Valentine's Day by Christine DePetrillo

Every year I get stuck posting on February 14^th on this blog. Me. The one who doesn’t like Valentine’s Day. The romance writer who spends pages and pages establishing a cozy happily ever after who would rather be at home on her couch than on some romantic Valentine’s Day date. The woman who wants to be loved every day, not just one day in the middle of winter.

Due to the fact that I don’t want to spoil anyone’s holiday – even if it is some sadistic attempt to measure love in candy and flowers and fancy dinners – I’ll just post a romantic poem. How’s that? Okay? Good.

Chance Encounter on a Winter’s Night

Snow flutters on the icy breeze,

winter fairy dust,

white and sparkling

like an Arctic dream

in the black night.

Faces turned toward the sky,

chilled angel kisses

fall on rosy cheeks,

crystallized feathers

fall from the heavens.

All is not lost.

A fire builds

in lonely caverns,

once deserted and dead,

devoid of the rhythmic drum

of human hearts.

Warmth flares,

spills to dead zones,

awakens the primal need

for touch,

for acceptance.

For love. 

Hands reach out

as the white world whirls dizzily.

Contact is made between lonely souls

under the dim glow

of a city streetlight.

Time freezes

like water on asphalt

in the cold of a winter’s night,

But in the tight circle of electric sun,

the right words are exchanged.

Two hearts collide.

Hope your Valentine’s Day is everything you hope it to be.

Toodles,

Chris

www.christinedepetrillo.weebly.com

SAFE, Book One, The Shielded Series, FREE in ebook!

PROTECTED, Book Two, The Shielded Series, available now!

SECURE, Book Three, The Shielded Series, coming soon!

The one constant

There's been some turmoil lately. Nothing earth-shaking or unusual for anyone here:

• husband quit his job (long story, don't get me started). Yes, he's job-hunting, but we're older and ...
• I telecommute a 40-hour work week from home, so he's underfoot all day. Enough said.
• Should I retire? no? We're meeting with financial planners soon to factor in the first bullet point and where we stand.
• A few annoying aches and pains that make movement painful unless I do a lot of stretching and moving (Catch-22: move to feel better but it hurts to move). I'm doing it, but there are days ...
• Volunteering: Master Gardening committees and events; homeless shelter sewing; I'm considering tutoring at the local immigrant center.
• The Orange Monstrosity in D.C. Enough said. I'm calling representatives, writing postcards and taking notes for my End of the World novels.
• A beloved cousin is going through cancer for the 2nd time
• My work laptop had a meltdown; I'm 250 miles away from tech support. A new laptop is on the way but until then I have to baby this one. Can't switch over to a home laptop because of software, security, etc. 

A lot of distractions, right? 

Actually, no. Here's the way I view my life: I am a juggler and those bullet points are the things I juggle. In the middle (me) is my writing. That's the constant that keeps me going. Every day I get to sit down and visit my characters and write their story and join them for however long I can. 

That's the central pivot point. Everything else will have its moment but through it all, I'll have my writing. Lord knows what I'll do if that goes away! I don't think it ever will. I have a lot more stories to tell.

J L

(jayellwilson.com)

Athletes and Musicians Practice Everyday. Shouldn't Writers?

~~ Vonnie Davis

Calvin and I just watched episode one of "Abstract, the Art of Design," a Netflix series on different artists. The first one was the designer for covers for the New Yorker magazine. I won't go into the show, but the artist made a statement that struck me as a writer. "If athletes and musicians practice everyday, why shouldn't artists?" He was referring to taking time to play at your craft while still working to improve. If we aren't working toward a deadline, we're challenged to take an idea and play with it.

An idea--an old one--has been residing in my brain for four years, commanding more attention. It was a writing prompt from a writers' group Calvin and I went to every Tuesday evening. The prompt? Tell about someone finding something hidden in a tin can in under 500 words.

I love finding things. Don't you? I also love the idea of discovering something hidden from another generation, a time long past, and bearing the imprint of someone's soul.

So, the writing prompt appealed to me. I was still writing, but it was for fun. No pressure. A couple of hours and I had it finished. I kept thinking...wouldn't this make a good romance? It would need to be expanded. Characters would require developing. Other decisions would need made. Would the romance take place in the Vietnam War era for when the letters and bracelet were from? Or should the romance take place in modern times between the carpenter, who found the tin and its contents, and the granddaughter of the woman who's heart was broken? Or a combination of both time periods?

Will "The Golden Charm" become my daily practice like a musician running through his or her scales?

Scales. Repetition of notes. Day after day before a new harder lesson can begin. My son, Steve, after 21 years of daily practice. By turns, he loved and hated his art. Just like he loves and hates teaching. He loves the students, but hates dealing with parents. I tell him it's because he has a childlike mind.

As writers, we don't often admit to the toll deadline pressures take on us. To say nothing of the toll of self-promotion. Athletes have pressures of performance, too.  When we saw our grandson wrestle in a twenty-college tournament, he was slated to wrestle the number one wrestler in the country in his weight class. The coach wanted to move Ryan to the next highest weight class away from the college senior known as The Beast.

Ryan asked the coach, "How will I grow stronger if you encourage me to run from those better than I am?" The coach warned him he'd be pinned in the first quarter. "It won't be the first time. Besides, no one will expect a freshman with a record like mine to do well. The pressure will be off me. I can just relax and have fun." And he did. He almost got pinned twice, but he almost pinned The Beast, too. The crowds in the bleachers stood and cheered. Ryan kept plugging away. He had a rib injury, but he wrestled on. Like we do after a couple one-star reviews--or am I the only one who's gotten those? Ryan on the left lost 11-8. He said it was the kind of match he liked. One where there was no pressure...only learning.

Being a writer requires continual learning. Writers' tastes evolve. Editors' wants change. We have to keep plugging away. learning, trying new things, and pushing ourselves in the form of daily practice.

Who knows, maybe sometime you'll get to read "The Golden Charm."

Read more about my writing at www.vonniedavis.com

More Good Than Bad and Ugly by Margo Hoornstra

It’s official!

Thanks to the wonders of modern medicine, a talented surgeon, the monumental support of family and friends, and the Good Lord I’m colon cancer free! One of those in the promised 92 percent cure rate group. Hooray!

Although, through the necessary CT scan, they did discover a cyst on one ovary they want to look into. “Most likely nothing,” the doctor says. “But, we need to be sure.” It seems having this type of growth when you’re pre-menopausal is common. Post, like me, not so much. Sounds a little like age discrimination, don’t you think?

I prefer to believe I’m young at heart.

At any rate, for the next however many years, my blood and various other internal organs will be scrutinized by the medical professionals with the care and precision of a proof reader going over the final, formatted galley of a romance novel manuscript.

I can certainly, and literally, live with that.

Speaking of formatted galley proofs, I recently sent mine back to Ally Robertson, Crimson Rose editor extraordinaire at The Wild Rose Press for my to be released by summer romantic suspense On the Surface. All part of the upcoming series Brothers in Blue. 

Try this on for a blurb:

Wrongly convicted ex-con and recent parolee Jenny Reynolds wants to forget her tarnished past and focus on a brighter future. One that begins with a return to the small tourist town where she grew up. There, she hopes to find peace while she restores her family’s once proud Rest Easy Bed and Breakfast. Fleeing an ex who refuses to let her go, the last thing she needs is the complication of another man.

Then she meets handsome handyman Brad Collins, a man who seems to care as much about restoring the B and B as she does. A man who soon becomes ready, willing and able to steal her heart. A man with more than a few secrets of his own. A dropout from law enforcement, the real Brad Collins will use anyone and anything to fulfill a personal vendetta.

When two pasts collide and danger threatens, their growing love may be the first casualty.

Now an excerpt:

He walked behind the counter, alert for unwelcome company, and pushed through swinging café doors to a small hallway. Light spilled onto the linoleum from a room a ways down and to the left. He reached its doorway in long, silent strides then paused just outside. A woman sat at a cluttered desk with her head bent over a bunch of papers, her face obscured by a mass of red, curly hair.

Granny must be into dye jobs.

He advanced a few steps forward then cleared his throat. “I’m looking for the owner?”

“What?” She jerked upright then stood so fast her vacated chair hit the opposite wall with a clang. “What for?”

Flexing her knees and curling her hands to fists, she put her body into a distinct fight or flight stance.

On instinct, he scanned for a weapon. Instead, he discovered a simple sundress hugged a slim waist. The flowered material covered what looked to be some darned nice breasts, judging by the cleavage peeking out. Her shoulders were bare. Knockout legs led to trim ankles and bare toes tipped in pink polish. His hasty assessment rose to her face where he locked gazes with none other than Jenny Reynolds. Who, according to sources he trusted, wasn’t supposed to be on site for a couple of weeks. Where the heck is Grandma?

His breathing accelerated. Forget that this Reynolds chick was one whole hell of a lot better looking in the flesh than in a mug shot he’d seen. Something else hadn’t appeared in the grainy picture. Raw fear lurked in those wide green eyes. He’d witnessed that kind of deep panic before.

Regret stabbed at his gut. “Hey! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Who are you?” A slight tremor betrayed an otherwise tough voice as she retrieved the chair to position between them.

“Brad Collins.” Edging into the room, he turned slightly so his field of vision included both ends of the hallway. Just in case Donahue happened to be on premises too. He spread his hands up and open. “Look, if it’ll make you more comfortable, I’ll go back outside and knock.”

****

My days to blog here are the 11^th and 23^rd. For more about me and my stories, please visit my website

A Family Home...What's That? by Rolynn Anderson

I don’t have a ‘first home.’ In my youth, I adjusted to new homes about 25 times (Army brat).  As an adult I spent 33 years in 6 different homes in Washington State.  For the last 17 years, my husband and I have lived part time in Arroyo Grande, CA.  Many of the people I meet here in California come from another state.  In fact, I rarely meet people who have grown up and live near their family homes.  I keep thinking that the best (read: unusual) novel, might be about an extended family still maintaining a family home/compound through the generations.  How rare is that?

And who cares?  I have fared well (okay, no psychiatrist has examined me to make that judgment) by living a nomad life.  Yet I’m aware of a certain aura of entitlement that goes with the statement: "I’ve always lived here (close to my family) and I’m proud to say I always will."

I lived my early days as an Army brat and had no choice about moving from country to country (U.S., Germany, U.S., Japan, U.S., Korea, U.S.).  Did you?  Why did you move from your birthplace?  Looking back, any regrets...if you had it to do all over again, would you have stayed (or established) a ‘family home’ or are you glad you struck out on your own?  

Speaking of traveling, get ready for the release of my newest novel, BAD LIES, about an American geologist and a golfer who find trouble and love in Italy.  Countdown begins.  In two weeks, you'll be able to read BAD LIES:

  

Six Suspense Novels Spiked with Romance

http://www.rolynnanderson.com

http://www.amazon.com/author/rolynnanderson

WHO THE HECK IS THAT IN THE MIRROR? by Brenda Whiteside

Two things are on my mind today: 1) I need a new author promo photo 2) the last book in my Love and Murder series is forming on the page with some difficulty.

FDW is going to try to capture the real me with his camera today. I say try, because what I see as me in the mirror and what the camera translates that into, never match. The studio shot I use right now is more than a few years old. I don’t think I look much different, but the camera always does. I lay the blame on FDW. His first degree was in photography so he should be able to work magic just pushing the button. Right? We tried a shoot, outside, a couple of days ago, and out of at least one hundred shots, one is a possibility. I can’t keep my eyes open in the light of day, so I'm all squinchy-eyed in all of them. Today, we’ll try some inside poses. I really hate this. But I feel quite dishonest using a photo that is so outdated. Wish me luck.

The Deep Well of Love and Murder, book five and the last of the Love and Murder Series, is now approaching chapter six. My doubts are starting earlier than usual. I normally have a bout of insecurity later in the process. I wonder if the plot is thick enough, are the characters deep enough, is the villain one the reader loves to hate, and so on. Maybe because it’s the last book, I’m having an end of series let down. Yesterday, a reader told me that The Power of Love and Murder made her cry. That made me perfectly happy. To my knowledge, I’ve never made anyone cry with my storytelling. What a compliment! And the bar is now higher for book five!!

All the Love and Murder books can be found on my Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/Brenda-Whiteside/e/B003V15WF8/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

THE POWER OF LOVE AND MURDER

TELLY, T.V. and TiVo by Andrea Downing

     

With apologies for the length of this post...
If I watch television, it’s because I’ve recorded a program which I can watch in half-hour slots over lunch and dinner. Most of my watching consists of films rented from Netflix, documentaries, historical dramas and the odd human interest program(me) such as ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’ which traces the ancestry of various celebrities, or ‘Long Lost Family’ which reunites adoptees with their parents. When I moved back to New York from London after forty years, and telly became t.v., I did try to watch a few American program(mes)—Monk and The Closer come to mind, but they were still recorded.

Therefore, in the interests of Investigative Journalism (i.e., this blog), I decided to subject myself to arbitrary television viewing over several days.  In fact, my first inclination was to try to watch for 12 hours of prime time viewing, but I’m afraid I soon ditched that idea in the interests of my own sanity.  I set myself certain parameters for this experiment:  I would not watch any of the program(me)s previously watched as cited above; there would be no films and no news or current affairs to which I would have normally gravitated; furthermore, there would be no British imports so Masterpiece Theatre was out--- no masterpieces for me!  Finally, there would be nothing with the words ‘Real Housewives of…’ in the title (nothing real about these women since they are 90% plastic and 10% hair extensions), simply in the interests of saving me from regurgitation.  So, here is my viewing diary: 

“1,000 Ways to Die’:  this might possibly be the funniest programme on television.  It is preceded by the warning, “Do not attempt to try any of the actions depicted…”  This programme is exactly what it purports to be:  a compendium of weird and wonderful ways people have died in these United  States.  First up is a guy on the lam in Montana who’s been robbing banks in an attempt to get the money together to open a meths lab.  Wanting a high and out of booze, he siphons off the gasoline from his Harley believing the ethanol will give him his alcoholic high.  Subsequently he pukes into his camp fire and---guess what? 

Next on this programme was a Japanese couple who, after 7 years of wedded non-bliss have still been unable to consummate their marriage.  The husband comes home plastered one evening and gets his wife to join him in his drunken stupor leading to…  At that climactic moment, they both die of heart attacks.

And then there is the woman who wants to lose weight.  Guess what she does?  She buys a whole load of tape worm larvae from Venezuela… which might not be such a good strategy.  The longest worm they eventually found in her body was 20 ft……..

Joy Behar:  the comedienne, whom I know from catching “The View” in the mornings at the gym, interviewed one Jenny McCarthy.  I’ve never heard of this person previously but she is describing to Behar, in graphic detail, a most intimate relationship she had with a stuffed bear called ‘Tubby.’

Swamp People: This is on the History Channel. Apparently there is not enough history to occupy the channel full-time so we have this series about people with accents so thick we need the provided subtitles to understand anything they are saying.  It would also help if someone explained why they do the job they do---which is hunting snakes and alligators so that the rest of us can look at lovely shoes, belts and fabulous handbags we cannot possibly afford.  Unfortunately, one guy still doesn’t know the difference between venomous and non-venomous snakes which is something of a liability in his line of work.  I leave them frying frog fritters…

American Pickers:  This is about a firm called ‘Antique Archaeology’ who go around the country looking in barns, sheds, run down houses, fields and other unlikely venues where junk that could possibly be sold as antiques might be found.  This week they find a pinball machine with cowgirls on it and we are told that in 1942 Mayor LaGuardia banned and destroyed pinballs as games of luck---or gambling.  History on the History Channel at last!  The men also find the ‘Alien’ dummies used in a film about Roswell.  It’s pointed out that a UFO sighting is reported somewhere on the planet every 3 minutes!  As they load the dummies into their van, one man asks the other, “Do you believe in Aliens?”  His reply?  “I gotta believe there’s gotta be something smarter than us…”

 Flipping Out is about a gay guy with OCD who does remodeling and home re-designs on a very grand scale. In this episode, his biggest problem was dealing with a 90 year old woman who wanted door handles designed as nude figures throughout the house, and he had to explain that this might not be in the very best taste.

 Jeopardy:  this long-running game show basically entails contestants being given the answer to questions and they have to come up with the question; therefore, their replies must always start with who, what, where, or when.  So, the M.C. says, ‘the mortar between tiles’ and the contestant replies “What is grout?”  Or, “A condition in polar regions where snow makes visibility poor.”  Answer:  “What is a ‘white out’?”  But really, if someone asked you, “What is jumping?” would you truly reply, “Miriam Rothschild discovered that a substance in the hind legs of fleas gave them this amazing ability????”  Or if someone demanded, “What is Murder on the Orient Express?” would your answer really be, “Hercule makes a bust on a choo-choo out of Istanbul?”

By the way, the major-grossing question for the night was “In 1955 she became the first and only female star to win a Tony in a male part.”  Out of the 4 contestants and me, I was the only one who knew the answer. 

And last but certainly not least:

Better Off Dead:  When I hit the ‘Info’ button on my remote control, it says, “Follow Mark Lilly, Social Worker at the Dept. of Integration, as he helps new citizens…adapt to hectic life in the Big Apple.”  BETTER OFF DEAD????  Are they trying to tell me something?

Last Friday, RCN, my cable provider, decided in its wisdom to bestow TiVo on me at a cheaper rate than my previous deal with them. It has a happy little smiling TiVo man on the remote and can grab emails and photos off my computer.

     Something to watch at last.

And please watch out for the sequel to Come Love a Cowboy, coming out in June.  In the meantime, you can purchase Book 1 at https://www.amazon.com/Come-Love-Cowboy-Kathleen-Ball-ebook/dp/B01D5876UK/

    And learn more about me at :  http://andreadowning.com