Can I get there from here?

After a week of frustrating attempts to check plane schedules and conduct related research, I wish to publish a poem of praise to travel agents and airline clerks.

Here it goes:

When your fingers click the keys,
You sure set my mind at ease.

That might not qualify for any awards, but it comes from the heart. Doesn’t that count for something?

This year, various family members are jetting off to destinations around the globe.
For reasons too complicated to detail, I – who hate organizing anything more complicated than ordering a take-out pizza – have been put in charge of trying to determine the following:

--how to get two unaccompanied college boys from their Athens hotel to the airport at a ridiculously early hour, when everybody knows college boys can’t be awakened before noon with anything less than a stick of dynamite.

--how to fly from Los Angeles to Shanghai by way of Nashville, Tennessee (don’t ask why. Your brain might explode).

--I am not making this up.

As you may have gathered, I completed my tasks only with the assistance of some very gifted, very patient travel professionals.

To them I say, thank you.

No wonder my next trilogy from Harlequin American begins in May with a book entitled The Family Next Door. Next year, that’s as far as I’m venturing.

Welcome Back, Author

While I've written books set in various cities and states, like Ann, our blogger yesterday, I keep returning to the South. I live in Georgia, was born in Tennessee, and spent my childhood moving around a lot but always on this side of the Mason Dixon line. But I'm particularly attached to the setting of my upcoming March book (An Unlikely Mommy) because I'm returning to Joyous, Tennessee...which exists only in my head.

My first ever Harlequin American was Trouble in Tennessee, set in Joyous, and my editor and I both liked the town's female mechanic, Ronnie Carter, so much that we knew she had to have her own book. It was such fun to revisit her and the other characters from the earlier book! In fact, after selling twenty something books, I'm shocked that this is the first time I've ever followed up with a linked book (it certainly won't be the last.) Unlikely Mommy isn't really a sequel--the plots aren't attached and readers of the second one will have no trouble following it if they didn't read the first--it's more a reunion, dropping back into town to see what everyone's up to or, if this is your first visit, getting to meet the citizens of Joyous.

The reason I'm so surprised that I've never done this before is because, as a reader, I LOVE books that feature ongoing characters/settings, whether it's Harry and Hogwarts, Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum New Jersey adventures or fellow HAR author Cindi Myers' Crested Butte series. In high school, I read almost entirely historicals and it always gave me a thrill when a previous favorite couple by Julie Garwood or Judith McNaught got a cameo appearance. (Now, I'm reading JD Robb's futuristic In Death and love all the characters, right down to the cranky butler.) I've read thousands of cumulative pages in George R.R. Martin's Song of Ice & Fire series and penciled in the release dates of upcoming Eloisa James (a historical duchess series) and Shana Abe (a paranormal drakon seris).

What about you guys? What sagas/series have you enjoyed in books or movies? Was there ever a favorite secondary character you wished an author would revisit that hasn't got his or her own story yet?

Back to Dixie

I love to set my books in the South. Not only does that venue provide for wonderfully eccentric characters (usually based on someone real) there’s a colorful saying for every situation. Such as bless her heart, she can’t help it she’s fat as a tub o’lard. Or my favorite, he’s as cute as a speckled pup. It’s a treasure trove of rich language.

I grew up in a small south Texas town and as an Air Force wife I lived in Alabama, Mississippi, South Carolina and the panhandle of Florida. Now we’re planning to add to our list of Dixie states. Friday we’re heading out for a marathon house hunting trip. The problem is we’re not quite sure what area we want to live in – so in ten days (including travel time) we’re meeting with realtors in two places in Maryland, three towns in North Carolina and one in the Tidewater of Virginia. Whew - it makes me tired just thinking about it.

So as soon as we sell our place in the Pacific Northwest we’re back to having grits at breakfast, hearing yes ma’am and no ma’am, and enjoying that wonderful Southern hospitality.

Wouldn’t you know it – I just heard they’re having record cold weather. And I was looking forward to short sleeves and Capri’s. LOL

Ann

Ann DeFee

Goin’ Down to Georgia – Harlequin American Romance – March 2008

People and their stories

Most, if not all, writers have heard the question, "Where do you get your ideas?" The asking of that question is always a mystery to me. Story ideas are everywhere because people and their lives are everywhere. I'm currently on a road trip, and I drove through a state and a half yesterday. Part of the way through Arkansas, I wondered how many people I'd passed during the day -- not just on the road but in all the towns and cities through which I'd traveled. Each of them has a story -- dreams, desires, hurts, secrets, faults. Each has some aspect of his or her life that could spark a tale of fiction.

Now, I don't suggest lifting someone's life story wholesale, but just think of all the people you know or the people you see on the news or read about in the papers or magazines. A handful of those jumping off points might be the couple who adopts a little girl from China, the singleton who is enjoying her life until a tragic accident leaves her responsible for her nieces and nephews, the man who comes back from military service overseas to find his girlfriend hasn't waited for him. There are stories literally everywhere, and those of us who write have the wonderful job of taking a piece from there, a tidbit from there, and mixing in our own imaginations to create a completely new story, one we hope readers will enjoy. Seriously, what could be better than being paid to make up stories, something we've probably been doing since we were little kids.

Love Letters

There aren’t many things more special than a love letter. The only thing that might make it extra special would be a postmark from, oh, let’s say . . . the village of love. Love, Saskatchewan, that is. Population: 55.

Yes, it’s a real place, located on the Canadian prairie, about 225 kilometers northeast of Saskatoon. Just follow the signs.

You’ll know you’ve arrived when you see the heart-shaped welcome sign that proclaims “You are now in Love.”

For years people have been making the trip to this small village so they could mail a special letter or a Valentine and have it postmarked from Love. As requests for this service began to increase, former postmistress Pauline McKinnon suggested to Canada Post that Love should have its very own cancellation stamp. She came up with a design and Canada Post agreed.

Visit the blog of wedding photographer Kirstie Tweed to see a photo of the postmark and to read a romantic little story about a bride and groom’s pre-wedding trip to Love.

Love’s current postmistress, Joanne Munroe, has kept up the tradition and she receives hundreds of requests every year. To have your Valentines, love letters or even your wedding invitations postmarked from Love, simply send them to the Love post office. The envelope can be pre-stamped if you have Canadian postage, or you can include an international reply coupon. Then mail them to:

The Postmistress
Love Post Office
Love, SK S0J 1P0
CANADA

Thinking about making the trip yourself? Wondering what to do while you’re in Love?

If you plan to be there in February, you can take in the annual Valentine Winter Festival, beginning with a pancake breakfast, followed by competitions ranging from pillow fighting to trap setting, and ending with an evening cabaret at the community center. Just be prepared for winter weather on the Canadian prairie!

At any time of year you can stop for coffee at Cupid’s Café or shop for gifts and antiques at The Love Barn.

And of course you’ll want to stop by the post office and mail that special letter. From Love. With love.

Lee
www.leemckenzie.com
thewritersideoflife.blogspot.com

Valentine Ladies

What’s new with me? Not too much. It’s been snowing here-pretty much like everywhere else in the Midwest. We’ve had lots of snow days which don’t bother me at bit because it means my two teenagers will be home. We made it through another wrestling season and my son is now quietly eating me out of house and home. My daughter broke up with her boyfriend of two months, cried on a Saturday and now has someone else in mind. My husband has continued to do what he does…travel for his job. I’ve been spending the month working on revisions for a Harlequin that should be out about a year from now.

Actually, the best thing that happened recently didn’t even involve me at all, but I thought y’all might enjoy hearing about it. February brought forth our town’s newest Valentine Lady.

Yep, you read that right. At the end of January a Valentine Court is selected and on February 1st, an honorary Valentine Lady is chosen. It’s a big deal. The lady is someone who has usually lived in our town for quite some time and has contributed in countless amounts of ways over the years. This year’s Valentine Lady was actually someone I know…the mom of one of my neighbors. She’s also a cancer survivor, a tireless volunteer and an all-around thoughtful person.

You might ask, what does a Valentine Lady do? She stamps the annual town Valentine, of course! Yep, every year a local artist designs a new card. It’s sold for a dollar at most any local store, and after you fill it out, you can take it to the post office and either this year’s lady, one of her court, or a past Lady will stamp the envelope for you. The Valentine Lady also visits schools and nursing homes and gets honored at a Valentine breakfast on…you guessed it, Valentine’s Day. These ladies are truly beautiful women, inside and out. They wear red for these public events and lovely smiles. They must have a whole collection of red sweaters and blazers and cute heart necklaces.

As you can probably tell, I like everything about this whole process- a lot. I love that women are being honored for just being all around nice people who care. I love that there’s a table in the post office manned by these minor celebrities. I love that I got my Valentines and got them stamped just because I knew the lady and wanted to wish her well.

Valentine’s Day is over and all the hoopla that surrounded the day has come and gone. I imagine all the Valentine Ladies are probably still trying to recover from their very busy month. I’ve heard it’s hard work being a mini celebrity!

I, for one, will miss them. Every once in a while I think we all need a reason to take a deep breath and walk outside our lives…and celebrate the many people who just quietly do what needs to be done. Do any of you know a person like this? A person who’s thoughtful, caring, and usually under the radar?

Shelley

Happy Birthday; Now Get to Work!

This week has been one of highs and lows because today is my birthday. I'm very lucky to have family and friends who provide me with multiple lunches and dinners to celebrate, but unfortunately, I also have a book due. I'm torn between having fun and sitting bottom in chair! I simply can't do enough of both!

To complicate matters, I'm at that point in the book, right before the black moment where the romance seems doomed, where I must make things temporarily "nice" for my characters. The calm before the storm, so to speak. The momentum I'd gained by escalating the tension in the relationship has slowed as I prepare them for a big letdown. The problem is that I don't really want to do this to my characters. Wouldn't it be okay to let them just live happily ever after?

No, they must resolve their issues and EARN their happily ever after ending. This means more angst for them, more work for me. I really, really want to get to that resolution so they can be happy. After all, I'm not exactly sure how the book is going to end. Should my heroine give up her position as mayor so she can travel and spend more time with the love of her life, or should he give up his beautiful home in Carmel, California to move back to their small Texas hometown?

I once wrote a time travel romance (Across the Rainbow, Love Spell Timeswept) where my hero was an air cargo pilot who flew out of Jackson Hole, Wyoming into the past. At the end of the book, my heroine had to make a decision to stay with everyone and everything she loved in her time, or take a chance on flying off into the future with him. She had a horse that she especially loved, but she left it behind. A writer friend asked me if I couldn't just give the hero a bigger plane, so the heroine could take all her animals with her. That, I told my friend, would defeat the purpose. My heroine had to make a huge sacrifice in order to gain ultimate happiness. (By the way, all the animals were okay as she found out through a journal kept by the old mountain man who took care of them, but I still cried as I wrote about their lives.)

So, my heroine will have a huge adjustment to make, as we all do, when we get married. But I'm not going to be too mean to her. This is an American Romance, and I'm not expected to make her suffer too much. Just enough. Hopefully, I can find that right balance within the next 35 pages. Please, wish me luck! I'll be back in my chair after dinner tonight.

Snow Days

My students are tired of snow days.

I'm in St. Louis, and this year's weather has been nastier than normal. By nasty, I mean rainy, gray and snowy. While our water table needs it, everyone is ready for spring.

Forecasters are predicting more snow, sleet and general mess Thursday night into Friday morning. This may mean another snow day, pushing us back behind Memorial Day as to our summer vacation. I think we've used two already this year. Maybe it's three. Usually it's only one, if any at all. If we have a snow day on Friday, it will distrupt yearbook work night, district basketball, play tryouts and a host of other things.

The first snow day is fun and everyone catches up on needed sleep. The rest get to be annoying since everything has to be rearranged and rescheduled. Now even the kids are complaining.

I guess it wouldn't be so bad if we could hibernate like the bears.

Anyone else ready for spring?

Animated Shorts

With the Academy Awards just around the corner, my husband and I recently watched the 2007 nominated animated shorts at a local theater. We did this last year, for the 2006 shorts, and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Animators do amazing things, and you wouldn’t believe how many people it takes to make a 15-minute film! Interestingly, my favorite short last year, The Danish Poet, won. This was a heart-warming animated short of how the narrator’s parents met. I wish everyone could see these films, but unfortunately animated shorts aren’t easy to find. Here in Seattle, they’re only shown, billed as the 2007 best animated shorts, for about five days. Then poof! They’re gone. (However, I did find it on UTube. Type in UTube The Danish Poet and it comes right up. When that clip, the first half of the film ends, click on 2/2 below the screen to see the rest. If you see it, let me know what you think.)

This year’s selections were just as fun. Lots of incredible animation. Claymation folks now make their figures with realistic human faces, especially the eyes. I love that. However story-wise, some of these shorts are severely lacking.

As a writer, I am hyper aware of what makes a good story. The main characters each need a story goal. Each character must deal with conflict of some kind and either surpass great odds or fail. By the end of a good story the main characters should be in some way transformed.

All the glitz and animation tricks in the world can’t make up for a poorly-written story. A writing course or two, and a few good books on craft, would do these folks—and we, the viewers—a world of good.

Until later,
Ann
www.annroth.net
The Pilot's Wife, March 2008, a Romantic Times top pick!

Now that the flowers are fading...

Another Valentine's Day bites the dust, and I'm battling the blues.

Oh, I had my share of flowers and chocolate this year, along with a beautiful card and the promise of a nice dinner out when our schedules slow down and coincide--sometime next week, maybe! All in all, I really can't complain.

The reason I feel like whining, though, is this:

I love presents--big or small, expensive or not, fancily wrapped or in a plastic grocery bag--any present will do. As you might imagine, I love Christmas. I have a great time about six weeks later, when my birthday rolls around. And I'm in chocoholic heaven six days after that, on Valentine's Day.

And then, oh no, it's such a long time until Christmas again!

I know, poor little me, right?

Actually, not. I've got a wonderful husband who surprises me with gifts all through the year. Still, there's something to be said for those days you know well in advance you'll be getting something special. Anticipation is half the fun, isn't it?

Now that Valentine's Day is done, I'd love to hear what romantic, funny, or silly things you'd given, gotten, or done this year. Please share!


All my best to you,

Barbara

~~~~~~

Barbara White Daille
http://www.barbarawhitedaille.com

To Shovel or Not to Shovel

I'm trying to keep a positive attitude this winter where the weather is concerned, but it hasn't been easy. We've shoveled more this season than in the two previous winters combined. We live on a corner along the route to the elementary school, so lots of dog walkers and kids go by our house. I'm the kind of person who gets out there to shovel as soon as the snow is done falling. I do have help on occasion--two teenagers--but as Laura Altom will probably attest to, we'd rather have a root canal than ask a teenager for help.

The other day I was googling--I google for fun when I'm stuck in my writing--and I came across a message board here in Chicago where people vented about neighbors who didn’t keep their walks shoveled.

Here's what I learned:

You may want to shovel your walks because in many communities there's a number one can call to report the address of an unshoveled sidewalk. The city then sends out workers to shovel your neighbor's walk and the charge for the service appears on the owners property tax bill.

You may want to shovel because one woman's way of getting back at her neighbor for not shoveling during the winter is to let her dog poop on their front lawn during the summer.

You may want to shovel because one woman says she leaves nasty notes on front doors threatening to sue if she falls on their walks.

One man complained about people using snow blowers and blowing the snow onto their neighbor's already shoveled sidewalk. That same man complained that his neighbor should wait at least until eight in the morning to run the snow blower so as not to wake everyone up with the noise.

We've all heard of road rage…well after reading the long list of gripes and proposed retaliations I'm beginning to believe we all need to be on the lookout for people in our neighborhoods suffering from SNOW RAGE.

Which leads me to ask….are you one to shovel or not to shovel?

Marin Thomas
In a Soldier's Arms *Hearts of Appalachia* Feb 08
A Coal Miner's Wife *Hearts of Appalachia* Aug 08
www.marinthomas.com

The call of the cat

Readers of this blog may recall that, in December, our cat died of cancer. A former stray, he’d been patrolling our house and yard for eight years, during which he’d driven off any cats foolish enough to encroach into his territory.

It’s only taken a few months for his scent, and reputation, to fade.

Lately, two cats have taken to prowling across our yard and – in one case -- yowling at night. While some of these felines may have owners, at least one lacks a collar, and the yowler sounds like she’s in heat, which implies either the lack of a human or the presence of a very irresponsible one.

These felines – both black, with different lengths of fur -- seem to like the freshly weeded, currently unplanted soil of my garden and the warmth beneath my husband’s car. Nevertheless, they keep their distance from us, and we keep ours.

During the past dozen years, I’ve adopted two strays, and suffered through their deaths. Now that they’re gone, I find myself reluctant to undertake the duties of ownership. Befriending, trapping and hauling cats to the vet for neutering. Taking care of twice-daily feedings, which involves dragging myself out of bed early on weekend mornings. Arranging for our neighbors to feed them when we go on a trip.

I don’t want another cat. Yet they keep prowling and yowling.

Maybe they just want me to pick them up and pet them a little. I suppose I could do that, as long as I’m wearing something that goes well with black.

But that’s all.

No more cats.

Not this week, anyway.

Hmm . . . Another Valentine's Day.

This year, Hubby and I will have been married 20 years. After just finishing four weeks of jury duty on a double murder trial, I'm now up at 4 AM with a sinus infection--a remnant of last week's flu. Hubby's still coughing, too. The second I got back to my day job, 3rd quarter grades were due, and guess who hadn't graded a single paper in four weeks?? ARGH!!! LOL!!

Yesterday, after having been at work since ten Monday night and eight last night, I came home, excited to finally have found time to write, when Son #1 tells me he's been coughing up blood!! (He's had flu, too.) Off to the doctor we went. After getting antibiotic for us both, I was relieved to hear Son#1 has been hitting the nose spray a little too much, which caused his sinuses to bleed. Yuck, but whew. Bet you're in the mood for love now, too, huh??

Okay, so here we are, back at Valentine's Day. Hubby's in bed, snoring. Daughter--just back from a pricey week in Disneyworld with her cheer squad--is furious with me for not letting her skip school yesterday because she was tired, and then deigning to ask her to do dishes!!! The horror!!! All of which got me to thinking about the characters I love to write about, and presumably--if you're hanging out on the Harlequin American blog--you love to read about!! I've often wondered what happens to these magical couples?

You know what I'm talking about, like after the initial rush of love fades and the mortgage is due, the hall bathroom toilet breaks (add that to my anti-romance list), work's long and tiring, and kids who were once cuddly and cute turn into pricey teen spit vipers!!! Do you think Harlequin American couples throw in the proverbial towel, screaming "Enough's enough? Get me off of this ride?" In all honesty, sometimes, they probably do.

But then there are other days, like yesterday, when you're sitting at your desk at work, and the school secretary strolls into your classroom with a huge vase brimming with roses. Not any old roses, but gorgeous, dusty orange ones, because Hubby knows I especially enjoy "wierd-colored" flowers!! My sixth-grade students all went, "Oooooohhhhhhhh, Mrs. Altom's got a boyfriend!!"

Breathing in the scent of my roses, it occurred to me that damned straight! I do have a boyfriend! He's been all mine for the past twenty years, and while at the moment, our lives seem to be mired in a "for worse" phase, once spring rolls around and we're all feeling our usual selves, we'll be back in the land of "for better." (For a glimpse of what this might look like, see the above pic!)

Until then, I'm thinking a Valntine's Day spent at home on the couch, sharing a blanket with Hubby, both smelly dogs and the cat, watching History Channel or Discovery sounds like a perfect night. It may not be especially romantic in the eyes of the rest of the world, but for us, it works. And sometimes love isn't passionate and wild hot, but comfortable and cozy--like trading your work clothes for sweats and slippers. Not glamorous, but just right!!!

My wish for all of you is just that. A love that has it's ups and downs, but in the end, not only on Valentine's Day, but everyday, feels just right!!

Another Snow Day

Today's another snow day in St. Louis. This time it's less snow and more ice on the roads that have schools closed. We haven't been hit like those in Washington State or Louisville, KY, this year, and St. Louisans are pretty laid back when it comes to school closings. We like rolling over and going back to sleep and cancelling everything for the day. We're fine with working two extra days past Memorial Day.

As I type this, at 1 PM, I'm finally up, showered and ready to go. Not that I really have any place I must be. I have things to do, like laundry and such, but days like today are not days I catch up on chores. They're the found, lazy days where I sit around and do nothing. Both daughters are playing video games. The cats are doing whatever cats do.

I have my manuscript revisions here--maybe later, as revisons are as exciting as getting teeth pulled. I have books to read--which is much more appealing. I finished a Rachel Gibson novel this morning and will pick up something else this afternoon as I loaf the day away. I'll work out, take my daughter to guitar lessons if I'm able to drive up the road. I do have to try that here in a little bit, I guess.

However, I'm much more interested in relaxing than trying to catch up. That's what the upcoming three-day weekend is for.

Michele

Chicken Dressing Catfish

You've probably heard of the highly readable grammar book, Eats, Shoots & Leaves by Lynne Truss. As a writer in love with words and their relationships to one another, I devoured this book and I'm always on the lookout for writing samples that are ambiguous and unintentionally funny.

Alas, I often find them in my own work. I was going over the rough draft of a proposal the other day, and the first sentence of the first chapter read something like this: "Jane Selwyn's knees wobbled as she made her way across the parking lot toward the tallest office building in town wearing an expensive but slightly outdated suit." I had to stop and wonder: How did the building find a suit big enough to fit it? (This sentence is so hideous, not even punctuation could save it.)

Thank God for revision, especially the ever-popular delete button.

Oh, you're probably wondering about the headline. A few days ago I went out to dinner at a neighborhood café with my husband, who is also a writer. We saw "Chicken dressing catfish" on the chalkboard menu, and we both immediately received the same mental picture: a chicken putting a coat and scarf on a catfish. (Turns out a bit of punctuation went missing from that menu.) Neither of us could stop laughing, and we couldn't even explain to the waitress what was so funny. (You had to be there.)

Writers often collect these unintentionally funny phrases. (I have a list of hilarious newspaper headlines that I unearth once a year or so and laugh until I cry.) Do you have any grammatical, spelling or punctuation funnies you'd like to share? (Please withhold authors' names unless it's your own. We don't want to embarrass anyone!)

Finally a title...

I finally have a title for my September American. We played name that book back before Thanksgiving. Do you remember? Kathleen has chosen TEXAS HEIR. What do you think?

This story is about the plane crash in west Texas. The hero is the heir to a chain of department stores. The heroine works for him and has been in love with him for a long time. He’s engaged to someone else. The plane crash suddenly changes everything as they are the only two survivors. Out in the middle of nowhere they are no longer boss and employee. They are two people trying to survive and discovering love in the most unexpected way.

Does the title fit? The original title was DOWN IN TEXAS, but that title had been used recently. I really liked DOWN IN TEXAS but TEXAS HEIR has grown on me. Yes, I think I like it.

What do you think?

Miss TV?

Are we suffering? I'm not sure the writers' strike is affecting my TV viewing that much. Sure I miss getting new episodes of Supernatural (gotta love that Dean!), but I've got both seasons on DVD. I read more, rent more videos, and have "more time" to write. PBS is airing new Jane Austen telecasts on Masterpiece Theater. (This week starts the Colin Firth version of Pride and Prejudice.) The writers may have valid complaints, but I hope they're not waiting for me to add my voice to the outcry. I'm doing fine.

How about you? Missing TV?

3 Dreaded Words

What are 3 words you never want to hear? You’re getting fat. Whoa! That one works. But no, that’s not it. Lately mine have been “It’s not working.” So far this year has been a rebellion of household goods, cars, technie stuff – you name it and around our house “It’s not working.” That phrase is always accompanied by a pithy expletive and a heart felt wail. It’s amazing how dependent I am on 21^st century technology. When the microwave went out I almost went into spasms. What? I can’t put the kettle on? Ditto for cars. When the car broke down it was like losing an appendage. And don’t get me started on the TV and the internet. Our internet tanked yesterday and when (company name deleted so I don’t get sued) came out to fix that problem the technician messed up the TV. All we get now is a picture that looks like a smeared 1^st grade watercolor. Don’t they realize that American Idol is back on!! So it’s back to waiting for the magic 1-5 PM appointment and trying to get my cyber Genie back up on long enough to post this to Blogspot. Wish me luck. I'm beginning to think the Luddites had it right.

Ann

Goin’ Down to Georgia, Harlequin American Romance, March 2008

A little slice of heaven

Here in Seattle, cupcakes are all the rage. There at least two cupcake stores (one with three locations) in the area. And man, these little babies are excellent quality at both stores. Cleverly, the stores offer multiple flavors and frostings to choose from, (naturally these change with holidays and seasons), and the cupcakes are made fresh once or twice a day. You can get yours to go or sit down at one of the comfy tables and enjoy your treat with great coffee, tea or cocoa. The stores even offer wireless internet. And the wait staff! Cute, young and friendly men and women. It’s not hard to figure out why every one of the stores is generally crowded.

For the second year in a row, the store with three locations has made a special chocolate confection just for Valentine’s Day. The ingredients are the highest-quality, including organic chocolate made at Theo, a local chocolate factory recently featured in O! Magazine. I have toured this factory twice. Fascinating, and they offer lots of free samples of their delectable product. (Are you salivating yet? I am!)

But I digress... Back to the Valentine’s Day cupcake. After reading an article about the aptly named Deathcake Royale, offered only from February1-14, I had to try the stuff now. I bought two, one for me and one for my hubby. At $6 each for a smallish cupcake (actually it looks like a tiny rectangular cake covered in rich ganache), this is quite the pricey treat. The woman behind the counter assured me that one Deathcake was enough for two people. But as a true chocoholic, I wanted a whole one just for me.

I hurried home, gave my hubby his, and eagerly opened mine. Mouth watering, I put it on a plate, grabbed a fork, and sat down. Let me tell you, it was a little slice of pure heaven. Without a doubt the best chocolate cupcake I have ever eaten. I ate it slowly, groaning each time I forked a new bite. About 2/3 of the way through, I was sated. But I simply could not stop until every bite was gone. Amazingly, I didn’t even feel sick when I finished. (Actually, I felt terrific.) Maybe there’s something to be said for the petite portion.

The big question of the day is, how many times will I go back between now and February 14? Or, not wanting to burst out of my jeans, will I rein in my cravings and wait until next year? Time will tell. ☺

Anyone out there with a chocolate story to share? I’m already licking my lips, waiting to hear it.


Until later,
Ann
www.annroth.net
The Pilot's Wife, March 2008, a Romantic Times top pick!

January winner

The winner of our January drawing is... drum roll, please... TAWNY!!!!

Tawny, you win free books from Roxann Delaney and Kara Lennox!

Please contact them through their websites.