This summer, I've decided to end a relationship that has meant the world to me for most of my life. Through summers on the beach and my parents' boat, to vacations in Florida and the Caribbean, I've carried on a life-long love affair with the sun. And now, it's over... Sob...
I'm in my mid-forties and am suffering from what my friend Chris calls LIS Disease: Lousy Irish Skin Disease. In short, my skin in a disaster area, and I really have only myself (and Mr. Sun) to blame. For years during my misspent youth, I was under the impression that the fifty percent of me that is Portuguese would eventually trump the 50 percent of me that is Irish. No such luck. My brother, who got the Portuguese skin, tans like a God. We'd go on family vacations when we were in high school, and he would return to school brown as a berry while I was red, scabby and peeling. People would ask if we went to the same place. Hardy har har! Not much has changed since then except for the sudden onset of wrinkles and ripples and other stuff that just doesn't belong on anyone's skin. I've already had several "suspicious" moles removed. After one such removal, the dermatologist said, "Congratulations. Now you'll live to see your grandchildren." Great...
Remember the baby oil and iodine years before we all knew that the sun could be bad bad bad for us? Remember the scorching sunburns of childhood before everyone had SPF 250 in their beach bags? Yep, that was me. Burnt to a crisp for most of my life. My parents used to talk about the time my mother took me to the beach as a baby, had me in a playpen under an umbrella and I STILL got burnt. My father was apparently beside himself over this incident, to which my mom said, "SHE WAS NEVER IN THE SUN!" They decided the sun reflecting off the sand had gotten to me. It was an ominous start to my relationship with Mr. Sun... I once had a blistering sunburn on my arm as a kid. Every dermatologist I've ever been to as an adult points to that spot on my arm and asks, "What happened here?" During my five years of working on the docks at a marina, I wore a Panama Jack-style hat that was tied to my belt loop with a shoelace. I'm convinced that hat is the only reason I don't look 90 years old now.
In the ultimate irony of life, my late mother (who also got the Portuguese skin) hated to lay in the sun but tanned effortlessly nonetheless. Traversing from the house to her car, from the car to the boat, from the car to the grocery store, she'd get in five minutes the tan I spent a summer cultivating. Over time, I managed to convince (or perhaps SHOCK) my skin into believing that it could in fact tan. But this past winter, I couldn't deny any longer that the damage I've done over the years is getting worse, and if I don't break up with Mr. Sun NOW, I'm going to look 80 when I'm 50. One of my dad's best friends, a gorgeous red head who has studiously avoided the sun her entire life, looks better at 85 than I do at 46. She says that's ridiculous. I say it's TRUE.
As a mother, I've been MILITANT with my kids about sunscreen. Last year, my son and husband attended the Indy 500 and Jake got a wicked sunburn on his neck--the one spot they missed with the sunscreen. It was an ugly, blistery mess by the time they left Indiana to come home. Knowing this is one of my pet issues, my son called me from the airport to give me advance warning about the ugly burn and to tell me, "It wasn't Dad's fault." (Haha, of course it was his fault! LOL) The warning didn't stop me from SHRIEKING when I saw just how badly he was burnt. Whenever one of my kids gets even the slightest sunburn, they apologize to me because they know how crazy I am about them avoiding the same mistakes I made with my skin. Sadly, their skin is fairer than mine, if that's possible. Poor kids. When attending sailing camp in the summer, Jake's EYES get sunburned even with SPF-protecting sunglasses on all day. Their dad, however, tans like a brown berry. When Emily was younger and drew pictures of our family, Dan was always drawn with a brown crayon to reflect his perpetual year-round tan. I'm after him ALWAYS about using sunscreen so he doesn't look like shoe leather by the time he's 60. He's starting to get a clue, but it might be too late to save him from a leathery fate.
So my dear friend, Mr. Sun, we had a good run, you and I. I had lots of fabulous days on the water basking in your glow. I spent lots of days hiding my now-wrinkled toes from your wrath by burying them in warm sand. But the sunscreen people have yet to make the SPF that will protect my disastrous skin from your mean side. Now, just because you and I are through doesn't mean I'm forsaking the beach or the boat. No way! Before my first trip to the beach (and day now), I'll be purchasing a large umbrella and a sledgehammer that will live forever in my beach bag to make sure I can get that sucker deep enough that I won't be chasing it down the beach at the first strong gust.
I'll miss you, dear friend.
Have any of you broken up with Mr. Sun?
Showing posts with label Emily. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emily. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Dear Diary: Leap Day Giveaways and Other Musings
I'm also offering a giveaway copy of Maid for Love today on my friend Pamela Clare's blog where we are celebrating Pamela's "12th" birthday. She is a very accomplished 12-year-old, and if you haven't read her I-Team books, you are sooooo missing out. I'm very much looking forward to diving into her historicals once I finish the final book that I'm judging for the RITAs (the romance writing equivalent of the Oscar). I got a great batch of books this year that really held my attention, but I'm looking forward to digging back into my TBR pile! At Pamela's blog, some of my other writing friends are offering giveaways as well: Julie James, Bella Andre, Joyce Lamb and Joan Swan. Come comment about your favorite birthday memory to be entered into the drawings for seven different books!
In other news, this week I set a goal of getting the new Fatal Book, Fatal Attack, to 25,000 words by Friday. This morning, I hit 20,000, so it's looking good for making the goal for the week. Perhaps I will even exceed it. I made it back to the gym this morning after being off with the kids last week. I always love being there, but I hate getting myself there. It's a mental hurdle I'm working to get past as I keep the gym front and center on the schedule. Another interesting thing I noticed yesterday is that when I was working two full-time jobs, I took a heartburn pill almost every day. I can't remember the last time I took one. Interesting what stress does to a body!
My other big news is that my daughter is now a licensed driver. I've had many people tell me you haven't really experienced parenthood at its finest until you kids start driving. I'm happy for her that she passed the first time around and that she will have some increased independence, but I am also worried, too. People drive like maniacs around here. I'm not worried about her. I'm worried about them. So, to all the crazy drivers who live near me, keep away from my kid please. She's a very good kid, and I want her to be safe always. Sigh...
Today I'll be Skyping into my reader friend Karen Lawson's book club to talk about Marking Time. We did Treading Water last month and had a great time, so today we're doing book 2. I'm always happy to join the book club chats and with Skype I can be there "in person." If you'd like me to join your book club meeting, send me an email to get on the schedule.
Lastly, who did you like among the guys last night on American Idol? I liked Phillip Phillips the best. How about you? And what did you think of the Parenthood finale? I love that show SO much it's not even funny! One thing I have to say is WHOA, DREW! Who knew you had that in you, my shy friend? Did you watch? What did you think? Can't believe we have to wait six months for more of the Bravermans.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Dear Diary: Back to Work, NYC, WIPs and The Oscars
Ahhhh, what's that I hear? The sound of silence? Well, not entirely... The kids are back to school after 10 days off, but Brandy and Louie are having their first morning wrestle and the guy is here to take the doors off the rooms in my house. The doors are the final frontier in the recent home renovation project. For nearly 10 years, we've lived in a house that has all different doors on all different rooms. I scratch my head wondering when that was ever in style. Umm, never? We've been saying we were going to do this job for ages and now, it's ON. So one final week (I hope) of disruption in the house before things really get back to normal.
Over the vacation, I took my kids to NYC for a few days. (Photo to the left was taken at the top of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. The building under construction to the right of the Empire State Building is the new World Trade Center tower.) We got very lucky with balmy weather that made walking around the city much more pleasant than it would normally be this time of year. The kids ice skated at Rockefeller Plaza, we went to the top of 30 Rock and my daughter got to see Jimmy Fallon practice his monologue. Funny story about the monologue... They were giving away tickets in the NBC Experience store, so we grabbed three and of course never looked at them. When Emily heard she was going to meet Jimmy Fallon (one of her favorite comedians), she had to go back to the hotel to shower and change. I thought that was really cute. She was like a giddy little kid, and I haven't seen her like that in a long time. We get back to NBC and we're told by a self-important security guard that Jake can't go in because he isn't 17. "Well," he mutters under his breath, "she isn't either." Okay, shut up now, please! Emily has always looked much older than she is, even though she won't be 17 until July. No one would argue if you said she was 20 or older. Jake, on the other hand, won't look 17 when he IS 17.
What was funny about the whole incident was that he was far more indignant about the crack to his age than he was about not getting to see Jimmy Fallon. So here I am in NYC with a major dilemma: do I let my kid go off by herself to see one of her favorite comedians or do we scuttle the whole thing? She was very good about it and said if Jake can't go in, I won't go either. Another mom standing in line with her two girls spoke up and offered to take Emily with them. She needed two more tickets to get her group in, so we gave her our tickets and she took custody of Emily, which was very comforting. I did tell her, "If you steal her, you deserve her, and she's VERY expensive to have around." The other mom, who was there with two teenage girls of her own, thought that was funny. I think she can relate! Of course it all worked out fine, and Emily actually exchanged words with Jimmy Fallon, which is the highlight of her life thus far. The other mom waited with her until we were reunited which was really great of her. While Emily was in the show, Jake said he would've been really bummed if she'd had to miss it because of him. There's hope for him yet, but he did tell me he "needed" a Coke to get him past the disappointment. Such an operator! One of my friends pointed out that letting Emily go off by herself in NYC was a good "dry run" for 18 months from now when I might be leaving her there for college. Sniff... I don't like to think about that!
Speaking of college, while we were in NYC, we toured NYU for Emily. I can sooooo see her there. Sigh... It's four hours by car from here, but a quick one-hour flight. She would have some amazing opportunities as an NYU student. Now we'll have to see about getting her in. I think it's great that she is seeing these schools now and realizing what she needs to do grade-wise for the rest of her junior year to make it happen. We also went to see the 911 Memorial. After living through that searing day, I wasn't all that keen on going to the memorial, but both kids really wanted to see it. In the end, I was glad I went. I think the memorial is beautiful and fitting and so incredibly sad. Have you seen the memorial? If so, what did you think? If not, would you want to?
Not much work got done while we were in NY, but over the weekend I wrote the first two chapters of McCarthy book 6, Season for Love. I needed to get the first chapter done so I can include it in the back of Hoping for Love. Season will feature Owen and Laura with snippets of stories for all the earlier couples as winter sets in on Gansett. It will show our island friends over the holidays with a wedding thrown in and possibly an engagement. Book 5, Hoping for Love, is off to the proofreader for a last look before it goes live in March. This week, I'll also be showing off the cover of Hoping for Love at the McCarthys of Gansett Island Reader Group on Facebook, so make sure you join the group for the first look at Evan and Grace's cover and to be the first to hear the release date.
This week, I'm back to work on Fatal Attack. Time to kick that book into high gear! I've also been chipping away at Duchess by Deception in my "spare" time. If you're keeping score at home, yes, that's three books currently in various stages in three different genres: contemporary, romantic suspense and historical. And you wonder why I worry about my head exploding?!
Finally, what did you think of the Oscars? I thought the show itself was a major SNORE. I hate all the stupid "bits" and the acrobats and other junk that sucks up time I'd rather see given to the winners so they aren't played off five seconds after they get on stage. Billy Crystal was just okay, in my opinion. Robert Downey Jr. was hilarious and should be next year's host. I was disappointed that my fellow Rhode Island native Viola Davis didn't win, but I love Meryl Streep, and as always, she was classy and perfect. (LOVED Collin Firth's Mama Mia comments. I don't know about you, but I could listen to him read the phone book. He's adorable!) I loved Meryl's dress, too. Normally, she's somewhat of a fashion disaster, but last night, she was spot on. Angelina, please keep your leg in your dress. We really don't care. I swear. Brad, love that you're sporting "The Rachel" these days. Nice tip of the hat to Jenn. The only nominated movie I saw was "The Descendants." I had soooo many issues with that movie and the plot (they're going to hunt down the mother's lover while she is DYING in the hospital? Really?), but I had no issue with two hours of George Clooney on the screen. Dreamy. I was thrilled to see Christopher Plummer win as well as Octavia Spencer. I'm looking forward to seeing "The Help." What did you think of the Oscars? Have you seen any of the movies? Which one is must-see?
Happy Monday!
What was funny about the whole incident was that he was far more indignant about the crack to his age than he was about not getting to see Jimmy Fallon. So here I am in NYC with a major dilemma: do I let my kid go off by herself to see one of her favorite comedians or do we scuttle the whole thing? She was very good about it and said if Jake can't go in, I won't go either. Another mom standing in line with her two girls spoke up and offered to take Emily with them. She needed two more tickets to get her group in, so we gave her our tickets and she took custody of Emily, which was very comforting. I did tell her, "If you steal her, you deserve her, and she's VERY expensive to have around." The other mom, who was there with two teenage girls of her own, thought that was funny. I think she can relate! Of course it all worked out fine, and Emily actually exchanged words with Jimmy Fallon, which is the highlight of her life thus far. The other mom waited with her until we were reunited which was really great of her. While Emily was in the show, Jake said he would've been really bummed if she'd had to miss it because of him. There's hope for him yet, but he did tell me he "needed" a Coke to get him past the disappointment. Such an operator! One of my friends pointed out that letting Emily go off by herself in NYC was a good "dry run" for 18 months from now when I might be leaving her there for college. Sniff... I don't like to think about that!
Not much work got done while we were in NY, but over the weekend I wrote the first two chapters of McCarthy book 6, Season for Love. I needed to get the first chapter done so I can include it in the back of Hoping for Love. Season will feature Owen and Laura with snippets of stories for all the earlier couples as winter sets in on Gansett. It will show our island friends over the holidays with a wedding thrown in and possibly an engagement. Book 5, Hoping for Love, is off to the proofreader for a last look before it goes live in March. This week, I'll also be showing off the cover of Hoping for Love at the McCarthys of Gansett Island Reader Group on Facebook, so make sure you join the group for the first look at Evan and Grace's cover and to be the first to hear the release date.
This week, I'm back to work on Fatal Attack. Time to kick that book into high gear! I've also been chipping away at Duchess by Deception in my "spare" time. If you're keeping score at home, yes, that's three books currently in various stages in three different genres: contemporary, romantic suspense and historical. And you wonder why I worry about my head exploding?!
Finally, what did you think of the Oscars? I thought the show itself was a major SNORE. I hate all the stupid "bits" and the acrobats and other junk that sucks up time I'd rather see given to the winners so they aren't played off five seconds after they get on stage. Billy Crystal was just okay, in my opinion. Robert Downey Jr. was hilarious and should be next year's host. I was disappointed that my fellow Rhode Island native Viola Davis didn't win, but I love Meryl Streep, and as always, she was classy and perfect. (LOVED Collin Firth's Mama Mia comments. I don't know about you, but I could listen to him read the phone book. He's adorable!) I loved Meryl's dress, too. Normally, she's somewhat of a fashion disaster, but last night, she was spot on. Angelina, please keep your leg in your dress. We really don't care. I swear. Brad, love that you're sporting "The Rachel" these days. Nice tip of the hat to Jenn. The only nominated movie I saw was "The Descendants." I had soooo many issues with that movie and the plot (they're going to hunt down the mother's lover while she is DYING in the hospital? Really?), but I had no issue with two hours of George Clooney on the screen. Dreamy. I was thrilled to see Christopher Plummer win as well as Octavia Spencer. I'm looking forward to seeing "The Help." What did you think of the Oscars? Have you seen any of the movies? Which one is must-see?
Happy Monday!
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Dear Diary: This is Why I Read Romance
Another crazy day in house renovation land. Have I mentioned that I'll be glad when this is all over? Yes, I thought so! I need to compliment the speedy customer service of the furniture company, which set my mind at easy that they can send us a new drawer to replace the damaged one. As a result, we were able to complete the furniture set up and get the old stuff ready for pick up by the Salvation Army today. It pains me to get rid of a bed and dresser that belong to my grandmother, but you can't keep everything. If I had a bigger house, I'd stash it away, but I know it would stay stashed for many years to come, so why do that when someone can be using it? Sigh... The new mattress will be delivered later today, allowing us to move back upstairs to our regular bedroom. Last on the renovation list is new doors for all the rooms. The guy came to measure them yesterday. I think of the doors as the "final frontier" before we're back to normal around here.
The upside of the "some-assembly-required" bed was that while Dan was putting it together last night, I did Jake's basketball practice drop off and pick-up (normally handled by Dad), which is how I managed to be standing five feet from him when he sank a perfect three-pointer in a scrimmage game. The basket was so perfect, it didn't even touch the rim and went through the basket with an audible "swish." He doesn't score many baskets, so his entire team (along with his friends on the other team) went crazy congratulating him on the perfect shot. His grin spread from ear to ear. I was very glad I got to witness such a great moment for him, and it was all because of the house project from hell. There's always an upside, right?
Yesterday was a day of nonstop interruptions. After the gym, one thing after another kept me from writing. By about 3 p.m. I realized it just wasn't going to happen with so much chaos going on around me, so I put up the white flag and surrendered. I decided to read the first chapter of "Fairy Tale Interrupted," by RoseMarie Terenzio, who was JFK Jr.'s assistant for the last five years of his life. Of course, one chapter turned into the whole book, which I finished at 1:30 a.m., feeling unbearably sad at the terrible grief described by the author upon the loss of her boss and good friend, as well as his wife, who had also become her close friend. I liked this book a lot because it felt like a love letter to John and Carolyn, and not at all like the self-promotional stuff some of their inner circle has done since their deaths.
RoseMarie said in People magazine that it took her 10 years to even be able to talk about it let alone write about it. She gave them her whole life for five years, and when they were gone she was left literally with nothing. She couldn't even get a job. As she put it, when you've been the assistant to the most famous man in the world, where do you go from there? I was awake for a long time thinking about the book, about the terrible waste of three young lives, and wondering about what might've been for JFK Jr. had he lived. Would he be president today instead of Obama? They would be roughly the same age, so it's very possible he may have turned his attention to elected office in the next decade of his life. I so vividly remember the details of that awful weekend in July of 1999. Having grown up in Kennedy country, I've always been interested in their family. That weekend, we held our collective breath waiting to hear the unimaginable. It was the weekend of Emily's fourth birthday, and I recall forcing merriment for her sake in the midst of terrible sorrow. I also remember the poignant words spoken at John's funeral by his Uncle Ted: "Like his father before him, John had every gift but length of life."
This is the first non-romance I've read in ages. As I sobbed my way through the retelling of the accident that took the lives of John, Carolyn and her sister Lauren, I was yearning for the happily ever after that wasn't to be for them.
What was the last non-romance you read? Did you feel the same way afterward?
Thanks to all the new members of Marie Force Book Talk who've joined after reading about our merry group here on the blog. It's great to have you! Off to write! Have a great day!
The upside of the "some-assembly-required" bed was that while Dan was putting it together last night, I did Jake's basketball practice drop off and pick-up (normally handled by Dad), which is how I managed to be standing five feet from him when he sank a perfect three-pointer in a scrimmage game. The basket was so perfect, it didn't even touch the rim and went through the basket with an audible "swish." He doesn't score many baskets, so his entire team (along with his friends on the other team) went crazy congratulating him on the perfect shot. His grin spread from ear to ear. I was very glad I got to witness such a great moment for him, and it was all because of the house project from hell. There's always an upside, right?
Yesterday was a day of nonstop interruptions. After the gym, one thing after another kept me from writing. By about 3 p.m. I realized it just wasn't going to happen with so much chaos going on around me, so I put up the white flag and surrendered. I decided to read the first chapter of "Fairy Tale Interrupted," by RoseMarie Terenzio, who was JFK Jr.'s assistant for the last five years of his life. Of course, one chapter turned into the whole book, which I finished at 1:30 a.m., feeling unbearably sad at the terrible grief described by the author upon the loss of her boss and good friend, as well as his wife, who had also become her close friend. I liked this book a lot because it felt like a love letter to John and Carolyn, and not at all like the self-promotional stuff some of their inner circle has done since their deaths.
RoseMarie said in People magazine that it took her 10 years to even be able to talk about it let alone write about it. She gave them her whole life for five years, and when they were gone she was left literally with nothing. She couldn't even get a job. As she put it, when you've been the assistant to the most famous man in the world, where do you go from there? I was awake for a long time thinking about the book, about the terrible waste of three young lives, and wondering about what might've been for JFK Jr. had he lived. Would he be president today instead of Obama? They would be roughly the same age, so it's very possible he may have turned his attention to elected office in the next decade of his life. I so vividly remember the details of that awful weekend in July of 1999. Having grown up in Kennedy country, I've always been interested in their family. That weekend, we held our collective breath waiting to hear the unimaginable. It was the weekend of Emily's fourth birthday, and I recall forcing merriment for her sake in the midst of terrible sorrow. I also remember the poignant words spoken at John's funeral by his Uncle Ted: "Like his father before him, John had every gift but length of life."
This is the first non-romance I've read in ages. As I sobbed my way through the retelling of the accident that took the lives of John, Carolyn and her sister Lauren, I was yearning for the happily ever after that wasn't to be for them.
What was the last non-romance you read? Did you feel the same way afterward?
Thanks to all the new members of Marie Force Book Talk who've joined after reading about our merry group here on the blog. It's great to have you! Off to write! Have a great day!
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Gratitude
How did it get to be Thanksgiving week already? In my mind, it's still Fourth of July, but the calendar tells me I need to get caught up. One of the things I love best about Thanksgiving—other than the apple pie, pumpkin bread and STUFFING—is the opportunity it gives us all to take a moment remember all the reasons we have to be grateful. My gratitude list this year is a cornucopia of family, friends, readers, books, community and a darling puppy named Brandy who has brought such joy and laughter to my life this year. So without further ado, here is my 2010 gratitude list. Please give me your list in the comments. I'd love to hear it!
1. My FamilyThis one is rather obvious, of course, but I have been blessed with the loveliest of families. This past weekend, Dan and I had the supreme joy of watching our Emily shine once again on stage. At 15, she is a gifted actress, and I believe her talent is going to take her as far as she wants to go. As she races toward adulthood, there's not a single thing about her we would change (well, except for the landfill she calls a bedroom). And then there is our buddy Jake, 12 years old and into every sport there is. He's recently taken on hockey and is turning into quite the skater. We're proud of him for working harder in school and taking on new challenges for himself by venturing into hockey. We feel very lucky to have two outgoing, personable kids who make us laugh (often inappropriately—they get that from their father, I swear!) and make us proud every day. Dan will tell you that I got lucky in the husband department with "one of the good ones." Don't tell him that I agree. I do have to live with him, you know! In addition to my fabulous foursome here at home, I also am grateful for the continued good health of my dad, who as many of you know is truly one of my BFFs. We are also surrounded by an enormous extended family on both sides, including my unruly posse of cousins (speaking of inappropriate laughter: churches, funeral homes, weddings—nothing is off limits).
2. My Friends
I have the best-est friends—the ones I see every day, the ones I keep up with from afar and all the new ones I've never met in person but who've become such a big part of my life. I'm grateful for the group of high school classmates who've become later-in-life friends, and I so enjoy the time we get to spend together with our families. I said to one of them recently: old friends who are new friends are the best friends, and that is SO true.
3. My Job
I love my day job! In January, I'll mark 15 years as the communications director for AGA. I work with and for great people promoting the worthwhile cause of advancing government accountability. I get to work on all sorts of fun stuff every day, and it's still interesting and challenging after all these years.
4. My Books Well, 2010 has been quite the year! Did I really sign three contracts with Harlequin or did I dream that? I'm so very pleased and grateful for the success of my Fatal Series. After a tumultuous run (read more about that here) the Fatal Series has a found a home at Harlequin's Carina Press. I'm delighted that Fatal Affair will be released in print by Harlequin in July 2011. Also coming in 2011:
Jan. 3: Fatal Justice
Feb. 1: Everyone Loves a Hero
July 1: Fatal Affair in print
July: Fatal Consequences
October: Fatal Destiny
In addition, I've begun offering some of my other books to readers via Amazon and Smashwords. The first of these is True North, which I posted this week. Here's a brief synopsis:The first time Travis North lays eyes on Liana McDermott, she’s wearing the most hideous bridesmaid dress he’s ever seen. He doesn't immediately recognize the world-famous super model who is attending her cousin Enid's wedding at the country club he owns. Thanks to Enid's shameless matchmaking, Travis and Liana become acquainted and later embark on a two-week fling intended to be free of emotion and entanglement. As Liana's return to work gets closer, however, Travis wonders how he'll ever let her go when the time comes while Liana considers whether he might be her true north. Two high-powered careers, two amazing weeks and a love that comes along just once in a lifetime. Is she ready to give up her career for a different kind of life? Does he want the same things she does? After insisting on an emotionless affair, she can't very well ask him. Or can she?
5. My Readers
I can't say enough about how much I love my readers. So many of you have become close friends and provide me with endless entertainment and laughter. Hanging out on Facebook with y'all has been so much fun, and I'm thrilled that we formed the book club so we can dish on our favorite subjects, romance and Oreos, every week. It's not lost on me that 2010 turned into such a great year because of so many of you and your support of my books. I KNEW there were readers out there who would love a romance series featuring the same couple in every book. Thank you for proving I was right about that and for embracing Sam and Nick the way you have. I hope you'll enjoy the next books in the series, coming soon!
6. My DogBrandy came to live with us on March 16, and for a while there we wondered if she'd blend into our family. Well, rest assured she has more than blended in. She has become an essential part of us, and I couldn't love her more. After losing Consuela last year, I wondered if I could ever love another dog. When Brandy was first here, I tried to protect myself from falling in love again. That didn't work out so well, to say the least. She has wormed her way into my heart (and my bed) and now I can't imagine life without the little devil. One of my favorite things about Brandy is how besotted my dad is with her. She brings him joy. That brings me joy.
7. Oreos
I don't drink. I don't smoke. I probably eat too many Oreos. I'm okay with that.
Now, let me hear your list! Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!
Saturday, August 14, 2010
What's New and Exciting?
Where in the world has the last month gone? Let's see, what's new around here? Well, I've been to Orlando twice this summer. Once for my company's annual conference at the World Center Marriott and then back again 10 days later for RWA's annual conference at the Swan and Dolphin. After being at the World Center, the S&D didn't do it for me. And it was hot. Damned HOT walking between the two hotels, which I didn't enjoy. The RWA conference, itself, was excellent and I was glad I went. I got to meet all the wonderful ladies behind the Carina Press effort and attended the Carina dinner followed by the Harlequin party. Held at the ritzy Waldorf Astoria, the party was everything I expected. Lots of fun! I danced until my feet ached and then danced some more.
I've finished the line edits to Fatal Justice, and last week, I received the wonderful news that my Fatal Series with Carina will be moving forward with book 3, Fatal Consequences. This is the first time I've sold on proposal, the first time I'll write to a deadline (Nov. 30) and the first time I've had the synopsis written ahead of the book. I've never been much of a plotter, but after writing Fatal Justice (book 2 in the series) I realized I needed to do some sort of outline because the police procedurals require far too much brain power to rely solely on memory and grit to get through them. So I'm looking forward to experiencing the writing process from this perspective. I don't expect I'll change my routine for the straight contemporaries, but for the romantic suspense books, the plotting might turn out to be my salvation! I'll keep you posted!
On the home front, we've had a wonderful summer of great weather, lots of time on my dad's boat, long days at the beach and fun times with friends. Jake has finished sailing camp for another summer. He so loves that and will begin counting down to it beginning in April next year. Emily nannied for one of my cousins, who has six- and three-year-old boys whom she loved spending time with. So everyone has been busy and content, which makes my work-at-home life so much easier than it used to be when I used to hear "I'm bored" 50 times a day! Life is good!
One other bit of news: I'll be giving away a new Kindle if I can get my fan page up to 5,000 by Sept. 30. To enter, stop by the page, "like" me, and tell me why you'd like to win: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Force/248130827909. We've got a LONG way to go to get to 5,000, so do me a favor and tell your friends!
So what've you been up to this summer?
I've finished the line edits to Fatal Justice, and last week, I received the wonderful news that my Fatal Series with Carina will be moving forward with book 3, Fatal Consequences. This is the first time I've sold on proposal, the first time I'll write to a deadline (Nov. 30) and the first time I've had the synopsis written ahead of the book. I've never been much of a plotter, but after writing Fatal Justice (book 2 in the series) I realized I needed to do some sort of outline because the police procedurals require far too much brain power to rely solely on memory and grit to get through them. So I'm looking forward to experiencing the writing process from this perspective. I don't expect I'll change my routine for the straight contemporaries, but for the romantic suspense books, the plotting might turn out to be my salvation! I'll keep you posted!
On the home front, we've had a wonderful summer of great weather, lots of time on my dad's boat, long days at the beach and fun times with friends. Jake has finished sailing camp for another summer. He so loves that and will begin counting down to it beginning in April next year. Emily nannied for one of my cousins, who has six- and three-year-old boys whom she loved spending time with. So everyone has been busy and content, which makes my work-at-home life so much easier than it used to be when I used to hear "I'm bored" 50 times a day! Life is good!
One other bit of news: I'll be giving away a new Kindle if I can get my fan page up to 5,000 by Sept. 30. To enter, stop by the page, "like" me, and tell me why you'd like to win: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Force/248130827909. We've got a LONG way to go to get to 5,000, so do me a favor and tell your friends!
So what've you been up to this summer?
Friday, June 4, 2010
End of An Era
This month, my youngest child will finish elementary school. While we're all more than ready to see him move on up to the middle school, I face the bittersweet end of an era in my life as a mom. You all know that I work full-time from home on the day job. What that means is not all that much happens around here during the day. In the morning, the elementary bus picks up at the end of my front walk and then drops off in the afternoon. For the seven school years we have lived in this house, my day has been framed by those pick ups and drop offs. The bus monitor has faithfully fed biscuits first to Consuela and Roscoe and now to Brandy. In fact, when Consuela died, Dan joked that maybe now Bernice, the elderly monitor who has seen my kids safely to school for seven years and provides AWESOME dog biscuits, could afford to go out to dinner once in a while.
I remember our first year in this house, the only school year my kids were ever in the same school. They squabbled daily over whose turn it was to stand on the rock that used to sit at the end of our sidewalk where the bus picks them up. Last fall when we had our front yard remodeled, Emily asked if I was really going to get rid of the bus rock. I admit that gave me pause, but we did get rid of the big monstrosity! After all, once his sister wasn't there to squabble with anymore, Jake lost interest in standing on the bus rock.
My school mornings begin at 7:30 when I get Jake up and moving for the 8:30 bus pick up. Dan handles the early shift with Emily, which these days consists of a little bit of yelling when she runs late. But otherwise, she pretty much takes care of herself in the morning and has for some time now. Next year, Jake moves to the early shift with Dad, who will drop him at school on his way to work. This gives Jake an extra half hour in the morning that my tortoise desperately needs.
So where will that leave me? Without a kid to put on a morning school bus for the first time in 10 years. I make jokes about what will get me out of bed in the morning if I don't have a kid to put on a bus or a boss expecting me in an office at a certain time. Of course my job will still beckon as it does every day and I will get up and get to it, but my days will begin much differently without that hour with Jake. I'd be lying if I said I won't miss that one-on-one time with him, even if most of it is about me saying HURRY UP will you? Even in 5th grade I have to remind him every day to brush his hair AND his teeth and wash his face with something other than spit on the ends of his fingers. Can you see why I'm concerned about Dad taking over the early shift?
In the 12 years I've worked from home, summer vacation has been the toughest time of the year for me. This year, however, I'm really looking forward to it as both my kids have had their struggles in school this year. We all need a break. But as June 22 approaches, I'm acutely aware of the ending of a era. When you're in the midst of these school years, it feels like they will go on forever. And then you wake up one day and your oldest is in high school and your "baby" is heading for middle school and you know it won't last forever. I'll miss those bus pickups and so will Brandy. But most of all, I'll miss my mornings with Jake.
I remember our first year in this house, the only school year my kids were ever in the same school. They squabbled daily over whose turn it was to stand on the rock that used to sit at the end of our sidewalk where the bus picks them up. Last fall when we had our front yard remodeled, Emily asked if I was really going to get rid of the bus rock. I admit that gave me pause, but we did get rid of the big monstrosity! After all, once his sister wasn't there to squabble with anymore, Jake lost interest in standing on the bus rock.
My school mornings begin at 7:30 when I get Jake up and moving for the 8:30 bus pick up. Dan handles the early shift with Emily, which these days consists of a little bit of yelling when she runs late. But otherwise, she pretty much takes care of herself in the morning and has for some time now. Next year, Jake moves to the early shift with Dad, who will drop him at school on his way to work. This gives Jake an extra half hour in the morning that my tortoise desperately needs.
So where will that leave me? Without a kid to put on a morning school bus for the first time in 10 years. I make jokes about what will get me out of bed in the morning if I don't have a kid to put on a bus or a boss expecting me in an office at a certain time. Of course my job will still beckon as it does every day and I will get up and get to it, but my days will begin much differently without that hour with Jake. I'd be lying if I said I won't miss that one-on-one time with him, even if most of it is about me saying HURRY UP will you? Even in 5th grade I have to remind him every day to brush his hair AND his teeth and wash his face with something other than spit on the ends of his fingers. Can you see why I'm concerned about Dad taking over the early shift?
In the 12 years I've worked from home, summer vacation has been the toughest time of the year for me. This year, however, I'm really looking forward to it as both my kids have had their struggles in school this year. We all need a break. But as June 22 approaches, I'm acutely aware of the ending of a era. When you're in the midst of these school years, it feels like they will go on forever. And then you wake up one day and your oldest is in high school and your "baby" is heading for middle school and you know it won't last forever. I'll miss those bus pickups and so will Brandy. But most of all, I'll miss my mornings with Jake.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Motherhood: The Ultimate Paradox
Yesterday, we celebrated Mother's Day. Cynical people like to chalk up these days to just another holiday invented by the card companies to generate sales. I tend to be as cynical as the next gal, but I have to say, I love Mother's Day. I love that we set aside a day in May to honor the Moms and a day in June to do the same for the Dads. I mean who, on this EARTH, gives more to others than parents? And the giving never ends. You give birth, you do your best to raise them into active, functioning members of society, and then you stand back, ready to roll up your sleeves to help whenever your adult children need you. Parenthood never ends, at least it never did/has for my parents and it certainly won't for me. I look forward to everything still to come with my kids. Sometimes I can't believe I was blessed with these two smart, funny, beautiful, sarcastic (gee, where does THAT come from?) people in my life.
On Saturday, I put Emily on a flight that would deliver her to her dad in Indianapolis (he had to go a day earlier—long story). So of course Saturday dawns stormy and dark, and I am a bundle of nerves over the whole thing. Emily tells me to RE-LAX. It'll all be fine. As I watched her breeze through security like she does it every day, I realized she was right. It would be fine. I was the problem, not her. She arrived at the mid-point in Baltimore and called to say part 1 was finished. How was it? I asked. "We experienced some turbulence," she replied in a blase tone. Were you scared? I asked. "Um, no, but you would've been." LOL! Yes, my children know me and yes, they can be sarcastic like their mother. Why am I oddly proud of that?
I was left to celebrate Mother's Day with just Jake, who did a fine job of delivering the cards, chocolate and plants his father had bought for me and to place on my mother's grave. This was my sixth Mother's Day without my own mom, and she would've loved the fact that I arrived at the cemetery just as they were closing the gates at 4 p.m. I went back again at 4:50 p.m. today and discovered they really mean that 4 p.m. closing time. I hope I get an A for effort, but seriously, how much of a loser does this double denial make me? My mother, who loved a good laugh, must certainly be enjoying my cemetery ineptitude. I'll try again tomorrow.
Mothers everywhere know it's the hardest and best job we'll ever do. I remember Bill Clinton once said that being president meant nothing to him when stacked up against being a parent. Love him or hate him, he seems to have had a hand in raising a nice kid. Who among us wouldn't be satisfied to say the same thing? Motherhood, however, can be a journey of soaring highs and crushing lows. I experienced both yesterday. My oldest cousin, Ann Marie, became a first-time grandmother on Mother's Day. I thought it was so cool that her daughter Marissa really delivered a gift that her mother will never forget, and Ann Marie said it was by far her best Mother's Day ever. Then this morning I read with horror on Facebook that an old friend from the Spain days had lost her 21-year-old daughter yesterday in a freak accident, just two days after her daughter graduated magna cum laude from college.
Nothing will raise you up or bring you low quite like motherhood. Welcome to Jonathan Michael Riley, the newest member of my large extended family, and God bless the family of Samantha Cawthorne.
On Saturday, I put Emily on a flight that would deliver her to her dad in Indianapolis (he had to go a day earlier—long story). So of course Saturday dawns stormy and dark, and I am a bundle of nerves over the whole thing. Emily tells me to RE-LAX. It'll all be fine. As I watched her breeze through security like she does it every day, I realized she was right. It would be fine. I was the problem, not her. She arrived at the mid-point in Baltimore and called to say part 1 was finished. How was it? I asked. "We experienced some turbulence," she replied in a blase tone. Were you scared? I asked. "Um, no, but you would've been." LOL! Yes, my children know me and yes, they can be sarcastic like their mother. Why am I oddly proud of that?
I was left to celebrate Mother's Day with just Jake, who did a fine job of delivering the cards, chocolate and plants his father had bought for me and to place on my mother's grave. This was my sixth Mother's Day without my own mom, and she would've loved the fact that I arrived at the cemetery just as they were closing the gates at 4 p.m. I went back again at 4:50 p.m. today and discovered they really mean that 4 p.m. closing time. I hope I get an A for effort, but seriously, how much of a loser does this double denial make me? My mother, who loved a good laugh, must certainly be enjoying my cemetery ineptitude. I'll try again tomorrow.
Mothers everywhere know it's the hardest and best job we'll ever do. I remember Bill Clinton once said that being president meant nothing to him when stacked up against being a parent. Love him or hate him, he seems to have had a hand in raising a nice kid. Who among us wouldn't be satisfied to say the same thing? Motherhood, however, can be a journey of soaring highs and crushing lows. I experienced both yesterday. My oldest cousin, Ann Marie, became a first-time grandmother on Mother's Day. I thought it was so cool that her daughter Marissa really delivered a gift that her mother will never forget, and Ann Marie said it was by far her best Mother's Day ever. Then this morning I read with horror on Facebook that an old friend from the Spain days had lost her 21-year-old daughter yesterday in a freak accident, just two days after her daughter graduated magna cum laude from college.
Nothing will raise you up or bring you low quite like motherhood. Welcome to Jonathan Michael Riley, the newest member of my large extended family, and God bless the family of Samantha Cawthorne.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Tick Tock Tick Tock
Lately, I've become acutely aware of how fast time is going by. In the last year, my father turned 75, I celebrated (and I use that word loosely) my 25th high school reunion and sent my oldest child to high school. Dan and I were talking the other night about how fast Emily's childhood has gone by for us. She'll be FIFTEEN this summer, she has a job lined up, she'll be taking driver's ed in the next year. And to us, she's still that three-year-old with the vocabulary of an adult and the attitude to match who used to love to watch for purple cars on our street. Luckily, Jake, who will be 12 in October, is bringing up the rear in fine fashion and we don't feel like the time with him is marching by quite so quickly. It helps that we held him out of school an extra year and will have him with us until he's almost 19. Our kids represent the classic tale of the tortoise and the hare.
The passing of many of the critical adults in my life hasn't helped to ease this mid-life crisis. My mother, my in-laws, two aunts, an uncle, the parents of close friends, and not for nothing, my two beloved dogs. All of that in the last six years. We like to refer to the last decade as the shitstorm of misery.
I remember almost 12 years ago when I hired my coworker Jenn right out of college and discovered she was ten years younger than me. When had that happened? Now the new "kids" in my office are 22 years younger than me, which is all the more shocking. Last week, when I was in Washington, I spent some time getting to know my boss's new assistant, a nice "kid" named Louise, whose father is a longtime member of our association. I liked Louise right out of the gate because she makes me laugh with her witty retorts. In the course of our conversation, I realized she is only going to be 25 this year. Cripes, I said, I've been out of high school 26 years this year. You know what that means? To which she replied in her typical witty fashion, Hello, Mommy. ACK! She's a brat, but that's another story. She calls me Mom now, which is kind of funny—and not funny at the same time.
HOW did this happen? WHEN did this happen? WHERE WAS I when this was happening? I'm staring down the double 4s this spring and I don't feel 44. Well, somedays I do, but for the most part I feel maybe 30. Then my taller-than-me daughter prances through the house at almost 15, a shocking reminder that I'm not 30 anymore. Hell, I'm not even 40 anymore. I'm in my *gasp* MID-FORTIES. ACK! (Are you sensing my theme word today?)
So what makes me feel better about all this getting older business? Well, Dan did me a huge favor by turning 49 last weekend, which reminded me that it could be worse. Much, much worse. :-)
The passing of many of the critical adults in my life hasn't helped to ease this mid-life crisis. My mother, my in-laws, two aunts, an uncle, the parents of close friends, and not for nothing, my two beloved dogs. All of that in the last six years. We like to refer to the last decade as the shitstorm of misery.
I remember almost 12 years ago when I hired my coworker Jenn right out of college and discovered she was ten years younger than me. When had that happened? Now the new "kids" in my office are 22 years younger than me, which is all the more shocking. Last week, when I was in Washington, I spent some time getting to know my boss's new assistant, a nice "kid" named Louise, whose father is a longtime member of our association. I liked Louise right out of the gate because she makes me laugh with her witty retorts. In the course of our conversation, I realized she is only going to be 25 this year. Cripes, I said, I've been out of high school 26 years this year. You know what that means? To which she replied in her typical witty fashion, Hello, Mommy. ACK! She's a brat, but that's another story. She calls me Mom now, which is kind of funny—and not funny at the same time.
HOW did this happen? WHEN did this happen? WHERE WAS I when this was happening? I'm staring down the double 4s this spring and I don't feel 44. Well, somedays I do, but for the most part I feel maybe 30. Then my taller-than-me daughter prances through the house at almost 15, a shocking reminder that I'm not 30 anymore. Hell, I'm not even 40 anymore. I'm in my *gasp* MID-FORTIES. ACK! (Are you sensing my theme word today?)
So what makes me feel better about all this getting older business? Well, Dan did me a huge favor by turning 49 last weekend, which reminded me that it could be worse. Much, much worse. :-)
Monday, January 18, 2010
A Year Ago Today
I remember it was an ordinary Sunday. Martin Luther King weekend, and my son Jake was beside himself with excitement about getting to play "pond hockey" on a frozen surface in our friends' neighborhood. An entire posse of boys had gathered to play, which was exciting in and of itself for a boy who lives in a neighborhood with no kids. Off they went to play. Even my daughter Emily went to take in the action, since not all the boys were "little." I was excited to have some alone time to work on my book of the moment and to revel in the silence. Then came a phone call from my sister-in-law, who along with my brother, was spending the long weekend in Florida with my father.
"Something is wrong with your dad." That was all she said, because at that time that was all she knew. He'd sounded funny on the phone, they'd rushed over to find him still in bed at noon, talking crazy, acting crazier. They called 911 and what transpired from there was three months of hell. From what we can deduce, he got up fast from a sound sleep, his blood sugar had plummeted during the night, and he went right down, striking his head on the hard tile floor. He had suffered a massive head injury similar to that which killed actress Natasha Richardson. Luckily for him—and us—he was blocks away from a major trauma center and got speedy medical care that saved his life. We still don't know all the details, such as how he managed to get himself back into bed or what exactly happened. He doesn't remember a thing about it, which is probably just as well.
My son Jake, who is extraordinarily close to my dad, refused to hear a word about how injured my father was or that he wasn't out of the woods by a long shot. Head injuries are funny, I told him. You just never know what you'll get back on the other end. He'll be fine, Jake said, refusing to believe otherwise. He simply wouldn't consider any other alternative. I wasn't sure if he was in denial or if he knew something I didn't know. Either way, I allowed him his illusions.
A long and frustrating two weeks after the injury, my brother and I drove my dad home to Rhode Island where he lived with my family for more than two months. Both my kids loved having my dad living with us, especially Jake who found an ally in his grandfather. "Aw, let him stay up a little longer" or "Does he really need another shower?" What ten-year-old wouldn't love having his own defense attorney living with him? My dad got up early each morning to eat Rice Crispies with Jake before school. Jake hasn't had them since he left. "I only eat those with Da," he says. He will never forget those mornings with his grandfather.
It took six months for my father to acknowledge that he'd been injured in Florida. Prior to that he might say, "I did not" when we'd reference the head injury. So, to hear him say, "I hurt my head in Florida" was a big victory. Slowly, we watched him regain his strength and he returned to living independently in April, forty pounds lighter than he'd been before the injury. As his mojo returned, he started driving again and began working on his boat, getting it ready for the season. One day last summer when we were out on the big boat that only he can run, we were coming into the dock—a tight squeeze on the best of days—when an odd gust of wind hit us, carrying us away from where we wanted to be. Dad slammed it into reverse, poured on the coal, and got us out of there. He realigned, did it again, and hit the mark as he always does. Still got all his reflexes? Check. It was a good test and one he passed with flying colors.
Today, he is back in Florida where it is finally warm after an unprecedented cold snap. He drove himself down after Christmas and is having a grand old time. People asked me if I was anxious about him going back to Florida by himself. Sure I was. But he's going to be 76 in April. Who knows how many more years he can spend in sunny Florida, his favorite place to be in the winter? I want him to go and have fun for as long as he can—provided he calls me by 10 a.m. every morning. Otherwise, as he's been told, I'll call 911.
After nearly losing him a year ago today, I'm grateful for every minute we've gotten to spend together this year. I'm grateful for the months he lived with us and micromanaged my life, our summer days on the boat, our Friday lunches at the Creamery, for holidays and birthdays and dinners with the kids. Turns out Jake was right. Da was going to be just fine. Sometimes kids really do have all the answers.
"Something is wrong with your dad." That was all she said, because at that time that was all she knew. He'd sounded funny on the phone, they'd rushed over to find him still in bed at noon, talking crazy, acting crazier. They called 911 and what transpired from there was three months of hell. From what we can deduce, he got up fast from a sound sleep, his blood sugar had plummeted during the night, and he went right down, striking his head on the hard tile floor. He had suffered a massive head injury similar to that which killed actress Natasha Richardson. Luckily for him—and us—he was blocks away from a major trauma center and got speedy medical care that saved his life. We still don't know all the details, such as how he managed to get himself back into bed or what exactly happened. He doesn't remember a thing about it, which is probably just as well.
My son Jake, who is extraordinarily close to my dad, refused to hear a word about how injured my father was or that he wasn't out of the woods by a long shot. Head injuries are funny, I told him. You just never know what you'll get back on the other end. He'll be fine, Jake said, refusing to believe otherwise. He simply wouldn't consider any other alternative. I wasn't sure if he was in denial or if he knew something I didn't know. Either way, I allowed him his illusions.
A long and frustrating two weeks after the injury, my brother and I drove my dad home to Rhode Island where he lived with my family for more than two months. Both my kids loved having my dad living with us, especially Jake who found an ally in his grandfather. "Aw, let him stay up a little longer" or "Does he really need another shower?" What ten-year-old wouldn't love having his own defense attorney living with him? My dad got up early each morning to eat Rice Crispies with Jake before school. Jake hasn't had them since he left. "I only eat those with Da," he says. He will never forget those mornings with his grandfather.
It took six months for my father to acknowledge that he'd been injured in Florida. Prior to that he might say, "I did not" when we'd reference the head injury. So, to hear him say, "I hurt my head in Florida" was a big victory. Slowly, we watched him regain his strength and he returned to living independently in April, forty pounds lighter than he'd been before the injury. As his mojo returned, he started driving again and began working on his boat, getting it ready for the season. One day last summer when we were out on the big boat that only he can run, we were coming into the dock—a tight squeeze on the best of days—when an odd gust of wind hit us, carrying us away from where we wanted to be. Dad slammed it into reverse, poured on the coal, and got us out of there. He realigned, did it again, and hit the mark as he always does. Still got all his reflexes? Check. It was a good test and one he passed with flying colors.
Today, he is back in Florida where it is finally warm after an unprecedented cold snap. He drove himself down after Christmas and is having a grand old time. People asked me if I was anxious about him going back to Florida by himself. Sure I was. But he's going to be 76 in April. Who knows how many more years he can spend in sunny Florida, his favorite place to be in the winter? I want him to go and have fun for as long as he can—provided he calls me by 10 a.m. every morning. Otherwise, as he's been told, I'll call 911.
After nearly losing him a year ago today, I'm grateful for every minute we've gotten to spend together this year. I'm grateful for the months he lived with us and micromanaged my life, our summer days on the boat, our Friday lunches at the Creamery, for holidays and birthdays and dinners with the kids. Turns out Jake was right. Da was going to be just fine. Sometimes kids really do have all the answers.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Things I Don't Understand About Teenagers
As the mother of a 14-year-old daughter, who is really quite smart, funny, and an altogether good kid, I do find myself often in the company of teenagers. A few observations of some of the more mystifying traits:
1. They are never, ever, EVER cold. In what started out as a joke but took on a life of its own, Emily received about 30 pairs of socks for Christmas. Do you think she'd ever stoop to actually wearing a pair of them? Noooo. She went out yesterday in about four inches of snow in ballet flats and, you guessed it, no socks. Most of the kids in her school don't bother with winter coats because they don't want the hassle of carting them around all day (lockers are soooo last century). Another mom told me about dropping her daughter off at the same school a few years back, again with several inches of snow on the ground, and the girls were wearing flip-flops. What the hell is wrong with these people? Emily's boyfriend recently walked more than a mile in a thin sweatshirt and PJ pants (a staple of the teenage wardrobe) to visit with her. I asked him, you really like her THAT much? He just gave me a goofy grin. Again, I ask, what the hell is wrong with him? He did seem grateful when we gave him a ride home.
2. They think EVERYTHING is funny. We've come to realize that when Emily begins a sentence with the following words: "The funniest thing happened," you can almost guarantee it is not funny. Not even kinda funny. They also love to recite back comic bits from movies they've seen or episodes of Saturday Night Live (a recent discovery by our daughter who was shocked to hear we watched it when we were her age--and that back then it was actually funny). These recitations usually take place in the midst of hysterical laughter while their unappreciative (adult) audience waits for them to get to the funny part. And waits. And waits some more. Ahhh, okay. Again, not funny. However, when she busted up laughing with milk in her mouth at lunch today and milk came spewing out her nose? Now THAT was funny. Oddly, though, she didn't think so.
3. They are the smartest people in the universe. I never knew I was so stupid until I had a teenager. I mean, I am seriously, seriously stupid. Did you know? (If you are in any way related to me, do not answer that.) Emily was elected class president in September. Her first order of business was organizing a bake sale for open house. I, who work by day as the communications director for a 15,000-member national organization, suggested that she set up a Facebook page for her class so she could post regular updates and not have to make phone calls every time she needed to reach her classmates. To that she replied, "That is the worst idea I've ever heard. It's a terribly impersonal way to communicate." Oh. Okay. When one of her fellow class officers came up with the same idea a couple of months later, it was billed as brilliant. What do I know?
4. In keeping with no. 3 on my list, they are also the most technologically savvy generation ever. I mean seriously, if they weren't so self-absorbed they could take over the world. There is nothing they can't operate, manipulate, fix, reprogram, deprogram, etc. When my cell phone acts up, I hand it off to Emily. It comes back with a new ring tone I don't recognize and a silly picture of her on the wallpaper, but the problem is fixed. They master a complex cell phone or iPod or iPhone in minutes when it would take us parents years to just get started. If only they knew the power they hold in their hot little hands. Their potential is truly frightening. However, lucky for the parental generation, they are too busy texting LOL and LMAO and ROTFLMBO (see Item 2 on comedy) to their friends to realize the full scope of their power. Let's hope they don't figure it out.
5. What's up with the underwear on full display at all times? Thankfully, the girls aren't as into this trend as the boys (although the thong wearers like to make sure everyone knows they're sporting butt floss.) The boys are just ridiculous. It's called "busting a sag," or so I'm told. You've seen the pockets on the backs of thighs in the mall, right? News flash: that's not where they belong! My cousin Sue, the mother of three teenage boys, came up with the perfect solution to this issue when she was seeing more of her sons' boxers than their jeans. Digging through the dresser for her biggest pair of granny panties, she pulled them up as far over her shirt as she could get them and went walking through a family room full of her sons and their friends. MOM, they shrieked, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? If you can show me yours, she replied, I can show you mine. Ironically, that was the last she ever saw of boxer plaid hanging out the top of her sons' pants. (I'm pretty sure she cured their friends, too. They'll all be in therapy for years...) I say GOOD FOR HER. Inspired parenting at its very best!
What crazy teenager trends have you experienced? Did you know you were stupid or did it take a teenager to point it out to you? What tips do you have for surviving the teenage years?
1. They are never, ever, EVER cold. In what started out as a joke but took on a life of its own, Emily received about 30 pairs of socks for Christmas. Do you think she'd ever stoop to actually wearing a pair of them? Noooo. She went out yesterday in about four inches of snow in ballet flats and, you guessed it, no socks. Most of the kids in her school don't bother with winter coats because they don't want the hassle of carting them around all day (lockers are soooo last century). Another mom told me about dropping her daughter off at the same school a few years back, again with several inches of snow on the ground, and the girls were wearing flip-flops. What the hell is wrong with these people? Emily's boyfriend recently walked more than a mile in a thin sweatshirt and PJ pants (a staple of the teenage wardrobe) to visit with her. I asked him, you really like her THAT much? He just gave me a goofy grin. Again, I ask, what the hell is wrong with him? He did seem grateful when we gave him a ride home.
2. They think EVERYTHING is funny. We've come to realize that when Emily begins a sentence with the following words: "The funniest thing happened," you can almost guarantee it is not funny. Not even kinda funny. They also love to recite back comic bits from movies they've seen or episodes of Saturday Night Live (a recent discovery by our daughter who was shocked to hear we watched it when we were her age--and that back then it was actually funny). These recitations usually take place in the midst of hysterical laughter while their unappreciative (adult) audience waits for them to get to the funny part. And waits. And waits some more. Ahhh, okay. Again, not funny. However, when she busted up laughing with milk in her mouth at lunch today and milk came spewing out her nose? Now THAT was funny. Oddly, though, she didn't think so.
3. They are the smartest people in the universe. I never knew I was so stupid until I had a teenager. I mean, I am seriously, seriously stupid. Did you know? (If you are in any way related to me, do not answer that.) Emily was elected class president in September. Her first order of business was organizing a bake sale for open house. I, who work by day as the communications director for a 15,000-member national organization, suggested that she set up a Facebook page for her class so she could post regular updates and not have to make phone calls every time she needed to reach her classmates. To that she replied, "That is the worst idea I've ever heard. It's a terribly impersonal way to communicate." Oh. Okay. When one of her fellow class officers came up with the same idea a couple of months later, it was billed as brilliant. What do I know?
4. In keeping with no. 3 on my list, they are also the most technologically savvy generation ever. I mean seriously, if they weren't so self-absorbed they could take over the world. There is nothing they can't operate, manipulate, fix, reprogram, deprogram, etc. When my cell phone acts up, I hand it off to Emily. It comes back with a new ring tone I don't recognize and a silly picture of her on the wallpaper, but the problem is fixed. They master a complex cell phone or iPod or iPhone in minutes when it would take us parents years to just get started. If only they knew the power they hold in their hot little hands. Their potential is truly frightening. However, lucky for the parental generation, they are too busy texting LOL and LMAO and ROTFLMBO (see Item 2 on comedy) to their friends to realize the full scope of their power. Let's hope they don't figure it out.
5. What's up with the underwear on full display at all times? Thankfully, the girls aren't as into this trend as the boys (although the thong wearers like to make sure everyone knows they're sporting butt floss.) The boys are just ridiculous. It's called "busting a sag," or so I'm told. You've seen the pockets on the backs of thighs in the mall, right? News flash: that's not where they belong! My cousin Sue, the mother of three teenage boys, came up with the perfect solution to this issue when she was seeing more of her sons' boxers than their jeans. Digging through the dresser for her biggest pair of granny panties, she pulled them up as far over her shirt as she could get them and went walking through a family room full of her sons and their friends. MOM, they shrieked, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? If you can show me yours, she replied, I can show you mine. Ironically, that was the last she ever saw of boxer plaid hanging out the top of her sons' pants. (I'm pretty sure she cured their friends, too. They'll all be in therapy for years...) I say GOOD FOR HER. Inspired parenting at its very best!
What crazy teenager trends have you experienced? Did you know you were stupid or did it take a teenager to point it out to you? What tips do you have for surviving the teenage years?
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Getting Up and Getting Going
I used to be a pretty decent runner. I could do three or four miles without too much trouble. But as life and work and kids happened, somewhere along the way I quit running. It's the only form of exercise that has ever truly worked for me, meaning it's the only thing that truly shaves off the pounds. Another thing that's kept me grounded is my writing career. Writing, editing, marketing and selling books is a time-consuming proposition. I've often thought that if I could only spend a quarter of the time I spend writing on the running trail, I'd be fit enough for my liking. So all these things have gotten in the way and doing something to change that dynamic has been on my mind for some time now.
My husband Dan is a huge runner, although he's on hiatus right now recovering from achilles tendonitis. He told me a while back about a program called Couch to 5K, which takes you from couch potato to 5K runner in eight weeks. It's an interesting concept that involves intervals of running and walking, increasing time and distance over the course of the program. I decided to give it a whirl. Best of all, my kids decided to do it with me. Yay! They are at the ages now (Emily is 14 and Jake is almost 11) where it's difficult to find things we can do together where everyone is having fun. We did the first workout today and it was so fun. There was lots of laughing, especially when Emily was running circles around me. She's such a show off! Jake did really well, and kept right up with us, surging far ahead of me during the running portions. And I heard lots of details about their school days that I might've missed if we hadn't taken that half hour to spend together.
We made a pinky promise to not tell Dan that we'd started the program because he's been a total NUDGE asking when are we going to do it and how are we going to do it and where are we going to do it. He's too needy. The pinky promise lasted until dinner when Emily blew it. And she thought Jake would blab on his way to baseball practice with Dan driving him. NOT! SHE was the weakest link! Now he's going to be all up in our grill wanting to know every detail!
So, we're off and running. I'll let you know how it goes! If you've been looking for a magic bullet, check out the link. Maybe we can all do it together!
My husband Dan is a huge runner, although he's on hiatus right now recovering from achilles tendonitis. He told me a while back about a program called Couch to 5K, which takes you from couch potato to 5K runner in eight weeks. It's an interesting concept that involves intervals of running and walking, increasing time and distance over the course of the program. I decided to give it a whirl. Best of all, my kids decided to do it with me. Yay! They are at the ages now (Emily is 14 and Jake is almost 11) where it's difficult to find things we can do together where everyone is having fun. We did the first workout today and it was so fun. There was lots of laughing, especially when Emily was running circles around me. She's such a show off! Jake did really well, and kept right up with us, surging far ahead of me during the running portions. And I heard lots of details about their school days that I might've missed if we hadn't taken that half hour to spend together.
We made a pinky promise to not tell Dan that we'd started the program because he's been a total NUDGE asking when are we going to do it and how are we going to do it and where are we going to do it. He's too needy. The pinky promise lasted until dinner when Emily blew it. And she thought Jake would blab on his way to baseball practice with Dan driving him. NOT! SHE was the weakest link! Now he's going to be all up in our grill wanting to know every detail!
So, we're off and running. I'll let you know how it goes! If you've been looking for a magic bullet, check out the link. Maybe we can all do it together!
Monday, September 28, 2009
Boats, Kids, Books, TV and Sports
How does it get to be two weeks since I last posted? And yet I still have readers loyal enough to nominate my blog for one of the top 100 romance blogs on The Daily Reviewer. Thanks to whomever submitted my blog to these folks! I'm glad you find something worth coming back for despite my spotty posting. I promise to get better this fall. Honestly, I will!!
So what have I been up to? Well, you all know I love nothing more than spending time out on the water on my dad's boat. This month I've been stymied by other commitments that have kept me off the boat! I've been out exactly twice despite the gorgeous September weather--weather I might add that we were denied for most of June and July this year. The first time I went out, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, I slept most of the time as I was in full-on high school reunion recovery mode. I had stayed out until 2 am, I had drank like I drink a lot normally (I do not), and had partied, literally, like it was 1999. And I paid the next day. Big time. So that boat trip really didn't count. This past Saturday, I scored my second ride of the month, but again, it was an unconventional outing. My son had a 1 p.m. baseball game in another part of the state, about 30 minutes from home. After they got spanked 20-3, we hustled home, grabbed the daughter and the bathing suits, and rushed into Newport to meet my dad. We left the dock at 4:15, about four hours later than normal. Jake and Dan went swimming, the rest of us shivered just watching them, and we put-putted around for a couple of hours. It was great, and just what I needed. Hopefully, we can get a few more such outings in before the boat goes to bed for the winter on Oct. 19. My son Jake is famous for swimming from May to October, so we'll see if his record continues!
I've been doing a lot of reading lately, too. I devoured Lisa Kleypas's new Hathaway book, Tempt Me at Twilight. I didn't love it quite as much as some of the other Hathaway books, but that didn't stop me from reading it in 24 hours. I finally read my chapter mate Loretta Chase's classic, Lord of Scoundrels and LOVED it. I can see why it's so often talked about. Now I am reading Eloisa James' Pleasure for Pleasure. If you are seeing a pattern, you're not mistaken. My historical reading phase continues! I've been actually thinking lately that it would be fun to write one. Or not. I've also been reading my friend Cheryl Brooks' next release, Hero, and enjoying it very much. It's fun to get a sneak peek at her next book and to make all the gals on her blog jealous at the same time! In the midst of all this reading, I'm also tweaking one of my own books, See You Next Time. More to come on that soon, I hope!
TV is back! I loved the season premieres of Grey's Anatomy and Brothers & Sisters. Gasp! Kitty has cancer! Didn't see that coming! Looking forward to Private Practice this week, and must get caught up on the TiVO'd episodes of Glee, the only new show I've taken on lately. Just like every year, the TV season returns just as baseball is winding down. NY clinched the AL East yesterday after sweeping my Red Sox, but luckily the Sox are still leading the American League Wild Card race and look good to make the playoffs. And the Patriots won yesterday after a rough loss last week, so all is well in football land, too. For now anyway.
On top of all this, the kids are BUSY! WHEW!!! Teenager life continues to be an interesting experience with the Divine Ms. Em who is 14. I never knew I was so damned stupid until I had a teenager! Last week the newly minted class president was trying to organize a bake sale for open house at school by calling as many classmates as she could reach. I suggested she hit them all with one Facebook message. "That is a very inefficient way to communicate," she replied. Hmmm, as the communications director for a 15,000-member national organization, I found that humorous to say the least. I mean, seriously, what the hell do I know?
Have a great Monday!
So what have I been up to? Well, you all know I love nothing more than spending time out on the water on my dad's boat. This month I've been stymied by other commitments that have kept me off the boat! I've been out exactly twice despite the gorgeous September weather--weather I might add that we were denied for most of June and July this year. The first time I went out, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, I slept most of the time as I was in full-on high school reunion recovery mode. I had stayed out until 2 am, I had drank like I drink a lot normally (I do not), and had partied, literally, like it was 1999. And I paid the next day. Big time. So that boat trip really didn't count. This past Saturday, I scored my second ride of the month, but again, it was an unconventional outing. My son had a 1 p.m. baseball game in another part of the state, about 30 minutes from home. After they got spanked 20-3, we hustled home, grabbed the daughter and the bathing suits, and rushed into Newport to meet my dad. We left the dock at 4:15, about four hours later than normal. Jake and Dan went swimming, the rest of us shivered just watching them, and we put-putted around for a couple of hours. It was great, and just what I needed. Hopefully, we can get a few more such outings in before the boat goes to bed for the winter on Oct. 19. My son Jake is famous for swimming from May to October, so we'll see if his record continues!
I've been doing a lot of reading lately, too. I devoured Lisa Kleypas's new Hathaway book, Tempt Me at Twilight. I didn't love it quite as much as some of the other Hathaway books, but that didn't stop me from reading it in 24 hours. I finally read my chapter mate Loretta Chase's classic, Lord of Scoundrels and LOVED it. I can see why it's so often talked about. Now I am reading Eloisa James' Pleasure for Pleasure. If you are seeing a pattern, you're not mistaken. My historical reading phase continues! I've been actually thinking lately that it would be fun to write one. Or not. I've also been reading my friend Cheryl Brooks' next release, Hero, and enjoying it very much. It's fun to get a sneak peek at her next book and to make all the gals on her blog jealous at the same time! In the midst of all this reading, I'm also tweaking one of my own books, See You Next Time. More to come on that soon, I hope!
TV is back! I loved the season premieres of Grey's Anatomy and Brothers & Sisters. Gasp! Kitty has cancer! Didn't see that coming! Looking forward to Private Practice this week, and must get caught up on the TiVO'd episodes of Glee, the only new show I've taken on lately. Just like every year, the TV season returns just as baseball is winding down. NY clinched the AL East yesterday after sweeping my Red Sox, but luckily the Sox are still leading the American League Wild Card race and look good to make the playoffs. And the Patriots won yesterday after a rough loss last week, so all is well in football land, too. For now anyway.
On top of all this, the kids are BUSY! WHEW!!! Teenager life continues to be an interesting experience with the Divine Ms. Em who is 14. I never knew I was so damned stupid until I had a teenager! Last week the newly minted class president was trying to organize a bake sale for open house at school by calling as many classmates as she could reach. I suggested she hit them all with one Facebook message. "That is a very inefficient way to communicate," she replied. Hmmm, as the communications director for a 15,000-member national organization, I found that humorous to say the least. I mean, seriously, what the hell do I know?
Have a great Monday!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Book Signing Fun and Guiding Light
Thank you to Merry Cutler at Annie's Book Stop in Sharon, Massachusetts for having me back to sign this past Saturday. Emily and I had a great time meeting new readers and old friends, including Janice Gould, who has single-handedly sold about twenty copies of Line of Scrimmage. She finally bought her copy of Love at First Flight at the signing, so now I'm biting my nails waiting to hear what she thinks! Here's a photo with Sherry Prescott, who had planned to buy just L@FF until Janice "convinced" her she HAD to buy LOS, too! With fans like that, who needs marketing?
Did you see the piece on 60 Minutes last night about the end of Guiding Light's 70-year run on CBS? This coming Friday the show will go dark after more than 15,700 episodes and 4,000 more radio shows. It's the longest running show on television and it played a HUGE role in my life as a teenager. What tried and true Guiding Light fan could forget Phillip, Beth, Mindy and Rick going to the prom in 1983? Or that Phillip and Beth's song was "Truly" by Lionel Richie? Who can forget the incredible character of Reva Shane, played by the peerless Kim Zimmer? Reva's love story with Josh Lewis was full of sigh-worthy moments that stayed with me years after I stopped watching the show. I'll never forget the evil Alan Spaulding, the delightful Lillian Raines, the scrappy Harley Cooper, the dependable Frank Cooper, the Bauers, Springfield itself...
My mother didn't want me watching the soaps when I was a young teenager, so I lived for Mondays—the day she bowled and I could gorge on Guiding Light in peace. However, she'd get home like clockwork at 3:50 p.m., meaning I missed the all-important last five minutes! (Good thing she never thought to check the heat coming from the TV!) I had to call a friend to find out what happened. Even watching once a week, I found I could keep up aided by the occasional flip through Soap Opera Digest in the drug store to fill in the missing blanks. In thinking about my mother forbidding me to watch, it occurred to me that I was allowed to watch Dallas and Falcon Crest. How funny is that? They were much worse than Guiding Light! My love of the soap probably played no small role in my later career as a romance writer!
Did you ever watch Guiding Light or any of the soaps? Are there characters you've never forgotten?
Did you see the piece on 60 Minutes last night about the end of Guiding Light's 70-year run on CBS? This coming Friday the show will go dark after more than 15,700 episodes and 4,000 more radio shows. It's the longest running show on television and it played a HUGE role in my life as a teenager. What tried and true Guiding Light fan could forget Phillip, Beth, Mindy and Rick going to the prom in 1983? Or that Phillip and Beth's song was "Truly" by Lionel Richie? Who can forget the incredible character of Reva Shane, played by the peerless Kim Zimmer? Reva's love story with Josh Lewis was full of sigh-worthy moments that stayed with me years after I stopped watching the show. I'll never forget the evil Alan Spaulding, the delightful Lillian Raines, the scrappy Harley Cooper, the dependable Frank Cooper, the Bauers, Springfield itself...
My mother didn't want me watching the soaps when I was a young teenager, so I lived for Mondays—the day she bowled and I could gorge on Guiding Light in peace. However, she'd get home like clockwork at 3:50 p.m., meaning I missed the all-important last five minutes! (Good thing she never thought to check the heat coming from the TV!) I had to call a friend to find out what happened. Even watching once a week, I found I could keep up aided by the occasional flip through Soap Opera Digest in the drug store to fill in the missing blanks. In thinking about my mother forbidding me to watch, it occurred to me that I was allowed to watch Dallas and Falcon Crest. How funny is that? They were much worse than Guiding Light! My love of the soap probably played no small role in my later career as a romance writer!
Did you ever watch Guiding Light or any of the soaps? Are there characters you've never forgotten?
Monday, September 7, 2009
Movies I Could Watch Over and Over Again...
It's Labor Day and lots of great movies have been on TV this weekend. I thought it would be fun to list the movies that never grow old for me.
1. Pretty Woman. I don't know why but I still love it after a 100 viewings. I drive my family crazy reciting the lines before they say them. When my daughter came to me the night before her freshman year of high school began and wanted to match boots with shorts, Dan said, "You're the one who let her watch Pretty Woman." I said no to the combo, but I'd say YES to the movie every time.
2. The Sound of Music. It was on last night and I watched enthralled, as if I hadn't seen it 200 times before. I sang the songs and said the lines. I know... total dork, but I'm okay with that. I just LOVE IT. My father calls it "Up on the Mountain." LOL
3. The Parent Trap. Emily and I have Parent Trap movie nights quite regularly. It's on TV right now, and as always we've dropped everything to watch it. Now our love of the movie is tempered with sadness over the loss of Natasha Richardson, who was so wonderful as the mom. The other kid movies I love forever are Toy Story and Toy Story 2. I hear there's a third one coming next year. I'll be there!
4. Sex in the City. I absolutely adored the movie and it's climbed right up on my must-see list. Emily and I watched it in the hotel when we were in DC. Since she's only 14, I had to say LOOK AWAY a few times. ACK! Luckily, she has no desire to see "that stuff" yet! They are now filming Sex in the City 2. Can't wait!
5. Most of Julia Roberts' other movies: Knotting Hill, The Runaway Bride, Ocean's 11, etc. And most of Hugh Grant's movies, including Three Weddings and a Funeral, Knotting Hill, Two Weeks Notice, etc.
What do all of these movies have in common (well, except for Toy Story that is)? ROMANCE!
What are some of your favorites?
1. Pretty Woman. I don't know why but I still love it after a 100 viewings. I drive my family crazy reciting the lines before they say them. When my daughter came to me the night before her freshman year of high school began and wanted to match boots with shorts, Dan said, "You're the one who let her watch Pretty Woman." I said no to the combo, but I'd say YES to the movie every time.
2. The Sound of Music. It was on last night and I watched enthralled, as if I hadn't seen it 200 times before. I sang the songs and said the lines. I know... total dork, but I'm okay with that. I just LOVE IT. My father calls it "Up on the Mountain." LOL
3. The Parent Trap. Emily and I have Parent Trap movie nights quite regularly. It's on TV right now, and as always we've dropped everything to watch it. Now our love of the movie is tempered with sadness over the loss of Natasha Richardson, who was so wonderful as the mom. The other kid movies I love forever are Toy Story and Toy Story 2. I hear there's a third one coming next year. I'll be there!
4. Sex in the City. I absolutely adored the movie and it's climbed right up on my must-see list. Emily and I watched it in the hotel when we were in DC. Since she's only 14, I had to say LOOK AWAY a few times. ACK! Luckily, she has no desire to see "that stuff" yet! They are now filming Sex in the City 2. Can't wait!
5. Most of Julia Roberts' other movies: Knotting Hill, The Runaway Bride, Ocean's 11, etc. And most of Hugh Grant's movies, including Three Weddings and a Funeral, Knotting Hill, Two Weeks Notice, etc.
What do all of these movies have in common (well, except for Toy Story that is)? ROMANCE!
What are some of your favorites?
Friday, July 24, 2009
Another Crazy Week/RWA Photos
I keep waiting for things to slow down, but the relentless pace continues! I've been meaning all week to write and say a huge THANK YOU to all the friends who made my first blog book club meeting such a success. It was so great to have the chance to talk to you about the book (as well as potential future books) and to hear what you thought about various controversial decisions I made for Michael, Juliana, and their cast of supporting players. Readers are key to everything we do as writers, so let me say thank you again so much for your support of me and my books!! Congratulations to Pat L. who won the Love at First Flight Grand Prize Gift Basket and to all who answered the daily questions about the book on my website.
While I'm talking about readers and how much I love and adore you all, I wrote this for a blog stop at Love is an Exploding Cigar this week, but I wanted to re-run part of it here in case any of you missed it:
This last month has been an exciting whirlwind as my second book, Love at First Flight, hit the shelves. I’ve been on a “blog tour” and been part of four different book signings. I had a party for my friends and family, who are such wonderful supporters and deserve their own signing!
Then I went to RWA and experienced a major “first” in my writing career—connecting with readers who’ve enjoyed one or both of my books. Both books have been published since last year’s conference, so this was my first one as a truly published author. At the literacy signing, three women rushed up to my table just after the doors opened because they wanted me to sign copies of Line of Scrimmage. They gushed about how much they’d loved it, and by the time they were done, they had me in tears. I kept looking over my shoulder, for surely they had to be talking to one of the other authors in the huge room!? I said to them, “You ladies do know that Nora is in this room, right?” They laughed and said they’d come to see me. Overwhelming.
Another woman came up to me at the dessert reception after the RITAs to tell me she’d picked up Line of Scrimmage at the Sourcebooks signing earlier in the day and had spent hours in her room reading, skipping the sessions she’d planned to attend. Thanks for your kind words, Michele from Texas! I'm so glad you enjoyed Line of Scrimmage! Again, however, as we were talking, I wanted to glance over both shoulders to find the author she had to be talking about behind me. You mean me? There simply are no words to describe that moment of connection with a reader who truly gets what you were trying to do with a story.
This past Monday evening, I hosted a book club party on my blog where I posted questions about my new book, Love at First Flight, and encouraged readers to sound off about some of the romance rules I broke in the story. Eight minutes after the start time, no one had shown up. I was beginning to sweat. Oh well, I thought, it was worth a shot. And then they came and came and came . . . I typed like a mad woman for over an hour while my husband sat next to me on the sofa cracking up at all my muttering and sputtering. I said at the beginning I would’ve been happy with fifty comments (including my own) but ended up with nearly one hundred. This ability to interact with readers, whether in person at conferences such as RWA, or through the various blog stops, is my favorite part of this new phase in my writing career.
Technology has made the bond between author and reader so much more immediate and intimate. Over the last year, readers have become friends and frequent correspondents. They love to tell me what they liked, what they didn’t like, what made them laugh, what made them cry. Nothing is more gratifying from my end than to hear that I made them feel something, even if that something was anger.
So to all my readers out there, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have made this last year so incredibly rewarding. I'm working hard to make sure there will be more to come!
A few more fun photos from RWA:
Me with Nora Roberts. Her books made me want to be a romance writer, and it was a huge thrill to meet her in person. Did you see the photo I posted a few days ago of Nora with my daughter after the Ritas? Thrilling!
I was signing books at our Sourcebooks signing on Saturday and glanced over to see this HUGE line waiting for ME. Another pinch-me moment! Thank you to Emily, my able daughter/assistant and birthday girl, for taking this photo!
With Emily at the RITAs:
The Sourcebooks gang going to dinner:
While I'm talking about readers and how much I love and adore you all, I wrote this for a blog stop at Love is an Exploding Cigar this week, but I wanted to re-run part of it here in case any of you missed it:
This last month has been an exciting whirlwind as my second book, Love at First Flight, hit the shelves. I’ve been on a “blog tour” and been part of four different book signings. I had a party for my friends and family, who are such wonderful supporters and deserve their own signing!
Then I went to RWA and experienced a major “first” in my writing career—connecting with readers who’ve enjoyed one or both of my books. Both books have been published since last year’s conference, so this was my first one as a truly published author. At the literacy signing, three women rushed up to my table just after the doors opened because they wanted me to sign copies of Line of Scrimmage. They gushed about how much they’d loved it, and by the time they were done, they had me in tears. I kept looking over my shoulder, for surely they had to be talking to one of the other authors in the huge room!? I said to them, “You ladies do know that Nora is in this room, right?” They laughed and said they’d come to see me. Overwhelming.
Another woman came up to me at the dessert reception after the RITAs to tell me she’d picked up Line of Scrimmage at the Sourcebooks signing earlier in the day and had spent hours in her room reading, skipping the sessions she’d planned to attend. Thanks for your kind words, Michele from Texas! I'm so glad you enjoyed Line of Scrimmage! Again, however, as we were talking, I wanted to glance over both shoulders to find the author she had to be talking about behind me. You mean me? There simply are no words to describe that moment of connection with a reader who truly gets what you were trying to do with a story. This past Monday evening, I hosted a book club party on my blog where I posted questions about my new book, Love at First Flight, and encouraged readers to sound off about some of the romance rules I broke in the story. Eight minutes after the start time, no one had shown up. I was beginning to sweat. Oh well, I thought, it was worth a shot. And then they came and came and came . . . I typed like a mad woman for over an hour while my husband sat next to me on the sofa cracking up at all my muttering and sputtering. I said at the beginning I would’ve been happy with fifty comments (including my own) but ended up with nearly one hundred. This ability to interact with readers, whether in person at conferences such as RWA, or through the various blog stops, is my favorite part of this new phase in my writing career.
Technology has made the bond between author and reader so much more immediate and intimate. Over the last year, readers have become friends and frequent correspondents. They love to tell me what they liked, what they didn’t like, what made them laugh, what made them cry. Nothing is more gratifying from my end than to hear that I made them feel something, even if that something was anger.
So to all my readers out there, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You have made this last year so incredibly rewarding. I'm working hard to make sure there will be more to come!
A few more fun photos from RWA:
Me with Nora Roberts. Her books made me want to be a romance writer, and it was a huge thrill to meet her in person. Did you see the photo I posted a few days ago of Nora with my daughter after the Ritas? Thrilling!
I was signing books at our Sourcebooks signing on Saturday and glanced over to see this HUGE line waiting for ME. Another pinch-me moment! Thank you to Emily, my able daughter/assistant and birthday girl, for taking this photo!
With Emily at the RITAs:
The Sourcebooks gang going to dinner:
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Happy Birthday, Emily!
My darling daughter is 14 today and spent the day with me at the Romance Writer's conference in Washington, D.C. Look what happened tonight:
Emily met Nora Roberts!!!!!!! And congratulated her on her RITA win! Nora was so lovely when she heard it was Emily's birthday! What a thrill for all of us. Congratulations, Nora! And happy, happy birthday to my "little" girl!
More photos coming when I get home!
Emily met Nora Roberts!!!!!!! And congratulated her on her RITA win! Nora was so lovely when she heard it was Emily's birthday! What a thrill for all of us. Congratulations, Nora! And happy, happy birthday to my "little" girl!
More photos coming when I get home!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Word of the Week: Crazy!
Sorry it's been so long since I've been by to say hello! Holy MOLY, I always forget how INSANE this time of year is around here. At the top of our list of commitments last week was Emily's play. She was Frenchy in Grease and made for an adorable Pink Lady in her final performance in middle school. I still think about the moment two years ago when she stepped on stage as Ms. Darbus in High School Musical and I realized, very clearly, that this is her THING. She is truly talented and stands out from the crowd. We are proud. Can you tell? While I am in Mommy Gush Mode, Jake had a FABO baseball game on Saturday. He had a hit that made it into the outfield (a big deal for a 10-year-old) and he made a diving catch that saved two runs from scoring. The best part was the way he kept looking into his glove to make sure the ball hadn't fallen out. He was given the game ball by the coaches and floated on air for the rest of the weekend. We are proud of him, too!
Somehow I've also gotten roped into once again helping to plan my high school reunion. I was, by no means, in with the in crowd in high school (which was JUST FINE with me), so why am I doing this? Well, I helped plan the last one and was pleasantly surprised to make some new friends among the group of old acquaintances. In fact, it was more fun to PLAN the reunion than it was to ATTEND the reunion. (DOH--did I say that out loud or just think it? :-) Once again, I'm enjoying the "reunion meetings," which have become a joke with our husbands because most of the time we don't talk about the reunion. We had three meetings before we actually did anything--LOL!
May and June are the busiest months of the year at work, and we're really into the scrum of things now. My company, AGA, puts on an annual meeting for 2000 government finance professionals, and my job is to oversee all the printed stuff, including the 100+ page program, among several other publications, hundreds of signs, etc. So the requests are coming fast and furious! I also got the blogging schedule for Love at First Flight last week, which freaked me out since it kicks into gear the second I get back from AGA's meeting in New Orleans. Ack! Somehow it will all get done. Somehow. Anyone else in favor of cloning?? Show of hands?
All of this craziness is seriously cutting into my TV watching time. It's season finale time! I was really disappointed by the Brothers & Sisters finale, where nothing at all happened, but I love that show and I'll be back for more in September. Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy ended with real cliffhangers that will have me tuning in this fall. If Grey's is killing off Izzy and George, I'll miss her but not him. He's blah, does nothing for me, and I can't seem to brain scrub the oh-so-wrong image of him and Meredith attempting to fool around a few seasons ago. Ugh... Nasty! I'm going to be pissed if Derek and Meredith's wedding is ONLY the post-it note. That will NOT DO IT for me after all these years of waiting for them to get it right. Do you HEAR ME SHONDRA???? I wish I was a writer on that show! Call me if you think I can help.
I can't wait to see what happens on American Idol this week. How about you? If Adam Lambert doesn't win, it'll be a total robbery. Did you see him all but anointed on the cover of Entertainment Weekly two weeks ago? They said he's the most original Idol contestant in the show's history. I like Kris Allen a lot too, but Adam should win. Even Simon thinks so! And tonight.... drumroll please.... let the games begin again with a new season of The Bachelorette. I'm strangely, oddly, and gleefully obsessed with this show. I'm not sure what I like best--the potential for romance or the idiotic behavior of the contenders. The idiocy is definitely better when it's a houseful of catty women fighting over one guy. The guys aren't quite as unhinged but we can still expect some OH-MY-GOD-HE-DID-NOT moments! I'll be sure to mention them here!
Anyone else feel that Jon and Kate and their plus 8 used up their 15 minutes of fame about a month ago? Enough already. Who cares?
What are you watching? What did you think of the finales?
Finally, a lot of you have asked how we're doing since Consuela died. I can't believe she's already been gone two weeks. I miss her so much, and it's a lonelier around here without her, but I'm glad she's not suffering anymore. Watching her decline was almost as painful as losing her. Thanks for all the kind words and messages. It helps.
Somehow I've also gotten roped into once again helping to plan my high school reunion. I was, by no means, in with the in crowd in high school (which was JUST FINE with me), so why am I doing this? Well, I helped plan the last one and was pleasantly surprised to make some new friends among the group of old acquaintances. In fact, it was more fun to PLAN the reunion than it was to ATTEND the reunion. (DOH--did I say that out loud or just think it? :-) Once again, I'm enjoying the "reunion meetings," which have become a joke with our husbands because most of the time we don't talk about the reunion. We had three meetings before we actually did anything--LOL!
May and June are the busiest months of the year at work, and we're really into the scrum of things now. My company, AGA, puts on an annual meeting for 2000 government finance professionals, and my job is to oversee all the printed stuff, including the 100+ page program, among several other publications, hundreds of signs, etc. So the requests are coming fast and furious! I also got the blogging schedule for Love at First Flight last week, which freaked me out since it kicks into gear the second I get back from AGA's meeting in New Orleans. Ack! Somehow it will all get done. Somehow. Anyone else in favor of cloning?? Show of hands?
All of this craziness is seriously cutting into my TV watching time. It's season finale time! I was really disappointed by the Brothers & Sisters finale, where nothing at all happened, but I love that show and I'll be back for more in September. Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy ended with real cliffhangers that will have me tuning in this fall. If Grey's is killing off Izzy and George, I'll miss her but not him. He's blah, does nothing for me, and I can't seem to brain scrub the oh-so-wrong image of him and Meredith attempting to fool around a few seasons ago. Ugh... Nasty! I'm going to be pissed if Derek and Meredith's wedding is ONLY the post-it note. That will NOT DO IT for me after all these years of waiting for them to get it right. Do you HEAR ME SHONDRA???? I wish I was a writer on that show! Call me if you think I can help.
I can't wait to see what happens on American Idol this week. How about you? If Adam Lambert doesn't win, it'll be a total robbery. Did you see him all but anointed on the cover of Entertainment Weekly two weeks ago? They said he's the most original Idol contestant in the show's history. I like Kris Allen a lot too, but Adam should win. Even Simon thinks so! And tonight.... drumroll please.... let the games begin again with a new season of The Bachelorette. I'm strangely, oddly, and gleefully obsessed with this show. I'm not sure what I like best--the potential for romance or the idiotic behavior of the contenders. The idiocy is definitely better when it's a houseful of catty women fighting over one guy. The guys aren't quite as unhinged but we can still expect some OH-MY-GOD-HE-DID-NOT moments! I'll be sure to mention them here!
Anyone else feel that Jon and Kate and their plus 8 used up their 15 minutes of fame about a month ago? Enough already. Who cares?
What are you watching? What did you think of the finales?
Finally, a lot of you have asked how we're doing since Consuela died. I can't believe she's already been gone two weeks. I miss her so much, and it's a lonelier around here without her, but I'm glad she's not suffering anymore. Watching her decline was almost as painful as losing her. Thanks for all the kind words and messages. It helps.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
It's All in a Name...
Did you all see the news yesterday that Emily was knocked out of the top position as the most popular girl's name in America? Did you happen to notice that Jacob continued to reign as the top boy's name? Yes, those are my kids' names. LOL! There are six Emily's in her 8th grade class and at least four Jacobs in his 4th grade class. Back when I named my kids, I didn't know anyone who had kids with either name. Despite the "common-ness" I don't regret either name. Emily was ALWAYS my name for a girl and Jake was the only boy's name Dan and I could agree on--and Jake is eternally grateful because his father was interested in the name Cleetus for a boy--and NO, I am NOT kidding. He thought Cleet Force would be a cool name. Jake thanks God every day for his wiser, saner mother. I think we might someday have a dog named Cleetus as I had to make several concessions in rejecting my husband's very serious attempt to name my child that. I believe my exact words were, "The day you can push a 9-pound baby out your hoo-ha, you can name it Cleetus." (Luckily for me and my hoo-ha, the nine pound baby with the very large head came out via C-section, just like his sister.)
I love names and naming characters, and I love that old-fashioned names are back in vogue. Our nieces are Elizabeth, Anne, Patricia, Amy, Sara, Claire, Mary Grace and Isabel. Now those are some old names--and some of those nieces are in their 30s, so again, they were given those names before they were "back"! I have used a lot of older names in my books, as well. In fact, one of my favorite parts of writing is naming characters.
What are some of your favorite names?
I want to also say thank you for all the cards, emails, phone calls, and tremendous words of support about our recent loss. We sure miss Consuela and all her sweet, funny ways. I swear I still hear her paws clicking on the hardwood floors. We hope that she and Roscoe are having a grand reunion in dog heaven and are spending their days chasing blue racketballs and eating biscuits.
I love names and naming characters, and I love that old-fashioned names are back in vogue. Our nieces are Elizabeth, Anne, Patricia, Amy, Sara, Claire, Mary Grace and Isabel. Now those are some old names--and some of those nieces are in their 30s, so again, they were given those names before they were "back"! I have used a lot of older names in my books, as well. In fact, one of my favorite parts of writing is naming characters.
What are some of your favorite names?
I want to also say thank you for all the cards, emails, phone calls, and tremendous words of support about our recent loss. We sure miss Consuela and all her sweet, funny ways. I swear I still hear her paws clicking on the hardwood floors. We hope that she and Roscoe are having a grand reunion in dog heaven and are spending their days chasing blue racketballs and eating biscuits.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Random Musings
Let's see... What's going on? Well...
1. I've been working on some revisions that are going really well. I love the way my agent's suggestions have breathed new life into my first and most favorite book. Yay, Kevan! I'm really looking forward to seeing what she thinks of this new version.
2. The reading frenzy from vacation continues. Last night I devoured the Blaze book "Hard Wired" by Jennifer Labrecque. I loved it and highly recommend it.
3. My daughter is finishing up her middle school years by playing Frenchie in "Grease," so I'm living with her Brooklyn accent and pink wig. My son begins baseball season this week with his first game rained out as usual. I think that's the fifth straight year he's been rained out on opening day. Poor guy!
4. My 17-year-old Wonder Dog Consuela has suddenly stopped eating. How do you spell D-E-N-I-A-L? It's unbearable to see her getting so skinny. Planning to call the vet today, but I worry they will say this is end-of-life stuff, and I sooooo don't want to hear that.
5. I'm speaking at career day at the middle school in early May. Last year I split the talk about 50-50 between the day job and the book writing. The kids were fascinated by the book writing, so I guess I will focus a little more time on that this year. I also have actual books I can show them this time around, so that will make it more fun for all of us. I'm scandalized to hear that many of Emily's friends have read Line of Scrimmage. I guess that makes me the Judy Blume of the new generation--at least locally. Oy! Emily hasn't read it, and that is JUST fine with me! I know it's only a matter of time, however...
6. Finally, can we talk about American Idol? OMG, I sooooo love Adam Lambert. He's amazing. Every time he sings I get goose bumps. He HAS to win! I can't imagine him not winning. Adam, Danny, Kris and Allison are in a league all by themselves. They are so insanely talented it's not even funny. The other three (Lil, Matt and Anoop) are vulnerable. I used to really love Lil, but the judges are right about her lack of originality. All you have to do is watch Adam, Kris or Allison to see what they mean about what's missing in Lil. I hope America gets it right and that Simon doesn't regret using the judge's save on Matt, who I don't think was worth the save. What do you think?
1. I've been working on some revisions that are going really well. I love the way my agent's suggestions have breathed new life into my first and most favorite book. Yay, Kevan! I'm really looking forward to seeing what she thinks of this new version.
2. The reading frenzy from vacation continues. Last night I devoured the Blaze book "Hard Wired" by Jennifer Labrecque. I loved it and highly recommend it.
3. My daughter is finishing up her middle school years by playing Frenchie in "Grease," so I'm living with her Brooklyn accent and pink wig. My son begins baseball season this week with his first game rained out as usual. I think that's the fifth straight year he's been rained out on opening day. Poor guy!
4. My 17-year-old Wonder Dog Consuela has suddenly stopped eating. How do you spell D-E-N-I-A-L? It's unbearable to see her getting so skinny. Planning to call the vet today, but I worry they will say this is end-of-life stuff, and I sooooo don't want to hear that.
5. I'm speaking at career day at the middle school in early May. Last year I split the talk about 50-50 between the day job and the book writing. The kids were fascinated by the book writing, so I guess I will focus a little more time on that this year. I also have actual books I can show them this time around, so that will make it more fun for all of us. I'm scandalized to hear that many of Emily's friends have read Line of Scrimmage. I guess that makes me the Judy Blume of the new generation--at least locally. Oy! Emily hasn't read it, and that is JUST fine with me! I know it's only a matter of time, however...
6. Finally, can we talk about American Idol? OMG, I sooooo love Adam Lambert. He's amazing. Every time he sings I get goose bumps. He HAS to win! I can't imagine him not winning. Adam, Danny, Kris and Allison are in a league all by themselves. They are so insanely talented it's not even funny. The other three (Lil, Matt and Anoop) are vulnerable. I used to really love Lil, but the judges are right about her lack of originality. All you have to do is watch Adam, Kris or Allison to see what they mean about what's missing in Lil. I hope America gets it right and that Simon doesn't regret using the judge's save on Matt, who I don't think was worth the save. What do you think?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
