Writing prompt Wednesday

Another week means another writing prompt, a little motivation to kickstart your muse.

I give you the beginning of a sentence and you run with it. Write the first thing that pops into your head and see how far it takes you; a paragraph, a page, an entire chapter. Who knows, it may be the beginning to you next great novel.

Whatever you come up with, just have fun with it and enjoy the free writing time. If you feel like sharing then send your writing in the comments. If you feel like keeping to yourself then that's okay, too.


Writing Prompt: Is this how she was going to die...

Rainy day summer Sundays

Rainy day Sundays are some of the best days! They are days you should grasp with both hands and hold on with two fists. Enjoy the renewed energy and wrap yourself in the relaxation that comes from the rain.

Why?

Because how many days are there where you have an excuse not to mow the yard? While the grass and earth soak up mother nature's water, you can clean your kitchen or rearrange your furniture. Maybe rearrange your office furniture to boost creativity.

Embrace the slight chill that comes with the rain. Snuggle into a grubby pair of shorts and a sweat shirt and have a hot café mocha or a rare hot cocoa in the middle of summer. Take a long, relaxing read of a book that's been on your to-be-read pile. If a book doesn't suit your fancy, how about a rented movie. A good chick flick would be a great way to pass a lazy day.

Let's not forget comfort food. There's nothing more than a rainy day Sunday to make one seek out comfort food. Throw a pot roast into the crockpot along with some onion, mushrooms, and some beef broth. Let it all slow roast for 5 to 8 hours then mash some potatoes and enjoy a home cooked meal.

If you're a writer like me, take advantage of the rain and write your next scene. Write it slow and savor every moment, every nuance of your characters and their latest predicament, explore their feelings.

Take the time to call your grandmother who you haven't spoken with in a while. Ask how she's doing, what she is doing. Maybe reminisce over an old memory of when you were younger and went camping with your grandparents or how she always made your favorite apple pie when you visited.

Be like one of your flowers in your garden and soak up the day. Take in every moment, every nuance, and make the day special. Be crazy and step outside and get drench in the rain. Let it wash over you like a summer breeze after a dip in a lake; crisp and refreshing.

Enjoy rainy day summer Sundays!

Writing prompt Wednesday

Another week means another writing prompt, a little motivation to kickstart your muse.

I give you the beginning of a sentence and you run with it. Write the first thing that pops into your head and see how far it takes you; a paragraph, a page, an entire chapter. Who knows, it may be the beginning to you next great novel.

Whatever you come up with, just have fun with it and enjoy the free writing time. If you feel like sharing then send your writing in the comments. If you feel like keeping to yourself then that's okay, too.


Writing Prompt: Was that creak. . .

Writing prompt Wednesday

Let's see if this writing prompt kick starts your creativity and writing for today.

I'll write the beginning of a sentence and all you have to do is finish it. If the inspiration hits then let it take you and write a paragraph or more. Enjoy and have fun!

Writing prompt: The squeak of a door...

Ultra Around the Lake for our Heroes

In three weeks I will endeavor to run my next ultra, a 24-hr race. GASP! I know, right. But I do this not just for me and my addiction to running (some would say I'm obsessive). I do this for our Heroes, our Veterans who have come home with PTSD.

The run is called the Ultra Around the Lake and takes place on July 25 and 26 in Wakefield, Massachusetts. It starts at 9 PM on Friday and goes until 9 PM Saturday. While I hope many of my friends will come out to run or walk a lap with me or two and just generally be my moral support, I'm asking everyone for a little more.

In my attempt to run a 24 hour ultra, I hope to raise awareness and funds for a fantastic organization called Heroes Project. Heroes Project mission is to give back to our Service men and women by providing them with fitness equipment, gym memberships, personal training, and life coaching. They provide all this and more to help boost the mental and physical fitness of those Veterans who struggle with PTSD.

My part is simple...run, but I'm running for what I believe is a tremendous cause. To aid those individuals who have sacrificed so much for us and our freedom.

Won't you help me help Heroes Project and our Veterans? It's simple. Reach into your pocket and pull out whatever cash you have on hand. Now, set it aside, click this link --> Run for Heroes and donate that amount. It's that simple! All the money you donate goes directly to Heroes Project.

You want to give more? Please do so. No one will turn you down.

If you want some incentive, here is my goal for the race. I will definitely run or walk for 50 miles. My goal beyond that is to run, walk or crawl if I must for a total of 75 miles.

Help a runner out and donate. Thank you! Run for Heroes Donation link

What are you BBQing?

Before we talk BBQ, I want to thank the men and women who serve and have served. You are the reason we have our Independence. Thank you!

As this wonderful, holiday weekend approaches where fireworks light the sky, parades entertain, and friends and family celebrate, I thought it would be fun to talk BBQ. I mean seriously, who goes out to eat on July 4th?

What will you be grillin' or smokin'?

Hot dogs, burgers, chicken, ribs? Maybe some pulled pork or beef brisket?  Any of the above will soothe my growling tummy. As long as it is on a wood-fired grill or smoker and not one of those fancy gas or electric dohickeys. It just ain't the same.

Do you do a fruit salad? Or just go for the slices of watermelon WITH seeds? Give me a good old-fashioned watermelon and a seed spitting contest any day.

What's for dessert? Cookies, cake, or my favorite...Strawberry shortcake WITH whipped cream!!

Have any great recipes that you will be using this weekend for your family and friends BBQs? I am not a fan of bottle barbeque sauce so when I grill or smoke some meat I pull out the ingredients and slave over a hot stove and make homemade sauce. Yummy!

I mean truly, isn't homemade anything the best?!

Here is the recipe I use and friends and family have come to expect and enjoy. I like my sauce like I like my men...hot and spicy. The best part about this recipe is you can make the sauce hot and spicy or not.

Sauce Ingredients:
1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
3/4 cup ketchup
1/2 cup cider vinegar (vinegar is the best part of the recipe and key to a good BBQ sauce)
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar (I actually use Turbinado sugar)
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons yellow mustard (I actually used dry yellow mustard and the kind you put on a hot dog)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon chili powder (use Mexican chili powder if you want more heat to your sauce)
Tabasco sauce to taste (I use habanero Tabasco sauce)

To make the sauce:
In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining sauce ingredients, including Tabasco sauce to taste, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Set aside. Pour some of the sauce in a small bowl to use for basting the ribs. (I don't actually baste. I leave sauce to everyone's taste.)

Have a Happy 4th of July! May you and your family eat and enjoy each others company all weekend long.

Denise

Readers! Give to our Heroes and get a book

A year ago I did this event called Give a book, get a book. It was successful and we sent hundreds of books to our active military stationed overseas.

Now, I want to do something to thank our returning heroes, our Veterans. In particular, I am running to raise funds for an organization called Heroes Project who help Veterans with PTSD by getting them active again, by helping to provide them with workout equipment and gym fees, and more.

Since I'm also an author and I have some books sitting in a cupboard I thought, "Why not give a book for a donation?"

So, here I am asking you to spread the word and to help. If you haven't read one of my books, but would like to, or have a friend who hasn't read one of my books now is the time.

I have 15 copies of KILLER BUNNY HILL, 5 copies of CONNECT THE DOTS, and 5 copies of PHISH NET STALKINGS.

For every $25 or more donation you make to my Run for Heroes page then send me a comment I will send you one of the above books at my own cost.

If you want a particular book or want it signed to someone just leave that in the comment.

It's simple. Make a donation to thank our heroes at the link above, leave me a comment that you did so, tell me which book you want and voila!

As soon as I confirm the donation the book will be in the mail. Thank you for your support for our American Heroes!

This offer is good only until I run out of the books listed above.

New Year, New Goals

The New Year has arrived! 2014 will be a better year, or will it?

How do you plan to make 2014 a great year? Do you make resolutions? Or do you let the year bring what it may without outlining any personal goals?

I am a firm believer in resolutions. Not because someone will hold my feet to the fire if I don’t accomplish them but because it helps me keep my eye on the prize.

Do you set your resolutions on January 1 and then not check them until the end of the year when it’s too late or do you set timeline goals for each resolution?

I do both. I give myself timelines within the year that I should accomplish them, but am flexible enough that I don’t berate myself if I don’t complete something by a certain date.

What are your New Year resolutions? Are they purely personal, purely professional, or all of the above?

Mine are purely personal.

Do you share your resolutions?

I believe that if you share your New Year goals with others then you’ve cemented the deal and you push yourself to make them happen. That doesn’t mean I share all of them. There’s usually one very personal one that I keep to myself.

The best part of setting goals or resolutions, at least for me, is the chasing down of those dreams. It wouldn’t be any fun if it was just dropped on your lap. It takes heart and soul, sweat and tears to imagine a goal, set it, and achieve it.

What if you don’t achieve your goals? Do you kick yourself? Curl up in a corner and whine about it?

I tend to say as long as I tried then that’s all that counts. If I fall a little short then I pat myself on the back and determine if I need to adjust the goal. Is it more important to lose ten pounds or be able to run a 5K the entire time?

What are your resolutions for 2014?

I have a couple of running and health related goals this year. Okay, more than a couple.

My first goal is to run my first ultra marathon, a 50K. That’s 31 miles! I’ve already picked the race. It’s the Lake Waramaug Ultra in Connecticut on April 27. My only goal is to finish the race with a smile on my face.

I love running but I’m not exactly fast. My other running related resolution is to improve my half-marathon time to 2 hours 30 minutes. Last year I improved my half marathon time by more than twenty minutes. Yea me! So I’m only asking for another 10 minute improvement. Wish me luck!

Since we are talking time improvement, I might as well say that means I am also hoping to improve my marathon performance. Last year my goal was to run one marathon (the Marine Corps Marathon) and just finish. I did! I actually ran two marathons and I did improve between the two races so that was good, but now let’s see if I can do better when I run 4 marathons.

While I am at it, I want to run 2014 miles in 2014! Ha. Come on! Join me in the insanity.
For a more well-rounded health goal, I hope to lose 10% body fat. GASP! I just put that in black and writing for the world to see. I can feel my toes burning from having my feet held to the fire.

I want to improve my core. As part of this, I am pledging to do a 60-second or longer plank every day of 2014 and 20 body-weight squats. Now, this will be the hard part!

An easy resolution for me is to read 52 books, at least one a week. Since I’m an avid reader this is a fun goal and usually easily attainable. If this is one of your New Year resolutions, a good way to achieve this goal is to participate in read-a-thon’s. I really like the way the Dewey Read-a-thon is run and if possible, I participate in the 24-hr read-a-thon twice a year. Check out the Dewey Read-a-thon website at http://24hourreadathon.com/.

There is one more resolution on my list, but that one I am holding close to the vest. [WINK]

Hope you share your resolutions or goals and have fun achieving them in 2014.

Now, I'm off to work on these goals. Got my first race of the new year in a couple of hours. Okay, it's only a mile race, but it's with a friend and that time with a friend is more precious than any resolution.

Happy New Year! May it be the best!

Thank you, Marine Corps Marathon

Not only did the Marine Corps Marathon give me the opportunity to train, run, and finish the race of a lifetime and accomplish a major goal, but it gave me the opportunity to say thank you. Thank you to as many of the Marines as possible that I met the day of the race. This event allowed me to feel a part of something much bigger, something so emotional that I won’t soon forget and can never appropriately put into words. I got to see and experience why the Marine Corps Marathon is known as the People’s Marathon.

The day was perfect. The weather was beautiful and the 26.2 mile route was laden with history, monuments, gorgeous scenery, and a challenge to “beat the bridge”. It isn't the race route that I recall. As a matter of fact, I only remember noticing two monuments; the Capitol and the Washington Monument that was under construction. What I do recall are the people.

Bundled up in hats, jackets, and scarves against the chilly morning air, men, women and even children in strollers came out in droves; and never left. Spectators were not at just every mile marker, but at every step of the race. They held handmade signs of encouragement or humor, rang cowbells, cheered, shouted and clapped their support to one and all runners to the finish line. Heck, there were even spectators handing out Halloween candy to the runners for that added sugar boost.

The volunteers were numerous and amazing. These are the people who were up before the sun on race day in the chilly fall morning, setting everything up to make the Marine Corps Marathon enjoyable and memorable. They manned the port-a-potties (a thankless job), manned aid stations, helped hand out water and Gatorade, and were our general cheerleaders for 26.2 miles. They were the police blocking roads, keeping the streets safe, and who clapped along with the rest of the spectators as we passed their security point.

For me, the incredible and emotional part of the biggest challenge and race of my life were the Marines. These men and women not only made us feel secure, but they cheered, applauded, high-fived, shouted boot camp orders, and handed us Gatorade and water as we made our way to the finish line. They were the reason we pushed ourselves and continued to run when our bodies screamed in pain and wanted to give up.

The best part was the opportunity to shake hands with these Marines and thank them for their service. And at the end of the race, when I crossed the finish line a Marine placed the Marine Corps Marathon medal over my head, and then she saluted me. That little act was my undoing. I thanked the Marine and the others standing near her, shook their hands, and walked away with tears streaming down my cheeks and a grin on my face.

I may have accomplished something great that day, something I perceived to be a tough challenge, but it is nothing compared to what these Marines face and live every day and all to keep us safe.

I have never felt more humbled or proud.

Thank you to the US Marines not only for your service, but for giving me an opportunity of a lifetime.

I salute the Marines; thank the Marine Corps Marathon coordinators, volunteers, and all the spectators. You made this race for me and made this the People’s Marathon.

Oorah!

Virtual cheers for the Marine Corps Marathon

It’s almost that time! Thirty thousand runners will line up to run the streets of Washington, DC for the 38^th Marine Corps Marathon. And where are you? Are you along the streets cheering your favorite runners to victory, encouraging them to block the pain? Or are you snuggled in your bed nice and toasty warm?

If you can’t be at the race you can still cheer on the runners and the Marines, you can do a virtual cheer. Send a tweet or post something on Facebook. Send up a virtual cheer!

Here are some typical cheer signs we will see along the way. Make one of your own and send it to the social media sites and give a shout out to all the Marine Corps Marathon runners, the Marines, and the volunteers that are making this event happen.

Here’s a few ideas:

Toenails are for sissies
Pain is temporary, glory is forever
Keep going, dig deeper
Beer awaits you
If it was easy, I’d be doing it
Stop reading, keep running
There’s only sweat between you and the finish line
Hot, sexy Marines ahead
I’m proud of you
Get your mind off the pain, rock this like a hurricane
Chafe now, wine later
No one made you do this
Smile if you’re not wearing underwear
Runners have balls, other sports just play with them
Take a deep breath and enjoy the moment
You’ve endured the training, now celebrate the pain

Twenty-four hours to the 38th Marine Corps Marathon!

Twenty-four hours to the race of a lifetime! Or should I say an accomplishment of a lifetime. Twenty-four hours to the 38th Marine Corps Marathon!

Who would have thought a year ago I would run a marathon, let alone the Marine Corps Marathon also known as the people’s marathon. A race built around 38 years of tradition and support for runners and our military. I alongside 30,000 other runners will be running the streets of Washington, DC, passing monuments while United States Marines hand us water and Gatorade and cheer us on.

The race hasn’t even started and I’m already in awe of the coordination and overwhelming enthusiasm that the race volunteers and Marines have displayed. Everywhere I turn there is someone in a Marine Corps Marathon shirt or jacket offering to help.

Yesterday at the packet pickup, two Marines gave me my bib, pins, Marine Corps Marathon patch, and the program for the event.

When I walked into the Health and Fitness Expo a Marine saw me standing in the middle of the aisle gazing around (I was struck by so much) and offered to help get me started. She handed me my race bag and walked me over to get my race shirt. Then she told me to enjoy the expo and the race and sent me on my way. I walked around the event for two and a half hours.

Last night was the first timers Pep Rally, and event for folks running their first marathon or their first Marine Corps Marathon. Remember your high school pep rallies? Picture that on a much grander scale. Cheerleaders and mascot greeted you as you entered, cheered at various times, and posed for pictures.

A slide show displayed on two large screens, the Marine Corps Marathon race arch sat on stage along with a bunch of race sponsors and an amazing speaker named Robbie who pumped enthusiasm into you with his words. With this man behind you, you could not possibly lose.

We ate appetizers and drank and listened to various speakers tell us how to prepare for Sunday’s race. Great advice like bring a garbage bag to wear to keep warm while waiting for the race to begin, bring tissue in case you have to go to the bathroom without the benefit of a port-a-potty, run your race and your pace, and probably more importantly to smile and enjoy the run. We mingled with other runners where I met a Navy submariner and an older Army gentleman.

Tonight is the carbo-dinner where I have no doubt the meal will be packed with carbohydrates, more words of wisdom will be shared, excitement and enthusiasm will ripple through the hall, and new friends will be met.

At 5 AM Sunday morning all of us will be up and finding our way to Runner’s Village near the Pentagon and the race start. Start time is 7:55 AM, October 27, 2013.

Journey to the Marine Corps Marathon

It’s almost here! I am one week away from reaching my BIG running goal for the season! My stomach is flip-flopping, my nerves are jangling, and my heart trips over itself every time I think about it, but I’m ecstatic that the main event is only seven days away.

How did I get here?

It all started six months ago when a friend of mine suggested my next running goal not be just a marathon, but the Marine Corps Marathon. So when registration opened up for the Marine Corps Marathon, I was one of the thousands of people who sat at her desk and entered her information and waited then did it again, and again, and again until it finally went through. Yes, the registration site couldn’t handle all us crazy people coming at it all at once.

Once I received the email saying I was registered, that’s when the fun began!

The first thing I had to do was come up with a training plan. Yeah, well, just do a search on the Internet and you will find any number of them. I looked at them and basically took my race schedule for the year and incorporated several with that. I’m not an all-out runner, I do the intervals of run then walk so I trained according to that. The hardest part for me was working in the longer runs. Ugh! Running more than 10 miles by yourself or without a carrot dangled in front of you is challenging to say the least and sometimes very boring.

The boring is where I learned about getting the right music playlist. It gave me something else to focus on beyond the strides, the staying upright, and the timing of when to drink and when to toss a Gatorade Chew in my mouth. Once I got enough Eminem on my playlist I was set! Not kidding. Those of you who know me know I am a country music girl. Yeah, not when it comes to running. When Eminem hits my ears it’s just the right motivation to keep you moving even if you have blisters on the bottom of your feet or you can barely lift a leg for the next stride.

My training plan definitely included many races, way more than I am sure some professionals or elite athletes would recommend. But, for me I needed the added motivation of the people and the exuberance of crossing a finish line. More for me was the goal of getting faster. The races allowed me to challenge and push myself to improvement. Add to that I kept a spreadsheet of every race and the finish times so I could track progress or not. Oh, yeah, I got better, stronger, and faster!

Running alone is not enough to train for the Marine Corps Marathon or any long distance race. You need to work your core, strengthen your upper and lower body and learn to eat right to achieve a fitness level that will allow you to endure.

Thank goodness I already had the best trainer. Jon Tobey of The Fitness Factory is a fantastic group and one-on-one trainer. He listens and designs plans to help achieve your goal. And the training is never static, which is a personal pet peeve of mine. Every Friday was different! I never knew what to expect. Some days we’d kill my core, others we would do supersets of arms and core or legs and core. My favorites were the days he added in some boxing. Who doesn’t love to punch something! If that wasn’t enough, I did a double workout on Tuesdays where I incorporated Jon’s thirty minute metabolic meltdown class and his forty-five minute bootcamp. On Thursdays, I did just the metabolic meltdown. Great fitness classes that will challenge every part of your body.

So I had the running plan. I had an amazing trainer. Now all I had to do was figure out how to achieve the weight loss and eat for the fitness level I was trying to achieve. This was harder for me. Until I found my naturopath, Dr. Kristen O’Dell of Bedford Natural Medicine. This woman saved me! Almost two years ago I was diagnosed with kidney issues without knowing the cause. Kristen not only identified the issue, she treated it naturally! On top of that, she identified a root cause as to my health problems that I wasn’t even aware of. I have something called leaky gut syndrome. We identified the foods my body wasn’t absorbing, which just so happened to be almost all the foods I ate on a daily basis. Then we changed my diet and added a nice amino acid called glutamine to my daily routine. All I can tell you is that her supplements and the change in my diet have gotten me to be much more physically fit from the inside.

People ask me every day how I can eat like I am. For those of you who do not know, I am not eating gluten, egg, or dairy and many fruits and vegetables. I eat nothing processed when I can help it. The only vice I have not given up is my Mountain Dew. I have it every morning with my glutamine and magnesium powder poured into it. Yeah, both Jon Tobey and Kristen O'Dell cringe when I say that, but you know, a girl has to have one vice. [GRIN] When you want something bad enough you will do whatever you have to do!

In every pursuit of a physical goal there are bound to be injuries. Luckily my big one came early on in the training. I woke up one morning with excruciating back pain. I tried to blow it off, but that didn’t work. I ended up at a doctor office. Much like my kidneys, I was not satisfied with not being able to identify the issue and fix it. I’m a smart cookie though, and I found a magnificent chiropractor. The issue is my SI joint. Apparently, it doesn’t always like to stay where it belongs. Dr. Mark Stagnone of Stagnone Chiropractic has kept it in line and kept me running. I am grateful because I believe seeing him once a week has truly helped improve my running. Plus, he recommended I take glucosamine for my joints. Bonus! I no longer have to run with a knee brace.

Thanks to these three people I have a fitness level that I am ecstatic about and that I know will allow me to reach that finish line.

Speaking of people, I have to mention several people who have supported, harassed, harangued, and goaded me during this training. There are more than a few, but there are three that have done so on a regular basis and it is much appreciated. First, my friend Tony, a fellow runner who talked me into this life-changing goal. Thanks to Tony pushing me, I will be running the Marine Corps Marathon and more than likely, I will be running even further next year. My friend, Brendan, who whenever I started to doubt myself and my ability, would post words of encouragement or plain old tell me to get over myself. Can you ask for a better friend that one who tells you the truth?! Then we get to Heather. Heather is a runner I met this past year and we would meet up at several races. When I wasn’t scheduled for a race on a weekend, Heather would send me links to races and egg me on to join her. Who needed rest! Heather has always been faster than me so she became my carrot in those races.

Thank you all, and thank you to all my other friends and family who supported me. I will keep all of you in my heart when I run the Marine Corps Marathon next Sunday, October 27.

For those of you thinking about chasing a major goal in your life, here's a quick word of advice.

GO FOR IT!

No one else can do it for you. There are no shortcuts. Will it be difficult and challenging? Yes! Will you wonder if you can do it? Yes!

All it takes is discipline, determination, and heart. If your heart wants it, your mind and body will follow.

Snacks for 24-hour Dewey Readathon

Closing in on the halfway mark of the Dewey 24-hour Read-a-thon. Next up on my reading list is Capsized by Sharon Sala.

How goes it on your end? Oh, my tail end is numb from all this sitting! Just remember to get up and move around. Stretch those legs. Do a little dance and get that circulation pumping.

I'm on my first bottle of Mountain Dew. Bring on the Dew! I've also got some Fritos, some gluten-free almond clusters, some homemade energy bites (love these things!), Gatorade, and for a change of pace, I've got Coke.

If I get really desperate, there's coconut milk ice cream in the freezer.

What are you eating to keep up your energy up for the next twelve hours of reading? Got any favorite snacks?

Eight hours into Dewey Readathon

My morning started out with a 3 mile run from Badgers Island, Maine to Portsmouth, NH. It was chilly and damp, but lovely.

Immediately after the event, I drove home...listening some more to Thankless in Death by JD Robb. Great book!

As soon as I walked in the front door of my home, I cleaned up quick and got into some comfy clothes, grabbed a Coke, and curled up in my favorite chair with a book.

Then these fuzzy little guys I named Mischief and Mayhem decided they had to curl up with me to help me read. Isn't that sweet of them? Yeah, well try sitting for three hours with adde
d weight on your legs. My hiney is, shall we say, numb.

I just finished reading The Pirate by Jayne Ann Krentz. Who doesn't love a great hero and a strong, sometimes stubborn heroine?

I'm stretching now and then jumping into my next book, Bouganvillea by Heather Graham.

I went from old paperback that has been on my shelf for months to now using the Kindle? What's your favorite reading material? Hard cover, paperback, ebook?

Well, I'm back to reading. Keep up the good work!

What's on your Dewey Read-a-thon reading list?

Yesterday, I introduced you to the Dewey 24-hour Read-a-thon and encouraged you to sign up. Now that you've done that. . .and I know you have. It's time to think reading list.

Do you have a To Be Read pile? Go ahead, pick them up an move them next to your favorite chair.

This is a perfect opportunity to read a backlist of your favorite author so stop by the used bookstore and grab a handful of books.

If you're not sure what to read, click the link as Dewey Read-a-thon has recommendations. Anything goes. You can read comic books, children's books, fiction, non-fiction, even listen to audio books. It all counts. Just read!

Me?

I am doing a mixed bag of books this time. I've got a couple of backlist books tat have been on a shelf for months. They should be short and sweet and romantic. Then I'll move into a few romantic suspense books by some of my favorite authors.

On my list is:

Legacy by Jayne Ann Krentz
The Pirate by Jayne Ann Krentz
Faces of a Clown by Stella Cameron
Going Once by Sharon Sala
Bougaivillea by Heather Graham
Shelter Island by Carla Neggers
Capsized by Sharon Sala

If I finish those then I've got two historical romances in the wings waiting for me:

Brave the Wild Wind by Johanna Lindsey
Savage Thunder by Johanna Lindsey

In case my eyes need a break, I have JD Robb's latest novel, Thankful in Death in audio book.

What's on your list?

Are you ready for the Dewey 24 hour Read-a-thon?

Have you signed up for the Dewey Read-a-thon? It's this Saturday, October 12. Hurry up!

Twice a year the Dewey Read-a-thon is put on and twice a year I sign up. You should too!

Got a large TO BE READ pile of books? Been wanting to read a really good book, but just haven't had the opportunity? Have a New Years' resolution to read a certain number of books or to read more?

Now is the time! Sign up for the Read-a-thon and make the time to read.

What is the Dewey Read-a-thon?

The Dewey Read-a-thon is a reading challenge. For 24 hours! For 24 hours you read books, post in blogs about your reading, and visit other readers’ blogs. You also participate in mini-challenges throughout the day and win prizes.

It is 24 hours of self-indulgence. Sit in your favorite chair, under a nice cozy blanket and read. Or find a booth in your favorite café, with a cup of java and read. Since the read-a-thon is for 24 hours don't forget to pack up on the snacks and caffeine to keep you going.

Speaking of keeping you going...If you can't spare the time to read then why not participate in the read-a-thon as a cheerleader and egg those of us that are crazy enough to do it on? Sign up as a Cheerleader.

Help promote reading! Sign up, tell your friends and your relatives and have them sign up. Make an event out of the event.

But most of all...READ!!

What are you reading this week?

Good morning and happy Wednesday. What are you reading this week?

Here's my new read. It's been on my shelf for a while and I don't know why. Marcus Luttrell is a hero and I hope everyone reads his story in LONE SURVIVOR then reads his latest, SERVICE: A NAVY SEAL AT WAR.

From the mountains of Afghanistan to urban sniper hides in Iraq, Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell has seen the worst of war at the sharp end of battle. In 2006, the "lone survivor" of Operation Redwing returned to combat as a member of SEAL Team 5 to help take on the most dangerous city in the world: Ramadi, the capital of war-torn Anbar Province. It was there that he took part in what has been called the greatest victory in the history of the U.S. Special Operations forces.

Luttrell's eye-opening narrative also offers powerful new details about his time in Afghanistan and his miraculous rescue. After returning from that star-crossed mission with shattered bones and a broken heart, he thought of the men who had given their lives to save him-and how he would have readily done the same for them. He wondered why he and others, from America's founding to today, had been willing to sacrifice everything-including themselves-for the sake of family, nation, and freedom.

Thanks to a running friend

As I was driving in to work today and making my mother laugh on the phone, a thought struck me. I owe my running obsession; I prefer the word passion, to my friend Tony.

Tony is a runner and has been for many years and an inspiration. If not for Tony encouraging me to sign up for a half marathon in Ireland last year (my favorite spot in the world), I would never have run my first half marathon. I ran my first half marathon last February just to get an idea of what it would be like before I traveled across the ocean to Dingle. I cursed Tony every day for six weeks after the race in February. That’s how long it took me to recuperate and before I could walk without wincing.

By the time I did the run in Ireland six months later, I wasn’t cursing Tony out, but was smiling the entire way and recuperated very quickly (three days). This time I had to thank Tony for getting me to sign up for the Dingle half marathon and proving to myself that I could do it.

Tony has encouraged me every step of the way. He offers advice from his own experience and listens when I tell him something new I’ve learned or when I share my latest running feat. I think he secretly laughs at me because I am like a kid in a candy store, eating up every race I can find and getting so excited when I set a new PR (personal record).

Tony still gets me to sign up for more. He helped push me into signing up for my first marathon, the Marine Corps Marathon in October. Don’t you love friends like this?

Honestly, he’s the best and I want to thank Tony for his words of encouragement and his support as my passion for running keeps growing. Thanks for helping me achieve that runner’s high.

It isn’t the speed of a runner that counts, it’s the heart

When it comes to running in a race most runners are there to compete against themselves, not against the other runners. Sure, some are there to win, but the majority are there to beat their best time.

But when it comes to another runner being injured, other runners forget themselves and put their heart into caring. I witnessed this firsthand yesterday morning.

We were about three miles into the race when I noticed three runners on the side. Two of them were helping another runner who wasn’t feeling great. When I saw her tilt and step back as if in a faint, I ran over. The two other runners grabbed her arms and got her to sit down and I handed her my Gatorade. Between us, we got her hydrated and breathing slower. Another runner ran ahead to get medical personnel. Thank goodness that every race has emergency folks on hand for just such occurrences.

The heart of a runner isn’t just about keeping the body going when the legs want to give out. It’s about foregoing your best time because a fellow runner is in trouble and needs you.

This is one reason why I love running!

Happy and healthy

Did you know the healthier you are, the happier you are? I swear it is true.

Every time I do a killer workout with my trainer or finish a long, hard run like a half marathon, I always feel fantastic. But it's not even that. It's that I feel terrific from the inside out. I feel younger and have more energy. Sometimes I think I am going to bounce off the walls.

It is amazing to see the progress I've made in my health and running this year. I am so close to achieving my goals that I am bursting with pure excitement. Yesterday was my best half marathon to date, only missing my goal time by two minutes, which is a twenty-five minute improvement over my very first half marathon just a year ago in February. Woohoo!

If you catch me smiling, chances are it's because I am jumping up and down on the inside because of how far I've come. Honestly, I'm already thinking about my new goals.

While the effort and hard work is on me, the support that I've received from family, friends and my fantastic trainer, Jon Tobey of The Fitness Factory must be mentioned. Without Jon helping me build the strength and build my cardio with his boot camps, metabolic meltdowns, and the one-on-one training that focuses on my core activity needs, I would not be as fit as I am today.

Thank you, Jon!

Thank you to all my friends who have cheered me on through your words of encouragement and kudos, through your nagging me to join in yet another run. It’s nice to know that while these races and these goals are mine, because of you all, I feel like I can achieve them.

I can’t thank you enough for your kind words and support!

So, if you’re looking for a little encouragement to get yourself out there and achieve your goals, take it from me, a woman who a year ago was diagnosed with kidney issues…NOT NO MORE, who couldn’t lose a pound to save her life…I’ve lost 15 and counting, who didn’t think she would ever run a half marathon again after the first one (last February) took six weeks to recuperate…I’ve done a dozen more since then and am doing about one a month now, sometimes more. You can do it!

You can achieve your health and fitness goal and along with it will come an extreme happiness that you did not know existed. All it takes is guts, determination, and dedication.