More Pics and a WTF Moment...

Here is my daughter S and her friend A with Jake, our 'favorite' waiter at the hotel restaurant. He fixed us hot chocolate in the mornings with plenty of whipped cream and swirls of chocolate and caramel:)

The girls were initially embarrassed when I asked them to pose with him, but after this picture was taken, A said, "God he's sooooo cute!"

S replied, "He smelled sooooo good too!"




K's cake...I didn't care if it was going to upset his current scoutmaster; I wanted BOTH troop numbers honored! K was already upset he had to change his shoulder patches to reflect the new council and troop numbers. He earned most of his badges in #219, anyway, and gave him the solid foundation, and the motivation, for his chosen academic program.






K with his Troop #219 Scoutmaster, Mr. D. K also gave him the 'Mentor' pin. If his other Scoutmaster, Mr. C, had been able to attend (He was headed to Florida with his family for Spring Break), he would have also been given the 'Mentor' pin.













K and his Troop #203 Scoutmaster, Mrs. 'Grandma' B (I swear I'm not making this up; I just noticed their last names are B, C, and D!).

The other Eagle Scouts in the troop have been her grandsons, and they've all given her the 'Mentor' pins. I hope there are no hard feeling because K chose to honor someone else.





WTF? DID YOU SEE THIS??
There's a push to 'retire' Ronald McDonald.

"He's contributing to childhood obesity..."

Huh? Last time I checked, young children weren't allowed to drive themselves to the fast-food restaurant. And if parents are soooooo weak they cave to their child's 'demands', then blame the parents, not the franchise. And I don't know about you, but I don't know of any housing development which has a McD's in its midst; most are several blocks away. My child is not allowed to walk that far unless he's with an adult or a teenager.

Thankfully, McD's isn't giving in to this bullsh*t. We've already lost Lucky, Cuckoo, Tony (although I think he's still in the commercials???), and the Fruit Loop bird. You can still see Snap, Crackle, and Pop in the Rice Krispy Treat commercials. Must we lose all our beloved cereal icons, just because parents have forgotten it's OKAY to say 'NO' to their kids?

Insane.

Spring Break, Eagle Scout Ceremony, and Good News!

Remember these pictures of the body slide at Buccaneer Bay last year?

This is what it looks like from the inside...You climb the stairs and get into the tube at the top....














And it takes you outside the building, turning three times before it spits you back out inside...













My little one discovered he was tall enough to go down it, and LOVED it!












This is W, after he came down it the third or fourth time. The second time, he went underwater and decided to join me in the hot tub for a few. And then he found a group of kids and they spent two hours running up the stairs and sliding down.









(I had a picture disappear on me; I'll post it tomorrow!)
This is Kazuko Sato, the Japanese lady my dad chauffeurs around, since she has macular degeneration. She's also the author of Memories I Choose To Keep, and she was the Guest Speaker at my mom's Young At Heart group. I joke she only comes up to my dad's elbow...I took this pic of her with my parents and discovered she's just slightly below Dad's shoulder! But she also had high heels on, so maybe in her bare feet she's barely at his elbow?

She was thrilled to see me, and to learn my books are doing well.









This is my son K, a brand new Eagle Scout, getting his official badge from his scoutmaster, 'Grandma' B.











And here is me, trying not to cry as K pins the 'Mom' pin on me. My eyes were blurred with tears as I turned to go, and thought 'Oh dear Lord...don't let me fall down these stairs!'








So last week was alternately relaxing, fun, stressful, and ended on a high note. Tomorrow I'll post pics from the reception.

Good News!
I received an email from my publisher concerning Book #3 of Forbidden Love:
(My Q in query letter: Just let me know if it has potential?)
A: It absolutely does. You'll need some cleaning up, but what I've read so far has a lot of potential.

Yay! Now to clean it up...I finished writing it back in 1996 or 7; decided to cut the last two chapters and rewrite the ending in 2007; Cut the first six chapters and re-worked the beginning in 2009...Keri is extremely put out with me. BUT, I had waaaay too much overlap. That's what happens when your write the books out of order, sigh:)

Anyone else have this problem, or decide to rewrite a story and have your characters yelling at you to stop it?

Currently Reading: I LOVED Regina Carlysle's Edge of Nowhere!!!!!! Definite Recommended Read for this entire shifter series! Now I'm on Ch 5 of Dakota Rebel's Mitch:)

Print book: Also reading Married Lovers by Jackie Collins.

Terrific Tuesday with Margay Leah Justice:)

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

Hello, my name is Margay Leah Justice and I am the author of Nora’s Soul, a story about one woman’s struggle with faith who becomes a pawn in the struggle between two factions of angels, one light and one dark.


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

Not in a horror story sense, but yes. I think it scared me because it hit so close to home for me.


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

See question above! Yes, I have, in a few stories that are still in the process of being written/rewritten.


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

It depends upon the book and its theme. For historicals, I would do a vast amount of research to make sure that I got it right. Same goes for stories with paranormal themes, such as magic or shapeshifting. Usually, I research first and then write, but I have stopped in the process of writing to do more research.


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

I don’t think there’s a specific message. I try not to moralize or preach to readers; I try to get them to think for themselves about the themes I write about. But I would like for them to look at things from different angles in my stories and, most important, I want them to enjoy what they’re reading.


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

I am usually a plotter. In fact, I plot in such detail sometimes that I often refer to it as my first draft. I have gone the pantser way for a couple of stories, though, and that was interesting. When I have gone the pantser root, the story did take on a life of its own, but in a good way.


How long did it take for you to be published?

I have been trying, some times harder than others, to be published for at least ten years.


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

Don’t stop trying to achieve your dream because one person said no. Keep on going until someone says yes. Don’t let anyone take that dream away from you. (It’s something I have to remind myself of to this day!)

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

I do still write some in pen and ink, but for the most part, it’s the laptop now. My must haves are coffee, a block of quiet time and a story I’m passionate about writing.


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

Julia Quinn, Jane Austen, Sabrina Jeffries, Luanne Rice, Adriana Trigianni, Jude Devereaux, Lisa Kleypas, to name just a few! I think Jude Devereux was a big influence on me growing up. I used to write nothing but medieval love stories when I was younger because of her, but they never materialized into anything. Might have to revisit them someday…


What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

I share my name with a cat. Of course my mother didn’t know this when she named me, but my name (the nickname of a relatives’ girlfriend, derived from Marygail) is also the name of a wild, South American cat similar to the ocelot.

For Fun:
What is your favorite Spring Break vacation?

A book! Let the young kids have Florida and what not, I’d rather read.

Favorite St. Patrick’s Day memory or ritual? (ie: Do you wear green? Fix corned beef and cabbage? Speak with an Irish dialect for fun?)

Definitely the corned beef and cabbage. My mother fixes a mean corned beef and cabbage!

I’m a March Madness fan. Do you follow the college basketball tournaments? If so, who’s your favorite team?

No, not much of a basketball fan in general. But give me the Patriots and I’m there.

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

Thank you so much for having me! It’s been fun. You can find my book on Amazon.com. For further information, you can find me at http://margayleahjustice.com and http://moonlightlacemayhem.blogspot.com/

Blurb for Nora's Soul:
When angels of light and dark collide on earth...

Once he held a favored position in the heavens. But one moment of weakness casts Dante out and now he is cursed to walk the earth, collecting the souls of vulnerable women to buy his way into hell.

All hell breaks loose...

But standing in his way is Peter, an angel of light. Peter is everything Dante is not. Pure, above reproach. And determined to prevent Dante from achieving his goals. Peter will stop at nothing to protect the souls in his charge, even if it means achieving the impossible - leading Dante back onto the right path.

And no one is safe from the fall-out.

Nora Kendall believed in angels. Once. But then she lost her brother to cancer despite all of her prayers - and she lost her faith in all things angelic. Now, she is a lost soul who wanders through life like a sleepwalker, playing it safe and leaving the risk-taking to others.

Kyle Cameron is one of those risks. Burned by a bad marriage, his only concern now is providing a stable life for his children, who are left motherless by the unexpected death of his wife. This means working overtime to grow his architectural firm into a viable business - and leaving the care of his children to the care of someone he trusts. Despite his past connection with Nora, Kyle isn't certain that she's the right person for the job. He also doesn't want to reconnect with her and repeat history.

But fate - and the machinations of two angels - has other ideas.

Excerpt:
“I don’t want there to be any misconceptions or hurt feelings between us, Nora.”
The sound of his harsh voice snapped her attention back to him. “Misconceptions?” she repeated, confused. “About what?”
“About what you and my sister expect is going to happen here.”
“I don’t – “ Her protest died on her lips when he placed a fingertip over them, silencing her. She nearly choked on a shallow breath at the fireball of sensation that roared down to the pit of her stomach at that minute touch. Thankfully, he withdrew the finger before she could do anything really damaging to her pride – like suck it into her mouth – but the fiery sensation lingered in her stomach, quietly banking a fire of old sensations into full life.
“I don’t need a social secretary,” he said, seemingly unaware of her reaction to him. “If I did need a secretary, I’d find one through a headhunter, not my sister.”
“Okay.”
“And I certainly wouldn’t take one whose background is in social services.”
“Well, then, it’s a good thing I’m not here to be your secretary.”
“Good. Now that we’ve got that established, let’s move on.”
“Please do.”
Kyle ignored that last comment as he launched into his speech. As he spoke, he made a leisurely circle about Nora, pausing to lean toward her in punctuation of each sentence.
“I’m not looking for a wife or a new mother for my children – “
“I’m not – “
“ – so if that’s the little scheme you’ve got going with my sister, you can just forget about it now.”
“I don’t have any ‘little scheme’ going with Joelle - or anyone else, for that matter!”
“Glad to hear it,” Kyle said, his tone belying his words. “Let’s move on, shall we?”
“Oh, please do.”
“I live alone. I like that.”
His breath skimmed her right ear as he leaned in close to her, front to front. She tried not to shudder at the pleasurable sensation it sent shimmering down her neck and into her stomach, where it joined the fire still banked there. She feared that she failed miserably. She almost didn’t hear his next words in the aftermath of the sensations he aroused in her.
“I throw my clothes on the floor when I undress.” He slipped around her right shoulder, but circled close to it – too close. “I leave the toilet seat up. I squeeze toothpaste from the middle. I sleep in the nude.” He leaned over her shoulder. His lips pressed to her ear, his breath searing a path down the left side of her neck now that, oddly enough, brought chills to her spine. “I like that.”
As the chills rippled through her, Nora swayed, slightly off-balance. Kyle righted her equilibrium with a quick, painless jab of his knees to the backs of hers. Then he pulled back, abruptly, completed his circle as he drilled home his point. “I don’t want anyone picking up my clothes. I don’t want anyone putting down the toilet seat or telling me where to squeeze my toothpaste.” He paused to quirk his lips in what could almost pass for a smile at the suggestive statement. “And I don’t want anyone buying me silk pajamas. I don’t want to be reformed.” He leaned his face so close to Nora’s then that his features filled her entire realm of vision. “Got that?”
Well, of all the arrogant, insufferable – ! Nora was trembling with rage by the conclusion of Kyle’s little speech. Just who the hell did he think he was, anyway, making demands like that?
“That’s what I missed about you all these years, Kyle,” she said with hard-won calm. “That charming personality.”
Kyle smiled then, but it was just a flexing of the muscles; there was no warmth to it. He leaned nearer to Nora, the tip of his nose in a position to touch hers should either of them make the slightest movement. It was an oddly intimate pose; a slight twist to the left, or a slight twist to the right, and their lips would be touching, even if no other parts of their bodies were. But the heat of his body – emanating from his skin in a wonderfully male scent that reminded her of warm summer days at the beach – did touch her; like a brand, searing another impression of him on her heart. The urge to melt into him wasn’t as hard as the urge to pull away; it took all of her strength to resist it. Oh, no, she wouldn’t give him that.
“Oh, I can be very charming.” He dropped the smile. “Or not.” Withdrawing, he stared down his nose at her, pointed a finger toward her collarbone. “Your choice. Just remember this – I don’t want to be seduced.”
“Oh, I don’t think there’s any chance of that,” Nora said, her voice so thick with sarcasm she nearly choked on it. She thought she detected a flicker of something – admiration, perhaps – in his eyes when she stated, “I’m here to take care of your children’s needs, not yours.” But whatever she thought she saw in his eyes was gone before she could name it. Must be my imagination, she decided.
“See that you remember that.”
“Oh, I will.”
They faced off for an eternal moment, two battle-scarred warriors at an emotional impasse. Each waiting for the other to flinch first. When that didn’t happen, they simultaneously relaxed their stances, as if by some silent agreement.
Kyle took a wary step backward. His eyes never left her face. “Good. Then there’s nothing left to discuss. Is there?”
“Just one thing,” she said when he would’ve turned away. She ignored the annoyed look he cast over his shoulder as he paused on his flight up the stairs. She started down the hall toward the sounds of merriment emanating from the kitchen, but paused when she came abreast of Kyle on the stairs. “I take my responsibilities very seriously.” She hesitated, for effect, then drove the statement home with, “All of them.” And then she was gone, leaving Kyle to stare after her in wonder.

Nora’s Soul, by Margay Leah Justice
http://margayleahjustice.com
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1935171216/ref=cm_pdp_arms_dp_1

Update

The surgery went well! Now the only problem is getting him to stay in bed. The danger is, gravity will pull those stitches out of his eye. He's supposed to stay in bed, on his right side or prone, for the next three weeks. Pretty hard to do, considering this man astounded his nurses seven years ago by asking to sit in a chair, twelve hours after his heart surgery!

We're headed to Evansville again for a post-op appointment. I'll update tomorrow.

Eagle Scout Court of Honor went well:) I'm slowly getting the pics loaded onto my FaceBook page. Maybe tomorrow will be a little less crazy around here and I'll be able to post pics. So come back tomorrow for the Tuesday's Terrific Author:)

Sorry To Post And Run...

Arrived home and found myself in the middle of a crisis. Long story short, I've got the SU's eye surgery tomorrow, so we had to drive to his pipeline school to get his things. Stop at favorite stock-up store for canned goods. Dropped off old BSA pictures to be developed; they're on 35mm film, which Walmart no longer will process. Fortunately, there's a Kodak store who will very nicely convert old film to digital! Unfortunately, I could not do all four rolls; that would take a week, and I need the prints by Sunday. So I took off my glasses and looked at the index prints (thank GOD I had those made!) and selected the pictures I needed. Cost: $6 and ready in an hour. We went to lunch.

Add to this running around rain and wind. NOT fun. And since I'd overslept this morning, had to forego a shower until around 5pm.

And now I'm finally getting around to checking everything, and it occurred to me that my basketball games are on tonight! And since I have no idea when or if I'll even be home tomorrow, here's the Regional Picks:

Today:
Kentucky WIN:)
Washington Lost:(
Butler WIN:)
Xavier Lost:(

50/50...let's see how Friday's games go...

Friday:
Michigan St WIN:)
Ohio St Lost
Purdue (Duke...) Duke won....
Baylor WIN:)

Saturday:
Butler WIN:)
Kentucky Lost:(

Sunday:
Michigan St WIN:)
Baylor (Duke...) Duke won...

50/50 again...I'd love to see a Butler/Duke matchup in the finals! Do ya think Michigan St will fail to show up again, ala last year?? Check back next week!

As soon as I can, I'll post updates on the SU's condition. Keep him in your prayers; we want his vision to be normal!

Terrific Tuesday with Elaine Hopper:)

Welcome! Please introduce yourself and tell us about your latest release.
Thank you for inviting me into your cyber house. I always have a good time on your site.

My first sweet romance in a long time, "Always A Bridesmaid", releases Wednesday March 24, 2010 by The Wild Rose Press at:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/always-a-bridesmaid-p-3940.html

Here's the blurb:
Hell has finally frozen over. After nine long years, Breanna Parker has come home to be her sister's maid of honor. Just her luck that the first person she runs into is her ex-fiance, Troy Youngwolf—the man who eloped with her ex-best friend and broke her heart. Now a widowed father and sheriff of their Florida home town, sexy bad boy Troy wants another chance and won't take no for an answer. However, every time Breanna looks at Troy or his little girl, her heart breaks anew. She can hardly wait for her sister to get hitched so she can escape back to her urban family in Ft. Lauderdale. The risk is too high that Troy may discover her most closely held secret, one with the potential to destroy them both…perhaps this time forever.


Just a fun little piece of history about this book - it began as a sequel for one of my spicy romances, but the characters and the story called for it to be sweet. Breanna, the heroine in this story, wasn't about to get intimate with this hero again without a wedding ring on her finger, so I changed the names and the rest of the story spun out.

Have you ever had an idea for a story which scared you after you began writing it?
One of my spicy romances is a vampire romance. I wanted to learn about vampires so I joined some vampire loops to find out how they think, act, and speak among other research. My critique partner thought I was putting myself into danger and was scared for me, even though I used a pseudonym.


Have you incorporated actual events from your own life into your books?
Yes. Events in my life have inspired stories. Also events in my genealogy have inspired books.

Years ago, my oldest child was suspended from school because he hacked into the vice principal's computer and changed his password to "Jack Ass". The VP was furious! I was shaking in my high heels. Everybody else thought it was hilarious. Thus, a romantic comedy was born, inspired by that incident. Unfortunately, the book "Next To Forever" is out of print.

How much research do you do? Do you research first and then write, or do you write first, then research as needed?
Some of both. Sometimes I research a lot before beginning a book. Other times, a new idea will come to me in the middle of writing and take me off on a new tangent. Thus I may research as I write.


Is there any message you want readers to take from reading your work?
I've recently realized that my stories are sometimes cathartic. They are often about forgiveness and redemption, about getting and giving second chances, about growing and maturing. Thus, I hope my readers will walk away from my stories with a feeling of hope for a better future, not just about love with a soul mate but love for self, love for others, and love for life.

Are you a plotter or a pantser? And have you ever had a story take on a life of its own?
I'm usually a pantser and I think I already answered your second question, above. LOL. Yes, my stories often take on a life of their own. It's more fun for me that way. I know the beginning, the end (usually) but don't always take the straightest route to it.


How long did it take for you to be published?
I started writing my first romance story while I was in college. I graduated with my BS degree in 1988, so I suppose you could say I began around 1987. I didn't get really serious about writing until the mid 1990's and I was published in 1999 by New Concepts Publishing whom I met at an RWA conference in Florida. Thus about five or six years.


If you could go back and tell yourself anything when you first began your writing career, what would you say?
To practice more balance in my life. I was so obsessed with writing, I didn't take time to exercise or take care of myself. One day I woke up and had gained a LOT of weight and felt old before my time.

Laptop or pen and ink? What are your ‘must-haves’ when writing?
Today, I used pen and ink. When I get really stuck, I usually do that.

However, I often take my laptop to Borders or the library and write there on it. Sometimes, especially at the ball field during my daughter's ball games, I write on my alpha smart.

I like variety. I don't like to do things the same way all the time.

Who are your favorite authors? Who would you say influenced you the most?
I'm not sure who influenced me the most. Some of the writers I like are Sheryl Woods, Merline Lovelace, Holly Jacobs, Stephen King, and Stephen White.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?
That's hard. I've conducted so many interviews I've already told everything about me. I have an MBA, am a customer service manager, am a disabled vet with hearing loss, a mom with five children, married 30 years, am a huge cat lover, and am a Trekkie. I hate asparagus, tuna, and sauerkraut. Let's see - my favorite movie is Mulan and I watched it so many times my kids (who were still little at the time) begged me to stop watching it.

What is your favorite Spring Break vacation?
Well, it was really wild. I went on a road trip to Ft. Lauderdale with my girl friends. We met a bunch of rowdy college guys who had a lot of clambakes on the beach. Elvis fell out of love with Mary Ann somebody, a former beauty queen, and fell for me instead.

Oh shoot! That's my favorite Elvis movie about Spring Break.

Honestly, I've never been wild and I don't drink although I used to love to go to the disco and dance 'til the wee hours.

When I was in college I was married with three children so my spring breaks were filled with diapers and Big Bird, so I've got to reach back to high school. One year it was pretty warm in Ohio during Spring Break. My friends and I hung out at Winston Woods (a big park in Cincinnati) on the lake a lot.

Now, if you say summer break, it would have to be boating and water skiing on the Ohio River with my dad when I was a teenager.

Favorite St. Patrick’s Day memory or ritual?
About five years ago, I sprayed green hair color on my hair, glued on my elf ears from the Renaissance Fair, and went to work as a leprechaun. My coworkers and I had a St. Patty's Day lunch as well.

This year, everybody wanted to pinch me on St. Patty's Day. I FORGOT to wear green. I wore an all pink suit. I didn't have a lick of green on. I tried to buy some kind of green cookies or cupcakes that morning to take to my co-workers, but the grocery store I stopped at didn't have any. I'm not big on corned beef so didn't think about making corned beef and cabbage for my family until after we ate. I promised them I will next year, of if they like, sooner.

I’m a March Madness fan. Do you follow the college basketball tournaments? If so, who’s your favorite team?
No, not at all. Is "March Madness" a basketball term? I'm clueless. I'm like my dad - I like to play sports, not watch them, with the exception of watching my kids play a sport. My older daughter loves basketball. That was never my sport, however. That said, occasionally I like to watch baseball, especially when the Cincinnati Reds come to town or I get home to Cincinnati.


Thank you for being here today! Please tell us where we can find your books.
"Always A Bridesmaid" releases Wednesday March 24, 2010 at The Wild Rose Press at:

http://www.thewildrosepress.com/always-a-bridesmaid-p-3940.html

"So You Want To Marry My Mom", a paranormal romantic comedy will release the week of July 4, 2010 from Amber Quill Press.

My blog is at:

http://www.elaineannhopper.blogspot.com

On Twitter I'm: @elaine_hopper

Thank you for interviewing me and asking me about my books. As always, I've enjoyed chatting with you.

Thanks Molly!

Excerpt:
“So this is how the worldly Breanna behaves in her off-duty hours?” Troy righted Breanna, his hands lingering on her arms.

She stepped back, quelling the desire to rub away his prints. She chafed that Sierra was getting a big head start and she was left alone with Troy. “What are you doing in my house? Daddy’s not home.”

“Is that how you greet your boss? Or your old flame?”

Fire smoldered in Troy’s eyes as mischief danced in his voice. Knowing Sierra was way ahead, she sighed. “What do you want? More memos copied? Someone to pour you a coffee?” she said with saccharine sweetness, vowing to return to college and upgrade her career.

“I stop by periodically to make sure everything’s okay. This is my last stop of the day.” He didn’t move to leave. “Everything okay here?”

Was he daring her to make him leave? She scowled. “Only if you call having a crazed sister okay. Or having my boss intrude on my personal space.”
He didn’t blink, just advanced a step. “Is being around me really that bad? You didn’t used to think so.”

Before she realized his intentions, Troy backed her against the wall and crushed close. He captured her lips in a searing kiss that left her weak-kneed and breathless. Soft hands cupped her face, stilling her head. His hips pinned her to the wall so she couldn’t do more than squirm against his solid frame.

How long they kissed in the hall, she didn’t know. She was powerless to break the kiss—as if she’d been starved for it for years. Shirt balled in her hands, she molded her body to his.

He drew back a short distance. “You can kiss me like that and still say you hate me?”

On Vacation...

Currently Reading: Finished Blue Gold...and everything 'fell' into place finally! Full of action, drama, suspense....but I was disappointed in some spots. I may read this again at a later date. Also read Anny Cook's Larkspur, and now I understand one of her blog posts from last week, concerning 'stranger sex'. Also finished The Oath, Book #3 by Adrianne Brennan. Next up: The final book loaded on my e-reader, Dakota Rebel's Wolf in Men's Clothing! Can you tell I've been lounging at the pool? Thankfully I brought along Lethal Seduction and my father gave me two more John Irving books:)


I know; this is my 3rd 'vacation'. But this time I'm with two of my kids, enjoying an indoor water park.

Come back tomorrow for my interview with the newly published Elaine Hopper:)