What else!?

Okay, so I owe a blog. I'm sure something witty and engaging and entertaining would be good, right?
Wellll... have you got a minute so I can explain why it ain't gonna happen?

See, last week I finally finished my first urban fantasy, SERVANT: The Awakening, written under L.L. Foster - www.llfoster.com - and I sent it off to my editor. (I LOVE that cover, and especially the stepback!)

To celebrate the completion of that very new venture, my husband, two little dogs, and I went to Cumberland Falls. The weather was divine, and this early in the year we were literally the only people in the motel that sits only 1/2 mile from the falls.
Cool, huh?
My husband and I have settled for 2 day trips a lot lately. A week long vacation just isn't possible, not for a little while. Since we LOVE the outdoors, it works for us.

I was only away for 2 days, but yep, that put me mega behind.

So now I need to do this blog, and I also have two sets of proofs sitting here for me to read.
Proofs are the final view of a book before it goes into print. It's that crucial moment where I have to read very, very closely and try to catch all the tiniest mistakes, because if I don't, readers will, and they'll be sure to tell me about them. (That's okay, I love it when readers write to me for any reason. Honest!)
But see, considering I've read these books... oh, about 10 times now, it's tough to see the mistakes.

One proof is for "SIMON SAYS," my July single title with Berkley - a follow-up book to "CAUSING HAVOC." It's around 500 manuscript pages.

The other is the proof for "I'M YOUR SANTA," an October anthology out with Kensington Brava. This is the story related to the brothers in "TOO MUCH TEMPTATION" and "NEVER TOO MUCH." (It's Beth, Kent's daughter, and now Ben's step sister.)

Both are due back any second now.

When I need to read proofs, I sit in my king sized bed - with my two little dogs, who love it when I have proofs to read - and my red erasable pen, and I put on my super-strong specs.
I try to be meticulous. I try to catch everything.
Honestly I do.
It's tough.
Last night at 12:30, my vision fuzzed enough that I finally gave up and figured I'd finish them first thing in the morning. Ha!
At 5 am this morning, I heard my son (my youngest) up with my grandson, who had just woke up with a fever and a good hurl. Yuck.

I don't know too many moms who can stay in bed while their baby is dealing with his sick baby.
I can't.
Wait. It gets better.
Last night, before I went to bed, I spoke with my middle son about a dozen times. See, he has a sinus infection that spread to his bronchial tubes, and he's super sick and on heavy meds - and he's away at college where I can't baby him! He's 2 1/2 hours south of me!
Horrors. Of course he had tests to study for and a project to complete, and he works at a pizza place and refused to call in sick no matter how much I begged him to.

I also spoke with my oldest son, who lives 2 hours north of me in Columbus.
He's had the hiccups for about 2 weeks, non stop. Last night, it got so bad that he couldn't breathe. I insisted, as only a mother can to a 25 year old very independent man, that he go to the ER.
He ended up there mostly overnight, on a Thorazine drip.
I looked up Thorazine. (I'm a mom, what can I say!?)

Thorazine is used for the treatment of schizophrenia (severe disruptions in thought and perception). It is also prescribed for the short-term treatment of severe behavioral disorders in children, including explosive hyperactivity and combativeness; and for the hyperenergetic phase of manic-depressive illness (severely exaggerated moods).
Thorazine is also used to control nausea and vomiting, and to relieve restlessness and apprehension before surgery. It is used as an aid in the treatment of tetanus, and is prescribed for uncontrollable hiccups and acute intermittent porphyria (attacks of severe abdominal pain sometimes accompanied by psychiatric disturbances, cramps in the arms and legs, and muscle weakness).

Wow. Heavy-duty drug for hiccups!
But guess what? It worked!
Yay. One son now feeling very tired at work, but no longer hiccuping himself into a choke.
More good news, the grandbaby woke back up and seemed to feel much better. Still a small fever, but no more vomiting.

Even better, my middle son says the meds are finally kicking in and he almost feels human. He sailed through his tests, and has his project almost done.

Did I tell you that my middle son is getting married?
Yeah, this summer, to a girl I LOVE so it's all good. They have one more year of college, but they make excellent decisions, so marriage won't get in their way.
I'm thrilled.

Back to work-related stuff...
Have I mentioned that I'm organizing a few books for charity?
If so, ignore this part.

This June, my good friend Dianne Castell and I, will have our annual "Reader & Author Get Together."
(There's info on my website at http://www.lorifoster.com/ - under the community link. Everyone is welcome to attend!)
For 07, we'll also sell a cookbook with recipes donated by over 9o authors and some readers, and all proceeds will go to 1) The buying and shipping of goods to the troops, and if we end up making really good money and need to expand then 2) to another worthwhile cause, like the Animal Adoption Foundation, or Hospice, etc...

The book is: "THE WRITE INGREDIENTS: Recipes from Your Favorite Authors."
Most of the Quills donated recipes too!

Anyway, the contract for that needed tweaking, so I spoke at length with my agent this morning, emailed back and forth several times, and she got some super nice things altered for me.

At the June event in 08, (yeah, working more than a year ahead on this stuff!) we'll have a romance anthology with 12 authors taking part. That book is titled "THE POWER OF LOVE," (don't have a cover yet - it's a June 08 release) and all proceeds are donated to the local Battered Women's Shelter.

Now, if you don't think it takes a lot of time and effort to coordinate with 11 other authors (all of whom I hand picked cuz I LOVE their work) then you need to come visit me and take a look at my piles of organization efforts.

The June event, currently in full-swing preparation, is something that Dianne and I do to thank sister authors and supportive readers. We cover costs on everything but the food, which is only $35 & includes a Friday night pizza party, a Saturday continental breakfast and a very nice buffet lunch, all with drinks.

For a 3 day event with two editors, two agents, and around 50 authors, that's a steal! (All of the info on the editors & agents is also on my site, under the community link.)
It's also a LOT of work.
Every morning, when I can fit it in, I log in registrations, sort payments, send special messages to authors, sign attendees up for the announce-only email loop, gather my volunteers (wonderful volunteers!) do publicity, etc...

Every day, there's at least 10 questions about the event.
I don't mind - but it does take time.

Back to more business...
Last night, before I started reading my proofs for "SIMON SAYS," I had to approve a very cool video trailer for the book. It's awesome, and with any luck, it'll be on my site April 1st.
But I changed the music 3 times.
Lots of back and forth emails with a SUPER nice person who went above and beyond to get it just as I wanted it.
Then I had to email it to my webdesigner, with yet more updates for April. And in between that time, I got several emails from readers wanting to know when I'd update. (I smile over this! I LOVE it that readers are anxious for more information!)
I update every single month.
And since I have 10 - yep, TEN books out this year, including reissues - there are always updates to be done. I can only get so much accomplished in a day, ya know?
(BTW, I almost always have 8 to 10 books out in a year. Crazy huh?)

This morning (after the grandbaby and my son managed to get back to bed) I mailed off 9 ARCs (Advanced Reviewers Copies of bound, uncorrected proofs) of "SIMON SAYS" to some favorite people who are always supportive and kind.

(Can you see me wilting?)

I did a run to the post office.
Then a run to the bank.
Brought home several letters from readers, some more registrations, and some requests for bookmarks.
I got all that done - barely. Then I had a gazillion more emails, and some questions on a special promo thing I want to do with Romance Designs where they send out a newsletter in the hero's pov, along with a phtograph of my idea for his looks.
That photo is TOUGH. No one really looks as good as I envision Simon, except Bas Rutten and I doubt he wants me to steal his photo. So for some insane reason, I spent over an hour of time I didn't really have looking at photos, before resigning that chore to another day.

If you' d like to receive Simon's letter, and other letters from my other heroes, you can sign up at http://romancedesigns.com

I also got a lovely email from a contributor to our local paper, letting me know that she mentioned me, yet again, in her blog.
http://frontier.cincinnati.com/blogs/litchick
I definitely plan to post a reply to the blog, but I have to find the time first.

Oh yeah, some other fun things I'm working on!
A section in my Cafepress store for the Quills! http://www.cafepress.com/lorifoster

I started out making the stuff to include in a basket for a raffle, and then figured what the heck, I'll give 'em a whole section. Fun. I love my cafepress store and use the money made to either buy gifts for readers, or to donate. Either way, it's great!

And because I love playing on Myspace - I'm at: http://www.myspace.com/mostlymam - I volunteered to make a site for my published pan group.
Can't wait - but I'll have to... until I finish those proofs.
If you check out my Myspace page, the song playing is one of my all-time favorites ever, from Drowning Pool. Just awesome! I used that song a lot while writing "JAMIE." I always use songs to help me write. For "SIMON SAYS," it was Undone, by KORN.
LOVE it!

Okay, enough rambling from me. I have to finish reading those proofs (can you tell that it is NOT one of my favorite chores?) do a dedication to a really incredible fighter, Mike "the Quick" Swick, call the dentist, finish writing this blog (I bet you're saying: hurry up already!) and finish finalizing all the promo stuff that goes hand in hand with publishing.
I hope none of you thought we JUST wrote books!

So how many different things are you working on right now?
Is your life as crazy-busy as mine?
Do you - like me - make it crazy, even when you don't mean to!?

Because of all the stuff I try to keep track of day in and day out, my memory is so bad that I've created a button for myself that says: "That's okay, I don't remember your name either."
Do you, like me, have so much little stuff jammed into your brain that you can no longer remember anything else?
Lastly, when your kids (or grandbabies) get sick, does it blow you right out of the water so that you can barely focus on anything else? I figure even when my sons are in their 40s, I'll be just as bad. I guess a mom is always a mom. :::sigh:::

Happy reading everyone! (The Elmo is for my grandson - he loves him some Elmo!)

ELIZABETH EAVESDROPS

I was in a bookstore the other day (Barnes and Noble superstore for Inquiring Minds who must know), seeing what was new and how the old was surviving.

The mystery and romance sections looked healthy. As Bellingham is a college town, so did the science fiction/fantasy section. John Grisham was shelved in “literature and fiction” along with Steinbeck and Hemingway. (Like mystery/romance/sf/fantasy fiction isn’t fiction? Excuse me? And other than having hang-downs, what makes Grisham mo’ bettah than Nora Roberts?)

But I digress.

I began pulling out my titles and checking the print run number in the front of the book. It’s about the only way for me to know when my publisher reprints a given title. Yes, I could require an accounting for each and every title each and every year, but I got tired of doing it and I’m sure my publisher felt the same way. Big publishers are like any other big business—not only doesn’t the right hand not know what the left is doing, the right palm has no knowledge of right digits. Finding out which book was in which printing was like pulling hen’s teeth. By the time I actually found out, it was time to check again. Arrrrgh!

But I digress.

Again.

As I was checking my titles, I couldn’t help overhearing some women who were also in the romance section looking at the new titles. I’ll pretend to quote them exactly, because if I put in all the you knows, hmmms, umms, broken phrases, and partial sentences you’d run screaming from your computer.

Ya know?

First woman: “God, not another neck-biter! Whatever happened to knights?”

Second woman: “I love the paranormals! Can’t get enough of ‘em.”

First woman: “What about me? I love historicals. It’s the Regencies I want to throw against the wall. Nothing but regencies for historicals. What’s wrong with the authors? Don’t they get it? One more simpering virgin/cruel rake book and I’m going to hurl. Regency wasn’t the only part of history that had men and women.”

They continued on down the rows, grousing about not getting enough of their favorite flavor of romance.

Other women came and went, wanting other flavors—more/less romantic suspense, more/less sex, more/less “reality,” etc.

So I thought I’d ask you.

Are you getting enough of your favorite flavor?

Have you changed flavors?

If you've changed, what do you read now that you didn’t read five years ago?

Elizabeth Guest Chats with Amanda Quick about SECOND SIGHT

Elizabeth Guest: I'm excited to be announcing that the first book in the Arcane Society series, SECOND SIGHT, is out in paperback this week (Tuesday, to be exact), but here to warn folks that this is definitely not your Mama's romance novel. Tell us why this one is special, Amanda.

AMANDA QUICK: As you said, SECOND SIGHT is the first book in my new Arcane Society series -- that means readers can expect romantic-suspense with a strong psychic twist. It is set in Victorian England when psychic research was all the rage. Between you and me, all that gaslight-and-fog stuff really works for this kind of story. (EG: You can say that again!) For those who are following the series, this is a chance to meet some of the ancestors of those Jones men they encountered in WHITE LIES. It also provides a bit of history about the origins of the Arcane Society, a secretive group devoted to paranormal research.

ELIZABETH GUEST: Love those Jones men! And I have to say, I got a real kick out of your heroine in SECOND SIGHT, Venetia Milton.

AMANDA QUICK: Well, it isn't as though she doesn't have enough trouble as it is. She's worked hard to become a fashionable photographer catering to Victorian Society's elite. Her career has enabled her to provide a comfortable living for her brother, sister and elderly aunt.

ELIZABETH GUEST: Disaster looms, however.

AMANDA QUICK: It does, indeed. Venetia has some closely held secrets, not the least of which is her uncanny psychic ability. Now her life is in danger because she has viewed the unique aura of a killer fleeing from the scene of his crime and she can identify him. But the really unsettling news is that the husband she believed conveniently dead has just returned from the grave. Gabriel Jones is standing on her doorstep and he is very interested to meet the woman who claims to be his wife.

ELIZABETH GUEST: I'm fascinated by her predicament. I mean, what does a widow who was never a wife do with an inconvenient husband?

AMANDA QUICK: Can't answer for every woman who ever found herself in that position, but Venetia consigns hers to the attic. I mean, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

ELIZABETH GUEST: LOLOLOLOLOLOL Sorry, but that's very funny. (Clears throat apologetically.) You've said on more than one occasion that, while you enjoy reading vampire stories, you don't write them. You love psychic romantic-suspense, however.

AMANDA QUICK: Oh, yeah.

ELIZABETH GUEST: As a long time reader of yours (since Day One, Book One), I've noticed that you've used the paranormal twist off and on over the years in a lot of your books. With the Arcane Society series, though, you're pulling out all the stops.

AMANDA QUICK: I'm pulling out all the stops as far as the psychic stuff goes, but, you're right, I don't do full-on supernatural. There are no vampires, werewolves, witches, magic, etc. in my books. It's not for lack of trying, trust me! When I saw that trend coming a few years back I tried to write a vampire novel. After all, we're talking the Ultimate Alpha Male and who doesn't love Alphas? But I just couldn't get into the core story. The psychic element does fit perfectly with my core story however, because I see psychic talents as being just a step or two beyond normal, human intuition. And everyone possesses a little intuition...

ELIZABETH GUEST: So, Inquiring Minds want to know: Will every AQ from now on be part of the Arcane Society series?

AMANDA QUICK: No. In fact my new hardcover, THE RIVER KNOWS, which will be in stores in April, is not connected to the series.

ELIZABETH GUEST: Can't wait to read and reread both books. Thanks, Amanda, for the great chat. Readers, you can click on any of the links below to order the paperback edition of SECOND SIGHT immediately. This is your chance to get in on the ground floor of the Arcane Society series!

Susan asks:Have you kissed your local librarian today?

I love librarians. They steered me through the Dewey Decimal System. They provided me with a venue where I could spend an entire day, if I wanted, surrounded by books of all types. They taught me the finer points of research. And except for the occasional cranky-pants, they did so with amazing cheer and graciousness.

But mostly I adore them for introducing me to new books and new authors. In the Fifties it was Beverly Cleary and and anything Nancy Drew. In the Sixties it was The Witch of Blackbird Pond, The Sea Sprite, and biographies of Clara Barton, Florence Nightengale, and Nellie Bly. (Anybody else seeing a slightly feminist bent here?)

Also during the Sixties they introduced me to Victoria Holt, T.E. Huff, Celia Fremlin and my favorite novel of the decade: Ann Fairbairn's Five Smooth Stones. I admit they weren't universally as much help during the Seventies when sexually-laced romances became popular and I was looking to read as many as I could lay my hands on. But in the early Eighties my local librarian introduced me to Alice Walker's The Color Purple months and months before that book became a national phenomenon.

They've made my life richer through the books they've recommended. And as we all know, there has been a radical turn-around in the library system regarding romance--and that is due in large part to the diligence of the librarians who first "got" us.

So if any of you happen to be lurking out there, I just want to say thank you!

SUZANNE GOES TO THE DARK SIDE

The following "items" have been packed away in an old steamer trunk, covered with mothballs, and lugged up to the attic:

1. My "Iowa corn-ball" sense of humor. (Yes, I was born in Iowa. Storm Lake to be exact. A perfect-sounding birthplace for a writer who is crossing over to the Dark Side.)

2. Any and all attempts on my part to create humorous plot twists from a heroine who nearly runs over a pig with the hero’s pickup truck, to a hero and heroine who have sex on a pool table, along with endless puns about cue sticks and eight balls, to the three villains I nicknamed Curly, Larry and Moe. (Nuf said.)

3. Restraints, constraints, or any kind of "straints." (I now refer to myself as She-Who-Dares!)

In their place are the larger-than-life elements I’m unveiling in my new series:

~ My inner "drama queen."

~ A deeply held desire to walk – just once – on the Wild Side. (Refer to She-Who-Dares above.)

~ A life-long fascination with ancient Egypt, the pharaohs of the New Kingdom dynasties, and their extensive royal households. (Not to mention their attitudes about sexuality and their extensive royal harems.)

~ Sardonic male wit. Is there any other kind for the ultimate Alpha Male — an all-powerful king who has awakened three thousand years after he was assassinated and who is now on the verge of becoming a vampire? (Boy, howdy! as Jayne would say.)

~ The ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead with its legion of demons and destroyers who dwell in the Underworld. (My favorite is the Eater of Blood and the Breaker of Bones. Talk about the perfect jumping-off point for a vampire series.)

DRUM ROLL PLEASE.

Right now, right here at Running With Quills, I’m officially announcing the name of my new paranormal romance series, my new pen name, and my new web site.

NIGHT LIFE, Book One of the PHARAOHS RISING series, will be released April 3, 2007.

NIGHT LIFE is a story of trust. Betrayal. Sacrifice. Revenge. Life. Death. Awakening.

I hope you’ll also stop by and check out the lush and exotic world that web goddess Cissy Hartley has created for me at http://www.elizabethguest.net/

Come take a walk on the Dark Side...if you dare!

Suzanne
(aka Elizabeth Guest)

Jayne Ponders Ladies in Leather

What is it about ladies in leather? If you've been paying attention to book covers of late you will have noticed that a lot of the new paranormal/urban fantasy paperbacks feature women in leather -- often with tattoos. The interesting thing about this, of course, is that these books are being marketed mostly to women, not men. A lot of romance readers buy them. One editor (who shall go unnamed) told me recently that she could sell just about anything these days if she got the art department to put a lady in leather on the cover.

I've been pondering the phenomenon recently because I've never had a cover that featured a lady in leather. I've got nothing against men in leather, of course, although I haven't had many of those, either, come to think of it. The closest I came was the cover of my last Jayne Castle novel, GHOST HUNTER,
which is illustrated with a guy clad in a leather vest. Guess the art department couldn't afford the full leather jacket. But, hey, it worked so I'm not complaining.

Nevertheless, I'm still waiting for a lady-in-leather cover and while I wait, I've been doing a little research. I can't help it. It's the librarian in me. Anyhow, it was my sister-in-law (an expert on ferns) who first opened my eyes to the possibilities. See, her husband (my brother) owns a Harley-Davidson. He, of course, gets to wear a lot of leather as well as one of those cute little bandanas. That all goes with the territory when you're a guy and you own and ride a bike. However, turns out that -- for safety reasons only, you understand -- my sister-in-law also gets to wear the full outfit -- leather chaps, jacket, boots, the works. And a while back, she stuffed me into the gear because my brother wanted to take me for a ride on the back of the Harley. Safety first, right?

Seeing myself in the mirror dressed to the nines in leather was a real eye-opener, let me tell you. In a flash, my entire self-image underwent a dazzling transformation. Talk about Urban Fantasy! I was ready to head straight to the nearest tattoo parlor.

It took a while to strap on all that leather and while she was assisting me, my sister-in-law let me in on the Big Secret. Men, she said, are absolutely fascinated by the sight of a woman in full leather motorcycle gear. She explained that when a woman in leather dismounts a bike at a rest stop, whips off the helmet and sashays into the restroom, she can rest assured that every male eye in the vicinity will be trained on her. Talk about a rush.

As for wearing the stuff, well, I admit it isn't particularly comfortable but, boy, howdy, does it give you a sense of feminine power. I highly recommend the experience if you happen to be in need of a little boost of the spirits.

And that, I think is the real appeal of the ladies-in-leather covers. We women look at them and presto, it puts us in touch with our inner goddess or our inner witch or our inner sorceress or Buffy. Whatever. Leather covers work. I want one.

Products I love...

For 2 days, I've been down with the flu. I got it from my adorable little grandson, and it breaks my heart to think that he felt this bad. Poor baby!
Anyway, because of that, this is going to be a quickie no-nonsense blog written the morning that it needs to be up.
Then I'm going back to bed.

One thing that saved me while I was sick is this neat "anti-nausea" medicine my husband found on the Kroger grocery shelves. I'm sure there's a brand name of the same, but he always buys generic, and this just says, "Anti Nausea medicine." It's available in every drug store, and probably most grocery stores.
It works. Thank the heavens.
If you get this awful flu that's going around, please, give it a try.

That got me to thinking - what other wonderful products do I love?
First, because I hate hair sprays that leave my hair stuff or gunky, my salon talked me into trying Bed Head, Hard Head. It's awesome.
You spray it in, and then you can't tell it's there except that your hairdo holds. Straight, curly, whatever, you keep the style and don't have all that gung to contend with.

Also, because I have very fine hair, I now refuse to wash my hair with anything other than a body building formula. I've tried them all, from super expensive to super cheap, and honestly, I like the VO5 Extra Body shampoo and conditioner the best. Not only does it smell good, but it makes it look I have twice as much hair.


I don't do my nails often anymore, but when I do, I want it to last. So I LOVE Rush 60 Second Speed Lacquer. It dries your nail polish, makes your nails shine, and gives a super hard top coat that keeps them from chipping for up to 10 days. (Mine usually lasts at least 6 days.)


If you're like me, and always pressed for time, you resent the time it takes to fuss with all that after-shower lotion. But if you don't, you have winter skin. Yuck.

Well, the Olay line of moisturinse "in shower" body lotion is awesome. It takes seconds to use, you rinse it off, and voila! No other lotions are needed. It's my favorite new product.

In fact, I really like just about all the Olay products. At almost 50, I still have combination skin. I like the face wash cloths - they're little dry cloths that get sudsy when you wet them, and they're soooo easy to pack!
I also love the tinted lotion with sunscreen. I don't wear face make-up often (I don't wear much make up at all) and this takes care of sunscreen and gives a more even tone to skin.


Okay, that's my long multi-commerercial for the day.
Now I'm ready to go back to bed until the last draining effects of this virus go away.


So what about you? What are some of your favorite products to use?
What's the one thing you can't do without?
Tell us something that you think is so good, you wish you could convince all your friends to use it.

Be well, my friends! Avoid anyone with this bug, please. And if you do get it, have someone grab that anti-nausea medicine for you asap!

HUGS,

ELIZABETH TALKS ABOUT DÉJÀ VU

I’m sitting with my laptop computer on a flat surface next to the fish tank,

the TV is on, and off,



and on,

and two kids (ages six and three) are orbiting around me, laughing, jabbering, playing, fighting, and generally being healthy young critters.

And I’m trying to work.

(Yes, hate to burst bubbles, but blogging is WORK.)

Then I remembered way back when, a time when my computer was a manual typewriter on a coffee table,

the kids were mine rather than my grandkids,

and there were usually two or three more kids in the mix and no other adults.

I wrote my first nine books that way.

Don’t ask me how.

And people wonder why writers are nuts.

Right now I’m overhearing all about R2D5—a few more developments from R2D2. But Darth is still the bad guy.

Good vs. evil and good wins.

Isn’t that why we love being around kids? They are hope on two legs, the future running at us with a grin and a hug.

Life is good.

:-)

DO YOU HAVE A LIFE-IS-GOOD MOMENT YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE?

THE PRICE OF BOREDOM: Confessions of an Addict

Rehab is hell.

Take it from one who knows the pain of ignoring a tantalizing email from a “favorite” Ebay dealer. It’s not easy to turn your back on the Art Deco broach made of brilliant fake diamonds, blue and green enamel, and set in iron–only slightly rusted iron.

I did it. I refused to be seduced into whipping my cursor to the “buy” button in order to make a bid.

Did you know that even when you fall for a “buy now” item and slap down your virtual money, you are still called, “The Winner!” It’s not easy to wrestle out a click hard enough to smash that “buy now” button, with it’s threatening yellow glare and mocking black letters.

I’ve done that. A lot. I have often been The Winner! See the callus on the first finger of my right hand?

My anti-clench retainer is bitten right through from enduring the heat of battle.

I did write to you about my collection of hand-knitted animals but I didn’t come clean. Yes, I WON them on Ebay. The octopus came from Australia, as did a chicken and a scarecrow. Mr. Plod, the bobby from the Noddy stories came from England and so did Big Ears, Noddy, Rupert Bear, The Teddy Bears’ Picnic, two large mouse ballerinas, a penguin, a girl in pink, a boy in blue . . . I’m wearing myself out and I might just need a finger or two later, if I’m bored again. I have a hoard of these sweet animals, but then, I only got them because I have little grandchildren, and because the animals are cute–and perhaps because a little kid just won’t get out of my head.

Miriam Haskell anyone? Ms. Haskell designed some pretty fabulous costume jewelry in the early 1900s and I thought it would be fun to have a piece of the real stuff. They are producing pale copies again now. I slogged and struggled, I slunk in to leave the odd bid, then stopped bidding until the last five seconds when, BAM, I crashed back and beat the last opponent formerly-still-alive opponent by, hehe, 1c. That’s true mastery.

Thirty or so pieces of Miriam Haskell jewelry later (one of anything gets lost, a collection is what one needs) I’m sorta out of love with baroque pearls, and the plastic fruit confections have lost their winsome way with me. I wish I knew how to sell on Ebay without actually having to do whatever it takes to sell on Ebay. I wonder if I should take a stall at the local market for a day.


I love Taryn Rose shoes. I don’t love what they cost. But Ebay to the rescue. Along come a pair of brand new Taryn Rose sandals and they were exactly the style I wanted. They were a steal, at least half-price:) When I opened those pretty puppies, I swooned. Glamorous didn’t cover it. But I learned another lesson: when you buy a pair of high heeled slide sandals, it does not work to go for half a size larger than you wear because the price is sooo good and what difference can half a size make anyway? Try keeping a pair of shoes like that on your feet and walking at the same time.

There is every reason to feel for me, though. I am worthy of consideration, even pity (not so fond of that) because I GET BORED, not often, just several times a day for periods of a few minutes. After all, what harm can it do to just pop on Ebay for a few minutes? That’s how I got a leather and iron doo dah that’s broken but which the seller wouldn’t take back because I hadn’t insured the thing.

Look at this, I’ve taken the ultimate first step and declared my addiction. I am an Ebay Addict and I’ve been clean for two days. (Cheers and applause here) For two days I have turned my back on the internet, refused to go there just because I’m searching around for words that won’t come. For two days I haven’t WON a single item.

Such pain.

But with the support of brother and sister addicts, I know I can stay off the button. Go ahead, offer up your addictions for the good of a friend: me.

What do you do when the beasts crawl in and you can’t concentrate, or you think you’re tired, when you’ve only been up two hours? How do you amuse yourself when you just want a break, when you absolutely have to waste time?

Cheers, Stella–who can feel the approach of that third day in her twitching right index finger.

A mind is a terrible thing to waste--and Susan should know since she does it daily

I'm getting to an age where the generation before me is starting to disappear or become seriously ill. My husband lost both of his folks within a couple months of each other this past fall and early winter. My uncle recently left the hospital for a nursing home, which fortunately in his case is an interim step toward going back to his own home. Both of my brainstorming partner's parents are gravely ill and she's spent most of the new year on the other side of the state tending to them.

People are definitely living longer these days, but one lousy side effect is the mental deterioration that accompanies those latter years for many of the elderly. My mother-in-law had Alzheimer’s. So did my brother's father-in-law and one of my parents' good friends. My mom is becoming very forgetful.


Of, course so am I, and with half the excuse. I blame it on (wincing over the word) menopause. Well, that and my own occasional too-easily diverted absentmindedness. I used to be such an organized little chica. Those days are gone, gone, gone. At the end of January I bought the new Nora Jones CD. I downloaded it to my iTunes program. . .and then I do not have the foggiest idea what I did with the original. I've looked in all the reasonable places, but chances are I had the CD case in my hand when something else caught my eye and I set it down in some out-of-the -way place while I dealt with the distracter. Or it's possible I shelved it with a book--in which case I'll be lucky to find it any time this year. Sigh.


I know that part of my problem is thinking two or three steps ahead to the detriment of the step that I'm in. (For instance, I was mulling over what to write in this blog just now as I was exchanging my Eccos for my ballet slippers and I picked up the shoe I had just removed and started to put it back on again. . .on the wrong foot)

So somebody HELP me! Throw me a mental exercise to keep me on track. Or at least tell me that I'm not the only one who does inexplicable, ridiculous things!

Suzanne mulls over: Words of wisdom

I tend to get philosophical about the time March rolls around. This year I think it’s purely self-defense. I’ve had a cold/sinus infection for the past eight weeks. (The word interminable comes to mind.)

Or maybe I'm feeling philosophical because we’re still having “horizontal” weather where I live. (For those of you in warmer climes, that means the snow or, as was the case one morning last week, the freezing fog is blowing sideways.)

Or maybe it’s because I’m working hard on the second book of my new paranormal series and I only hope it’s half as good as the first one. (This is my 40-something book, but right now it feels very much like “second book syndrome.”)

So when I opened the newspaper this morning and read the following anecdote, I felt myself veering off into that I’m-really-really-tired-of-winter-but-spring-is-just-around-the-corner frame of mind:

Pablo Casals was 94 and still practicing three hours a day and someone said to him: “Why do you still practice three hours a day?” And he said, “I’m beginning to notice some improvement.”

I laughed when I read those words, but something resonated with me. Even a master like Casals had to keep working hard at what he did so brilliantly. No resting on his laurels for the world-renowned cellist. Like so many of my favorites quotes, of course, this one will end up on the bulletin boards above my computer.

Here are a few other tidbits currently pinned to my trio of cork boards: Inspirational thoughts to be read again and again if/when my energy or enthusiasm lags:

“You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.” —Charles Buxton. (Boy, isn’t this true? Somehow we all manage to make time for the things we really want/need to do.)

“It’s always too soon to quit.” —Norman Vincent Peale (He was one of my dad’s favorites, so reading that one is also nostalgic for me.)

“Success is simple. Do what’s right, the right way, at the right time.” —Arnold Glasgow. (Reminds me how serendipitous success is.)

“In three words I can sum up everything I’ve learned about life: It goes on.” —Robert Frost. (My dad’s favorite poet. Nuf said.)

“Success is that old ABC–ability, breaks, and courage.” —Charles Luckman. (Eureka!)

“Before you build a better mousetrap, it helps to know if there are any mice out there.” —Mortimer B. Zuckerman.

That last one is atop the cork board covered with humorous quotes guaranteed to make me laugh. I’ll share a few of the funny ones since I’m convinced that laughter is the best medicine of all for March:

“I don’t want to achieve immortality through my work. I want to achieve it through not dying.” —Woody Allen. (A bit macabre, but funny.)

“Weather forecast for tonight: dark.” —George Carlin. (I’ve always believed that a little absurdity is good for the soul.)

“If God wanted us to bend over he’d put diamonds on the floor.” —Joan Rivers.

“My grandmother started walking five miles a day when she was sixty. She’s ninety-seven now, and we don’t know where the hell she is.” —Ellen DeGeneres. (This one always makes me laugh out loud.)

And my personal favorite since my hairstylist changed my hair from its natural dark brown to blonde three years ago:

“Blondes aren’t stupid. I should know. I’m not stupid and I’m certainly not a blonde.” —Dolly Parton.

So, Inquiring Minds want to know: Do you have any words of wisdom, funny or otherwise, to share with the rest of us while we wait for spring?

Cheers!
Suzanne

Jayne Makes A List

I'm mad as heck and I'm not going to take it anymore. I'm taking names and starting a list.

Let me explain. First, those of you who know my books have probably noticed that most of my heroines (and a lot of my heroes) drink tea. Check out my new Arcane Society novel, WHITE LIES, for an example. The hero and heroine bond, in part, because they both drink tea. This is not a coincidence. My characters often drink tea because I drink tea. So sue me. I like tea. It has been my beverage of choice since college.

I just came back from an overnight jaunt to Charleston, S.C. I was either in an airplane, an airport or a hotel for some thirty-six hours straight and during that whole time I was only able to get one decent cup of tea. (Found a Seattle's Best Coffee in the Atlanta airport, thank heavens. They do a very nice tea service even though the name on the sign says coffee). The rest of the time I was forced to put up with the ground tea dust most tea companies put into their tea bags. I can deal with tea bags provided the tea inside is high quality. But most isn't. By the way, have you ever noticed that tea bags are almost always served with tepid water, even in fine restaurants? Trust me, if, by any chance, there happens to be some good tea inside the bags there is no way you're going to extract the flavor with water that is barely hot.

Okay, so I live in Seattle and I should have learned to love coffee by now. I don't. Get over it. Yes, once in a great while I will down a cup of the stuff for medicinal purposes only: say, for instance, I am facing a long night of hard driving on the Interstate and I need something that will really get my heart rate up and keep it there. But on those very rare occasions I sure as heck don't drink the stuff with any degree of pleasure and I certainly don't want it gummed up with a lot of foamy milk, whipped cream, caramel or chocolate. I'm only interested in the shot of caffeine.

Tea I drink both for the delicate lift of the light dose of caffeine and for the sheer pleasure of the experience. For me, a day cannot be properly begun without a couple of cups of tea. I look forward to another cup or two in mid-afternoon. I savor good tea when I visit with friends (you Quills know who you are). I want my tea done right. I want whole leaf tea (preferably green or white or oolong) not ground up dust. Furthermore, I do not want the purity of the indulgence sullied by various flavorings, sugar or milk, thank you very much. (No, I don't like Earl Grey, either).

I buy my tea at an excellent tea shop here in Seattle named Perennial Tea Room. It is located in Pike Place Market and they take their tea as seriously as the big name local coffee houses take their coffee. I spend good money on my tea. I am currently drinking a mix of two China Whites, Snow Dragon and Silver Needle and, yes, they are expensive. But I can guarantee you that a couple of cups aren't nearly as pricey as one of those four-and-a-half dollar "latte-grande-mocha-cappuccino-with-whipped-cream-and-caramel" concoctions they sell in the coffee houses!

And, no, herbal teas don't count. They aren't even teas, for crying out loud. Technically speaking they are "tisanes" and "infusions". True tea is made from the leaves and leaf buds of the Camellia Sinensis plant. Rose hips, herbs and flowers may be drinkable but they do not qualify as tea.

Let's see, where was I? Oh, right, I'm making a list of establishments across the country that sell or serve serious tea. If you know of any, please add their names to the list. I can't be the only tea drinker who gets desperate for a good cup of tea while traveling.

Just to get things started, here are some establishments that I have discovered:

Halekulani Hotel, Waikiki, Hawaii
Perennial Tea Shop, Pike Place Market, Seattle, WA
Seattle's Best Coffee, Atlanta Airport, Concourse B

I eagerly await your suggestions....

Sincerely,
Jayne