Saturday's Stupid Saying

I've been in 57 states, I think-one left to go.

Sen. Barak Obama, while campaigning for president


Going off to enjoy a sunshine filled day!

Flashback Friday

Oops; I skipped a decade last week!

April 1991:
This month was full of ups and downs. I was still job-hunting; my family had accepted D as a new chapter in our lives, and at the beginning of the month, the cat I adopted, Smokey, turned out to be expecting kittens, and startled me by going into labor while on my lap! Six hours later, there were four adorable kittens: Rosie, Tag, Gizmo, and Tiger. At the time, we thought we had two girls and two boys. I'll explain their names next month.

The very day our tax $$ arrived, I discovered I was also expecting. And since I'd deposited his money at the bank teller, he didn't have access to any cash. I was NOT about to break the news over hot dogs, and thankfully the Nobel Romans manager agreed to take a check when Olive Garden, Steak and Ale, and Chi-Chi's were immune to my pleas.

I was nervous, and thankfully, the man lit up like a Christmas tree. We finished dinner and went home.

The next day, we went ring-shopping. Knowing we were on a limited budget, I just could not, in good conscience, justify spending half his tax refund on myself, even though I'd fallen in love with the $500 engagement ring. I did agree to the $200 one we found at Kohl's. His proposal?

"Oh, I guess I'd better ask you formally....Will you marry me?"

"I might as well..."

Not very romantic, but we just passed the 20th anniversary of that day. The next hurdle was how to tell my parents! Fortunately, they handled the engagement part well; the other part, not so well. Mom organized the wedding overnight, and my sister arrived a week later to shop for our dresses and go out to eat.

By the time we finished, every restaurant had a wait time of over an hour. Wendy gave up and returned to Ball State; I took myself down to the steakhouse where a friend was the assistant manager and told him to buy me dinner; I was getting married the following week. Needless to say, I got the 'royal treatment' from him and his co-workers:)

Next Month: Celebrating 20 years of marriage and the Indy 500:)

Lesson Learned:)

I do have readers:) I just need to post more interesting stuff on here!

Okay: I have two juicy topics today. One is a jaw-dropping 'HUH?' and the other is rather controversial, depending on your morals/values.

Judy Mays
Did you hear about this poor woman?

"A Small time Snyder County Women in Central PA was ridiculed on WNEB TV for writing Romance Novels in her spare time.... It seems that some of the parents were disturbed by Mrs. Buranich's writing skills outside of the school and they thought it was a good idea to go to the television station with this news!!! SAD part is WNEB actually broaddcasted this SAD SAD story!!!! Mrs. Buranich has NOT broken any Laws and is not writing her books in school or bringing her books in school for her students to read, yet some how she is being ridiculed for being such a GREAT writter!!!"

I'll admit, I risk ridicule every time I do a signing, because Kenzie tags along and promotes her books too. I make sure the covers are PG (in fact, her latest cover is so hot, I'm going to have to use the 'other' cover that was presented!) so Moms aren't shooting me evil looks as they drag their children away from my table. I also keep the excerpts behind the table, so no underage eyes are looking at them, even though I let my (then) 14-yr old read the first one, and she admitted she'd read worse at school! But my point? What I write has nothing to do with the way I live my life!

People don't seem to be able to separate the person from the profession. And most of the time, authors are pretty private people, unless we're promoting our work:)

Planned Parenthood
Learned my state legislatures have voted to shut off the funding for Planned Parenthood. Why? Their main concern is the abortion issue. They aren't looking at the WHOLE PICTURE, in which PP provides a great service to low income families! They provide birth control, exams, information on women's heath...how many teens are willing to admit to their parents they are having sex and want birth control? Or how many women these days can't afford to go see their doctor? This makes NO sense to me. I posted this on my FB page and by the time I got back from breakfast, the comment thread had lit up.

Sorry I've been lax about the content of this blog lately; the hubby and I have finally reached a compromise in the computer vs housework debate. I'll keep you posted if it works or not:)

Fact or Fiction...Or Maybe TMI???

I've had to stop wearing a bra.

Okay, you can pick yourself off the floor now. But seriously, I heard in college if you didn't wear a bra, then gravity would take over and you'd have floppy boobs.

I'm twenty-five years older now, and still wearing the same size...and have come to the conclusion of 'who the hell cares?'

My issues began around the Christmas holidays, when I noticed I was particularly itchy after getting dressed. I found it increasingly uncomfortable when out in public, to be constantly scratching my chest, and the minute I arrived home in the evening would take the offending item off.

New Year's Day, I decided a) I wore enough layers no one would even notice; and b) I've always chosen comfort over fashion, so why not? After all, my great-grandmother admitted back when she was in her 80's, she hadn't worn a bra for years.

But now the weather's getting warmer, and my layers are shrinking. I've worn the offending item to church, only to, you guessed it, removed it as soon as possible. But what the hell am I going to do when the temps get into the 80's and above?

Maybe I need to add more fabric softener when I do the laundry?

Try another bra style?

Pasties? (Ugh...)

Tough it out with the bra or multiple layers?

Or maybe this was a TMI post and I need to just delete it?

Or is anyone even reading my blog anymore, and this was just for shock value? Let me know what you think:)

Terrific Tuesday with Barbara Huffert:)

Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest release.

Hi Molly. Thanks for letting me drop by. I’m Barbara Huffert and I write contemporary romance for Ellora’s Cave and Total-E-Bound. My latest release is Condemned, Book Three in my Cosmic Connections series. It’s the story of what happens when the hero, Brett Hudson, tries to deny his destiny.

Have you ever had an idea for a story which scared you after you began writing it?

I have one book that I don’t think I can ever show anyone which is too bad because the hero is absolutely yummy. I’m much too close to it. Or should I say there’s way too much of me in it?

Have you incorporated actual events from your own life into your books?

All the time!

How much research do you do? Do you research first and then write, or do you write first, then research as needed?

I do very little research. Most things I just make up as I go along and hope they make sense.

Is there any message you want readers to take from reading your work?

Be who you are.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? And have you ever had a story take on a life of its own?

Panster. I never have any idea where anything is going when I start. My characters tell me what to write and they tend to take me places I never imagined.

How long did it take for you to be published?

Um, five minutes? Some friends who I’d been letting read things nagged me until I submitted a book. I wrote the worst cover letter ever and expected a rejection which I would then show them so they’d stop pestering me. It was a complete surprise when I was offered a contract instead.

If you could go back and tell yourself anything when you first began your writing career, what would you say?

Edit as you go right from the start. Going back later is so hard! With me the characters have usually moved on already and I’m stuck, trying to fix things on my own.

Laptop or pen and ink? What are your ‘must-haves’ when writing?

Depends on where I am. Sometimes it’s not possible to have my computer with me. I need music or movies, some sort of noise. I can’t write when it’s quiet. The characters usually choose what we listen to or watch. There are some movies I can now recite since they played over and over as I worked on a book.

Who are your favorite authors? Who would you say influenced you the most?

That’s a tough one. Over the years I’ve read just about everything out there and I think there’s something to be learned from all of it.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

I have a wicked knife collection. Sexy, dangerous knives, not kitchen ones. Sounds as if you and my oldest son would get along well!

For Fun:

Are there any Easter scenes in your books?

Nope.

What is your favorite Easter memory?

Getting our pet duck, Mrs. Quackenbush.

Do you garden, or do you have a black thumb like me?

I’m very chaotic in the garden. I plant everything in all the wrong places and then ask the yard spirits to watch over them.

Thanks for being with me today! Please let us know where to find you.

http://barbarahuffert.com/

http://barbarahuffert.blogspot.com/

Condemned Blurb:

Brett Hudson’s life is in shambles. An attempt to deny fate has left him wide open for an unscrupulous pair intent on ruining him completely. When the woman who is his destiny steps in to save him, Brett’s reaction only serves to make things worse.

Andrea Sloan knows she and Brett are meant to be together the instant they meet even though he is resisting the inevitable. Chance puts her in the right place at the right time to rescue Brett from the mess he’s become entangled in but his behavior in the process breaks her heart

Now Brett must salvage what’s left of his life and prove himself worthy of Andie’s love before it’s too late.

Excerpt:

After dinner, Brett walked Tish out to the gatehouse. Jesse and Andie followed, only to find they were unable to resist the hammock they spied in the yard. They settled in together and were talking comfortably.

When Jesse heard the door, he said, “Pretend you’re sleeping. Stay limp.” Softly, he whistled to get Brett’s attention. “I need your help,” he whispered as Brett approached.

“What can I do for you?” Brett asked frowning at the thought that something was wrong with Andie.

“We were only going to relax here for a minute but Andie’s out cold. I’m afraid if I try to crawl out, I’ll end up dumping her on the ground. Do you think you can lift her off me?” Jesse controlled his reaction when Andie poked his side where Brett wouldn’t see her. Apparently, she didn’t like his idea.

“Yeah, sure.” Brett gulped.

As soon as Brett scooped her into his arms, Jordan appeared. “Jesse, I hate to interrupt, but can I have a minute? I’m sure Brett doesn’t mind taking her in and getting her settled.”

“No problem,” Brett answered when Jesse looked at him.

Inwardly, he groaned. When he had picked Andie up, she snuggled into his arms. She mumbled something on the stairs, so he said, “It’s okay, Andie. I have you. I won’t let you fall.”

“Mm.” She shifted against him, nuzzling his chest.

“Here you are,” Brett said as he pulled down the covers and put her in the bed. “Let me get your shoes.”

Andie acted like she was still mostly asleep. “Wait,” she muttered, reaching under her shirt and unhooking her bra. Brett watched while she slid it off without removing her shirt in the way that only women could do. “Jeans,” she said as she lay back on the pillow and held out her bra.

“Ah, yeah, okay.” Brett took a deep breath and reached for the button. After he slid the zipper down, he told her to lift her hips. As he removed her jeans, he couldn’t help noticing that her panties were the same sheer material that her bra was. When he realized that he was ogling his friend’s girlfriend, he forced himself to look away. He finally managed but not before his gaze lingered on the hardened nipples that were clearly visible beneath her snug shirt. With great effort, he pulled the blanket over her body. Unable to resist, he leaned over and kissed her lightly. “Night, Andie. Sleep well.”

Andie snuggled deeper into the covers before she answered. “You too, Brett. Thanks.”

Brett closed the door to Andie’s room softly behind him. What the hell was he doing? He decided he must be even more stressed out than he thought to have just acted that way with Jesse’s woman. He should have pretended he hadn’t heard her when she told him to wait. He was as bad as a peeping tom! She was asleep and didn’t deserve to have him ogling at her like some kind of pervert. Thank God she didn’t know what he was thinking. And, to make matters worse, he’d kissed her! What possessed him to do something so stupid? She was off-limits. No exceptions. Sleeping or not, it didn’t make any difference. But damn if she hadn’t looked sexy, lying there, in nothing but her panties and shirt.

Pictures

District Pinewood Derby:
The concession stand. Customers (I and her dad) standing in front of the baked goods. Farther on down were various chips and candy, and the 'goodies': Race flags, hot wheels cars, and gum. My brownies were the first to be bought, followed by the snickerdoodles, my chocolate chip cookies, and the Rice Krispy treats.







The hot dog and popcorn machines, and the crock pot full of chili. This is the scout who drove me crazy the entire day; he always wanted to make more popcorn! I finally managed to convince him we didn't need to fill the entire machine, and as it turned out, the last batch he popped, we only sold four bags of it. He started the batch while I was taking pictures. Sneaky kid, lol....







The Tiger cub winners:) My youngling (far right) placed 5th:)













Girl Scout Winners! I (far left) also placed 5th:) Shows my SU is consistant; he built both cars!













Easter Weekend:
Saturday, we colored eggs, and had a bit of a mystery: I boiled 2 dozen; two cracked, so were eaten. So why did I have three missing? We still don't know.

I had the daughter boil five more, but one had to be eaten. Still, I had plenty for deviled eggs:)






A rose between two thorns, ha ha:)

The three kids:
Youngling, age 7
L, age 2.5
B, age 8.

We supplied the ham, deviled eggs, salad, raw veggies and dip, mashed potatoes, and hot rolls. L's family showed up with soft drinks, and B's mom brought two side dishes and three desserts. So a good time was had by all.

Daughter hid several plastic candy-and-money filled eggs, and all three kids had a blast hunting eggs! L's grandparents were thrilled I even had baskets for all kids, since their local egg hunt had been canceled, due to the rain.

How was your Easter weekend?

Come back tomorrow, when the lovely Ms Barbara Huffert will be taking over this space:)

Flashback Friday

April 2001:
Easter at our house usually consists of coloring Easter Eggs on Saturday, with the Easter Bunny hiding two dozen eggs around the house. Ten years ago, my daughter put on her beautiful lavender dress to show M she could 'dress like a girl', but couldn't wait to get home so she could 'get the girly thing off!'

Her First Communion was the following week, so once again she had to dress up in a white dress, tights, shoes, gloves, and a veil. I'd consulted with our priest several weeks earlier, about what to do in the event she refused to wear a dress. Fr. Mark said he was happily accept her in the white shirt and blue pants. But, since 'Grandma was coming and Aunt Liz had bought the dress', she looked like an angel during the ceremony. But once safely at Damon's Restaurant afterward, she quickly shed the white dress for her Easter one, since 'Grandpa hadn't seen me in it.'

Stormy Easter
This year, it's threatening to rain all weekend. We're expecting 3 inches today, with more rain for tomorrow and Sunday. Tomorrow, we're decorating the eggs, and instead of the usual clan showing up due to a pending divorce, it will be us; youngling's friend B and his mom; and maybe our friends from Bicknell and their two-year-old granddaughter. I need to go get one more chocolate bunny and another bag of candy: I only planned on three kids instead of four! And while I'm at it, I may get one for the daughter's boyfriend.

Have a safe and happy Easter weekend!

Terrific Tuesday with Amber Skyze:)

Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest release.

Thanks for having me here today, Molly.

My latest release is called Love Revisited: Scott and Delia. Readers met Scott and Delia in the Spank Me Twice Anthology. My story was called Rein Me In.

The story is a Naughty Nibble about a woman who has a spending problem and a husband how likes to spank some sense into his wife. :o) It’s a win-win situation for both.

Have you ever had an idea for a story which scared you after you began writing it?

Yes. I’m writing a story called Midnight’s Resurrection. The reason it’s so scary is it’s true to my life. It’s about a woman in an abusive relationship who escapes in the dead of night. She runs off to start a new life with a new identity, but she’s constantly looking over her shoulder afraid he’ll find her and kill her.

Have you incorporated actual events from your own life into your books?

Yup, read the previous question. ;)

How much research do you do? Do you research first and then write, or do you write first, then research as needed?

If I need research I normally do it after I’ve written. I’m not a plotter, so I don’t know where the story will take me or what information I’ll need until I get there.

Is there any message you want readers to take from reading your work?

I just hope readers find an escape from reality and enjoy the fantasy world I’ve created. There’s so much devastation going on in the real world. And of course I love the happily ever after.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? And have you ever had a story take on a life of its own?

Pantser!!! I can’t plot to save my life. I tried this a few times and the book went cold. I felt like I wrote it plotting. I love being a pantser because I like the characters to direct the story…so yup, it usually takes on a life of its own.

How long did it take for you to be published?

I wrote for over 15 years before I got the courage to submit to publishers. I’d been publishing in magazines during that time and writing stories for True Confessions and True Romance. I worked up the nerve to send out a book in March of 2008 and received my first contract in December. So 9 months!

If you could go back and tell yourself anything when you first began your writing career, what would you say?

Keep writing. Stay true to the story you want to write and Submit, submit, submit. You can’t get a contract without submitting.

Laptop or pen and ink? What are your ‘must-haves’ when writing?

Laptop. The only must-have is my coffee. Because I’m writing in the wee hours of the morning it’s about all I can handle at that time.

Who are your favorite authors? Who would you say influenced you the most?

I started off reading and writing like Danielle Steele. Once I discovered erotica the authors are endless. LOL...I discovered my 'head-hopping habit' was influenced by her!

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

I have a panic attack whenever I have to be in a crowd like a writer’s conference. I’m terrible shy.

For Fun:

Are there any Easter scenes in your books?

Nope.

What is your favorite Easter memory?

1990 The year my grandmother died. The family spent most of the time in the hospital preparing for the inevitable and forgot about dinner. I cooked dinner and invited everyone over. They needed the break and a good home cooked meal. The obvious sad part was my grandmother passed away a few days later.

Do you garden, or do you have a black thumb like me?

Oh a black thumb. I’ve killed cactus before.

Buy Link:

http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=268

Excerpt:

Where are you?

Delia stood surrounded by shopping bags trying to determine how to answer the text. If she told Scott the truth, her ass would be in serious trouble when he returned from his business trip. Her husband warned her not to do any impulse shopping while he was away. If she lied and said she was home, he'd be wondering why she hadn't answered his call. She knew without a doubt he called the house prior to texting her.

She was damned if she did, damned if she didn't.

"Oh fuck it." She hit reply and typed.

Down with a migraine.

He'd believe that. She often suffered from the pesky headaches.

"There. Now I can finish my shopping." She pressed the send button and stuffed the phone back into her purse.

"I wouldn't be spending all this money if you were home." The truth was she felt lonely since Scott left. Her heart had a void that only buying pretty new things would fill.

Who was she fooling? She loved shopping. She didn't need a reason, but the desire did increase when he was gone.

Ever since they'd promoted him to Executive Vice President of Sales, they had more money than they knew what to do with, but with the promotion came lots of travel. Nothing bored Delia more than spending endless hours cooped up in a hotel room.

Scott wouldn't let her shop while he worked, so tagging along on his out-of-town trips was out of the question.

Her favorite store loomed ahead, calling to her, begging her to enter. Delia picked up all her packages and headed in that direction. She needed some new undies and sexy lingerie.

"Therapy." That's how she looked at it. Retail therapy was the answer to all that ailed her.

She walked through the large, opened doors, a smile forming on her face, Scott's text forgotten, for the moment.

"Delia! We're so glad to have you here today."

"Thank you, Stephanie." Pride welled up inside her that the sales ladies remembered her by name. Scott wouldn't find anything to be proud of in that, and he'd no doubt fail to find the humor in the situation.

"What can we help you with today?"

"I'm looking for something sexy and fun for when my husband returns from his business trip. I want to show him how much I missed him." What she didn't tell the girl was that Scott wasn't due home for at least a week. But no matter; it never hurt to be prepared.

"We just received a new shipment. I'm sure we have something you'll like."

Delia trailed behind the skinny blonde, silently agreeing with the girl. No doubt, they'd have something perfect. There wasn't a piece of lingerie she didn't like.

Stephanie paused before a display rack and pulled a hanger from the pole. She held up the see-through, frilly, black, and hot pink lace contraption. It looked adorable, but Delia wasn't sure she'd be able to "work it," though trying would be fun.

"Do you mind if I browse a bit? I'll be certain to find you when I'm ready to try things on, Stephanie."

"Great. I'll just put your things in dressing room four. This way, you'll have the space reserved for you."

"Perfect." Delia unloaded the cumbersome bags on Stephanie and went about picking out sexy, lace stuff to make her feel desirable.

She filled her arms with pretty things, then perused the underwear drawers and chose a dozen or so. When she finished, she located the bras. She'd need matching bras for the underwear.

"Can I put any of those in the dressing room for you?" Stephanie asked.

She'd done an exemplary job staying in the background and leaving Delia to her own devices.

"Just these." She handed Stephanie a few lounge pants and tops. "I'm sure the others will fit."

"Very well. I'll leave these behind the counter for when you're finished."

Delia checked out the perfume and the make-up. She loaded the mesh bag with a ton of goodies.

By the time she made it to the dressing room, she was floating on cloud nine. She entered the room and spun around, admiring herself in the trio of full-length mirrors.

Her thigh-high boots looked sexy with the mini charcoal skirt she wore. The matching stockings accented the outfit. The tight, pink shirt, unbuttoned to show off her assets, covered enough to leave something to the imagination.

"Oh, if only Scott could see me now."

A knock at the door startled her.

"Yes?"

"You might like this too," Stephanie said from behind the wooden frame.

"Just leave it; I'll grab it in a minute."

"Okay."

Delia unbuttoned her shirt the rest of the way and pulled the tails from beneath the skirt. She reached around, unzipped the skirt, and shimmied out. She dragged down the zipper on the boots and pulled them off. Next, she removed her stockings. Delia stood with her shirt hanging open, her pale pink bra and lace panties her only other clothing. Curiosity got the best of her, and she unlocked the door to see what Stephanie thought she might enjoy.

She felt around, searching for the item, but couldn't find anything hanging from the door.

"That's odd." She pulled her arm back inside the room and moved to lock the door.

The door flew open, and she screamed.

Terror turned to relief.

"Scott!" She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. "What are you doing here?"

Flashback Friday

Easter 1981
Brief summery of story thus far:
I'd captured the eye of a senior boy, and endured a slight amount of jealous feelings from other girls in my 9th grade class. D had taken me on my first 'group date'; shared his popcorn with me on my birthday; and drove me to a movie, where I discovered I was the only girl, along with five guys.

I had a beautiful Easter dress that year! A white dress with spaghetti straps and a floral design at the neckline. A matching short jacket went over it, edged in red. My sis also had a white dress, but with only the spaghetti straps. Fortunately the weather cooperated, and was bright and sunny. Dad had bought 'his girls' orchid corsages to wear to church, and when I arrived, D made a point of telling me how pretty I was, and we ended up in the same 'small group' during Sunday School. Since it was a holiday, there would be no Youth Group or choir that night, so as we left after the service, he called out to me he'd see me on Wednesday. I waved and joined my family to head home for Easter Dinner, and to eat some more of my Easter candy.

At school, I'd begun to open up during the Home Ec discussions on sex and boys. The other girls were still slightly stunned by the fact 'shy, quiet, geeky' me was actually allowed to group date, and that someone actually found me interesting.

"But what about the kid from Klondike? Aren't you still going with him?"

We had drifted apart, mainly in part to my pulling away during the emotional turmoil I'd experienced the previous year. To this day, I regret losing the closeness S and I shared, but everyone has a 'First Love'...even though I had thought at age 12 he was The One for me, three years later, it was obvious all I had to do was be myself. Some day soon, other boys would take notice.

Back In The Land of the Living!
After a day of solid bed rest, I'm feeling better:) I dragged myself out of bed yesterday to attend my daughter's Art Show (she'd won another Honorable Mention...pics are on Face Book!) and as soon as I got home, collapsed into bed again. The spouse announced at 11pm he was dragging me to the doctor's if I wasn't better today. I rolled my eyes...and I guess the threat worked; I'm not having the chills or the body aches. Throat is still sore, and my eustation tubes itch slightly. Don't you hate it when your ears itch, and you can't scratch them?

Baking Day!
As reported, I am getting ready to spend the afternoon in the kitchen. I'm making two pans of brownies; six dozen chocolate chip cookies; and maybe even cupcakes. Then I have to bag them up and take them over to the school for our BSA District Pine Wood Derby set up. I'm working concessions tomorrow, and want to be there at 8:30 in the morning. And....it's supposed to start raining any time now and not let up until tomorrow night. Fun, fun....but at least the temps are in the 50's and 60's, so NO SNOW!

Plus, with me being down the last two days, the laundry has piled up. Yup...no one stepped up to do any chores yesterday except the dishes. So I'll try to get at least as much of it I can accomplished today. I'm running out of clean socks too.

Have a great weekend!

Staying In Bed....

My body is trying to catch the flu. For the past 2 days, I've had a sore throat, body aches, and chills. Quite a switch from the super-nova hot flashes I've been having lately!

Yes, I'm gargling with salt water, taking Advil every 4-6 hours (Tylenol didn't help), and swallowing all the hot liquids and soup I can stand.

I HAVE to get well by tomorrow; I've promised to bake cookies and two pans of brownies to sell at our BSA District Pine Wood Derby on Sat, plus work concessions all day!

Just one question: Did anyone get the number of the truck that ran over me? LOL:)

UPDATE ON KRISTIN:
Good News!
Kristin got the news we've praying for!!!! She is responding!!!! The tumors are
decreasing in size and/or have disappeared. God is answering our prayers--thank
you to each and everyone of you that has said a prayer or lifted her up in your
thoughts. A wonderful, emotional day!!!

This was yesterday, plus it was her birthday:)

Have a great day; I'm going back to bed.

Kids: Gender Confusion Or Normal Development?

Did anyone see this?

Apparently in a J Crew ad recently, a mom and her young son were shown enjoying a sweet moment, but look closer and you'll see the little boy is sporting neon pink polish on his toenails.

And I guess last year, some people took issue with Brangolina's daughter dressing like a boy. 'Concerned citizens' lit up the chat loops/facebook/twitter with outrage, 'positive' this was going to create 'gender confusion' and how kids would be subject to future ridicule.

SO WHAT? I have proof this does NOT affect 'how they see themselves'...at least for my son, anyway!

My oldest son, at age 3, insisted his favorite color was pink. He had a pink toy box, and used to 'help' me with my skin cleansing routine. He was also fascinated when I shaved my legs; I would spread a little shaving cream on my feet or toes, and let him 'shave' them with a Q-tip.

A year later, he'd become 'all boy'. Everything had to be blue; he loved construction equipment and balls, and was interested in learning how things 'worked'. Today, he's a very well adjusted college student who's joined a fraternity and is still wanting to work for NASA or in the aviation industry.

My daughter, on the other hand...
-'stole' her brother's clothes and toys as soon as she was old enough; I can still see her wearing K's new gray hoodie over her pink outfit as she walked into Grandma's house, ball cap on her head!

-Favorite color was black, because 'it's Grandpa's favorite color!'

-Shunned any attempt on my part to braid her hair, or even wear ponytails. The one picture I have of her with two pigtails, she's also sporting a very unhappy expression!

-She loved going out into the woods to play on the playset with camping/hunting gear. Her best friend, on the other hand, packed her bag with dolls and stuffed animals. S, on the other hand, had the following in her backpack:
-toy walkie-talkie
-'binoculars' (View Master)
-First Aid kit
-toy knife
-fishing pole
-rolled up blanket
-Mess kit
-her favorite bear

Now, she's a fairly normal teenager, with her first boyfriend, and still has a no-nonsense attitude. She still says her favorite color is black, and refuses to wear dresses, but when she was eight, she picked out an Easter dress only because her best friend had attended church with us, and one of her brother's friends suddenly was very taken with N, and commented on how pretty she looked. "How come you never wear anything like that, S?"

LOL!

Leave the kids alone; let them explore a little! Only worry when it starts to affect their interaction at school.

Terrific Tuesday with Cate Masters:)

Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest release.

Hi Molly! Thanks so much for having me at your beautiful blog. I’m Cate Masters, author of fantasy/paranormal, contemporary, historical and mainstream fiction. Writing’s my passion, and I love it in all forms.

This month,Whiskey Creek Press released The Bridge Between. Though a mainstream novel, it’s also a love story -- or two, actually. :)

Have you ever had an idea for a story which scared you after you began writing it?

I had to think about this one! But no, I can’t recall any such instance. I’m usually excited by the unexpected directions the characters take the story.

Have you incorporated actual events from your own life into your books?

Not events, but settings. This novel’s set in my hometown of Lambertville, NJ, in fact, so it was like walking old, familiar streets. I still researched a few things, and learned more about the town.

For my historical novels (Follow the Stars Home, a Native American historical romance, and Angels Sinners and Madmen, set in 1850s Key West), I invented fictional characters and placed them in actual events I unearthed through research, which was very cool!

How much research do you do? Do you research first and then write, or do you write first, then research as needed?

No matter the genre, I always research. For contemporaries, it could be setting, and I’ve sent for tourist guides and took virtual tours of cities. Historicals require more thorough research into customs, dress and speech. Follow the Stars Home is set in Carlisle, Pa., where I lived for nearly 20 years, and I wrote and researched at the same time. My family and I visited Key West years ago, and I spent a few days in the library because the history of the wreckers completely fascinated me. Because I knew I wouldn’t be getting back to Key West anytime soon, I researched first, then wrote it during NaNoWriMo one year.

Is there any message you want readers to take from reading your work?

Always! I love to boost the notion of female empowerment, believing in yourself, and following your bliss.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? And have you ever had a story take on a life of its own?

At first I was a pantser, but I’m trying to be more structured about planning ahead, and now at least do a rough outline.

I’ve been lucky to have had many stories gain their own momentum, and I find myself writing as fast as I can just to get it all down.

How long did it take for you to be published?

For my short stories, not long at all. Those appeared in web zines and literary magazines. After a crit partner alerted me to epresses, I began submitting my backlog of stories, and had more than a dozen acceptances in about a year. Probably not the best strategy as far as marketing, but very exciting!

If you could go back and tell yourself anything when you first began your writing career, what would you say?

It’s a tough business, but don’t give up!

Laptop or pen and ink? What are your ‘must-haves’ when writing?

I prefer my laptop, but take a notepad with me and use it sometimes too. There’s a different feel to writing longhand that I love.

My desk usually holds a hot cup of black tea, and I’m good to go.

Who are your favorite authors? Who would you say influenced you the most?

I love so many, it’s always difficult to choose even a few. Alice Hoffman, TC Boyle, Michael Chabon and Margaret Atwood are probably my top four, but my bookshelves are overstuffed with books by many many writers. And now my hard drive is too, lol. LOL:) I have a 2g flash drive just for e-books, plus my e-reader!

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

I’m actually a very shy person, something I’ve had to work to overcome. Marketing’s actually more painful because of it, but it’s something I need to do.

For Fun:

Are there any Easter scenes in your books?

No, but what a great idea! There are a few Halloween and Christmas scenes though, and Fourth of July and Thanksgiving scenes in my latest fantasy, The Magic of Lavender.

What is your favorite Easter memory?

When my kids were little, we used to have egg hunts in the back yard, which were a lot of fun for the whole family. I loved seeing them get so excited on Easter morning, finding the goodies in their baskets too.

Do you garden, or do you have a black thumb like me?

I love to garden, but now mostly do container flowers on the deck and patio. I never buy houseplants, as it’s a death sentence for them, lol.

Thank you for being here today! Please tell us where we can find your books.

Thanks so much for having me, Molly. It’s been a pleasure.

The Bridge Between was released by Whiskey Creek Press. Lyrical Press will release my fun contemporary romance novel, Rock Bottom, in June. And The Wild Rose Press will release my short fantasy romance, Romancing the Hero, later this year (I think). My blog contains info on all my books: http://catemasters.blogspot.com, Just click on “Books” for blurbs, excerpts, reviews, trailers and other fun stuff!

Here’s the unofficial blurb:

Once, Jessie Moore had inexhaustible energy for her art, but after this past year, her art – like her life – feels out of focus. Working as a photojournalist at the fledgling Philly Times newspaper with reporter Matt Cleary proves draining after their breakup. When a longtime friend dies of AIDS, Jessie travels to her hometown of Lambertville, NJ. At the funeral, she reconnects with her first love, Billy Black, who becomes a bridge back to the safety of her old life, and also to the origins of her inspiration. But Billy’s more lost than Jessie. Too often, he drowns his worries in beer, threatening to drag her down too. After she rekindles their affair, Matt’s jealousy confuses her. Before she can truly give herself to anyone, Jessie must learn to be true to herself.

And an excerpt:

She set her plate on the table, regretting she hadn’t turned her car around, that she’d ignored her basest of instincts.

“Goddammit,” he said. “Now I’ve ruined dinner.”

“No…”

“If not dinner, it would have been something else.” He tilted his glass into his mouth until it was empty.

This time, she didn’t argue, but paid closer attention to his voice, his face, his movements. They were all the same as the boy she’d known, yet somehow different, too. More complicated. The nuance in his gestures made for a level of intricacy, like a maze that had to be traversed before she could find the prize at the end – the real Billy, the Billy she’d loved. He was different, more complicated with life experience, but the same in his attitude, the easy way he’d always had. She wondered what did happen to him that made him so hesitant, especially of her – she who had held nothing back from him. Yet here he was, holding everything back from her.

“Would you like me to leave?” She posed the question honestly, not as a challenge, not to intimidate him into a choice.

“No.” He leaned forward, reached for her hand. “Please.”

She waited. She had the feeling he wanted to say more.

“Unless…” He slid his hand away. “You know, unless you want to.”

So close to breaking through to the old Billy. But he withdrew, leaving her to guess why. Laying new roadblocks within the maze, to throw her off, or maybe to decipher how badly she wanted to reach the real Billy.

“No,” she said. “I don’t want to.”

His eyes brimmed with doubt.

“Unless you want me to.” She couldn’t help smiling. It seemed a ridiculous game, one she normally loathed, but this time the prize was different. One that might be worthwhile.

“No.” His body went fluid, and he gave a short laugh. “No. I definitely do not want you to go.” In a second, he stood to put a CD on the boom box on the back doorstep. A mellow guitar tune melted the tension from the air. He held out his hand. “Let’s dance.”

With her hand in his, she was out of her chair and in his arms as if she’d swam to him.

Rainy Monday

Spent the weekend promoting Kenzie's work over at The Romance Studio, through trial and error. If you click the link, and then click on Kenzie's name, you'll see all but two or three posts. She's picked up at least two readers, and met a repeat reader (one who's already read her book and now wants to reread it and others!)

Had some excitement yesterday: The SU was involved in a neighborhood chase to catch two guys fleeing from the police. No one was hurt, and one guy was apprehended by our neighbor. The spouse joined in the chase after witnessing them trying to break into the house across the street, then fleeing. And this just minutes after he expressed how bored he was!

Getting ready to spring clean the house; temps this weekend were in the high 70's/low 80's, so the doors and windows have been open and fresh air all around. Time to go through the youngling's toys and weed out what he no longer plays with, or is broken.

After working on the first three chapters of the new wip, I woke up this morning thinking of how to 'speed up' the opening. Don't you just looooove it when this happens? I may play around with it. And don't know what I'll title it yet; maybe 'The Dance of Her Life' or 'Dancing For Her Life'. This is my Dancing With The Stars-themed wip, and it just dawned on me; maybe I ought to actually watch the show?

Kenzie's talking about the worst reaction I received. No joke; I actually got a letter in the mail. Go over to Kenzie's Place and read it.

Come back tomorrow, when the awesome Cate Masters will be here:)

Flashback Friday

Palm Sunday/Easter Weekend 1971:
My younger sister was baptized on Palm Sunday, at age 5 or 6 months of age, depending on what month Holy week occurred:) I don't remember the event, but I DO remember hunting Easter Eggs the following Sunday in my grandparents' back yard:)

Also, it was sometime during this month I had my yearly checkup, and the doctor adviced my mother to take me to the eye doctor; he was concerned about my eyesight (found this tidbit in my medical record book while looking for my son's; I was curious, so I glanced through it!).

Where Did The Week Go?
Monday and Tuesday, despite good intentions, I found myself still chatting on FB and a couple of chat loops until the kids arrived home from school. On at my writer's group, I tried to arrive early, so I could write, but discovered I'd left my flash drive at home.

Did you ever try to chat online with someone, only to discover they were more interested in posting excerpts of their latest work? I'd received a private email, inviting me to a chat. I'll admit, I don't know this person very well, so I decided to be nice and show up. When I did, only one other person had posted, and I knew this person slightly better. As I read the excerpts, it became clear to me I had little interest in the content. So when she asked for questions, I fired back with about five of my own, hoping to learn more about her.

She chose to answer in short sentences, which did little to fuel any further conversation.

By now, my time was up, and posted a good-bye. When I arrived home, I logged back in; waited about fifteen minutes, and rejoined the chat. No one else had joined, but I entered the contest and posted I was back. Next post? "My time is up; goodbye!'. I checked back the next morning; no surprise, I'd not won the contest. Good thing; the book would have probably languished on my flash drive for several years.

Authors, if readers show up to chat, please try to engage them in conversation? This was painful, and I seriously doubt I'll show up to chat with this person again.

Contrast this with another chat coming up next week: When this author and I, plus anyone else who shows up, it's hard to shut us up! And it's been this way since I met this group of authors/readers back in 2007. Instant friendship, and ones I cherish to this day.

Off My Soapbox...
Wow, sort of got carried away there! I did manage to accomplish nearly 500 words from Wed-Thurs, and hope to add more today. Wish me luck:)

Have a good weekend! Our temps are supposed to climb near 80; I hope we'll be able to cook out!!

"It's My Fault..."

Butler lost, and it's because I ran out of pistachio nuts.

(sound of screeching tires) What? I though it was because they had an off night; with only 18% shooting average, and hardly any points made in the paint! What are you talking about?

Every sports lover has certain superstitions, whether it means wearing the same shirt, 'lucky underwear', or socks. In my case, it was pistachios.

I discovered every time I ate my favorite nuts during a game, my team seemed to win. So, why mess with something that seems to be working, right? And it was further driven home during the Final Four.

Game 1, Butler vs VCU. Pistachios were flying into my mouth during the entire game, and Butler cruised to an easy win. But during the second half, my youngest helped me eat them, and soon I realized I wasn't going to have enough for the second game. I persuaded my SU to go get me another bag. With a sigh, he put on his shoes and as he walked out the door, told me to order pizza, since I obviously wasn't going to cook dinner.

Game 2, Kentucky vs U Conn. Pizza arrived, and since I was hungry, I ate two slices, and two more. The game went back and forth...but I was so stuffed from the pizza, that I slowed down on my pistachio intake, and U Conn surged ahead.

Monday: It rained, so we didn't go to the store. However, I remembered the bag of pistachios was nearly full, so why get another bag? That would surely sustain me through one game.

As I ate the last nut in the first half, Butler hit a last-minute three-pointer, taking the lead.

Halftime: I got up to refill my bowl....and discovered my youngest had been 'munching' on the remaining nuts. I was only going to have about fifteen for the second half. I voiced my complaint to the spouse.

He refused to go buy me another bag. It was ten pm; temperature was around freezing, and no, I did NOT need another bag of nuts. End of discussion.

So, I tried to space out my intake...and of course, was out of nuts in about five minutes of game play (fifteen actual minutes...showed a lot of restraint, I thought, lol!). But alas, U Conn got their act together and quickly went on a 10-0 run. Butler could not catch up, and lost.

And it's all because I ran out of pistachios.

Or, we could blame the spouse, since he didn't recognize he was about to jinx the whole thing!

That's my story, and I'm sticking with it!

Currently Reading: Finished Prince Charles' bio, and read Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl. It made me hungry; she's a former restaurant critic for the NY Times. Now I'm reading The Passions of Chelsea Kane by Barbara Delinsky. The spouse wasn't too thrilled when I brought home my books from the store, plus three more boxes, lol! Look on the bright side; I have plenty of reading material you didn't have to pay for!

Terrific Tuesday with Jacqueline Paige:)

Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest release.

I’m Jacqueline Paige, a paranormal writer. Here is the blurb from my most recent release is Twice Cursed.

Maddy is the oldest witchling to ever attend the Hidden Cove Academy, having been cursed as a teen; she’s forced to have a solitary life outside of her own magical community. With her magic so dangerously unpredictable, she rarely takes the chance on mixing with the general public.

From one harmless trip to a museum she finds herself spellbound yet again by an invisible boundary, caused by a three hundred year old curse, dictating that Maddy must stay close to the stunningly sexy Colin.

Being stuck with a tall, dark, incredibly lick-able stranger can’t be all that bad, right? Until they discover if they get too close the spirits bound with the curse will take over their bodies ... at the same time if they’re too far from one another the curse will kill them both.

Will the curse's secrets be unraveled in time or does certain death await them both?

Have you ever had an idea for a story which scared you after you began writing it?

I can’t say that I have. My own stories surprise me more than they scare me. I never see certain plots twists coming.

Have you incorporated actual events from your own life into your books?

I think all writers take little bits of their own lives and slip them into the books.

The pieces that I find appearing on the pages the most (aside from sarcasm) would be the herbal and holistic aspects many of my characters seem to ‘know’ about. For years I practiced as a certified herbalist before I came back to writing.

Certainly with my Magic Seasons series a lot of the herbal tidbits leaked into it, along with a lot pagan knowledge. I had in fact spent two years going to various pagan festivals prior to writing this series.

With my story Salvation the main female character has a rough go of it with just about anything going wrong that can, from car problems to house maintenance — those most definitely stem from my reality!

How much research do you do? Do you research first and then write, or do you write first, then research as needed?

In most cases I don’t need to do a lot of research but if I’m going to mention something in any sort of detail, I like to make sure I get most of the facts straight. I’ve researched anything from a recycling plant to the history of islands. If I know the entire plot (a rare event) before starting a story I will take the time to make sure I sound like I know what my characters are saying, but more often than not I end up going back through the first proof and finding the areas that need just a little bit more truth added to them.

Is there any message you want readers to take from reading your work?

That’s hard to answer.

My books are mostly fictional but I have noticed I tend to lean into illustrating the ‘differences’ in people and how they are or are not accepted. This was not intentional yet I seem to be telling people to get over their prejudices.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? And have you ever had a story take on a life of its own?

I have tried it both ways and pantser seems to be my preferred way. Any time I attempt to sit down and plot out an entire story my own characters change it — without warning. Examples of this would be: in the first book of the Magic Seasons, I intended a paranormal romance. I did not plan or plot a murder it just appeared on the page without my permission. In Twice Cursed I plotted out the struggles of cursed witch — and ended up with a cursed witch being cursed a second time and tied to a stranger. I think my examples answer whether my stories take on a life of their own.

How long did it take for you to be published?

I had been writing for years off and on, but mostly for myself rather than publishing purposes. I didn’t actually submit any manuscript until I wrote Beltane Magic and friend and family talked me into submitting it — two months later I had a contract and was still in denial that something I wrote was going to be published.

If you could go back and tell yourself anything when you first began your writing career, what would you say?

Learn how to promote yourself. This has been my struggle for the last two years. I can promote anything and anyone it seems except myself and my own work. I still don’t have all the answers when it comes to promoting, but I am getting better at it.

Laptop or pen and ink? What are your ‘must-haves’ when writing?

Both! I have my laptop, my netbook (that lives in my purse when I’m not using it) and so many notebooks I’ve had to label them.

I use the notebooks to jot down ideas as they come to me and in desperate moments when a plot stalls or won’t head in the direction I want/need it to I go sit somewhere quiet and for some reason unknown to me as soon as I put the pen to paper the words start flowing again.

I use the netbook when I need a change of scenery (or to escape the household noise of many children). Sometimes just moving to a different location with help me work out a scene that won’t translate from my head to word form.

My laptop (complete with second monitor) I use mainly when I’m proofing and editing.

To think years before I sent that first manuscript in I did it all by hand and type-writer!! I love technology J

Who are your favorite authors? Who would you say influenced you the most?

I have a long list of favorite authors and most likely somewhere they’ve all influenced the direction I’m trying to go in but most importantly they’ve all shown me that there is nowhere you can’t go in your writing.

Nora Roberts /JD Robb (I’ve been reading Nora books for as long as I can remember)

Christine Feehan (I can’t even wrap my mind around where she’s taken stories and plots)

Laurell K Hamilton (who wins my own personal award of “you never know what will happen next”)

Charlaine Harris (I loved her series before True Blood and I thank her for giving us Eric on True Blood!!!)

And a few others are:

Sherrilyn Kenyon / Kinley MacGregor

Cheyenne McCray

And most recently added to my ever growing list is J.A. Saare

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

This one usually shocks a lot of people … I do not have “tv” in my house (or at least cable or any channels per say) and haven’t had in close to nine years. I’ve had people say something about a character did ‘this’ in one of my books reminded them of someone on a tv show — and they’re shocked I have no idea what they’re talking about. I watch very few shows or series and either buy them online instead of having a hundred channels no one watches or wait for the entire season to be released on dvd.

For Fun:

Are there any Easter scenes in your books?

No. I think I’ve covered everything from Valentine’s Day to Winter Solstice, but somehow I missed Easter. I might have to rectify that in the future.

What is your favorite Easter memory?

I’m just getting old or I’m having a sugar craving, but all of my childhood memories are blurred together and all I can think of is those little candy eggs and chocolate right now.

Do you garden, or do you have a black thumb like me?

I don’t have a garden where I’m living right now but before we moved here I had about 5 acres of gardens plus flower beds and over 100 house plants. So I’m going to say my thumb is a little greener than yours. J

Thank you for being here today! Please tell us where we can find your books.

Thanks so much for having me!!

All of my books and information on where to find them can be located at my website

http://jacqpaige.webs.com/

and my blog

http://jacqpaige.blogspot.com/

Twice Cursed

Will the curse's secrets be unraveled in time?

Maddy is the oldest witchling to ever attend the Hidden Cove Academy, having been cursed as a teen; she’s forced to have a solitary life outside of her own magical community. With her magic so dangerously unpredictable, she rarely takes the chance on mixing with the general public.

From one harmless trip to a museum she finds herself spellbound yet again by an invisible boundary, caused by a three hundred year old curse, dictating that Maddy must stay close to the stunningly sexy Colin.

Being stuck with a tall, dark, incredibly lick-able stranger can’t be all that bad, right? Until they discover if they get too close the spirits bound with the curse will take over their bodies ... at the same time if they’re too far from one another the curse will kill them both.

Will the curse's secrets be unraveled in time or does certain death await them both?

Excerpt:

She heard him walking towards her. When she moved one arm he was standing over her, glaring down at her. “Sorry, I was right,” she said softly. Whiskers appeared beside her and without one nasty or haughty thought stretched out beside her so her head was across Maddy’s hip. Running a hand over her friend’s furry head, she looked back up at him. His facial expressions were changing so rapidly, she didn’t even want to ponder a guess at what was flying through his mind. “Might as well sit. I have some figuring out to do.”

Colin sat down a few feet from her and studied her. “So, if you’re a...I can’t believe I’m going to say this, witch or whatever, then undo this.”

Maddy frowned. “I’m more of a witchling, than a full fledged witch.” Did she really have to pour out her whole miserable existence to a man she didn’t know? “There’s been a few, um, hiccups in my abilities...”

He leaned closer and looked at her. “Did you do this to us?” She shook her head and he realized that from the upset expression on her face, she didn’t want this anymore than he did. “Define hiccups.”

Maddy bit her lip. “Well... I sometimes don’t always get the uh, desired outcome to my castings.” His eyebrows shot up.

“Desired outcome? You’re telling me you can’t then?”

Maddy leaned up on her elbows. “I didn’t say that. I know I can or would at least like to.”

Colin ran a hand through his hair. He had gone from looking mildly confused to very stressed. “Okay, so what do you mean by desired outcome?” He had no idea what he was asking, then again before today magic and witches were some-thing from cartoons and movies.