Wacky, Wonderful Weirdos by Brenda Whiteside

Looking a little wacky

Everyone likes to people watch. The people who give the most enjoyment are like those wacky weirdos that get posted on Facebook as patrons of a certain department store. Truthfully, they really exist. Some of them are just not cognizant of the way they look, but there are others who are aiming for a certain "look".

Yesterday, while shopping, I saw what might qualify for wacky weirdos but oh so wonderful. This couple brought a smile to my face and I had to give them kudos for living out their image dream. They looked to be at least in their eighties. This very thin, white  haired duo  had dressed to the hilt. I would never attempt to wear the shoes the Mrs. had on - four inch platforms. Her skintight, leopard-print knee pants were topped by a hot pink tank top under a short sleeved, black jacket. Her hair was intricately piled on her head and woven with a pink scarf. While she was reaching for wild-sheik, Mr. wanted to look the athlete. His shorts were probably made for biking. His running shoes probably cost $200. The lime green, nylon shirt was pretty cool. He missed the mark with his straw island hat, but hey, it's probably his favorite hat.

Last night, we went to a bluegrass festival. Sitting on the curb, a front row seat for the street dancing, proved to be a  hoot for people watching. A little guy about eleven or twelve in a Frank Sinatra hat, really had some moves. One family with four children was having a great time - all except for the young teen girl. Mom and Dad seemed like fun-loving, kind people although maybe Arizona's edition of hill folk. Teenager sat a few feet from them with her head buried in a hoodie.

I've written a couple of wacky characters. In Sleeping with the Lights On, Wesley is a millionaire who sleeps between cowboy print sheets, has a mansion with theme rooms and the naivety of a child. Yet is a good lover in spite of all his eccentric ways.

Bobby Stockwood is a redheaded cowboy in The Morning After. Although he's not weird, he's a bit wacky and a whole lot of wonderful. He marries Abigail in an impromptu wedding ceremony because he thoroughly believes in love at first sight.

Yep, you have to love wacky, weird people. To quote one of my favorite singers, Jimmy Buffett:

Fruitcakes in the kitchen
Fruitcakes on the street
Struttin’ naked through the crosswalk
In the middle of the week
Half-baked cookies in the oven
Half-baked people on the bus
There’s a little bit of fruitcake left in everyone of us

NOTE: I'LL BE ON THE ROAD FOR THE NEXT TWO WEEKS SO IF I DON'T RESPOND TO YOUR POST YOU'LL KNOW WHY!

Visit Brenda at www.brendawhiteside.com.

Or on FaceBook: www.facebook.com/BrendaWhitesideAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/brendawhitesid2

She blogs on the 9^th and 24^th of every month at http://rosesofprose.blogspot.com

She blogs about prairie life and writing at http://brendawhiteside.blogspot.com/

Wry Witticism With Words or Wearily, Woefully Weird and Worrisome?

By Margo Hoornstra

 

 

What warm wonder when one spring day I watched the weary warbler work on her warren. The week prior had been worrisome for me. Living in the wild, her first two warrens-to-be were whisked away by whirling winds. And was why whimsical ways wafted over me when, after a while, four wee warbler wards were there.

 

Which is when all things wise went out the window.

 

 

 

Wanton yet well-intentioned, I wanted to wrangle some winsome images to withhold. Waving wariness to the wayside, I wended my way near where I willy-nilly wiled away. Without being aware of wearing out my welcome and wreaking the wrath of the waggle of watchful warbler warriors waiting to wage war on my wrongful wanderlust.

 

 

 

Walking away was I when one of the wicked wretches on wings whomped and wacked my way, wanting to wound and waning my welfare.

 

Which was woeful.

 

Yet, wow! What wonderful pictures.

 

Was I wrong?

 

Hope you enjoyed this, one of my wacky, writing wares.

 

My days to blog here are the 11th and 23rd of each month.

 

Otherwise, I can be found at:

 

My Blog       My Website       FaceBook       Twitter        Goodreads

 



Hello, my name is Leah, and I have a confession...

Hello, everyone! First let me say how thrilled I am to join this group of diverse and wonderful writers. I write mostly romantic suspense but have also written light paranormal, a contemporary women’s fiction which I call the “non-romance” love story, and even a children’s book. I just like telling stories. And I especially love words. 

I like combining and reordering them until I hear a certain cadence or pace I’m going for. And yes, I do hear voices in my head – or more precisely, my voice reciting words – all day, all night. I even dream in words and have written whole paragraphs in my sleep. (Wait…wait…come back! I’m weird but not dangerous!)

Anyway, today I’d like to expand a bit on a specific word:  COOL – as in hip, with it, neat-o – and if you’re expecting me to come up with the most up-to-date slang for the state of being “cool,” please, don’t hold your breath. Because the truth is, I’m seriously not cool. (Remember the UN-cola? I’m the UN-cool.) 

I rarely watch TV, except for the thriller/mystery/police-procedural type of shows, mostly reruns of shows I didn’t catch in their original runs. (Thank you, Netflix!) I don’t get to movies often either, and there too my viewing is usually limited to thriller/action/mystery plots, with a few romantic comedies thrown in.

Even when I see a current TV show or movie, I can’t retain the actors’ names. (It takes a minimum of six encounters for me to remember a face, much less add a name to the mix.) So the result is that I walk around in a pop-culture blur.

If I happen to watch an awards show, I sit in ignorance as the audience whoops and cheers for people I’ve never seen…or heard of. When the occasional celebrity makes it into my consciousness, I often don’t get it. (It took me years to figure out what made Kim Kardashian such a big deal…although I still don’t get why.)

Just last week I commented on Alicia Dean’s blog piece, suggesting that “Tanner Channing” be added to her list of hot guys. Alicia kindly responded that yes, Channing Tatum certainly is a hottie! (Serious #headdesk moment.)  I can’t even get my own guys right!  

A few weeks ago, a friend wrote in an e-mail that she was done for the night, heading off to bed with “Liev,” which of course I thought was her new boyfriend. 

Oh, how romantic….I remember thinking before giving a big sigh and wishing for a moment to be 20, or even 10, years younger. Later I found out she meant she'd be dreaming about the actor Liev Schreiber … whom I’d never even heard of!  (Luckily I had the sense to keep my mouth shut that time.)

I guess my point is that don’t be surprised if I occasionally (or often?) slip into the realm of the UN-cool. If nothing else, I figure it might be good for a laugh!

Happy Saturday!

Leah

Stories of mystery and romance, good and evil, and above all, the redeeming power of love.

www.leahstjames.com

Visit me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads

My rose by Barbara Edwards

Antique Rose

Antique roses are in a class of their own and I have one. I don’t know it’s official name, but  it has varied pale pink flowers and enormous thorns. If you recognize it from the photos please let me know.

When we bought our 1872 Victorian Gothic house, the house next door was empty. Our place needed extensive renovations and I didn’t have time to wonder about the lack of neighbors. I did notice an enormous rose bush on the boundary line.

It stood neglected over the winter. I kept a curious eye on it. Briars sprouted up amid the spring growth. I figured it was a total loss.

Then it exploded with blooms.

I cut roses for my house because they smelled so great. I could enjoy the aroma from my porch, half the yard away. I longed to go and dig up a piece. Who would notice? We’re the last house on a dead-end street. My conscience kept me honest.

Then one day a truck pulled up and a man started to dig up ‘my’ rose.

I gathered my courage and asked him what he was doing. Did the property owner know?

To my surprise, he was from the local Historical Society. The deceased owner had been a long-time member and donated her antique rose to be moved to the Society’s garden. She had been in her eighties and the bush was planted by her mother as a new bride.

I almost cried.

We chatted as he dug. He found the bush was actually four plants, more than enough to move to the garden. With a smile, he gave me one plant to keep in the neighborhood.

I put it at the corner of my porch where the delicious aroma fills the air. It blooms all summer and into the fall. A treasure that I’m glad to own.

Please visit me to friend or follow. I love to hear from you.

Author Website: http://barbaraedwards.net

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Authors Den: http://authorsden.com/barbaraedwards           

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http://www.shelfari.com/authorbarbara_edwards

Some Wild Reviews that Make You Think Twice

Laura Breck

I enjoy reading book reviews that are left at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Goodreads, etc. I have found some wild ones that make me smile.

One anthology I was interested in reading received a one-star review because the reader put down the book halfway through. It seems she couldn’t follow the plot. Someone commented on the review, telling her that it was an anthology of eight stories, and not just one big book.

Another one-star review of a sexy romance book said, simply, “Trashy, trashy, trashy.” Sad to say, that’s what made me buy it. Heehee!

My favorite was the person who rated a free book with one star because it was too short. They had poured a cup of coffee, sat down to read, but finished reading the book before they finished their coffee. I love that rating system.

Speaking of rating systems, a woman rated a friend’s erotic romance two-star because she was too old to read that kind of sexy stuff. She said if she’d been ten years younger, she would have given it five! That’s so cute.

Whatever you feel about a book; love, hate, disappointment, be sure to leave a review of it. It may help another reader find a great author, or may help people steer clear of marginal works. As authors, we love to see your feedback, and appreciate your taking the time to comment on our work.

Now it’s your turn. What are some of the wildest reviews you’ve read or written?

Have a lovely day!

Laura
~Smart Women ~Sexy Men ~Seductive Romance
LauraBreck.com
~Dancing in a Hurricane is available in digital formats at Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes & Noble and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace
~Love in the Land of Lakes is available in digital format at Smashwords, All Romance Ebooks, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon, and in paperback at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Createspace

My Rambling Introduction by Alicia Dean

   Rather than write an essay of my background, my achievements (well, THAT wouldn’t exactly be an essay), my likes and dislikes, etc,  I thought I would just share a few tidbits about me, along with a few random pieces of news. More or less a ‘stream of consciousness’ kind of post. We all have things to do, right? You don’t have time to listen to me drone on and on. Our brains are tired, and we don’t want to fill them with a lot of additional info. Besides, I don’t know about you, but I have a glass of wine waiting for me. J

 

So, here goes…

 

I am an editor for The Wild Rose Press in their suspense line under the name, Ally Robertson. I am also an author with around 15 titles (short stories and novels) published with various publishers (some self-published) under my pen name, Alicia Dean (one of them is under Winter Frost). I write in a mixture of genres, but mostly suspense and paranormal. You can learn more about my books (and me in general) here: Alicia Dean Website

This past weekend, my local RWA chapter, OKRWA, held a mini-conference with guest speaker, William Bernhardt. His program was fantastic. He covered everything from story structure, to plot, to characterization, to premise, and so on and so forth. I can’t wait until I have time to actually write so I can apply what I learned. (I am currently working on a sequel to my vampire novella called Liberty Divided. I’ve added the cover here because we all like pictures in blog posts, right? Besides, I think it’s awesome)

 

MY MOST EXCITING NEWS!!! – I was commissioned by Amazon as one of the launch authors for their new Kindle Worlds platform. I have two Vampire Diaries stories and one Gossip Girl story releasing this month.  SO thrilled about that!

Which brings me to another tidbit about me. I love watching television (and movies). I mean, I love it. I am hooked on so many shows, it’s a wonder I get anything else done. I suppose I watch too much television… Nah, that’s just silly. Can it ever really be too much? I absolutely LOVE discovering new shows. My latest ‘find’ is a new Fox show, The Goodwin Games. Has anyone seen this? I only watched the first episode, but love it already.

I live in Edmond, Oklahoma. I have three grown children who are my best friends. I have a wonderful day job as a legal assistant at a family law firm, and my bosses are fabulous.

I love Elvis Presley, MLB, and the NFL. I love reading (that’s a no-brainer). I am a picky sleeper and have to sleep with a box fan, or some other kind of ‘white noise,’ and I sleep with a pillow over my head. I’ve been told I snore, but I think that’s a lie.

My top ten ‘recent’ list of hottest guys are: (In no particular order)

Colin Farrell

Ian Somerhalder

Joseph Morgan

Gerard Butler

Michael C. Hall

Josh Duhamel

Jason Bateman

Alexander Skarsgard

Patrick Dempsey

Timothy Olyphant

CHANNING TATUM (I had to add this in after Leah mentioned him. I definitely intended him to be on the list. MOST definitely) 

 

Oops, that’s eleven (now 12). Did I mention I suck at math? :-)

Thanks for listening, if you’ve gotten this far. Feel free to share a little about yourself. Or a lot.

By the way, I’m very happy to be a part of this awesome blog!

I think it’s time for that glass of wine. (Clean Slate Reisling in case you wanted to know one more useless fact about me)

Who Loves 80's Rock? by Jannine Gallant

Why did I write three books for the Class of '85 series, you ask? The series title hooked me. Okay, so I didn't graduate from high school in 1985, but I graduated from college in 1984. Those four years hold some wonderful memories. Times spent with good friends - carefree and happy, before the grown-up worries of a mortgage and how to pay for my kids' braces intruded.

June 18th through the 22nd, five books from this terrific series are free, including the first one I wrote, Lonely Road To You. To celebrate, I'm taking a trip back to the past and reliving those years. Today, let's talk music!

What music memories are conjured up when you think of the early 80's. For me, it's skipping through the halls of my dorm, singing Foreigner's Urgent and the Cars' Shake It Up really loud as a stress release before finals. I went to a couple of Pat Benatar concerts, and Hit Me With Your Best Shot was my favorite on Karaoke night. We listened to a lot of pop-rock back then. (Was it as crappy as the stuff the kids listen to now?) Do you remember hits by Yes, Quarterflash, and REO Speedwagon? If you're my age, I bet you do. And my all-time favorite song from that era, Stevie Nicks' Leather and Lace.

My hero in Lonely Road To You is an ex rock star looking for some forgiveness at his high school reunion for a youth spent with a love 'em and leave 'em attitude. Instead, he finds a love he never expected.

As I mentioned, five books from the series are free. Just click on the titles to be taken directly to the Amazon download link!

Lonely Road To You by Jannine Gallant
To Be, Or Not by Margo Hoornstra
Promises, Promises by Silver James
Embraceable You by Kat Henry Doran
Something More by Keena Kincaid

For more 80's nostalgia, follow me on my mini blog tour where I'll be talking about 80's fashion (shudder), the TV shows and movies that held us enthralled, and how life back then was different for kids than it is today. Find me at these places:

Vintage Vonnie June 19th
Keri Neal June 20th
JM Stewart June 21st
Kathy Wheeler June 22nd

So, what were some of your favorite songs from the early 80's? Let's immerse ourselves in nostalgia!

For information on my other books, including two more in the Class of '85 series, check out my website.