Monthly Archives: April 2015

What better to discuss than Inspiration? Indigestion? Incontinence? Illness? Wow I seem to be on a negative trend! Let’s take a deep breathe (Inhale) and talk about what Inspires us. In writing, in life

I was looking for a way to share this video for my Heroine blog yesterday but got bogged down. Today I found it on YouTube (YAAA You Tube!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17-j6sWOmNY

Not only is the message of “You CAN take care of yourself” valuable, (although running away is a much better option if you can!) But the blase expression on the part of the woman (IN HEELS!) is inspirational when it comes to building a self confident character.

Obviously I like to share music, especially when the songs help me tell a story. I don’t always hear the ‘in’ songs when they’re new. But they do come to my attention eventually. Like this one, from Canadian singer Dan Hill (my Canadian friends groaned when I asked if they’d heard of him…apparently a bit TOO MUCH):

Because…it’s beautiful, and it inspires me to keep writing about people who are afraid to reach out and dare to love  “Romance and all it’s strategies leaves me battling with my pride….” Oh yeah.

Seeing cross country jumps inspires me to start back riding horses, but then reality comes crashing down. Those days are in the past…but I can write about them, can’t I?

What inspires you?

H…just look at those proud uprights, arms in the air. That flash of VICTORY.

When I think of HEROINE in a book, I don’t mean the lovely, blushing virginal female who needs to be rescued after she did something incredibly stupid. (DON’T GO INTO THE SWAMP.) I’m thinking more of the female who goes into the swamp even when she’s afraid of mud, because she is needed.

From the 1990 film “Pretty Woman”: Edward Lewis: So what happens after he climbs up and rescues her? Vivian: She rescues him right back.

YES

For Vivian, Edward found the courage to dare heights. For Edward, Vivian found the courage to move on from her past and become the best she could be.

I write about people finding each other, often at the absolutely worst time. Romance. My heroes tend to be men who have seen too much, and suffer quietly. My heroines tend to be stubborn about taking care of themselves, and trying to protect. For Kendra, MY KILLER MY LOVE it was a sacred forest. For Bethany, TEACH ME TO FORGET it was the people whose stories could be so easily lost. For Sydney, A QUESTION OF HONOR it’s Devin, and Stormhaven.

I’m pretty proud of these heroines, and their stories. Then, I met KIMMER REED. Kimmer showed up in the Silhouette Bombshell line, September 2009. Kimmer didn’t wait around to be rescued, she took care of herself and those she cared about. When someone stepped over the line, she shot up his car (great visual, standing on top of his precious car and blowing his engine away) Here she is.

Yeah, one of DORANNA DURGIN’S HUNTER AGENCY books.

Now THAT’s a heroine!

Who are your favorite heroines?

Here we have F…standing on one leg, all proud and balanced. Many words start with F, not all of them suitable for all readers. But we also have Family. Friends. Feminists. Hmmm

I have been blessed with my born into, married into, and chosen families. I’ve had close friends and distant friends and friends I did not value enough when I knew them. I’ve had friends who agreed with me and friends who delighted me with robust arguments.

I’ve had friends I’ve lost and friends who are still with  me. Two legged and four legged. Male and Female. Any and all types, preferences, nationalities. I am the richer for all of them, and hope to increase their numbers.

Feminists…Feminism. By now I’m sure you know I can fall into a rant about how women are treated and have been treated. Through the ages and up to now, women and children draw the short straw when it comes to safety and success.

However.

Throughout history, one side wins, one side loses. The losing side, if not eradicated to the last person, becomes a spoil of war. Enslaved, sold off, perhaps used and discarded. If the winning side was led by a woman, I’m not all that sure the results would be that much different. We are a competitive species, with a tendency to become savage at the oddest of times.

All of which goes back to yesterday’s musings, on Education. Find it, absorb it, share it.

I’ll be hanging out with my friends, sharing a bit of wine or coffee, and definitely stimulating conversation.

the Circle M Ranch is in those mountains

How’s this Sunday going for you? Gathered with family and friends to hunt eggs and share good food, good fun? Wonderful. Family (born or made) and Friends matter. Seriously matter. Hold on to them while they’re here.

Me? I’m enjoying the push into Spring. Might be jumping the season a bit, short sleeves and shorts are a little ambitious for

a visual from last time…this time I’m using a whole chicken!

breezy 60 degree days. Got chilled enough to cover up more, and haul out the crock pot for some CHICKEN MOLE. Oh yum. Sundays are a break from A to Z blogging. Great fun, and really makes me think.

A week or so ago I was thinking about this song. I found it sung by various artists, then I found Dolly Parton. Just When I Needed You Most. People don’t always leave of their own accord but it can hurt no matter why they leave.

Here’s something I found on good ol’ FaceBook, as kind of a counterbalance

I don’t think I could advise any better. Could you?

D, plump letter with a strong back. Often used to indicate a bit of a smile. Designation for a larger than comfortable bra cup, and when you start multiplying those D’s you run into some difficulties.

We could talk about DOGS…too easy. DANDELIONS…critical to life cycles. Oooh, DRAGONS..nah, over done although I totally love dragons.

What about…Dawn?

SO many choices here..let’s go with Cat Stevens there in front of us…Tom really liked his work…gotta shut off YouTube or I’ll spend all night listening.

I don’t have much choice about sleeping in. The dogs know how long they’ve been inside and when they NEED to go out. Dawn can easily become chaotic! Somewhere between 6 and 6:30 AM I’m achieving vertical status. As long as my head can remain above my feet, it’s a good day.

Living as I do at 6500′ plus, with well placed neighbors, I have space around me to stretch out and greet the morning

Dawn brings new opportunities, new chances. My writing is best at dawn, and life is the start of another adventure. Watching the landscape respond to the sun’s greeting is a never ending fascination.

No matter what time of year, every sunrise is a new adventure.  Don’t miss greeting each new day.

Hope you enjoy, and you have the opportunity to say GOOD MORNING for a long long time.

Ah, C. An open circle. A hug in the making. Representing so many influences in my life. Should I talk about my CAT, trying to trip me if I take too long a step? Or maybe CHOCOLATE, that nirvana of food (I do have a great low carb Chicken Mole) Nah, KITT CRESCENDO handled chocolate masterfully. I would discuss cancer but I can not do so and pretend to be polite. Too many friends, too many losses.

Which leaves…coffee. MMMMM, COFFEE. As I explained when I visited ALLY SHIELDS earlier in the year “Ah coffee, the nectar of life. I drink it hot. I drink it cold. In an emergency I would not be surprised if I drank from a pot three days old. I draw the line at old enough to have floating organisms and I just can’t agree with certain brands being the best part of waking up, or good to the last drop. I have a Keurig, a French press, and a drip coffee maker. Oh, and several cones with filters. Just in case I’m isolated by a flood or blizzard.”

I generally wake up in the dark and stagger to the kitchen to let the first group of Salukis out. On the way, I click on my

Faerie Queene

Keurig. The first cup is hot water. The second cup is water with apple cider vinegar (insert face mashed together while I shudder a bit) or sometimes lemon juice.

Then I drop my first pod into the one cup coffee miracle. I use this ORGANIC coffee in biodegradable pods. So I don’t worry so much about all that plastic stuff (I could use c**p here, in keeping with the letter of the day!) ending up in land fills. All mine end up in eventual garden plots along with the rest of my kitchen detritus. Amazon delivers eighty pods monthly. It’s almost enough. Hmm now I see I can get 120 pods delivered, for less than $2.00 additional. Interesting, I’ll have to look at that later.

Good Morning, have you had your coffee yet?

My first cup is black. Ahhh, bliss. Some of the brain cells start to fire in earnest. Eventually in between goofing with the ‘lukis and checking e-mail I move on to BPC…Bullet Proof Coffee, a low carb treat of coffee, quality butter, coconut cream. Yeah, high fat, but low carb and a great way to ease into the rest of the day.

In a pinch I’ll drink drive through coffee, or maybe hit Starbucks. Not for the blends, but for a cup of what’s on tap, then I add nutmeg or cinnamon and a touch of cream.

Yep, keeps me going.

What are your choices in favorite beverages of the day…starts with C or not?

Ah B. Such a lush, round letter, cinched in at the middle. A cheerful sound: “B.”

I could write about the plight of the BEES, which becomes more grim each day. Or about BUTTER or BACON, part of my low carb eating. Oh yum.

But…no. Although now that I think about it, I better take that package of bacon out of the freezer so I can have some for breakfast.

Done, and more coffee is in my cup.

My choice for B has to be my publisher, BLACK OPAL BOOKS

I’ve been writing full length books since 1985. Not great books, necessarily. Some not even very good. But writing. Occasionally I sent them off to agents and publishers. Contests also although generally of the three judges, two would love it and the third would worry about my heroes being too harsh and my heroines too strong. My ego, never really strong, took a nose dive. I still wrote but the resulting books stayed in my computer.

Digital publishing started to take off, small and not so small presses began to crop up. I saw a message about a new publisher. I liked what I was reading and in spite of the dire warnings (they’re new, wait a few years) I sent in a manuscript, then left for a three day dog show. The submission advice said to give it a month to six weeks so I wasn’t going to think about my book. Really, I wasn’t.

I didn’t open the e-mail while we were showing. Anything reply that fast could only be a rejection, right? So I waited until we were home, the dogs settled, and things calmed down (all relative since chaos is a way of life for us.) I opened the message. It’s in another computer, but what I remember:

“We think you are a good writer, and would like to publish your book”

I stared at the screen. Exited e-mail. Went back on. The words were the same.

I printed it out. Words were the same. I showed the printed version to my husband who agreed the words he read were the words I read. And I had such a Sally Fields moment (They LIKE me)

My own life took a nose dive just a few months later, but My Killer My Love  came out that May.

Teach Me to Forget came out the next May. That would be 2012. While I was adjusting to my new life, I would occasionally pitch an idea to Lauri, and she would invariably say “send it, whenever you’re ready.”

I guess I was ready last year. A Question of Honor comes out this May, and the next Stormhaven Love Story will come out later, if I can get it polished and sent soon.

Sure there are other publishers, big and small. And maybe I could make more money elsewhere. I’m not sure I could do better, or have a better fit for me. As I listen to the woes from my writer friends about lack of control or interference in their writing voice, I know I’m where I want to be.