Renegade Renovation #8 – Kitchen Cabinets?

For those of you who don’t know me, let me clarify. I don’t cook. Well, I try. But I’ll not be getting an honorary diploma from Waffle House, let alone Le Cordon Bleu any time soon. Recipes are things which remain a mystery to me, and trust me, all of us are perfectly happy with this arrangement.

Which brings me to my next issue in this building-wide renovation. What to do with the kitchen. The reality of it is, the kitchen is a place I used to walk through on the way to my office. However, it is also the place where coffee, nectar of the Gods, is brewed and stored, so there is a level of importance here.

But come on, cabinets? I’ve lived in so many rental homes, they all had cabinets. Of some form or another. Now I have to actually decide what kind to have? My whole life it’s been a decision made by someone else. You write the deposit and first months rent check and pronto, you get a complete kitchen.

These days, my life is filled with kitchen designer magazines, and kitchen websites. I haunt the appliance isles at every home improvement store I enter. I’m obsessed, I tell you. Do I build one to impress my friends? That won’t work, they know me. They’ll know right off I can’t work any of those fancy gadgets. Maybe one to impress my family when they come to visit? Nah, same story. I know, I know, *waving hands* I’ll build one for the man in my life to use. Ahhh, deep breath here.

Problem solved.

Merry, Merry, and Happy, Happy Everyone

Wishing each of you that which brings your heart the most joy, and your soul peace.

I'm very thankful to have wonderful readers like you in my life.

All the best, always.

Waiting For Revenge by Autumn Piper

Blurb

One good heartbreak deserves another.

Mandy plans to leave her husband the minute their month of counseling is over. How can she forgive his outrageous affair? It would almost be funny if the consequences weren't so harsh. They've got kids, and families with strong -- and warped -- opinions on marriage.

Her aunt thinks she should take a page from the black widow spider. Her brother's begging to avenge her broken heart, and their marriage counselor offers to play the willing victim in some payback sex.

While her clueless husband launches a campaign to win her back, Mandy meets Adam, the perfect shoulder to cry on. Will perfect justice prove just how sweet revenge can be when you wait for it?

Content Warning: Real people aren't all good or all bad. Neither are the characters in this story. The shade of right or wrong you see may depend upon whose glasses you are looking through.

My Review

Ms. Piper has written a very unique story which captured me from the first page. I applaud her courage in taking on non-traditional subject matter, and handling it beautifully.

Although the characters deal with issues which are common enough to make them your neighbors, the story reveals an extrodinary depth of spirit and struggle not only women, but men face in relationships.

Mandy will make you laugh and cry as she works her way through an unrelenting set of challenges with love for her children, amazing strength and courage that will have you cheering. While at the same time, Adam will steal your heart with not only his looks, but his patience and perseverance.

If you’re looking for something a little different, I highly recommend this book. It kept me so enthralled; I read it in one sitting!

BUY IT HERE

Holiday Appetizer

Looking for a great story to read over the holidays? Here's a little taste of one I found to be particularly delightful.



Enjoy!

Tomorrow, the review.

Back In Action

Hey everyone. Here I am, and not completely dead. Only mostly dead tired. This is my busy (okay, busier than usual) season. Since the last blog post here, I’ve spent four days in Florida, four days in Chicago, four days in west Texas, and three days in Indianapolis. And then another week in Florida. The sucky part is none of it is vacation. The great part is that I’m working. But no less exhausted, and grouchy, so you probably don’t want to talk to me anyway.

Thanks for hanging in there with me. One of my major gripes in following a blog is when you check it, and the person has totally stopped posting. Grrr. You have my humble apology for becoming one of the very things that’s on my crappy list. I will do better.

I really want to ramp up this blog, so there are some great things planned for the new year. Author interviews, reviews, give aways and more! More what? Well, you just have to check back in and see.

Here’s wishing you great last minute shopping, with shorter lines, and a clear path to exactly the right gift.

Party With Lyrical Authors!

Renegade Renovation #7 – Framed!

I’ve got walls! Well, er, sort of. The framing is finished, bringing the floor plan to life. Now I can really see where the rooms will be, how they feel, and look. And I’m still living, the framers didn’t do away with me.

The reason being, they were supposed to arrive about three weeks ago or so. And then they called and said they were running a week behind. Well. That’s not uncommon in construction, with all the job shuffling they have to do. But what it did for me, was bring my attention back to the floor plan.

Now mind you, this plan was drawn and set in stone months and months ago. I was happy with it. Until I looked at it again. Now it looked like a bunch of square blocks on a page. So I got my chalk line out, and laid it out on the floor. And it still looked like a bunch of square blocks. Eww. No character at all. Um, okay maybe it represented my personality, but I swear that’s not who I am on the inside.

I grabbed a black marker and drew angles on the floor. Cutting off sharp corners and replacing them with angles. Setting perfectly straight walls at a slant. And guess what? I loved it. The person who’s job it was to transfer the angles to a drawing didn’t love it. But bless him, he did it anyway.

And when the framers came in, they didn’t bat an eye. I did catch a brief eye roll, and pretended not to notice. Professionals to the end, they built it just like it was drawn. Now, it’s got character.

NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month, or time for NaNo as most writers call it. It's the time of year when writers from all over the world get together and write. I mean, just write. No editing, no critiquing, or rewriting. Here's the link if you'd like more information. NaNoWriMo.

The goal is to write a 50k word story in a month. It's supposed to be a great exercise in simply getting the words of your story on paper. As someone who struggles with each word, because it has to be exactly the right one before it hits the page, I'm not sure how well this will work for me. But I'll keep you updated.

This is my first time to take part in NaNo. I really wanted to do it, to challenge myself to just write. Without worrying about what comes out. And of course, I'm traveling. Hey, I'm up for it. Wish me luck!

Blog on the Road

Can you believe it's November? I can't. It seems October just flew by without notice. And I didn't blog much. *hangs head in shame* Of course it could be because I'm up to my ass in alligators here in Atlanta. Yep, you read that right. Atlanta.

Coming to you live, well okay, not live, remotely then. The truth is, I have a face for radio, not streaming video but I digress. Here I am at CNN Center in downtown Atlanta. Smiling like an idiot. Why? Just appreciating the irony.

In case you don't remember, I've moved away from the big ATL. And here I am hard at work, only a couple hundred miles from home. But work is work these days, and I'm thankful.

Hope you're having as much fun as I am!

Blog Hopping

Today, I'm the guest blogger at You Gotta Read.

Come on by and tell us, do you prefer a complex plot, or not?

Another Excuse

But a cute one, no? There are days I wonder why I can’t get any writing done. The moment I turn to my desk during the day, this is what I see. She must be there. Some days it’s not too bad, but if it’s a strechy day, she tends to stand and arch up in front of the screen constantly which makes it hard for me to see, and we argue. Not much though. She usually gives me the cat eye, and I sit down and be quiet. I’m a well trained person. Just ask her.

Renegade Renovation #6 - Wild Things Part Two

During a trip to the local coffee haven, my partner told me he saw the most interesting snake outside by the stairwell, back at the soon-to-be-house. He claimed he got a good look, and then it disappeared.

“That’s nice.” I said, only half listening while driving. Something about him finding a snake.

You’re bright, I’m guessing you already know the end of the tale, as it were. But it makes me feel better to share it with someone. And who better than you?

Later that evening, after having shuffled lumber, plywood, siding, and other assorted construction materials around all day, the only thing I wanted was a place to sit. Remember, this place is under construction. So it’s not like there’s a cushy sofa or anything. I plopped myself down in a camp chair. The one closest to the cooler. Sat there for a few minutes, stretching...relaxing. Contemplating the progress of the job.

I finally got up the energy to dig around in the cooler for something cold to drink. Twisted the cap off, took a long pull and set the bottle on top of the glass topped table on the other side of the chair. (I know, glass?? You’re saying. Well, it was here, so I’m using it.) As I released the bottle, I took a better look at the table top, making sure the bottle didn’t fall off. Once my gaze focused on the table, I shot right up out of the chair as if my butt were attached to a rocket. Emitting a girlie squeal, I ran for the nearest exit.


Would it be remiss of me to mention that the hero of this story wasn’t really keen on trying to get rid of this critter? We returned to the scene, and there under the table, in all his scaly black and yellow glory sat a young Ringneck snake. (By young, I mean small, as in I feel stupid for squealing small.) Head held high, in the traditional snakey pose, on alert. My hero picked him up, and calmly put him back outside where he belongs. The man gets kudos because he didn’t laugh within range. But he was sporting a broad smile as he walked away.

Rather anti-climatic ending, don’t you think?

Renegade Renovation #5 – Wild Things

Here is one question which will definitely go on my renovation FAQ’s now that I have an answer. The question: Have you come across any surprises during your renovation? You know, things you didn’t expect?

Well, I hadn’t. Until recently. And believe me, they were two I didn’t expect. At all.

Surprise number one. I’d been noticing a couple little honey bees flying around front, but hadn’t really paid much attention to them since all the work has been going on inside. They kept to themselves and didn’t really seem to bother anyone. Except the guys who showed up last week to repair the soffits. And they were kind enough to share their surprise with me. I guess it belongs to me anyway, eh? Surely you can see where this is going, right?

Now mind you, I’m the crazy woman who will jump out of her car in traffic if a bee flies in. You can imagine how concerned I was to discover my little tenants. While it may seem like I live under a rock most of the time, or a race car, I really don’t. I have environmental concerns like everyone else.

Honey bees are a protected species here in Kentucky, and they are extremely important to our environment. So, I contacted a beekeeper. Here is what is left after the first part of the removal.


I couldn’t bring myself to take a photo when they first opened the soffit. Way too many bees. Apparently this hive is several years old. It filled the entire area. The nice beekeeper, who will forever remain on my Christmas list, removed the rest of the bees after I took the photo. The bees have gone on to their new forever home with the bee man. And we are all very happy.

Tomorrow, surprise number two!

On Writing

While this book isn’t new, it’s timeless, and one I highly recommend to aspiring writers. It won’t take you long to read it and more importantly, you won’t fall asleep while turning the pages. In his usually highly entertaining style, Mr. King gives you two views into the writing world.

The first is a short memoir of his life, and the second is where you’ll truly find the inspiration, and how-to, or how-not-to writing gems. Being a huge King fan, I found both completely enjoyable. He made me laugh out loud more than once. I confess, it’s the only writing book to have done so.

If you are looking for a straightforward book, such as, a step by step guide to writing a best selling novel, this isn’t it. But what it is, written in his quirky straight forward fashion, (which I love so much), is an incredible book about writing.

Here's a link if you'd like to get your own copy. On Writing

Celebrate the End of Summer with Lyrical Press!

Ever wanted to know the deets on your favorite editors and authors? Well, Lyrical Press is giving them up.

Come join the Lyrical Press Blog Event. Starting today! Read on for the details.

LPI celebrates a great summer of reading with the End of Summer Blog Event. Monday through Friday, August 24 – 28, we’ll feature author and editor profiles on the LPI Blog. Many author profiles will include giveaways, so please come visit for your chance to get to know Lyrical Press and win prizes.
We’ll round out the week with two live blogcasts:

Saturday, August 29, 6 – 9PM Central Time: Author Chat
http://lyricalpress.blogspot.com

Many, many LPI authors will be joining in the fray while Editor in Chief Emma Wayne Porter announces giveaway winners and hands out even more free goodies. Readers are invited to ask questions, hang out, and get to know the people behind all those stories.

Sunday, August 30, 6 – 9PM Central Time: Editor Chat
http://lyricalpress.blogspot.com

During this live blogcast, the LPI editorial staff gets its day in the hotseat. Readers are invited to give their opinions on what kind of stories they want to read. Authors are invited to ask questions about submission guidelines, and maybe even pitch an idea or two. Don’t miss this rare opportunity to speak directly to publishing staff, and be heard!

Renegade Renovation #4 – Floored!

My apologies for not posting recently. The evil day job turned into an evil day and night job until my task in the big ATL was complete. Thank goodness it’s done and I'm home. Now I can get on to what I really want to tell you about.

Remember all that jazz with the drum sander? After several rounds, a coat of sealer and a coat of finish, the floor looks great! Well, for a sixty year-old floor, it came out pretty good. So it won’t have to be covered with carpet or another kind of flooring. Its unique beauty can shine through. And I can walk around barefoot. Yay.

Take a look. Here’s a before from when I started and the color it is now. Check out the little inlays. Courtesy of moi. Aren’t tools fun? That’s where the old ventilation used to be.



I’m thrilled. Now it’s time to finalize the floor plan before framing starts. Uh oh, I think I feel a headache coming on. Tell me, I wanted all theses choices didn’t I? Sure, I did...

Featured Author

Lyrical Press is in the publisher's spotlight at Long and Short Reviews this week. Today I'm their featured author. So stop on by and check it out. There are prizes to be had.

Long and Short Reviews

Enjoy!

Irritation Nation

Welcome to another item on my ever expanding train of blog thoughts. What is it, you ask? Well, this is the spot for me to vent, as it were. Not about things of huge importance in the world, nothing life-threatening. Just those things about which one as an individual can’t really do much, just suffer through the irritation. And it’s not really even about the suffering. These things just aggravate me to no end, okay?

Today’s item: The Fast Lane

Now I might be dating myself here, so bear with me. Do you remember when the left lane of the freeway was truly designated ‘the fast lane’? I clearly remember reading in my driver’s education handbook, ‘Slower traffic should keep to the right’.

It seems as though it’s become the hang out lane. A very special lane for people to go slower than most of the traffic, and they won’t be bothered by the rest of us. Just this week, I’ve seen people holding up traffic in the left lane because they are on their phone, texting, reading a map, and/or eating their lunch.

Don’t misunderstand, I do my share of this on the freeway sometimes too. Just not in the left lane.

I must have missed the rule change here. So if there are people speeding by you on the right and giving you that finger wave which tells you how truly special you are, at least have the courtesy to wave back.

Don't Do It, Just Think About It

Doesn't he look like he's seriously considering doing it?


Why do cats like boxes so much anyway?

I'm thinking he's only in here to keep the other cat out. It's the whole dominance thing in action.

Renegade Renovation #3 - Dancing with a Drum Sander

Courtesy of the local home improvement store, I’ve spent several hours recently, working on the floor. The gooey rubber and glue were mostly gone, so it became time to see if the floor could even be refinished. Take a moment to notice the crossed fingers.

If you don’t know what a drum sander is, please don’t feel like you’ve missed out on anything. It rather resembles the upright version of an old time vacuum, bag and all. The only difference is, instead of the sucking area down front, there’s a drum which holds a sanding belt. Yeehaw.

Back and forth we went, with the grain of course. Music playing, round and round we danced. Belt after belt. Coarse, medium, and fine. Dipping, swaying, swinging right along. With an occasional stop to empty the bag.

Did I mention this is a large area? As in several rooms large? There just aren’t any walls at the moment. The contractor suggested the floor be done before the framing to make it easier. Easier on who? Oh, that’s right, this was my stupid idea. Since the budget won’t allow anyone else to come in and do this professionally, (believe me, I got estimates) guess who’s left? Anyone else want to send in their bright ideas? Evidently I’m open to them.

As soon as I find the energy to vacuum and tack the dust off, we’ll be on to a coat of sanding sealer. In the meantime, I’ve got some writing to do, so I’m outta here.

Side Table Saturday

What’s this you ask? Well, unlike a lot of people, the one thing I don’t do is read in bed. I would be up all night reading. It doesn’t soothe me and make me drift off. It keeps me wide-eyed until the very end. Which means I have no books on my nightstand. Instead, I keep them stacked on a side table, along with my ereader. That way I can grab them coming or going.

Although I write women’s fiction, my taste in reading is somewhat eclectic. If it’s got words on it, I’ll give it a try. I may not go back for seconds, but it’s worth a look the first time around.

Right now, I’m reading an older work of Dean Koontz entitled Velocity. If you don’t mind a little grizzly murder, and love suspense, this is the thriller for you. It’ll keep you turning the page from beginning to end. It’s a wonderfully done, tight, fast-paced read. I couldn’t put it down. My partner suggested I read this, and I’m so glad I did. We were both constantly surprised at the twists and turns of the plot. It’s made dinner conversation at our house rather lively for several nights in a row.

It’s the story of writer/bartender Billy Wiles and what happens to him when his work draws the attention of a killer. I won’t say more than that, simply because I hate spoilers when people recommend a book. Just read it, already!

Wondering what’s on my ereader? You’ll have to wait a day or two to find out. I’m not quite finished with the story and a review (along with a rating system) will be forthcoming.

Cheers!

Through The Fence – Brownstown Speedway

Located in Brownstown, Indiana at the county fairgrounds, Brownstown Speedway has been “Racing Since 1952”. Longer than I’ve been alive. Whew, it’s nice to know I’m not older than everything.

This track is a fairly flat, three-eighths mile dirt oval. Banking in the corners appeared to be about twelve degrees or so. No measurements here; it’s a best guest scenario. I admit to being surprised upon my arrival, during the first modified heat race, to find the track dry and quite slippery in turns one and two, thus prompting several spin outs that slowed down the show.


Being on top of things, after the heat races, they announced they would be reworking the track during intermission. Okay, I’ll admit to having a wtf? moment here. I’ve been to tracks where the reworking has taken two hours. It sucks. For a fan, it’s not fun. Kudos to the track workers. They did it in forty minutes and the track ended up gorgeous.

What fascinated me most here was that since the straight-aways were so wide and flat, drivers racing out of turn four would hang their right rear tire off the edge of the track which would propel them forward and back onto the track. Without loss of position. This made for some fantastic racing action. Lots of three and four wide battles.


Another high point was watching a few drivers who started back in the field take the absolute highest line at the edge of the track and just pedal their hearts out. Passing the competition like they were standing still!

All in all, it was a great night of racing. The track and grounds are well cared for, they do have a portion of covered grandstands (which I love in case of rain), and concessions offered a good variety of food and drink at very reasonable prices. If you’re ever in the area, I’d recommend this track for a fun family outing!

Through The Fence

Hi all. Hope you had a good weekend.

I went to the race track as usual. Which brings me to the reason for this post. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be posting a new regular feature. Sharing my track experiences with you, whether it’s actual racing or just going as a fan. You’ll get details on track’s I visit, and how things went. Good or bad.

You’ll read about what I see, through the fence.

Until tomorrow!

Good News

What a way to start a Friday. I opened my email this morning to discover a wonderful review of Center Ring by The Romance Studio.

"Center Ring is a page-turner." Linda L.

The Romance Studio Review

It really makes the work worth while when someone reads one of my stories, and enjoys it.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Promise Kept

I did it. I kept my promise. Frankly, I just don’t know if I can live with it.

Many of you, who may have visited my website, know I have red hair. It’s been that way for oh, longer than some of you have been born. Almost. At any rate, awhile back, like when the very first gray hair dared to appear on my head, I promised myself that if my hair got gray enough, I’d just stop coloring it and grow it out.

Surely you’ve seen those gorgeous women who are sporting a fabulous ‘do that’s entirely gray? Like the one who does those KraftMaid kitchen cabinet commercials. She’s just brimming with vitality and self-confidence. Not to mention, beautiful. I keep seeing her because I’m trying to decide on kitchen cabinets. That’s another post entirely though.

At any rate, that day has arrived. I stopped coloring my hair long enough for the gray to show through, and then cut it off. A la, Jamie Lee Curtis. Minus the legs, boobs, and body that’s still to die for.

Ha! The jokes on me. I love it, except that it’s, well, gray. And white, and dark brown. I feel really good about keeping the promise I made to myself all those years ago. As women, we tend to put ourselves at the bottom of the list for so many things, it became really important for me to do this. So. I’ve done it. And every time I see a redhead, I sigh with longing for my own firey locks. How's that for fickle?

Um, and now, I’m going hunting for hair color. Maybe a rich sable brown this time?

Renegade Renovation #2 – Ode to the Flo’ Ho

Time to remove the carpet. With a little help from a pry bar I managed to raise a corner of the carpet to see what was underneath. (Please let it be oak, or if wishes really come true how about walnut?)

Alas. Resting comfortably under the blue businesslike carpet is ... another layer of carpet! This time, it’s green. And, oh, did I mention it’s glued to the floor?

It has to come up. And come up it does. Along with what seems like miles of tack strip. Hats off to the installers. They made sure those strips were tacked down every six inches. Good job, guys. It only took me two hours to pull them all up.

In case you’re wondering what the floor looks like now, here’s a picture. Under all that black rubber goo is what may have been a lovely pine floor. Hence the title of this column.

Have you ever used a floor scraper? Funny, to me it looks exactly like a garden hoe. It wears blisters on your hands just like one too. Floor hoe, garden scraper, whatever. Looks like I have hours of work waiting, so I’d better get to it.

Have a good one!

Independence Day

If you celebrate this holiday, have a great one!

Monday Funny

It’s been one of those days. Already. And it’s not even noon. Thought I’d give you a laugh today at my expense.

Sometimes you have to work really hard, right? Put in long hours to finish a job and do it right. I did that last week. In Atlanta. You must appreciate the irony. Um, didn’t I just move away from there? Yep. At any rate, the job is done, and today, I need a wheelbarrow to carry my tired butt around.

First thing this morning, I get up, without coffee, and turn on my computer to start playing a little catch up on emails. And it dies. Like funny lines on the screen and making non-stop beeping, fan running constantly noises.

My partner, who knows about these things, says we must make a trip for parts. As I’m leaving the house, I lock the front door, pull it shut, and give it one last tug. The doorknob comes off in my hand. Wtf? Did I mention the building/home is old? Guess it’s older than I thought. For the moment, I just stuff it back in the hole. I’ll deal with it later.

Made it to the store, got computer parts. I slide my debit card through the payment machine and when I touch it to enter my pin, the little screen goes black. I am so not kidding here. The apologetic sales clerk cannot figure out why my partner and I are shaking our heads and laughing like loons. Between us, we have just enough cash to cover the bill. Which we simply hand her, and walk out, sans change.

When we get in the car, we look wide-eyed at each other, still giggling. He says, nearly begging, “Please, please, don’t touch anything else.”

Renegade Renovation #1 – Demo

I did something I’ve never done before. Rented a 40 yard dumpster. They just dropped it off. These things are huge! It’s bigger than my old living room. Can’t imagine filling the sucker up.

Right now, there’s wallboard to be torn down, carpet to be pulled up, wiring to be taken out and trim to be removed. All of which must be sorted into careful piles, because I want to re-use, or recycle as much as possible.

Oh, and yep, I’m doing most of it myself. To save, well, everything it seems, except my sanity.

Better get back to work. As much as I stare at them, things aren’t moving by themselves.

I Bought a ... House?

Well, sort of. Technically, it’s not a home. Yet.

In my usual unconventional way of life, I couldn’t just go out a buy a standard three bedroom/2 bath home in suburbia.

I came across a lovely, run-down building, sitting silently on a country road just outside Louisville, KY. Since it’s been more or less vacant for ten years, I’m sure a lot of people have applied a lot of adjectives to this particular piece of property. Not too many of them positive.

But from the first moment, the first glance, the initial look on the real estate website, my heart said, ‘Home’. A visit to the actual property confirmed my response, and made me more determined than ever.

Thanks to the bank, and the planning and zoning people, I get to have a go at making my dream a reality. Perhaps you’d like to follow along on this Renegade Renovation.

Stay tuned. There’s more to come!

Maya Writes...

I have a new blogger friend. She posted a funny and it made me laugh, so I'd like share it. Have a great Monday.

http://mayabauthor.blogspot.com/

I'm sure she'd welcome your visit.

Today's Blog

Today I guest blogged at Lyrical Press. Check it out!

Happy Birthday Lyrical Press!

This month marks my publisher's one year anniversary. It's been a busy and exciting year for Lyrical Press. They have worked tirelessly to make sure every author has the most successful publishing experience possible. And I have to say, mine has been great. I consider myself very fortunate to be published by them. The staff and authors alike are a wonderful group of people. Simply joy to work with. I'm proud to be part of the Lyrical family.

If you want to get your hands on some free goodies, hop on over to the Lyrical Press Blog. They are giving away free ebooks throughout the month of May, and at the end of the month they are giving away a great prize package. So don't miss out!

Best wishes for your continued success!

New Review for Center Ring

I just received a sparkling new review from Long and Short Reviews.



"Fox's Center Ring, set in the world of a car racing league, kicks off dramatically and will immediately hook any reader’s interest."

Here's the link if you'd like to read the full review.

http://longandshortreviews.blogspot.com/2009/03/center-ring-by-sutton-fox.html

Got Snow?

Of course you do, if you live in the north or any other direction where winter is actually a season instead of just a word.

But that is not where this story starts. No sireee. It starts with rain. Most of you know I haven’t lived in Georgia all my life. Only the last few years of it. In retrospect, I realize I’ve lived in mostly semi-arid climates, which left me unprepared for the Georgia rain. You know all those songs you’ve heard about rainy nights in Georgia? Well they weren’t frickin’ kidding. What else could they do but stay inside and write? When it rains here, it rains for three or four days at a time. And I don’t mean off and on showers. It’s like forty days and forty nights rain. It makes the vegetation lush and beautiful, but that’s another post.

Sunday morning, I awoke to the sound of rain. Since this was the third day of it, I covered my head and went back to sleep.

Finally, I staggered out of bed and managed to grab coffee and head to my office. I sat at my desk and looked out at the pouring rain. Ugh. Then I realized something very important I had to do elsewhere.

A bit later I passed by the office, ignoring all the beckoning work, and glanced out the window. What did I see? Hail. Lots and lots of hail. This was too much for my overtired head so I chose to ignore it, and went in search of dirty laundry.

A couple hours later, I realized I no longer heard the sound of pouring rain. A quick trip to the office window gave me a WTF? moment.

I’m from Denver so snow is not a big deal. But come on! I’m not only in Georgia, I’m in the southeastern part of the state. While you enjoy the photos, I’m going in search of more coffee.





Now does this look like Georgia to you?

Train Wreck

I’ve finally figured out what that whooshing sound is. It’s the sound of days rushing by in a flash. It’s been three weeks since I’ve put in an appearance here, and for that I apologize.

It’s been one of those times when real life intrudes on writing life, and personal life gets all tangled up between the two, creating that familiar train wreck sensation. Everything is happening at once, and not all bad, either. Here’s the scoop, straight from the pile of twisted metal and smoking ash, about the month of February.

Very good – Lion Tamers is available in print.
Not so good – A family member has an illness now requiring care, i.e. staying with me.
Very good – My first non-fiction article was published in a national magazine this month.
Very good – I’m buying a house.
Not so good – The house is in another state, the commute is hell.
Very good – Center Ring is getting some favorable reviews.
Not so good – I’m working against a deadline for my third book, High Wire.

And then there’s the travel. Since I’ve posted here, I’ve been to Louisville, Kentucky twice, Charlotte, North Carolina, Indianapolis, Indiana, and then back to Mooresville, North Carolina. There’s no complaining about this from me, I’ve created this life. It’s only that sometimes I wonder why time passes so quickly.

As far as I’m concerned, it’s just another day at the office. The problem is, I’ll soon be moving the office! But that’s news for another day. Reviewing the list, I’ve had all I can handle this month. I’m heading back into my writing cave for now. I need to finish this so I can have more time to spend with you.

So tell me, how are things in your life?

Welcome!

Thank you for stopping by. If you're here today, you are reading my very first official blog post. I confess, when I first thought of doing a blog, my mind ran the other direction in a hurry. You know, that little kid who wants to hide behind mom? Yeah, well, nowdays I am Mom. And Grandma. Sheesh! Turned my head and the time flew by.

At any rate, I wasn't sure what I wanted to say. What you would want to hear, or what would possibly interest anyone. So, I spent some time thinking about it. And boy, the things I came up with. Some of you might be surprised. Or embarassed. Or laugh. And that's okay with me. As time goes by, we'll get to each one in turn. But first I want you to know about the most important thing that's happened to me lately.

My first novel, Lion Tamers, Traveling Circus Series - Book One, is now available in ebook and print. P-R-I-N-T. From Lyrical Press. I'm so excited I can hardly stand it. Why is this a big deal, you ask? Well, I suppose it's only a big deal, if you're a writer, reader, dreamer, schemer or a person who wishes upon stars. I'm not much of a schemer, however, I'm definitely all the rest. So for me, it ranks right up there with having a baby. And I can say that with authority. Without further ado, here's the blurb:

Both of them are driven. Only one can win.

Sprint car driver Morgan Blade will do whatever it takes to save her critically ill father. If it means joining the cast of a reality show, so be it. She'll do anything...except reveal the haunting secret surrounding her daughter's death.

Tyler Dalton makes a living exposing secrets. He's been forced into producing the new racing reality show, and his bosses expect another hit. The lone female contestant kicks things off with a bang, capturing the hearts of viewers in record time. All they need now is a little controversy to push ratings over the top.

He looks to Morgan for something he can use, only to find a woman committed to her family and every bit as driven as he is. The more he learns about her, the more he likes her, and that spells disaster for the show.

For these two souls, love is a collision course and there's no turning back.

This is a story from my heart. It sounds cliche, but it's the only way I can describe it. When I first told those 'in the know' in the writing world, that I wanted to write a novel, this is what they told me. Write what you know, and write what you love. So I did. And Lion Tamers is the result.

The rest is up to you. I hope you enjoy the story. And thanks for sharing in my joy. I'm happy to have you here.

Coming Soon!

This blog will activate on February 1, 2009. See you then!