Can a Hero have Tears...

..without looking like a clown?

As I've mentioned before, I live with my husband (Surfer Guy) and Son1 and Son2 and their many male companions who toss balls, leave wet towels on the pool deck, and go through as many drinking glasses in a day as I have pairs of shoes (A LOT). Whenever I watch a dramatic movie, a pivotal sports event, and yes, even a sentimental commercial, they will turn to me as one, and in the same incredulous tone ask, "Are you crying?"

Yes! Yes, I'm crying!

We've just come off that particularly emotional graduation/end-of-school-year season. I feel the sting of Pavlov tears the instant I hear the opening bars to Green Day's "I Hope You've Had the Time of Your Life." And there's my oh-so-helpful XY buddies peering at me with that funny little smile of theirs. "Are you crying?"

Yes! Yes, I'm crying!

(Surfer Guy puts together a group from his AP Calculus class every year for Battle of the Bands right before graduation. I confess that hearing them play "Build Me Up Buttercup" had me sniffling, so it's not just the song itself, but the ending that it represents.)

So maybe it's the fault of all that incredulity or those little smiles that I gave a few tears to the guy in the book I'm writing. He has a reason to be emotional. He's been holding back feeling things for years. And maybe I like to believe that sometimes a man can get a lump in his throat and wet eyelashes and not lose an ounce of his masculinity. So...

Yes! Yes, he's crying!

Do the men in your life ever shed a tear? Are you turned off by a hero in a romance novel who does? One lucky commenter will win an autographed copy of a Christie Ridgway book.
P.S. I'm afraid of clowns. You?

Meet Jules Bennett/Vacation?/A Drawing!

It’s my pleasure to introduce you to Jules Bennett, a licensed hair stylist, mom of two gorgeous girls, and a writer!  I don’t know how she does it all, but I’m certain you’ll enjoy this peek into her life.  Let’s give Jules a big welcome!

“Get the crayons out of your nose!” 

“Why are there fries between your toes?”

“Stop kicking the back of my seat!”

“Don't even look at her. Don't touch her. Don't breathe in her direction!”

Yes, that is just a sample of the staple of parental statements on a vacation. A vacation that totaled 23 fun-filled, quality time hours.

Oh, did I mention this trip involved 2 toddlers ages 2 and 4? And when we arrived at our beach house we were joined by 2 more toddlers ages 18 months and 3? Didn't I pay for a VACATION?

The first day we were there we took the girls to a small little deli for a nice lunch. Well, when the waiter came around to ask about refills, my 4 year old promptly looks over at me and says, “Is that a boy or a girl?”

Awkward? Just a wee bit:)

I then tried to take my children out while my husband was golfing. We were on the hunt for a Father's Day gift. Well, my 2 year old's asthma was not cooperating and my 4 year old wanted a nap. Of course, they were fine in the car on the way to the mall, just not so fine once we entered the store. So, while I'm wrestling the youngest from the buggy, I ask my oldest to please hold it still. Yeah, that didn't happen. She accidentally rammed it into another lady's cart while my youngest is screaming because she's having a breathing issue. The annoyed shopper rolls her eyes, gives a big huff and makes a huge production of jerking her cart around mine. Of course, I secretly wanted my daughter to hit her in the behind with the buggy, but I think we left our mark on that store and overstayed our welcome:)

Moving on...Now we're putt-putting. My children are loving it. I'm really glad because this was the farthest from a vacation I've ever had. Did I mention I worked the whole time? I love my work, but it was certainly trying when I had no sitter I could take them to during the day so I could write.

Oh, I digress. Putt-putting. About halfway through there are concrete animals that are about 5-6 feet tall. My girls want to sit on them. We hoist them up and take pictures. Well, they were waiting on mommy or daddy to pop a quarter in so they could ride the animals. Ahem...revert back a couple sentences to the fact these things are CONCRETE! So, now we have a meltdown and are holding up the family putt-putt line. Just another place we left our mark.

Trust me, you don't even want me to get into the restaurant fiascoes. Toddlers. Enough said.

On the way home, God what a nightmare, we opted to drive straight through so of course we get behind every wreck known to man. Oh, and those lovely orange barrels that block one lane so families are forced extra quality time when the traffic is bottle-necked.

Ahh...the joys of summer vacation. I love, love, love family time with my husband and girls, but I think we'll stick to little weekend trips like we've been doing.

One other point I forgot to mention was the heat index. 107! Dear Lord, even the water was hot. Ocean, pool. Didn't matter.

I never thought the highlight of my trip would be coming home, but I'm so happy to be back to my routine and spending my days off just playing in the backyard in sandboxes or the pool. I'm a simple gal...I'll just vacation at home:)

Do you have a childhood vacation memory or an instance with your own children? I'd love to hear it! I'll be giving away an autographed copy of my March AND April Silhouette Desire releases, SEDUCING THE ENEMY'S DAUGHTER and FOR BUSINESS...OR MARRIAGE?

 

Can’t wait to hear your stories! 

Hugs,

Jules Bennett

Married to her high school sweetheart, mother of two toddler girls, full-time beautician and full-time author, Jules Bennett isn't afraid to tackle life's blessings head on. Her debut Silhouette Desire, SEDUCING THE ENEMY'S DAUGHTER, was released in March 2010. She has a total of 4 releases this year and is working on her 2011 releases. You can visit her website www.julesbennett.com for more info about Jules, her upcoming releases, to join her Yahoo! group and more!

Stardom. . . Redeemed

Some years back I abandoned Tom Cruise to his fate and swore off his movies. Ugh. Just couldn't separate actor from "star." And there was plenty of the "star" that I found unpalatable and just plain disagreeable. Arrogance, inflated self-importance, nutty ideas, condescencion. Need I go on? And America and Hollywood seemed to fall out of love with the actor just as I did. He lost popularity and contracts and a couple of his movies semi-tanked. . . and even a semi-tank is disastrous for a star of his magnitude.

The last movie I saw with him was "Valkerie," where he lost an eye, tried unsuccessfully to blow up Hitler, and then died. Not a big winner. He wasn't Tom Cruise, he was a place holder. I knew I was supposed to be involved in his character's fate, but I wasn't. It was still Tom Cruise and I wasn't a fan. Plus, the movie ended with all the good guys dying. Who the heck in Hollywood thought THAT would be a raging success? Even "Schindler's List" gave us hope that some of the good people would survive!

Anyway. . . time marches on and when I saw the trailer for "Knight and Day", it was. . . surprisingly interesting. Humor. There would be humor. And action. I am a sucker for action, especially done with humor and style. So I slated it for a Friday night and waited. And after last Friday night, I am happy to report, I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! REALLY GOOD MOVIE!

It was a romantic action comedy. . . told with a narrative style that had us skipping over the messy details and landing in the fun action again. . . with character development and everything! Plus, the chemistry between Cameron Diaz and Tom was lovely. Just the right balance between ditzy modern girl in search of something and serious-but-off-the-nut spy in need of. . . something. That something turns out to be each other. Nice. Very nice.

Lots of sexual tension, but not a lot of steamy action-- fine for the teenage nieces and nephews who accompanied us. And laughs. . . the guys in the audience laughed quite a bit and the gals giggled at the nuttiness that was actually fairly believable. In short, my kind of story. Totally. Even the bulls.
And each character grew. . . especially Cameron. She began to own her "skills" and to participate and got to kick butt with Tom in the end. You could see respect and affection growing amid the crazy pace of action. And every time things started to get romantic-- like on a remote idyllic island-- something happened to interrupt, something plausible, and we were off and running again! Great timing and wonderful scenery. Romance and adventure. Gimmmmmeeee more!

So, to make a long story short-- Tom Cruise is back on my "to see" list. He has been redeemed in my eyes. At least as long as he doesn't go dark and weird on me again. And I started to think about forgiveness and about how we should allow people in our lives to recant, recoup and be redeemed. . . whether it's a friendship, a relationship, or a painful family situation. . . we need to make room for change in our hearts and lives. Even for fallen stars.

Yes, there are plot holes in the movie, but they're handled in amusing and interesting ways. Yes, it's a little over the top, but the characters seem so genuine that they get by with it. PLUS they were smart enough to use TANGO music as the score for much of the suspenseful parts! And it worked like magic! So much so that I kinda want to see it again. .. if just to make sure I wasn't imagining how good I thought it was.
Any of you see it? What did you think? And to think that most of America went to see Adam Sandler and the goofs in Grown-Ups this weekend. They missed a golden opportunity in not seeing Knight and Day, instead.

What about you? Any stars you can't abide seeing? Any whose off-screen lives/behavior taints their performances? What would it take for you to want to see them on the screen again?

Winner of Outdoor Wedding Prep and Update!

The winner of my Outdoor Wedding Prep blog is Stephenia! Please contact me at leannebbb @ aol.com (no spaces). For those of you who have been keeping up with the wedding, I wanted you to know that I not only brought a change of panties, I brought a change of dress. And I'm glad I did because I changed out of my yellow dress after the ceremony. It became two-toned from my sweat! I sweated more during this wedding than I did walking a half-marathon on Labor Day in Virginia Beach! That said, the cermony was beautiful. My niece smiled and laughed with joy the entire time. Above is my before (sweat) ceremony pic. Below is my after pic in my house frau dress I picked up at discount the day before.

Isn't the bride beautiful?!!!! And below is just one of my fave pics from the wedding. It's my treat for you.:)

Irreverent

That pretty much describes my sense of humor. Maybe with a pinch of snark. A swirl of sarcasm. Mix together and back away slowly :)

So given my irreverent sense of humor, I'm a sucker for the t-shirts with pithy sayings on them. If left to my own devices, that's all I'd have in my wardrobe, so it's just as well that I hate to shop. That means I'm not often close to temptation.

The writers among us will recognize a few sayings we see emblazoned on other authors' shirts:

--Nothing bad happens to a writer. It's all material.

--Careful. You might end up in my novel.

--In my book, I've already killed you three times.

--Romance Writers: Turning frogs into princes on a daily basis.

--You're just jealous because the voices are talking to ME.

But apparently there are top ten lists for funny t-shirts. Who knew, right? Do any of these yank at your funny bone?

--Hard work pays off in the long run, but procrastination pays off now! (words I live by!)

--In America anyone can be president. That's one of the risks you take.

--Always remember you're unique. Just like everyone else.

--I don't have a license to kill. I have a learner's permit.

--I don't need your attitude, I have one of my own.

--Morons enjoy this t-shirt. I'm glad you like it.

--I'm back by popular demand.

--Silence is golden. Duct tape is silver.

--Jesus loves you. But I'm his favorite.

--Jesus is coming. Look busy.

--Don't make me violate my probation.

--Paddle faster. I hear banjos.

--I love cats but I can't eat a whole one.

--If it weren't in the gutter, my mind would be homeless. (Ah, an idea for my hubby's birthday!)

--The police never think it's as funny as you do.

--Half the people you know are below average.

--Most people with low self-esteem have earned it.

--I don't have A.D.D. I'm just...Hey, look! A bird! (Do you have to be a teacher to think this is funny?)

--Cancel my subscription. I'm tired of your issues.

--Madness takes its toll. Please try to have exact change.

--...And if I did get smart with you, how would you know?

--Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.

--Save your breath. You'll need it to blow up your date.

--A clear conscience is usually the sign of a bad memory.

Do you have an irreverent saying on a t-shirt, coffee mug, or bumper sticker? If you could special order one of these t-shirts, what saying would you put on it?

Winner of Susan Lyons' book is...

ARMENIA!

Please email toastfaery@gmail.com with your snailmail address.

Congrats!

Outdoor Wedding Prep and a Drawing!

Outdoor Wedding Prep

Help! My niece is getting married. I'm so thrilled for her. Her fiance makes her laugh and she's happier than I've ever seen her in her entire life. I'm also super pleased and honored to be part of this special celebration. The wedding will take place in a beautiful plantation-style setting outdoors. The problemwith the outdoors thing is that the temperature is likely to be right around 92 degrees.

I want to dress nicely, but I also want to stay as cool as possible. Okay, so cool is too ambitious. How about not turn into one hot mess before the wedding ceremony is over? Given my state of hormonal fluctuation (read: hot flashes), this is going to take a plan, so I'm calling on the Riders A-TEAM.
Here's what I've got so far:
1.A sleeveless dress.
2. No stockings. I -may- apply some sunless tanner because I shouldn't and won't tan.
3. I purchased a personal fan at CVS and made sure it's in working order. My husband laughed, but I bet he'll be begging me for it.:) (I used the fan tonight at an outdoor concert 99.9 % of the time. I could have sold
it for $50.00)
4. I think I'm going to have to put up my hair, and I'm not particularly skilled at that kind of thing, so I bought a Goody Spin Pin.
5. TMI alert. I googled best deodorant and it's a tie between Secret Flawless Renewal Invisible Solid and Secret Clinical Strength. The latter will prevent a gorilla in rage from perspiring.

Do you think anyone will notice if I drop ice cubes down the front of my dress? Do you think the bride will mind if I bring in an extra fan with an extension cord? Any recommendations for easy, cute updos? Any
recommendations period?

I'll draw a name from your posts and send a book!

xo,

Leanne www.leannebanks.com

Guest: Susan Lyons

Please welcome Susan Lyons to the convertible today.  After reading her post, I'm already sitting up straighter.  Dare I even consider going outside for a walk?  ;-)

Take Care of You!

Recently, a writer posted to one of my loops that she was spending so much time at the computer that she was popping acetaminophen like jelly beans. That reminded me of the days I used to pop over-the-counter acetaminophen with codeine because it was the only thing that would even dull my constant headaches. And yet today I work, for the most part, pain free or close to it. You can imagine what a huge difference that makes to my state of mind, and my creativity.

Our anatomy evolved over a very long time, and it’s been only an eye’s blink of that time since we’ve become mostly sedentary. Our bodies were designed to be physically active, and most of us are anything but.

I’m a writer. What with writing, some day job consulting work, email, and all the admin, promo, and bookkeeping work that goes with running my own business, I’m probably at the computer 9-10 hours a day. I probably sit for another 3-4 hours a day. How about you? How many hours a day do you spend sitting on your butt? And how healthy do you feel?

I’d like to share the suggestions that I, and various other people on that loop, came up with, and I’d like to hear yours. (There’s a free book in it for you!)

CAUTION! Every body is different. What helps one person might injure another. If you try different exercises, office configurations, or treatments, ease into them and see how you feel before diving in whole-heartedly. If you have significant physical issues, consult your doctor.

Now, here are some suggestions:

·      Stay hydrated. Drink lots of water. Caffeine dehydrates you.

·      Get lots of sleep.

·      Pay attention to your posture.

·      Get your eyes checked regularly.

·      Have an ergonomic work setup that’s good for your body. Check out this article: http://www.office-ergo.com/conventi.htm

·      Invest in a chair that’s good for you.

·      Vary where and how you work: desk, coffee shop, laptop in the living room (maybe try a lap desk), high chair at the kitchen island. 

·      Try working standing up. Consider using a treadmill under your desk: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/treadmill-desk/mm00706

·      At least every half hour, focus for at least 30 seconds on something that’s a different focal length than your computer and preferably is relaxing (e.g., trees outside the window, a painting on your wall).

·      At least every half hour (set a timer), get up, move around, and stretch. Alternate desk work with activities like housework and gardening.

·      Stretch throughout the day – e.g., see http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-While-Sitting-at-Your-Computer and http://exercise.about.com/od/flexibilityworkouts/tp/officestretches.htm. Yoga is great too.

·      Walk, swim, or cycle regularly. Aerobic is terrific, but even a 10 minute walk a couple of times a day is great. Walk whenever you can (e.g., to the grocery store), but be careful how much weight you carry, and how you carry it.

·      Schedule regular workouts to strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, and work off stress – whether it’s on the yoga mat in front of the TV or at a fitness club.

·      Do exercises for carpel tunnel and repetitive strain. This book has been recommended to me: http://www.rsi-relief.com/product/1572240393-conquering-carpal-tunnel-syndrome-and-other (and check out this free download for computer users: http://www.selfcare4rsi.com/).

·      Consider visiting a massage therapist, a physiotherapist, and/or a chiropractor. For me, one visit to the chiro can save me days or weeks of pain.

·      Relax in the bathtub (and Jacuzzi and hot tub if you’re lucky enough to have them).

·      Use heating pads, bean bags you can warm up, or gel packs you can heat or chill.

The thing that made the biggest difference for me was finding a personal trainer who, over the course of months, gave me a progressive set of exercises and stretches to build me up and maintain me. If I stretch every day and do half an hour of her exercises 3-4 times a week, I will be pain free 80-90% of the time, which is pretty awesome.

Staying fit takes time, and it’s time away from the computer. It may cost money, too. But think of how much time you lose when you’re flat on your back with muscle spasms, how much money you spend on painkillers, and how much mental focus and creativity you lose when you’re in pain. Good health is worth it! 

Now I’d like to hear from you. Do you have tips to share for those of us who spend a good part of our day sitting on our butts? One person who comments will win an autographed copy of my second Wild Ride to Love book, Love, Unexpectedly.

Bio:

Susan Lyons, who also writes as Susan Fox, is the award-winning author of sexy contemporary romance that’s passionate, heartwarming, and fun. She is published by Kensington Brava, Kensington Aphrodisia, Berkley Heat, Harlequin Spice Briefs, and The Wild Rose Press. A resident of both Vancouver and Victoria, B.C., Susan has degrees in law and psychology but would far rather be writing fiction than living in the real world. 

Ready ... Set ... It's Summer!

Yesterday was the official first day of summer and for some reason it feels to me as if the season is already half over. Maybe it's because my son's last day of school was only a little more than a week ago, on 6/11, shortening his time off. Maybe it's because the weather here in Minnesota has been ... odd, first hot then cold then rainy ... spring weather. Maybe it's because I know that these next 2 1/2 months are going to be very busy writing months (workaholic tendencies kicking in). In any case, I feel the end of summer already looming.

Crazy, I know, but along with that feeling comes a sense of - almost - panic. Why? Because my summers often come to a close with a list of unfulfilled expectations. I didn't do this and that and the other thing because of this and that and the other thing. Then invariably, as fall approaches, I'm hit with a sense of remorse because many of those undone things involve my kids and they'll be heading off to school.

Well, not this summer. This summer, I'm starting off with a list in the hopes that setting a plan in motion!

This summer, I will:

1. Go to the Minneapolis Institute of Arts with my son. (This has been on my list for a good year or more.)

2. Spend at least one day shopping and hanging with my daughter. (I'd love to make it 2 or 3 days, but goals should be realistic, right?)

3. Relax on the beach for a few days with my family. (We have a week at a lake cabin already scheduled, but the key will be the RELAXING part!)

4. Go to the Basilica Block Party. (Buy tickets this week!)

5. Go mountain biking with my son at least once. (I'd love to do this 2 or 3 times, but we get back to that realistic thing.)

6. Get up to my hometown at least once. (Realistic. Again.)

7. Have a couple campfires out back with family and friends. (Gotta get my S'more fix somehow since my camping days are over.)

That's it, I think. Doesn't seem overly optimistic, does it? So before summer slips away from all of us, how 'bout you? What are you planning for your summer? And is there any must-do I'm missing?





Oh, and I almost forgot. Got my new cover for my November Super a couple days ago. Shhh, I'm not really supposed to have it yet, but waddya think?

Happy Summer Solstice, all!
Helen

Diabolical. . . spunk.

Over the weekend I finally came up with the recipe for characters that enthrall and enchant me. And it all started (Thank you, Ms. Hauf!) with these guys!

There is absolutely nothing like DIABOLOCAL SPUNK to make my tummy warm and my toes curl with pleasure. Usually it's a villain that overshadows the hero. . . with style and a sense of humor, albeit a warped one. Occasionally it is a character that what I call a Secondary Delight. You know: that character who grabs the spotlight and steals the show. . . makes you want more, makes you imagine a whole storyline around them. . . with them somehow coming out on top.

And the few times where the hero or heroine is the diabolically spunky character-- well I just want more and more. It's hard to find a book with a truly diabolically spunky hero or heroine. . . because heroes have to do what heroes/heroines do, which is carry the arc of the story on their backs, grow, develop, tend the plot, create life-changing bonds with mates, and bring the story to a satisfying conclusion. And hey, that's plenty for one character to do! So, adding diabolical spunkiness to the mix-- well that's just waaaay past most writers' skill level. And yes, I'm serious about that.

Think about it-- it's incredibly rare to find a character who is a devious delight and who also engenders sympathy and deserves a great love story. The ONE character I can think of who made me feel this way wasn't in a book, much less a romance. It was the infamous Spike from Buffy, The Vampire Slayer. Tell me you didn't just melt when he came on the tube. And yet we laughed at his antics and were horrified by his deviousness-- but had to admire it all the same.
I watched "The Empire Strikes Bac" again for the first time in 15 or 20 years and was struck by how much I mis-remembered the story and the fabulous chemistry generated by Han Solo. In the scheme of things, he's a secondary character-- but he not only steals the show, he steals the heroine and the viewer's hearts! Tell me he isn't the epitome of diabolical spunk!
And who could possibly forget Johnny Depp in this diabolically spunky role:
It seems that Hollywood does a better job of capturing the edgy, attractive character than Romance writing does. Some of the stuff Johnny Depp does is decidedly UNheroic. But in the end, he usually comes through, redeems himself in our eyes and swaggers on. Wow. Makes me want to time travel to the 18th century. Almost.

Another diabolically spunky character from Hollywood's vaults is Eddie Murphy in "Beverly Hills Cop." And of course there is the one who started it all for me. . . Allan Rickman as the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves. In that one performance, Rickman branded on my writer's psyche a template for delight of the naughty/edgy/never-gonna-be-ready-for-Sunday-School kind. If I ever meet Allan Rickman, I intend to drag him down a dark alley and give him just what Maid Marion wouldn't. Okay, I'd probably just give him a big old hug. . . and I'd have to live with the restraining order afterward, but it would be worth it!

And going back further in time. . . there was this guy. . . cool, devious, funny, and always triumphant.


So what about you? Have you figured out what kind of character makes your juices boil and touches your heart at the same time? What is your FAVORITE kind of character? And why do you think that appeals to you?

And as Bugs would say, "Ain't life grand?"

Honeysuckle Wars: Part Deux

I said I'd report back, and here I am, back from the vanguard.  The troops arrived in a tiny mesh bag.  The clerk at the store gave it a shake.  Only a few were actually crawling around, the rest look dead.  "They just got out of the fridge," she said.  "Give them a bit to warm up."  Uh-huh.  So I took them home, and Maxwell made it his duty to watch over them while they 'warmed up'.

Four hours later about a third had warmed up.  I believe about half were dead.  Sigh...  But worry not!  The package said ladybugs are very territorial.  Can you imagine?  Two ladybugs meet on a leaf.  "Dude, get off my leaf or I will cut you!"  So the directions said to put them out sparingly, which was their sneaky way of saying 'we know half will be dead; you didn't need that half anyway'.

So we sparingly sprinkled out the troops.  Which was easier said than done.  They didn't want to leave their mesh bag, and same had to be pried out.   Here are the troops, er, troop.

We watched this guy crawl right over an aphid.  Go, troops!  But if you'd spent all your time in a fridge, how would you know what was good to eat, eh?  I had The Boy dump all the dead ones on top of the vine in the hopes that a few live ones would latch on and start gobbling up the enemy.  Alas...the fallen...

Not alive, totally dead.  If you had spent a week in a fridge you probably wouldn't be much more active either.  

So inspection the following morning determined not a single live ladybug stuck around for the party.  And is that a new patch of aphids?

Weekend extra: What was he thinking?

I posted this photo of Sly with my blog the other day and captioned it:
"Attitude, I gots it!)


















So many people got a kick out of it that I asked for more caption suggestions on my facebook page. Wow. Did they come through.
So just for fun, here are some of the many GREAT captions suggested.

"I guess you can take my picture my adoring fans need to see me!!!" - Natoi

Also from Natoi, "This is not the way to the kitchen!!! and this is not a can opener!!"

"I'll move when I'm good and ready. YOU find something else to do now." - Lynn

"Bow, my minions, bow." - Halli

"STOP PLAYING AROUND ON THE COMPUTER AND PET ME, DAMMIT!" - Donna

"Don't You Have a Laptop You Can Use?" - Sally

Also from Sally: "You think I've got Cattitude; You Should See my Big-Shot Pet Person, She's got Authorattitude!"

"Put the key board down and walk away.... to the kitchen. I want dinner now!" - Arlene

"Touch my computer and die furball!" - Jane

"I said you're finished for the day...Don't make me hurt you!" - Lori

"Come on, I dare you! Make my day!" - Ruth

"I's the guard kitty ~ you no touchy the 'puter!" - Patricia

"I know there is a mouse somewhere in this mess!" - Elise

"Quit putting super glue at my ankles-I know I'm attractive in this pose , but geeze let me just do it." - Joan.

Also from Joan: "Attitude-I's gots it-who ARE you?"

"Enough strokes on this thing! It's MY turn now!" - Judi

"Bow and worship me. Bow dammit BOW!!" - Rebekah

"You've been ignoring me... sleep with your eyes open."- Sydnee


Care to add your 2 cents?

The War of the Honeysuckle

Nope, no roses here.  For those familiar with my gardening skills, they'd be surprised to see the average flowering plants in my garden such as daisies, roses, marigolds.  I'll stick with succulents.  They need little care.  If they can't survive on their own, then they don't belong in my yard.

That said, I do have a flowering honeysuckle vine that I adore.  Probably because it's the one plant I've been able to nurture beyond two years (6 yrs old right now) and actually see it thrive.  It climbs up the trellised bench on my deck.  And every May/June it blossoms with pretty yellow/orange flowers.  Life was good.  The vine took care of itself.  I was rewarded with flowers.

Until three years ago when the aphids moved in.

I was dumbstruck that first year, not sure what to do when I noticed the leaves falling off and the leaves that did not fall off were covered with millions of tiny white bugs.  Bleech.  The second year they returned, with new forces and, I was guessing, trillions in their ranks instead of mere millions.  But they don't just ruin the plant, they also ruin the deck boards.  Aphids exude 'honeydew', which is a sticky dewy-looking substance.  That drops onto the deck and literally turns the boards black.  And no, it doesn't wash off.  And all that sticky honeydew (aphid poo, if we're calling it like it is) attracts flies.  As a result, what isn't apparent in the photo of the vine, is that it looks full and healthy on the top and then there looks like a patch of leaves below but between below and up top it is bare.  That's where most of the leaves have died and fell off and even some branches.

So last year I researched online and found that one should pluck off the aphids to get rid of them.  Seriously?  I felt overwhelmed staring at the ranks of trillions, maybe even a hundred-gazillion (actual aphid count is a guesstimate).  The deck turned black again last year.

This year I am determined to hold them off at the pass.  I bought some aphid spray.  The spray is not completely natural, which bugs me to no end, but really, what bugs me more? You got it, the aphids.  And this year I have been checking the leaves daily, before the flowers even popped out, and immediately sprayed whenever I saw telltale white powder, or a little white creepy thing.  The vine actually bloomed quite nicely this year, but only thanks to my vigilance.  My hubby gets out the tall ladder once a week and I climb up to reach the very top of the vine, and saturate it with the spray.

But still, they are resistant.  Those buggers just keep coming back!  I think I've reduced their numbers from amillionty-gazillion to thousands, though, so I have hope.  But already, our deck is starting to darken below the vine.  Sigh...

Anyone struggle with aphids?  Found a surefire way to combat the troops?

Michele

Life at the petting zoo!

So, this is the week my DH and his 4 brothers converge at our house from various corners of the Midwest and make their annual pilgrimage to our cabin in Northern Minnesota. Once there, they fish, commune with nature (and wine and beer), eat, and in general, do what brothers do when they get together which mostly consists of giving each other a hard time, reliving childhood memories (Mom always liked you best!) and laughing. A lot. I love that they are able to have this time together each year … but it doesn’t happen without a little ‘volunteering’ on my part.

Since two of the boys are bachelors, and both of them have dogs that means they have to board them somewhere, right? This is where I come in. “Sure, I’ll take Fuji (a yellow lab) and Babe (a Brittany Spaniel). Bring them down.” Which was followed by grateful thanks and a, “Do you suppose I could bring the horses, too?” from brother John.

Huh?

Okay. It’s not that odd – considering we also have 5 horses of our own and, yes, they, too, have to eat when “Dad is gone.” And in the general scheme of things, what’s 2 more ½ ton mouths to feed anyway?

So, I am the zoo keeper this week – and did I mention we also have our own dog, Margaret, a Brittany Spaniel and Buddy and Sly, our two house cats. For anyone who’s counting, that’s 12 critters total – not counting the barn cats who are as wild as march hares and won’t hold still long enough for me to count. Whew. (that's house guest, Babe, BTW, making herself at home on the loveseat in my office as I type this)

All I need is a monkey and a goat and … well, I really DON’T need any more furry creatures. These guys demand all of my time that I can spare (petting, petting, petting) and frankly, I need to be writing a book.

Speaking of books - you may all remember that RISK NO SECRETS, book 5 of my Black Ops Inc. series has been out on the shelves now since mid-May. SECRETS features Wyatt – Papa Bear – Savage, former CIA operative, current BOI team member and a hot, hunky alpha hero (who’s also a southern gentleman). The book is set in hot, dangerous El Salvador, features a kidnapping, a deviant Mara Salvatrucha gang leader and a romance that has been hanging fire for too many years. And just as a reminder, I’ve posted both a video book trailer and an excerpt on my website if you want to check them out – http://www.cindygerard.com/books.html . In the meantime, thanks to everyone who has already gone out and bought the book and placed it at the #9 spot on the New York Times best seller list and #8 on Publisher’s Weekly! Woo Woo!

Okay, back to the zoo. So tell me – are you ‘critter oriented’ at your house? If so, do you sometimes feel like they are letting you stay in their digs as opposed to you letting them stay in yours? Margaret – yes, that's our dog's name – has a lot of idiosyncrasies. For instance, if you sit, she must sit beside you and you must pet her or ‘the paw’ will drive you nuts. The cats, on the other hand, can take it or leave it when it comes to ‘lap status’. Unless I’m in the bathroom. THEN, if I’m on the throne, THEY MUST be on my lap. What’s up with that?

Any critter stories you’d care to share? Any thoughts on books? What you like? What you don’t like? What you think about authors who miss their deadlines and don’t get the books on the shelves when they’re supposed to – which might just happen to me if I don’t get back to work on THE BOOK that is due … yikes … really soon now.

(photo caption - Sly: Attitude. I gots it!)

Okay. I’d better get back to work. But first, oh, geez, it looks like I’d better pet someone … such sad eyes ….

GUEST- Maureen Hardegree - Invaluable Lessons I Learned from My Father

Father’s Day is only a few days away, and, for me, as each year passes, it becomes harder to find a way to honor my dad. He’s retired. He has everything he needs—including vine-ripened beefsteak tomatoes. When it comes to gifts, my siblings and I have given it all from striped ties to meat-of-the-month club, from his favorite homemade pineapple upside down cake to redeemable coupons for shoe polishing and car washing. Then it hit me. He’d appreciate recognition of how he’s influenced my life. So here are a few invaluable lessons I learned from my dad.

Holidays honoring parents should last longer than a day. Years ago, my father declared that venerating the father was an event of such magnitude it should encompass the entire weekend. Honoring the father started Friday the moment he walked in the door from work and didn’t end until midnight on Sunday. During that third weekend in June, we’d make his favorite meals and allow him to watch whatever he wanted on TV without complaint—even if he “rested his eyes” while watching it. As a mom, I’m totally on board with expanding any holiday honoring parents.

Go light on the vermouth. When making a martini of the traditional sort, Dad liked it on the rocks, double shot of gin, splash of vermouth, two stuffed olives, stirred—not shaken. I won’t tell you what age I was when I learned how to properly mix my dad’s cocktail of choice. I will tell you he still has one most days served at five o’clock on the dot.

Duck tape and epoxy can fix just about anything. Be it broken dolls, chairs, tools, or leather purses. Whatever he was fixing for you might not look attractive, but it was functional.

Resting your eyes is not sleeping. These activities migh t look the same and sound the same, due to snoring. However, while resting your eyes, you wake up when someone turns off the football game you don’t appear to be watching.

Show no mercy to Japanese Beetles. When I was growing up, before we m oved to Louisiana, my dad had grapevines in the backyard. He fermented their juice into wine—and into some tasty balsamic vinegar one year. Nope, not on purpose. One of our summer chores required making our way through the grape vines encouraging the beetles eating the leaves to take a swim in a large mason jar filled with soapy water to kill them, thus ensuring the integrity of his wine. I guess my dad was into organic gardening before it became popular.

What are some unusual lessons you learned from your father?

Although Maureen Hardegree no longer euthanizes Japanese beetles for her father, the heroine in her debut novel Haint Misbehavin’ does. Visit Maureen at http://www.maureenhardegree.com/ .

Help me--it's Father's Day!

www.loisgreiman.com

It’s just about Father’s Day. Again?!

Excuse me, but didn’t we just have one of those about 12 months ago? I’m sorry, I don’t want to seem uncharitable, but I’d be willing to give up a Mother’s Day now and again (I’m a little iffy about demanding appreciation on one specific day of the year) if we could nix the same numbers of Daddy’s days.

It’s not that I’m ungrateful. Really. I’ll be the first to admit that a good father is worth his weight in platinum, but am I alone in thinking that men are impossible to buy for? I don’t have the faintest idea what to get my husband.

I mean women are easy. I can always think of something to buy a female friend. Clothes for instance. Or jewelry. Or candy. Or perfume, or any of a dozen other girly things. But men--the Mars to our Venus--what do you get them after 30 years of for better or worse? Not clothes…he’s not interested. Definitely not jewelry…he’s not the type. Candy…nope. Scents? He’s allergic.

So we move on to hobbies. He’s got a couple, but honestly, if he’s interested in something he’s probably already purchased everything remotely associated with it.

How about the classics then…watches, billfolds, ties? If he had any more of these we’d have to move out or rent storage space.

So what say you? What are you getting the fathers in your life? Have you ever been inspired with a really terrific idea? Did it work out or was it a flop? Was it a tangible item or was it something more personal? Help me out here. I fear I may be gift challenged.

Debra – 4 Things To Improve Your Chances

1. Blink
This is a little something I’ve gleaned from BLINK by Malcolm Gladwell. Science has provided some intriguing and startling evidence that there is power in decisions made in the blink of an eye. Instinct, intuition, “precognition” are looking more and more like the end result of a gazillion minute pieces of data that your brain processes behind a closed door. (No “if, ands or buts” allowed in the room.) These feelings, hunches and urges are gifts delivered to you in the blink of an eye because your brain has seen a pattern, combined seemingly irrelevant data into a significant whole, or kicked into survival mode. We should pay attention to those gifts.

Writing is creative. Developing those instincts can lead you to wonderfully authentic, confident and organic work. Don’t throttle your instinctive creativity by being afraid to stray from the carefully mapped out route.

2. Think

Beware of blinking. You can’t rely solely on divine inspiration. Gathering knowledge, experiencing life, honing craft, developing structure and paying attention to character arc are only some of the things you really do need to do. Why? So that the “war room” in your brain can make those subtle connections or see a pattern and nudge you. You get inspiration from perspiration.

Also, not every “blinked instinct” is a truth. Personal bias can sneak in. If you’ve carefully constructed a novel requiring a beta hero and in the middle of a tough scene you suddenly just KNOW the problem will be solved if you switch to an Alpha…be careful you aren’t acting on the fact that three people online mentioned that Alphas are hot and you need one to sell a book. You may be priming the pump instead of having that true moment of gestalt.

3. Ink

Words on paper. Lots of them. Especially “The End.”

4. Link

You’ve got to make connections. You need support. You need guidance. You need to support and give guidance. You need to hand that manuscript off to a publisher.

Blink. Think. Ink. Link.

WINNER OF LEANNE BANKS BLOG!

CONGRATULATIONS krissgills33! Please contact me at leannebbb @ aol.com (no spaces)

Kathleen's Musings: Turkeys and Times a-Changin'

This guy lives in my backyard. I always like to start with a photo, and Romeo (as my granddaughters call him) has little to do with the topic, but he's been yakking at me a lot lately, so I snapped his picture through the window. He's huge. He has a bevvy of ladies out there--hence his name--and we think he was actually hatched in our little woods, which have been always home to all kinds of wildlife, but the turkeys have only been around for a couple of years. We've left our backyard alone pretty much because we're flanked by bits of undeveloped parkland on both sides, so we just go with it. Anyway, I give you Romeo.

An editorial in Wednesday's Mpls Star Tribune spoke to one of my recurring sources of guilt. I'm not particularly a guilt wallower except when I start getting this niggling feeling that the world is passing me by in a way that I really ought to care about. You know, for the sake of my career. Generally, it has to do with technology.

The editorial's headline: "OMG: It's time to write a headline." It's about the effects of technology on our brains and our lives, and the writer cleverly flips back and forth between his message and incoming messages. "The implications are worrisome because...hold that thought...We're getting an e-mail about..." And I cringe just reading this because I know this happens to me. I'm in the room with a real human being, and only half my brain is engaged. The other half is parceled out among my gadgets--TV, computer, cell phone. I'm pretty sure my brain doesn't function well that way. And I'm only straddling a couple of bandwagons. I don't text. I don't tweet, twitter, whatever. I'm not on Facebook. (I've heard that My Space is already "so yesterday," so that's one I'll stop feeling guilty about.) But I keep hearing that today's conscientious businesswoman must get with the programs or else.

The editorial refers to Marshall McLuhan's claim (46 years ag0!) that technology was beginning to overtake content, and he was talking mainly about TV. His book is often mis-referenced as The Medium Is the Message. The Strib neglected to point out that the actual title of the book is The Medium Is the Massage. It was assigned reading when I was in high school, and I remember the discussion of the title and the message/massage pun. Worth thinking about, especially now that we're inundated with new gadgets. It's impossible to keep up, and I'm beginning to wonder why we try. Are we addicted to the massage?

According to the NYT (referenced by the Strib) "we have tripled our information intake over the last 50 years, but no one thinks we're three times smarter."

I think part of the problem is that people have become lazy about evaluating information and seriously considering the message, but that's probably a topic for another day. I'm concerned about our willingness to consider the value of the medium. Are people who send and receive amazing volumes of text messages daily missing something besides spelling and punctuation?

Seriously, am I missing something? Am I becoming the fuddy-duddy I rolled my baby blues about back in the day? Or are we--and this is my fear--losing something in terms of personal human touch, not to mention the human intelligence department?

Fun Friday Video!

Check out this little drummer! You can skip the first minute and jump ahead to the middle. He is cute as a button and so incredibly talented.

A Perfect Day

I was in need of a day like yesterday. After a killer ending of the school year, and a deadline for a book that refused to end, Wednesday was really my first day to do what *I* wanted. And for once, the weather cooperated.

What was my big indulgence? I'm sooo high-maintenance--I spent the day weeding my perennial gardens The temps were low seventies, with a nice breeze. My flowers are in bloom and it was...paradise. There is something so therapeutic about weeding. (And no, I don't hire out. I don't need that much therapy!)


Maybe it's being out in nature (without being too hot, because I'm a wimp.) Or maybe it's just that mindless activity acts as a de-stresser. But it was heaven. Digging and pulling and actually seeing a bit of progress in 'the jungle'--my back bed (top pics). I actually have found a couple spots I could fit a couple more things, I think.

When the kids were home my biggest desire was grass It was in short supply with bikes and bats and balls lying all around. Not to mention the constant traffic through it. The basketball court was in front, the football field on the north side and the baseball diamond in the backyard. Grass came to my house to die.
After years of trial and error we've finally got some well-established beds. And there's a special joy in spending time outside in the little paradise we've created.

What's your idea of a perfect day? Does it involve activity or just curling up with a good book?