Monday Moons!

I had a very nice visit with my sisters this past weekend. We went to Lexington on Friday and Louisville on Saturday. My sister Bonnie is the only person I know who would actually have adopted a stray pig.

In addition to some historic sites in Louisville, we took a bit of a nostalgia tour, stopping by our old Melbourne Heights grade school. The building looks almost exactly the way I remember it except for the decorative bit above the doors and the name change. The playground hadn't changed much, either. It was kinda spooky, really. That's Marcy on the left and Bonnie on the right.

Then we drove through our old neighborhood. This is the house we lived in until we moved to the farm on my twelfth birthday. The trees are different, but other than that, it really hasn't changed much in 45 years.

Then we went to visit Farmington, a historic home built in 1815-1816 by John and Lucy Speed. I probably went there on a field trip as a kid, but I don't remember it. That's Marcy on the porch. There wasn't anyone there to take us on a tour, so we just walked around the grounds, which were quite beautiful.





















I would've taken a lot more pictures of this fabulous garden if the battery on my camera hadn't been so low.

 Wildflowers at Farmington.


















After Farmington, we visited Locust Grove, which was where George Rogers Clark spent his last years. This one was open for a tour, which was interesting and informative. Highly recommended!

After Locust Grove, we went to the J B Speed Art Museum, which had changed so much I hardly recognized it. The last time I was there was about 25 years ago. Mike was just a baby and I'd gone with my father to see a Rembrandt that was touring the country. The museum looked the same then, but they've recently renovated and added onto it.

Because my mother was an artist, my sisters and I spent a lot of time at the museum when we were young, and I loved that place so much I wanted to live in it. It had a huge revolving door entrance, marble floors, and a fountain that made the most pleasing sound I've ever heard in my life. I can still remember the peace I felt when I sat on a bench, listening to the sound of the bubbling water as it echoed off the high ceiling. There were Native American artifacts downstairs and paintings I have never forgotten, along with Napoleon's bed, and sculptures that dated back to the 15th century. Most of those things are now gone, including the fountain and the huge Chinese urn that used to have live goldfish swimming in it. The entire atmosphere has been altered, and not for the better.

They did have an exhibition of French Impressionist painters, so I can now say that I have seen some actual paintings by Monet (my personal favorite), Chagall, and Renoir. I was very happy to have the chance to see those paintings, but I really do miss that fountain.

*sigh* Must check my files for some nice moons to cheer me up.

These might do it!

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

I should be home from my sister's house later on tonight. In the meantime, I've got a blog post today on Casablanca Authors. I'd love to have you all drop by!

Pssst! It's over that way! --->

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

I have a hunch that this guy is going to be very popular...

...and that Alicia probably knows his name.

Friday Fun!

Okay, gang! It's time once again to play...

 Write Your Own Caption!

I'm on my way to Kentucky today, so I won't see your comments until Sunday night, which will give you plenty of time to think!

















Can't wait to see what you come up for this one!

Thursday Thoughts

Just wanted to mention that I received a very nice letter from a reader named Sheri a few days ago. I tried to send a reply, but I think her spam filter must be too tight. I'm not sure if she's a lurker here on the blog or not, but I just wanted to say "Thanks for a lovely letter, Sheri! It made my day!"

Anyway, for those of you who send me letters, I do try to reply to all of them if I can. So, if you send me an email, make sure you put me on the list of addresses your email will accept. It was such a nice letter, I really hated not to answer it, so I sent it via my other email account, and it bounced there too!

This month has flown by, and I feel like I've been on the road ever since RT in Chicago, and it's not over yet. I spent the night in Indy with Nan before the IRWA Mini Conference last weekend, and this weekend, I'm going to visit my sisters in Kentucky. I'll post some blogs before I go, but won't have internet access while I'm there. I've also got a blog going up on Casablanca on Sunday, but there isn't much traffic there on weekends anyway. I'm leaving Friday morning and should be home Sunday night.

After that, I'll be at the First Friday event in Indianapolis on May 4th. Then the Ireland trip is after that. Lori Foster's Get Together in June, and RWA nationals in July...

Maybe I can sleep in August...

Whopping Weasel Wednesday!

Not sure I can top yesterday's guy. I was going for the Latino look to fit with the Mexican Linguini and wound up in whopper territory!

However, this one is no slouch. Nice shape, too!

Tasty Tuesday Mexican Linguini!

For those of you who don't like to cook or don't have a lot of time, this recipe is freakin' easy. I came up with this the night I came home from Chicago. I thought I'd make spaghetti, but when I tossed in the two frozen hamburger patties in the skillet to brown, I realized I'd already put seasoning in them that was more Mexican than Italian. So, I fried them up, dug around in the fridge and found a half jar of salsa and a half jar of salsa con queso, dumped them in and cooked them until thick and served it over linguini, topped with a little plain Greek yogurt. It was darn good!

Mexican Linguini

Ingredients

1/2 lb ground beef
1/2 tsp taco or fajita seasoning
1 cup chunky salsa (with the heat level of your choice)
1 cup salsa con queso of your choice 
2 servings linguini cooked according to package directions and drained
Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream

Directions

Sprinkle the ground beef with the seasoning, brown in a skillet, then drain fat if necessary. Add chunky salsa and cook for a few minutes, then add the cheese sauce and cook until slightly thickened. Serve over linguini topped with plain Greek yogurt or sour cream. I'd have added some black olives if I'd had them, but that's up to you. Serves two with a little left over.

I'm guessing this guy could probably serve three with a little left over...

There might even be enough of him left over for tomorrow's post!

Monday Moons!

Makes you want to pinch something, doesn't it?

Sunday's Hunk of the Day!

After yesterday, I decided, what the hell, I'll make it an all Derrick Davenport weekend!



















I mean, there are lots of worse ways to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Saturday's Hunk of the Day!

 
Would you believe that one of the ladies who reviewed Stud didn't like the idea of what was basically a Zetithianized version of Derrick's dick?

*sigh* I swear, there's just no pleasing some people...

Friday Fun!

On Wednesday, I received an email from Ivan Rusilko's publicist. She sent me some pictures and asked if (1) Did I recall meeting her in my "post-Ivan bliss" with "glazed-over eyes?" (Honestly, do I really look like my eyes are glazed over????)

















And (2) If I'd like to read an advance copy of his book when it comes out.
This was her description of it:

It's a fictionalized erotic memoir based loosely on his experiences and romantic trysts and I think you'd really get a kick out of reading all about his exploits and escapades.

I said I'd love to read it, so, hopefully, she'll send me a copy at some point. In the meantime, since we've all seen pictures of that sweet, innocent-looking fellow with the fabulous smile, I thought it might be fun for the Yah Yahs to come up with their own fictionalized versions of "trysts and escapades" with Ivan.

So, ladies (and gents) here's a little something to START YOUR ENGINES!

Have fun!

Thursday Thoughts

I finished writing Fresh Horses last night. It was a rewrite of one of my earlier manuscripts, but as much work as it took to convert it from first person to third and whip it into shape, I might as well have started from scratch. This is the first in a three book series called Unlikely Lovers. The last few chapters still have to make the rounds of my critique partners, but once the critiques are done, I'll send it to my agent. I have absolutely no idea whether she'll want to shop it around to publishers or not. Seems like everyone I talked to at RT advised me to self-publish it. Anyway, it's done, and now I'll just have to wait and see what happens. Gotta write a synopsis, though. Ugh!

I took a break from writing yesterday afternoon and did some mowing and took a few pictures. This rhododendron is what I'd hoped I wouldn't miss while I was in Chicago. The red one will be next, but right now, I'm enjoying the purple one for as long as it lasts.

Here's a close-up of the blossoms. Too bad they don't have much in the way of scent.

Out of four clematis, this is the only one that's doing much booming this year. I plan to plant a couple more soon. Talk about putting the cart before the horse, I already have two trellises for them to grow on!

Late afternoon on freshly mowed grass! It just doesn't get any better than that.

Then again, maybe it does....

Your thoughts?

Whopping Weasel Wednesday!

I'd post the cover of Wildcat today, but I need to get the green light from my editor first. Still, I don't think anyone will mind if I post a whopper instead.

By the way, last night I got an idea for a Regency menage story for the Sextet Presents. It involves a viscount, a spinster, and a footman. LOL! Maybe that's what I'll call it. Or maybe How to Seduce a Spinster. Or perhaps Seducing Miss Juliet. Or The Viscount, the Spinster, and the Footman. Nah. Too long...

This guy might be too long, too.

Your thoughts?

Tasty Tuesday Spinach Casserole!

I found this recipe in a local magazine, submitted by a lady from New Salisbury, IN who probably doesn't want her name mentioned on the CBEB, so I'll just leave it at that as my source. I modified it slightly by adding the pepper, but let me say this: I had a scrumptious dinner on Easter Sunday, and even with roast beef and Yorkshire pudding, which the guys and I absolutely love, this was the best thing on the table.

Spinach Casserole

Ingredients:

3 eggs
3 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp melted butter
8 oz shredded cheddar cheese
1 (10 oz) box of frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained (I squeeze it between two big tea strainers to get rid of the excess water)
1 (16 oz) container small curd cottage cheese

Mix all ingredients together and spoon into greased 8 inch square baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. 

Monday Moons!

OMG, it's good to be home! Too bad we had a bit of frost while I was gone and some of the plants got a bit nipped. My roses look okay, though, so all is not lost. I've got one that's about to bloom.

Driving home from Chicago made me appreciate just how beautiful it is around here. Granted, spring is further along here than it is up north, but flat land and empty cornfields aren't very pretty, aside from the fact that the outskirts of Gary and Chicago aren't exactly what you'd call verdant, even in summer. It was nice to get home to green grass and my rhododendrons that are just starting to bloom. I'm so glad I didn't miss them!

I don't know if I'll go to RT next year (it's in Kansas City and I'd have to fly) but I certainly had a great time in Chicago. It's wonderful to meet readers and the newer authors, as well as getting to see some old friends. I remember the first RWA conference I attended in Washington. I'd never taken a cab from an airport before, much less flown anywhere by myself. It was fun, but very stressful, and the only people I knew were other authors that I had met via email.

Now I find that conferences aren't so much stressful as they are tiring. Plus, by the time you've eaten three meals a day at a buffet (the buffet at the hotel was 20% off for us conventioneers) you start to feel a bit bloated. Add that to the fact that I hadn't even attempted to wear pantyhose in at least 10 years, and you'll understand what I'm getting at. Putting my arm around skinny little Ivan was like holding onto a rather shapely lamp post. I'm sure he didn't feel the same way with his arm around me. He was probably thinking I needed his expertise in nutrition and fitness training. But that's another story.

Like other conferences I've attended, I learned a lot, and I keep hearing that self publishing is the way to go. There's just one problem with that. The ebook and indie publisher expo wasn't anywhere near as well-attended as the book fair for more traditionally published books. I didn't sell much at the ebook signing, but at the book fair, I signed everything from Kindles to jackets to stickers to put in books in a bookstore--and yes, I signed several books, too!

I guess what I'm getting at is that while you can make a lot of money in self publishing (if you do it right), there is something about signing a book for a reader, be they a fan of long-standing, or someone buying one of your books for the first time. One lady told me that my books had helped her make it through cancer therapy, and that she was thanking all of the authors whose books had made such a difference in her life. If I'd self-published the cats, she might have emailed me, but to see her in person and hug her was something I'll remember for a very long time. Then there was a lady who told me in passing that stopping by my blog starts her day off right. Again, she could have commented on the blog or sent me an email, but to actually see the twinkle in her eye was priceless.

In many ways, this was the most successful signing I've ever done, and I really hate to give that up. Unfortunately, if I don't come up with an idea for a new series soon, my time at Sourcebooks is probably going to come to an end. I mentioned a tenth Cat Star book to the sales guy, Sean, and he didn't exactly turn handsprings over the idea. I had a bookseller tell me that she wanted to carry all of my books, but her distributor keeps telling her they're on backorder. I suggested she buy them directly from Sourcebooks, but if I don't keep writing for SB, they'll probably go out of print.

Most authors seem to be keeping their hands in a lot of pies these days. The question is, which book do you put in which pie? How many pies, and which ones? These and other question plaguing my brain must be put on hold for a bit while I scour my files in search of the perfect buns...

I think these say it all. Do you climb that wall, or do you stand there peering over it until someone smacks you on the butt to get you to hop over to the other side? I wish I knew.


And, no. I don't have a picture, or firsthand knowledge of the contours of Ivan's buns.

 

Wish I knew that, too.

Last day of the RT Booklover's Convention!

Saturday at the RT started off with breakfast with Mary G! I'd thought I would run into her more than I did, so I called her up and we had breakfast. Then it was back to the room to get ready for the big booksigning. I had a terrific time and actually sold more books than usual, but that wasn't the only thing that made it special.

Here are all the people lining up for the signing a couple of hours before the event.

This is me at my table. I hadn't even put out my bookmarks yet, but Sharon Lathan's husband came around to take pictures, so I got him to take one with my camera.

The writing team known as Lydia Dare (Jodie Pearson and Tammy Falkner) were there in costume since they were going to another event after the signing. I thought they looked wonderful!

Remember Charles Paz who was Mr. Romance a few years back? He was there, along with a few other cover models, which is what separates this convention from the RWA conference. The eye candy is MUCH better and easier to spot!

Then there was this fellow. Not sure why he was dressed as a pirate, but who cares? He looked like he was having fun.

Speaking of eye candy, Ivan Rusilko was at the signing, and Mary G went to get his autograph. She took this picture of him with my book, but had to get him to hold the book several different ways before you could actually see the cover because it's so shiny! She wanted to get an autograph for me, but I was stuck in the signing. They said, "Well, we could take him to her. We even have a camera crew."

They were hoping I'd be surprised. Needless to say, they were correct. Ivan is very sweet and he even smells good. I told him he had a beautiful smile, and he thanked me, saying that most people tell him he has beautiful "other things." Anyway, I talked to him for a bit, and they filmed us the whole time. Apparently Dateline is doing a segment on him. I don't know if they'll use that footage or not, but if they did, it would be VERY cool!

We went to the Sourcebooks cocktail party for librarians and booksellers, where I got my picture taken with Sean, the sales guy at Sourcebooks. He's the one who sold Rogue to Barnes & Noble with a one word sales pitch. He laid the book on the table and said, "MEOW!" That's him doing his cat claw thing. Interesting side note here, Slave was the first romance novel he ever read. *sniff*

















LOL! Can you tell that Sharon Lathan and I both got the "wear red" memo?

I've had a great time here at RT, but I'm looking forward to heading home to see my family. Not long after the cocktail party, Sam called and asked if I'd checked the weather and wanted to know when I'd be home. They're calling for thunderstorms here on Sunday morning, which might delay my departure a bit, but I should be home in time to feed the horses.

For today's hunk, I figured I ought to post another pic of Ivan showing just a little bit more skin...

The RT Booklover's Convention Continues!

I'll be starting my last day at the RT Booklover's Convention this morning. Got the big booksigning from 10:45 AM to 2 PM, and some cocktail parties tonight. They let the general public into the booksigning at 11:00, so if any of you are in the Chicago area, come on over! You can bring in books you already own and have them signed by the author. The limit is 2 per author, I believe. Of course, while you're here, you can buy as many books as you can carry!

I spent most of the day in workshops, attending one on adding humor to your book. My friends Ashlyn Chase and Dee Brice were on the panel. It was lots of fun, and I won a goody bag for asking a question!


















Later on, I attended a presentation on self publishing by Bob Mayer,















who is doing our Indiana RWA chapter's mini conference on April 21st in Indianapolis. For more information on the Mini Conference, visit the IRWA website.

After that, I attended the RT Awards ceremony, but take a look at what I found in the promo aisle! It would appear that one of the CBEB's more adorable hunks, Ivan Rusilko,

is now an erotic romance writer!

LOL! He can be the cover model for his own books!

That evening, went to the Avon Books cocktail party, and then I had dinner and drinks with my pals Ashlyn Chase, Sara Humphreys, and Emily Greenwood. The bar was crowded, but we had faith in Sara!

















She is awesome! She got us a table in a quiet corner of the bar where we could actually hear each other! 

Notice I stayed away from the margaritas this time, although it might have been better if I hadn't. The tequila put me to sleep last night. The chardonnay just loosened my tongue... Anyway, we had a great time together and then Ash and I called it a night and went back to our room. Must get my beauty sleep before the big booksigning!

Oops! Almost forgot the hunk....