How to kill more than time on your holiday

This holiday I thought I would start the celebration by offering a unique writing prompt with party gifts as incentives.

As you entertain your family and friends this holiday season and sit down to a wonderful meal filled with love and laughter, I want you to think like a fiction writer. What am I saying? You ARE fiction writers. . . even if only in your mind. In this instance though you have to actually write something down and share it on the blog in order to be eligible for a party prize.

What are the party prizes?

• A copy of any ONE of my novels – reading for those holiday travels or an escape from the family frenzy!

• A copy of KILLER RECIPES – just in time for those holiday meals!

• A box of my homemade chocolates made by my very own Sweets by Denise hands.

How to win one or more of these fabulous participation gifts?

Pretend you are having a little get together at your home or office and you’ve invited everyone you want to celebrate with and maybe a few you don’t in the hopes of fun, food, and family and friends. Who wouldn’t want that? Or perhaps you really are having a gathering so all you have to do is observe, plot, and share.

However, we all have those relatives, friends (maybe not such good friends), and work associates that when you put them in a social venue just should be locked in a closet, chained to a chair, and gagged for the duration. In this case, you get to describe the holiday offense and tell us who should pay the price.

Share with us a family member, friend, or foe who when you gather for food and fun and hear the song “Grandma got run over by a reindeer”, somewhere in the back of your mind you are thinking that they got the wrong person.

Need some silly ideas to get you started? Gee! I might have a few. . . (none of whom are my family or friends)

You have an uncle who refuses to join the family at the dinner table because he cannot miss one minute of football. Heck, if you gave him one of those hospital bottle urinals he’d probably never leave his chair to pee. Grandma is at the dinner table stewing and upset about her ungrateful, ungracious son. What should we do with said uncle for making your wonderfully sweet grandma cry over her minced-meat pie?

Your favorite aunt makes the most disgusting “green salad” for every holiday meal. It’s not green because there is lettuce in the salad. Nope. This salad is called “green salad” because thanks to lime jell-o mix it practically glows in the dark. Add to it some chunk pineapple, cottage cheese, and cool whip, and you have the makings for a death trap. You don’t want your favorite aunt to die, but somehow you have to come up with a way to stop her from making this toxic sludge. Who must die?

Everyone has a cousin who is loud, obnoxious and a boil on the butt of your lovely family. Supposedly he hob-knobs with the so-called elite and basically believes his doo-doo doesn’t stink. Truth is, when he’s away from his claw-for-nails, overdressed wife who wears makeup as if she were a clown in the rodeo he is actually a pretty nice guy who enjoys a cold beer out of the bottle and a football game. I’m thinking save him, shoot the wife!

Oh! Wait! One more.

The monster child! You know the one. The boy or girl terrorizes all the other children, tries to strangle the family cat, and inevitably dumps food on your ancient aunt who sits quietly in the corner. All while the parents coo, “Isn’t he a joy? We just love his energy.” I’m not advocating killing off the child, cuz hello, that’s just mean, but the parents. . . now that’s a different story.

This week's Writing Prompt

This week's writing prompt idea came from a chapter I'm working on in my current WIP. I hope you have fun with it and share what you come up with.

Here's the prompt: She slipped out of . . .


Here's how I started the writing prompt.


She slipped out of bed early the next morning. Using the light from the hall to guide her, Jane located a pair of boxers and a tank top and silently dragged them on before tiptoeing out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

In the kitchen, she made coffee then sat at her little bistro table, staring sightlessly at the mug she held in one hand while the other propped up her head.

"What the hell have I done?"

Thought provoking Tuesday

Today's thought provoking question:

What one moment do you wish you could have caught on film but didn't?


Whether because you didn't have a camera or because you were so awed in the moment you forgot to click the picture, tell us what moment struck you that you didn't get recorded except in your memory.


There are probably several in my life but the one that stands out always in my mind is the first time I saw a Moray eel while scuba diving. The sucker was this big [she holds her hands apart as wide as they can go]. Actually, he was much bigger. And his head was ginormous!

He stopped right in front of me in this S-shaped pattern and stared at me. If I hadn't been 30 feet underwater and a regulator in between my lips, my mouth would have dropped open. He blinked twice and took off.

It was at that point when my heart was beating out of my chest that I realized I FORGOT to click the dang picture. Can you believe that?! I was flabbergasted.

To this day whenevr I go diving in Key Largo I always ask the Dive Master to find me a Moray. :-)

Denise Robbins and her latest novel NEVER TEMPT DANGER on blog tour

Some of you may not be aware that I am doing a book blog tour to announce the release of my latest novel NEVER TEMPT DANGER.

New to the blogosphere? No clue what a book blog tour is?

A book blog tour is where an author visits a book blogger's website where they discuss the latest novel, post an interview with the author, or just chit-chat about whatever topic is of interest for the day. You as the readers and visitors of the various stops of the book blog tour have a chance to get to know the author, the blogger, and almost always have an opportunity to win a free book!

My tour is under way right now. Below are the places we've been, and the dates and blogs I will be visiting. Mark your calendars - because you never know what surprise will come up as a giveaway.

10/22/10 Intense Whisper
10/29/10 Geeky Bookworm
11/05/10 Book Lovers Inc. - Giveaway ends Nov. 20th.
11/12/10 Sagi's Randomness
11/17/10 TBD - TV Ted
11/21/10 Foozago Blog
12/02/10 A Buckeye Girl Reads
12/04/10 Jo Jo's Book Corner
12/08/10 Babbling About Books and More
12/17/10 Inspired Quill
12/22/10 Cafe of Dreams
01/10/11 My World...in words and pages

To see any changes to this schedule and more information about me, the books, and upcoming events, visit my Facebook Fan Page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Denise-Robbins/

Tea time with Sagi's Randomness...and book giveaway

Today I am having tea with a new friend of mine over at Sagi's Randomness.

Sagi invited me for tea and somehow we got on the subject of trips and writing. Gee, like writing would be a new topic for me to discuss. Oh, hush! You know us women, we ramble from one thing to another and [SNAP!] just like that we're taking trips.

Grab a cup of tea, maybe a couple of sugar cookies, and stop on over to chat with Sagi and me.


Since we're having tea I thought it would be fun to giveaway a copy of KILLER RECIPES, a compilation of recipes written by authors, all to support the American Cancer Society.

If you leave a question on Sagi's blog Sagi's Randomness or tell us where you would like to travel to you could wind a free copy of KILLER RECIPES.

Thank you Veterans

For those of you who don't know, today, November 11, is Veterans Day. A day to remember and honor our military veterans. In other parts of the world Veterans Day is celebrated as Armistic Day or Remembrance Day. It's the anniversary of the signing of the Armistice that ended World War I and was signed on the 11th hour, of the 11th day, of the 11th month.

No matter what you call it or where you are, today is a perfect day to say, "Thank you" to a veteran you know. Maybe you don't know him or her. Introduce yourself and thank him/her for protecting you and us. Thank them for standing the wall and making it safe for you and us to go about our lives.

While you are thanking those that you know or are still alive, remember those that gave their life. Remember those that went into battle for our freedom and didn't come back. Remember them as the hero they were and are.

To all the Veterans I know, have yet to meet, or will never have the privilege of meeting:

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping keep me, my family and friends, and our freedoms safe from harm. You are my heroes.

Thought provoking question...that will make you write

If you could put a thought or sentiment in a fortune cookie, what would you write?


Now if that doesn't make you think or write an idea down, I don't know what will. Come up with an idea and share it.


Here is my fortune cookie sentiment:

Happiness comes from the heart, not the mind. Follow your heart.

Next blog stop on NEVER TEMPT DANGER tour

If you were looking for me today, stop by www.bookloversinc.com, my 3rd blog stop on my book tour for NEVER TEMPT DANGER.

Check out the interview where I discuss how books and authors influenced me and my writing. Leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of NEVER TEMPT DANGER.

Writing Prompt Wednesday...

I just love when a writing prompt is inspired by my own writing. This one came from a scene I started while at Margaritas indulging myself in a margarita and doing some writing. Honestly, there is no better place to write than a noisy restaurant.

This week's Writing Prompt Wednesday prompt is: "She put her hands against his chest..."

Now if that does not leave it open to all kinds of ideas I just don't know what would.

Have fun and don't forget to share what you came up with!

Response to last week's writing prompt

Last week's writing prompt was: "Is everything - "

What did you come up with? Share! Share!


Here is my attempt at the writing prompt:

“Is everything –”

She halted mid-shake and spun around. Her assistant stood stock still and wide-eyed in the doorway staring.

Cheeks flushed, Jane straightened and cleared her throat, shoving down the skirt that had crawled up her thighs during her little jig.

“Yes, Tony?”

When her assistant didn’t respond but stood there gaping with his chin to his chest, Jane spoke again. “Are you trying to catch flies?”

Tony’s lips clamped shut and he blinked several times before he stood up straight and put words to thoughts. “Uh. No. Sorry,” he stammered then ran a hand down his face as if to clear his vision. “Are you okay? I heard yelling.”

Never Tempt Danger and interview in ITW Big Thrill Webzine

There are days where waking up and logging on are so worth it. Today is one of those days!

In my email I received the latest edition of the The Big Thrill, International Thriller Writers webzine. In it is an interview I gave with Clea Simon about my latest novel, Never Tempt Danger.

It's very thrilling for me to see my name, my book, and my interview listed with authors I read and admire like Heather Graham, Carla Neggers, and David Baldacci.

So yes, you can imagine me seeing this article for the first time and hooting with joy, spinning around with enthusiasm, and doing a little jig in glee. Then, of course, forwarding it to everyone I know!

I will top off this fizzy excitement with two other little ditties that happened. A woman I know who refuses to buy my books from me because she wants to support me (Isn't that sweet.), bought two copies of Never Tempt Danger, one for her and one for a friend. Then she asked me to sign them. Attached to the front of the book she asked me to sign for her friend was a note. Here's where I get a little red-faced with embarrassment, but at the same time my heart jumps and does little pirouettes in my chest.

The note read: "If you like Janet Evanovich, you will love Denise even better."

Wha?! My eyes bugged out. Someone actually compared me to Janet. Way cool!

A neighbor to my parents in Florida read a copy of Never Tempt Danger then went over to their house and praised my writing and my creativity, asking, "Where does she come up with such stories?" Followed by, "Where can I get her other books because the library doesn't have them?"

I, being the cheeky chick that I am, have volunteered to send Peggy a copy of another book and one for her to donate to the library. Maybe that will make them sit up and take notice.

Hope you have a wonderful and cheeky day like me!

Halloween, Festival of Samhain, and ancestors

As I research my family lineage, for no other purpose than for my own knowledge, I decided that it would be interesting to research the origin of Halloween.

Where did it come from? How did it get its name? Why do we celebrate it?

In the way things do, I learned that Halloween or what was originally known as Festival of Samhain comes from Ireland, much like part of my family history. Festival of Samhain, pronounced "sow-an", meaning "summer's end".

The Celtic Festival of Samhain was a celebration of the end of the lighter half of the year and the beginning of the darker half. [Ooo! I get chills just thinking about the "darker half".]

The ancient Celtics believed that the veil between this world and the "otherworld" became thin on this night of the Celtic New Year, and thus perfect for allowing the spirits to pass through. The question is: Were they good spirits or bad?

Answer: BOTH

Yes, it was and perhaps still is believed that both the harmless and harmful spirits could pass through on this night. This idea is where the inspiration of wearing costumes originated.

On this evening family's honored their dead and invited them home, while warding off harmful spirits. Ancestors wore costumes to aid in the warding off of those bad, unwanted ghosts. The idea was that if they dressed as an evil spirit they would avoid harm.

In the traditional Celtic festival, hollowed out turnips were carved with faces and placed in windows to ward off evil spirits. Today we carve pumpkins.

Traditional costumes consisted of ghosts, skeletons, witches, devils, pretty much anything that was a monster. Remember, the idea was to play evid to ward off evil. Today, the costumes are pretty much anything, from a cartoon character, to a popular rock start, to the soft and squishy stuffed animal that you curl up with in bed at night.

Trick-or-treating, where did that come from? Actually, it came from those same Irish and British ancestors back in the middle ages. Trick-or-treating was originally known as "souling". Souling is where a poor person of the time would go begging from door-to-door on Hallowmas (November 1st), receiving food in return for prayers for the dead on All Souls Day (November 2nd).

Hope you enjoyed this brief history of an Irish tradition and one of my favorite holidays.

Happy Halloween! Now go out and have fun celebrating the dead and undead!

Writing Prompt Wednesday

Hmm...seems too long since we had a writing prompt. I don't know about you all but I sure could use a little creativity boost.

Let's see what you create with this writing prompt: "Is everything -"

That little dash means the speaker was cut off or perhaps he/she trailed off, whichever you prefer. Have fun and think of the possibilities!

Let it flow and the words will come.

Ladies' Night out at Good Feet in Bedford, NH

Good Feet in Bedford, NH is hosting a Ladies' Night Out!

The store has special happenings this evening from 5 to 9 PM.

There will be various vendors for you to check out and some goodies to munch. So if you are looking for something to do this evening, stop on by Good Feet at 7 Colby Court and see what is what and who is who.


If you go, stop by to see me, yes me, I'll be there with my latest novel, NEVER TEMPT DANGER and chocolate chip cookies.

I'll sign the book, you eat the cookies!

To my friend Lisa Olech

I'm a believer in if you say it, it will happen. Sheesh! For me that happens all the time. Like never tell someone who is going to go home and paint to not fall off a ladder. Sure enough it will happen...and in my case last winter I did. But it doesn't have to be all bad.

I want to tell you a little story. HA! That's a funny line coming from a writer.

I want to tell you the story of how I came to buy my house and about the glass art that came to hang in my window. A few years ago I had sold the house I owned and had thirty days to get another place. Thirty days seemed like a long time, so cool, no problem.

That was sooo NOT the case.

Who would have guessed it would be so difficult to find something that I liked and suited me. What exactly was I looking for? I wanted a house that was new or newer, had an open floor plan, wood floors, and a kitchen with granite countertops. No big deal, right?

So I visited about a eight homes, including ones that were older houses and had a lot of charm. Charm from a distance that is.

Anyway, I was almost at the end of my ropes when I had to go on a business trip. While I was in Kentucky, my real estate agent visited a few places that I had asked to look at and she would let me know if they were worth me seeing them. By this time she had gotten a feel for my taste and that worked for me. Well, she did not see a dang thing worth my time.

At the end of my week in Kentucky, my team is all packed up and at the airport and we are chatting away about plans for the weekend. Someone asks, "What are you doing this weekend, Denise?"

"I'm going to buy a house."

A couple of chuckles, a scoff or two, and someone says, "Yeah right. Just like that." He snaps his fingers. "Your going to buy a house."

I responded, "Yes, just like that, I will buy a house this weekend."

I arrive home Friday evening, get onto my computer and start looking at some listings that my real estate agent sent me. I picked out three and sent them to her. She replied back and asked, "If you could have everything in a house you wanted, what would it be?"

That was easy. "New, open floor plan, wood floors, granite countertops in the kitchen." Then out of the blue I added, "A rock wall and an apple tree."

Yeah, okay, funny, ha ha. Real estate agent thinks I am a hoot and we make plans for visiting three homes Saturday morning.

Here is where I tell you, "If you don't ask for it you won't get it."

The first house we saw was a new house in an older development. As we walk up to the front stairs I am immediately impressed by the nickel-finished oustide lamps and how they match the finish on the door know. Hey! It's the little things that make us happy. We walk in and holy cow we are greeted by wood floors and an open floor plan. And unbelievably, every fixture in the house is actually nickel-finished. What can I say these are the details that make a good builder.

Anyway, the wood floors go everywhere including the stairs except the bedrooms. In my mind I am high-fiving my real estate agent. We get to the kitchen and see granite counters. Oh my goodness I have died and gone to heaven. Yeah, no.

I check out the library. HA! Yes, my house has a small library, which I love. What writer wouldn't like that?

Next we travel outside to see the deck and the back yard. We're standing there and I hear this clanking noise followed by screams. "What is that, I ask the builder?"

"That's the old roller coaster at the amusement park."

Wicked cool! Then I glance down and see a rock wall that runs along the side of the property. Heart does a quick jump in chest. I love rock walls and am completely enthralled by them and how they came to be and who built it for what reason.

When I turn around to look at the grounds I see a bunch of Forsythias and this big tree. I pointed at it and asked, "What kind of tree is that?"

"Oh, that's an old apple tree. The whole place used to be an apple orchard."

Tell me you would not be having a heart attack, hyperventilating, and doing the happy dance all at once. Because remember, I just got what I asked for.

And yes, I bought my house that day! As I said I would. To top it off, my oldest friend had just returned from overseas some place and he called. I told him I just bought a house and he had to fly up to see it. Duh! Of course, he did. To me that was a sign.

Now, how does any of thise relate to the image of the glass art at the beginning of the story?

I have this wonderful friend and fellow writer slash glass artist named Lisa Olech. I asked her one day if she would make me a piece of art. She said yes.

As Lisa called me on the phone to dicuss what I wanted, which, I had no clue at the time, I relayed this story to her. I told her how my apple tree and rock wall became my symbols for my future. They became my symbols for throwing it out there and getting what I wanted.

One of those things was a yard/garden that I had always wanted, the house that I had dreamed of, and lastly, but maybe more importantly to me, is I got my first book published. That apple tree became my symbol of me and my dreams.

This blog post is dedicated to Lisa Olech, a friend, artist, and writer. Thank you for capturing my dreams and symbols and allowing me to see their beauty every day. You are a talented lady and I am happy that you are in my world of friends.

Hugs and kisses! And I'm ready for a new piece of art.

Intense Whisper hosts Never Tempt Danger character interview

On Friday, October 22nd, stop by Robin's blog at Intense Whisper and checkout an interview between two of my characters.





Charley, a human intelligence specialist from CONNECT THE DOTS puts Gilly, a robotics genius with a special gift from NEVER TEMPT DANGER on the hot seat.


Stop by, leave a comment, and get a chance to win a copy of NEVER TEMPT DANGER.

Summertime Wrap Up

Remember when you were younger and on the first day of school each fall some teacher would ask you to share what you did over the summer?

I thought it would be interesting to do something similar but share something new that you did or experienced for the first time. Kinda like a first kiss, but not. HA!

Since it's my blog I guess I will start. "Hm..." she says with her finger pressed to her chin.

I stained my new deck and porch. Nope, never done that before and not exactly sure I would do it again, but hey! I can say, "I did that."

I was introduced to some new music groups. "Okay, new music groups for me. What can I say? I live a sheltered life." hehehe "Oh, you want to know what music groups?"

Lady Antebellum
Keith Urban

The fun part of the music experience for me is that I also sing. (Shhh. This is a little known secret.) So as part of my voice lessons each week I am learning the music and singing the words to the new songs that I was introduced to. AND this is so great for me because I am finally conquering those pesky two midrange notes that drive me cringe. "Yea me!"

OH! I ran my first 5K ever. Wow! What an experience. All I can say is, "Don't drink water before you do the race." Actually, I very much enjoyed finding the Windham rail trail and training for the run. I enjoyed doing it and reaching my goal of under 12 minutes per mile. "Hey! Nobody said I was a speed demon." Next year my goal is three races. Wish me luck.

Lastly, I started taking shooting lessons. "Don't mess with this blonde." As of last week, I learned to control the .380 to the point of being able to shoot 7 holes into a life-size target's head. "You don't want to know what parts of the man's body I hit with the .45." Suffice it to say, I had a HUGE grin on my face and retired Gunnery Sergeant Mike Stevens AKA Gunny told me, "Don't even talk about it." hehe You think he felt empathy for the paper target?

So what did you do this summer?

Dewey Read-A-Thon Day

Twice a year Dewey's Read-a-thon hosts a real live read-a-thon. Bloggers read and post about what they read and encourage other participants. They arrange for cheerleaders to boost your reading and encourage you to not give up in those last 5 hours. There are mini-challenges throught the 24 hours and even prizes.

If you don't blog, don't worry about it. Visit here and share what you have read, what is keeping you going (like Cheetos, Mountain Dew, delivered pizza), what's your goal, and what's next on your list. Go sign-up at Dewey's Read-a-thon and let me know and we will keep each other awake and motivated for the next 24 hours.

Think of it - reading, reading, and reading!

It starts today at 8AM east coast time. So, if you've got a few books that have been on your reading list, or in your to-be-read pile then pull them out, grab a comfy chair, a good lamp, and a whole lot of snack food and start reading.

Now, you don't have to stop doing everything so if you have to go out to eat with your hubby or do some laundry then do it. Just take a book with you. While your date is boring you to death you can sneak off to the ladies' room and read a page or two. OH! E-books would be a great way to deal with that pesky date. Just set it on your seat while he chatters on about his work or his manliness.

Last time I think I finished 4 books, which isn't a lot, but like I said you can still do other things in between books.

My goal this time is to do 5 books. Hey! It's an improvement.

I'm starting my marathon with Carolina Moon and Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts.




Now I have to go to my Saturday morning lesson, but while I'm driving there I will be listening to an audiobook.

HAPPY READING!!





We've reached hour 9 and I've finished my first 2 books. WOOT! Not bad for someone who had to go shooting before she got to get cozy in her chair and a couple of good books.

Thanks to the cheerleaders for stopping by and leaving me notes of encouragement.

My next two books are a couple more by Nora Roberts. Hm...there must be a theme to this reading. I'm going to finish the Three Sister's Island Trilogy for my next two books. Next up:














A little over 8 hours left.
Whew! How goes the reading?

What has helped you stay awake, keep you reading? Did you prop your eyelids open with toothpicks? Splash your face with cold water?

Do you have a pile of junk food wrappers on the table sitting next to you?

Me - I took a break and made some spicy chili. I've switched chairs to give my hiney a rest. I haven't reached for the ceffeine yet, but that may be soon.

Right now I'm sucking on little jelly-filled raspberry candies. Ahh! SUGAR!

But the good news is. . . I've finished my first 4 books. YIPPEE! Now I'm going to get up and stretch, and yes, get some caffeine, and go find my next 2 books.

Keep up the good work. Keep reading!


Two hours left and we're almost there!



Can you believe you've been up for almost 24 hours? Can you believe you've been reading for almost 24 hours? Time flies when you're having fun!


Yea me! I have surpassed my goal.

How about you? How'd you do?





Finished Janet Evanovich's latest novel. Currently reading Tess Gerristen's latest release.















Last Read-a-thon Post:

I did it! This is my second Dewey Read-a-thon and the second time I managed to stay awake and read. Of course, my hiney is now flat, and I probably stink but can't tell from the morning breath related to all the junk food I ate to stay bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. What exactly is bushy-tailed?

Oh! I'm also a little loopy and wired since I have now surpassed the hours of awakeness into the 27 hour mark. AND oh-my-gosh! I need food, real food.

Thanks Dewey's Read-a-thon for hosting a real live read-a-thon. I look forward to participating in the next one.

Thanks to all the cheerleaders! Your words and poems of encouragement were terrific motivation. You all deserve to have your pom-poms bronzed.

I have one favor though. Can you email us past participants to let us know ahead of time when the event will be? That way, little blonde flakes like me don't notice the event at the last minute. :-)

I will even donate a couple of books as prizes for the next Dewey Read-a-thon!

Rainy Day Writing Prompt Wednesday

I had a whole other prompt set for today, but then I walked out into the rain and "whoosh" changed my mind. It's a girl thing.

So. . . today's writing prompt is: She stepped out into the rain. . .


Finish that sentence, write a paragraph, or a page. Have fun and let the words flow.

Can't wait to see what you come up with!

Wednesday is for booklovers

Booklovers who live in New England! If you are looking for reading material to get you through the cold weather ahead, authors Denise Robbins and Nora LeDuc have the right read for you.

Robbins and LeDuc will be discussing and signing their latest novels this Wednesday, October 6 from 5:30PM to 9:00PM at Borders Bookstore in Concord, NH.

Robbins will sign copies of her new release, Never Tempt Danger, which takes readers on a roller coaster ride of suspense, intrigue and romance in the clandestine world of government research and cutting edge technology.














LeDuc will sign copies of her latest novel, Pick Up Lines for Murder. Pick Up Lines for Murder is a tale to suit any romantic or mystery fan.

If you are in need of a good book to cozy up with in front of the fire on a New England winter night you won't want to miss this event. Mark your calendar!

Oh, deer! Authors Pauline Jones and Denise Robbins have two new fans

But in this case, that's not necessarily a good thing...

How ominous is that?!

This is the message that greeted me Friday morning from my publisher when I checked my email before leaving for work.

Apparently Linda had ordered a bunch of books and all had arrived in two big boxes Monday night. All except for two books. They were put into a small separate box, which did not arrive until the next day, after Linda publisher had to leave for Houston Tuesday night.

Linda said, “I didn't worry, since no rain was expected. I figured the box would be sitting near the mailboxes, waiting for me to pick it up on my way in tonight (late Thursday.)”

However, her "ever so helpful" neighbor decided to bring the box up to her inside big gate, and since it was small, they must have slipped it underneath. Or put it very very close, at least partway under the gate.

Because. . .

According to Linda, “When I came through the gate tonight after midnight, I discovered that my two Fallow bucks had opened the UPS box, and were happily devouring one copy of Out of Time and a copy of Never Tempt Danger.”

GASP! See photo.

Linda ended her note by saying, “Well, these two have already "tempted danger" with me way too many times. I won't elaborate now, it's late (after 2:30 AM) and I'm tired...

So, these four legged boys are officially "out of time" and if they try this again, they are going to get some BB's in their big hairy butts!”

As for the neighbors, she says, “I'm not sure what I'm going to do to the neighbors. I'm pretty sure it was the little boy (who rides down on his ATV to pick up the mail) - I think his Dad is a paramedic. Perhaps I'll ask him if he can resuscitate the books.”

LOL! That would be a miracle.

“On that note, I'll sign off and try to get some rest.
Linda”

Pauline chimed in later on Friday with, “LOL! Instead of the dog ate my homework, the deer ate the books. LOL! My sister says the deer in her yard try to eat everything! They start with her flowers, but finish anything and everything! Time to bring on the hunters. [GRIN] Oh the trials of a publisher. I think you’ve got a blog in there somewhere. Hugs!”

Pauline was correct. These two new fans would make a great blog post. BUT. . . being the mystery, suspense, steampunk and whatever else writers Pauline and I are we need to know more about these so-called ‘fans’ or as I have given them the nickname of ‘book bandits’.

Ergo we investigate and get a little more information on our culprits. What we learn from Linda is this:

This is a mugshot of one of the ‘book bandits’. He’s a white Fallow buck Linda named ‘Mergatroid’.”

Okay, wait! She names the deer Mergatroid? Didn’t the Hanna-Barbera cartoon ‘Snagglepuss’ use “Heavens to Mergatroid (Murgatroyd)!” as one of his catchphrases? The meaning one of surprise and shock. . .and trouble.

Hm. Me thinks the deer is aptly named. As a matter of fact, she calls his son, his partner in crime (a dark brown Fallow) “Junior”.

Linda’s eyewitness testimony states, “The two of them are always "up to something" - including eating the car seat covers on my Jeep in the carport. I swear this deer breed (a variety of European Moose, imported into the USA) is part goat!”

Yup! Having seen goats try to nibble at my mother’s shoes while her feet were still in them, I get a clear visual as to they will eat anything.

Linda continues, “The does are sweeties, though, and even though they act silly, they aren't as destructive as the bucks. Must be a "guy thing" that crosses all species. Search and destroy...search and destroy...”

Now if you know Linda you would be laughing at that statement. Not because it’s not true. But because this is a woman who goes out at the wee hours of the morning with her shotgun in hand and ‘searches and destroys’ the raccoons that wreak havoc on her lodge in the woods.

Anyway, long story to get to the point of saying, “If even the deer want to devour our books, you should too!”

In case you missed the titles that Mergatroid and Junior preferred they were “Out of Time” by Pauline Baird Jones and “Never Tempt Danger” by Denise Robbins. Both are available at L&L Dreamspell.

Just be sure to send a note to Linda and tell her you prefer a copy without the deer teeth marks, hoof prints, or any other deer markings.

Friday's Writing Prompt Response

So, how'd you do? Did you try Wednesday's writing prompt? Did it give you a little creative boost?

If you did, share it with us. We want to read!

Here is my brief take. Actually, for me this turned into an entire chapter, but I'll only share with you a short paragraph.


This week's writing prompt was: He eased the door...

He eased the door open and slid into the sterile room. On silent feet he moved into the room and stopped at the foot of the hospital bed when the woman’s beaten and battered face came into view under the dim light.

Damn! He hated this part of his job. He hated questioning the innocent victim.


Hope you had some fun. Watch for the next writing prompt next Wednesday.

Writing Prompt Wednesday...

There are days when words just flow and last Sunday was one of them. This week's writing prompt popped into my head as I sat down last Sunday morning and wrote 1600 words on my latest novel in-progress.

Prompt: He eased the door. . .

Remember, the purpose of these writing prompts is to boost your creativity and to have a little fun.

Write as much or as little as you can and have fun!

Share whatever you come up with back here.

Mum crazy

Fall is my favorite season! All that wonderful crisp air, the bonfires, snuggling up in a cozy sweater and the vibrant colors of fall just give you the warm fuzzies.

Probably one of the best parts of fall are the mums. Their sweet smell and their bright colors and varying shapes are amazing. Just what we need to add some life while the trees go to sleep and drop their leaves.

This weekend I went mum crazy. I planted yellow, pink, and red mums along with two baby lilac trees, and lily bulbs that will bloom next summer in my retaining wall in the front yard. To protect and entertain the flowers I put my big bunny sitting in their with them.
In addition to adding a little whimsy to my yard, I put some new mums in the flower boxes on the railings of my porch and deck then planted others into the various front and back yard gardens. It looks as if a painter came by with a paint brush and added a splash of color to my outdoor area. Oh yeah, that's Mayhem in the door window looking out at me.
Yesterday I even picked up a couple of bails of hay and placed them inside this old bucket that my neighbor gave me an I repainted. On top of those bails of hay I added two mums, two pumpkins, and another little bunny. Now every time I drive up to my house I am greeted by smiles of mums.
I took one of the bright pink mums, the kind that look like they have daisy petals, planted it into a hand-painted terra cotta pot that a friend gave me, set it next to an old tree on the side of the yard where people drive by, and set another set of bunnies who like to read next to it. Now when people drive by they are greeted by fall.

If we could just hold back winter and keep fall for six months I would be a very happy camper.

She aimed the loaded weapon. . .

How creative did you get with this Wednesday's writing prompt?

Wednesday's writing prompt was: She aimed the loaded weapon. . .

What did you come up with? Here's mine.



She aimed the loaded weapon toward her face then moved it so it pointed at her mouth and stared at it expectantly as if it would explode in her hands at any moment.

You can do this.

Her hands shook and she tightened her grip. Eyeing the cocked and loaded weapon held in her shaky grip, her mouth suddenly went dry. She swallowed, trying to gain her courage.

The rush of blood echoed in her ears and pulsed against her fingers as her heart tried to hammer its way out of her chest.

Come on. You can do it.

Just get it over with.

Wetting her lips with the tip of her tongue, she ordered herself to close her eyes and pretend it was a lollipop.

Writing Prompt Wednesday...

Writing prompt Wednesday is an exercise in creativity without thinking. Well, that's how I describe it. [GRIN]

I give you a partial sentence and all you have to do is finish it. Or you can write more! Write a paragraph, a page, a chapter. Whatever your creative mind comes up with and your fingers can type.

It's a terrific way to break writer's block or get your creative juices flowing.

When you do this exercise don't think, just write what pops into your head and have fun. And don't forget to share what you come up with.

Today's prompt is: She aimed the loaded weapon. . .

Firing up your Fiction

Have you ever read a book where it is obvious that the writer did not do his or her research? Did it turn you off from reading further or did you get past it?

There are many editors that will do the research to verify something mentioned in a novel is fact or fiction. Even if the novel is a work of fiction publishers and readers prefer to see some string of fact in the writing. This is why we, the authors, do our research.

My latest research has engaged me in the "right to bear and keep arms" as afforded us in the Second Amendment of the Constitution. (okay...I had to look that up)

On Saturday mornings for about 8-weeks now I have been getting up and packing what can only be termed a small suitcase, and driving to Weare, NH for pistol shooting lessons with Gunnery Sergeant Mike Stevens, USMC Force Recon Retired otherwise known as 'Gunny'.

Seriously, could you ask for a better instructor?

Mike is is the owner of Classic Armorer and a no holds bar, tell you like it is instructor who is very serious about what he teaches and who he teaches.

My very first class Gunny taught me how to handle a pistol, how to tear it down, how to clean it, and how to put it back together.

It wasn't until after those first lessons of the day that we walked down to his outdoor shooting range. There, Mike coached me on 'range etiquette'.

I have to wear protective eyewear, a shirt that covers my upper body so a hot bullet doesn't hit and burn my skin, and protective 'ears' that muffle the gunshot sound but allow me to hear his instructions, and always keep the weapon aimed down range.

With the weapon unloaded, the magazine loaded with target ammo, and all safety gear in place, I walk to the 21-foot line in front of a paper target.

Why a 21-foot line?

According to Gunny and the FBI, the average distance in a gun fight is 21-feet.

With my unloaded .380 Bersa held at my side and the clip in my opposite hand, I wait for Gunny's command.

The first command is "Ready on the line." This phrase tells me to load my weapon and stand in the shooting position he taught me with the gun aimed at the target.

"What is the shooting position?"

Your feet are about shoulder-width apart, your upper body is tilted slightly forward in what Gunny describes as "arrhhhhh", and your shooting hand is up at eye-level. Then you take your free hand and place it under and wrapped around your shooting hand so it acts as a pedestal to help control the weapon. This is known as the pedestal hand. The arm attached to your pedestal hand is slightly bent at the elbow for cushioning the recoil. Your head is tilted enough to site down your shooting arm and eye the site at the end of your pistol to the target. At this point, your finger is NOT on the trigger.

Now I wait for the next command.

The second command is "Fire on the range." This phrase is the command to fire when ready and for me is usally followed by Gunny saying, "Squeeze and breathe." Apparently I hold my breath. Not a good thing as it makes my muscles bunch up and therefore my aim will be off and the recoil will not be cushioned.

How am I doing?

Shooting takes practice to be able to hit the target in a skilled and consistent manner and an instructor with integrity to teach you how to not only shoot the pistol, but to teach you how to care for and handle the weapon in a safe and responsible way. This is why a friend of mine recommended Gunnery Sergeant Mike Stevens, USMC Force Recon Retired.

Stay tuned as I continue my lessons and research with Classic Armorer.

Never Tempt Danger has a cover

This morning I broke my usual mode of staying away from my computer and decided to check my email. When I did, I received a wonderful surprise. The cover art for my next novel was at the top of the list. Woot!

Not only did my publisher send me the art work she designed, but she also sent me a wicked nice compliment. I hope Linda forgives me for sharing it with you all, but I can't resist so read the next line.

"PS - I wanted to tell you that I enjoyed this story the most of all your books!"

Isn't that a terrific warm and fuzzy to wake up to?!


Short blurb for NEVER TEMPT DANGER:

She never thought of her “gift” as special, more like a curse.

As the one man who accepted her “gift” slid the diamond ring onto her shaky finger, Maureen saw his death flash in her mind an instant before the bullet struck. With his blood on her hands and a government research project in the balance, Maureen (Gilly) Gillman does the only smart thing she can. She disappears. If there was one thing Maureen had learned, it was Never Tempt Danger.

Special Agent Lucas Danger knows Maureen Gillman better than any other man. Assigned to find Gilly and her military robot prototype, Lucas discovers that his past has caught up with him. When the woman he loves collides with his secretive past, Lucas has to open his mind as well as his heart to save Maureen.

Who will get to her first?

Researching the family history. . .is it fact or fiction fodder?

As a writer if you want to write a realistic story (even if it is fiction) you do your research. You research clothing of the 18th century. You investigate military black sites when writing about the CIA and human intelligence. Writing a story on baseball? Then you’ll probably find yourself at a baseball game, maybe even trying to sneak into the dugout to sit on the bench with one of the hotties hugging wood.

I recently began doing research on my own family’s history. Let me tell you…there are a whole lot of story ideas that can come from your own family closets. Heck, the freaky names alone will give you a good laugh. I have an Antipas Gilman in my family tree. Antipas? Is that short for antipasta? What about Minnie Moon Markusen? Seriously! Does that not sound like a woman who would sit across the room and spit into a spitoon?

My great-grandparents on my father’s side helped build the town of Anthon, Iowa and even had a run-in with Frank and Jesse James. How cool is that?

OH! Anthon, Iowa is also the town where the tallest man is buried at 9 feet 2 inches. What a great tidbit you could throw into a story or tell your children one day.

So how do you do this family research?

In the case of family history, and that is the focus of this little blog post, it is a lot of talking with family members and internet research.

Whatever you do, don’t believe everything your family states unless they have it in writing. That sounds so terrible, but it is true. For the longest time, I understood my great-grandfather on my mother’s side to be Tom Gillman. Well, when my grandmother did a little digging into paperwork, we discovered that his full name is Joseph John Thomas Gillman.

Back to family history exploration. First, let’s start with where can you create your family tree as you go along?

There is a website called http://www.geni.com that is absolutely free. Yes, you can pay for the professional version but it is not necessary if all you want to do is input names, dates, relationships, images of the relative. One nice feature of this site is that you can share it with your relatives so they can add other relatives and information to help your project along. You can, of course, purchase family tree software like Family Tree Maker.

Now for the actual research. Many people have asked me which sites I joined or subscribed to, which equates to fees. Are you kidding me? No, you can do this without a cost.

There are websites such as http://www.familysearch.org that allow you to put in a name and possible dates of marriage or birth, the location of where they may have lived, who their spouse or parents were and then hit search and check the results. If other people have been doing research on the same line you will sometimes find that the family and/or pedigree information is available.

Note: Be cautious of giving too much detail because you could be absolutely wrong. For example, my great-grandfather’s last name has always been spelled Gillman, but in fact the name has been modified or misinterpreted down the line from what it was when the family came from England. In the states it started as Gilman. In England it was spelled Gylman or something like that. Use soundex when possible.

Remember I said don’t believe it until you see it in black and white? Well, perfect example is a birth date or place. Be open to the fact that the year could be plus or minus a couple of years.

Other sites you can use for researching family history. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/ Search the surnames, the trees, the archive lists, the forums, message boards. None of those require you to pay a fee to do your investigation.

What you will find is a string of other people asking the same questions as you about the same people and who may have actually found the answers. If you’re real lucky, as I was, you may actually find someone who has half of a family branch already documented. If that happens, be sure to send them off an email and thank them for their effort. I sent Fred Cohoon an email thanking him for identifying so many of my relatives on that branch and offered to send him more information from my family that he did not have documented at the time. What a great way to meet long lost and/or unknown relatives.

http://www.ancestry.com/ is great for searching names and getting an idea of when someone may have been born or died, and where if you are unsure, and even possibly tell you the name of a parent or spouse. To go any further will cost you a fee. I have not gotten that desperate yet.

A truly wonderful site that will lead to other sites is http://www.usgenweb.org. The USGenWeb Project is a group of volunteers working together to provide Internet websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. Part of my family is from Iowa so I went to http://iagenweb.org/. USGenWeb is non-commercial and fully committed to free access for everyone. There is even a WorldGen project so you can search across the globe. http://www.worldgenweb.org/.

USGenWeb is a where I found some very good information about relatives because I could search by state. I could search obituaries, state census data, old newspapers like http://iowaoldpress.com/. Talk about great fodder for fantastic fiction!

Don’t forget that these long since deceased family relations have to have been buried somewhere. Yeah, a tad morbid I know, but. . .it’s a starting point to find names and dates and another point for searches. Try http://www.findagrave.com/ to search for a grave. Most states have a grave site for you to search such as http://iowagravestones.org/ and http://utahgravestones.org/.

http://www.genealogy.com/index_r.html is another site that you can do name searches on and has some great forums where you can once again follow other people’s efforts in tracking families. Link for forum searches is http://genforum.genealogy.com/.

I will tell you now that this kind of research is addictive. You will find yourself in front of your computer with 5 minutes to spare before you have to pick up the kids from school doing any number of search combinations to find that one name that has eluded you. Watch out! You may just forget the kid at the bus stop.

Ultimately, when you find out that your family branch came from Barbadoes and helped build a town in Iowa, or that a bunch of them sailed over on a ship from England to be early settlers and the family behind Gilmanton, NH then all sorts of ideas will start to run through your head. If nothing else, you will learn way too much about your family along with reading some very interesting stories of not so well known relatives.

Have fun and happy hunting!

A sense of accomplishment

There is nothing like stepping back from a project, taking a deep breath, and letting the air whoosh out of your lungs as a sense of accomplishment slides into your heart and a wide grin tugs at the corners of your mouth in satisfaction.

Late last night I stood back from my front porch after three days of physical labor and felt this rush of pride swell in my chest as my eyes focused on what I had accomplished. I transformed my porch from this plain wood thing to a place I want to sit after work with a cool drink and watch the world go by.

What do you think?



I stained every piece with this beautiful mahogany flame color and all the spindles and kick plates are a white primer followed by a white stain. Gorgeous if I do say so myself. Now my deck and porch have similar looks and I feel a symmetry going on.

Next up is to finish sanding and staining the driveway retaining wall.


What gives you a sense of accomplishment or satisfaction?

Catch me TODAY!. . .if you can

Catch me and 49 other local authors, poets, illustrators at a BOOK SALE!

TODAY (August 26) from 4 PM until 8:30 PM

The Johnson Auditorium
HAVERHILL PUBLIC LIBRARY

99 Main Street
Haverhill, MA 01830


Can you imagine so many local area artists in one spot? You won't want to miss it!

See you there.

Wishing my nephew a happy birthday

My youngest nephew, Brandon, turned 21...oops! I mean he turned 12 yesterday. Don't want him to grow up too soon.

With red hair, blue eyes that glitter with mischief, and a grin that makes you forget your words, Brandon is a nephew any Aunt would wish for and love dearly.

This Aunt has loved Brandon since the moment my sister told me she was pregnant with him. I remember sitting around with my sister and brother-in-law and other friends and family tossing out baby names. When we hit on Brandon it was as if he reached out from his mother's tummy and snapped up the name because we all knew that he was Brandon.

Isn't Brandon a great name for an Irish bartender who I cast him as in my fourth novel? :-) Wait until you meet him in print!

Brandon loves to read a good book, but can't sit still for very long either. Hmm...that must be a family trait. He's an active guy who right now is into baseball.

Brandon is the next writer in the family. How cool is that?!

I am so proud that he wants to draw pictures with words and put them on paper for others to read and enjoy.

Please give a big birthday shout out to Brandon!

The little things make us smile

I don't know about you but it's the little things in life that make me smile. You know, the things that you don't think about until it happens and then a grin spreads across your lips and your heart trips a little lighter.

Perhaps you come home from a long day at work and find your trash cans pulled up next to your garage so you don't have to trek back down to get them.

One of my favorites is when my neighbor hollers down the road and yells, "Chocolate pie!" Yes, Donna makes the best sugar free chocolate pie ever. I will literally and did this past Saturday drop everything and jog up the street to get some pie.

It's someone holding a door open even when your hands aren't full. It's a complete stranger offering to share his umbrella so you don't get soaked walking into the office.

Maybe you receive a quick phone call from a friend just to say "Hi."

As a writer, one of the things that makes me smile is when someone I gave a book to tells me her mother stole my book from her and is halfway through it and loving it.


What little things put a smile on your face?

What childhood adage or diddy do you remember?

As I pumped gas into my car this morning, I glanced down and noticed a penny lying on the ground. The first thought that ran through my mind was a childhood adage.

Do you remember "Find a penny, pick it up, all day long you'll have good luck"? Do you pick it up?

Do you ever take an evening stroll and find yourself avoiding cracks in the sidewalk? Is it because of the phrase "Step on a crack, break your mother's back"?

What other childhood sayings do you remember? Which ones do you swear are true?

Merlot, Murder, Mystery, Mayhem

All of those M's describe the wine mystery event that took place at Zorvino Vineyards last Friday, August 13th.






Thanks to authors CJ West (wrote the mystery for the evening), Vincent O'Neil, Stephen Rogers, the staff at Zorvino Vineyards, and Sandown Chief of Police Joe Gordon, the 200 plus people who attended Mayhem Over Merlot Mystery event had a blast!



The event consisted of great food, a terrific wine tasting, a mystery or thriller book, and a fun-filled, interactive mystery where the patrons had the opportunity to play sleuth for an evening.






Check out some of our wannabe detectives in action!








Yes, that is a real police officer interrogating the suspects. Check out that guilty look on Ken's face as Chief Joe puts the screws to him.






Do you see the way Chief Joe is turning up the heat when he interrogates me? I tell you I was feeling the pressure.






Our murder victim - CJ West in his ghostly look.






Do you see the guilty looks on the faces of our murdering criminals? Yup, they are wearing real handcuffs.


If you missed this event, don't worry. There will be another!

Friends joined me on a morning walk

I have recently fallen in love with walking the Windham Rail Trail. This morning I decided to walk it from Salem to Windham then have breakfast at Windham Junction.

At about 2 miles into my walk I had to slow my pace because I ran into a few friends.

Can you think of a better way to start your Sunday than to walk on a path through nature enjoying the sights and sounds and encountering a few geese?

On my return walk I didn't run into new friends, but I did see the geese left their calling cards all over the trail. Wasn't that nice of them?

I didn't run into any more feathery friends. I did, however, listen to a couple of ground squirrels AKA chipmunks having a rather heated argument. Of course, they stopped chattering when I chuckled.

Then I heard this strange noise in the pond/swamp that was a tad eery. It sounded as if the Loch Ness Monster or a Slestak was rumbling beneath the lillie pads, moss, and brown water.

I kept looking for the creature that made the fire-breathing dragon noise and made the tiny hairs on my arms stand at attention, but alas, I did not find the culprit. Maybe next time.

Writing runs in the family

I've recently been doing some research into family genealogy and as part of that my parents have pulled out a few newspaper clippings, letters, etc. to help me find more information. Yesterday, as my father rummaged through papers, he found a poem he had written when I was 2 years old.

I hope it touches you as it touched me. I'm glad to know writing runs in the family.


D is for all the Devine joy that she has brought to us

Or the Devil in her eyes.

E is for all the Eternal happiness that we can only hope she can have

Or Every mischievous deed she can do.

N is for how Naïve all children are

Or how Nice her mother wants her to be.

I is for all the Intensity she puts into her playing

Or how Inviting she is to hold.

S is for how Shy we all want our little girls to be

Or how silly they really can be.

E is for Everything that little girls are to their fathers

Or Everything that my little girl, DENISE, is to me.

Do clothes make you sexy?

This is a great topic for a Thursday morning and one I couldn't resist. As I dressed for work (blech!) I riffled through my closet and stared at the garments hanging around like tormenting critters teasing, "Pick me." "No, you don't want to wear that." "Dang! You have no clothes to wear."

Yes, my closet houses talking clothing.

After sifting through the sweaters, shirts, blouses, etc., the prefect top jumped out at me and screamed, "Are you kidding, I am the sexiest thing!"

How could I resist the peachy-colored silk, sleeveless top? I mean seriously, I've got this great tan going (if I do say so myself) and when I slid the silk over the top of my head, saw the color against my bronze skin, I thought, "Wow! I like this."

I finished dressing in a pair of jeans and heeled-sandals then to top off the look, I added a little lip gloss that is the same peachy color as my top. Can I just say, I looked at myself in my mirror and definitely thought, "I look hot!"

Is it because of my clothes?

Let me see if I can show you more. I get in my car to drive to work (way too early), flip in a Keith Urban CD I recently picked up and bopped all the way into the office. Sitting in my car in typical Boston traffic on a hot, hazy morning, I could not help but sing at the top of my lungs, do a couple of shoulder shimmies, and drum the steering wheel. Okay, maybe I even did a little upper body boogie. You could not see my butt shake.

Is it my clothes? If this were winter and I was dressed in a sweater, jeans, and boots, would I still feel sexy?

What do you think?

Is there any outfit that you put on that makes you feel sexy?

When a writer goes radio silent. . .

Is it because her computer died, her network went haywire, she has nothing to write about, or because she is a magnet for mishap?

My father claims that if I didn’t have bad luck, I would have no luck. I am inclined to agree. About a month ago, disaster struck at about midnight on a Monday night/Tuesday morning.

The smoke detectors woke me up and sent me flying through my house like a mad woman. I ran up and down stairs while the shrill sound of those alarms rang in my ears, telling me there was a fire somewhere. I just didn’t know where.

While the cats bolted for the highlands, I searched every nook and cranny of my home for fire. It wasn’t until I looked in the basement twice that I noticed smoke coming in from between the garage door and the door frame. When I finally managed to get the door unlocked, I swung it open and was greeted by a wall of black smoke.

Yeah, yeah, I know. I was not supposed to open the door. But when you are in a panic you kinda don’t think like a sane, rational person, you kinda go with whatever will prevent you from losing your home. You see, the garage is directly under the main part of the house.

My first response was to gasp and suck in the toxic dust…which would later prove not a good thing. I tried the light switch and nothing happened. I thought the power had gone out. Nope, that’s how thick the smoke was. I reached around and hit the garage door buttons. One of the doors went up and that’s when I heard but still could not see the fire.

I turned and ran back upstairs to the third floor for my cell phone and on the way back down dialed. As my bare feet hit my back deck, I was screaming into the phone, “Fire! House is on fire!”

“What?” the groggy voice asked on the other end of the line.

“Fire! My house is on fire!”

Then I heard CLICK and the line was dead.

No, I did not dial 911. I called my neighbors, my heroes. AGAIN. They called 911.

It wasn’t until I rounded the corner of my yard that I saw the 8-foot flames then heard my neighbor Kenny hollering for me as I ran into the garage, opened the other door and tried to pull out anything flammable and explosive. Gasoline cans, push mower that was already burning, riding lawnmower, snow blower, etc.

Kenny was helping me pull stuff when I looked up and said, “Hose!”

I ran and got the hose, which of course, was attached to a plant chemical. Sheesh! I managed to get that off and handed Kenny the hose.

I won’t give you all the details, but suffice it to say in spite of 8 foot flames and smoke as dark and thick as mud, Kenny, Donna, and I got the fire put out before the fire trucks, EMT vehicle, fire chief, and police cars arrived with sirens blaring and lights flashing.

My lecture for the evening came from a firefighter who asked, “Who called 911?”

I pointed a finger at Donna. “She did.”

“Who did you call?”

“Her.”

“Next time, little lady, you dial 911 first.”

“Um, she is on speed-dial and you never even crossed my mind.”

The firefighter gave a little chuckle then sobered and narrowed his gaze on me. “Next time dial 911 first.”

“Yes, sir.” I wanted to salute him, but I held back.


Physically I am fine. My neighbors and I all burned our hands, but those healed quickly. Ice is an amazing medicinal treatment. That and a cold beer bottle. The smoke inhalation affected my lungs for a period and made my voice sound a little like Kathleen Turner, but alas, that sexy, raspy voice has gone away.


For those of you wondering, “Where the heck did Denise go?” Now you know.

Thank you for the phone calls, the emails, and the notes. I appreciate everyone’s caring and concern. Please know that I have not fallen off the face of the earth, that every day I want to write, but this little calamity has kept me busy.

Instead of life imitating art, art will imitate life. Think of the fodder for my fiction.

Saturday's sweet surprise

I am an author and I have to keep reminding myself of that. No, seriously. Yes, I love to write. I'm a writer. It's because of the words and the images you can draw on a page.

Then I receive an email from a reader who expresses her joy in my story and my heart does this little leap, bounce and quick spin before thudding back into place. Yippee! This is when I know I am an author.

Earlier in the week, I received a message about a great book review from Intense Whisper (Robin K) on my first novel, IT HAPPENS IN THREES, which I shared in a previous blog post.

On Saturday, I not only received an email from a reader, but a reader who is also an author. Joyce Sterling Scarbrough, sent out an amazing review of the very same novel that Robin just reviewed.

I just have to say I was floored to read her review and honored she took the time to share her words, not just with me but with my publisher's loop and on Amazon. It's an amazing, squishy feeling that makes your tummy quiver inside like a bowl of jelly when another author heartily endorses not only your story, but you as a writer.

I emailed Joyce Saturday morning and asked her if she would mind if I shared her review and posted about it on the blog and here is her response. "Post it anywhere you want to, Denise. I will be proud to have my name associated with such a great book and great writer!"

So, without further lip-smacking by me, take a look and see what Joyce had to say about IT HAPPENS IN THREES. Tell me if this wouldn't make you feel like there was more than one Santa Claus.

"This book is like an action flick, erotic love story, romantic comedy and crime drama all rolled into one! I love it when it's obvious that the author knows what she's talking about, and that's definitely true in this case. The technical and procedural details are spot-on and startlingly realistic, and the sex scenes are white hot! Throw in vivid descriptions of to-die-for locations and some of the snappiest dialogue around, and it makes for one enjoyable read. Looking forward to more!"

Can you believe all that?! Joyce must be a writer.

Wait! I'm not done yet. Add to that Gina Leuci's (author of A Lesson in Love) comment to Joyce's review.

"Joyce

Your review of Denise's book is spot on. Eloquently said."

Here is the thing you need to know about Gina. She is one of the few people who read and critiqued pieces of the manuscript before it was published.

Check out Joyce and Gina's books and tell them I sent you and while you visit their blogs, tell them I said, "Thanks."

Picture this . . .

Picture me, yes me, the funny redheaded blonde who loves to write and can barely squeeze it in unless. . .wait for it. . .she goes to her local watering hole, Margaritas, with her laptop and no WIFI, has a couple of "girlie" beers as a friend refers to them, and writes her fanny off. Okay, I wish it was that easy to make a fanny disappear.

Wait! That's not it. I get home, decide to log onto the computer and the first thing I see is a Facebook posting of a review by Robin K of my first novel, It Happens in Threes. And WOW! Now picture said redheaded blonde doing a dance around her house with every dang window open for the world to see.

Yes, all my neighbors, that's a dancing girl in that fishbowl of a house.

The truly funny part is that I had literally just hung up the phone with my longtime friend who has been the inspiration behind my stories and the person who Connect the Dots is dedicated to. Talk about timing!

Could there be a better compliment than this? "I do not know if a book could be written more perfectly for an easy escape of reality. Denise writes so eloquently. Her characters flow across the pages, enriched by well written landscapes and interplay. I loved being able to experience the paradise of Florida and Hawaii through the heroines eyes. The setting so entrancing I could taste the salt of the ocean and feel the warmth of the sun. I actually approached my husband about vacationing where we could scuba dive."

Robin ends the review with this. "This book is vacation anyone can afford!"

Okay, yes, I love knowing someone has enjoyed my stories. What can I say? I'm an author. OH! I can say that.

Thank you Robin for the wonderful review and I hope the winner of the bookgiveaway loves it just as much.

See Robin's full review and enter to win a copy of IT HAPPENS IN THREES at http://intensewhisper.blogspot.com/

Please drop by Robin's blog and leave her a comment.

Writing Prompt Wednesday

Prompt: The bigger man. . .


This is an interesting prompt because you know right away that there is more than one man in the character's line of site. Will you mention the other guy or will you just show us the big man? I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

The sight of granny...writing prompt response

The other week I posted a writing prompt: The sight of granny. . .

Here is my attempt.

The sight of granny tied to a chair, a purple bruise the size of a fist on her cheek, her lower lip bleeding, made Jane's blood boil with anger and fear. Reflexively, she curled her fingers into tight balls ready to pound either of the two goons, whichever one harmed Granny Pearl, both of them. Into the ground like moles in the Whack-A-Mole game at an arcade.

Wasted Time

Wasted Time


Time is wasted in a 90-minute commute
When technology gives us the ability to work from home

Time is wasted working overtime
When we could spend those hours with family, friends, self

Time is wasted regretting decisions made
When life is happening now

Time is wasted watching television
When there’s a world waiting for exploration

Time is wasted talking about writing a book
When you can put pen to paper and write your story

Time is wasted not sharing your self
When others are waiting to share themselves with you

Time is wasted not expressing feelings
When a word, a look, a touch can lead to endless possibilities

Time is wasted on unhappiness
Decide what you want and go after it

What are you waiting for? Time is wasting.