Dreams in a Bowl

Love this cool shot by irmischmider. Photo links courtesy of webshots.

Friday morning, right before waking, I dreamed I was being chased by a man through my grandmother's old house. I vividly remember thinking of the guy chasing me as a "zombie", but he wasn't dead or decayed. Instead he was an intruder, yet, someone I apparently knew who had broken in the house and was trying to catch me in order to... I don't know. Hurt me in some way.

I tried to hide from him in the large, walk-in hall closet, but he found me there. So I ran, or apparently drifted, through the walls since he was blocking me in, and I took off through the den, stopping outside the door to my grandmother's bedroom. In waking life, my grandmother died about 17 years ago. We were very, very close. Back when I lived with my grandmother, I rarely went into her room. I wasn't forbidden from going in there, I just didn't go in there out of respect for her since the only times she ever went in there was to sleep at night, and to take her afternoon nap. 

In this dream, I didn't want to go through her room. I didn't want to disturb her, but I knew that guy was going to grab me if I didn't run, so I did the inevitable - I flung open the door. The room was dark. I couldn't see anything but pure blackness. I dashed through the room, to the side door. (The room had two doors, one into the den, the other lead into the hallway, creating a loop through the house.) 

I sensed my grandmother in there, in the bed. I sensed her take notice of me as I reached for the doorknob. She said something to me in the dark, I can't remember what, but it was like a question. Or maybe she just called my name. She sounded like I had woken her out of a deep sleep. I called out to her and told her everything was okay, that I was just passing through. It was that moment I got the door open. (the doorknobs were old fashioned iron knobs, which were always loose and hard to turn). I ran through the other side into the hall, and I was looking for a place to hide when the guy came out of the shadows. 

He looked completely normal, and not at all gross or anything. Ha. He looked a little like the guy who played Tony in the movie Waxwork (1988). Very clean cut, all American, blah blah... Still, I knew he wanted to hurt me. And while he acted calm and kept advancing, I knew I had mere minutes before he killed me or something. As I passed the bookshelf, backing away from him, I snatched a book off the top - some white paperback - and was using it as a shield. He advanced toward me again, very quickly, and I used the bound edge to basically pop him in the mouth. Of course, he didn't even blink, much less stop or retreat. He backed me into the dining room, where I woke up. 

It was a very intense, scary dream. And lying awake afterward I though about the part where I rushed through my grandmother's room. I tend to dream about her every now and again when I'm really stressed - that certainly fits with the scene lately. Ma'am-maw (as we called her) was the family matriarch, and the family sort of dissolved after she passed away. The extended family doesn't get together for holidays, or anything like that anymore the way we did when she was alive. She was the glue for the family, and I guess in many ways she was always represented comfort and stability to me. 

The dream bothers me a little. Symbolically at least, I ran to her - in her room of all places - and was distressed enough to wake her up, even if I wasn't trying to. There are many interesting little tid bits to think about there. I guess there shouldn't be any wonder why I have such horrible insomnia.  

Meatloaf in Wonderland

Goldfields and Asters photo by barnchaser. Photo links courtesy of webshots.
I watched Alice in Wonderland with Mini today. Despite everything negative I've heard about the movie, that Johnny Depp dwarfed Alice's role (among other things), I really loved it. Visually, it was a beautiful movie, and the characters were fascinating. It wasn't too far out of my expectations. Fun stuff. :0)
Mainly I worked on notes today. There wasn't really much else to do since around 10:30-ish a sudden rainstorm came up, pouring buckets. My DSL didn't love me so much right about then, which drives me slapnuts crazy when the connection is shit and I'm basically looking for ways to procrastinate online. 
I thought about going ahead with edits on the werewolf story I just finished, but decided to wait and hammer it out over the weekend. Hopefully I'll be less distracted then. I'm about to write a very kinky story, so I'm taking my time, gathering information on fetish I really don't know much about. When working with something like that, I have to think things through very carefully. Too, I have to watch myself since I think this story will likely turn out to be a contemporary. I just can't seem to wrap my brain around paranormal and Christmas at the same time and make it work without it sounding to hokey. Hm... 
Anyway, on a completely different and domestic topic, I made this huge meatloaf tonight. I really don't care for meatloaf that much, but it's the middle of the week and I need to go to the grocery store, but I only have something, like, two dollars in quarters. How's that for riches? This afternoon I picked through the fridge, seeing what I could throw together, and came away with two meals. I told the guys that they could have either spaghetti or meatloaf. So technically, they're responsible for the behemoth meatloaf we'll likely be eating again tomorrow night. 
Yes. Left overs. Because that's a damn huge meatloaf I made, that's why. There was also green beans, and mashed potatoes and gravy on the table. Oh, and chocolate cake. I made one from scratch and since I didn't have any frosting I put peanut butter on top while the cake was still hot so it would form a kind of peanut butter glaze. Holy cow, that was delish. 
No cake left. Plenty of meatloaf. So what're the guys trying to say? ^_^
That's that. *dusts hands* It's almost 1am, and I need to get to bed. Thank God it's Thursday, though. Is that saying legit? Who cares. One more day and this bastard of a week will be over. Who's with me on that? 
Night, night, everyone! 

Drifting In Blue

Photo by fuensanta2. Photo links courtesy of webshots.
Minibear is my alarm clock. He usually wakes me up around 7 am every day, but this morning my alarm clock slept in until 9. When he did wake us up, he was coughing a little. I kinda wonder if it's something to do with him playing in the rain a few days ago. So far he seems okay, but I'll definitely be keeping an eye on him. Nothing sucks quite like a summer cold. 
What with the flurry of phone calls and the daily, morning mom-duties are accomplished, I didn't get around to opening the WIP until about 11 o'clock. I added one more scene to the werewolves, which filled in a gap, and by the time I finished with that, it was time for lunch. 
This afternoon I wrote THE END for the weres - W00T! Behind schedule, but better late than never. Now to polish the mess. ;0)
I've been brainstorming the next project, but I don't have enough to get started on it yet. I'm still trying to decide whether or not I want to make this story a contemporary. Decisions, decisions...
That's all for now. I hope you're having a wonderful Tuesday! 

Signs in the Sky

Gorgeous picture by bfryxell. Photo links courtesy of webshots.
I have had reoccurring dreams about the "stacks" in Capadoccia (Turkey). The stacks themselves were made by volcano ash and/or receding water, I believe. I saw this picture on Webshots last night and decided to post it. Just looking at it fills me with peace. Who knows why I keep dreaming of this particular place. I've never been there, and it's not really the kind of spot I'd chose for a vacation. I'm more of a beach or city gal, to be honest. But something about this place is striking. It always gives me goosebumps with I come across pictures of it. Who knows? Maybe I lived there in a past life.  :*)
Right now, at this very moment, I'm listening to ocean waves and printing up the werewolf story so I can do a hunt for loose ends. Tonight I start working on a brand new project. I have a general idea, but a bit of brainstorming is in order. That said, I love brainstorming.
I think I'll go make a cup of tea now and settle in. I have lots of red penning to do. Perfect exercise for a Monday, I guess. *g* I hope you all have a pleasant day!  

Crawling Toward The End

My work table / writing table in Second Life. :*)

Woot! My werewolf story is finally winding down. As simple as it is, it feels like I've been fighting with this book for an eternity. Right now it's sitting at roughly 7k, but no telling where the final count will end up when I've gone through this thing is pruned, fixed, and polished. I'm guessing at around 10k. I'm not going to shake a stick at that. 
This story has literally come together bit by bit. I'd write two paragraphs and stop. Two more paragraphs and stop again. These daily stresses have been taking it out of me, I tell ya what! 
Despite it all, I think the story is going to be a good one. I wouldn't bother polishing it if I didn't think it wouldn't make for a good reading experience. Oh, and by the way, this is Blaze's story, I'm finishing up. If you don't know who I mean, check out Dominant Territory. He was a character in that book. This book also has characters from Under A Midnight Moon in it, which is a free for downloading over at Smashwords. 
Overall, I'm happy with the characterization, and the story/plot itself is sound. It was just hard to drag this one out of the old brain and into Word. :0) After all this, I'm gonna have to think hard on a title, because I don't think the working title is going to cut it. I was browsing the Kindle store on Amazon yesterday for books to download, and came across a book with nearly the same title. Yikes!
All that aside, tonight after the MMC chat (which starts at 9pm CST/10 EST) I've got to go back and iron out some of the fine details in the story. Gotta make sure I've got the characters in the right pack and town, and all that jazz.  I'll also be chronicling my entire Werekind series into a journal, because I've got a really big book for this series up my sleeve. 
So that's about it for now. Just happy dancing that I'm so close to the end. *deep breath of relief* I hope you're all having a fantastic weekend. In case you drop by - see you at the chat. :0)

Cracking A Whip Over The Werewolves

I'm printing my latest werewolf WIP. I know it's going to need more work, but I've got to go through and see exactly where I stand. My current goal is to complete this story so I can move on to other things. Honestly I've been working on this one much longer than I'd hoped, so I'm gonna fix that. I'm wrapping this one up, and plan to be working on a new story come Monday morning. 
Today and tomorrow I'll probably be making cuts and doing write-ins. That's probably my least favorite part of the cycle, but at the same time, it's how I judge the end mark for a project. The point is: this one is rolling out soon.
Tomorrow night, Cass and I will be doing free tarot readings in the Midnight Moon Cafe chat pit. We always have lots of fun with these, so we hope you'll drop by and say hi. I'm not exactly sure of the time for the chat, so check the events calendar for specifics. 
So that's the grand plan. Gotta move one story out to work on another. :0) 
Ooh, before I go - I plan to make this as a side dish for supper tonight: Chunky Tomato and Black Olive Salad 
I'm going to modify it a little. I'm going to use California black olives instead of brine variety, and I want to add fresh baby spinach, feta cheese, and mix it all with cold rinsed penne pasta. Cheap eats, and sounds delicious! 
Happy Friday, everyone! ^_^

The School Supply Hunt Begins

Fuzzy Flowers photo by RaffaellaII. Photo link courtesy of Webshots.

Gosh, I'm so tired tonight. I thought I had more hours in me than this!  I managed to get all my spare notes tucked away into my writing journal today, so that cleared up my desk a bit. And I'm about 85% finished with this Werekind story. W00t! So glad that's coming along as well as it is.  

I'd hoped to have it finished by now, but with so much health stuff, back to school coming up, and money issues, it's been a test of determination to get much written. My mind wants to drift to other things. Good thing I'm stubborn, I guess. :0)

This weekend I have to make a trip to Bossier and buy MiniBear's school uniforms. Thankfully the school supply list is relatively short this year. I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do about the belt thing. Even kindergarteners have to tuck their shirts in and wear a belt...kinda ridiculous since most of them can barely tie their shoes. I'm thinking some kind of easy belt is gonna be hard to find. We will see. It's first and foremost on my list. If I can't find one I may make one with a velcro closure. It's more for looks than anything, anyway. 

Tomorrow I have errands to run, and I'm going to push on through to the end of the werewolf story so I can print it up and see what's what. It's going to need cleanup for sure. And the first chapter will possibly have to be rewritten. I've got my fingers crossed it's going to be in better shape than I expect.

That's all for now. I'm going to pop into SL and go shopping with Cassandra Sharktooth. Good times. :0) I hope your day was a pleasant one. Night, night, everyone!

Thoughts Of A Domesticated Diva

Yesterday I went grocery shopping, and I put a super-special ingredient on my list I don't usually buy: cocoa powder. Someone on twitter - I can't find the tweet again, or I'd credit it - posted a link to a mug cake. 


The link above isn't the same as the one I saw on twitter, because as I said - I can't find it again. But the gist is the same: you mix up all the ingredients and nuke it for three minutes. I made this recipe in a bowl instead of a mug, since the cake is supposed to rise over the top. I figured a bowl would make for less mess, and I was happy with the result. Great cake, no mess. 


Oldest loved the cake too, despite the fact I made it with Splenda and rice flour (instead of sugar and all purpose flour - stuff I can't have). This stuff is chocolate evilness. Totally worth a look!


The guys are kinda bummed, hubby especially, since we're really having to tighten the purse strings. Grocery dollars are shrinking, and food prices are going up. The cost of filling up the cars is just outrageous. And that's just the start of it. The guys are very ho hum, and I'm in utter Stressville because school starts for Mini in August. Tell you what, I'm stocking up on the chocolate NOW. I'm going to probably have a complete breakdown that first day of kindergarten. *_*


The school is doing something very weird this year, too. All the boys attend school on the 23rd, and all the girls on the 24th. The first day of actual school is the 25th. I've never heard of such, and I keep wondering why they'd do that sort of thing. Some weird new orientation? As if we didn't have enough to worry about already....


Anyway, that's just a few of things on my mind right now. That, and the werewolves. The current story coming along, albeit slowly. I can't seem to get it together on this one, and it's frustrating for me because the story is so simple. Stress is a lot of the problem, but I don't see that going anyway any time soon, so I've gotta snap out of it and get this sucker written. Someone care to crack the whip? 


That's it for now. I hope you have a lovely Wednesday. :0)

Buried Under Books

Love this picture by martenel100. Photo links courtesy of webshots.

My TBR stack has finally toppled. Really. So today I'm making a contingency plan. I've got to read these books! I've decided I need to read at least a book a week kinda clear out what's taking over the little table near my desk. 

Right now I'm reading Zombie Moon by Lori Devoti. I take time out every so often and read a chapter or two before launching into chores. It's the only way I can read and get anything done. ;0) Next up is Angel Slayer, by Michele Hauf. After that, lessee...the print edition of Lunewulf Law by Lorie O'Clare. There are at least 20 other books on the immediate stack. Oy vey. Why didn't I read them when I bought them? And this doesn't even take into account the stuff on my e-reader. I bought Trisha Baker's Crimson Night ages ago, and never got around to reading it. Well, it's on my immediate to-do list.

What's funny - I've read about six books in the past three weeks. None of them happened to be on the stack though. Yes, I'm mental. So I've decided to start a new reading regimen. At least a book a week from the stack. That way I can do another cull on the bookshelves in September, once Mini is in school.

Anyway, I'm about to grab another cup of coffee and start working on the second half of this werewolf story I've been writing. I got to the halfway point over the weekend, but haven't touched it much over the past two days. Time to knock out that second half so I can print it up and see what I've got. *thumbs up*

I hope you all have a snazzy Tuesday. ;0) 

Doctor Day...and Zombies

Stunning photo by mozingo1. Photo links courtesy of webshots.
I'm thoroughly exhausted! It was a busy weekend, and I followed it up today with a last minute trip to the doctor. Actually, I called them up at about 8 or 9 this morning and scheduled an appointment. 
Last week, around Wednesday, hubster brought home a jar of banana peppers his friend had grown and canned. We don't usually eat banana peppers, but we never let food go to waste. I cooked with the peppers, and we ate them with red beans and rice...stuff like that. Later that night, after I took a shower, I noticed there were these dark orange/browny/red "blood smears" on my lower legs. Being the dingbat that I am, I thought it was razor burn and ignored it. The next morning, however, I had all these red blotches and rings on my legs. 
I thought it was an allergic reaction and took Benedryl, which did nothing. The blotches don't hurt or itch; they aren't raised in any way. They're not even all that noticeable unless you point it out. They're kind of like flat, smooth, pale red/dark pink hives. I asked my BFF about it, sent her some pictures, and she seemed to think it looked like a bacterial infection. 
Okay. Now, I know that we are never ever EVER supposed to try and diagnose ourselves looking at pictures on the net, but, of course, I gotta be a rebel. I looked up bacterial infection and nearly fell out of my chair. Some of these pictures I came across looked like something out of Night of the Living Dead. Yes, complete with gaping wounds and flesh falling off. *_*
So....I called my doctor this morning, and when they asked if I wanted to come in today my answer was - HELL, YES! I like to read zombie fiction. That doesn't  mean I want to look like I just walked out of a zombie movie. I cannot get it out of my head - the bloody gaping holes and feet with holes the size of plums and... *faint*
Well, the doctor looked at me, and said she didn't know for sure what it is, but it's most likely one of three things: eczema, the start of neuropathy due to diabetes, or lupus. I can pretty much scratch out the eczema. That burns and itches, these blotches don't. 
I'm pretty much betting on the neuropathy, since I get the sharp "stabbing needles" sensation in my legs and feet at times. *sigh* Then again, I don't even want to think about it being lupus, so I'm sticking with the neuropathy theory.  
First things first, I have to go through a week of pills to ensure this isn't eczema. On Monday, I go back to the doctor and they'll look at my shins again to see what's up. Then they're sending me to a specialist in Monroe to do a complete blood work up. They'll check my diabetes and/or look for signs of lupus. So much to look forward to, I tell ya what. ~_~' 
On a brighter note, while getting my prescriptions filled, I stumbled across a copy of Lori Devoti's Zombie Moon. Of course, it had to come home with me. Zombies and werewolves all in one package...I can't wait to read this one!  
Oh! While I'm thinking about books and paranormal things, a special thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday night to the Midnight Moon Cafe tarot reading event in Second Life. You made the evening a huge success! Cass and I had a great time chatting with all of you. :0)
That's it for now. I've been running non-stop since about 7 am. I'm kinda tired. I'm gonna kick back for a bit and read. Happy Monday, everyone!  

Going to the Country...

This gorgeous shot is by enorthroup. Photo links courtesy of webshots. 
Right now, I'm waiting for the man to get hungry enough to make a dash to Subway. I want a chicken boobs sub with EVERYTHING on it. Ooh, and chips! He's in the middle of some Guild Wars battle, and that's always some serious business around here. He works hard all week, and on his days off he slays bad guys. My kinda guy! ;0) 
My godfather came by this morning and gave us a bag full of the most beautiful Ruston peaches I have ever seen. How awesome is that? 
It's funny because I was just thinking the other day that I'd like to drive over to Ruston and buy a basket of peaches from the orchard. Back in the day, when my parents and I used to live out in the orchard, we could stop right there at the "shed" in the fork of the road where they bring in the peaches after harvesting. We'd buy a basket and mom would make a huge peach cobbler. Yum. 
Well, I probably won't make a peach cobbler, but I'm going to wash these and take half of them over to my parents. These things look delish. Great for slicing up and putting on some ice cream. Am I making you hungry yet?  *g*
Tonight, Cassandra and I will be doing live tarot readings in voice chat on Second Life. The event will be at the MMC shop in Awen, starting at 7pm SLT/ 9pm CST /10pm EST at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Awen/144/34/23. We hope you'll drop by and chat with us!

FEATURED: Tigerlily by Charlotte Stein

Hi, I’m Charlotte Stein. You don’t know me (well, Cora knows me, but you might not), but Cora graciously said I could promo my novella on her blog. And because it’s now a theme, I’m doing poems for everybody who agreed to let me do just that. And so, in honour of the lovely Cora Zane:


Oh, Cora is awesome
Because she wrote a story called
My Zombie Ex-Boyfriend.
Really, there’s no more that needs to be said.
I know you all
Already probably know she’s awesome
Because you’re reading her blog.
But even so
I feel I should stress this point.
Also, she’s now an Ellora’s Cave author!
Which means we get to be
Ellora’s Cave authors together.
And she’s so cute and lovely,
That can’t fail to be awesome.


And now, onto promo things! My novella, Tigerlily, is out from Total-E-Bound on July 19th. Here’s the blurb, an excerpt, and a link!

About Tigerlily:

Oh what’s a girl to do, when she finds a sexy, naked man in her back garden? When a naked guy turns up in Mae’s back garden, she can’t decide if he’s crazy or sent from heaven. He can’t remember his name, or where he’s from, but he seems to know one thing for certain- Mae is in need of some hot loving, and fast. 


However, the more he persuades her to let go and give in, the more she finds herself believing that she’s met him before. But childhood games with a boy who she’s sure had wings on his back are giving way to her deepest sexual fantasies, and dreams of another world entirely are not far behind…

EXCERPT:

“There was a guy, running a blue streak through the trees. Mae Connelly could see him, even amidst the febrile greenery and the lowering light, arms pumping. Legs pumping. Cock swinging in the breeze. 


Which was when she decided to stand up, and get a better look. 


Purely out of simple curiosity, of course. Nothing unseemly about stepping off your porch to gawk at a man who appeared to be running through the field behind your house, buck ass nekkid. 


And it didn’t sadden her—not even a little—when he ploughed into the long grass and everything below the waist got cut off. No—not even a little bit, uh-uh. After all, she was just a concerned citizen. 


Concerned about someone who sure looked terrified. He looked more than terrified—she could see him, turning his head every five seconds as though expecting to see hellhounds behind him, chomping at his heels. He kept almost stumbling, like fear wouldn’t let him keep his footing. 


And as he veered closer to her house, she could definitely make out red, striping his upper arms. The fact that said upper arms were sinewy with muscle and very nice indeed took a shameful backseat. 


She shouted before her brain confirmed that doing so was a good idea. 


“Hey!” 


It was definitely not a good idea. He fell almost immediately, at the sound of her voice. She saw him turn, and then it was all just tits over ass and nothing but the long grass, stirring, to suggest that he had ever been there. 


All the possible reasons that someone could be running, naked and terrified, went through her head: escape from a forced nudist colony. Being hunted by a Terminator from the future. Sex game that went horribly, horribly wrong. Or right, depending on your kink. 


But none of them seemed either a) plausible or b) sane. As far as she knew, forced nudist colonies didn’t even exist. And likely Terminators and time travel machines didn’t, either. Especially not ones that sent you through time with your ass hanging out.”


http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=845


Mega thanks, Cora!

Gotta Tidy Up - Have A Guest Coming!

I can hardly wait for Friday! I'm wrapping up as many loose ends as possible so hopefully the family and I can spend some time doing lazy things, or maybe we can take a trip to the zoo or out to the lake. First things first, though...writing. I hope to have a new book finished this weekend. Wish me luck!


Speaking of books... Tomorrow, the super awesome Charlotte Stein will be dropping by to guest blog. She's going to talk about her sexy new book called Tigerlily. RAWR, what a gorgeous cover! Be sure to come by and check out the feature for this new naughty tale, which will be available July 19 from Total-E-Bound. ;0)


Right now, this very minute, I'm boiling chicken for a stew - which is madness when I think about it, because it's over 100 degrees outside. Nevertheless, I have a bag of potatoes, mushrooms, bell pepper, and fresh garlic that I need to do something with, so there it is. A thick, chicken stew tonight. If there's any lettuce left, I may toss a side salad as well. I may just pass that domestication test yet!


That's all I've got for now. Don't forget to stop by Smashwords and browse my free reads. I've finally managed to get them all in one place. I hope you like them!  

Migration Complete!

Yay!  After fighting with uploads all day, I've finally managed to migrate the last of my free reads over to Smashwords.  


About Heart on Fire: 


Hallie Richmond never would have guessed she'd be spending Valentine's Day working overtime with her sexy boss. However, Mitchell Draven is interested in more than company spreadsheets. He's in love with Hallie, and he's finally ready to confess face-to-face that she sets his heart on fire! 


Heart on Fire is part of the Werekind series. It was was released in 2007 at the Midnight Moon Cafe as part of the Valentine's Day celebration we held that year, but I think it's contemporary enough for everyday reading. It has been completely updated and re-edited for Smashwords. It does contain graphic naughty bits (adult content) so you must be 18+ to download it. :0)


Heart On Fire is available here: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/18955


Whew! So that's my major news for today. I've been going through my list and trying to wipe out a couple of lingering projects. One day at a time, you know?


Happy hump day, everyone! 

Ellora's Cave and Brownies

Last night I spent about forty minutes on the phone with tech support. We haven't had a many issues with our DSL service up to this point, but yesterday was a bear. Every five minutes it dropped the connection, which is kind of nerve wracking when you have submissions out there you're waiting to hear back on. Thankfully the tech guy turned out to be nice and efficient. Oh, mama, give me some efficiency any day.


He checked our numbers and said the signal was strong, so it must be the occasional rain followed by hellish blistering heat and high humidity. Ho hum. At least he didn't tell me it's being caused by soon-to-be cataclysmic solar flares or something to keep me up all night thinking about it in fear.

Now for the good news... I found out yesterday afternoon my story Connection has been accepted at Ellora's Cave. Yay!!! *confetti dance* Gotta tell ya, I'm absolutely jazzed to be working with them. I love reading their books, and really what more can you say about that? I hope to be with them for a long time to come. :*)


Ooh, I baked a tray of double fudge brownies yesterday. They were delicious. I cut them very big in the pan - who wants a little wimpy brownie, know what I mean?  When they'd cooled enough that you could hold them, I spatula'd two huge monster brownies onto a plate for oldest, one for Mini, and one for me. I come back thirty minutes later to cover the brownies with saran wrap and almost half the tray is missing. Oldest!  


That kid, I swear, he is tall and thin and I think he has a hollow shin where all the food goes. If I ate that many gooey chocolate brownies I'd have two new inches of belly to go with it. Le sigh. 


Oh, but they were good, though. Awesome brownies. So I can't really blame Oldest for sneaking another. Mini ate half of one, which I thought was pretty good. I take his and melt marshmallows on top in the microwave so it won't be so much pure chocolatey taste. He's still young. He won't get his true chocolate palette until he's in his teens. Still, can't have him rejecting real brownies, that would be... baker's sacrilege. Or something like that. 


So there you have it. All my happy news. Ellora's Cave and brownies. Pure heaven... :0) 

Wanted: Private Beach Access

Lovely beach photo by ttalbum. Photo links courtesy of webshots.

Wow, is it Sunday already? How did that happen?  Where did Friday go?  Oh, yeah, grocery shopping. Wah. Anyway, it feels like this weekend has flown out the door in record time. One more day for the weekend, please? Can someone draw up a referendum?  Is there some way we can officially vote in Monday as part of the weekend?  People would hate Monday a little less, and we'd have more weekend to boot. It's a win-win!  ;0)

On Saturday, Jamie rode with me to the NOLAStars meeting in Bossier. Author Judy Christie did a fabulous workshop on The Writer's Path. She talked in part about priorities and figuring out which books you want to write the most, which is something I seriously need to consider. It's interesting, too, because Jamie and I talked about similar, related issues on the way to the meeting. 

Mini is still at his grandparents' house. I have to go pick him up in about two hours. I'm going to make hubster go with me this time. I want to stop by the store to pick up bottled water and razors. Yes, razors. I intend to spare my family another day of looking at my leg fur. :P Oh, and I wanted to buy stickies. Because I don't have enough post-its stuck all over everything in my office already. 

Today I went browsing places to stay on the beach in Maine. I'd love to live in beach chalet. One day...or so I tell myself. Anyway, I found this lovely rental right on the beach and I told hubby about it, thinking it's a good possibility for an anniversary trip. This October will mark 20 years for us, and as much as I wanted to go on a cruise, all the freakish headlines about people falling overboard, gone missing, and/or pirates shooting at the ships... 

Well, frankly, I want to get away to relax, not to have to watch my back the entire time. And I have this fear of hubby falling off a balcony into the ocean. I told him that and he laughed, but say what you will - I like to come home with who I left with. *_* 

So now I'm looking at Maine, because we loved Tybee Island, GA. Our stay at the DeSoto was wonderful, and we loved the private beach access. Same thing when we stayed in Jacksonville. The beach access made all the difference. Just walk outside and you're there. Perfect!

Of course, it's too soon to say if we can even afford to do this yet. At least this year. But a little summer dreamin' never hurt anyone. ;0)

That's all for now. Must get ready to do a store run and pick up the MiniBeast. I hope your Sunday is a cozy one! 

the Friday blog that almost wasn't

Gorgeous photo by trueblvr. Photo links courtesy of Webshots.

Yay, Friday! I'm feeling better, and I'm back on my feet for the most part.


I've accomplished next to nothing this week, and all my projects are still pending, so no news on that front. Tomorrow I'll be driving up to Bossier for the NolaStars monthly meeting. Honestly, I need a recharge. Jamie and I ride together, so we get to talk craft, our projects, and girly stuff all the way from Ruston. Good times. Too, it gives me a little time away from the kids and the housewifely things. :0)


Once that's all settled I'm back home, I've got to start putting my ducks in a row because I've got too many projects at or near completion, and too many little side projects needing to be finished. It's time to clear the cupboards, so to speak. 


Speaking of cupboards...groceries. I took the boys grocery shopping with me today. Now, it's been threatening rain on us since early June. Almost every day the forecast is rain, and I swear, I've never seen anything like it. The rain often doesn't come as predicted, just shitty gray skies, so I didn't think anything of it when I took off at 1pm to go do the rounds.


Half way through shopping, there is this sudden roar within the store and I realize it's because it has started raining - hard. Well, effers, of course it would rain today when I've got a buggy FULL of food, both kids, and...well, just OF COURSE. 


I lingered around hoping it would get a bit lighter out there - no luck, so I went to check out and had Oldest and Mini run on out to the car to wait for me. I got soaked on my way to the car. Literally, my hair plastered to my head and I've ever so grateful my shirt was dark red or there would've been a wet t-shirt show going on. Oldest helps me get all the stuff in the car, and we're both drenched by the time we climb into the front seats. We take off out of the parking lot, and realize Mini isn't buckled in properly (!!!!!) and I'm freaking particular about that make no doubt about it. 


I came to a dead stop in the street and Oldest reached into the back and they quickly fixed Mini's harness and voila! He's ready to roll. Oldest got buckled in and we made it down to the stop sign, turned right, and were heading along 167 when this white SUV comes flying out of nowhere. He's doing at least 60 and the standing water is at least 2 inches deep on the road. The guy hits a deep spot and starts hydroplaning. I hit the breaks as his car swerves left, right, nearly flips before swerving a hard left again. This happens across five lanes - he crosses right in front of me and jumps the curb before skidding to a very hard stop in someone's back yard, against a wooden fence. The SUV is completely turned around, as if it can drive right back out onto the highway. We could see the guy gripping the steering wheel in utter shock.


That was the freakiest bit to the day, nothing can really compare to it. Except maybe the fact I think Mini is going to grow up to be a total boob man. OMG. That movie Wall-E...*forehead smack* I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but damn, if you haven't seen it already that's your bad, cuz I'm going on with this. There's this one part in the movie where Wall-E is digging through the trash and finds this pink Bra. Well, he puts it on his little robotic eyes like a hat. 

Minibeast, being it that he was introduced to ze boobage area directly after his birth, finds this absolutely fascinating and knock yourself out hilarious. I found it 40x as hilarious (and groan worthy) to hear Mini call Wall-E's bra "ninny guards". *sigh*


Only one of my offspring could somehow take women's undergarments, baby breastfeeding terminology, and sports equipment and combine all that to make it sound like Wall-E had unearthed equipment for an extreme sport. And I gotta say, this has been his #1 topic for conversation today. The ninny guards, and the fact Wall-E doesn't know what they're for. Yep, this is one of those stories destined for the baby book. 


My kids are gonna LOVE me for recording all this one day. 
   

Clear A Path

Gorgeous photo by costiflorea. Photo links courtesy of webshots.

It's almost 11pm. Normally I'd be digging into a writing project right now while the house is quiet, but I've caught Mini Bear's case of ick. I took a dose of Pepto a few minutes ago, and now I'm mostly trying to wait it out. If I can just hold down liquids until I feel less puke-tastic, I'll go on back to bed. 


I tell you, we've been through it over the past few days with this crud. Hubster came in from work on Friday and he wasn't feeling well then. It blossomed the next morning into a full blown sick/virus throwing up, chills, fever kind of thing. Mini caught it from him. Now me. *sob* I'm holding out hope that it totally skips Oldest altogether, because he is usually the harbinger of it cycling through the house again. 

Overall it's been a productive day. I almost have the vampire proposal ready. It would be done if I'd just leave well enough alone, but apparently I'm too stubborn for that. I had to go and add a character in when I'm trying to get the chapters sorted and polished. Like a crazy nut, I decided to change the ending of the entire book last minute, so the synopsis is taking a little more effort than I thought it might. The story will be better for it in the long run, though, so I guess I shouldn't complain.


And too, I know this would all be so much easier if I felt better, so I'm not pushing it too hard. I don't want to write the book into a hole I can't pull it out of. I'd like to pull out of all this in the end with a few brain cells to spare.


So that's the state of things at the moment. Harried...and sick. Ah well, tomorrow's a new day. I hope you're all feeling fit and happy. I'm off to lounge on the couch and try to rest. Night, night everyone. :0)

Heart On Fire: coming soon to Smashwords

Happy 4th of July!


I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday! There isn't much to post today. The hubster is getting over his ick, and I'll be leaving in a few minutes to pick up Minibear from my parents' house. 


I thought I'd do a quick update for those who have asked, Heart on Fire should appear on Smashwords some time this coming week. 


This little tale is a reissue of the Werekind short story that first appeared at the Midnight Moon Cafe for Valentine's Day in 2007. It's being re-edited, and as you can see the cover has been revamped. 


It's the last of my MMC stories to be added, and like the others, it will be available for free download. I'll post more about that in the days ahead, so keep checking here at the blog, or on my profile page at Smashwords for updates.


Once again, Happy 4th of July to all my USA friends, and to the brave soldiers fighting overseas so that we may live free. Bright blessings!

Tuna Salad Recipe For Danielle

Danielle, I finally have a few minutes to sit down and write out this tuna salad recipe you wanted. I don't really measure my food in the kitchen, it's all kind of guessed at the amount and tossed in. I hope you like it. :0)

• Prep a side salad of shredded lettuce and chopped cherry tomatoes.

• To make the tuna salad base:  

1-2 cans of tuna fish, or tuna chunks
add in mayonnaise until creamy - about 1/2 cup
add in mustard to your taste -I use about 1/4 a cup
add a pinch of garlic salt

• Mix in the following with a fork: 

4 boiled, peeled and chopped eggs
1/4 cup of cubed Colby / Monterey jack cheese - whatever cheese you like
(or you can sprinkle on shredded cheese if that's what you've got - I toss in whatever we have)
1/8 cup of fine chopped onion
2 chopped dill pickles

Once it's all mixed, spoon it onto the lettuce and tomato and sprinkle black pepper over the top. Or just do like my kids and hubby do and make sandwiches out of it. ;0) As for pepper and seasoning, we sprinkle Slap Ya Mama Cajun seasoning over the top of it, but I don't think it's available everywhere.


Oh, hey, just for the sake of saying so, by the time you mix everything in, it's going to be chunky, but it shouldn't be thick or dry. If it does seem a little dry, add more mayo. It should spread easily onto bread if you're making a sandwich.

Still Floating

Stunning photo by tonycornfield. Photo links courtesy of webshots.

I'm gathering all my stuff together to run errands for the week. I have books to mail out, shopping to do, and a dozen other things I've written down on a list so I don't forget about it. Normally, I love Fridays, but today feels so pensive I can barely stand it. I'm paying one bill by the skin of my teeth, and I'm going to have to do it direct pay. Good Pete. On the other hand, it's getting paid, so I guess I shouldn't fuss. 

There isn't much of anything to eat in the house, so shopping is a must. The kids have been bemoaning the lack of instant grub in the house. You know what I'm talking about - the grab and go stuff. We've had to pair down on all that. I've been buying lots of cook-it food. Eggs and bacon, pancake mix, brown rice noodles, and bags of potatoes. Oh, the horror. The kids are surely gonna starve.

Mini came to me whining yesterday because there weren't any snacks: chips, crackers, candy, etc. Well, I rarely ever buy candy, so I'm not sure what up with that. But he's right. The junk hasn't been finding its way here for a while. There were chips earlier in the week, but the kids are like locusts. They swarm on the kitchen the minute groceries are home, and the prepackaged stuff is the first to vanish. So they really have no one to thank for that but themselves. 

I haven't told them yet, but this week there won't be much insta-grub to start with. I'm a bit concerned about this tuna fish recall, because I usually make up this jam-tastic tuna fish salad and store it in the fridge for the guys. It's got pickle chunks, onion bits, cheese chunks in it...the guys love it. When I'm in a pinch, I'll make that and put some chips on a plate, toss a quick lettuce/tomato/crouton salad for veggies, and lunch is done. If there is no tuna on the shelves when I get to the store, I may faint.

I have prize packs to mail out for the Midnight Moon Cafe - those are going out today. And this evening I'll be setting up a book feature for our July featured author, and archiving the latest batch of Midnight Brew interviews so they'll be available for download on the website. I'm also trying to get Heart on Fire revamped and ready for Smashwords. It's the last of my free reads to make the jump. It's an older story, so it needs a thorough edit and update before it's added. It's amazing to see how much my writing has changed in just a few short years. 

Whew!  Okay, there it is: the current agenda. I'm hoping sometime during the afternoon I'll have a chance to sit down and write. I'm trying to wrap up the latest Werekind story for Cobblestone, and for some reason it's like pulling hen's teeth. Once that one is finished, I can kinda chillax and let the muse run wild. But first, priorities...  

That's all for now. Off to do the mommy/Haus Frau thing. I hope you all have a wonderful 4th of July weekend! Happy Friday, everyone! :0)