Training for half-marathon and I stumbled along the way

I've been training for a half-marathon since January and I seemed to have stumbled into a small problem.

Recently I was diagnosed with kidney issues. Particularly what happens is I get dehydrated and my lowers legs and feet swell…even after drinking six to eight bottles of water. Can you believe that?! I couldn’t.


Why?

My kidneys are not fully functioning. After several tests, the doctor (a wonderful physician whom I trust) discovered that my kidneys are losing too much protein and not taking enough in. Without the protein my kidneys do not function to full capacity.

Kidneys are supposed to get rid of waste and toxins and share the good stuff, in this case, water to the other cells in the body. Well, my kidneys aren’t able to send the water to my cells so it sends it as far away from the heart as possible, which ends up being my legs and feet. They have swollen to the point that during three races my left foot went numb and I thought pins and needles were sticking up from the bottom of my feet. Talk about pain.

How does this happen?

Various reasons, but in my case it appears to be, according to my wonderful physician, malnutrition. No, I don’t eat junk food or garbage, but basically I don’t take in enough food, enough good foods (in this case protein). Basically, I workout too much and eat too little.

Of course, my trainer has been telling me the same thing. Now, don’t get me wrong, I have been trying to eat better, more. I did this, however, by faking it. I drank two protein shakes a day and thought that covered me. Boy was I wrong!!

My doctor asked me, “Do you have an aversion to meat?”

The answer is, “No.” I do not, however, enjoy cooking it. I actually very much hate the smell.

I no longer have a choice. Yours truly has a goal of a half-marathon in Dingle, Ireland on September 1st and I will not get to do this if I do not eat protein and get my hydration back to normal.

How much protein do I need?

A minimum of 60 grams a day…from unprocessed/fake sources.

Where does protein come from?

Meat! One of the best sources of protein is meat; beef, chicken, and fish. Almost across the board for every ounce of meat you eat you intake 7 grams of protein.

Eggs are another fantastic source. An egg has 6 grams of protein.

Dairy is another good source, but watch out for the fat. A slice of American cheese has 6 grams of protein. Greek yogurt is my favorite source of dairy protein. Chobani makes this kids’ yogurt that is mixed berry and it is delicious! It’s a small container so I don’t have to eat a large amount to get 8 grams of protein. I usually save this for dessert after dinner.

Beans and nuts (almonds/walnuts) are other great sources of protein.

In my case, I have been ordered to eat meat and eggs. All the others are a bonus.

In addition to my lack of protein, I have to stay hydrated. In this case, water is not the only or best solution.

How do I deal with the hydration?

This one is way simpler for me. Eat fruits and vegetables! Ah, but they have to be fruits and vegetables high in water content. Believe me, this works!

I have been eating watermelon, cantaloupe, green beans, lettuce, or tomatoes at practically every meal. Broccoli, grapefruit, and plums are other great water fruits and vegetables. There are more, but I don’t like them. I have one cup of fruit or vegetables at every meal or for snacks.

Notice that most of the foods I mentioned are not processed. This is key. Natural foods have less sodium. Sodium is very bad for me because it aids in the bad fluid being retained in my body.

Because I am a nut and I wish to be better sooner than later, I have also endeavored to identify a few other things to help with my kidney issues. I am trying IsoPure water, which is a protein water drink. Just drank two of them this morning. Not bad…but I mixed it with cranberry juice as cranberry juice is good for kidney function.

This afternoon, after I eat my chicken Caesar wrap for lunch (35 grams of protein), I am going to try a protein gelatin. It’s something similar to the water I just mentioned only in jello form.

I am not counting these supplements in the 60 grams of natural protein that I have to intake each day. I’m counting these supplements as bonuses or a hopeful boost.

Wish me luck in getting my kidneys back on track and making my half-marathon!

Bringing your characters to life - Lesson 1

I recently did a workshop at the Maine Romance Writer's of America Retreat and thought why not share some of the workshop with you all.

I thought I'd break this down into a couple of posts to give you an opportunity to build your characters along the way. By the end of this workshop you will know your characters and be able to pull their personalities into your story and have them jumping off the page.

Characters. . .characters through the writing of your story must come to life, become “real”, and move your story forward. As a reader you sympathize with the characters of a novel, love or hate them, feel their anger and fear, and every emotion in between. Before the end of a really good book, you as the reader practically know what a character will say or do before you read it.

In order to bring your characters to life for your readers you as a writer have to know your hero, heroine, and even your villain.

How do you go about that?

One way is to picture your characters and ask your hero/heroine/villain:

• What’s your name? (first and last)
• Physical appearance (age, looks, clothing)?
• Marital status (married, divorced, children)?
• Family (parents, siblings, other influential family member)?
• History/Backstory (education, job, where from)?
• Characteristics (verbal expressions, habits, objects carried)?

My new heroine:

Dakota Donovan James

She's 5 feet 6 inches, 28 years old, has hair the color of sunshine, eyes are summer sky blue.
Dakota likes to wear jeans and her dead father's cowboy hat.
Dakota is not married and has never had a long-term relationship.
Both of her parents are dead. Her Irish mother died when she was sixteen and her father died when Dakota was twenty-one. Her father was a huge influence in her life. He taught her to ride horses and to shoot. Because of her Saturday trips with her father, she became a marksman at age fifteen.
Dakota is from Sweetwater, Texas. She has been to other countries due to her job, a job most people don't know she had.
Due to Dakota's job, she has learned to school her reactions...mostly. Besides earing her dead father's cowboy hat, she carries a small wolf sculpture made out of pink quartz.

My first ever Boston Red Sox game

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. The way to this girl's heart is through her sports.

I've been a baseball fan since I was knee-high to my father. I remember as a kid listening to games on my little handheld pink radio. I'd play at the local park and sit on the merry-go-round and listen to the announcer give play-by-play information on whatever game was on.

Sometimes I'd sit and listen with my dad while we sat in lawn chairs and enjoyed the weather. As I got older, we'd watch the games on television together. And when I was even older, we went to see the games at the stadium. It didnt matter whether it was professional, triple-A, or a local farm team playing under the lights on a hot summer night. All that mattered was that I was watching the great American sport of baseball.

I've seen the Minnesota Twins play in person. At one point, I even had an autographed ball by several of the players. Today I have no clue where that ball is. I'm sure it was lost in the many shuffles of moving I've done in my lifetime. When I lived in Virginia I went to see the Orioles play.

Nothing compares to going to see the Boston Red Sox play baseball. That's not to say that the baseball is not as good, but the whole experience is different. Picture a kid sitting in the back seat of the car as you drive by the stadium and he or she sees the sign for Fenway Park for the first time. That was me yesterday!

My mouth dropped open in awe. Flies could have landed on my tongue and it wouldn't have bothered me one bit. Here I was, driving by a stadium that's been around for 100 years. It's beautiful!

We parked just a block away, but that entire block there was an energy that radiated off every person walking by, heading in the same direction as us. . .to Fenway. Banners hang from the side of the stadium lettered with names and dates of some baseball greats like Wade Boggs and Babe Ruth just to name two.

Then we walked down Lansdowne Street. Here is huge difference that any other game I have ever attended. This street is partially closed off to visitors who don't have a game ticket. Lansdowne Street is a smorgasbord of game day vendors.

There are souvenir stands, baseball stores, food carts, food stands, beer, even a three-piece band played music in the middle of the road. There was a caricature artist drawing his heart out and a line of fans waiting their turn. Another vendor was a balloon artist making funny things out of balloons including a baseball hat for a kid on his birthday yesterday.

We had the opportunity to meet a beautiful 67-year old woman who wore a funny hat with fake hair on top of a Red Sox visor. The same hat the friends I was with were wearing. She asked if the guys would take a picture with her. Of course! It was only her second time at the stadium and she was there with her family to celebrate her husband's birthday.

Everywhere you turned you saw a Red Sox t-shirt on someone old or young, big or small. Hats were worn or carried in hands, but just about everyone had one.

I can honestly say that I did not stop gawking or smiling until the game was over and we were on the highway headed home. Okay, honestly, I have not stopped smiling at all.

Going to a Red Sox baseball game is not just going to a game, it's part of an adventure that you will remember for life. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend that every person experience it at least once and if you're lucky, more than once.

I promise you, you will feel like a kid in a candy store and just won't know where to look first, and you will want to look at everything. You will want to tuck every little thing in your pocket and take it home with you.

When the game is on. . . all eyes are on the field and the enthusiasm is electrifying and catchy. From the vendors hailing and selling their lemonade, hotdogs, and peanuts, to the fans making a wave go around the stadium, you will feel a part of this day like no other. Lots of oooo's, ahhhh's, and clapping.

Every time a foul ball is hit, you will wish the ball came your way. You will find yourself hollering at players trying to get their attention, trying to get just a smile, a tip of a hat, or maybe even a handshake.

When a homerun is hit, you will high-five the complete stranger standing next to you. It doesn't matter that he's a fan for the other team. Everyone is excited that the ball hit the back wall.

When the sun shifts and shadows encroach on the field and the game is at a close, you will feel a sadness in your heart that such a day has come to an end. But -- you will relive this day, the game, the fans, and the energy over and over again in your dreams.

To all you baseball fans, if you want to experience a game day like no other, I recommend you go see the Red Sox play. Oh! And take me with!

Secrets to a successful and long marriage - from my parents

Today is the wedding anniversary of my parents. They have been happily married now for forty-seven years. This evening when I called mom and dad to wish them a happy anniversary, I decided it was a good time to find out what was their secret for a lasting and happy marriage.

First, let me tell you the story of how they got together. The first time they met, my father asked my mother out. On that first date, he asked her out for another and so it went. The story goes that they dated for about two months before dad proposed to mom.

Where did dad propose?

Now that's an interesting story. Apparently, a friend of my father had always teased him that he would never marry. So when he proposed he proposed in front of that friend as a witness. Where did Keith Goodman propose to Mary Cohoon? Inside the JCPenney store in Spencer, Iowa.

Yup. You read that correctly. Dad got down on bended knee in front of their friend and proposed to mom right there in the middle of JCPenney. Now, if you are like me you ask yourself or in my case I asked them, "What department did you do this in?"

It was in fact as I had predicted. In the ladies' lingerie department. HA! How romantic is that?!

Way to go dad! Three months later, Keith and Mary tied the knot and became husband and wife.

I asked my parents if they still loved each other as much now as they did then and they both said that the love was stronger.

I asked mom and dad if they still had romance in their marriage. Mom jumped in and said, "Absolutely!"
Dad answered, "Every day."

When asked 'What is the secret to a happy marriage?' my parents had this to say. "Patience, tolerance, talking and most important, listening. The love is there and will continue to grow as long as you remember those keys."

'How does one keep a marriage going after forty-seven years?' "Support and working together," was their collective response. "At various times one of you will have to support the other and then it will be the other person's turn the next time, but if you work together you can accomplish anything and it will be much better because you did it as a team, a couple."

When I asked Keith and Mary 'If you could change on thing about your marriage, what would it be?' They both responded, "Not move so much." I for one can tell you that I agree with that assessment. We moved a lot of places for my dad's job. All for good, but it does take a toll. The fact that my parents are still together is a testament that in spite of those hardships, if they work together they can make it happen and be happy.

On the humorous side, I asked my parents, "If you were on a deserted island and could only take one person with you, who would it be and why?" Not surprising from this happy couple was that they would take the other. Mom would take dad because he could kill the food. Dad would take mom because she is a good cook.

How perfect is that? Two people who complete each other, each bringing to the table something the other person doesn't have.

To my wonderful and loving parents, Keith and Mary Goodman...Happy Anniversary!

Love you!!

Why do social media sites constantly change their faces?

I woke up this morning and was going to write something about stopping to smell the roses. Then I logged in to Blogger and completely changed my mind. The dang sit has changed!

Seriously folks, why do social media sites like Blogger, Twitter, and Facebook feel the need to change their faces?

While change is good, constant change is disruptive and unproductive.

I get the fact that they want to offer more functionality and features. That's great!
I get theat they want to out do their competition. That's half the game.

BUT when they make these changes by changing the face of the application they aren't just offering something new that every user will want. They aren't just beating out their competition. They are pissing off the end users who made them what they are today.

I, like many users, do not like being taken by surprise with a new interface and then having to spend time trying to re-learn what I already knew how to do.

Why not just add another menu option or a button instead of changing the entire look and feel? Why not consider usability when you are redesigning a social media site? Any other software company does!

Did they bother to do a beta test with end users to see if they liked the new look and feel? Did they bother to get any other person's opinion to the change other than the dud sitting behind the computer screen all day long who probably doesn't even understand the word social?

Well, to all you social media sites out there. . .Get a clue!

We, the end users, do not particularly like having to re-learn a tool every time you get a bug up your behind and decide to add some cool feature. And to be honest. The new features aren't all that useful. And if they were, they would be just as useful if you left the old interface.

As a software development manager and an end user, I humbly suggest you pull your head out of your you know what and start paying attention to the end user and cut the proverbial crap. We want to be able to use the site, not be afraid that everything will have changed or that we will have to learn something new every time we log in.

Just my opinion.

Fun with Lists and Embarrassing Moments

This is going to be a good one! Write about your most embarrassing moments.

When I was just a kid I used to go to stock car races with my father. One time I went to use the girls' room and my sister was supposed to guard the door while I used the potty. As I'm squatting there at about the age of ten, someone jerks the door open and a flash goes off. Thanks to my sister, the worst door guard in the world, somebody got a very indelicate picture of me.

To stay with that theme, let me tell you about my airline incident. It was a late night flight from the West coast to the East coast. i got up to use the restroom. I'm there, sitting on the potty and you know it. The door is yanked open. I went white faced then blushed, and the guy who stood there apologized profusely before shutting the door again. Apparently, I forgot to lock the door that indicates the bathroom is occupied.

Next up is probably my most embarrassing moment. I was teaching a software development class and had to use the ladies' room. Do you see a pattern here?

At the time, I worked at a place that required women to wear dresses or skirts and stockings. All you women can see where this is going.

I finished up in the bathroom adn walked back to my classroom. Mind you, the bathroom was in the hall outside our offices and then my classroom was close to the end of our office. Class starts back up after the break and I turn to write something on the whiteboard.

Yes! That is when I learn, thanks to a very nice student, that my skirt was tucked into my panty hose. And yes, I have just 'bared' all for the world to see from one end of the building to the other and no one, not a single person bothered to tell me until I turned around and shared a very nice visual to a class filled with fifteen men.

Needless to say, I got the best teaching scores ever!

Fun with Lists and Place to Visit

Tell us about all the places you would like to visit. Local or far away!

Scotland (The area where my ancestors came from)
Guinness brewery (Just because I like the beer)
New Zealand
Block Island, Rhode Island (This summer! Where the first Cohoon (ancestor) helped found.)
Quantico Behavioral Science Unit
Navy SEAL training facility
DARPA (To see what else they are doing research on that we don't know about.)

Last book shut on another Dewey 24-hr Read-a-thon

I did it!

Almost twenty-four hours have passed and I managed to stay awake. Well, I may have nodded a few times here and there, but that's why they invented caffeine...Just for all-nighters.

I enjoyed every single book!

Thank you to the cheerleaders who sent out tweets or shot blog messages of encouragement. Much appreciated! See you next time!!

Now what I need is more caffeine. GASP! Yup, I know it sounds so terrible, but I am not a girl who can sleep once the sun comes up. So I am headed out for my Sunday morning Mountain Dew and Panera cinnamon roll. I'm sure I look like something the cat dragged in but, nothing that a baggy sweatshirt and a baseball hat won't hide.

And while I'm at it, I may actually write a little in my new novel. Nothing like a lot of reading to inspire a little writing.

I hope this Dewey 24-hr Read-a-thon has inspired you in some way. I hope it has helped spread the idea of more people should read and not just while they are on their summer vacation or on the toilet in the morning. Rading is good. It opens the mind and the heart, and let's you go places you haven't even imagined or learn something you may never have heard about.

Reading is fun!

My last book was another of Linda Lael Miller's McKettrick stories. This one was MecKettrick Lucky.

A little about the book: A classic tale of a new generation of cowboys staking claims to their land—and the women they love…

Like his celebrated ancestors, who tamed the wilds of Arizona, Jesse McKettrick's Indian Rock ties run deep. The Triple M Ranch is in his blood, along with the thrill of risk. But with his land at stake, this world-class poker player won't be dealt into Cheyenne Bridges's gamble—despite the temptation she brings.

Cheyenne grew up in Indian Rock and left its painful memories behind to become a self-made woman. Now her job is to convince Jesse to sell his property. Jesse's not the kind of man Cheyenne could ever forget, but he's too wild and dangerous for a woman committed to playing it safe. Yet sparks of attraction fly, tempting Cheyenne to lay it all on the line for the passion she sees in Jesse's eyes.

Home stretch of the Dewey 24-hr Read-a-thon

Are you reading from the inside of your eyelids yet? Did you have to use toothpicks to prop the eyelids open?

I don't know about you, but I found my friend, Mr. Coke was very handy to have around the last couple of hours. However, there is nothing that fixes this numbness in my backside. One would think that I'd have enough cushion back there and numbness would not be a problem. Where's one of those blow up donut rings when you need one?!

Well, we're almost there and doing good.

In the last few hours I've change up my reading, going for shorter books. Helps keep me focused.

I've read Letters to Kelly by Suzanne Brockmann, Amber of Night by Sharon Sala, and The Groom Who (Almost) Got Away by Carla Neggers.

Here's a little about each book.

Letters to Kelly: Falsely imprisoned on trumped up charged in Central America, Jax Winchester's memory of Kelly O'Brien is the only thing that keeps him going. Released after two years, Jax is determined to claim her as his own. Original.

Amber of Night: AMELIA BY DAY
From nine to five, she was Amelia Beauchamp, typical small-town librarian. But when the sun went down, she was miniskirt-clad cocktail waitress Amber Champion. And she'd caught the eye of the town's biggest rake, Tyler Savage. The name said it all -- and this was one Savage, "Amber" knew, who would never be interested in her if he knew who she really was. She had to keep playing the game . . .

AMBER BY NIGHT

Or did she? Tyler, it turned out, was well aware that proper Amelia and flirtatious Amber were one and the same -- and he was having a fine old time playing along. And as for romantic dinners and long, moonlit nights together, really, they were all part of the game. One which he had every intention of turning into reality . . .


The Groom Who (Almost) Got Away: Completely got away is more like it. Max Slade just up and left Calley Hastings without a word. But now, three little Slades suddenly send for her….

What she learns:

1) Max left her to raise his orphaned brothers on their Wyoming ranch.

2) The boys figured Max would smile more if Calley came to marry him.

3) Max still isn't smiling.

Now, Calley's in love with four Slade cowboys. And the tall, good-looking one in the Stetson isn't getting away again…

See you at the end!!

Dewey 24-hr Read-a-thon moves past twelve hours

We've moved into the twelve hour mark of the twenty-four hour read-a-thon. Hope you're enjoying your books.

Where are you doing your reading? In a bookstore? At home in your living room? In a restaurant between innings of a baseball game?

I'm moving around. I was on my deck for a while. Then I curled up on the couch. Now, I'm stretched out comfortably on my chaise lounge in the bedroom with my Kindle Fire. Ready to read book five.

I just finished reading The McKettrick Way by Linda Lael Miller and A Creed in Stone Creek by Linda Lael Miller.

Here's a little about the books.

The McKettrick Way: She wanted his baby… and he wanted her!
Meg McKettrick longs for a baby—husband optional. Perfect father material is gorgeous Brad O'Ballivan, old flame and new owner of his family's ranch in Stone Creek. But Meg—as strong, proud and stubborn as her ancestors on Indian Rock's Triple M ranch—wants to do things her way…the McKettrick way. And Brad feels just as strongly about the O'Ballivan way…

Love, marriage, babies and a lifetime to share—that's what Brad wants. Not a single night of pasion, an unexpected pregnancy and a woman who won't budge. For a rugged rodeo cowboy who never gives up, it's a battle of wills he intends to win…and nothing matters more than claiming Meg's wild McKettrick heart.


A Creed in Stone Creek: When single attorney Steven Creed becomes guardian of an orphaned five-year-old boy, he trades his big-city law firm for a ranch near his McKettrick kin in the close-knit community of Stone Creek, Arizona. Taking care of little Matt and fixing up his run-down ranch house with its old barn loosens something tightly wound inside him. But when Steven takes on the pro bono defense of a local teen, he meets his match in the opposing counsel—beautiful, by-the-book county prosecutor Melissa O'Ballivan. It'll take one grieving little boy, a sweet adopted dog and a woman who never expected to win any man's heart to make this Creed in Stone Creek know he's truly found home.

Dewey 24-hr Read-a-thon first six hours

Hello all you readers! I hope you are enjoying a beautiful day to sit outside and read. I know I am.

Yup. Me, a cold beer, and a good book all sitting on my deck beneath the umbrella.

I'm working on finishing Invasion of Privacy by Perri O'Shaughnessy. A great read!

A little about the book: Twelve years ago, a young girl disappeared. Now a filmmaker has made a movie about it. The girl's parents call it invasion of privacy. A woman lawyer calls it murder.

The bloodstains on the courtroom floor belong to attorney Nina Reilly. Months earlier she'd been shot during a heated murder trial. She should have died that day. Instead, Nina has returned to the same Lake Tahoe court. Her only concession to her lingering fear is to give up criminal law. She figures an invasion of privacy lawsuit is a nice, safe civil action that will help her support her young son and pay the bills for her one-woman law office. She figures wrong.

Nina's client is Terry London, a filmmaker whose documentary about a missing girl is raising disturbing questions. The girl's distraught parents believe the film invades their privacy. But Terry's brutal murder changes everything. Breaking her promise to herself, Nina decides to defend Terry's accused murderer, a man she'd known years before and hoped never to see again. Suddenly the secrets of Nina's past are beginning to surface in a murder case that gets more dangerous every day. The evidence against her client is shocking and ironclad--a video of Terry's dying words. The only chance Nina has to save the man may be illegal. And if it fails, Nina may lose the case, her practice...and even her life.

Next up is a free Kindle read by Jayne Ann Krentz. If you read her Arcane Society novels then you have to get this novella.

About the book: Chilling paranormal suspense in a small California town—by the New York Times bestselling author of the Arcane Society novels!

As the director at Jones & Jones, a psychical investigation agency, Fallon Jones solves crimes of a different nature. Jones’s latest case involves a body found in the basement vault of a local bookstore, and scratchings on the inside of the door that seem to be a coded message, in this novella by Jayne Ann Krentz, New York Times bestselling author of In Too Deep and the Arcane Society novels.

Dewey 24-hr Read-a-thon this Saturday!

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 Saturday, April 21 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.

Fun with Lists and Winning the Lottery

What would you do if you won the lottery?

List the things you would do.

Quit my day job (Anyone who says otherwise is crazy.)
Become a full-time writer
Hire a book publicist (Let's face it, I'm a writer, not a marketing person.)
Go to Scotland (Visit my ancestral home of the Clan Colquhoun)
Open a beach bar in Florida (Right on the water! Every evening drink a margarita while watching the sunset.)
Buy a cottage in Ireland (Yup, the green grounds, the mild climate, and of course, the pubs...who wouldn't want a vacation home in Ireland.)

I'm certain there are way more things I would like to do!

What about you? What would you do if you won the lottery?

Writing Prompt Wednesday

Got a little writer's block? Need a little inspiration for your writing or just to kick off your day? Try a writing prompt.

Start with the beginning of the sentence below and just have fun with it. Let your mind go and write as much or as little as comes to you.

Feel free to share what you write back here. Have fun!

Writing prompt: She turned the key in the ignition. . .

Fun with Lists and Guilty Pleasures

Last weekend I was in a bookstore. GASP! Can't imagine that, can you?

While at the bookstore I found this cool book about your life in lists. It wasn't anything fancy, just a little notebook that asks you to make different lists.

That listography book gave me an idea that we could have some fun with lists.

Today's List: List your guilty pleasures

My guilty pleasures:

Ice cream with hot fudge AND caramel sauce
Chick Flicks
Books!! (Did I need to mention that?)
Sexy underwear (Okay, what female does not like this? I, however, bought one new pair for the 14 days for my upcoming Irish vacation.)
Flowers (I go crazy in the summer. I plant new flowers every weekend and order an outrageous number of bulbs. I look for any bare spot in the garden to fill. I'm obsessed!)
Margarita (Not just any margarita...The perfect margarita! I savor every sip, salt lick, and drop of tequila.)
Veuve Cliquot champagne (When I sell a novel, I celebrate with champagne.)

I'm certain I have more, but some may be a tad risque to share here. [WINK]

What are your guilty pleasures?

Writing Prompt Thursday

So you need a little writing creativity boost? A writing prompt is a good way to kick those creative juices into gear.

I'll give you the beginning of a sentence and all you have to do is let your mind go, your fingers free, and finish that sentence. Write as much as a paragraph, a page, or as little as the sentence.

Have fun with it!

Writing prompt: She walked into the pub. . .

Everyone is a book winner!

Well, I finally did it. I wrote THE END on my latest novel. Yea me!

The best part is that now I get to give away a copy of PHISH NET STALKINGS.

Lori, who left a post on my Facebook page had the closest guess. She guessed Saturday, March 31 at 3:37 PM.

The actual date and time that I wrote those wonderful words, THE END, was Saturday, March 31 at 10:52 PM.

Congratulations, Lori for a great guess!

Now for some more good news! I decided to giveaway several copies of PHISH NET STALKINGS.

For all my friends who left a guess on my post at All it takes is a guess to get a book you will receive a copy of PHISH NET STALKINGS.

I'll be sending you and email this week to get your mailing address so I can ship the book.

Congratulations to everyone! And don't forget to let me know what you think of the book.

Phish NET Stalking on tour

Good morning everyone!

I wanted to let you know that me and my latest novel, Phish NET Stalkings are going on a book blog tour for the next month.

Would love for you to stop in and visit, say hi, and maybe even get a free book along the way.

You'll find more information here: Pump Up Your Book

The schedule is listed below.


Monday, April 2

Book spotlighted at Book Marketing Buzz

Tuesday, April 3

Guest Blogging at Readaholic

Wednesday, April 4

Guest Blogging at Motherhoot

Thursday, April 5

Interview at Divine Caroline

Friday, April 6

Interview at Blogcritics

Monday, April 9

Interview & Book Giveaway at Workaday Reads

Tuesday, April 10

Interview at Review From Here

Wednesday, April 11

Interview at Between the Covers

Thursday, April 12

Guest Blogging at The Story Behind the Book

Friday, April 13

Interview at The Character Connection

Monday, April 16

Interview at Examiner

Tuesday, April 17

Interview & Book Giveaway at Literarily Speaking

Wednesday, April 18

Interview at The Writer’s Life

Thursday, April 19

Interview at Beyond the Books

Friday, April 20

Guest Blogging at The Book Boost


May stops announced soon!

THE END - Are there any words sweeter to a writer?

For a reader, those two words mean an ending. To an author they are the most wonderful three-letter words in the dictionary. It’s a sign that what you spent months crafting has finally concluded, more than likely to a happy ending. THE END means the story is done, but the work has just begun. We get to edit the manuscript, polish it, and pretty it up for the entire world or in most cases, for the publisher to see.

THE END are two words that make a writer feel exultant and sad at the same time. Exultant, because we completed a piece of art. Sad, because our baby has come to the finish line and now we have to put those characters aside and let others take their place.

At 10:52 PM on Saturday, March 31, I wrote those two beautiful words on my sixth novel known as At Face Value. One hour ahead of my self-imposed deadline. Yea me!

What does an author do when he or she writes those two words?

Well, if you’re like me, you jump up out of the chair that your butt has now permanently dented and you dance. You pump your arms up and down and shake your booty; all while chanting, “The end! The end!”

Then you blow out a heavy sigh, hit send to email that final chapter to you critique partner and give a little prayer that he or she likes it.

After that, it hits you. Those two characters are gone. They are shut away until you see them again in print behind a beautiful cover. A tear may slide down your cheek or you may give a little sniff. I equate it to saying goodbye to a longtime friend when they move away. Oh, you’ll see and talk with them again, but it won’t be for a while.

Don’t worry though! There are usually characters waiting in line, shoving themselves forward, vying for a spot in the next novel. As a matter of fact, my hero for my next novel was knocking on my door this morning wondering when he and I can get together to chat. We have to get to know each other before I can tell his story.

His name is Rory O’Sullivan and he wants me to tell you all about him, his trials, tribulations, and his experiences that brought him to where he is today.

My next heroine, who I only know as Dakota right now, is just an inkling in the back of my mind, but she’s there. Give her another week and she may just spring up from a behind a bush and pounce, wanting to tell her story.

For all you writers out there, my best wishes for you to write those words, to write THE END.

All it takes is a guess to get a book

I am sooo very close to finishing my sixth novel!! To help me get past the last push, I need a little encouragement and your help.

Let's play a game! The winner gets a free copy of my just released novel, PHISH NET STALKINGS.

It's very easy. All you have to do is guess the date and time that I will write THE END in my latest novel.

Seriously!

Leave a comment with your guess as to the date and time you believe I will finish my sixth novel, include yur contact email and you're off.

GOOD LUCK!

The winner will be the person who picked the closest date and time and it will be announced after I write THE END.