woohoo

Call me a proud almost mom. Kassy and Tayler both made homecoming court. I will post pictures soon and give you the dish on Tayler's possible escort, a Wake Forest Basketball star. That is if the coach lets him out of practice that night.

Big Brothers

I always wanted a big brother. Being an only child and moving a lot made me kind of lonely so I dreamed of having a big brother who would protect me and also have hunky friends that hung around the house a lot.

But now I see what a pain big brothers can be. My friend Kassy has two. Her oldest is in college but the next one is just one year older than her.

He's also threatened every one of this friends that if they even look at his sister he will kill them. Really.

Which makes it kind of hard for Kassy to find a date. It's not like she has any trouble attracting guys, it's just that they are all so terrified of Wes that they stay far far away from her. The guy that asked her to prom last year asked Wes's permission first. Of course he said no but Kassy went anyway. Wes didn't. However he did show up at the Prom party afterwards and tell her it was time to go home.

Brothers. Got to love them. It's nice to know that they'll be there if you need them. And sometimes they're even there when you don't.

I gave Jenna a brother in Obsessing Orlando. And yep, he's protective. Kind of like Wes. But if the feelings are there, they will find a way to triumph. Even if the brother is a giant pain.

And just so you know Wes, I love you just as much as I love Kassy! But will you lighten up a little? The guy she's dating now is great. I'd like to see him stick around for a while.

Kassy Tayler

My next release is Obsessing Orlando by Kassy Tayler. My pen name came from my friends daughter's names, Kassy and Tayler. Actually I consider them to be my friends too. They are giving me an inside look at what it's like to be a teenager today. And I get to experience the joys of having daughters, without any of the headaches.

Some of the experiences Jenna has in Obsessing Orlando come from things that happened to Kassy and Tayler. Kassy has two older brothers. Need I say more? Watch for blogs concerning Kassy's love life and her brother's reaction to it.

The quote in the book "I can't breathe" came directly from Kassy and Tayler critiqued the story while I was writing it so they both were a big part of bringing Obsessing Orlando to life.

At the present time I have two more KT proposals in front of editors. I really enjoy writing these stories so I hope I get the opportunity to write them.

And in the pic that's Kassy on the left and Tayler on the right.

Enjoying the scenery

I had a pleasant day yesterday. I attended a writers retreat at the Meadowood Bed and Breakfast in the Meadows of Dan, VA. www.blueridgebedandbreakfast.net. The drive was beautiful, although I wished the fall colors would have been out. The B&B is right off the Blue Ridge Parkway which is a drive everyone should experience. You can almost see the way it was hundreds of years ago.

Anyway, beautiful day, writers talk, fantastic view and a wonderful feeling of peace. I highly recommend it.

Goodbyes

Goodbyes are hard. Yesterday was our pastors last day at our church. After nine and a half years he received a call that he needed to answer, which left his congregation heart broken.

We've watched his children grow up. I had particularly become attached to his daughter Mary who will be 16 in October. Mary and I had a lot in common. Mostly Orlando Bloom and Harry Potter. And since I live in a house full of men who think I'm slightly weird I could not wait to get to church on Sunday so Mary and I could talk about the latest HP or about what Orlando was up too lately. We even went to see the last HP movie together since no one in my family would go. Guess I'll have to go alone this time. Mary has a boyfriend now. One who looks remarkably like Daniel Radcliffe. Go Mary!

Anyway, I hugged her and I cried. I really am going to miss her. But I know I'll see her again. And when I do, we'll have a lot to talk about.

Drew

Some people have commented that I'm always talking about Josh and not about Drew. I guess it's just because so much has been happening in Josh's life lately and he's been hanging around, eating our food, using up all our hot water, monopolizing the TV and my puter. Oops, there I go.

So yes, I have another son. He's in college, plans to be a history teacher which is actually an end for him to coach high school baseball. I think Drew will be a great coach, he has natural leadership abilities and he's just one of those people that other people gravitate too.

I also joke about him being my 6'1" 230 lb baby boy. Yes, he's a big guy. He feels up a room with his size and his laughter. It's always fun when Drew's around. And I hate the beard!

Harry Potter

Last night I finished rereading all the Harry Potter books. You know you really need to read them threw a few times. I picked up so much more the second time in The Half Blood Prince.

And while I love the stories, I'm kind of depressed because I am so afraid that Harry is going to die. JK Rowling has really set us up for the inevitable. But I don't want Harry to die. I want him to live happily ever after with Ginny.

But I have a feeling that fate won't let him. He'll make the ultimate sacrifice. If you're a fan of Harry Potter, I have to recommend the book Finding God In Harry Potter by an author named Granger. It really opens your eyes to the impact Harry has had on our world.

So HP fans, what do you think? Will Harry survive the next book?

Popups!

Help! I've been infected by a virus. I can't do anything now without being attacked by popups! It's all Josh's fault. They've been coming through the outlook express. We've bought stuff to stop them but they still sneak in. I even had computer lock down during a very important communication with my agent.

So I am officially telling the pop up people NO! I do not want marijuana legalized. I do not want a care bare screen saver. I do not want to buy, try or cry over anything that you suggest. I want you to leave me alone so I can write my books and read my emails.

And because you are so annonying I will make it a special point to avoid your products. Do you honestly think that this stuff works? Are you so desperate to get rid of your plasma TV that you have to annoy me while I'm trying to work?

Here's an idea. Just send me your plasma TV and I'll forgive you for pestering me. Yeah, I like that idea. Now if I could just figure out how to do a reverse popup so we could work out the details.

The Outsider

I watched a fantastic movie on Saturday night called The Outsider. It was on the Hallmark channel. I had heard someone mention it somewhere and made a point to watch it. I was totally captivated.

It starred Naomi Watts and Tim Daly as a plain woman and a gunfighter in the old west of Montana. It's based on the book of the same name.

If you love my books then you will love this movie. The love story is so sweet, along with the sacrifices that Rebekkah makes as she realizes that she truly loves Johnny.

Check out www.hallmarkchannel.com for show dates.

Stuff

Obviously I have too much stuff. I've been cleaning out closets and drawers with the solemn promise to get rid of everything that I did not wear this past year. Which is a lot. I've filled up two boxes with stuff. Shoes with loose straps, shoes that don't match anything I own, shoes without the ergonomically correct heels,(thank you Shoe Diva Claudia Dain for showing me the proper heels for comfort) Flip flops with tiny little puppy teeth imprints, flip flops with the bead work coming off. When did I become such a pack rat?

Then it was on to my drawers. Do I really need two tank tops in differing shades of pink. Not to mention the fact that they have shrunk? I know showing part of your belly is in style but for some of us, that style just doesn't work.

I haven't even started on my hanging clothes yet. And then I look around and think I have nothing to wear. But the truth is I have too much stuff. And right now all I can think about is the people who have no stuff at all.

So I'm purging. I've got nice stuff that I'll never wear. Some of it has hung in my closet for two years and the tags are still on it. I blame that on my mom. She's a great bargain hunter. She's in it for the hunt. oops sorry, off topic.

I'm cleaning out my closet and I'm donating the nice clothes to the victims of Katrina. Of course my reasons are purely selfish. When I make room in my closet I can get some more stuff!

Catching up

The blogs below have been moved from my old blog post. See I've been busy. Writing and organizing.

And still working on some changes.

My next project is cleaning out my closet. Working on donations for Katrina victims.

and writing...

Cleaning House

My house is a mess. I'm not talking dirty laundry and stuff, I'm talking a major mess. I feel like I'm in the middle of a Dr. Seuss book.

The piles are high
The piles are deep
There are so many piles
I can not sweep
I dare not move
I dare not stare
The piles are growing
Everywhere.

I cleaned a closet
I felt I must
I sneezed and sneezed
from so much dust
I found some things
I thought were lost
and other things
I didn't know I'd got.

I have red cups
an entire shelf full
I have some napkins
and that aint no bull
I moved some tools
and some brushes with paint
they're in the garage now
and Rob felt faint.
So I have a closet
with some shelves now free
Abby the Cat
is happy with me
That's where she eats
and she's made it quite clear
she no longer worries
about stuff falling on her ear.

Don't get me started on the basement....

Stargazer

Okay, I keep getting the same thing over and over again. Colby Hodge ripped off Riddick. Nope, didn't do it. Stargazer came to me back in 2000, which is the year that Pitch Black came out but for all I knew it was a horror movie. Shaun Phoenix was a well defined character in my manuscript before I ever saw the movie.

Stargazer was the second book I wrote. I started it after I completed Chase The Wind. I sent it to my editor who suggested we sit it on the back burner until I had established myself as a writer of historicals.The book was complete and on my editors desk before Chronicles of Riddick ever came out. When I watched the movie (I admit it, big Riddick fan) I had a sinking sensation. I knew this was exactly what was going to happen. Everyone would think I ripped off Riddick.

Also been compared to Dune and Starwars. Which isn't bad. I got a lot of inspiration from those stories. I was always addicted to Star Trek. BattleStar Gallactica (the original)and of course Starwars. I read all the Dune books and thought the Sci-Fi channel version was awesome. I loved James MacAvoy as LetoII and also the guy who played Duncan Idaho. And by the way, my original model for Shaun was Richard Hatch, http://battlestarfanclub.com/battlestar/bgphoto.htmwho played Apollo on BSG.

We get our inspiration from different places. I just knew what I liked and tried to compile what I liked about futuristics while building a realistic world. I've also been bashed by the reviews of historical romance for not following their set formula for what a story and characters should be like. Guess I'm in a no-win situation here.

Oh well, back to the writing....

Beach Reads

I had set some books aside, just saving them for the lazy days at the beach. Of course I was most excited about the New Harry Potter. The timing was perfect and since JK Rowling seems to be doing okay without my help I'll just say that it was great.

My second book was Pawley's Island by Dorthea Benton Frank. If you are familiar with the coast of South Carolina you need to give her a read. Her books are full of current references and alive with the history of the region. The night before I started it I had dinner at a restaurant, Franks, that she mentions and I have family that lives in Debordeiu pronounced debbydoo in gullah speak so it was a fun read for me and very entertaining. She's an auto buy for me.

Nice Girls Finish First by Alesia Holliday was the best for last. A story of a nice girl and a mean girl, who help each other even out their personalities both at work and in their personal lives. I really got into the story and loved seeing how these women matured and empowered themselves. I read it in a day.

Also for something just plain fun, try Dream Guy by Candy Halliday. Just when I thought she was going over the top with purple prose she pulled out the non stop laughs with a lot of sass and innuendo.

Back to the writing world and watching my TBR pile grow again.

Vacation

Just back from a week at Ocean Isle NC. The family goes every year. My parents, my sons, my Aunt and Uncle, my cousins and their children. We rent a big ocean front house and sit on the beach. Everyone takes turns cooking every night. We work puzzles and play card games. The kids love to play spoons which is a rowdy card game. Lots of screaming and laughing involved.

I love spending the week with what I call my nieces and nephews, since I don't have any brothers and sisters. Beth Ann is the oldest. She's thirteen and so breathtakingly beautiful that it makes my heart hurt just to look at her. She's a fantastic athlete and has more poise and grace that I will ever posses. Next is her brother Tyler who is an absolute hoot. You can just see the mischief in his eyes. He is on the verge of a growth spurt. I predict he'll stand well over 6 feet by the time he's done. Then comes Austin. He's the quiet, sensitive one. Always worried about everyone's feelings. Then we have Rachel. She's six and a dancer. We watched her recitals on dvd. She's way better than everyone else her age, and that's not just because she's related to me. Next comes Patrick. We call him Patch. At six years old he can throw a baseball better than most little leaguers. Of course he likes to make up his own rules when we play ball on the beach. We never let him get away with that.

On the last day we built a replica of Helm's deep on the beach. Complete with mountains. I also read Harry Potter which I'd been saving. It was a nice week but now it's time to get back to work.

I hate deadlines!

Pedicures and other addictions

I admit it. I'm a pedi junkie. Every two weeks I take a break from my every day grind and sit in that marvelous chair while my feet are given the TLC that they deserve by Mandy, the sweet young miracle worker that I'd been going to for a few years(or ever since I realized that I was addicted)At my last pedi before the cruise Mandy shocked me by saying that she was leaving. She was quite upset and had put off telling me since I was one of her fav's(Did I mention I'm a great tipper?) She had found greener pastures, a great paying job as an executive assistant to one of her customers. Now why didn't I think of that? I buried my depression by having a pedi on the cruise. That way I knew I'd have an extra week to find a new place. My gf Debbie suggested I go to her favorite day spa and since I'd heard a lot of chatter about the place I went.Big mistake. I was in the hands of Pedzilla. While the chair was lovely to sit in the woman who had hold of my feet was determined to scrub every inch of skin off of them. What happened to the nice massage? Where's the soothing lotion? None of that here with Pedzilla. It's file city while she told me how much her back hurt from her urinary tract infection and whoever had done my feet in the past didn't have a clue as to what they were doing. Thank goodness the razors have been outlawed or she would have done that too! Excuse me Pedzilla. Those callouses on my big toes are there from my special Friday the 13th on sale shoes(see blog) It took me a long time to earn those. I walked out of there with raw spots, which developed into scabs and then my entire foot peeled skin. Yep, real attractive. It's better now. The only problem is...I need a pedicure. I wonder if Mandy is available?

Guest Blog

The following is a guest entry from my dear friend Alesia Hollidayhttp://www.alesiaholliday.com/nicegirlsfinishfirst.cfm - link to the book pageNICE GIRLS FINISH FIRST So one day I was thinking about today’s woman, as I often do, considering that I write funny books about the everyday (and not so everyday!) things we all go through, and I was wondering about that perpetual dilemma – the Myth of the Nice Girl.Somehow, through a peculiar evolution of the professional environment, women today are finally recognized (mostly) as equally competent, ambitious, and dedicated as men in the workforce. (We’ll leave the “we have to work smarter and harder” argument aside for now.) But yet, we have an added burden: we have to be NICE. Now, this isn’t really tough for most women, most of the time. We were raised to be nice. That’s what little girls do, right? “Play nice!” “Be nice!” Except, well, there are times when you can’t be all that nice . . . Boyfriend cheating? Kick him to the curb! Um, in a nice way? Opposing counsel trying underhanded tactics? Notify the judge and get him sanctioned! Er, nicely? The idea of a character who is very ambitious and a great person, but a little bit of a tough chick on the surface, really intrigued me. And I had the perfect character in Kirby Green, newly-hired exec at the Whips and Lace Co. She’d pretty much stolen every scene she was in in AMERICAN IDLE (Double RITA finalist, how cool is that??). Then I wanted to compare and contrast Kirby with a character who was so nice that she was in danger of becoming a doormat. Brianna sprang to life. My good friend who is an opera singer (no, really!) provided some great background for her. Then I set the two of them loose to play on the pages – each helping the other learn something about life, and about herself. That’s how NICE GIRLS FINISH FIRST was born.Can we be successful as women today and still retain some of that niceness that was so valued in earlier years? I think so. But nice doesn’t mean dumb, and today’s nice girls DO finish first. They might just have to kick a little ass along the way.Nicely.Thanks for helping me celebrate the release of my second novel!! – Alesia Holliday (p.s. This nice girl is frantically polishing some pages due to Hollywood interest – you can see the details at http://www.alesiaholliday.com/blog/)
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Monday, July 4th, 2005

Wanderings

We just got back from a mini vacation. 10 states, 2000 miles, five days. The fil turned ninety last Wednesday and we drove up to CT for his birthday and then spent Thursday on Cape Cod. We have a friend who is pitching in the Cape Cod league so we took him to lunch then explored until game time that night.I was ready for something picturesque, quaint and charming. I never realized it was so wooded up there. We drove down into Woodshole which was a nice waterfront village but there was on place to park. We moved on into Falmouth and wanted to stop but the traffic was horrible and once again, no place to park.Yep, that's what I remember from Cape Cod. Traffic, EXTREMELY AGGRESSIVE drivers, liquor stores and Dunkin Donuts. Maybe you need to be on a sugar high and drunk to handle the traffic. From Falmouth to Harwich on route 28 it was nothing but one big traffic jam without regard to stop signs or right aways. I guess living in the south has spoiled me.Then we hit Chatam. Wow. What a wonderful place to spend the afternoon. Unfortunately we only had an hour so we did a quick jog through the town and checked out some of the shops. I wish I had a week to spend there, exploring, riding bikes, walking the shore, and just breathing the air.Definitely going back. The ball game was wonderful too. Gib pitched great and had scouts looking at him. We were so proud of him and happy for him. Of course I had to give his mom an inning by inning update on the cell. I wonder if I could stow away with them when they go up to see him play. If only I didn't have this deadline...

Exerwhat!

I try to exercise. I actually enjoy it and love how it makes me feel during the day. I'm fairly muscular under all my...fluff. HOWEVER...I've been having motivational problems. Actually I think I need to have my motivator fixed because its not motivating me to do much of anything lately.Oops, guess I was rambling. Anyway, exercise. I love to swim. My idea of perfection would be a pool that I could fall into from my bed every morning and just start swimming those laps. See, that's the hard part, getting to the pool. Once I'm there it's not problem, its the getting there thats holding me up.So after the cruise and the tour I figured I'd better get back to the Y and do my swimming. I'd missed about three weeks. Boy had things changed. The pool, that I usually have to myself except for the water aerobics ladies was packed. Three lanes all full. Luckily someone was leaving just as I walked in so I claimed it in a hurry. Then a man asked if he could share.Now I am generally an unselfish person. BUT...I swim the back stroke. I freestyle down and back stroke back. That's my routine. It works out the entire body. I can't change it. And you can't share a lane when you backstroke. You just need all the room to move your arms. So I said, "um, sorry, I back stroke." And the man agreed that it would be difficult to share so he moved to the really wide lane to swim freestyle.So I'm in the pool and in my routine and thinking about the wip(work in progress) I really get great ideas while swimming because I'm in my own universe. No distractions, just me and the deep blue sea.Crash. Someone was in my lane. And I plowed into them while backstroking. You think they would have told me they were jumping in. I mean that's the only polite thing to do. So now I have this really sore arm from whacking some strange guy in the head while reaching back. And the guy never said a word, just kept right on swimming while I floundered around in the deep end wondering what the heck just happened. I'm really bummed out about it. I need my swimming time. I need to exercise. And I'm using this as an excuse...But tomorrow I'm going back. If I can just find that lever on my bed that dumps me into the pool

Brain Dead

Yes I am brain dead. But can you blame me? We do have Josh's graduation this weekend. And then the cruise to celebrate. I'm keeping track of all the little details, the packing, the washing, the ironing, the shopping. Do the boys have their spending money?(so I don't have to pay for their stuff). Will Cody be okay without me for a week. (I will miss him the most)

We have a house sitter. I have to get all the phone numbers together for her. I have to show her how to work the dvd player and which remote works for each thing (digital cable) What if the power goes out and I miss recording the finale for Lost and American Idol. Which show should I record, Everwood, which is my favorite, or 24 which is Rob's. They both come on at the same time.

Lots of nitpicky little details that are boggling my brain. My head hurts. I need chocolate.

But one week from today I will be in Jamaica. Hopefully I will have had a massage by then, and a facial. I won't have a care in the world. I will look at the happy faces of my family and realize that all the deadlines and the creative process has given us a fantastic reward.

I worked hard for this vacation. Josh worked hard for it too. We deserve it.

I hope my VCR works while I'm gone.

Friday the 13th

I should have known the way this day started that it was Friday the 13th. Not that I ever pay much attention to stuff like this but I over slept and then the disasters started.

First of all I felt terrible,I think I caught my husbands cold. Then an order I'd been waiting on to deliver to a meeting two hours away was late. I got a letter from the oral surgeon saying that our insurance wouldn't cover my son's bill. Before eleven a.m. my day had gone pretty much down hill.I had to run to the mall to pick something up. I prayed the entire way. Lord, don't let me get a ticket. Lord, don't let me have a wreck...I just knew the way my day was going that disaster awaited.

Then I walked into Belks. And as I walked by the shoe department, I noticed...That the shoes I wanted desperately to wear to Josh's graduation but wouldn't buy because they cost $85.00 were on sale. Not only that but I had a coupon for an extra percentage off. Would they have my size?..........................................

YES!Isn't if funny how a little thing like buying shoes...on sale...can really make your day? It sure made mine. Not only that but my youngest son reported in with his final grades from college and he wound up with a B in a class that he was flunking at the beginning of the year. I'm really grateful for that piece of great news.

But I really really love my new shoes!

Marc Blucas

Dear Marc,

I think you're hot. And it's not as if I've recently discovered you. You see I've been a member of the Marc Blucas fan club since you played basketball at Wake Forest. You know those individual pictures that Lynn Heflin had framed and hung in the basketball office? I did those. When I saw yours I said "hottie" and then followed your career. I even got your autograph. Of course if was on a newspaper with Randolph Childress on the front but hey, it was your autograph.

I even watched you play in the recent Wake Forest Alumni game. Took your picture. I waited for you to come out of the locker room so I could meet you in person but somehow I missed you. By the way, number 34 for Wake is a good friend of ours. He said he met you in study hall and you were really nice.

You're the one that made me a Buffy fan. I was flipping channels one day and said, "hey, that's Marc!" I had to watch. Then there were your movies. You did really well. Then came First Daughter. Big sigh. You were awesome. So heroic. So noble. I want a sequel.

The real reason I'm writing you is because I want you to play Ian. If Chase The Wind ever gets made into a movie, then you're my guy. I think you can to it. I believe in you. And after all, I've seen your death scenes so I know you can pull that off. So start working on your Scottish accent. Hallmark is looking at the book.

Your fan
Cindy

Shopping with my son

My oldest son is graduating from college next Sat. cum laude I think. He has really good grades so its one of those honors. I guess I'll find out next Sat.

Anyway he's already pursuing job interviews and looking at real estate and trying to decide where he wants to live. He knows how to go after what he wants. Because we're so proud of him we're taking him on a cruise to the western caribbean.

And because my mother is so proud of him she took him shopping yesterday. Josh took us to South Point mall which is where the rich and beautiful shop. I'm so glad I wore a skirt instead of my jeans.

Have I mentioned that my son is gorgeous by the way? Model gorgeous. He really should be one and I'm tempted to enter him in the cover model contest at RT. So here he is in the dressing room of Banana Republic trying on linen pants and tropical T-shirts and showing us the combo's and looking extremely hot. So hot that the girls that were working the store kept making trips back to check him out. Evey time he came out he looked devastatingly handsome. One time he came out in a pair of jeans and a white shirt unbuttoned revealing his buff chest and I was wondering if I should include a bat on the cruise to beat the women off of him. it got kind of ridiculous after a while. I mean no one has the right to look that good in everything they try on. We finally said stop, no more. It was a good thing too, the bill was $800.00.

Can you tell I'm proud of my son? I have every right to be. I'm also scared for him. His entire life is before him with all the responsibilities and the fears that all of us faced when we take the first leap off the edge into the unknown of making a living.

On the other hand, I'm counting the days until I don't have to pay his car insurance, his gas, his cell phone, his xm radio, his health insurance...I guess you get the picture.

I have another son. He's a sophomore in college. He needs a shave and a haircut....

Shooting Star

I'm currently working on Shooting Star, which is the second Colby Hodge book. It's about Ruben, Shaun's smuggling friend. As you know he has his secrets, or at least he alluded to some in the end of Stargazer.

Ruben loves a good story and I hope that he enjoys his. Unfortunately he's going to crash land on a planet that shuns technology. Then he see's a great get rich scheme when he's recovering at the house of a wine maker. The wine has an exquisite taste and a real kick to it. Could it be because it's tainted by a strange new drug that's made an appearance in the universe?

And why did he crash? Was it sabatoge? Things will really heat up when the Circe make an appearance. Plus he's fallen in love with a housekeeper named Tess who has a son named Boone.

Guess you'll just have to read it to find out what happens. That is if I ever get finished writing it....

Romantic Times Convention

I am just back from St. Louis and the Romantic Times Convention. Romantic Times is a magazine that supports the romance writers industry by advertising books and posting reviews. Every year they have a conference that features, different publishers, workshops about the craft and a great cover model contest featuring lots of adorable hunks. There is also a huge signing with over 250 authors that goes on for four hours. I had a great time since everyone was talking about Stargazer.

The best part however was getting to meet my on line friends in person. It's funny how you can build a relationship with someone without ever seeing their face and when you get together it's great fun. Hanging out with other writers is a blast because they understand your world, your joys and your frustrations.So allow me to recommend some new authors to you.

If you like chick lit then check out Alesia Holiday,Marianne Mancusi and Liz Maverick.

If you like paranormal then try Marjorie Liu, Susan Squires and of course, Christine Feehan.

If you want to try something really sexy (r-rated) then try Jade Lee.

If you want to read something written by real life heroes then read Susan Grant and Cindy Dees. These women were military pilots before they became writers.

For a fantasy try Joy Nash.

I'm proud to say these women are all my friends and also fantastic writers.They have also inspired me to blog more. So check back again in a few days to see if I can.

Book Signings

Some of you I have met in person and signed copies of your books. Most of you I haven't so I thought I'd share something about my book signings. I sign each copy of my Wind series with a scripture. These scriptures have each had an influence in my life and in each story.

For Chase The Wind and Wind Of The Wolf (originally one book) I use I Chronicles, 9-10 which you may recognize as the Prayer of Jabez. I was using this devotional while waiting to hear about my submission of Chase The Wind to Dorchester Publishing. I also use this scripture at the end of Wind Of The Wolf when Chase realizes that he is blessed. I guess we're lucky that he didn't name Chance Jabez instead.

For Crosswinds, I use Phillipians 4-6. To sum up, let your prayers be known to God. This was the advice Jenny gave to Cat when she was beside herself with worry for Ty.

For Windfall I use II Corinthians 5-17. All things old are new again. Kind of a life lesson for Jake.I'm still searching for one for Forgive The Wind. I'll know it when I see it.The biggest problem I have now is when I'm signing lots of books I lose track and don't match the scriptures to the books. But hopefully it all comes out even in the end.

Dauber

It's taken me a while to get around to this entry. It's about my dog, Dauber.I inherited Dauber from my cousin Steve. Steve graduated from college. Got a dog. Got engaged to a girl who was allergic to dogs. Got rid of his dog and kept the girl. They've been happily married for 16 years now.Dauber was an English Cocker Spaniel. Black and White, or parti the papers said. He was six months old when I got him. Already trained. That was the best part, or so I thought at the time. He was only the second dog I had owned in my life time. He was the first one that was entirely my responsibility.Our boys were young then, just starting elementary school. Boys need dogs. But Dauber, by the way he was named by Steve after the character on the tv show Coach, became my dog. Mostly because I was home full time then, raising my sons. We lived out in the country so Dauber could roam and we had a pet door installed so he could go in and out at will. He pretty much stayed by my side.We also had cats and it didn't take them long to let him know who was really in charge. He didn't mind though. He figured out his place in the family pretty quick. It was by my side.And that's where he stayed. For fourteen years. He slept on a cushion by my bed. When I started working outside the home, he slept next to the back door, waiting for me to come home. When I quit working several years later and began writing, he stayed right next to my chair.Dauber started getting gray around the face. A few years back the vet said he had Cushings disease and we'd have to make some life decisions for him in a year or so. But he kept going. He romped and he played. Then he got stiff. His legs started getting weak. Arthritis had set in. I had to help him up and down the stairs sometimes. But he was determined to stay with me. Sometimes when I just had to run up or down to get something I'd close the door on him to save wear and tear on his joints. He hated that. He wanted to be where I was.Last spring we decided it was time to get a puppy. We knew Dauber wouldn't be around much longer and my husband and I had both had doxies growing up so we got a miniature long haired dauschund named Cody. We spoiled him rotten. But we made sure Dauber wasn't left out. And he wasn't. He romped and played with the puppy. He lost weight. He regained strength in his legs. We were thrilled. Dauber was doing great.Then fall came. I had always kept Dauber shaved because of the heat and his coat was just unmanageable without it. I picked him up from the groomer in Oct and she met me crying at the door. She said she couldn't do him anymore because she was afraid she'd hurt him. I took a long look at Dauber that day. Without his curly hair he was nothing but a bag of bones. I took him home and weighed him. He was down from 36 lbs to 18lbs. Dauber was dying.My husband and I had some trips planned. We canceled them. It was time for Dauber to have all our love and attention. I started watching him closely. When would it be time? I knew he'd let me know. One morning I was giving him a good rub and he climbed into my lap, trying to get closer. It was if he wasy trying to climb inside of me. I told him it was okay. He was already there and would be there forever.During the years my dad had developed a relationship with Dauber. He adored him and spoiled him with table food. When we were out of town and had a friend pet sitting, Dad would come down and spend the night with Dauber and take him to McDonalds for a hamburger. They'd go through the dirve through and get a burger and eat in in the car in the parking lot. My dad was actually mad at me when we got Cody because he was afraid Dauber wouldn't get any attention.When I told Dad that Dauber wouldn't be around much longer he avoided our house. He couldn't stand it. October faded into November. It was warm here. Everyday I'd take Dauber out and he'd enjoy a good roll in the grass. Our cat Abby always sat with hiim while he rolled. They were great friends, those two. One day while I was watching him roll I broke down crying. It was so bad that a neighbor came out to check on me.I'm just saying goodbye I told her.We spent Thanksgiving at my parents house. My mom put sheets and newspapers down all over her floors because Dauber was having some problems. Dad fed him turkey and sausage. They had a last meal together.Monday night after Thanksgiving my husband commented that Dauber wasn't having fun anymore.Tuesday morning I let him out and when he came back in he acted as if he didn't know where he was when he came back in. I picked him up and put him on his bed while I showered. When I got out he hadn't moved. It was if he had forgotten what he was supposed to do. I took a long look at Dauber. I looked into his eyes. He was gone. He was letting me know it was time.I called my husband. He couldn't get home until later that afternoon. Dauber couldn't wait. I had already made all the arrangements with the vet. I called them and put Dauber in the car.They were so kind there. Understanding. They took Dauber out and put an IV in his leg. Then, with me holding him, they gave him a shot. And just like that he was gone.They had to give me some time alone with him. I tried not to cry but I couldn't help it. The vet said there's nothing more you can do for him. He died in the arms of someone who loved him. What more could any one ask for?That was November 30th. It's been two months. I thought I could write a tribute to him without crying but gues what, I was wrong.To own a pet is a great privelege. They love us unconditionally. In their eyes we are perfect. And as I write this a dog named Cody is lying at my feet, chewing on something, just waiting for me to get up so he can follow along beside me.I also have a cat walking across my keyboard....