good discipline, which is ironic because I had fairly ordinary, motivated, depression-era parents who did get up early, worked hard, and served balanced meals. 
Please don't tell my granddaughters, but their "Mimi" is a slacker. She would much rather run around the backyard, hide Easter eggs in January, go out for pizza, create something artistic, go for a drive or ride a carrousel than do laundry, clean house or run errands. You might say, "Well, of course. Everyone would rather do fun things than work." The problem is that I actually DO the fun things instead of work! (This is especially a problem when I'm on deadline for a book, which I am now, and I have to read eight more romance novels for the RITA first round judging. Oops.)
That's my big confession for my birthday. I'm hoping that I can finally improve over the next year. As of Feb. 21, 2011, I will reach one of those milestones that get you discounts at movie theaters and Early Bird Specials at restaurants. Doesn't it seem as if I should grow up sometime before I grow old? I think so, and I'm going to work on it. But only if it seems like fun.
Thanks for reading my confession, and if you're around or online, lend me some of your fortitude and encouragement this coming year. Best wishes, Victoria.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Serious About Series
Okay, I’ll admit it. I love reading series books. I love sequels, too. It must be because I read Trixie Belden books when I was young. I could always count on reading about Trixie, her brothers Brian, Mart, and little Bobby, and her best friends Jim, Honey and Diana. I so envied her for being a part of the Bob-Whites of the Glen, the “club” they created. There was always a good mystery in each book, but it was the friendship they shared and the comfortable feeling I had when reading. Many years later, I read Stephen King’s books, and the one thing I especially liked was that characters from previous books often made small appearances. Reading about them always made me smile.
I know I’m not the only series reader. Look at the popularity of the Twilight series and, only twenty or so years back, The Baby-Sitters Club. Little House on the Prairie, Amelia Bedelia, The Boxcar Children, even Mercer Mayer’s Little Monster books. There’s more. Oh, lots more!
Let’s face it. We’re all readers here. We all have likes and dislikes, favorites and not so favorites. Just for grins and giggles—and to appease my curiosity—here’s a list of questions that have been rolling around in my mind.
Are you a series reader?
Do you like reading about characters from past books who slide easily into and out of stories?
If you had a choice between a non-series book and a series book by, say, your favorite author, which would you buy?
Do you read each series book as it comes out, or do you save them to read one after the other?
What’s the one thing you especially like (or dislike) about series?
With the poor economy we’re dealing with, would you forego buying a series book, feeling that once the first is bought, you’re locked into buying the rest?
Have you always, like me, loved series books?
What’s your favorite series, whether from childhood or as an adult?
Have fun!
I know I’m not the only series reader. Look at the popularity of the Twilight series and, only twenty or so years back, The Baby-Sitters Club. Little House on the Prairie, Amelia Bedelia, The Boxcar Children, even Mercer Mayer’s Little Monster books. There’s more. Oh, lots more!
Let’s face it. We’re all readers here. We all have likes and dislikes, favorites and not so favorites. Just for grins and giggles—and to appease my curiosity—here’s a list of questions that have been rolling around in my mind.
Are you a series reader?
Do you like reading about characters from past books who slide easily into and out of stories?
If you had a choice between a non-series book and a series book by, say, your favorite author, which would you buy?
Do you read each series book as it comes out, or do you save them to read one after the other?
What’s the one thing you especially like (or dislike) about series?
With the poor economy we’re dealing with, would you forego buying a series book, feeling that once the first is bought, you’re locked into buying the rest?
Have you always, like me, loved series books?
What’s your favorite series, whether from childhood or as an adult?
Have fun!
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
THE GREAT CHOCOLATE DEBATE
In my previous blog post, I talked about one of my hands-down, no-holds-barred, all-time-favorite subjects, chocolate.
And I confessed I’m a chocoholic.
Just to recap: this New Year’s Day, I gave up chocolate, and with my previous post, many people weighed in on my question as to whether or not I should put that sweet treat back on my menu. In case you were wondering...
...the answer is...
YES!!!!!!!!!!
(Oh, the relief! LOL)
Of course, you know it wasn’t an easy decision. I agonized, weighed all the pros and cons, even considered alternative suggestions. What I came up with was a list:
The Top Three Rules for Chocolate Consumption
1. Dark chocolate trumps any other kind, as it’s practically a health food.
2. It’s best to keep chocolate out of the house and save it as a treat away from home.
3. Chocolate (dark, of course) should be eaten in moderation.
Well, it’s confession time again, folks.
#1 I can live with. Sometimes.
#2 seems like it will be doable--just as soon as I polish off those last few candy bars in the pantry....
#3 is not something I can even think about at this time. (I told you I was weak, didn’t I? At least I’m honest.)
But, hey, two out of three ain’t bad.
Thanks to those of you who weighed in with your opinions and comments and have made me a better, stronger, healthier woman as a result!
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
And I confessed I’m a chocoholic.
Just to recap: this New Year’s Day, I gave up chocolate, and with my previous post, many people weighed in on my question as to whether or not I should put that sweet treat back on my menu. In case you were wondering...
...the answer is...
YES!!!!!!!!!!
(Oh, the relief! LOL)
Of course, you know it wasn’t an easy decision. I agonized, weighed all the pros and cons, even considered alternative suggestions. What I came up with was a list:
The Top Three Rules for Chocolate Consumption
1. Dark chocolate trumps any other kind, as it’s practically a health food.
2. It’s best to keep chocolate out of the house and save it as a treat away from home.
3. Chocolate (dark, of course) should be eaten in moderation.
Well, it’s confession time again, folks.
#1 I can live with. Sometimes.
#2 seems like it will be doable--just as soon as I polish off those last few candy bars in the pantry....
#3 is not something I can even think about at this time. (I told you I was weak, didn’t I? At least I’m honest.)
But, hey, two out of three ain’t bad.
Thanks to those of you who weighed in with your opinions and comments and have made me a better, stronger, healthier woman as a result!
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Earthquake in my backyard--practically
I live in the Chicago area so cold weather and lots of snow are the norm during the winter and compared to the East coast we've gotten off easy this season (knock on wood). I think Midwest driver's are some of the best driver's in the country when it comes tooling down the road in snow and ice--doesn’t mean we're immune to accidents, but as a population we seldom panic or change our plans when the weatherman forecasts snow. We bundle up, shovel the drive and head to work and school.
So snow had never been a big deal in my life--I grew up in Wisconsin--plenty of cold and snow there, too. What I'm not used to are earthquakes. On the 9th of this month an earthquake shook the corn fields not far from the development we live in. Around four in the morning the headboard on our bed banged against the wall and our two little yappers sleeping at the bottom of the bed began to whine. I though a plane was going to hit our house. I ran into the hallway just as my two teenagers opened their bedroom doors and asked, "What's going on?" It's difficult to explain how loud the rumble sounded, but you know it was loud if it woke teenagers out of a dead sleep.
I peaked out the windows--all my neighbors we're doing the same thing. I searched the sky for a spiraling plane when my daughter informed me that it was probably an earthquake. She then named the faults that run through Illinois before yawning and returning to bed--smarty pants. Anyway we were fortunate--no cracked walls or broken vases. But I have a new appreciation and sympathy for people who've suffered through much bigger quakes--I can't imagine how frightening those were. My deceased father-in-law survived the famous San Francisco Bay area earthquake back in October 1989.
How about you--have you experienced an earthquake or any wild weather events where you live?
Marin
A Cowboy Christmas Dec 2009
Dexter: Honorable Cowboy July 2010
www.marinthomas.com
So snow had never been a big deal in my life--I grew up in Wisconsin--plenty of cold and snow there, too. What I'm not used to are earthquakes. On the 9th of this month an earthquake shook the corn fields not far from the development we live in. Around four in the morning the headboard on our bed banged against the wall and our two little yappers sleeping at the bottom of the bed began to whine. I though a plane was going to hit our house. I ran into the hallway just as my two teenagers opened their bedroom doors and asked, "What's going on?" It's difficult to explain how loud the rumble sounded, but you know it was loud if it woke teenagers out of a dead sleep.
I peaked out the windows--all my neighbors we're doing the same thing. I searched the sky for a spiraling plane when my daughter informed me that it was probably an earthquake. She then named the faults that run through Illinois before yawning and returning to bed--smarty pants. Anyway we were fortunate--no cracked walls or broken vases. But I have a new appreciation and sympathy for people who've suffered through much bigger quakes--I can't imagine how frightening those were. My deceased father-in-law survived the famous San Francisco Bay area earthquake back in October 1989.
How about you--have you experienced an earthquake or any wild weather events where you live?
Marin
A Cowboy Christmas Dec 2009
Dexter: Honorable Cowboy July 2010
www.marinthomas.com
Monday, February 15, 2010
Snowbound
Well, like Laura in Tulsa, Texas has been hit with a pretty insane winter. Twenty-four hours of the fluffy white stuff fell on Thursday. Gorgeous! At our house in a rural neighborhood close to Dallas, we ended up with a foot of snow. It was impossible to concentrate on the day job for wandering to the window to look out. But if watching it fall Thursday wasn’t pretty enough, we awoke Friday to a winter wonderland. See the picture out the small leaded glass window on our front door. Looks sort of like one of those Christmas snow globes, doesn't it?
Friday my mom and I were warm and cozy and I was working away, glancing out at nature's beauty. Hubby got to drive his truck to work and I don’t think you could have paid him to stay home. Alpha male, 4X4, and a foot of snow! WooHoo! Right up his alley. Then my aunt called and they’d been without power since Thursday night and couldn’t get out of their steep drive. So DH swung by when he got off and picked them up. Friday night, warm fire, good food, and we were five.
Saturday, my son and his two boys showed up. Then my younger son and daughter-in-law popped in and my granddaughter tossed a fit to stay and play with her cousins. Granted our youngest son and DIL went home and our oldest and his two boys planned to do the same after dinner, but voila, his brother left with the keys to his truck. (Or so we thought, as they turned up later. Long story.) Minus the snow, this revolving door is a pretty typical weekend at our house. But still, Saturday night and we were nine.
We enjoyed a weekend full of food, fun, and family. What else could we do except cook and eat? Play in the snow. Feed the birds.
For Valentine’s Day on Sunday, the power came back on at my aunt and uncle’s house. Grandkids went home. And we were back to three. Although it's been an entertaining, fun, white adventure, I’m looking forward to the sanity of a normal routine.
I'm not sure where we're living. This doesn't even resemble a Texas winter, but isn't the front yard gorgeous.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!!! Hope you're all having a super romantic day!!
Alas, I just put hubby on a plane bound for Toronto, Canada so looks like I've only got kids and dogs to hug and smooch!! This month's pic is of Hubby on a trip to Cozumel. We rented a Jeep and found this hidden beach bar that looked straight from a Corona commercial. Pure bliss!!
Tonight, my oldest son is making me a steak dinner, so that'll be yummy!! I've been baking cookies for two days, helping Hannah with her Valentine gifting. We made sugar cookies and peanut butter blossoms with Hershey Kisses on top. I'm supposed to be dieting, but somehow sweets keep ending up in my mouth!!
This morning we had a surprise snow, which was exciting. Tulsa has had a bizarre winter. Lots of ice and snow. I was born in Michigan and remember blizzards that kept us in the house for days. The neighbors would hide out together, sharing board games and great food. Now, while everyone else grumbles, I secretly love every beautiful flake!!
So what's everyone doing for V-Day? Any big surprises or impromptu trips? Let me know so I can live vicariously through you!! LOL!!
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Confessions of a Hedonist!
When my husband recently deserted me to go heli-skiing in Canada, my daughter suggested that instead of staying home alone, I should spend the week at a Spa. Why this had never occurred to me to do before, escapes me. Firstly, because I love being pampered and secondly, because it turned out to be one of the best weeks of my life!
A quick google search of Spas in Colorado brought up St. Julien’s in Boulder. This funky, college town is nestled against the foothills of the Rockies and enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year. I’d only spent the day here before, but I’d liked it and the thought of spending time close to home, but not too close, appealed.
Within minutes of picking up the phone I was booked into a kingbed room with a view of Boulder’s famous “Flatiron Mountains”. And less than two hours later, down the Interstate from my home in the Rockies, I was being warmly greeted by the hotel staff and shown to the Spa where I had a pedicure booked.
Positive the therapist would run screaming when she got a glimpse of my feet that had been squashed into ski boots for a good part of the season, Renee, was instead the picture of discretion. I was given a glass of water, offered grapes and dipped my feet into a swirling, warm bath. An hour later, my lower legs and feet, scrubbed, massaged, primped and nails painted, I emerged feeling as if a quarter of my body was already on the way to feeling restored. In an effort to feel fully restored I booked a sugar body scrub and revitalizing facial for the following day.
Proud of my pretty pink-painted size tens, I padded around the hotel in the hotel provided robe and slippers and went to check their restaurant menu. Not in the mood for dressing up – or dressing at all, for that matter, I opted for room service.
I caught up on emails via the free wireless internet in my room and my smoked salmon walnut salad was delivered 20 minutes later with a smile and the good wishes of my waiter to have a good night. There’s something wonderfully decadent about lounging across the bed, eating and watching really trashy TV programs. Ever wondered where they find those people in the People of Walmart emails – just take a look at some of those reality television shows – particularly ones dealing with repossessions, bounty hunting and anyone who lives outside the law!
Dinner finished, I decided on an early night as I had a book to write during my sojourn. However, sleep didn’t come easily as the plot of a new story teased at my consciousness. Midnight found me typing the first words of book four of the O’Malley Men series, about firefighting brother, Adam. Two hours later, I had over 3,000 words down and was ready for sleep. This time it came blissfully quickly as I sank into the soft-as-a-cloud mattress and pillows. Such bliss!
After a late breakfast of smoked salmon bagel, which was so delicious, I couldn’t wait for breakfast the following morning to order it again, I wandered into the spa for my Body Scrub and Vichy Shower. Having never experienced one of these before, I had visions of myself glowing in the dark, I’d be scrubbed red raw.
I was greeted by my therapist and directed me to lie on a bed in a room that looked like an enormous shower. I was draped for modesty and Mary set about massaging the rare as hens’ teeth (apparently) sugar into my legs. Far from being rubbed raw, this was an amazingly relaxing experience. I tried not to think how much dead skin was being rubbed away after a winter spent two miles high in the dust dry atmosphere of the Colorado Rockies. Backs of legs, back, shoulders and arms rubbed, it was time for the Vichy shower. As I lay on the bed, several gentle jets of water washed the sugar away as my therapist used a hand-held spray to gently wash away the last of the sugar crystals. Then it was time for my tummy, front of legs and arms to be given the treatment. I was then toweled off and massaged with a soothing palm oil butter. I emerged feeling re-energised and extraordinarily clean and smooth!
Kerrie welcomed me into the facial room where I lay on a heated bed and it was deemed my skin was in desperate need of a Revitalizing Treatment – recommended for mature, fatigued, dull, sun-damaged, pigmented, and sluggish skin types. Since I felt my skin pretty much slotted into all those adjectives, I lay back and let Kerrie do her best. I tingled when the alpha-hydroxy exfoliant was applied and felt nicely burned when she applied a paprika mixture to help the alpha absorb. None of this was unpleasant and I satisfied myself with the knowledge that the more it tingled, the more help my skin probably needed. A soothing cream was then massaged in, a honey scented mask applied and hands massaged while this did its magic. An hour later my skin felt like a two year old’s bottom and I was practically drooling with pleasure. But wait, my ecstasy dose wasn’t over yet. Then followed a hot oil head massage and foot reflexology. By the time I left the salon I was floating on air.
Back in my room I ordered a Caesar salad for lunch, then took a restorative nap. I awoke at dusk, took care of emails and started work again. I was so absorbed in my new story, that I forgot about dinner and worked till 3am.
This pretty much became the routine for the week. Wake late, take a walk around historic Boulder, shop, back to the hotel for lunch followed by an afternoon of indulgence at the spa. Dinner in front of the TV and then back to work!
By day three, I was making plans as to how I could stay in this magical place for the rest of my life. I’d gladly sell my first-born (and subsequent issue) in order to do so. I was loving being able to go to bed when I wanted, rise when I wanted and eat what and when I wanted. No children asking: What’s for dinner? No husband saying: It’s late, come to bed!
I finished up my week of indulgence with more massages of body, feet and head, facials, splurged on a body mud masque but didn’t care for it nearly as much as I’d enjoyed the sugar scrub. By the end of the week, I'd worked my way through just about every therapist at the spa and left the hotel vowing to return soon.
By the end of the week, I’d written over 20,000 words towards my new book and felt revitalized, re-energized and ten years younger. As Ryan, one of the many wonderful staff at the hotel, opened my car door, wished me a safe journey home and hoped he’d see me again soon, I decided that if I had a money tree, I’d live in a spa hotel forever!
What’s your secret indulgence? What would you do, where would you go if you had a week completely to yourself, to do as you wished?
Cheers!
CC Coburn
A quick google search of Spas in Colorado brought up St. Julien’s in Boulder. This funky, college town is nestled against the foothills of the Rockies and enjoys over 300 days of sunshine a year. I’d only spent the day here before, but I’d liked it and the thought of spending time close to home, but not too close, appealed.
Within minutes of picking up the phone I was booked into a kingbed room with a view of Boulder’s famous “Flatiron Mountains”. And less than two hours later, down the Interstate from my home in the Rockies, I was being warmly greeted by the hotel staff and shown to the Spa where I had a pedicure booked.
Positive the therapist would run screaming when she got a glimpse of my feet that had been squashed into ski boots for a good part of the season, Renee, was instead the picture of discretion. I was given a glass of water, offered grapes and dipped my feet into a swirling, warm bath. An hour later, my lower legs and feet, scrubbed, massaged, primped and nails painted, I emerged feeling as if a quarter of my body was already on the way to feeling restored. In an effort to feel fully restored I booked a sugar body scrub and revitalizing facial for the following day.
Proud of my pretty pink-painted size tens, I padded around the hotel in the hotel provided robe and slippers and went to check their restaurant menu. Not in the mood for dressing up – or dressing at all, for that matter, I opted for room service.
I caught up on emails via the free wireless internet in my room and my smoked salmon walnut salad was delivered 20 minutes later with a smile and the good wishes of my waiter to have a good night. There’s something wonderfully decadent about lounging across the bed, eating and watching really trashy TV programs. Ever wondered where they find those people in the People of Walmart emails – just take a look at some of those reality television shows – particularly ones dealing with repossessions, bounty hunting and anyone who lives outside the law!
Dinner finished, I decided on an early night as I had a book to write during my sojourn. However, sleep didn’t come easily as the plot of a new story teased at my consciousness. Midnight found me typing the first words of book four of the O’Malley Men series, about firefighting brother, Adam. Two hours later, I had over 3,000 words down and was ready for sleep. This time it came blissfully quickly as I sank into the soft-as-a-cloud mattress and pillows. Such bliss!
After a late breakfast of smoked salmon bagel, which was so delicious, I couldn’t wait for breakfast the following morning to order it again, I wandered into the spa for my Body Scrub and Vichy Shower. Having never experienced one of these before, I had visions of myself glowing in the dark, I’d be scrubbed red raw.
I was greeted by my therapist and directed me to lie on a bed in a room that looked like an enormous shower. I was draped for modesty and Mary set about massaging the rare as hens’ teeth (apparently) sugar into my legs. Far from being rubbed raw, this was an amazingly relaxing experience. I tried not to think how much dead skin was being rubbed away after a winter spent two miles high in the dust dry atmosphere of the Colorado Rockies. Backs of legs, back, shoulders and arms rubbed, it was time for the Vichy shower. As I lay on the bed, several gentle jets of water washed the sugar away as my therapist used a hand-held spray to gently wash away the last of the sugar crystals. Then it was time for my tummy, front of legs and arms to be given the treatment. I was then toweled off and massaged with a soothing palm oil butter. I emerged feeling re-energised and extraordinarily clean and smooth!
Kerrie welcomed me into the facial room where I lay on a heated bed and it was deemed my skin was in desperate need of a Revitalizing Treatment – recommended for mature, fatigued, dull, sun-damaged, pigmented, and sluggish skin types. Since I felt my skin pretty much slotted into all those adjectives, I lay back and let Kerrie do her best. I tingled when the alpha-hydroxy exfoliant was applied and felt nicely burned when she applied a paprika mixture to help the alpha absorb. None of this was unpleasant and I satisfied myself with the knowledge that the more it tingled, the more help my skin probably needed. A soothing cream was then massaged in, a honey scented mask applied and hands massaged while this did its magic. An hour later my skin felt like a two year old’s bottom and I was practically drooling with pleasure. But wait, my ecstasy dose wasn’t over yet. Then followed a hot oil head massage and foot reflexology. By the time I left the salon I was floating on air.
Back in my room I ordered a Caesar salad for lunch, then took a restorative nap. I awoke at dusk, took care of emails and started work again. I was so absorbed in my new story, that I forgot about dinner and worked till 3am.
This pretty much became the routine for the week. Wake late, take a walk around historic Boulder, shop, back to the hotel for lunch followed by an afternoon of indulgence at the spa. Dinner in front of the TV and then back to work!
By day three, I was making plans as to how I could stay in this magical place for the rest of my life. I’d gladly sell my first-born (and subsequent issue) in order to do so. I was loving being able to go to bed when I wanted, rise when I wanted and eat what and when I wanted. No children asking: What’s for dinner? No husband saying: It’s late, come to bed!
I finished up my week of indulgence with more massages of body, feet and head, facials, splurged on a body mud masque but didn’t care for it nearly as much as I’d enjoyed the sugar scrub. By the end of the week, I'd worked my way through just about every therapist at the spa and left the hotel vowing to return soon.
By the end of the week, I’d written over 20,000 words towards my new book and felt revitalized, re-energized and ten years younger. As Ryan, one of the many wonderful staff at the hotel, opened my car door, wished me a safe journey home and hoped he’d see me again soon, I decided that if I had a money tree, I’d live in a spa hotel forever!
What’s your secret indulgence? What would you do, where would you go if you had a week completely to yourself, to do as you wished?
Cheers!
CC Coburn
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
I remembered...
to blog! So sorry I missed last month. I have been busy with kids' activities and deadlines and life in general, like drooling over the cover for my April Harlequin American, HIS BABY SURPRISE. I uploaded it to share. And if he wasn't adorable enough on his own, he's holding a baby. She reminds me so much of my oldest, who is now driving. *gulp* Where does time go?
As you can tell, from my missed blog last month, I've already broken my New Year's resolution of getting more organized. Sad that I didn't even make it 9 days, huh? How about the rest of you? How are the resolutions going? Kept? Broken?
Reply and I'll pick a winner from the responses for an autographed set of all three Citizens Police Academy books!
Happy Reading!
Lisa Childs
Monday, February 08, 2010
ROMANTIC QUOTES
I don’t have much to blog about today. I’m busy trying to make a Feb 15 deadline. But I was reading our local paper this morning with breakfast and there was an article about Valentine’s Day and some favorite romantic movie quotes. They caught my attention and I thought I’d share some with you.
This one goes right to the heart.
"I’d rather spend a lifetime with you then to live all the ages of this world alone."
Arwen
Lord of the Rings
Ah, true love.
"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with a person, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
Harry
When Harry Met Sally
What romance novels are all about.
"You make me wanna be a better man."
Melvin Udall
As Good as it Gets
This quote is true in life; not just on Valentine’s Day.
"A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others."
The Wizard
The Wizard of Oz
This next quote fits the book I’m writing. The hero and heroine are on opposite sides of a legal matter but love finds a way to bring them together.
"Even if we never speak again after tonight, please know that I’m forever changed because of who you are and what you’ve meant to me…"
Holden McNeil
Chasing Amy
And my favorite…
You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how."
Rhett Butler
Gone With the Wind
Gotta love Rhett. I never got what Scarlett saw in the wimpy Ashley.
Do you have a favorite quote? Or which is your favorite from the above?
Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day filled with love.
Linda
www.lindawarren.net
Skylar’s Outlaw Jan ‘10
This one goes right to the heart.
"I’d rather spend a lifetime with you then to live all the ages of this world alone."
Arwen
Lord of the Rings
Ah, true love.
"When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with a person, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."
Harry
When Harry Met Sally
What romance novels are all about.
"You make me wanna be a better man."
Melvin Udall
As Good as it Gets
This quote is true in life; not just on Valentine’s Day.
"A heart is not judged by how much you love; but by how much you are loved by others."
The Wizard
The Wizard of Oz
This next quote fits the book I’m writing. The hero and heroine are on opposite sides of a legal matter but love finds a way to bring them together.
"Even if we never speak again after tonight, please know that I’m forever changed because of who you are and what you’ve meant to me…"
Holden McNeil
Chasing Amy
And my favorite…
You should be kissed, and often, and by someone who knows how."
Rhett Butler
Gone With the Wind
Gotta love Rhett. I never got what Scarlett saw in the wimpy Ashley.
Do you have a favorite quote? Or which is your favorite from the above?
Wishing you a Happy Valentine’s Day filled with love.
Linda
www.lindawarren.net
Skylar’s Outlaw Jan ‘10
Sunday, February 07, 2010
Are You An Oreo? by Megan
I am.
I have the pleasure of taking care of my mom while having children at home. My friend calls me part of the sandwich generation, wedged between different responsibilities. Now, if I'm going to be a sandwich, I'm going to be the sweet, creamy center of a cookie!
I'm already double-stuffed, lol, so an Oreo seems like a natural choice.
Raising my children is a responsibility of love. So is caring for my mom. She was in the hospital last month while I was on deadline and had bronchitis. After some antibiotics for me and my sinus/ear infections, and three heart stents for Mom, we are mending.
I prefer when everyone is well (DH had a 101.5 fever for three days during this time; now my children are coming down with ... something), but I'll take what comes. I feel extremely lucky to have my mom still with us. I'm incredibly blessed with two children and the man I love as my partner.
That same friend's children are grown and gone, and her parents are independent and live far away also. She has a different life than I, not a richer or poorer life, but different. Someday my mom will be gone and my children out on their own, and it will all come sooner than I'm ready for. In the meantime, I will enjoy the ups and downs and feel blessed for each fevered brow, straight A report card, and moment I spend with them.
Here's wishing you a happy day, no matter what stage of life you're in. If you must be "wedged" between two generations, remember, you're the sweet, creamy center.
[Just watch out for that giant cup of milk!]
Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com
I have the pleasure of taking care of my mom while having children at home. My friend calls me part of the sandwich generation, wedged between different responsibilities. Now, if I'm going to be a sandwich, I'm going to be the sweet, creamy center of a cookie!
I'm already double-stuffed, lol, so an Oreo seems like a natural choice.
Raising my children is a responsibility of love. So is caring for my mom. She was in the hospital last month while I was on deadline and had bronchitis. After some antibiotics for me and my sinus/ear infections, and three heart stents for Mom, we are mending.
I prefer when everyone is well (DH had a 101.5 fever for three days during this time; now my children are coming down with ... something), but I'll take what comes. I feel extremely lucky to have my mom still with us. I'm incredibly blessed with two children and the man I love as my partner.
That same friend's children are grown and gone, and her parents are independent and live far away also. She has a different life than I, not a richer or poorer life, but different. Someday my mom will be gone and my children out on their own, and it will all come sooner than I'm ready for. In the meantime, I will enjoy the ups and downs and feel blessed for each fevered brow, straight A report card, and moment I spend with them.
Here's wishing you a happy day, no matter what stage of life you're in. If you must be "wedged" between two generations, remember, you're the sweet, creamy center.
[Just watch out for that giant cup of milk!]
Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com
Saturday, February 06, 2010
"Stranded" Plotlines
I drove to the lake house on Thursday (in the rain) and saw quite a lot of water on US Hwy 80 on the way there. The lake was also the highest I've seen it. I think it has covered part of our neighbor's dock.
This high water made me think of all those books I've read where the hero and heroine are stranded together in a house, a "cabin in the woods" or some other isolated place due to flooding, a hurricane, snowstorm, etc. Also, I suppose the super snowstorm along the eastern coast made me think of natural disasters.
I've read some great stories with "stranded" plotlines or situation, and I've read some real clunkers. I'm not sure exactly what makes the situation work in some cases and bomb in others. I know that the conflict between the hero and heroine must be strong enough to carry the plot in these types of stories, but what else? Is it sexual tension or a ticking clock? What do you think?
I hope the water in Lake Holbrook doesn't get too high. 
The only ones enjoying it seems to be the ducks!
I'll look forward to your comments about the plots.
Stay warm, safe and dry, wherever you are.
Oh, and GO SAINTS. (Sorry, Indy. I love you too!)
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Recipe of the Month
This month's recipe is from a former Butler High School (Go Bears!) classmate, Deborah McNulty Hughes. We were talking about cold weather food on Facebook and she highly recommended this recipe for winter soup. Please note that there are a few variations in case you want meat in this hearty soup. Enjoy!
Deborah McNulty Hughes' Quick & Easy Winter Vegetable Soup
2 pkgs. Knorr Vegetable soup mix or 8 C. vegetable broth
1 or 2 cans, mild or spicy to taste, Rotel tomatoes with green chilis
4 or 5 small parsnips
1 C. shredded carrots
1 med. zuchinni
1 med. yellow squash
1 C. chopped onion (use frozen to reduce prep time)
2 Uncle Ben's wild & long grain rice 90 sec. microwave packs
Optional: Laura's lean top sirloin, broiled and chopped into small pieces. You can also add fresh or dried mushrooms.
Make the Knorr soup according to package directions. Use food processor to thin slice parsnips, zuchinni, & squash. Cook rice according to package directions.
Once soup mix is boiling add all ingredients. Simmer for about 30 minutes to let flavors marry.
Add other winter vegetables such as rutabaga, turnip, spiniach etc. as desired.
If adding the meat, add at the same time as the other ingredients.
Very low fat, low cal if made as directed. Chicken can be substituted for sirloin. Recipe freezes very well.
Deborah McNulty Hughes' Quick & Easy Winter Vegetable Soup
2 pkgs. Knorr Vegetable soup mix or 8 C. vegetable broth
1 or 2 cans, mild or spicy to taste, Rotel tomatoes with green chilis
4 or 5 small parsnips
1 C. shredded carrots
1 med. zuchinni
1 med. yellow squash
1 C. chopped onion (use frozen to reduce prep time)
2 Uncle Ben's wild & long grain rice 90 sec. microwave packs
Optional: Laura's lean top sirloin, broiled and chopped into small pieces. You can also add fresh or dried mushrooms.
Make the Knorr soup according to package directions. Use food processor to thin slice parsnips, zuchinni, & squash. Cook rice according to package directions.
Once soup mix is boiling add all ingredients. Simmer for about 30 minutes to let flavors marry.
Add other winter vegetables such as rutabaga, turnip, spiniach etc. as desired.
If adding the meat, add at the same time as the other ingredients.
Very low fat, low cal if made as directed. Chicken can be substituted for sirloin. Recipe freezes very well.
Wednesday, February 03, 2010
Engagements
Baby Makes Six, my January release (that’s still on shelves!) is a story of an estranged couple with three young girls, a baby on the way. It’s a sweet story that focuses on long lasting love, the kind that grows and matures over time. There’s a conversation in the novel between Shawn and Eddie that focuses on the first time they met. There’s also some thinking about the first years of their marriage. And, of course, getting engaged.
Here, so close to Valentine’s Day, I’ve been thinking about romance and engagements, too.
I got engaged on my 22nd birthday. I remember the moment well-not only for the obvious reason-but because of everything that didn’t happen. See, even back when I turned 22, back before I was ever brave enough to try writing, I was still a dreamer and a planner.
I knew that a proposal was on the horizon. And I was determined for it to be perfect.
Here’s what I knew: 1) Tom, my boyfriend, had flown to Houston to have lunch with my Dad. Tom never told me, my Dad did. We weren’t jet setters, so there was only one reason Tom was hopping on planes for lunch.
2) I had plane tickets to visit Tom in Dallas, in just two weeks. (I was living in Arizona at the time.)
So I knew, of course, that was going to be the big proposal! I pictured dinner, roses, wine…candlelight. Tom on his knees, telling me I was impossible to live without.
Um, it didn’t quite happen like that.
By 9 am on my birthday, I was in a mighty bad mood. And sad. I had a very good reason. No one had called me. All my life, birthdays were a big deal. We called each other. We celebrated! There was always a race to see who was going to be the first person to send birthday wishes. All during college, I was woken up at 6 and 7 am by a phone call, with someone in my family telling me happy birthday.
Anyway, that morning at 9am, no one had called. I. Was. Not. Happy. I had only arrived in Mesa, Arizona two weeks earlier for a teaching job. I knew nobody. And it was hot. We’re talking August in Arizona hot. The only thing I had planned for the day was Tom’s phone call at 11.
By 10am, I was in a bathing suit and off to the pool. Still no one had called and I was sick and tired of staring at that quiet phone. I sat out in the sun until 11:30. Then, deciding I was too sweaty to even hop in the pool, I wrapped myself in a towel and walked back to my apartment. I was going to shower, finally wash my hair, and do something during the day, even if it was just going to the bookstore and out to ice cream.
And that’s when I saw Tom. He was standing on the sidewalk in the sun, in khakis and a blazer. Sweating. And pretty darn ticked off. I stared at him in shock.
He scowled. “You were supposed to be home at 11,” he said.
I answered with my only explanation. “No one called me this morning.” Like that was going to explain everything.
Tom sighed. “Do you know how hot it is?”
I glared right back. Pointed to my sweaty, stringy hair. “Obviously.”
Then he walked right up to me, thrust a diamond ring my way, and glared. “Do you want to get married or what?”
Yes. That was my proposal.
I nodded and burst into tears. I’m still not sure if I was crying because a)my boyfriend of 4 years had proposed, b)I looked absolutely horrible for the Biggest Event of My Life or c) someone really had remembered my birthday.
I didn’t think it was the stuff of romance novels, but now, 21 years later, I think maybe I was wrong. The whole thing was symbolic of the two of us. Tom’s a good guy. He tries hard and does things like fly to my hometown to receive my father’s blessing-and calls my family to tell them what he’s going to do…so no one would call and ruin the moment. I’m the dreamy one, full of romance and big plans. Things don’t always turn out the way either of us imagine, but, as my son would say, ‘it’s all good.’
I still can't help but smile as I think about standing on that sidewalk, smiling and crying. Now I’m glad I wasn’t proposed to in any other way.
Anyone else have an engagement story to share?
Here, so close to Valentine’s Day, I’ve been thinking about romance and engagements, too.
I got engaged on my 22nd birthday. I remember the moment well-not only for the obvious reason-but because of everything that didn’t happen. See, even back when I turned 22, back before I was ever brave enough to try writing, I was still a dreamer and a planner.
I knew that a proposal was on the horizon. And I was determined for it to be perfect.
Here’s what I knew: 1) Tom, my boyfriend, had flown to Houston to have lunch with my Dad. Tom never told me, my Dad did. We weren’t jet setters, so there was only one reason Tom was hopping on planes for lunch.
2) I had plane tickets to visit Tom in Dallas, in just two weeks. (I was living in Arizona at the time.)
So I knew, of course, that was going to be the big proposal! I pictured dinner, roses, wine…candlelight. Tom on his knees, telling me I was impossible to live without.
Um, it didn’t quite happen like that.
By 9 am on my birthday, I was in a mighty bad mood. And sad. I had a very good reason. No one had called me. All my life, birthdays were a big deal. We called each other. We celebrated! There was always a race to see who was going to be the first person to send birthday wishes. All during college, I was woken up at 6 and 7 am by a phone call, with someone in my family telling me happy birthday.
Anyway, that morning at 9am, no one had called. I. Was. Not. Happy. I had only arrived in Mesa, Arizona two weeks earlier for a teaching job. I knew nobody. And it was hot. We’re talking August in Arizona hot. The only thing I had planned for the day was Tom’s phone call at 11.
By 10am, I was in a bathing suit and off to the pool. Still no one had called and I was sick and tired of staring at that quiet phone. I sat out in the sun until 11:30. Then, deciding I was too sweaty to even hop in the pool, I wrapped myself in a towel and walked back to my apartment. I was going to shower, finally wash my hair, and do something during the day, even if it was just going to the bookstore and out to ice cream.
And that’s when I saw Tom. He was standing on the sidewalk in the sun, in khakis and a blazer. Sweating. And pretty darn ticked off. I stared at him in shock.
He scowled. “You were supposed to be home at 11,” he said.
I answered with my only explanation. “No one called me this morning.” Like that was going to explain everything.
Tom sighed. “Do you know how hot it is?”
I glared right back. Pointed to my sweaty, stringy hair. “Obviously.”
Then he walked right up to me, thrust a diamond ring my way, and glared. “Do you want to get married or what?”
Yes. That was my proposal.
I nodded and burst into tears. I’m still not sure if I was crying because a)my boyfriend of 4 years had proposed, b)I looked absolutely horrible for the Biggest Event of My Life or c) someone really had remembered my birthday.
I didn’t think it was the stuff of romance novels, but now, 21 years later, I think maybe I was wrong. The whole thing was symbolic of the two of us. Tom’s a good guy. He tries hard and does things like fly to my hometown to receive my father’s blessing-and calls my family to tell them what he’s going to do…so no one would call and ruin the moment. I’m the dreamy one, full of romance and big plans. Things don’t always turn out the way either of us imagine, but, as my son would say, ‘it’s all good.’
I still can't help but smile as I think about standing on that sidewalk, smiling and crying. Now I’m glad I wasn’t proposed to in any other way.
Anyone else have an engagement story to share?
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
JANUARY WINNER!!!
Congratulations REBECCA LYNN! You’re the January winner. To receive your free autographed books please contact Laura Bradford and Roxann Delaney through their Web sites.
To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Easy and painless. And FREE BOOKS.
So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!
To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Easy and painless. And FREE BOOKS.
So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!
Monday, February 01, 2010
An Author's Life
People sometimes ask, How does it feel to have written more than 80 novels?
The truth is, I don’t sit around thinking about those 80-plus books (thanks to a new three-book contract my editor just offered, the total is now 87). If I had all those heroes and heroines running around in my head, I’d never get dressed in the morning.
Come to think of it, I’m wearing a purple top with turquoise socks and blue jeans. Never mind.
But the point is, I forget what’s in most of those books, a fact that was brought home to me last week when, unexpectedly, I received proofs in the mail. Seems that By Leaps and Bounds, a Harlequin American Romance published in 1990, is being reissued for direct sale. That means via the eharlequin.com Web site, I think.
The editors were kind enough to give me a chance to update the 20-year-old text. Good idea. A lot has changed since 1990, even in a story about a former ballerina locking horns with the police detective dad of her prize student. Seems he doesn’t want his teenage daughter heading to ballet school in New York. He doesn’t like her boyfriend, either.
Okay, not much has fundamentally changed in the world of ballet, but still, I wanted to take the time to do this right. Here’s another thing about authors: contrary to rumor, we don’t lead a life of leisure.
So last Tuesday afternoon, in a rainstorm of near-biblical proportions, I found myself sitting on a bench inside Costco, waiting for new tires to be installed on my aging Honda Accord (it’s a ’93, three years younger than By Leaps and Bounds).
Above, rain whomped the super-high ceiling. Below, with pages spread across the bench, I frantically gave people cell phones and changed references to a videotape to read DVD. See, the girl’s boyfriend shot this controversial tape that might implicate him in a crime…
Well, I got the job done. Now I’m preparing to go over the copy-edited version of my August release, His Hired Baby, while publicizing my February Harlequin American, The Would-Be Mommy. It’s the first book in my Safe Harbor Medical miniseries.
Next week, I plan to start writing my next book, the fourth set at Safe Harbor Medical Center. That’s the fun part. More heroes, more heroines. More cell phones too, probably.
So how does it feel to have sold more than 80 novels? I’ll let you know when I come up for air.
The truth is, I don’t sit around thinking about those 80-plus books (thanks to a new three-book contract my editor just offered, the total is now 87). If I had all those heroes and heroines running around in my head, I’d never get dressed in the morning.
Come to think of it, I’m wearing a purple top with turquoise socks and blue jeans. Never mind.
But the point is, I forget what’s in most of those books, a fact that was brought home to me last week when, unexpectedly, I received proofs in the mail. Seems that By Leaps and Bounds, a Harlequin American Romance published in 1990, is being reissued for direct sale. That means via the eharlequin.com Web site, I think.
The editors were kind enough to give me a chance to update the 20-year-old text. Good idea. A lot has changed since 1990, even in a story about a former ballerina locking horns with the police detective dad of her prize student. Seems he doesn’t want his teenage daughter heading to ballet school in New York. He doesn’t like her boyfriend, either.
Okay, not much has fundamentally changed in the world of ballet, but still, I wanted to take the time to do this right. Here’s another thing about authors: contrary to rumor, we don’t lead a life of leisure.
So last Tuesday afternoon, in a rainstorm of near-biblical proportions, I found myself sitting on a bench inside Costco, waiting for new tires to be installed on my aging Honda Accord (it’s a ’93, three years younger than By Leaps and Bounds).
Above, rain whomped the super-high ceiling. Below, with pages spread across the bench, I frantically gave people cell phones and changed references to a videotape to read DVD. See, the girl’s boyfriend shot this controversial tape that might implicate him in a crime…
Well, I got the job done. Now I’m preparing to go over the copy-edited version of my August release, His Hired Baby, while publicizing my February Harlequin American, The Would-Be Mommy. It’s the first book in my Safe Harbor Medical miniseries.
Next week, I plan to start writing my next book, the fourth set at Safe Harbor Medical Center. That’s the fun part. More heroes, more heroines. More cell phones too, probably.
So how does it feel to have sold more than 80 novels? I’ll let you know when I come up for air.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Life's Moments
I'll be heading down to the city tonight to give a talk to about eighty people that are affiliated with Multiple Sclerosis Association of America. The people in the room are all connected to the organization in one way or another, the event's primary focus to say thanks to the people from this area who so generously donate to them throughout the year.
I was asked to speak for two reasons. I'm a writer (and people tend to find that interesting). Kayla's Daddy--which debuted this month--gives a nod to their organization during the story (page 175, if you're curious). And I'm one of their clients. Which means there came a point in my life this past summer when I needed their assistance (to help with the co-pay of a very costly medical test I had to have related to my own MS).
I have to say, there's a part of me that's nervous about this talk. I write because I'm essentially an introvert. It's how I express myself best. But there's also a part of me that's excited to do this as it's a pay-it-forward kind of thing.
The topic I've decided to speak on? Life's Moments. And since I need a little practice right now, I figured I'd try it out here...in the written format which I prefer. Let me know what you think, okay?
**If you look back on your life, there tends to be certain moments that stand out. Good ones, bad ones, and anything in between. Very often, they're the ones that shape who we are--giving us direction and validation along the way.
While I have many, I'd like to share a small handful with you tonight.
1) Awe. I remember, as a very little girl, skipping off to the park with my Grandpa. We'd find a bench by the water and sit there for hours, feeding pigeons while he shared stories of his life in Ireland and his journey to the United States. Before we left, he pointed across the water at the biggest rock I'd ever seen, a rock with a giant "C" painted on it in blue that seemed to rise up from the water. With a twinkle of pride in his eyes he said, "I painted that 'C' for Casey." I believed him for more years than I should, confident my grandpa could do anything--including hanging by a rope painting a letter on a rock. Even now, I still believe it stands for Casey rather than Columbia University.
I miss that mischievous sparkle. But I miss that man even more.
2)Pride. When I was a kindergartner we were given a basic art assignment that I took a bit further--with the help of cotton balls, pieces of fancy trim work, buttons, etc. The picture of a king that I created caught the eye of a visitor to our school who pulled it for a county-wide art show. To this day, I still remember that picture and the pride I felt in myself.
3)The Birth of a Dream. I was playing at my friend Lisa's house one rainy day. I was in fourth grade at the time. It was about halfway through our playdate and we were bored with our Barbies and board games. So, as a way to keep us sane, she pulled out a stack of paper and a carton of crayons and presented the task of writing a picture book story. Mine was about a brown polar bear (don't ask) and I named him Kidney. My dream to become a writer started with that bear.
4) A first step. After my freshmen year of college I had the opportunity to intern at a newspaper chain in Connecticut. The first assignment I was given was to write a story about a help line for troubled teenagers that was just getting off the ground. I wrote it, turned it in, and moved on. Three days later, while at the grocery store for my mom, I walked past a rack of papers. And there, for everyone who walked by to see, was my byline. That's the moment I first realized my dream could--and would--come true.
5)Complete responsibility and utter love. The first moment I held each of my daughters in my arms is something I will never forget. It's nice to look at pictures but none are as vivid as those moments in my mind. They changed me completely and forever.
6)Odd. It was the winter of 2005 and I was waiting to see the cover for my very first book. For years I'd held one single image in my head--a nighttime shot of the beach with an amusement ride pier in the background, a body laying face down in the foreground.
The day the cover was expected to arrive, there was no mail in my box. The next day, the same. About two hours later the mail carrier knocked on my door to tell me there'd been a fire on the truck the day before. The mail that was not burned was damaged by the water used to put the fire out. I think I laughed. And then cried. And then laughed some more (really, it was a Candid Camera moment if there ever was one). The next day she came back...with the water soaked & partially burned envelope that contained my cover. I pulled it out, anxious to see the cover I'd been imagining for years and...
It was pink. Bright pink. With a beach chair.
No, I'm not kidding. I wish I was.
7) Disbelief. About nine months after my pink book came out, my cell phone rang while I was on the way home from my eldest daughter's dance class. I didn't recognize the number but picked up anyway. It was a member of the Agatha Award Committee (like the Rita of the cozy mystery world). My pink book was a nominee for Best First Novel.
I think I repeated my name for her--just to be sure she knew who she was calling. She did. To this day, I have that number saved on the contact list of my phone under the heading "Agatha Call."
8) Rug Pulled Out. I remember sitting in a hospital room by myself 3 1/2 years ago, waiting for someone to release me after a bizarre series of symptoms that brought me to the E.R. the day before. The attending doctor walks in and says, "We got your MRI results back just now. We believe you have M.S."
Unlike so many who hear those words for the first time, I knew exactly what M.S. was. My mother-in-law at the time had it and I'd watched it take her down. Only I had two small kids and a dream to be a writer...
9) Crossroads. That moment was a turning point in so many ways, spawning new moments I'll never forget...
*It pushed me. Hearing I had M.S. made me want to reach higher, to get in with a big publisher, furthering my dream. And, in the past 21 months, I've been contracted for nine books.
*It propelled me to do something for the cause. I took part in a two year drug study. I donated blood for a genetic study out of Washington University. I wear a monitor around my waist twice a year for a week each time for the University of Illinois (they're studying movement & M.S.). I captained a walk and raised over $2,600 thanks, largely, to the mystery writing community. And, one day in the future, I'd like to do an online auction utilizing my writing connections to benefit MSAA.
*It moved me. Last year, on my birthday, my then ten-year-0ld gave me a homemade birthday card. Inside was $13 (all the money from her piggy bank) and a note that she wanted it to go to M.S.
*It taught me that it's okay to seek help sometimes. Last summer I was faced with the need to undergo a costly medical test. The expense was daunting for someone like me who was a single mom working five part-time jobs and paying a very hefty monthly insurance premium. My doctor suggested I contact MSAA for help. At first I was embarrassed. I don't like to ask for help. But, this time, I knew I had to. And sure enough they swooped in, taking the burden of that particular co-pay from my too-heavy shoulders.
10) Which brings me to this moment of Gratitude.
(And then I thank everyone in the room for making things a little easier for people like me.)
I apologize for the lengthy post. I guess I'm a little keyed up right now, worried I'm not saying the right things.
So how about you? Care to share a special moment or two from your life?
~Laura
P.S. If I made any spelling errors, please forgive me this time. I was speaking it while I was writing it in an effort to get the flow right.
I was asked to speak for two reasons. I'm a writer (and people tend to find that interesting). Kayla's Daddy--which debuted this month--gives a nod to their organization during the story (page 175, if you're curious). And I'm one of their clients. Which means there came a point in my life this past summer when I needed their assistance (to help with the co-pay of a very costly medical test I had to have related to my own MS).
I have to say, there's a part of me that's nervous about this talk. I write because I'm essentially an introvert. It's how I express myself best. But there's also a part of me that's excited to do this as it's a pay-it-forward kind of thing.
The topic I've decided to speak on? Life's Moments. And since I need a little practice right now, I figured I'd try it out here...in the written format which I prefer. Let me know what you think, okay?
**If you look back on your life, there tends to be certain moments that stand out. Good ones, bad ones, and anything in between. Very often, they're the ones that shape who we are--giving us direction and validation along the way.
While I have many, I'd like to share a small handful with you tonight.
1) Awe. I remember, as a very little girl, skipping off to the park with my Grandpa. We'd find a bench by the water and sit there for hours, feeding pigeons while he shared stories of his life in Ireland and his journey to the United States. Before we left, he pointed across the water at the biggest rock I'd ever seen, a rock with a giant "C" painted on it in blue that seemed to rise up from the water. With a twinkle of pride in his eyes he said, "I painted that 'C' for Casey." I believed him for more years than I should, confident my grandpa could do anything--including hanging by a rope painting a letter on a rock. Even now, I still believe it stands for Casey rather than Columbia University.
I miss that mischievous sparkle. But I miss that man even more.
2)Pride. When I was a kindergartner we were given a basic art assignment that I took a bit further--with the help of cotton balls, pieces of fancy trim work, buttons, etc. The picture of a king that I created caught the eye of a visitor to our school who pulled it for a county-wide art show. To this day, I still remember that picture and the pride I felt in myself.
3)The Birth of a Dream. I was playing at my friend Lisa's house one rainy day. I was in fourth grade at the time. It was about halfway through our playdate and we were bored with our Barbies and board games. So, as a way to keep us sane, she pulled out a stack of paper and a carton of crayons and presented the task of writing a picture book story. Mine was about a brown polar bear (don't ask) and I named him Kidney. My dream to become a writer started with that bear.
4) A first step. After my freshmen year of college I had the opportunity to intern at a newspaper chain in Connecticut. The first assignment I was given was to write a story about a help line for troubled teenagers that was just getting off the ground. I wrote it, turned it in, and moved on. Three days later, while at the grocery store for my mom, I walked past a rack of papers. And there, for everyone who walked by to see, was my byline. That's the moment I first realized my dream could--and would--come true.
5)Complete responsibility and utter love. The first moment I held each of my daughters in my arms is something I will never forget. It's nice to look at pictures but none are as vivid as those moments in my mind. They changed me completely and forever.
6)Odd. It was the winter of 2005 and I was waiting to see the cover for my very first book. For years I'd held one single image in my head--a nighttime shot of the beach with an amusement ride pier in the background, a body laying face down in the foreground.
The day the cover was expected to arrive, there was no mail in my box. The next day, the same. About two hours later the mail carrier knocked on my door to tell me there'd been a fire on the truck the day before. The mail that was not burned was damaged by the water used to put the fire out. I think I laughed. And then cried. And then laughed some more (really, it was a Candid Camera moment if there ever was one). The next day she came back...with the water soaked & partially burned envelope that contained my cover. I pulled it out, anxious to see the cover I'd been imagining for years and...
It was pink. Bright pink. With a beach chair.
No, I'm not kidding. I wish I was.
7) Disbelief. About nine months after my pink book came out, my cell phone rang while I was on the way home from my eldest daughter's dance class. I didn't recognize the number but picked up anyway. It was a member of the Agatha Award Committee (like the Rita of the cozy mystery world). My pink book was a nominee for Best First Novel.
I think I repeated my name for her--just to be sure she knew who she was calling. She did. To this day, I have that number saved on the contact list of my phone under the heading "Agatha Call."
8) Rug Pulled Out. I remember sitting in a hospital room by myself 3 1/2 years ago, waiting for someone to release me after a bizarre series of symptoms that brought me to the E.R. the day before. The attending doctor walks in and says, "We got your MRI results back just now. We believe you have M.S."
Unlike so many who hear those words for the first time, I knew exactly what M.S. was. My mother-in-law at the time had it and I'd watched it take her down. Only I had two small kids and a dream to be a writer...
9) Crossroads. That moment was a turning point in so many ways, spawning new moments I'll never forget...
*It pushed me. Hearing I had M.S. made me want to reach higher, to get in with a big publisher, furthering my dream. And, in the past 21 months, I've been contracted for nine books.
*It propelled me to do something for the cause. I took part in a two year drug study. I donated blood for a genetic study out of Washington University. I wear a monitor around my waist twice a year for a week each time for the University of Illinois (they're studying movement & M.S.). I captained a walk and raised over $2,600 thanks, largely, to the mystery writing community. And, one day in the future, I'd like to do an online auction utilizing my writing connections to benefit MSAA.
*It moved me. Last year, on my birthday, my then ten-year-0ld gave me a homemade birthday card. Inside was $13 (all the money from her piggy bank) and a note that she wanted it to go to M.S.
*It taught me that it's okay to seek help sometimes. Last summer I was faced with the need to undergo a costly medical test. The expense was daunting for someone like me who was a single mom working five part-time jobs and paying a very hefty monthly insurance premium. My doctor suggested I contact MSAA for help. At first I was embarrassed. I don't like to ask for help. But, this time, I knew I had to. And sure enough they swooped in, taking the burden of that particular co-pay from my too-heavy shoulders.
10) Which brings me to this moment of Gratitude.
(And then I thank everyone in the room for making things a little easier for people like me.)
I apologize for the lengthy post. I guess I'm a little keyed up right now, worried I'm not saying the right things.
So how about you? Care to share a special moment or two from your life?
~Laura
P.S. If I made any spelling errors, please forgive me this time. I was speaking it while I was writing it in an effort to get the flow right.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Heartland
I just returned from a trip in Idaho. I invited several friends to come ski at a couple of small resorts near my parents’ home in that corner of the world. We all had a great time. After the ski trip, I stayed and spent a few extra days with my folks. My mom said it was “quality time,” but she kept me plenty busy doing little jobs for her. We laid out the front of a quilt to be raffled for the 50th class reunion at the local high school and I did some simple line-drawings for the mascot. My dad had me edit an article he’d written for the newspaper regarding the new Legion Hall. I did a little tech-support on the computer for them (a first for me), a little electrical work (okay, it was reconnecting loose wires, but still), a little cleaning and a lot of cooking. It was easy and satisfying work, since most of her—and my father’s—projects involve their community.
My folks are very active in their town. My dad is the Commander of the American Legion there. His latest project was organizing a war memorial for local soldiers. He convinced the Army to lend them a Howitzer for the centerpiece. (I’m not sure what happens if they decide to take it back, but that doesn’t seem to bother my dad.) He is also active in the local Boy Scout troop, as he has been since my brother was old enough to don the uniform. My mother runs a charity that provides Christmas gifts to needy families. She started it over twenty years ago and last year, it helped over 300 children. The program coordinates with the local food bank, several churches and community groups to provide gifts, food and the small necessities to make Christmas merry. It’s a generous, heart-warming enterprise. My parents’ initiative and involvement have sparked others to participate and spread that neighborliness around. Between them, I think they know everyone in town.
They live quite a bit west of the true U.S. “Heartland” but that doesn’t seem to make much difference. Pancake breakfasts, charity raffles, a Main Street with no stoplight, the Elk’s Lodge: it’s all there and more. It is the best, and sometimes the worst—let’s not be glib—of community life. Neighbors help neighbors when they can and, more than a little, gossip about the situation while they lend a hand. That winding vine of chitchat is often the way word of triumph travels. I can’t say there isn’t back-biting, but when the news is tragic, the help flows even faster.
As I was flying eastward yesterday, it occurred to me that I live in the Heartland, too. For all its hustle, bustle and 1.5 million inhabitants, Philadelphia has a heart as big and true as Dunnell, Minnesota, Adair, Oklahoma or Bucklin, Missouri. In some sense, we all live in the Heartland of this country. That’s why we write—and read—stories set in these communities, both small and large. The heart is what matters and the larger it is on the inside, the better it makes the community on the outside.
So, hello from my Heartland to yours. Hey! Be sure to buy a ticket for the local quilt raffle. You can’t win if you don’t get involved.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Important Moments
For a brand new author, like me, receiving “the call” is the culmination of years of studying the works of other successful authors, learning the craft, and practice, practice, practice—also known as the hard work of writing. That one phone call changes things. It opens a flood gate of emotion—excitement, joy, elation, validation. I’ve heard that some authors were so awestruck by “the call” they barely said a word to their editor. Others say they danced around the house and did cartwheels while asking pertinent questions. Questions like, “How soon will my book be on the shelves?” Some, like me, began sobbing the moment they saw “Harlequin Enterprises” on the Caller ID screen.
I didn’t think there’d ever be an event in my writing career that could compete with that phone call. I was wrong. This year has produced a series of such moments. The day I received my contracts in the mail. The day the delivery man handed me the packet of line edits, shipped overnight from Toronto to my Florida home. Every phone call from my editor whose advice and praise I’ve come to rely on. And most recently, the morning I opened an email and saw the cover of “The Officer’s Girl” for the first time.
Isn’t it amazing?
Seeing that cover was the best, the absolute best. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing that can beat it…unless it’s the first time I hold an actual copy of “The Officer’s Girl” in my hands.
PS: Lots of people have asked if I had a hand in designing the cover. I didn’t. I provided the briefest description of a scene in the book, and the Art Department did all the rest. All the amazing rest.
I didn’t think there’d ever be an event in my writing career that could compete with that phone call. I was wrong. This year has produced a series of such moments. The day I received my contracts in the mail. The day the delivery man handed me the packet of line edits, shipped overnight from Toronto to my Florida home. Every phone call from my editor whose advice and praise I’ve come to rely on. And most recently, the morning I opened an email and saw the cover of “The Officer’s Girl” for the first time.
Isn’t it amazing?
Seeing that cover was the best, the absolute best. I’m pretty sure there’s nothing that can beat it…unless it’s the first time I hold an actual copy of “The Officer’s Girl” in my hands.
PS: Lots of people have asked if I had a hand in designing the cover. I didn’t. I provided the briefest description of a scene in the book, and the Art Department did all the rest. All the amazing rest.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
How Much Is That Doggie In The Window?
San Francisco is one of my favorite cities and it’s especially fun at Christmas time when Union Square is decked out for the holidays. Macy’s puts up a huge Christmas tree in the square and this year they also sponsored an outdoor skating rink.
Here’s a photo taken from the fifth floor of Macy’s.
With such mild winter weather, what fun for San Franciscans and visitors to be able to skate outdoors.
What really caught my attention, though, were a couple of Macy’s store windows. This year they teamed up with the San Francisco SPCA to bring awareness to the number of shelter animals in need of homes, and to encourage people to sponsor an animal or become a volunteer.
During our stay we walked past the windows twice and there was always a small crowd gathered outside. Of course I couldn’t resist snapping a couple of photos.
The pet-friendly window displays were as adorable as the dogs and cats in them, and of course I hope that every single pet found a loving home, including this adorable little dog who is surely one of Santa’s helpers . . .
. . . and this fellow who looks as though he’d be right at home anywhere . . .
. . . and apparently the windows were so comfy that this little black and white kitten decided a catnap was in order . . .
I hope these furry friends were able to ring in the new year with a forever family.
Happy 2010 to everyone!
Until next time,
Lee
PS: Last month I ran a contest on my blog, The Writer Side of Life. I announced the winner—Ellen E— on January 1, but I haven’t heard from her! Ellen E, if you’re an American Romance reader, I hope you see this. You'll find my email address on my website. Please send me your address and I will put your treats in the mail.
Here’s a photo taken from the fifth floor of Macy’s.
With such mild winter weather, what fun for San Franciscans and visitors to be able to skate outdoors.
What really caught my attention, though, were a couple of Macy’s store windows. This year they teamed up with the San Francisco SPCA to bring awareness to the number of shelter animals in need of homes, and to encourage people to sponsor an animal or become a volunteer.
During our stay we walked past the windows twice and there was always a small crowd gathered outside. Of course I couldn’t resist snapping a couple of photos.
The pet-friendly window displays were as adorable as the dogs and cats in them, and of course I hope that every single pet found a loving home, including this adorable little dog who is surely one of Santa’s helpers . . .
. . . and this fellow who looks as though he’d be right at home anywhere . . .
. . . and apparently the windows were so comfy that this little black and white kitten decided a catnap was in order . . .
I hope these furry friends were able to ring in the new year with a forever family.
Happy 2010 to everyone!
Until next time,
Lee
PS: Last month I ran a contest on my blog, The Writer Side of Life. I announced the winner—Ellen E— on January 1, but I haven’t heard from her! Ellen E, if you’re an American Romance reader, I hope you see this. You'll find my email address on my website. Please send me your address and I will put your treats in the mail.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Who Knew It Would Turn Out This Way?
I had one of those unexpected experiences the other day that turns out so different and so much nicer than you ever expected, it stays with you for several days afterwards. And it all happened because I gave away a book to someone I didn't know.
Let me start by saying a couple of months ago I contacted a nearby book club who regularly hosts local authors and expressed an interest in speaking to their group. Well, the leader's reaction was one for the books (no pun intended). Once I told her I wrote romance, she proceeded to inform me her group didn't read "those books". That they read only "important works" and those with "relevant value". Her reaction was so over the top, I actually laughed when I hung up the phone from her (okay, I admit I laughed after suffering about three seconds of mild hurt).
So, when my daughter recently asked me if I would be willing to give a free book to a woman in her college class who headed a book club, I was naturally hesitant. I finally relented and chose one of my earlier Harlequin American's, THE FAMILY PLAN, to give this woman.
Surprise, surprise, this woman emailed me the other day telling me that while she didn't normally read romances, she was "pleasantly surprised" by how much she enjoyed my book and the characters. In fact, she liked the THE FAMILY PLAN so much, she went out and bought two more of my recent releases. Then, she not only invited me to speak to her group, she asked me how much I charge!
I immediately replied that I would love to come speak to her group and that I wouldn't charge. Heck, I'm just so thrilled at the prospect of converting more non-romance readers, I'd probably be willing to pay them! All right, maybe not :)
Isn't it amazing how one experience can be so different from another? And all because I gave away a free book.
Cathy Mc
Let me start by saying a couple of months ago I contacted a nearby book club who regularly hosts local authors and expressed an interest in speaking to their group. Well, the leader's reaction was one for the books (no pun intended). Once I told her I wrote romance, she proceeded to inform me her group didn't read "those books". That they read only "important works" and those with "relevant value". Her reaction was so over the top, I actually laughed when I hung up the phone from her (okay, I admit I laughed after suffering about three seconds of mild hurt).
So, when my daughter recently asked me if I would be willing to give a free book to a woman in her college class who headed a book club, I was naturally hesitant. I finally relented and chose one of my earlier Harlequin American's, THE FAMILY PLAN, to give this woman.
Surprise, surprise, this woman emailed me the other day telling me that while she didn't normally read romances, she was "pleasantly surprised" by how much she enjoyed my book and the characters. In fact, she liked the THE FAMILY PLAN so much, she went out and bought two more of my recent releases. Then, she not only invited me to speak to her group, she asked me how much I charge!
I immediately replied that I would love to come speak to her group and that I wouldn't charge. Heck, I'm just so thrilled at the prospect of converting more non-romance readers, I'd probably be willing to pay them! All right, maybe not :)
Isn't it amazing how one experience can be so different from another? And all because I gave away a free book.
Cathy Mc
Friday, January 22, 2010
Writing Advice Day
Okay, I noticed that today was open for writing advice, so I have just one short piece of advice, mostly to myself. Stop getting online to Facebook, email, and the blog and get to writing. Write your required number of pages per day (mine is 7 to 10) and then goof off.
I swear, I have the self-discipline of a four year old! I thought when I got older I'd (1) Wake up early, and (2) Do things on schedule. After all, that's what all the "old" people (back then, almost any adult) I knew did. Apparently they learned something in life that I missed. I'm still planning projects I'll never finish and I sleep as late as I can. I wait to the last minute to do everything. Yes, I know I have some psychological issues, but nothing real serious. :-) If anyone has any advice on changing my slovenly work ethic, I'd be glad to hear it!
I swear, I have the self-discipline of a four year old! I thought when I got older I'd (1) Wake up early, and (2) Do things on schedule. After all, that's what all the "old" people (back then, almost any adult) I knew did. Apparently they learned something in life that I missed. I'm still planning projects I'll never finish and I sleep as late as I can. I wait to the last minute to do everything. Yes, I know I have some psychological issues, but nothing real serious. :-) If anyone has any advice on changing my slovenly work ethic, I'd be glad to hear it!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Almost Paradise
Well, it had to happen sooner or later. Ever since we changed the locks on the lake house, I realized that the back doorknob and the front keypad had a tendency to lock themselves. For that reason I turn the deadbolt to an extended position before shutting the back door, just like my daughter taught me to do while going to get ice in a hotel. So far, so good, until today. During a brief visit to the lake with our project manager, Michael, and our two installers who were working in the area, Terry and Derrick, (who all loved the house and can't wait to go fishing) I followed them out the front door to see the trees and a nearby house. Click. We were all locked out.
And the dark clouds were rolling in from the south.
And the dark clouds were rolling in from the south.
And my dog was locked inside the house.
With my purse and keys.
Lucky for me, Terry and Derrick had tools and Michael had an idea; remove the air conditioner/heater unit from the window of my porch and enter that way. Okay, better than breaking windows. They went to work while my dog, Chloe, looked at us through the door as if we were crazy. "Why not just open the door?" she seemed to be asking. My daughter offered to drive the hour and a half to Mineola to bring me a key. Not necessary, I bravely announced. It took the guys about fifteen minutes to shatter a board, unscrew everything, and open the window. And maybe the same amount of time to get everything back in place. I have one thing to say; thank goodness for men with tools!
Terry and Derrick left for Dallas, while I got Michael a beer and I finished off the last little sip of a bottle of wine, strictly for medicinal purposes. The afternoon got darker and the lake turned to cobalt blue. Birds frantically twittered from tree to tree. That should have been a warning. Michael and I locked up the house properly this time, and began the drive back to Dallas, knowing we'd get there right after rush hour traffic. Believe me, you do not want to get there during rush hour traffic. The rain started almost immediately after we got on Hwy. 69, and increased as we drove west. About halfway to Dallas, hail pelted us. And then bigger hail. I thought about trying to get under an overhang, but I could barely see. I kept driving. Fortunately, Chloe slept through the whole thing. We drove out of the hail after maybe ten minutes, then the rain stopped just east of Dallas. We got back just after rush hour to no rain and warm temperatures. When I turned on the television, I discovered there were tornado warnings for the county we'd just driven through. That was my day. As for my work in progress, I wrote nine pages yesterday and none today. I was too busy locking myself out of the house and getting pelted by hail. As soon as I finish writing my blog, though, I'm going to get to work. Hopefully, my characters will have a good evening, although I may throw in a thunderstorm just for spite! As my hint for the month, always hide a key. And remember where you hid it. Have a great day!
Monday, January 18, 2010
Goals vs. Resolutions
My memories of the holidays are a bit hazy, thanks to working on a deadline for the next book set in Desperation, Oklahoma (#4!), but one thing I remember was that no New Year’s resolutions were made while sipping champagne. I learned a long time ago that they were too easy to break. Instead, I make goals.
Aren’t goals the same as resolutions? Not to me. The words aren’t the same, although they’re sometimes used synonymously. A resolution is something one tries to keep or not to break, while a goal is something one works toward to achieve. See the difference? It’s all in the way the two words are used. One is negative. The other is positive. It’s a mind game I play.
The especially nice thing about goals is that they can be achieved by doing them in steps of smaller goals and spread out over weeks, months, or the entire year. Even longer for a lifetime goal! Success is much easier to measure than failure, and easier when done in bite-sized pieces. Just remember that goals should only be something we can control.
So what are my goals for this year? To tell the truth, I’ve been too busy with my first goal—to reach that deadline—that I haven’t had a chance to think about what I need and want to do in specifics. My first goal is to do that, starting next week. But I do know my goals will include:
1. Taking more time to relax and enjoy myself
2. Getting more exercise
3. Cleaning my house (ugh!), especially my office
I’ve already been thinking about the steps I’ll need to reach those goals. Less time at the computer will give me more time to watch TV with my family, read, and take that treadmill I bought a year ago out of the box (see #3--cleaning house and office), and I can watch movies--my favorite form of relaxation--while I’m exercising on it.
It’s taken some time, but I finally discovered I’m a goals person, not a resolutions person. Which are you? And how will you make 2010 a personal success?
Aren’t goals the same as resolutions? Not to me. The words aren’t the same, although they’re sometimes used synonymously. A resolution is something one tries to keep or not to break, while a goal is something one works toward to achieve. See the difference? It’s all in the way the two words are used. One is negative. The other is positive. It’s a mind game I play.
The especially nice thing about goals is that they can be achieved by doing them in steps of smaller goals and spread out over weeks, months, or the entire year. Even longer for a lifetime goal! Success is much easier to measure than failure, and easier when done in bite-sized pieces. Just remember that goals should only be something we can control.
So what are my goals for this year? To tell the truth, I’ve been too busy with my first goal—to reach that deadline—that I haven’t had a chance to think about what I need and want to do in specifics. My first goal is to do that, starting next week. But I do know my goals will include:
1. Taking more time to relax and enjoy myself
2. Getting more exercise
3. Cleaning my house (ugh!), especially my office
I’ve already been thinking about the steps I’ll need to reach those goals. Less time at the computer will give me more time to watch TV with my family, read, and take that treadmill I bought a year ago out of the box (see #3--cleaning house and office), and I can watch movies--my favorite form of relaxation--while I’m exercising on it.
It’s taken some time, but I finally discovered I’m a goals person, not a resolutions person. Which are you? And how will you make 2010 a personal success?
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Health food or not?
Hi, and Happy New Year!
On New Year’s Day, I gave up chocolate. And except for a couple of health bars--which you know don’t contain the real thing, anyway, and sure don’t give you that sweet, smooth, chocolate-y taste you crave--I’ve stuck to my resolution. Oh, I’ve wavered some but have managed to hold back. And I’ve been faced with a lot of temptation.
One of our favorite restaurants (you’ll recognize which as soon as I say this) gives foil-wrapped mint chocolates to their customers at the end of their meal. The last time we went there, I bravely told the waitress not to bring the mints along with the bill. Another restaurant prominently--and permanently--displays their dessert menu in a handy-dandy little booklet that remains on your table all through dinner. Are you noticing a dangerous trend here?
Maybe I should eat at home more often?
While she was carrying me, my mother’s cravings consisted of tangerines and chocolate candy bars, eaten together. A heck of a lot better than pickles and ice cream, don’t you think? Anyhow, though I say this jokingly, it’s true: I’ve been a chocoholic since before I was born!
And lately I’ve been reading that chocolate, especially the dark variety, actually is a health food. It has all those great antioxidants that your brain and body need. Unfortunately, it also has all those calories and fat...which wouldn’t be so bad if I could just quit eating after one serving. But who can stop when it comes to chocolate?
So what do you think? Good or bad? Health food or not?
Do I put chocolate back on my menu???
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
On New Year’s Day, I gave up chocolate. And except for a couple of health bars--which you know don’t contain the real thing, anyway, and sure don’t give you that sweet, smooth, chocolate-y taste you crave--I’ve stuck to my resolution. Oh, I’ve wavered some but have managed to hold back. And I’ve been faced with a lot of temptation.
One of our favorite restaurants (you’ll recognize which as soon as I say this) gives foil-wrapped mint chocolates to their customers at the end of their meal. The last time we went there, I bravely told the waitress not to bring the mints along with the bill. Another restaurant prominently--and permanently--displays their dessert menu in a handy-dandy little booklet that remains on your table all through dinner. Are you noticing a dangerous trend here?
Maybe I should eat at home more often?
While she was carrying me, my mother’s cravings consisted of tangerines and chocolate candy bars, eaten together. A heck of a lot better than pickles and ice cream, don’t you think? Anyhow, though I say this jokingly, it’s true: I’ve been a chocoholic since before I was born!
And lately I’ve been reading that chocolate, especially the dark variety, actually is a health food. It has all those great antioxidants that your brain and body need. Unfortunately, it also has all those calories and fat...which wouldn’t be so bad if I could just quit eating after one serving. But who can stop when it comes to chocolate?
So what do you think? Good or bad? Health food or not?
Do I put chocolate back on my menu???
All my best to you,
Barbara
~~~~~~
Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Budget Busters
How many of you out there use a monthly budget? Or maybe I should ask--how many of you begin each month with a budget and then blow it before end of the month?
I'm one of those people who can’t figure out how come I'm down to a few measly dollars in the checkbook and yet there's still a week to go before next payday.
This year one of my resolutions is to monitor our family spending and try harder to stick to a budget. Everything was going just peachy this month until I hit a snag on January 2--son's retainer falls out of mouth at work (that's what he says) and it cracks. $70 for a replacement. My first challenge--an unexpected expense.
I used money from the entertainment and dining fund to pay for the retainer. That crossed off one family meal at Olive Garden. Not a problem. I substituted a take-out pizza from Costco for $10 bucks. Kids were still happy and the budget remained intact.
January 5 I hit pothole and lost a hubcap on van. Dealership wanted to charge $95 for a new hubcap, but hubby found a deal on EBay for $35. Great--I voted for EBay. Okay, so I dock the entertainment fund another $35. Grab another pizza from Costco and when my teenagers grumbled I gave the starving-children-in-Africa lecture and they shut up.
Everything happens in three's, right? January 11 I realize that I've lost my Social Security card--can’t find it in the file I usually keep it in at home and it's not in my purse. A replacement costs $19 if I request one online or free if I drive a billion miles from home and stand in line for three hours at the nearest social security office. I'm sorry, but the kids can eat another Costco pizza--I'm not wasting the gas my time.
See my dilemma? I've got two more weeks to go before the month is over and who knows what budget busters will happen next? Maybe I've got the wrong goal--instead of keeping to a budget, maybe I should build up an emergency fund I can dip into each month.
Anyone else in the same boat as me? Or am I out here sailing the budget-buster sea alone?
Marin
A Cowboy Christmas (Dec 09)
Dexter: Honorable Cowboy (July 10)
www.marinthomas.com
I'm one of those people who can’t figure out how come I'm down to a few measly dollars in the checkbook and yet there's still a week to go before next payday.
This year one of my resolutions is to monitor our family spending and try harder to stick to a budget. Everything was going just peachy this month until I hit a snag on January 2--son's retainer falls out of mouth at work (that's what he says) and it cracks. $70 for a replacement. My first challenge--an unexpected expense.
I used money from the entertainment and dining fund to pay for the retainer. That crossed off one family meal at Olive Garden. Not a problem. I substituted a take-out pizza from Costco for $10 bucks. Kids were still happy and the budget remained intact.
January 5 I hit pothole and lost a hubcap on van. Dealership wanted to charge $95 for a new hubcap, but hubby found a deal on EBay for $35. Great--I voted for EBay. Okay, so I dock the entertainment fund another $35. Grab another pizza from Costco and when my teenagers grumbled I gave the starving-children-in-Africa lecture and they shut up.
Everything happens in three's, right? January 11 I realize that I've lost my Social Security card--can’t find it in the file I usually keep it in at home and it's not in my purse. A replacement costs $19 if I request one online or free if I drive a billion miles from home and stand in line for three hours at the nearest social security office. I'm sorry, but the kids can eat another Costco pizza--I'm not wasting the gas my time.
See my dilemma? I've got two more weeks to go before the month is over and who knows what budget busters will happen next? Maybe I've got the wrong goal--instead of keeping to a budget, maybe I should build up an emergency fund I can dip into each month.
Anyone else in the same boat as me? Or am I out here sailing the budget-buster sea alone?
Marin
A Cowboy Christmas (Dec 09)
Dexter: Honorable Cowboy (July 10)
www.marinthomas.com
Friday, January 15, 2010
Sexy Heroes and Heroines
Earlier this week I was surfing channels and caught the end of a show counting down the sexiest actors of the big screen. Newman won. No argument there. Whew, those baby blues. Okay, so I admit that I sat there all googoo eyed, but it made me wonder. I'm an extremely visual person. Not only when I'm writing, but also when I'm reading, I cast my characters. For years if a hero was blond, I visualized Redford, then Pitt or McConaughey. If he had dark hair it might be Brosnan, Depp, or Keanu and there are many, many others. All builds, personality types, and ages. I cast the heroines also and even at times secondary characters. It makes the book come alive for me.
Am I the only crazy person who does this? When you pick up a new book, do you cast your characters?
Just for fun, who are the actors (male or female) who show up most often?
Am I the only crazy person who does this? When you pick up a new book, do you cast your characters?
Just for fun, who are the actors (male or female) who show up most often?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Crossed Eyeballs & Dog Naps
Daisy in the snow. This was one of the few times she didn't run off!!My head hurts!!!! My eyes feel crossed and my cheeks swollen and achy. I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer, but this has been going on since Christmas, and the constant pain is getting old!!
When I first started writing, I attended every conference I could afford in order to soak up wisdom from pubs and editors. One thing that soon became clear was that in order to be a professional writer, one needs to write. Every day. No exceptions. Well, while that's a wonderfully noble idea I do my best to achieve, lately, I'm failing miserably!! My normal ten to twenty pages are down to three to five.
Hubby keeps telling me to go to the doctor, which seems like a no brainer, but I know she's going to give me antibiotic which makes me throw up. I would rather have a broken leg than a stomachache, meaning here I sit, still whining.
On the upside, my dogs are thrilled with the extra naptime!!
Anyone have old school advice on how to tame unruly sinuses?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Brrr!
I just returned from a trip to San Antonio and it was not the sunny and sixty I was expecting. When we arrived on Wednesday it was typical of South Texas - warm and humid - but during the night a "blue Norther" (that's what we call a cold front that can drop the temp forty degrees in an hour) roared in. By Thursday morning the numbers on the thermometer had plummeted and the wind was howling. For two straight nights it bottomed out in the mid-teens. I grew up in South Texas and believe me I had never seen anything like it. It fact, it was an all-time record low. There's a fountain in the courthouse square that had morphed into a beautiful ice sculpture, and the reports of frozen pipes were legion. Oh yeah, San Antonio and its environs took a major hit.
My hubby is something of a weather fanatic so I was forewarned - thank goodness! I had my Buffalo coat (so named because I bought it in Buffalo, NY) so I was good to go. Not so for most of the natives. My sister who lives in Las Vegas was there and I thought she was going to shake herself to death. My daughter on the other hand came from Pittsburgh and she said it was like a nice spring day.
So, I didn't get to sit on the patio and sip Margaritas - although I did try to eat my way through South Texas - but I made it to El Mercado where I bought a Talvera hand painted sink. I thought the store owners were going to have a fiesta for us - we were the only people in the market. What's that saying about mad dogs, Englishmen and the noon day sun? Believe me, that works in reverse.
The good news is that San Antonio is back to normal, and even better the first day of spring is only a little over two months away.
Ann DeFee
Top Gun Dad, HAR, October 2009
Hill Country Hero, HAR, February 2010
My hubby is something of a weather fanatic so I was forewarned - thank goodness! I had my Buffalo coat (so named because I bought it in Buffalo, NY) so I was good to go. Not so for most of the natives. My sister who lives in Las Vegas was there and I thought she was going to shake herself to death. My daughter on the other hand came from Pittsburgh and she said it was like a nice spring day.
So, I didn't get to sit on the patio and sip Margaritas - although I did try to eat my way through South Texas - but I made it to El Mercado where I bought a Talvera hand painted sink. I thought the store owners were going to have a fiesta for us - we were the only people in the market. What's that saying about mad dogs, Englishmen and the noon day sun? Believe me, that works in reverse.
The good news is that San Antonio is back to normal, and even better the first day of spring is only a little over two months away.
Ann DeFee
Top Gun Dad, HAR, October 2009
Hill Country Hero, HAR, February 2010
Friday, January 08, 2010
BACK TO NORMAL...or close
All the decorations are down and stored away for another year. My life is back to normal and I’m happy. We had three family gatherings at our house over the holidays and I’m holidayed out. I’d planned to get some writing done in between shopping, decorating, cleaning and cooking, but it never happened. I was usually too tired to think.
We had an eventful Christmas. It snowed on Christmas Eve. In Texas! I don’t ever remember that happening before. We were at my brother’s for lunch and the kids started screaming, “It’s snowing. It’s snowing.” We thought they were joking, but as we looked out the window we could see beautiful white snowflakes falling. It was just gorgeous. It felt like Christmas. T
he temperature was 38 degrees so the snow didn’t stick, but it was such fun to watch. We live about thirty minutes from my brother and when we arrived home later that afternoon, tiny snowflakes were falling at our house. I took a photo from our patio but I don’t know if you can see them. West of Dallas received the big snowfall and it was difficult for travelers. We’re not used to this. It was a Christmas we won’t soon forget. Last year it was in the seventies on Christmas Day. What a difference.
Here’s my twAddie.jpg)
o-year-old great niece Addie wishing everyone a Happy New Year, except she says ear and leaves out new. Happy ear everyone.
.
Now it’s back to work. New Year. New Contract. New goals. It’s like the start of a new journey and I’m so ready to get started. All through the holidays the stories were running through my head and it’s nice to have peace and quiet to type my thoughts into my computer. And I love the quiet. I need quiet to write. But the crazy computer is acting up. I think it missed me.
Did you survive the holidays? January 4th most people went back to work. I can hear the groans across the miles. I like a schedule though, not that I stick to it. But, oh yeah, I like normal. How about you?
Linda
http://www.lindawarren.net/
Skylar’s Outlaw - Jan ‘10
We had an eventful Christmas. It snowed on Christmas Eve. In Texas! I don’t ever remember that happening before. We were at my brother’s for lunch and the kids started screaming, “It’s snowing. It’s snowing.” We thought they were joking, but as we looked out the window we could see beautiful white snowflakes falling. It was just gorgeous. It felt like Christmas. T
he temperature was 38 degrees so the snow didn’t stick, but it was such fun to watch. We live about thirty minutes from my brother and when we arrived home later that afternoon, tiny snowflakes were falling at our house. I took a photo from our patio but I don’t know if you can see them. West of Dallas received the big snowfall and it was difficult for travelers. We’re not used to this. It was a Christmas we won’t soon forget. Last year it was in the seventies on Christmas Day. What a difference.Here’s my tw
Addie.jpg)
o-year-old great niece Addie wishing everyone a Happy New Year, except she says ear and leaves out new. Happy ear everyone..
Now it’s back to work. New Year. New Contract. New goals. It’s like the start of a new journey and I’m so ready to get started. All through the holidays the stories were running through my head and it’s nice to have peace and quiet to type my thoughts into my computer. And I love the quiet. I need quiet to write. But the crazy computer is acting up. I think it missed me.
Did you survive the holidays? January 4th most people went back to work. I can hear the groans across the miles. I like a schedule though, not that I stick to it. But, oh yeah, I like normal. How about you?
Linda
http://www.lindawarren.net/
Skylar’s Outlaw - Jan ‘10
Wednesday, January 06, 2010
Out With the Old by Megan
I bought my family a wonderful present early in December--a new writing sweater for me.
What? Yep, my sweater is really a present for them. Maybe I should explain.
I have an ancient sweater I love, Love, LOVE. The debate in my family is "just how old is that thing?" We all agree it predates the children. I'll admit to that.
My darling husband claims it came with me when we married, which I'm not too sure about. Unfortunately, I have no recollection of when I bought it. That's how old it is.
My dear daughter teases me about my wearing the poor, formerly-cream-colored sweater in high school. THAT one I can refute with surety. (I didn't have any money in high school for a luxury like my nice, thick cardigan.)
That sweater has needed replacing for years, but...did you read the part about me loving it? The buttons are long gone. The button replacements are long gone. The pocket has been darned--okay, I only had red yarn on hand at the time, but who would know except me? The cuffs are attached by one thin, frayed strand, and the hole in the sleeve was well-earned as I played with story ideas.
We have a history, that sweater and I. Several books written, two children, and lots of years of late night reading.
This year I found a replacement. It's brown, but it's warm, has all its buttons, the pockets are in one piece, and there are no holes. (Well, nobody's perfect.)
To be continued...many, many happy years from now.
Your turn to confess. Is there something you need to replace that just breaks your heart to part with? Do you have a deep attachment to some object? Is there something that's so "just-right" that nothing else measures up to it?
NOTE: my children begged me not to post pictures. Sorry.
Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com
What? Yep, my sweater is really a present for them. Maybe I should explain.
I have an ancient sweater I love, Love, LOVE. The debate in my family is "just how old is that thing?" We all agree it predates the children. I'll admit to that.
My darling husband claims it came with me when we married, which I'm not too sure about. Unfortunately, I have no recollection of when I bought it. That's how old it is.
My dear daughter teases me about my wearing the poor, formerly-cream-colored sweater in high school. THAT one I can refute with surety. (I didn't have any money in high school for a luxury like my nice, thick cardigan.)
That sweater has needed replacing for years, but...did you read the part about me loving it? The buttons are long gone. The button replacements are long gone. The pocket has been darned--okay, I only had red yarn on hand at the time, but who would know except me? The cuffs are attached by one thin, frayed strand, and the hole in the sleeve was well-earned as I played with story ideas.
We have a history, that sweater and I. Several books written, two children, and lots of years of late night reading.
This year I found a replacement. It's brown, but it's warm, has all its buttons, the pockets are in one piece, and there are no holes. (Well, nobody's perfect.)
To be continued...many, many happy years from now.
Your turn to confess. Is there something you need to replace that just breaks your heart to part with? Do you have a deep attachment to some object? Is there something that's so "just-right" that nothing else measures up to it?
NOTE: my children begged me not to post pictures. Sorry.
Megan Kelly
megankellybooks.com
Monday, January 04, 2010
Recipe of the Month; Turkey Enchiladas
Yipes, it's the 4th of the month and I've started off the new year by forgetting to post a new recipe today! Sorry to be so late.
I want to share the recipe for turkey enchiladas that I made for my lake house in Mineola, TX, full of family on December 28th. We had a wonderful dinner of the enchiladas, a packaged rice mix (Taco Rice - I don't know what major brand it was,) chips, salsa and queso. Around my $150 antique (read: desperately needs refinishing) dining room table from Craigslist were my husband and me, my stepdaughter and her partner, our daughter, son-in-law, and their two daughters. Full house!
Pull about 2 cups or slightly more turkey from the remains of your holiday dinner. Cut into bite size pieces if the chunks are large. I used all turkey breast meat but you could use whatever you have, or get a roasted chicken in the market and use that.
Mix one can of cream of chicken soup, one cup of sour cream (I used reduced fat,) one cup of salsa, and about one tablespoon of chili powder together. Mix in the chunks of turkey (or chicken) and stir just until all is blended. Use 12 flour tortillas, as fresh as possible. Place about two heaping tablespoons of the mixture down the center of the tortilla, then roll it up and place it seam-side down in a pan at least 13 x 9. Don't put the mixture all the way to the edge or it will fall out of the tortilla. Repeat until you have an absolutely full pan. Bake at 400 degrees until heated and slightly brown, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven.
Serve with extra salsa and sour cream, diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce, and other favorites such as jalapenos or guacamole if you like. Some people liked the enchiladas just as they were from the oven, though.
These were absolutely great and everyone loved them, even my one and half year old granddaughter. She also loved the rice. I wish I'd taken a photo of her signing for "more." Enjoy, and have a great January.
I want to share the recipe for turkey enchiladas that I made for my lake house in Mineola, TX, full of family on December 28th. We had a wonderful dinner of the enchiladas, a packaged rice mix (Taco Rice - I don't know what major brand it was,) chips, salsa and queso. Around my $150 antique (read: desperately needs refinishing) dining room table from Craigslist were my husband and me, my stepdaughter and her partner, our daughter, son-in-law, and their two daughters. Full house!
Pull about 2 cups or slightly more turkey from the remains of your holiday dinner. Cut into bite size pieces if the chunks are large. I used all turkey breast meat but you could use whatever you have, or get a roasted chicken in the market and use that.
Mix one can of cream of chicken soup, one cup of sour cream (I used reduced fat,) one cup of salsa, and about one tablespoon of chili powder together. Mix in the chunks of turkey (or chicken) and stir just until all is blended. Use 12 flour tortillas, as fresh as possible. Place about two heaping tablespoons of the mixture down the center of the tortilla, then roll it up and place it seam-side down in a pan at least 13 x 9. Don't put the mixture all the way to the edge or it will fall out of the tortilla. Repeat until you have an absolutely full pan. Bake at 400 degrees until heated and slightly brown, which takes about 15 to 20 minutes depending on your oven.
Serve with extra salsa and sour cream, diced tomatoes and shredded lettuce, and other favorites such as jalapenos or guacamole if you like. Some people liked the enchiladas just as they were from the oven, though.
These were absolutely great and everyone loved them, even my one and half year old granddaughter. She also loved the rice. I wish I'd taken a photo of her signing for "more." Enjoy, and have a great January.
Sunday, January 03, 2010
Almost Over
Here at our house, Christmas break is almost over. Tomorrow, my daughter starts back to school. On Wednesday, my husband and I will drive our son to the airport so he can head back to college.
I don't know about y'all, but I'm thinking that we have all had just about enough of Christmas vacation. I thrive on schedules, and living almost a month with our vacationing college freshman and for two weeks with a sleeping-in high school junior pretty much means I get no sleep. For the last few weeks, ten o'clock doesn't mean bedtime for me. Oh, no...it means the night has just begun.
Unfortunately for me, the beagle never got that memo and insists on waking me up every morning at six. So, I've been a little sleepy.
This morning we all went to church together and then celebrated our last full day together by going out to brunch. That's a rare treat for us. Usually no one wants to stand and wait for thirty minutes for a table. But we used the time together to reflect on some of December's highlights. I thought I'd share a few of them with y'all.
* We hosted twelve people for Christmas. Amazingly, I was able to ask everyone invited to help cook every meal. So, everything turned out great.
* My family has now learned how to play Mad Gab and-Big Surprise-I'm the worst player. (I have no competitive spirit)We also played marathon games of Hearts. I lost all the time, too.
* We went to four movies, including Avatar in 3-D. How fun were those 3-D glasses?
* My sister-in-law made her amazing homemade truffles, the beagle ate them, and vomited all over the kitchen floor at midnight on Christmas Eve.
*We shopped and ate and shopped and ate some more-including my son, who for the first time in six years, was not watching his weight for wrestling.
*I read seven books over break-my husband Tom read even more than that on his new favorite toy...the Kindle.
* Somehow, through it all, I managed to write 70 pages.
Now, though, our break is just about over. Soon, the house will be dark by eleven, I'll be writing by 7:30, our son will call us when he needs money, and my husband will be traveling again. In short, things will return to normal.
It's time. But before January is gone, I know I'll miss the noise and the crazy schedules too. I'll miss the mess and the laughter and the chaos. No doubt, I'll wish we had just a few more days of it all.
Anyone have something they'll miss?
Happy New Year!
Shelley
I don't know about y'all, but I'm thinking that we have all had just about enough of Christmas vacation. I thrive on schedules, and living almost a month with our vacationing college freshman and for two weeks with a sleeping-in high school junior pretty much means I get no sleep. For the last few weeks, ten o'clock doesn't mean bedtime for me. Oh, no...it means the night has just begun.
Unfortunately for me, the beagle never got that memo and insists on waking me up every morning at six. So, I've been a little sleepy.
This morning we all went to church together and then celebrated our last full day together by going out to brunch. That's a rare treat for us. Usually no one wants to stand and wait for thirty minutes for a table. But we used the time together to reflect on some of December's highlights. I thought I'd share a few of them with y'all.
* We hosted twelve people for Christmas. Amazingly, I was able to ask everyone invited to help cook every meal. So, everything turned out great.
* My family has now learned how to play Mad Gab and-Big Surprise-I'm the worst player. (I have no competitive spirit)We also played marathon games of Hearts. I lost all the time, too.
* We went to four movies, including Avatar in 3-D. How fun were those 3-D glasses?
* My sister-in-law made her amazing homemade truffles, the beagle ate them, and vomited all over the kitchen floor at midnight on Christmas Eve.
*We shopped and ate and shopped and ate some more-including my son, who for the first time in six years, was not watching his weight for wrestling.
*I read seven books over break-my husband Tom read even more than that on his new favorite toy...the Kindle.
* Somehow, through it all, I managed to write 70 pages.
Now, though, our break is just about over. Soon, the house will be dark by eleven, I'll be writing by 7:30, our son will call us when he needs money, and my husband will be traveling again. In short, things will return to normal.
It's time. But before January is gone, I know I'll miss the noise and the crazy schedules too. I'll miss the mess and the laughter and the chaos. No doubt, I'll wish we had just a few more days of it all.
Anyone have something they'll miss?
Happy New Year!
Shelley
Saturday, January 02, 2010
DECEMBER WINNER!!
CONGRATULATIONS Estella! You’re the big winner for December. Please contact Marin Thomas, Ann DeFee, Laura Altom and Pam Stone through their Web sites to receive your autographed books. Hope you enjoy this Christmas gift.
To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Easy and painless. And FREE BOOKS.
So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!
And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
To enter the contest simply leave a blog comment and your name will go into the drawing. Easy and painless. And FREE BOOKS.
So check back often and be sure to leave a comment. Good luck!
And HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
Friday, January 01, 2010
Can this be 2010?
As we wake up to a New Year, can this really be 2010? Last thing I recall clearly, I was a 22-year-old college grad in 1971, heading off to Europe with nothing but a backpack, a notebook and a pen.
Now I’ve got two sons out of their teens, a husband of 31 years, and a box of Clairol Nice’n Easy natural dark brown in hand.
I also have shelves stacked with copies of the more than 80 books I’ve written, a bank account that doesn’t anywhere near match other people’s expectations (or mine), a computer with an operating system so old Microsoft doesn’t support it any more, and an amazing number of wonderful friends.
Arithmetic got it right, algebra got it wrong: there are pluses and minuses, and things add up, but what’s on one side of the equation doesn’t always equal what’s on the other side.
If that makes sense. You can tell I’m no mathematician.
Still, it’s wonderful to wake up in the age of miracles. At breakfast, we take pills to beef up our bones and lower our cholesterol. Our arms still tingle from shots to protect us against both regular and swine flu. After the holidays, I’ll go on-line and sign up to give blood that could save someone’s life.
My husband and I may be the king and queen of outdated technology, but even on our analog TV and our non-Blue-Ray DVD player, we can enjoy the latest Harry Potter movie and the entire zillion episodes of the BBC’s Upstairs, Downstairs, which I thought was lost to me forever after the 1970s.
My older son has a new Google phone with a program that lets you aim the camera eye at the night sky and see on screen what stars, planets and constellations you’re looking at. If you want to find Jupiter, just type in the name and an arrow will point you in the right direction as you move your phone.
Age of miracles. Who could have imagined we’d live to see all this?
I’ll tell you who: my mother. She turned 92 this year and she’s still creating her amazing sculptures (one of which you can see on the home page of my Web site, www.jacquelinediamond.com).
What will we be waking up to 30 years from now? I can’t imagine. But won’t it be great if we get a chance to find out!
Now I’ve got two sons out of their teens, a husband of 31 years, and a box of Clairol Nice’n Easy natural dark brown in hand.
I also have shelves stacked with copies of the more than 80 books I’ve written, a bank account that doesn’t anywhere near match other people’s expectations (or mine), a computer with an operating system so old Microsoft doesn’t support it any more, and an amazing number of wonderful friends.
Arithmetic got it right, algebra got it wrong: there are pluses and minuses, and things add up, but what’s on one side of the equation doesn’t always equal what’s on the other side.
If that makes sense. You can tell I’m no mathematician.
Still, it’s wonderful to wake up in the age of miracles. At breakfast, we take pills to beef up our bones and lower our cholesterol. Our arms still tingle from shots to protect us against both regular and swine flu. After the holidays, I’ll go on-line and sign up to give blood that could save someone’s life.
My husband and I may be the king and queen of outdated technology, but even on our analog TV and our non-Blue-Ray DVD player, we can enjoy the latest Harry Potter movie and the entire zillion episodes of the BBC’s Upstairs, Downstairs, which I thought was lost to me forever after the 1970s.
My older son has a new Google phone with a program that lets you aim the camera eye at the night sky and see on screen what stars, planets and constellations you’re looking at. If you want to find Jupiter, just type in the name and an arrow will point you in the right direction as you move your phone.
Age of miracles. Who could have imagined we’d live to see all this?
I’ll tell you who: my mother. She turned 92 this year and she’s still creating her amazing sculptures (one of which you can see on the home page of my Web site, www.jacquelinediamond.com).
What will we be waking up to 30 years from now? I can’t imagine. But won’t it be great if we get a chance to find out!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Happy 2010!! With New Year's Eve tomorrow, I thought it might be fun to do a glitzy party decoration for this month's craft. Thanks to MarthaStewart.com for this pic that, for me anyway, inspires all sorts of centerpiece possibilities. Martha, being the fabulous Martha, she has glittered lemons with velvet leaves. Seeing how I'm still snowed in from Tulsa's Christmas Blizzard, I don't have lemons and I'm not brave enough to beg Hubby to brave our icy hill to get them, I did a quick survey of supplies on hand and was surprised by how many things could be used.
Apples either glittered or rolled in sugar. Colorful metal balls stolen from the Christmas tree. Oranges stacked with clippings from the evergreen bushes in the front yard. How about a pile of mini-gifts wrapped with sparkly tin foil? Wind any color ribbon through it and voila--your house is just as great as Martha's!! If your roads are clear enough to host a party, you could even stack up your snacks on a pretty cake plate or fancy bowl!!
Can you tell I love parties?! Anyway, hope you have fun!! And please send pics of your masterpieces!!
Happy New Year!!
Monday, December 28, 2009
One Last Package
The calendar may say it's December 29th, but there's still a great big package sitting under the tree with my name written in gold lettering across the tag. Only it's not a "real" present and it's not really "under the tree."
You see, my still-wrapped package is 2010--a year that will be filled (hopefully) with lots of wonderful surprises. And while I can't know everything that is in store for me in the coming year, I do know a few definites that are inside the box...
*My first-ever romance, Kayla's Daddy, will debut with Harlequin American in just a few short weeks! It earned a 4 1/2 star Top Pick from RT Magazine (and an early fan letter from a loyal HAR reader in my inbox this past week).
*My second romance, A Mom For Callie, will debut with Harlequin American in July.
*My third romance/first "holiday book" (title being tweaked) will debut with Harlequin American in November.
And that's just part of my 2010 package. The rest will bring new people, new places, new accomplishments, and new experiences.
I'll admit there's a part of me that wants to rip the paper off my package as fast as I can, but there's also a part--an older and wiser part--that wants to open the package slowly, to savor each and every moment as the gift it is.
Because it is a gift. All of it.
Happy New Year, everyone! May 2010 be your most magical year yet!
~Laura
You see, my still-wrapped package is 2010--a year that will be filled (hopefully) with lots of wonderful surprises. And while I can't know everything that is in store for me in the coming year, I do know a few definites that are inside the box...
*My first-ever romance, Kayla's Daddy, will debut with Harlequin American in just a few short weeks! It earned a 4 1/2 star Top Pick from RT Magazine (and an early fan letter from a loyal HAR reader in my inbox this past week).
*My second romance, A Mom For Callie, will debut with Harlequin American in July.
*My third romance/first "holiday book" (title being tweaked) will debut with Harlequin American in November.
And that's just part of my 2010 package. The rest will bring new people, new places, new accomplishments, and new experiences.
I'll admit there's a part of me that wants to rip the paper off my package as fast as I can, but there's also a part--an older and wiser part--that wants to open the package slowly, to savor each and every moment as the gift it is.
Because it is a gift. All of it.
Happy New Year, everyone! May 2010 be your most magical year yet!
~Laura
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