Today is my official release day!! It's a bit of a denouement because I've held the books for a week now and even gotten feedback from a reader (about typos!) Plus, I won't see it in a store until October (and that's a tough one to explain to people. "But your book is out!" "Yes, but you have to order it online." Why are people scared of the internet? The internet is your friend.)

I brought papers home to grade but ran out of time. I need to get progress reports done and these math papers are killing me. Science and social studies should be simpler to grade. Maybe I can get some done while the kids are taking their reading test today.

more animals

People are streaming into San Antonio to get away from Ike. We're having a tornado drill today at school (the first since I've been at this school!) A lot of teachers went to the grocery store yesterday to stock up for the weekend, since we're supposed to get lots of rain and high winds. I hadn't planned to go but now I'm thinking I only have dinner for tonight and tomorrow, and worse, I don't think I have enough Diet Coke to last.

So, my batten-down-the-hatches survival list is:

1) Plenty of NCIS on the Tivo
2) different Javier movie coming from Blockbuster
3) Plenty of books to read
4) Plenty of Diet Coke and chocolate

What do you have to have to feel comfortable when you're confined?

more animals

So there are kittens at school, and their mother is very very sweet.

I already have 4 cats and I said no when Stacy needed a new home for her cat, but I want this mama cat. She needs love. She needs a home.

My dh rolled his eyes and said we have rescued our share. And we have. But still....

Please keep Lupe's son in your prayers. The worst of his bone marrow transplant starts Friday as they prepare him for the transplant, which is next week, and then 2 weeks of recovery and praying there are no graft versus host issues.

I only wrote 300 words yesterday. TIRED! Already trying to figure out when to take a day off! BAD Mary.

So, no one shares my fascination with Javier, huh? How about now?

Trish's first book is out TODAY!!!! If you haven't already, go BUY IT!!!

Surface is submitted. Back to BD, but all I want to do is work on my no-longer-so-short story. Need about 5 more scenes.

see more puppies

I can find NO ONE but Baby Brother who has seen Love in the Time of Cholera. I admit, the title turned me off and I resisted seeing it. But, you know me and my obsessions. I girded myself and rented it and LOVED IT. LOVED. IT. Bought it, and the soundtrack. Cholera plays a very small role, only setting and a plot point or two, but none of the main characters die from it. The story is about a young couple pulled apart when her father thinks she deserves better than the boy who loves her and sends her away. The boy pines for her until he finds a "routine" to help him get over her, but she's never far from his thoughts. He watches her marry another man, but betters himself to be worthy of her because, "I am waiting for her husband to die." There's subtle humor, beautiful scenery and music, and the make up as they age is incredible. Javier does an amazing job of playing an older man, then an elderly one. I found the ending very satisfying. I've already watched the movie 3 times.

Has anyone else seen it?

see more puppies

What a business. I was still floating from holding my book, and less than 24 hours later, I got an R from Superromance. Sigh.


1) finish BD
2) finish my short story
3) go through Surface with the notes Trish gives me, then submit
4) get ready for critique (NO idea what I’m sending, unless I rewrite the end of BD before Wednesday)
5) critique ;)
6) stop obsessing over this, which really is good:



and this, which I haven't seen but I've watched the trailer over and over:



8) keep up house, which I haven’t done well since the company left

I am never leaving the house without my iPod again. Yesterday I drove my son to band practice and back, then to pick him up and back, and I heard 3 Chili Peppers songs, 3 Rolling Stones songs, 2 Journey songs (on 2 different channels at the same time), 3 Eagles songs and 2 Pink Floyd songs. All this in 2 hours, max. All because I was uploading the soundtrack to Love in the Time of Cholera onto my iPod from my pokey little laptop. Never again….

I knew they were in town, I knew they were out for delivery, and I was antsy all day, imagining what it would be like when they arrived.

Welllll.....I strained my hearing listening for the UPS truck! He didn't come till 6:45!!!! TORTURE! The dh was already home, and he called the boy out while I got the box. I didn't even have the nerve to tell the guy what was in the box, how sad am I? When I opened the box, I started crying. I have one book that I've never had out of reach, just so I can touch it. I looked at the dedication first, to my grandmother, then the copyright page, then thumbed through and saw MY words on the pages. It's just not the same seeing it on the computer, even in ebook form. Seeing it in print is just stunning.

We went out to dinner, where again I didn't have the nerve to say anything, though my copy was in my purse. Then I called my mom, but no answer.

The dh did take pictures of me with the books but they're horrible. I'm red-faced and crying and I was already having a bad hair day ;)

But they're here and it feels GOOOOOOD.

more animals

According to Fandango, The Accidental Husband, Jeffrey Dean Morgan's new rom com with Uma Thurman, is coming out tomorrow. I've not seen a TV trailer at all.

I spent my Blockbuster gift card to rent the last 2 discs of Season 4 of The Office and Love in the Time of Cholera. They're charging $5 to rent DVDs!!! What the....?? I pay less than $15 for the online service and get 2 discs a week when I plan it right, AND I can trade 2 discs a month. Anyway....I had the gift card.

My print books are in Houston...they should be here tomorrow.

In honor of The Accidental Husband, here's a picture of Jeff.

more animals

An editor is reading my 2006 GH finalist. Fingers crossed, please!

So for my Cystic Fibrosis Unleash Your Story, I'm writing a short story. I have the entire thing plotted, and have 3600 words in 3 days. I'm at that stage where I don't want to be apart from the story, all I want to do is wallow in it. This is the whole reason I write romance, this feeling.

Don't tell. I'm supposed to be revising the last 50 pages of BD before revising Ghost Hunters.

Not Jeff, BTW. Javier. Need the accent ;)

see more puppies


Natalie let me know yesterday that the Supernatural book from BenBella is already on Amazon!



Allie tagged me with this meme.

Rules:
I am going to list three categories of books: 5 MUST Read Books, 5 Books on Your Nightstand, and 5 Look For These Soon. Anyone I tag should put these same lists on their blog but SUBTRACT one book from each list and ADD one of their own. (I've highlighted my additions) Then they should tag at least 5 more bloggers. It will be fun to see how the lists change as it goes around the blogosphere. Please come back to this post and leave a comment so I can see how the lists are changing as they go around the blogosphere!

(Since this is Book Buzz…please keep your lists to titles released in 2007-2009.)

5 MUST Read Books:
Not Without Her Family by Beth Andrews
A Mile in My Flip-Flops by Melody Carlson
Cast in Stone by Kerry A. Jones
Yellow Moon by Jewell Parker Rhodes
Conception by Kalisha Buckhanon

5 Books on the Nightstand:
Last Dance at the Jitterbug Lounge by Pamela Morsi
Nightswimming by Rebecca James
Pleasure by Eric Jerome Dickey
From Harvey River by Lorna Goodison
Trading Dreams at Midnight by Dianne McKinney

5 Look For These Soon:
Wanted by Shelley Shephard Gray
Just One of the Guys by Kristan Higgins
After the Fire: A True Story of Friendship and Survival by Robin Gaby Fisher
Midnight: A Gangster Love Story by Sister Souljah
A Firefighter in the Family by Trish Milburn

And I'll tag these 5 bloggers, if you want to take me up on it!

Trish
Natalie
Mary Beth
Marianne
Gina

My very good friend Linda Winfree has a book coming out today from Samhain. Check out the reviews and blurb! Very emotional stuff!

Available TODAY from Samhain Publishing.

A Fallen Angels Review Recommended Read

"Ms. Winfree’s skill at putting emotion into words is nothing short of genius, she had me laughing, crying, cheering and just a little hot...Anyone that reads Hearts Awakened will not walk away unaffected..." -- Rachel C., FAR Reviews





It’s not the past that wounds us…it’s the ghosts we hold onto.



Hearts Awakened by Linda Winfree

Book Six of the Hearts of the South series



A lifetime ago Mark Cook’s pregnant wife vanished, taking everything and leaving an empty, aching hole in his life. Since then, as penance for his failure as a husband and father, he’s refused to allow himself to live. Refused to lay his sleeping heart on the line for any woman.



Enter Tori Calvert, his best friend’s baby sister. Suddenly, against his will—and against his better judgment—that same damaged heart seems determined to reawaken. And Mark’s not sure he can withstand the pain.



When she was a teenager, a vicious attack ripped away Tori’s very essence as a woman. Finally she feels ready to focus her existence on something other than her job as a rape crisis counselor. And to step outside the shelter of her loving, protective family. She trusts Mark more than any man, yet fear holds her back.



Fear that even the healing light of love may not be enough to banish the shadows of the past.

**

With the bathroom light offering slight illumination, Tori lay awake and stared at the ceiling. Outside her window, car doors slammed and disembodied voices moved along the sidewalk. Another car cruised through the parking lot, a spotlight flashing briefly against the heavy drapes. In the room on her east side, the television droned.

She hadn’t heard Mark’s door or his moving around in his room. Restless, she flopped over in the bed. The blanket pulled at her belly button ring and she winced, rubbing the spot. Above her, a deep voice rumbled, followed by a roll of male laughter.

The red numerals on the clock radio glowed. After one in the morning. Where was he?

Like she had to ask. The idea caused a painful clench in her chest and she rubbed at her gritty eyes. Pushing the covers aside, she padded to the window and perched on the ledge to peek between the drapes. Nothing moved in the parking lot. No vehicles traveled on the street.

A figure stood silhouetted on the sidewalk facing the bay. A familiar male build, arms at his sides, head slightly bent. The ache in her chest increased and she clutched the edge of the drape. Everything in the line of his body spoke of intense pain and misery.

Go to him.

“I can’t,” she whispered. He didn’t want her comfort or help. What he wanted was easy, anonymous sex. He was right—he wanted the one thing she couldn’t offer him.

As she watched, he lifted his head and turned toward the motel. She froze, not wanting him to see her watching. Soft footsteps shuffled on the walkway. His door opened and closed, and she breathed a slow sigh of relief. At least he’d come back alone. He hadn’t brought the other woman, whoever she was, with him.

The other woman. Tori shook her head. For there to be another woman, a relationship had to exist, and it definitely didn’t.

His television clicked on and the volume dropped quickly. She leaned against the wall, eyes closed. He was on the other side of that partition, getting ready for bed.

“Stop thinking about that. He’s back, and he’s alone. You can go to bed now. He obviously is.”

She slid from her perch on the window ledge. She’d grab a glass of water and go back to bed, try to get some sleep.

As she passed the second bed, her right foot caught the corner of the platform, under the bedspread. Pain exploded in her toes. She yelped, bent over with the force of the agony moving up her leg in waves.

Clutching her injured toes, she hopped on one foot and bit back a moan. Lord, that hurt.

“Tori?” Mark knocked on the connecting door, his voice sharp with concern. “Are you all right?”

She couldn’t speak, tears blurring her vision, her energy focused on breathing and fighting off the burning pain.

Blood leaked between her fingers. Biting her lip, she dropped on the end of the bed, rocking back and forth.

“Tori?” If anything, his voice was sharper, a note of alarm creeping in around the edges. “Tori, I’m coming in.”

Whatever. He could walk to Timbuktu if he wanted. All she wanted was for the throbbing in her entire foot to stop.

“What’s wrong?” He knelt in front of her, his hands running over her. Checking for injuries. She recognized that much. “Tori, what happened?”

His voice wavered. She shook her head, still clutching her foot. “My toes.”

The sharp gray gaze dropped to her foot and he swore. He cradled her heel in his palm. “Let me see.”

“Hit them on the bed.” She forced her fingers to let go. Blood dripped on the carpet.

He lifted her foot. “Oh, honey.”

One strong finger probed at the side of her toe and she sucked in a breath. “Ouch!”

“I’m going to get a towel and some ice. Hang on a sec.”

Gently, he set her foot down and rose to return to his room. In seconds, he was back, carrying two towels and his ice bucket.

“Here.” He lifted her foot again, wrapped one towel underneath and placed the second, filled with ice, along the top of her toes. She flinched. “I know,” he said, his voice soothing. His fingers moved over her ankle in a comforting caress. “It’ll feel better in a sec.”

Under the numbing cold, the pain receded slightly and she stared at him. Barefoot and resting on his haunches, he still wore his khakis, but he’d shed his polo shirt. A fine layer of dark hair covered his chest and formed an arrow down the line of his stomach. A small tattoo lurked between his pecs, an infinity swirl angled to the left, over his heart. He rested her foot against his thigh, muscles rippling beneath her heel. Her breath stopped, but this time it had nothing to do with pain. Her fingers tingled. What would it feel like if she traced the tattoo, ran her hands over his chest? Were those muscles as hard as the ones in his arms?

“Wiggle your toes for me.” She did, her gaze on his hands touching her. Deft and gentle, his fingers moved over her foot and shivers trickled through her, almost making her forget the burning pulsing. “I don’t think anything’s broken. You have a cut, but it’s not very deep. We can clean it up and put a bandage on it.”

“Thanks.” Warmth traveled out from his touch, an odd contrast to the numbing cold at her toes. He glanced up at her and all the warmth died. Deep pink lipstick smudged the corner of his mouth. Leaning forward, she swiped it away with her thumb. “Did she make you forget?”

He froze, staring at her. Slowly, he shook his head. “No. I mean, I didn’t…” A hard swallow moved his throat. “I couldn’t.”

A trickle of icy water dripped down the side of her foot. Tori moistened dry lips. “Why not?”

“Because it didn’t feel right. Because it’s not working anymore. She probably could have made me forget Jenny for a little while…” Another swallow, his Adam’s apple bobbing. “But she couldn’t make me forget you.”

http://www.samhainpublishing.com/authors/linda-winfree

more animals

I finally finished Surface last night! I started my revisions on BD so I can enter the Suzannah, and I prepped two submissions. I need to get my Eppie entries done today, and hit the grocery store and do laundry again.

I got my scores from Lone Star on STTA - a 95, a 91 and a 75. Ouch! I don't have the nerve to read the comments yet.

The Wet Noodle Posse is participating in Unleash Your Story. Our goal is to raise $3000, so if you're inclined, please click!

Also, the first kiss from Where There's Smoke is up for best smooch on ecataromance Please vote!

see more puppies

1) VEGG!
2) Finish Surface
3) Start revisions on BD
4) Submit Surface and STTA
5) Enter Eppies
6) Enter Barclay Gold
7) Enter the Suzannah
8) Keep up house
9) grocery store
10) Open house/faculty meeting

Okay, I LOVE this picture.

The boy is editor-in-chief of his school paper!!!!!! We're just calling him Chief now. I'm thinking this will be helpful on college applications. Go, BOY!!!

more animals

In the summer, I didn't care much for Friday. It meant another week had passed. Now....I get to wear jeans and my cute shoes and don't have to worry about balancing everything once I come home tonight.

Last night I came home and my stepmom was making dinner. AWESOME. Great salad and asparagus and barbecue. I think we're going to do the same thing tonight. She laughed at my cookies (Nestle precut chocolate chip.) Hey, I cook at Christmas. We watched some of the Cowboy/Viking game and then Obama's speech. My folks are Republican. It was....interesting. I was so tense I didn't hear a lot of it. The boy and my dad had a little set-to that will probably be followed up today. The boy doesn't care - he loves to talk politics and he's good at it.

I'm blogging today at Samhain about the last things I learned before publishing. Come say hey!

Have you seen this?



I can't imagine looking into my yard and seeing such a thing!

more animals

For someone whose favorite thing is sleep, I don't do it very well. I woke up at about 3:30. Not. Good.

My dad and stepmom rolled in about 7 last night, we ate around 8:30, I went to bed around 11. Today is going to feel like a really long day. I wish my grade level still had planning and lunch together - I'd take a nap!

I had planned what to wear today but we're having a fire drill, so once again, no cute shoes because we'll be standing in the wet grass. ARGH.

I think (hope, pray, whatever) I have the right ending....now to tweak it.

Okay, so I've always liked September, but this one is going to be really good ;)

Supernatural Season 3 is on DVD September 2. I preordered it in June.

Trish's first book comes out September 9! I'm going to go around to stores and tell everyone it's my friend's book.

My book will be in print September 12. I cannot WAIT to hold it in my hands. Can. Not. Wait.

Kabluey, JDM's new movie, is on DVD September 16, I think.

New Supernatural season starts September 18.

New Grey's Anatomy season starts September 25.

Iron Man is out on September 30.

The church down the street, the one I got married in and baptized the boy in, has a big fall festival. It's always amazingly hot, so not very fall-like, but still fun.

And our high temps should start cooling into the 80s.

What do you like about September?

more animals

So I've been checking for weeks and the print copy is on Amazon!!!! It has a link to another seller, but I'm pretty sure you'll be able to order it directly from Amazon soon. At least, I ordered Gina's directly from Amazon. Took forever, but.....

Amazon Where There's Smoke

Dad and Sue should be rolling in this afternoon. The house is mostly clean, though I'd like to clean off the patio furniture. We'll see, if I get home before they do.

Surface is the book that Will Not End. I just can't make it emotional enough.

more animals

I ordered print copies of my book!!!!!! I wish they'd come while my dad is here.

21 kids showed up yesterday, and still we had no AC. Oh, and only 18 desks. But they seem good and bright. I'm excited about it.

I got my insurance taken care of, did my errand and got home at 5. TIRED! And finished Wayback and sent it to my editor. Now, to finish Surface.....

see more puppies

Dad called yesterday - they're coming down a day earlier than scheduled. I thought my head would pop off yesterday, but I'm back on schedule now. I even managed to finish my Wayback edits last night.

Dinner is cooking, lunches are packed, fashion faux pas of the day: I thought it would be that my fingernails and toenails are different colors. But I found a sample packet of hair lotion that I thought would calm my frizzies. I applied some, looked closer at the packet - HAND lotion! ARGH! I told the danged doctor I needed bifocals!

Today: teach, go to insurance sign up (one teacher went Friday and it took her an HOUR AND A HALF - the entire district has to go to one school to sign up, and I don't even get insurance from the district and I STILL have to go), dry cleaners, UPS store, Blockbuster (returning Recount and Street Kings), Lowe's (to get plants since most of mine have DROWNED) and then come home to clean the kitchen and maybe bathrooms.

more animals

Officially overwhelmed....

1) edits for Wayback
2) clean house for Dad's visit
3) get accustomed to my students, get into the swing
4) get the boy back in the swing
5) finish Surface (please GOD!!!)
6) order senior pictures
7) write a blog for Samhain Friday

I know, doesn't look like much, but it's all big.

more cat pictures

I haven’t blogged since school started and today I got up early and my internet was down!!! GAH. School is good, though, and I’m working hard to not slack off in the other areas – writing and keeping the house up. It’s been raining, though, so I haven’t been able to wear my very cute shoes!!! We've been going out to lunch every day and yesterday my mom was at the same restaurant and she bought me lunch ;)

I’m so tired. Last night was SARA. I got home at 9:30 and was in bed by 10. The meeting was great. My friend Sarah’s husband was the guest speaker, a 15 year police veteran, and he was very engaging. I got at least 3 new ideas ;)

I’m revising Surface, hoping that the ending will come to me…..nothing I come up with feels right.

I watched the last disc of Robin Hood yesterday. I would rate the season as this:

Disc One: Meh
Disc Two: Okay, looking forward to more.
Disc Three: WHERE IS THE LAST DISC? DOES ANY STORE IN SAN ANTONIO HAVE IT? I NEED IT NOW!!!
Disc Four: I cannot believe they did that. I CANNOT believe it. Must speak to someone who has seen it…..which is no one. Also, will watch Season 3 but not with hope.

My new old favorite show is Sex and the City. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that a man writes it because the friendships, the absolute loyalty these women have for each other. The break-ups and the relationships and the sickness and the celebrations. It’s idealistic, of course, but something women should strive for in their friendships.

One of my SARA friends is going through a rough time. Lupe, who posts here now and again, recently discovered her son Michael needs a bone marrow transplant. He was diagnosed with cancer 4 years ago and went into remission twice, but has had 2 relapses. Thank God, a match has been found, and the surgery is scheduled for September. Please, if you could, say a prayer that everything goes well!

more cat pictures

I'm dressed (in a red t-shirt and DANG my denim skirt got tight!), make-up on, hair ironed, nails done (though I painted them at 4 PM yesterday - took me an HOUR to do the French manicure - and they got messed up while I slept!!! Emergency stop at Walgreens this AM), very cute shoes by the door, car loaded. I slept well, once I convinced my body that 11 PM is a reasonable hour to go to bed, and I woke on my own an hour before the alarm. Bodes well.

Last night we went to dinner and my brother was there working on the AC so we got a free meal! Cool.

I met my page goal for the day early yesterday and let myself play with a new story - and got 1200 words! When you meet your goal for the day, do you press on or do you play?

more cat pictures

1) Finish revisions on Surface
2) Start revisions on BD
3) Get back on a schedule
4) SARA
5) Keep up house
6) Do nails

Hey, not too bad, except for the whole having-a-schedule-again thing.

I got my scores back from the Heart of the West contest - 98, 88 and 80. Not too bad. I was a little nervous ;)

more cat pictures

Last night while trying to see if Where There’s Smoke was available in print on Amazon yet, I learned I was Joyfully Recommended again:




Woot! I’m one of her favorite authors!!!

And I stayed up till 2 watching Phantom of the Opera. Yes, I own it, but it was on and I was finishing a scene for the day. (And I still woke at 7:30!!)

And then I started thinking about my favorite Gerard Butler movies. I came up with 8.

1) Tomb Raider 2 – very action-oriented, and that love scene…mmm.



2) Dear Frankie – his burr is so pronounced, and he’s darling with the kid



3) Phantom of the Opera – LOVE his singing, LOVE the Don Juan scene, LOVE the kiss



4) PS I Love You – pure charming mode



5) Nim’s Island – dual roles, as a smart-mouthed adventurer and a nerdy dad



6) 300 – weeellll, you saw the costumes, yes? And the scene with his wife the night before he leaves?



7) Reign of Fire – charming again, especially with the kids, and love the shaggy hair



8) The Jury – a bit of romance, a tortured character, sympathetic



Okay, I know I’ve left some out – Beowulf, Timeline, that soccer movie, the movie with Pierce Brosnan, but I just didn’t like those as much.

What about you? A favorite Gerry movie? A movie you’ll stay up till 2 AM watching even though you own it?

Today I need to color my hair. I spent 45 minutes the other night looking for pictures of Rachel Ray to show the stylist. I could have just gone to HEB and gotten Rachel Ray’s magazine. Who knew?

I need to do laundry and clean the kitchen, but thanks to last night's write-a-thon, I only need 3 pages to meet my goal today. Oh, and I need to finish that blasted contest entry.