Your Birthdate: April 30

You have the type of personality that people either love or hate. You're opinionated, dramatic, intense, and very outspoken. And some people can't get enough of you - they're totally addicted. Others, well, they wish you were a little more reserved. Your strength: Your flair Your weakness: If you think it, you say it Your power color: Scarlet red Your power symbol: Inverted triangle Your power month: March

This time by Cece… Thanks, hun – remember I hold the CC tix – mmm-hmm

20 years ago – I was in the eighth grade. I stayed home sick the day challenger blew up, saw it live and in color – my mouth hung open and I cried all alone in my house – even at 13 I was a sensitive soul! Not much else happened I was just a kid w/ little to no ambition and way too many freckles. (don’t ask me what that means it just sounds right.)

10 years ago – I was preggers w/ boy #2. I had a one-year-old running around and I was dealing with massive morning sickness while I was trying to enroll at TWU – I couldn’t do it due to the barfing so college got put on hold – indefinitely!

5 years ago – I was preggers w/ boy #4. I had one child in kindergarten and two little ones at home. Very little morning sickness with him. I was almost nine months pregnant when 911 happened. I already had a horrible cold and was hoarse and bawling like crazy didn’t help. It was a crazy time, but on a personal it was so-so. I completed two novels while preggers w/ Mini-me – one is my September release due to come out on September 11th believe it or not. (It’s really the 12th which is a Tuesday, but they always release them late Monday here because we have so many over-seas authors that, when it is Tuesday their time, the books are released)

1 year ago – My grandmother got seriously ill – she ended up in the hospital, had wild hallucinations and could not go back home. We lost her a few short months later. Writing wise, I started my blog and all but quit writing. I had pretty much given up, I think. Good thing I didn’t quit completely. Oh and I saw that a super cool gal liked Chris Cagle too and come to find out he was in town so I worked up the nerve to ask if she wanted to go to the concert with me…

1 month ago – I celebrated the release of my first book, and a short fiction piece in Scruffy Dog Review. Not a whole lot else going on. (I bought tix for the September CC concert – somebody better be nice to me … bwaaaaahhhhhh……)

Yesterday – Read the previous post and that will tell you what I did.

Tomorrow – is my birthday. I plan to sleep late, get breakfast in bed, not do a thing all day – In reality the boys will probably come in and jump on me at seven a.m.. I will cook breakfast while hubby is at church working and then he, and 2 & 3, have to do volunteer work for Cub Scouts so I will make the other two boys lunches and plan dinner.

In a minute – I am going to open a box of L’Oreal hair color and become a fabulous red-head again so I don’t have time to tag anyone - hehehehehe!

So last night the dog wanted to go outside. It was right around ten PM - don't remember the exact time but close enough. The Hubby puts his hand on the knob to open the door and I stopped him, "What's that sound?" I muted the TV shooshed the kids and we listened. "That's the emergency siren," I said.

"Naw."

He almost let the dog out but I stopped him again. "Yes it is." I hollered at the kids to go pile in my bedroom closet (it's in the middle of the house and is 9x9 - so we can all fit in there - never mind it's stuff the the brim - I just pushed stuff here and there)

Boys, stocked with flashlights, Gameboys, pillows and a radio, camped out (frankly not leaving room for me and spouse). We put two TVs on news so we could see what's going on and sure enough a major storm system is coming our way. I haven't heard anything news-wise this morning, but last night a tornado was spotted by storm chasers 3 1/2 miles from an airport that is about a mile away from us.

But nothing came. No wind. No rain. Nada. After about 30 minutes, we let the boys out and watched the weather and Hockey intermittently (Go Stars!).

To let the boys have fun, during the second intermission we played Ghost in the graveyard - ever heard of that? It is a hide and seek game (usually played outside) in the dark with flashlights. You learn which of your kids will cheat - Spare and Heir... and which of your kids play better than you expect - Mini-me... and which of your kids are party poopers and will sit on the couch and giggle - Spate + 1... I only got tagged once to be it. But I had to go twice 'cause the little shi..., er, ah sweet darlings are too fast for me and did I mention they cheat!?!?! We actually played longer than I thought and the Stars game was already seven minute in when we quit. (AND THE STARS WON - WOOHOO!)

We had fun!

Another storm did come through around 2 a.m. howling and pouring like crazy! But the sun is out now, so all is good here - well the hubby is out playing paintball wars or some stoopid crap - man - doesn't he know the weekend is MY time - he needs to be wacthing the ankle-biters - sheesh! Oh but he'll get his when SJ and I go to nationals for a week - bwaaaahhhhhhhh.............


update.... …the sun lasted about ten minutes – I see rain again – sheesh! There goes my day lying about on a lounge chair in my skimpy two-piece – HA! AS IF!

And now the sun's out again - I cannot keep up with this! Off to the Boy Scout Museum - woohoo....

I have been reading a lot about whether folks know what you write and their reactions to it. I personally am an open book – pardon the pun – those who "know" me, know I am a romance writer.

Between the afore mentioned readings and a recent reaction to my writing, I wondered to other writers acceptance of their work (if they share).


Let me tell you a few of mine…


Recently, I made the remark that I was tied up with my work and would be unavailable for a week or so. This is what followed:
“Oh, what do you do?”

“I’m a writer.”

“Really wow.” Big grin. “What do you write?”

“Romance novels.”

Smile falls and person hurries to get into their car with no further comment.

WTF?

Not so long ago (before book sale):
“Yeah, I have been busy writing.”

“Oh really.” See a trend here? “What do you write?”

“Romance novels.”

“You mean like smut?”

“Yes.” I smile broadly. “Exactly like that.”
(Granted I was being a tad sarcastic - imagine that - I might add this was after church services one Sunday and both women had sons on my son's soccer team - one never spoke to me again - ever)


This apparently isn’t an uncommon reaction, so I have read lately. And I have had varying degrees of snobbery . . . .

“Oh, I don’t read stuff like that.” – from a woman that can tell you in detail Luke and Laura’s wedding as well as that of Charles and Di.

“I just don’t see the appeal.” – from a woman who has seen every chick-flick known to man (And has every line in Brigit Jones Diary memorized by heart).

“I don’t read.” – from a woman that knows to the page number what is insider her TV guide.


My mother once said (I have mentioned this many times before), “Why do you have to use sex in your books. You’re just pandering to the public with gratuitous sex.”

To which I ask – who defines "gratuitous"? And say, “You betcha!”

At the same time, though, there is that one person, so smug and self-righteous you not only want to Zsa-Zsa Gabor her, but you want to don a sparkling t-shirt that screams –


Okay my t-shirt doesn't sparkle or say that exactly - but I do have one =)

And then you find . . .

“You write romance novels. How cool! I have read…” – they list off authors you know, some of whom you might have even shared a meal with, or frequent their blog – do you name drop to impress further – oh hell yeah!
Guess I shoulda added what pic is on my t-shirt -
at CafePress you can customize anything w/ your own logos

Dear dear SJ tagged me... for six weird things about me (only six!?!?!?)

1) I read magazines backwards - what? you knew that...

2) I have a collection of headbands (I stopped wearing them when the first lady wore them excessively - not to mention they went out of style)

3) I am a stationary freak - I have notebooks, pens, pencils, paper out the wazoo (and boy does that smart...) - I will NEVER run out - ever . . . . . . It goes to the hoarding gene - I looked the other day and counted 23 white t-shirts in my closet - plain white nothing on it. But they are all different - really! I have over 40 cardigan sweaters - I like cardigans. - I do this with the boys clothes - too - but w/ four of them you gotta have a lot, they wear it out so fast!

4) I over-indulge my kids (hellooooooo - XBox, GameCube, Playstation, 4 GameBoys - need I go on ... ... shocker - I know!) I'd like to say I am making up for my childhood, but I lacked very little. My boys are spoiled spoiled spoiled - especially Mini-me! But they know they are loved beyond compare!

5) I LOVED Menudo (the group not the food) in the sixth-eighth grade - don't laugh - Ricky Martin came from there and he's muy caliente! AND Robby Rosa - the guy who writes most of his songs - was also in it at the time - so there - muy talented!

6) I love watching re-runs of Beverly Hills 90210 - I have seen every episode several times - there is not one I haven't see - I even have the finale on tape


the six I tag...

Greg, Marcia, Peter, Jan, Bobby, and Cindy . . . . . . . . hehehehehehe

You had to watch what you say
If you cussed too much
Or talked the trashiest words
You’d be pushed an arms length away

But now is seems
A new social faux pas has emerged
If you joke or poke fun
At yourself or others
You are consider a scoundrel and scourge

Okay so that might be an over-exaggeration – a bit. But I was talking to an offspring’s school councilor and made a crack. Dead air filled the line. “Hello, you still there?”

What ever could I have said to put her off so, you might ask. I had called to discuss son’s grades – his below passing grades (gifted and talented does not ensure that your child will turn in ANY of his work – can I get an AMEN!) AFTER she made a comment we couldn’t strangle our kids, I said, “Yeah and he’s almost as tall as me – chaps my hide.” Then the dreaded dead air. Come on. That’s funny, right?

Do you know how many people cannot take a joke? Far too many in my opinion. I realize there are times when one should limit their jocularity – at my Grandfathers – not appreciated – I get that now, but in everyday conversations – again I say, C’mon!

I crack jokes. It’s what I do. Life is to short to be woolen faced and down. When a situation is tense and tight – I pop off and try and make people laugh. Police office and such have humor to keep from going off the deep end. Doctors and such have humor to help them deal. Lawyers – okay so maybe 2 out of 3 are good examples – see another joke…

Lighten up – life’s too short!

er ah I mean returns - sorry didn't mean to slip into Elmer Fudd mode.

Today the high was 76 and I think it was at 5 a.m. - the temp has gotten cooler (It's no wonder I have a sinus headache today) as the day has progressed and is suppoded to "top out" at 65 around 5 p.m.



so...

To keep us warm!

not strep - just a virus and a nasty rash - so... at least no anti-biotics and watching the others for it too.

now to take a nap...

Really. My middle finger is broken. Yes - did it doing laundry. My bra was caught on that spinny-round thingie and I got all tangled up when I tried to pull it out. Honest! Swear!

I would never shoot the bird at a law enforcement officer - ask my kids. On second thought just take my word for it....

*this is a dramatization from the mind of Dennie McDonald and what might have happened the other day had I not had her my on my lap as I tried w/ valiant effort to slow down through the school zone RIGHT in front of the campus police - sheesh - but my middle finger (not so much broken as it hurts like the dickens and has a bruise on the knuckle - no clue how that happened - but I am typing through the pain) is injured and not cooperating. I had wild nightmares of the police pulling me over. Especially since it's baldy -formerly known as Mini-me's - favorite new past time - flipping people the bird - not sure where he got that from - we DO NOT do it at home. Honest!

FWIW - today's page count (so far) - 4 - WOOHOO

*Update - 'bout 2 hours later - I paused to fix dinner afterwards noticed Mini-me was covered in head to toe rash - the last 2 times this happened we had a houseful of strep-throat - oh joy! We'll be going to the doctor tomorrow - Sheesh!



and a hunky moment....

WOOHOO!

I wrote two whole pages - I could have done more but kids kept coming up to me and pestering me... Thanks honey!

I got all my old word files off the busted computer and I merged a story I had tried to restart (it was actually quite a bit better the second time around - but I used some of the previous writings to give it some depth!)

I am pretty excited. But I have to quit for tonight. Gotta cook dinner - all my Pizza Man declarations went to the wayside when I (yeah, me - I must still be addled from the cartwheel!) decided we needed to take the boys back to Six Flags . . . but at night. They supposedly have a nightly parade so we shall see - plus, it won't be near as darn hot as it was when we went to Wally World a few hours ago - April is not SUPPOSED to be Summer!

Happy Writing All!

Inspiration from the Inspired one....
(This is for AKB - though she never comes to look at my blog)

Mini-me and I made fish today:


this is mine 8-)


there are sequins ALL over my floor.....



update ('bout an hour later).... Mini-me didn't think I could do it - so I had to prove him wrong.... I, Dennie McDonald, of the over-thirty McDonalds .... did a cartwheel in my living room -

I didn't hurt myself . . . . much . . . . Why do they always talk me into doing these things.......

["Sweet Home Alabama" plays in background] Garland Greene: Define irony: a bunch of idiots dancing around on a plane to a song made famous by a band that died in a plane crash. Con Air 1997. I love that line and LOVE the movie . . .

Irony is one of those things in life that keep us on out toes.
The literal definition:

1. a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed inorder to make the other’s false conceptions conspicuous by adroit questioning

2. a: the use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning b: usually humorous or sardonic literary style or form characterized by irony

Leigh Ann Watson: Well there are certain similarities between society today and seventeenth century Salem. I guess that would be the irony of it all.
Mrs. Tingle: Irony is the opposite of what is or might be expected. For example, if Ms. Watson was expecting an A on her history project, she might find the actual result to be rather ironic. Teaching Mrs. Tingle 1999

There is a battery commercial that runs - they show a robot with lights and whistles and whatnot and they show a little boy who you find out has a hearing aid that they say is powered by their product - yet the commercial is NOT in closed caption - that, to me, is ironic!

And I am afraid of ghosts - which I have mentioned many times before - yet, I watch Ghost Hunters (one of my favorite shows!), Medium, Ghost Whisper...

I could go on - but I shant (gotta drive thing 2 and 3 to school...)

where is the irony in your life?

... a slow blogging day - even the folks that get 40 bazillion comments only have a padiddle of things contributed.

personally - it's rainy here and oopsy I left the dogs out during some of it. They're not mad - just a little wet - thank goodness for the overhang!

HOLY COW - I just looked over to see Mini-me stuck atop a cluster of chairs - yep one on top of the other - he was fine 'til I yelled at him to get down - sheesh - kids...

another side effect of the rain - we have ants - that was about the only nice thing during the Christmas drought - they seemed to have disappeared but they are now back with a vengeance!

hope y'all have a good Thursday evening - I shall go finish dinner - meatloaf and mashed potatoes - don't you wish I was your mommy?!?!?


oohhhh yeah - I found this online - ain't he pretty!?!?!

I am eBaying myself to death - gotta stop.... there is life out there aside from internet auction houses...

First and foremost - it rained like crazy here last night. We lost power for a couple of hours (it was in the a.m. so it didn't really bother though the thunder freaked out the dogs!).

So from 101 degrees to wacky weather in two days. The basketball net got turned at a 45 degree angle (of course the dh didn't even notice). The score board at the high school football field got knocked down and I saw several fences and mailboxes lying about. SHEESH!

Now to the blathering...


Your son *WILL* yell over and over again that he wants you to put a particular website on his computer, (that is until he bursts into tears) sheesh!

The chair (from my office)...


...is very comfortable (zzzzz.....zzzzz.....zzzzz.....)

Just because they stand up to pee doesn't mean they won't go through a roll of toilet paper a day ...s'all I'm saying.

Just because an idea wakes you in the middle of the night and you declare it as brilliant doesn’t mean it is – scrap the last four pages of writing…

When you feed a dog chocolate donuts prepare for the inevitable.

A day at Six Flags will not keep them from fighting – quite the contrary.

The loudest child gets…. pretty much what he wants – sheesh!

I spoke too soon – not saying on what – but take my word for it – I did.

I am so not deep - it's not so much that I am shallow - I just think that my levels stop a scoop short of a triple dip.

I found early on, I over-analyze life so I made (make) a conscious effort not to "think" things to death any more.

If that makes me shallow, well I can live with that. I mean, you have to realize, at nine years old the doctor told my mother I was on my way to an ulcer - NINE. Because I worried about things too much (did I say I was NINE?) - they had me on three different kinds of meds - granted if memory serves two were for chronic sinus issues (me and my issues). It took me many years to get out of that habit, many years to lighten up - so to speak. That's why I crack jokes with uber regularity. Life is too short to be worried all the time.

and a fellow Samhain-ian Beth Williamson who has a new release, The Bounty, this week, sent this pic - OMG - yee-haw!

Eve tagged me...

Four jobs you've had in your life:

1. Sales Associate – Men’s Wearhouse
2. Manager – Naturalizer Shoes
3. Sales Associate – Neiman Marcus
4. Writer =)

Four movies you'd watch over and over:

1. Grease 2
2. Can’t Buy Me Love
3. Overboard
4. Pride and Prejudice

Four places you have lived:

1. Fairbanks, Alaska
2. San Angelo, Texas
3. Longview, Texas
4. Dallas, Texas

Four TV shows you love to watch:

1. Medium
2. Numb3rs
3. American Idol
4. Ghost Whisperer

Four websites you visit daily

1. Eve of course
2. Sandy Jones
3. Jill Shalvis
4. Celia Stuart
(there are actually 17 – I kid you not!)

Four places you have been on vacation:

1. Orlando, FL
2. Mamoth Cave - Kentucky
3. West Paterson, NJ
4. Galveston, TX

Four of your favorite foods:

1. Chocolate
2. Chocolate
3. Chocolate
4. see a trend: chocolate

Four places I would rather be right now:

1. Hawaii
2. Disney World
3. Wyoming – ya, I am weird – we have established that
4. Williamsberg, VA – ya, I am weird – we have established that


Four people to tag

1. Larry
2. Moe
3. Curly
4. Shemp
(if you feel you resemble them – go for it – LOL!)

So the power is out and of course Heir asks, "Did you pay the electric bill?"

Haven't we gone over this? I have never had the electricity turned off - when he learns it is a metroplex wide and possible statewide problem - how does he plan to blame me for all of that?

30 minutes w/ no electricity is not a fun time with 4 kids and 97 degree temps!

thank goodness for dial-up

You know you are a computer/internet junkie when you post a blog during a blackout...

I’m in a mood today…

Does it make me a bad mother that I HATE playing video games w/ Mini-me. First, I don’t know what to do most of the time. Second, he gets uber pissed if by chance I win. Third, I HATE IT.

We have established I am weird, but… does anyone else read magazines backwards. I actually start in the middle go to the front then go to the back and read to the middle – ALWAYS. Doesn’t matter what kind of magazine it is.

Never thought I’d say, “Please go play your game. I have to finish this and get it to my editor.” *vbg*

Conversely – just because you sell a book, you don’t get away from, “What was I thinking trying to be a writer?” (especially when you read comments on a contest entry – though I will say I am confused by the, “you have great dialogue and pacing – I know you will get this published” from one judge while the other says – “I suggest you learn the craft before you try to publish anything” – WTF! Honest to goodness – not that I am bitter and confused – no not me….

Know your limitations at a theme park – did you know that you can be uber claustrophobic on a kiddy ride – HOLY SCHMOLEY – let’s not even get into the fact that you are strapped to the seat next to your youngest child and cannot freak-out lest he remember he is afraid of the ride. (Why he wanted on in the first place….)

Sun Screen – if you miss a spot on your child’s face – you will find out later – and he will be pissed at the red stripe running across his forehead! (oopsy!)

When you tell someone you are a romance writer and they snicker – what does that mean?!?!?

Have you picked up your copy yet? (shameless self-promotion!)

Her Passion
is now availble from
Samhain Publishing.

click on:

OR

to order your copy.

Yesterday after school, Mini-me brought home an Easter basket filled with eggs. Some plastic ones filled with Reece’s Cups (Heir ate every last one – he was a little green by the end of the day!) and some real ones. Well…. The boys have managed to bust all the real ones one at a time. I had them chunk them in the garbage and wash their hands. Do you know how bad hard boiled eggs smell in the garbage?

I have the biggest headache. And I feel horrible – it was such a sweet gesture by the other boy’s mother from Mini-me’s class to do that. He’s never colored eggs before (I always buy the plastic ones – for obvious reasons) and he absolutely loved it! Thought it was the coooolest thing, or in his words “Awww schweet!” (did I mention he goes to school for speech?!?)

I have been editing like crazy too – that could contribute to the rolling, pitchy stomach – there has to come a point where you just wanna kill your heroine off, right?!?!? No, I shouldn’t say that. I love all my characters …

Do you know, my headache got so bad, I curled up in the chair in my office and nodded off for a bit, the boys played their GameBoys, watched TV and DIDN’T fight once – can you believe that?!?! Thank goodness for small victories! – nothing like a bad weather make up day off and four grounded rugrats! Okay, actually only 2 are grounded but the other two are punished by association as they cannot go out w/o the older ones there to keep an eye on them. (I spoke too soon - there is a cluster of boy on my floor - I say singular since I cannot tell what limb belongs to which boy in the yelling churning pile o' boy - sheesh!)

On a different front… We’re hoping to take the boys to Six Flags tomorrow – pick up our season passes and see all the new rides they have installed (though I think I read or heard they are all from the Houston Six Flags that closed last Summer). Then I think Cece and I have plans for Saturday night – pool anyone – Woohoo (Wonder if we can talk Mik into going too…)

AND... check out MY WORKS and MY POEMS in my sidebar... I post other things I have written

It has been one year since my first post - who knew I had so much to say. {snort!}

Anyone who has ever heard me speak knows it takes a lot to shut me up, so it should come as no surprise that I can blog like no tomorrow too!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ME!

Saturday SJ and Cece and I went down to Deep Ellum. Scouting and research trip you know. I was overboard in people and ambience it wasn't even funny. I think I have mentioned before my propensity to weave a story out of all I see and hear. You can just imagine the field-day I had on our field-trip - it was amazing. The diversity in people and the shops and the booths at the arts festival....

The first five minutes I thought my head might explode and I seriously thought of asking the girls to leave (can't take me anywhere) but once I settled down it was a hoot. Both of the ladies need the trip for books they are working on. Me, I just took it all in stored it up and will use my findings sporadically though-out stories. Kinda like a flavor bank whenever I need a splash of color, atmosphere or ambience to go in a book!

Yeah, I know I am weird - but have you ever heard me deny that fact - ever!?!

....talk about sensory overload

So oaky - I am doing edits - which means I have been googling myself - can you say procrastinate (No just kidding, Jess - I'm working hard! Really!)

anyhoo ... back to me... I was googling, er, ah stuff - and Googled myself - do you know you can find just about anything about yourself on the internet? Holy Cow! Pages and pages came up. (232,000 entries) Now if I had been looking for Ronald McDonald - I found the jack pot. My actual inferences where few and far between - but still there nonetheless - OMG!

I found several bookstores I had never heard of w/ my book. As well as the title listed at four other places I didn't know - too cool! I also found something that frankly scared me - can you say stalker (not an actual one but the potential to aid one in all his or her - such a sexist - pursuits!)... okay, now I wonder how you can clean your info outta google. Is it too late to have a pseudonym.... probably.

hmm - what can you find out about yourself - I won't look you up myself - swear - I am too busy reading all of mine - LOL!

bit of fun - senior prom pic - OMG - what a dork! but oh so cute - LOL! (and I sooooo don't look like that now!)

Keep scissors locked up while doing edits. Mini-me’s hair WILL grow back – eventually!

side note (8pm) - don't let DH cut it to even it - the child is all but bald now, after the trip to the barber... and so is dad -

... is who I envisioned when I wrote the scene. If cowboys don't do it for you, though, feel free to insert whatever hunky guy in there that you like! and if your a guy - I guess just picture the situation reversed and it's her t-shirt getting drenched ;-)

Oops - I guess you wanted to see the front again....


I still haven't gotten that interview I want...


Does this blow my credibility in wanting to talk to him...? (I really do have two articles to write if he'd just get back to me - really - truly!)


Aw ... hell ... look at the man!

I love him!

I once read that if you don't love your characters neither will your readers. At first, I thought that was weird, but after having written so many books, I think I know what that writer meant. Sometimes when I am writing, my heart will get that little pitter-pat with an extra kick. And then maybe the next scene I will get the chills and maybe another will make me fan myself - but it's that end all be all when I sit back and think, "Damn, where are men like this?" that make me really love my characters.

I have one particular hero that when all else fails, I will read certain passages and I am good. There is just something about that man . . . let's set aside the fact that he is tailored after my favorite singer - (mmm-hmm). Let's set aside the fact that he is buff and heart stopping gorgeous. But the thing that made me wish on every shooting star that he were flesh and blood was this scene: (excerpt from Second Chances)

“We look like a couple of drowned rats.” Zan pushed back the wet strands of hair that clung to her forehead. “Or at least I do. You have on a hat and a raincoat.”

Her thoughts that morning had been of Jacob, knowing he would be gone for the next two weeks. Absent-minded, and downright depressed, she neglected to check the weather. It took her several steps toward her car to realize it was raining and at that point, she decided she might as well keep going. But now with water pouring off her, she wished she had gone back in for her slicker.

Jacob eyed her for a minute then opened the truck door.

Zan frowned. “What’re you doing?”

He stepped out of the truck, tugged off his raincoat and hat then tossed them on the front seat.

“Jacob!”

He held his arms out and tipped his head back. The rain soaked and darkened the front of his denim shirt.

“You’re insane! Get back in here!” Zan laughed so hard tears ran down her face.

When he finally got back in the truck, water ran in streams off his hair. His eyes sparkled with mischief. “There. Now we’re even.” He leaned across the cab and captured her mouth.

Don't know why that did it for me. Don't know why I think of this one every time I need a boost - but it works EVERY time.

I wonder if other writers are like this. Do they too fall a little bit in love with their characters?

You Should Be a Joke Writer

You're totally hilarious, and you can find the humor in any situation.Whether you're spouting off zingers, comebacks, or jokes about life...You usually can keep a crowd laughing, and you have plenty of material.You have the makings of a great comedian - or comedic writer.

Fellow Rosebud, Samhainian and all around bub Michelle Miles has a release soon - April 12th - Her serial The Adventures of Ransom & Fortune is soon to be out. (I pre-ordered my copy - how about you?!?!)

This serial is full of action as Skye Ransom, heiress to a flawed time bender, and Dane Fortune, the hit man hired to kill her, have to join forces as they are catapulted on a time travel adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Can they fight the growing attraction for each other as they fight for their lives?

Her blog Ye Old Inkwell is in the sidebar, too if you wanna catch up with her!

….with grown men that make them feel the need to shoot off fireworks at midnight?

For a minute, let’s excuse the fact that, despite some rain, the burn ban is still in effect and that the houses are pretty darn close together. And, um unless you missed the calendar, it’s APRIL not JULY. But HELLO it is freaking midnight. People are sleeping or don’t care to have the crap scared out of them if they are minding their own business watching Saturday Night Live.

What ever happened to common courtesy? Is it too much to ask that a) they obey the freaking laws that are put into place for a multitude of reasons not least of which is the grass is still so dry a fire can wipe out several houses before the fire station even gets notification. b) It’s just darn rude – MIDNIGHT – come on. Just because you and your stupid friends are up, drunk and have no judgment doesn’t mean the rest of us want to see your little displays of stupidity!

And DO NOT get me started on how long I waited on hold when I dialed 911. I started freaking out thinking, “What if this was a real horrible emergency.” I mean, I am home ALONE. What if someone had broken into my home it took them – I kid you not – 2 ½ minutes to get on the line. I’d have been dead or worse by then. THEN they couldn’t get the transfer to the fire department to work so she gave ME the number to call – OMG! You suppose I can get a refund on my city taxes? Doubt it.

* * * *

My camping crew comes home today. Mini-me has been having a blast. Doesn’t hurt that his girl friend is there – yes, he is low single digits and has a girlfriend. Apparently they have joined at the hip – too cute. He got to swim, saw a falconer show, and probably peed in the woods umpteen times. Sadly all I can think of is all the stinky laundry I will get to do when they get home. Almost negates the whole, “Quiet time to myself” but on the up side (I guess if you could call it that) I would still have had to do it had I gone, so I am at least relaxed for the domestic undertaking!

... sat on the sofa .... watched the Chronicles of Riddock (sp?), then went to bed

only be awoken at midnight by fireworks - WTF - though I will say it scared the crap out of me 'til I figured out it was not in fact a round of gun shots but probably black cats followed by bottle rockets - again I say, WTF!

YR meeting today - we're gonna be uber-nice for the speaker - our best YR behavior - bwwaaaaahhhh! bwwaaaaahhhhhh!

I'm trying to talk the ladies into making the most of my free afternoon - can you say, "depraved and outta control" - neh - probably just got to the mall and buy shoes - but that works too!

the boys - ALL THE BOYS - are going camping this weekend ....

Can you hear that? It's silence - OMG! such a beautiful sound!

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!

When someone says something to me - my natural inclination is to dissect it! And this is on a good day.

I have a, well let's call her a friend, because god forbid she actually read this and knew I was talking about her - the next holiday would be a mine field with sh*t falling from the sky to set each and every one off. And the last thing I want to do is give my mother another reason to yell at me....

When she - the er, ah, friend - speaks, I assume the worse from what ever comment she makes. I figure she is typically tacky and therefore anything she feels the need to speak directly to me about is a dig thinly disguised as casual banter.

Take for instant the recent sale of my two books. "Oh, you sold something. Hmm."

WTF?

Does this mean that she actually knows the market and how competitive that it is? Or does it mean my writing is so poor that no one in their right mind will buy it? (not that she has EVER read anything I have written)

I will not ask for clarification here but you get the point because it was "her", I assume the later. Had someone else said it, I might have given them the benefit of the doubt. Might have even asked what they meant by it, albeit in a joking fashion as that is the way that I am.

Unfortunately, though, this may, can and will carry over to others at times too - just the other day SJ said "Wow, you look cute." my brain flips to "Wow" as in you normally look weird or Wow who knew you could clean up so nicely - I am kidding ... a bit.

But is hard not to take apart ever little thing that people say to you! And helllloooooo I am a writer - I already have an over-active imagination - it's not like I don't hunt for clues and meanings in everything that people say to me (most times though just so I can use it a book!).

If I can whip up an scenario about the person in the next car at a light in 2.2 seconds flat - you don't think I will start putting my own spin on those around me? Not to worry - I change the names to protect ... well, me ... when I use you in my books!

Oh and lookie lookie what I got BOOKMARKS - aren't they cool!

...not to take fours kids to a 7 pm start baseball game - I am exhausted (and yes we stayed 'til the end - at least they won 10-4 - woohoo)

Today Narnia came out - as soon as I dropped Mini-me off at school (he goes for a couple of hours, twice a week - yeah, I'd be nuts (okay - more nuts) otherwise!) I ran up to Wally World to buy Narnia - WOOHOO!

I usually get the cheapy version - if you get it the week it comes out - Wally World gives a $5.00 discount. When Harry Potter IV came out Heir was mad I didn't buy the has-everything-DVD - but for Narnia - I sprung for the whole shebang!

AND

Rascal Flatts has a new CD out today - double my pleasure, double my fun! WOOHOO!

And lest we forget - though how you'd know since I haven't told - we are going to see the Texas Rangers play the Boston Red Sox tonight - oh yeah - I heart baseball despite all my protestations of sports in my house!

Cannot wait - go Rangers!

With Easter around the corner - all the stores have a plethora of candy for just about every sweet-tooth known to humankind!

My downfall are all the miniatures of the favored candy bars - you think you're doing good - you only eat a couple at a time but when you realize your trips to the candy bowl are increasing in frequency and duration... all those months of drinking diet soda are for naught - damn you Hershey!

Written in the a.m. posted in the p.m. (called writing avoidance!)

Children and their uncanny ability to tell it like it is.

I don't wear make-up much - as a matter of fact, when Mini-me gave me pink eye last year, I threw it all out and really haven't replaced much of it - just my mascara (my eyelashes are blond - sheesh!). So with the afore mentioned conference coming up, I bought this new line that Almay came out with that you go by your eye color.

When I was a child my eyes were blue - just plain blue - then my teen years they turned a slight shade of gray-blue. Now as a thirtysomething they are greenish-grayish blue - don't ask me how this happened - but it did. (and let's not mention that my one contact for my warped cornea that I seem to need less and less is an odd shade of blue. But so far only my mother, the graphic artist, who deals with hues on a daily basis - and MY MOTHER who gave birth and reared me is the ONLY person besides myself that can tell a difference in the color - wheshew!)

I bought the coordinating shadow and liner so I could play around with it some before July rolls around. The dh didn't comment on it for well over an hour - when I asked, he says, "You're wearing make-up?" not sure if that is good or bad.

HOWEVER... Spare gets out of the shower and looks at me, tilts his head and says, "Why are you wear make-up?"

"Oh, you noticed." {tongue stuck out to DH} "Do you like it?"

"No. You look weird."

Well, I never....

Later, I quiz Heir - he's older, wiser and taller...

"You're wearing make-up?" Well, he is his father's son after all....

I have spent the rest of the morning checking out my appearance in every mirror I pass - okay - we only have the ones in the bathrooms - so I keep going in there to look. Not so weird to me.

I will say, by lunch, most of the shadow seemed to have disappeared!
At least Spare did not renew his objection when he got home from school - of course baseball was on - Rangers home opener - they lost - and the boy cannot see past sports!

Forgot I uploaded this pic - that's me and the little bro on my horse - yep mine! Granddaddy bought her for me when I was a week old or so - even though I lived in Alaska and he in west Texas (but we moved here when I was one...) - her name was Teresa. That's my Granddad with hat on!

That pic made me look for others - my Grandmother - we called her Nanny - passed away just last July. Granddaddy passed away December '03. I still miss them both terribly!

I found a bunch of pics I got from their house just after ...

Me and Nan - I was three weeks old

Me and Granddaddy - I was a couple of months old

Me and Nanny - 1980 (I'm the short one - LOL!)

More Louisiana - no clue why we went there - but I got to miss school so at the time I didn't care! (it was only a couple hours drive from Longview)

Update - my mother says, "Mother and Daddy used to listen to the
Louisiana Hayride on the radio all the time. When bro was a baby, we
took them to see it. They where really thrilled, even though you can't
see it on the faces. That's why we went there. We were lost for a long
time looking for the place." ahhh, well that explains it!

Nanny, Granddaddy and the gang... (my cousins will love this - LOL!) I'm the one w/ the light green shirt on - and the frizzy hair. My bro is the baby on the right

Me, bro, Nanny and Granddaddy 1980




Full Circle...

Nanny - with Mini-me Dec-2001

Granddaddy with Mini-me July-2002

SJ and I booked our airline tickets/hotel/conference reservations for the national RWA conference the other day. We are so terribly excited about going it is not even funny. Hellllooooooo Atlanta! WOOHOO!!!

I am curious as to how many folks belong to writing organizations and do they, if not RWA, have a similar conference. I have been to two national RWA's before (Denver and Dallas) and I know I will go next year (in Dallas again). I can't speak for SJ - though I am pretty sure she is the same as me - but I get so totally pumped after meeting with so many folks that share the same passion and don't look at you sideways because of your fervent admiration for an author or publishing house. (I wrote Her Passion after Denver)

Yellow Rose also has our annual Awards luncheon coming up, where we have great speakers and get a chance to pitch to an editor. I am always so jazzed after it as well. I think, even if you participate in a critique group or have wonderful online writing buddies, you need to have moments like these writing conferences to get you pumped up. There are times when it is so beneficial to have fellow writers that you can commiserate with and maybe even bounce ideas off of.

...and lets not for get the free books - Hi my name is Dennie and I am a book ho! (I got 114 at the Dallas conference - FREE - since we drove, that was manageable. I tried to talk SJ into driving to Atlanta but cost and time won out over my need to increase my booklist!)

SO .... who else belongs to RWA or any other groups - and if your are going to Atlanta look SJ and me up - party in Dennie's room!

Okay, so, I am bent out of shape, or rather I have had my feelings hurt - I know not everything is about me - but to me it is, y'know. MY world revolves around me. So when something ticks me off, rubs me the wrong way or flat out abuses my sensibilities - it IS all about me - how I feel... how I am reacting. But, hey, what can I say - I am selfish that way ...

My gripe ........... Why is it people feel they can mistreat you? I have never deliberately set out to hurt anyone, have never tried to malign. When I call someone a friend, I mean it. Maybe I am naive, though someone told me recently that I am not. But truly I think people are on the up and up, what they seem, but I am wrong - sadly. And, apparently, someone has stamped sucker on my forehead (and it has absorbed in) and everyone forgot to tell me.

I sure did like it better when I had the blinders on!

and then to have someone say - it's not all you about you, you know - um heeellllllllooooo yes it it! read the above passage.

mini-rant over...

But I hadta look..... Okay so don't tell SJ I posted this tonight - I told her I wasn't gonna get back on the computer til tomorrow (Got YR business I gotta update on the website - but I don't wanna tonight)... But I had to check out a few blogs - I know some of you are nodding your heads ....... =)

Mini-me walked up to me and said, "All the ladies love me." then walked off - {snort} not sure what or where that came from, but hey - more power to the lad!

Had a massive plot session w/SJ today - so much fun! Next: My turn! 'Cause you know it's all about Dennie - LOL!

Narnia comes out in three days - cannot wait!

Stole this from Bonnie C - sorry, hun but it was too good not to!


....and some child o'mine saved Yu-Gi-Oh pics on my computer... soooooooooon come here... Gotta go

Good weekend all!