Yay, It's Thursday!!

Currently Reading:  Finished Unexpected Blessings by Joyce Brennan, and liked it.  I was hoping more would have been done with the 'triangle'; maybe I've read too many similar stories, or watched too many soap operas over the years, but as I read, I kept anticipating the next move of the rival, only to be disappointed.  Maybe the author wanted to avoid that 'predictable' plot?  This book was also longer than I thought, and the subplot was drawn out a little too long, imho.  Now, I'm reading Jessica E. Subject's Accidental Romance.  I'm also about halfway through Acceptable Risk.  This storyline has ties to the Salem Witch Trials, and I keep reading this at night.  I really need to read it in the daytime, lol!

Since the last day of the month falls on Sunday, I'll post my monthly wrap-up on Monday, then the April reading schedule on Tuesday.

Thank you for the wonderful comments on yesterday's post!  LOL....I guess I've gone 'rogue', or turned to 'the dark side'....you DO remember I have another pen name, right?

Looking Forward To Easter
Tonight I'm singing in the Holy Thursday service, and then going to a friend's house to watch the movie 'Burlesque'.  Yes, I'm 'sacrificing' part of the Sweet 16 games in order to spend time with the girls.  But I hope to be home in time for the IU/Syracuse game!

Here are my pics for today and tomorrow:
Wichita St         Arizona
Indiana              Marquette
Louisville           Kansas
Michigan St.      Florida GC

Today I'm double-checking the supplies for Easter.  Paas Kit, vinegar, enough candy for everyone, and an Easter gift for Alexandria.  I also want to go window shopping for a potential Easter outfit.  I've got a 20% off coupon at Maurices, and Cato has some nice things in their window.  But I also like to shop the clearance rack for items I drooled over in the winter, but thought were too high priced.  So we'll see.

No Flashback Tomorrow....unless I need to add something else to the posts. 

Hump Day Hook #9

For a complete list of Hump Day Madness, click here. 


This is part of a short story I wrote on a dare, entitled Afternoon Delight.  Enjoy:)
“You should have seen the look on your face Mary, when Josh stuck his tongue in your ear.”  Derek laughed as he recalled their playful antics on the diving platform only moments before.

“I wasn’t expecting it; I was trying to keep from flashing everyone. You’re the ones who decided to see how far we could go before that older couple yelled at us.  Between you sucking my tit and Josh nibbling my neck…which one of you had your hand on my ass? And when are you going to get rid of those God-awful Speedos?” Mary shook her head, enjoying the contact of the two men.  Josh’s arm was draped around her neck, while Derek’s palm rested possessively on her right hip.  “You’re still sporting a boner.  What happened to shrinkage?”

“With a hot thing like you around?  It has a mind of its own.  As for the suit, never.  If you’ve got it, flaunt it.  And baby, I’ve got it.  Just like you in that string bikini.  Now Josh, he’s just self-conscious about his package.”

“I am not!  Where did you get that idea?”  Josh yanked his arm away and stopped in his tracks.

More Pics and Good News:)

Currently Reading:  Finished Cinderella Demon Tale the other day and LOVED it!  I wasn't sure if I was going to like this story, but the characters sucked me in and I kept reading.  I'll admit I was a little squeamish about the way the queen treated Rose, but everything worked out in the end.  And now I want to read the 1st one in this series, and the others.  Recommended Read!  Finished Hearts in Darkness by Laura Kaye, and thoroughly enjoyed this, as the characters enter an elevator, then are plunged into total darkness for several hours.  He knows she has red hair; she has no idea what he looks like.  After getting to know each other, will their opinions change after the lights come back on?  Definite Recommended Read!  Am now reading Joyce Brennan's Unexpected Gifts.

Print:  Finished Heart on the Line by Judith Arnold and LOVED it!  It was a wonderful story of two people trying to stay 'just friends', but circumstances keep throwing them together.  The only thing I was disappointed with was I'm not sure they ever disclosed who was ultimately fired from the show which the heroine works for in production.  I may need to go back and reread the last chapter.  Definite Recommended Read!

And now for the pictures:)

House on stilts (concrete blocks) down by Ohio river

Hilltop Inn, where I'd like to spend at least one night:)  It has a wonderful view of the downtown Madison area!

Took this because the sign says 'Skunk Hollow Yacht Club'!

Waterfront restaurant.  'Boat in, Ride in'.

The actual restaurant

Then we hit Clarksville, and went to the Bass Pro Shops.  My 1st time.

You've heard of the ammunition shortage/people buying as much as they can, or even DHS buying all of it?  None to be had at 8pm this Saturday night.

I liked this sign as we were leaving:)  In fact, before the SU picked me up at the Author's Fair, he'd driven across the bridge to Kentucky and bought gas .20 cheaper.

Ready For The Good News?
-I signed my contract for Love Weighs In and sent it off yesterday.
-Kenzie received word that Off The Clock edits should arrive in a week or two:)

Don't forget to come back tomorrow for the Hump Day Hook!

Monday Ramblings

It had the audacity to snow last night.  Travel plans have been cancelled.  Which is good, considering it's nearly noon and I'm still in my jammies.  I have more time to knock out the laundry and clean up my kitchen, which I've seriously neglected the past four days.  Why?

March Madness Is Here!!

Thursday Night:
Cheered my 1st 16 teams and ended up being correct about 10 teams moving on, which included Butler:)  Fixed a delicious beef cobbler, then went back to my post in front of the television.  I also discovered a wonderful 'Cinderella' team, Florida Gulf Coast U.

Friday Night:
Cheered on the next 16 teams, including Indiana and Illinois.  And was only correct for 9 of them.  We'd had a late lunch at BW3, so I wasn't hungry.  I fixed my youngest some hot dogs; the SU took himself to Ponderosa for the seafood buffet.

Sat:
Parked myself in front of the TV at noon and was soon yelling at my 8 teams to step it up.  Butler was eliminated, and so was Gonzaga.  Only 3 of my teams advanced.  The spouse picked up pizza for us, since I was in no mood to cook.

Sun:
Did better this day.  6 of the 8 teams advanced, including Indiana and Florida GC:)  Illinois was knocked out by Miami.  I put together a beef roast, and fixed baked potatoes.  Warmed up some leftover veggies in the fridge and ate mine during halftime of one of the games.  The SU was not amused, but I reminded him "It's TWO weekends out of the YEAR!"

The Sweet 16:
Louisville          Kansas
Oregon              Michigan
Michigan St       Florida
Duke                  Florida GC
Wichita St          Indiana
LaSalle              Syracuse
Arizona              Marquette
Ohio St               Miami

Want pics from last weekend?

Carol Preflatish, me, and Karen McClive.  We look cold because the temps were in the low 50's and the wind was occasionally not nice to our promo items.

Maddie James, whom I've 'talked' online to in the last several years.  I wanted to buy one of her books, but she left before I got around to it.

The lovely Jan Scarborough:)  I loved one of her 1st books, A Man of her Own.  Go pick this one up:)

Left:  CS Marks, fantasy author I met last October in Columbus, IN.  Right:  AuthorViolet Peterson, dressed as one of her characters.

CS Marks' vehicle:)

Frank, owner of That Book Place and I

Myself and Terry, another author.  I'd seen him walking around, but didn't get to speak to him until after the event.

The bridge from Madison, IN to Kentucky, SR 421.  It's under construction.

Key West Shrimp House, where we ate dinner Friday night.  Yuuuummmy!!!  And the owners and staff are very friendly!

Flashback Friday

Currently Reading:  Cinderella Demon Hunter by Kerrianne Coombes.  I have to be honest; I wasn't sure I was going to like this book.  But since I couldn't remember which  book was next in the queue, I went ahead and opened it, thinking I'd at least read the 1st chapter.  And Could. Not. Put. It. Down!  I'm already 85% through this book and LOVE it!  Now I want to read the 1st one in the series, as well as the next one.  Good job Kerrianne!! Recommended Read:)  I'm also still on Judith Arnold's Heart on the Line.


Story thus far:  D had heart surgery in January to replace his aortic valve.  He had surgery again in February because of internal bleeding/blood clot behind the heart.  It turned out he was more sensitive to Coumidin than the doctors originally thought!

March 2003:
We still battled heavy snow, and my daughter's 1st Communion Retreat was upon us.  I still had to drive, but the day was clear and sunny.  D helped with the bread making; I helped the kids make crosses out of match sticks.

And afterward, we decided what the hell, let's go ahead and attend Mass; we're already here.  But after the service, snow was falling, and ice was beginning to form.  And we had a hill to climb, no matter which was we went home.  I played it safe; I chose the route with the widest street and less curves.  We made it home in about an hour (it usually only took 15 minutes).

Our son was still in basketball, and I white-knuckled drove behind the caravan to little towns all around the county.  But the route to Stinesville scared the hell out of me.  We followed the bus up winding, narrow roads up a steep hill, with barely any guard rails.  After the game, I offered to PAY someone to drive our car back down, but one of the parents knew a better way home and told me to follow them.  And we made it home safely.  Thankfully, the next game was closer to home!

His 5th grade team didn't win any awards, but it showed my child he was more suited to football and baseball.

Hubby celebrated his 49th birthday and we made a trip to Terre Haute to meet his sister's family for dinner.  Liz also bought S's 1st Communion dress and even an Easter dress.  I'd conferred with Fr. Mark about what to do IF she out and out refused to wear the white dress, and he'd agreed he'd accept her in a white shirt and blue slacks.  But 'since Grandma was going to be there and Aunt Liz bought the dress', S agreed to look like a girl for that day.  Especially after the Sunday her friend N went to church with us and her friend M couldn't keep his eyes off of N in her pretty dress!

He was forbidden to return to work until June, so every Wednesday morning, after dropping the kids at school, we'd head to the post office, pick up our mail, and head to the bank.  Then we'd eat breakfast and do our grocery shopping for the week.

One evening, a neighbor showed up with six or seven bags of food she'd picked up for us, much to our gratitude, and when the alternator went out on the car and we didn't know how we were going to pay for it, that same neighbor handed my husband the money to go get a new one.  We were overwhelmed by the generosity.

Next month:  New issue.

Getting A Little Personal....

Before I forget, I'm featured over at Haven's Realm:)  Come over and say hi!

With the urging of two choir members, I agreed to add the '33 Days to Morning Glory', a devotional consecration of ourselves to Mary, the mother of Jesus, to my morning Quiet Time.  As the only non-Catholic member of our choir, it still baffles me that this much attention is given to Our Lady.  The first 7 days was all about how St Louis DeMontfort, who (I think) stated that if we give everything to Mary, all our prayers and needs, then we lose the right to pray for others.  I strongly disagree with this.  We can ALWAYS pray for others.  I also disagree with the statement of giving everything to Mary, and standing before God with empty hands.  Maybe on some level it's a case of 'Mary has everything I've done; go and ask her.'  I just don't buy that mentality.  I want to stand before God and Jesus with my strong faith and devotion.  Not because of the things I've done (yes, they count, but not ultimately) or said, but the basic truth that I accept the fact Jesus died FOR ME, and I have FAITH and proof of him working in my life.

Week 2 focused on St. Maximillian Kolbe, and I only took issue with his teachings twice:
1)  I do not believe Mary's mother 'immaculately conceived' her.  That would make two, and there was only one.

2)  "(God) made a creature who was conceived w/o sin..."  He refers to Mary.  I disagree; this was JESUS. Jesus leads us to do God's will, and helps sinners along the way.

However, now we're in week #3, I have found something I DO agree with.  Mother Teresa wrote a letter saying when others don't accept you, or even if you yourself don't accept you, know that Jesus does.'  I clung to this knowledge throughout my entire 8th grade year of hell, and the first few weeks of my 9th.  I was convinced I had no friends; I was an ugly, unwanted person, but because I was only 14, dropping out of school wasn't an option.  I built a wall around myself, adopted an 'I-don't-care' attitude, and suffered in silence, except for on Sundays and Wednesdays, when the message 'Jesus loves you' was reinforced by godly people in my life

And when an incident took place where I was publicly humiliated, again, dropping out wasn't an option.  I had to go to school and face those who laughed at me.  I put on my toughest attitude and went to school.

And when I walked into my 1st period classroom, I was in for a shock.  Everyone gathered around me, expressing sympathy for me and outrage at the person who had hurt me.  I found out that day I had more friends than I thought, and let my walls down a little, slowly letting people back in.

Instead of railing against God ala 'why did you let this happen to me?', I clung to him, believing he was going to get me through this and everything would smooth out.

And it did; I developed the tough skin I have today, to put my work out there for criticism.  I also learned to be humble.  My affliction came at a time when I was getting a swelled head from certain attentions.  If this hadn't happened, who knows what kind of person I'd be today?

Things happen for a reason.  And my faith saved me 33 years ago, and got me back on track.  In a sense, I was lucky, because I had parents who refused to let me give into self-pity and who brought me up with godly principles.  The only thing I'm seeing from the Catholic teachings is a bunch of false guilt.  Every time something happens to my spouse, he assumes God's mad at him.  I wasn't brought up that way at all, but 50+ years of this teaching has him convinced.  He was never taught to read the Bible, never taught to pray directly to Jesus.  And more importantly, was never taught that he is loved unconditionally.  He feels he has to 'earn' his way in.

Even when he crossed over, he feels 'rejected', because he was sent back 3 times.  He doesn't see it as 'we're not ready for you; it's not your time'.  Rather, he feels it was God (or the saints, maybe?) saying 'We don't want you.'

And that's a tragedy.

Hump Day Hook #8

Currently Reading:  Finished Closing Costs last night and was a little disappointed by the time jumps and a crucial point to the plot.  I can understand her fear, but jeez!  Why hold someone at arm's length for nine years?  I guess there are some extremely stubborn women out there.  Now on to Cinderella:  Demon Tale by Kerrianne Coombs.    I won this in a contest last month, so thought I'd give it a try.

For more Hump Day Madness, go here.

This is from my zombie story.  Enjoy:)

 “Assistance needed at 2600 Mulberry…officer down.  Repeat, officer down.  2600 Mulberry.”

            

Cam looked at Wade.  “Isn’t that the hospital?”

            

Their captain opened his office door.  “Record, you and McPhearson go and assist if needed at Union Hospital.  Their security guard is down and so is the first unit which responded.  Something fishy’s going on over there.”

           

  “On our way.”  Cam saved his file and activated his screen saver.  He made sure he had ample ammunition and noticed Wade checking his supply too.  They returned to their car and drove toward the hospital.

           

  “Unit 42, proceed with caution; repeat, caution.  Large crowd reported in parking lot.”

           

  “Roger that.” Cam replaced the microphone.  “What the hell is going on?”

           

  “Almost reminds me of the Twilight Zone.  Do you suppose we need the riot gear?”

Happy Birthday to my Spousal Unit of nearly 22 years:)  He's the Big 5-9!!!

Tuesday Happenings

First of all, come over to RB4U, where I'm interviewing Caitlyn from Endless Love.  Things got slightly testy, but I hope you enjoy it!

Secondly, you're wondering what the answers were to the scavenger hunt were, aren't you?

1)  Elicia does the strip-tease for Wayne.

2)  Amy received a free ticket, then decided to surprise Matt with a visit.

3)  Keri initiated the cake incident by dabbing icing on his nose and chin.

4)  Gretchen's reading Danielle Steele's Kalaidescope.

5)  Caitlyn is an Education major.

Bonus Question:
Elicia-Eric

Amy-Matt

Keri-Kyle

Gretchen-Troy

Caitlyn-Bryan

Extra Bonus:  Jimmy Thomas is the hunky cover male cover model:)

And congratulations to Melissa Keir, winner of her choice of books:)

Flashback Friday and Release Day!

Currently Reading:  I'm loving Midnight Sun!!  Even though I'm only halfway through it, I'm going to go ahead and call it a Recommended Read:)

March 1993:
The weather was getting warmer; I would take all three kids outside for walks and to let the 5 y/o run.  One day, little B and I were working a puzzle and I realized the two babies were being awfully quiet.  I got up to look for them and found them in my bedroom.

They were sitting in front of my bookshelves, with a pile of paperbacks beside 7 m/o T, who had learned to crawl.  As I watched, 15 m/o K took a book from the shelf, flipped through it, then handed it to T, who glanced at the cover, then added it to his pile.  I should have grabbed my camera!  But since they weren't tearing up the books, I quietly left them to their task, and went back to finish the puzzle with B.  And by the time we'd finished the puzzle, the babies had made their way back to K's room.  I checked my room; they had cleared an entire row of double-stacked paperbacks.  None were ripped or torn; I closed the door and peeped in on them playing with K's toys.

At the end of the month, K and I packed a suitcase and drove to Mountain View, Arkansas to spend a week with little T and his mom B at B's mother's house.  After an 11 hour drive, we arrived.  Over the next week, we'd enjoy a concert at the Hoedown; shop the Bentonville Super Walmart (they hadn't arrived in our area yet; Walmart was just everything except food) and gently corrected B's little brother when he exclaimed, "Sissy!  Look at those huge crawdads!"  He'd obviously never seen lobsters before, lol!  We had a good time and took lots of pictures.


*******
Present Day

Are You Ready For A Scavenger Hunt?
All you have to do is answer five (I goofed yesterday!) easy questions and email me the answers.  I'll pick a winner on Monday, since I'll be out of town tonight, and I'll be sleep-deprived on Sunday due to singing at the 8am service, then attending a friend's performance of the Evil Stepmother in Cinderella.  And yes, pictures will be provided next week.

All answers can be found on the excerpt pages at top right.  Ready?  Set.....GO!

1)  Who does Elicia strip-tease for?

2)  Amy decided to surprise Matt in California after she receives what?

3)  Who initiated the cake incident, Kyle or Keri?

4)  What book is Gretchen reading when Joe loses his temper?

5)  What is Caitlyn's major?

BONUS QUESTION:  
Match the girls with the men:
Elicia                                                                           Troy
Amy                                                                            Bryan
Keri                                                                             Eric
Gretchen                                                                      Kyle
Caitlyn                                                                         Matt

Extra Bonus:
Who is the sexy male model on Endless Love's cover?
a) Gerard Butler
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Fabio
d) Jimmy Thomas

Send your answers to storimom2@aol.com and I'll pick a winner on Monday.  What's the prize?  A copy of Endless Love or your choice of my back list:)  There are enough references in each book so they don't necessarily have to be read in order, but isn't that more fun?  LOL!

Arbor University's Scavenger Hunt!

My 5th 'baby' is being released tomorrow!  Are you ready for a scavenger hunt?  All you have to do is answer six easy questions and email me the answers.  I'll pick a winner on Monday, since I'll be out of town tomorrow night, and I'll be sleep-deprived on Sunday due to singing at the 8am service, then attending a friend's performance of the Evil Stepmother in Cinderella.  And yes, pictures will be provided next week.

All answers can be found on this blog (if you'll notice, I've added excerpt pages at top right, and yes, I even updated them!)  I'll repost them again tomorrow, so you have plenty of time.  Ready?  Set.....GO!

1)  Who does Elicia strip-tease for?

2)  Amy decided to surprise Matt in California after she receives what?

3)  Who initiated the cake incident, Kyle or Keri?

4)  What book is Gretchen reading when Joe loses his temper?

5)  What is Caitlyn's major?

BONUS QUESTION:  
Match the girls with the men:
Elicia                                                                           Troy
Amy                                                                            Bryan
Keri                                                                             Eric
Gretchen                                                                      Kyle
Caitlyn                                                                         Matt

Extra Bonus:
Who is the sexy male model on Endless Love's cover?
a) Gerard Butler
b) Robert Downey Jr
c) Fabio
d) Jimmy Thomas

Send your answers to storimom2@aol.com and I'll pick a winner on Monday.  What's the prize?  A copy of Endless Love or your choice of my back list:)  There are enough references in each book so they don't necessarily have to be read in order, but isn't that more fun?  LOL!

Looking Ahead

Currently Reading:  Finally finished Desperation Point and OMG...what a roller coaster of 'who do you trust' and survival instincts!  Recommended Read for anyone a fan of thrillers.  Now onto Midnight Sun by Kat Martin, and dang it, back to a cold weather setting.  This one takes place in Yukon Territory in NW Canada.  Heroine has just moved into a log cabin with a leaky roof and stopped up modern bathroom, so she has to use the (leaky) outhouse.  No wonder I didn't have any hot flashes when I went to bed last night!  The body wanted warmth, ha ha!

Have you seen this?  Book #6, Searching For Love, is due to be released most likely in April or May:)  I love it when my cover artist and I 'click' and the 1st draft is a 'Yes!  That's my cover!' reaction.


Here's the blurb:  
Stephanie Ridgeman is sick of men.  She's tired of watching her best friends go through heartache and question their goals, all in the name of love.  When she meets a young woman who introduces her to another lifestyle, Steph’s curiosity overwhelms her.  She discovers there are different ways of expressing love, although society shuns her new views.  When she learns her parents disapprove, will it affect her choice?

Jodie Armstrong lost a partner to AIDS the previous year, and is intrigued by the young woman whose friends’ antics rival those of a soap opera. She patiently answers Steph’s hesitant questions concerning her lifestyle choices and encourages Stephanie to follow her heart.  Will Steph ever figure out which world she belongs in, and will her friends accept her decisions?

*****
In case you missed the news yesterday or on Face Book, book #5 has been buffed, polished, spit-shined, and I found two words which Kenzie managed to slip in there, but have now been revised ('You can't say that in a sensual romance!'  'But I thought it needed some spicing up!'  'Keep your hands off my MS....') and is waiting for Friday the 15th, Release Day:)

So tomorrow, I'll post a scavenger hunt.  I'll ask you a few easy questions and then tell you where to send your answers.  On Monday, I'll throw the correct answers in a hat and draw a winner.  If you're selected, you'll receive your choice of my back list.

Why Monday?

Because on Friday, I leave for Madison, IN to attend a huge Author Fair at That Book Place (more details can be found here) and on Sunday, I have to sing at the 8am service.  So I'll most likely be napping or watching my DVR'd shows.  Hopefully, the weather will cooperate and be warm and sunny; I should have lots of pictures to share, and I look forward to meeting more local authors and fans:)

And thank you all who commented yesterday:)  It's nice to know we're not alone in the dreaded 'Can I do this?  Yes you can/No you can't' quandary.

See you tomorrow!

Big Sigh Of Relief!

Currently Reading:  Print:  I'm almost finished with Desperation Point.  The majority of this book takes place in the Arctic, and as one who hates cold, I can't fathom being forced to spend days on a glacier and dodging bullets as well as the elements.  So yeah, I have to read this one in spurts, since the description makes me want to huddle in front of a roaring fire!  And like the other two Dan Brown books I've read, when do these characters get a chance to use the rest room?  Or even eat?

E-book:  Loved Liz Crowe's Sweat Equity, even though I'd forgotten some of the story line of Floor Time.  Recommended Read:)  And now I'm on Closing Costs....and yelling at the characters to 'get over themselves' and 'act adult'.  This is a wonderful, soap opera-kind of series where characters get together, break up, realize they're still in love, get back together, fight, make up, move on, etc.  But now in CC, a Life Changing Moment is happening.  I won't give it away, but it's time for the characters to grow up and act like adults, instead of being stuck in adolescence.  Liz has lots of fans, so if you'd like to try a not-your-typical-HEA, then pick up these books:)



It's no secret I suffer from self-doubt.  Even though I've been doing the publishing thing now for ten years, I've only been doing it with REAL publishing companies for four.  And so when a publishing deadline looms, then passes by without any word from my editor, the following dialogue ran through my head.

"Maybe they aren't going to publish it.  You had to defend your main character three times during the last round of edits; maybe she turned it over to the head editor because you're too hard to work with."

"Maybe the head editor and publisher are trying to find a kind way to tell you this book sucks, and they're pulling your contract."

"Maybe you should give up and work on something else.  You have how many other wips begging to be written?"

And on and on it went.  I was afraid to send out an email, in case my fears were confirmed by a reply, giving a voice to one of the above.  I did a lot of reading; I tried to calm down-after all, I have had people say they enjoy my books-and concentrate on family stuff.  But in the back of my mind, there was always this doubt.

And the weather didn't help.  It snowed.  The day the spouse and I were to enjoy a day to ourselves up in Indianapolis, the youngling's school was cancelled, and we ended up taking him with us.  Thankfully, he behaved himself, and the three of us had a good time.  But I was angry, depressed, and tried not to show it too much.  I was mad at circumstances beyond my control.

And getting online didn't help, for many of my friends were touting their new releases.  I was supportive, but slightly irritated when a submissions editor treated me like a newbie.  Calm down; she has how many submissions per day?  Breathe....

Over the weekend, I indulged myself and stayed in my pj's until 5pm, watching my DVR'd shows.  And on Sunday, when we had to move the clocks forward, it was as if my attitude shifted also.  Plus the familar story of the Prodigal Son at church bolstered my spirits.  I sent up a prayer that whatever happened was in His Hands, and I would accept it.

I decided before going to bed that night to check my email 'one more time'.  And there, lo and behold, was my Proof Copy.  I opened it up, and there at the top was a comment:  "Very Well Written Story'   I was so happy, and so relieved, I almost cried.  I desperately needed that affirmation, and it was as if a huge weight had lifted from my shoulders.

Despite my issues with getting up an hour earlier than my body clock claims, I had a pretty good day yesterday, making minor changes to my MS, emailing back and forth to my editor, and even have a new release date of this Friday, March 15th.  Which means tomorrow I'll post the Scavenger Hunt.  Instead of having a week-long contest, I'll leave it up for two days, then pick a winner when I get home from the Author Fair this weekend.  I'll tell you more about it tomorrow.

And The Winner Is.....

                              Flossie Benton Rogers!

Congratulations and thank you to all who participated/commented:)

I'll be busy the next several days as I copy/paste all the delicious recipes into my newly-created dessert file!

Have a great day and I should be back later today.  With this stupid daylight savings time, my body's not ready to wake up yet.

Friday Flashback and Just Desserts Blog Hop:)

Currently Reading:  Finished The Manhattan Hunt Club and really enjoyed it!  And was surprised by one of the villains.  If you're a fan of thrillers, pick this one up!  Recommended Read.  Began Lush Velvet Nights, but was soon confused.  I had to put it aside; there are too many other books demanding my attention right now.  I'll re-read this one at a later date.  Shut Up and Kiss Me by Mysti Holiday was a short, hot read:)  Recommended Read.  I'm now on Star Crash by Elysa Hendricks and am very much enjoying:)  Imagine if you were captured by aliens and forced to live in a 'zoo'.  Very entertaining:)  I also finished Kat Martin's Scent of Roses and LOVED it:)  Recommended Read:)


March 1983:
Our basketball team lost in the sectional round of the IHSAA tournament.  And when a few of my 1st grade boys discovered I was friendly with a few of the players, they asked me to get autographs for them.  B was amused by it, but agreed to sign the scraps of paper and get the other to do it also.

******
Present Day:
Still no word on my release date.  I'm trying to keep the paranoia down; after all, I do have a contract, and I do have cover art, and everyone involved knows my email address, so I don't feel as if I need to hound them about it.  However, if I haven't heard anything by Monday, I may shoot another email out, asking what's going on.

In the meantime, I'm participating in the SCP Dessert Hop.

Gretchen's Chocolate Cake:
Stir together in large bowl:
2 C flour
2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt

Mix in separate bowl:
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp lemon juice and 1/2 c milk)
1 tsp baking soda

Melt til boiling on stove:
1 C water
2 sticks of butter
3Tbsp baking cocoa

Cool; pour over flour mixture. Add egg mixture and beat well.

Pour into greased 13x9" pan and bake at 350 for 20 mins or until done.

Top with desired icing, or my personal preference, w/o any, it's THAT GOOD!

When I've made this for my friends, it is usually half gone before the cake is even cold.  Take it from a devout chocoholic; this cake needs no icing, and I've even been known to cut the recipe in half, or even down to 1/4 and skip the baking part, indulging in the wet cake mix.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear you....salmonella.  I've been doing this since I was given the recipe at age 15, and have never gotten sick from raw cake mix, or even raw cookie dough.  I dare you; leave some 'extra' in the bowl after you've poured it in the pan and see if I'm right, lol:)  Oh, btw....I never cool the chocolate before adding it.  Maybe it kills the germs?

For more yummy desserts, click on the following links:

Marie Rose Dufour

Dawne Prochilo

Lindsay Downs

Cindy A. Christiansen

Jean Joachim

Sandy Sullivan

M. S. Spencer

Carol Preflatish

Tracey Steinbach

Flossie Benton Rogers

Melissa Keir

Layla Hunter

Sherry Gloag

Raine Delight

Paloma Beck

Kathleen Ball

Colette Saucier

Sarah Cass

Karen Cino

Davee Jones

Layna Pimentel

virginnia De Parte

Dilys Carnie

Jeanine McAdam

Kenzie Michaels

Laurie White

Carolyn Wren

Carolyn Gibbs

Tamara Monteau

Jillian Chantal

Lena Hart

Ginny lynn

Thanks Gretchen....now I need to make this again.  Yes, it is time consuming, but WORTH IT!
A $10 Amazon gift certificate will be awarded to a chosen-at-random comment, so be sure to leave your email address in the comment section!

Hump Day Hook #7

Currently Reading:  Enjoyed the 2nd half of The Manhattan Hunt Club by John Saul better than the first few chapters.  This book began a little grisly, but then morphed into a wonderful tale of survival.  Recommended Read, if you're not squeamish about thrillers.  Next up:  Kat Martin's Scent of Roses.  I'm already five chapters in and finding it hard to put down:)

Want more of Lynne's story?

            

            Shane’s mouth descended on hers again with more intensity than before.  Raw emotion took over.  The sound of someone clearing their throat made her remember where they were.  Embarrassed, she pulled away and stood up.

            “There are too many people in my room; let’s go to yours.”  She zipped her coat and yanked on her gloves, avoiding eye contact with the Resident Assistant who stood near them.

            “Lynne, are you sure?”  Shane captured one of her hands to stop her.

            “There’s only one way to find out if this will work.”  

For more hump day madness, go here.  Enjoy!

*****

In Other News....
Heard back from the 500 Festival person:)  And wouldn't you know it, as soon as she satisfied my questions and hung up, the brain thought up five more?  I'll have to contact her again later today.

In the meantime, I'm out of town until later today.  The spouse has a cardiology appointment, and is also hoping to be able to see his chiropractor first.  So here's hoping the snow melts quickly!

Have a good day and I'll catch up on the posts when I return.

March Reading Schedule

So I guess today's NOT my release day, after all.  Scavenger Hunt will resume tomorrow.  And I'm revising the contest.  So in lieu of today's scheduled post, I've decided to post the books I'm reading.  And I'm still over at Mary's Garden, so come by and say hi!

Currently Reading:  Loved Christmas Babies and am looking forward to Valentine Babies:)  Recommended Read:)  I'm now halfway through The Manhattan Hunt Club by John Saul, and have to read this in small doses, as the content is a bit squeamish for me.  I'm also reading Paris Brandon's Assassin's Kiss.

Print:
Scent of Roses (Kat Martin)  Loved this book!
Deception Point (Dan Brown)  Very good!  RR
Midnight Sun (Kat Martin) Loved it!  RR
Heart on the Line (Judith Arnold)  Fantastic!
Acceptable Risk (Robin Cook)  Good, though not one of his better ones.
Catch Me (Lisa Gardner)
A Light in the Window (Jan Karon)

E-books:
The Teacher’s Billionaire-Christina Tetreault  Recommended Read!!

Lush Velvet Nights-Tina Donahue  Couldn't finish this one; I was confused after 1st chapter.

Shut Up and Kiss Me-(??)  Another RR!  Very Hawt:)
Sweat Equity-Liz Crowe  So-so.  Maybe I need to reread the 1st one.
Closing Costs-L.C.  Very frustrated by time jumps and Sara's attitude toward parenting and Jack.  I mean, come ON!  Nine years of holding him at arm's length and flip-flopping back and forth?  Find this hard to believe would ever happen.
Cinderella Demon Hunter-Kerrianne Coombs  Very enjoyable!  Now want to read 1st one and others!
Forbidden Love-(??) Interesting take on 'human meets alien-falls in love with alien'.  Though I'd question a few of the details (shudder!)
Star Crash-(??)  LOVED this book!  DRR!
Hearts in Darkness-Laura Kaye  Loved this one!
Burning Love- Sable Hunter Very good!
Accidental Romance- Jessica E. Subject  REALLY LOVED this!  RR!
Turkish Delights, et al -L.C.

Publishing Efforts:
I sent off book #7, Love Weighs In, and have been told I'll know more in about a month.  And I'll admit to some confusion over today.  I thought I'd receive my next round of edits late last week, then the proof copy, and we'd be on track for release today.  But radio silence, until I emailed my editor, who said it's in the hands of the head editor.  So....are they reconsidering the publication?  Trying to figure out how to tell me they're not comfortable with my portrayal of Caitlyn?  Wish I knew what was going on.  I really wanted this to be released today, given it's my soul mate's birthday.  So we'll just wait and see.  I still haven't received anything for book #6 yet.  And I sent off that cover request sheet months ago.  So all I can do (short of hounding my cover artist/editor/publisher, lol...) is simply pray things are going smoothly, and keep writing:)

Release Week Contest!

Endless Love is due to release tomorrow:)  In the off chance it gets pushed back another week (I'm still waiting on final edits and proof copy), then this will be a 'Pre-Release Party', and all the names will go into a hat for next week.  Just giving you a head's up:)

Ready to start your scavenger hunt?  Each day I'll post a question and the answer can be found on either the pages of this blog, my website, Kenzie's blog, or my FB page.  And since this week I'm also featured over at Mary's Garden, you can try over there.  Don't worry; the questions will be easy, and you should be able to figure out where to go.

At the end of each day, I'll draw a random winner, so leave your email address AND the format you'd like your book (kindle, nook, pdf) in the comment section.

Question #1:  In my interview with Mary, I mentioned I have a YA book in the works.  What natural disaster  is it based on?

And for your reading enjoyment, here's a an except from Book #1, Love On The Rocks:


Elicia discovered her class load began to be harder and more stressful. By the end of the first month, her business math and accounting classes had her so frustrated she wanted to scream. Brent tried to help her but became frustrated by her incomprehension.

"You may just have to drop it, babe, and retake it. I don't know what else to tell you, other than to see if you can find a better tutor."

Elicia groaned and leaned back against the wall. "My dad's not going to be happy about this. Why didn't I pay closer attention?" She pushed her hands through her hair. "I guess I have no choice. Accounting is not that hard, but for some reason, the math is just beyond me. And if the professor wasn't so damn boring, it would be easier to stay awake in class."

Brent laughed. "You've fallen asleep in class?"

Elicia glared at him and sat up. "Only once, and it was with my eyes open." She reached forward and shut the textbook. "I'll see if it's too late to get a tutor tomorrow. Got anything in the fridge?"

Brent tossed her a beer. "Little early for you, isn't it?"

"I don't care." Elicia popped the tab. "I'm tired of studying, tired of trying to understand it, and I just want to unwind." She took a drink then cocked her head to one side. "You know, I really wish I could just take life easy for a while, instead of constantly having to hit the books. But no, I have to study hard, make good grades, and get a job downtown in a good company, so my dad can be proud of me." She tipped the can to her lips and giggled. "It's funny, no matter how hard I try it's never good enough for him. I dated the quarterback, the fucking star of the class, but did he care? No. I made the top ten in my class, and all he said was, 'you should have been valedictorian.' I brought my econ grade up a few points, and he's going, 'you should have made the Dean's list like Diana.' Well I say fuck the Dean's list, and fuck Diana." She crumpled the beer can and tossed it into the wastebasket. "And you know what they're gonna say when and if I ever show them the pin and tell them about you? Dad's going to say, 'he's not good enough for you,' or else he'll accuse you of doing only God knows what." She stood and walked to the refrigerator. "That's why Jeff is up at Notre Dame. Daddy wanted to get us as far away as possible from each other and threatened to pull the scholarship if he even so much as contacted me again."

Brent’s mouth hung open. "Why did he do that?" He blinked. "He...he actually threatened the guy? That's insane!"

Elicia opened another beer. "Yup. Right now your only saving factor is that number one, you're in law school, and number two, Daddy doesn't know you exist yet."

Brent shook his head. "I can't believe...what does your dad do, that he's got that much influence?"

Elicia looked at him. "He's on the Board of Education, didn't I tell you?"

"Whew," Brent sounded relieved. "I thought for a moment he was a congressman or some high official."

"I thought I told you." Elicia drained her beer can. "All my life, Dad's always harped on education this, education that. Grades, grades, grades. That's all I hear. Sometimes I think I was born into the wrong family. Why can't I have a social life as well? 'Because it might distract you from your studies.' Humph," she snorted. "And I thought going to college was supposed to be fun."

"It is. And you're having a good time, aren't you?"

"Yes, until report card time." She slid off the bed. "I'll be able to bluff my way through about this month, because all I'll have to say was I was upset about the Dolphin's losing the Super Bowl. Dad will understand; he's a Dan Marino fan." She threw her beer can into the trashcan. "I'm going back to the room. I'll see you later." Tossing her backpack over her shoulder, she departed.

Buy link:  http://store.sweetcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&cPath=31&products_id=7

See you tomorrow! Good luck:)

Flashback Friday

Currently Reading:  Thank god I only have four more chapters to go in The Prize!  I'm sorry, but this one is a bit dreary.  I AM enjoying Christmas Babies, though!


March 1973:
My best friend K was the next victim of chicken pox, and had a light case.  I remember coaxing my mother to buy the new John Denver LP for her, since we both loved 'Take Me Home Country Road'.  And since I'd had the chicken pox, I was allowed to visit her during her confinement.

My mother took a spill that month.  She'd come home early, but had fallen, and a neighbor took her to the hospital.  I remember being excited at the sight of her car in the driveway, but being told to go to the babysitter's, since she wasn't actually there.  Which disappointed me.  Mom turned out to be okay, and came home a few hours later.

Next Month:  Boy Crazy At This Age???

********
Present Day:
Happy 9th birthday to my youngest!!!!

Are You Ready For Another Party?
Endless Love will be releasing next Tuesday, March 5th, so I thought we'd have some fun.  Ready for an Arbor U Trivia Contest?  Relax; even if you haven't read any of the first four books, the answers will be easy to find.  This is just the 'Staging Area' post; you have the weekend to read the excerpt pages on this blog, visit my website and the RB4U site, and even Kenzie's blog.  The contest will run next week from Monday to Friday, and prizes will be awarded daily, along with a Grand Prize winner selected at random after 8pm on Friday.  See?  Just comment with the correct answer and you're entered.  Easy-peasy:)

So have fun with this, and I'll see you back here on Monday:)  I'll also have the Reading List up.