I did it!

Smiling cause it's downhill!

Yesterday, in San Diego, I ran my first 5K, the Joggin' for Frogmen run!

I began training 5 or 6 weeks ago using an iPhone app called c25K. I stuck with it until last Saturday. I wasn't going to get all eight weeks in so instead of cramming trying to do weeks 7 and 8 in one week, I ran mock 5Ks on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each time I jogged more and faster.

Even though I trained on hills, the course at San Diego State University was still tough. My legs didn't burn on the hills, but I felt it in my breathing and was really tired.

I was there with a bunch of people I knew from the Internet who became real-life friends after attending a fundraising gala on Friday night at the Air and Space Museum. All I can say is really great people.

I'm slow so was just going to place myself somewhere toward the back of runners and go from there. But three of my friends, Scott, Chris and Christy, joined me so we could all start together. Christy dropped back first (she's totally kickass but as of the night before hadn't even registered so not sure she had trained). I lasted with them a little longer then realized I needed to slow my pace if I was going to make the entire race.

I'd heard the course was hilly so I trained on hills, easy to do where I live. But there's hilly and then there's hilly. This was the latter. My legs didn't burn the way they'd done a week ago, but boy was I  feeling it all over and especially with my breathing. My goal was to run the entire 5K. I'd say I ran, well, jogged, all but a couple minutes of it, in particular the last portion of each uphill slog.

My friend and roommate for the weekend, Mary, took the above pic of me. She was walk-running the race with another person and behind me. At two points in the course you can see people going up while your going down. That's where she took this pic of me. I had to laugh when I showed hubby the picture. The first thing hubby he said was "Where'd you get that headband?" I'd purchased other headbands to run in, but they were narrow. I bought a wider one when I picked up my race packet at a running store on Friday afternoon. I can't believe he noticed that!

After the race

Around the last third or so, I met up with Chris who I'd started the race with. He'd told Scott to go ahead without him. We stuck together for a while, then he dropped back. I kept going because according to my timing app I was doing pretty well even though I was feeling it. But then I came to a big hill. I slowed down. Next thing I know Chris was back. He'd caught his breath and was good to go. I told him to go ahead. He said he wanted to run with me.

Sweet guy!

As we headed toward the end, Chris kept encouraging me. I was really tired at this point. I still couldn't see the finish line. Then I saw Scott who was wearing his finisher's medal. I waved. Next thing I knew he was right next to me, running. He wanted to finish the race us. He pushed me to kick it up a notch and finish strong. So I did.

My initial goal was to jog half, then run half. I changed that to run the entire thing in 45 minutes. Yesterday my time was 39:07, faster than any of my mock 5Ks! I did walk a little but only on the hills so I'm okay with that.

I love my finisher's medal. I wore it all day yesterday, except for when I walked through airport security. I'm not bitten by the running bug yet, but I have to admit it's really good exercise. Today is a rest day, but I plan to go for a jog tomorrow!

And I'd love to do Joggin' for Frogmen. A great cause for real life heroes who provide much inspiration for romance writers like me. And a great event. We hung around after the race, visiting with people and then watching a parachute team drop in. Very cool!

San Diego

I'll be in San Diego until Sunday. This is a break from family and writing, too! My MacBook Pro is staying home! This is going to be a total vacation. Sightseeing, meeting folks from a website I belong to, spending time with someone I've known a long time who was a big help with Miss Mousie's fundraising, attending a fundraiser for SOF and their families and running in the Joggin' For Frogmen 5K.

There's another reason I wanted to go San Diego. My trips there in 2012 were all about my friend Elizabeth who was dying of breast cancer. I cherish each moment I spent with her, especially that last trip when I was there for eight days. I know she would want me to remember the better times we shared. So it's time to make some new memories in he town she loved so much.

Not sure I'll blog. I am bringing my iPad, but that's mainly so I can read and watch videos of my son's swims this weekend!

Have a great weekend and I'll post a trip report when I'm home!

Take care!

Under the Dome

Is anyone watching Under the Dome, a 13 episode summer series on Monday's at 10 pm on CBS?

I am.

The kids introduced me to the series when we were in Sunriver on vacation. I caught up on episodes via Amazon Prime and Comcast On-Demand.

The series is based on a Stephen King novel, but according to readers the show is different from the book. Some is good. Other parts silly. The rest falls in the middle. But we're enjoying it.

I like the idea of a show not dragging out for years. I find the actual dome thingy interesting more so than some of the drama going on, but maybe that's the engineer in me. The show's focus is the characters reacting to being under the dome, but I'm still trying to figure people out on the show. I will likely read the novel once the miniseries is over just to see how King wrote it. I'm curious to see the characters in the book vs. those in the show.

Are there any summer shoes you're watching and would recommend?

The New Prince

Social media has been ga-ga over the birth of the third in line for the crown in the UK. Some people are thrilled. Other's don't get it. I love reading about royalty and writing about them, too, so for me yesterday was a fun day full of happy news. And in honor of the royal birth, here are a couple things for you:

1) USA Today released a royal name generator based on your initials. Click here. My name is The Grand Empress Victoria The Mostly Victorious. I'm kinda wondering what the whole "Mostly Victorious" means. As a friend posted to me, it doesn't sound like a compliment. What's your royal name?

2) My Teaser Tuesday on Faceback is from my royalty themed book Expecting Royal Twins. Click here to read.

3) A story and the video of town crier announcing the royal birth at SF Gate. Click here. Turns out he "crashed the party."

Hope you have a great day!

Stumptown

Chaos and Rose on Saturday

This weekend the girls competed with Chaos and Cato at the Portland Stumptown dog show.

This was Cato's first indoor show and beyond wanting to play with the other Elkhound in the ring when he went back in the first day, he did well. He and Mackenna look good together! The only problem is he isn't as into treats as Chaos so on Sunday morning she didn't feed him breakfast. That fixed the problem! A good thing they showed at 8 am!

Rose hadn't been in the Junior Showmanship ring since February, I believe. Back then, she was using our friends' Australian Shepherd, Piper, because Chaos was still getting used to her seizure medication. Well, Chaos is back. And she and Rose did fantastic. On Saturday, they won the Open Junior Class. That was Rose's first win as an Open. On Sunday, they received third place. Pretty exciting for them and us!

I bumped into a handler who'd helped Mackenna at this very show three years ago and planted the seeds for writing a romance about the dog show world. I'd forgotten to bring a copy of The Man Behind The Pinstripes to give her, but on Sunday (I stayed home to write) my hubby did!

How was your weekend?

The Goonies

Hey, you guys! Last night, I introduced my two youngest kids to The Goonies. I'm not sure they knew what to think when I suggested we watch it (free on the Xbox360 via Amazon Prime) but Finn was a trooper and took his spot. Rose said she would pass (then after she got a glimpse of the movie and sat next to me to watch the entire thing.)

They loved it. I knew they would! What kid wouldn't?

I've been thinking about The Goonies a lot lately. In my upcoming November release, A Little Bit of Holiday Magic, I mention the movie. Astoria, the film's setting, is where the heroine is heading when she winds up stuck in Hood Hamlet on Mount Hood.

Astoria is an easy day trip from where we live. I think we might have to take a road trip this summer and do a little Goonies sightseeing. With the magic of the Internet (i.e. Google) it's easy to figure out where you need to go. Here is a list of the movie locations in Astoria. And this is blog by someone who did a tour of some of the sites. Sounds fun, don't you think?

For all things Goonies, check out the Goonies website. I also found fun this article that has 10 Things You Might Not Know About The Goonies. And just in case you forgot what The Goonies was about or have never seen it, check out the original trailer from the film made back in 1985.



Don't you think the trailer might be made a little differently today?

Hope you have a nice day and remember, Goonies never say die!

Medals

This weekend my two youngest competed at the State Games of Oregon. Each state runs these. You don't have to belong to a USA swimming team to compete though our team was there. It's a fun meet, limited to two events each day, and everyone gets a T-shirt. They also do something not a lot of other meets do...have an awards ceremony complete with podiums for the top six finishers.

My kiddos did well. Finn placed in three of his four events. Rose placed in all four of hers. Here's pics of them getting medals. Finn placed 2nd and Rose placed 3rd. Very proud of both of them for how they swam this weekend!

Staying Home

Many authors I know are going through an annual tradition of shopping, dieting, ordering business cards and trying on every pair of shoes they own. Yes, the RWA National Conference is starting this week. Last year I had a blast attending the conference held in Anaheim, CA so thought about going this year, but I just couldn't justify going to Atlanta so I'm staying home.

I'm happy with that decision since I'll be heading to San Diego for four days next week! I don't miss the frenzy of getting ready for RWA. At least that's how it felt to me and based on the Facebook posts from this year's conference-goers, some of them feel the same way.

But I do enjoy reading about everyone's preparation and packing. The pics of shoes crack me up. How many pairs of shoes does an author need for a four day conference? The number would surprise you!

So I'll be around this week and blogging. What will you be doing?

Book Giveaway!

I'm doing a giveaway on Goodreads. Three copies of my latest release THE MAN BEHIND THE PINSTRIPES are up for grab. Either click here to be taken to the entry page or use the handy widget below.

I've been on Goodreads, but haven't used it much. Any suggestions or hints on how to make the most of the site both as a reader and author!

Thanks!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Man Behind the Pinstripes

by Melissa McClone

Giveaway ends August 09, 2013.

See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Is it Friday yet?

Where has the week gone? I've been playing catch up since returning from vacation as well as bus driver. From a little after 5 until around 9 pm, I drove kids to swim, from swim, to soccer and back to swim. Crazy! And very little down time for me to read or write. But we survived and I crashed hard only to be woken up at 5:30 am by barking. I wonder if Barbara Cartland's little dog ever did that to her?

On the good news front, my oldest's shoulder is just a sprain. She should be back to her activities in a month, six weeks at the longest! Just in time for high school swimming. They gave her a sling to wear when she's out and about as well as exercises to do and a referral for PT. We celebrated with lunch at a new-to-us place on the Columbia River called the Puffin Cafe. Best part for the kids-snow cones for dessert.

On the TV front, we've started watching a summer show, a 13 episode series called Under the Dome. The kids found it on Amazon Prime, watched the pilot and said I'd enjoy it. The series is based on a Stephen King novel. So far it's interesting, but there's this whole kidnapping thread that I wish wasn't there.

On the movie front, Sunday was family movie night at the theater. Of course, that meant seeing three different movies at the same time. Sigh... Rose and I saw Monsters University. It was cute. Finn saw The Lone Ranger with a bunch of his swim team members. He was more interested in being with his friends so couldn't tell me much about the movie which makes me think it wasn't very good. Mackenna saw White House Down with a swim buddy and enjoyed it.

Well, it's time for me to jog. I'm on week 5 of my training app. I keep thinking I should be farther along, but at least I'm now not dying when it tells me to run for 5 minutes. Today's run is for longer and there's a distance involved. Most likely while I'm still inside blogging instead of outside getting it done. Haha!

Have a great Thursday!

Home

I gave up blogging during vacation. That was the closest thing to writing I was doing and I decided I wanted a complete break from "work."

Of course, Mackenna going over the handle bars of her bike and ending up injured changed up our vacation a little. Out was whitewater rafting. In was mani-pedis. Though we probably would have had our nails done anyway! But she couldn't go down the water slides or play tennis or do a lot of the things we had planned. A good thing we plan on going back next year! We see a specialist tomorrow. Fingers crossed this won't impact her swimming too much!

Outside of the bike accident, the vacation was exactly what I needed. Relaxing rather than running around. Hanging out as a family. We met up a couple of times with friends that were there. Watching fireworks on the Fourth of July. Fun times.

On the drive home, we stopped by my parents' house. The three kidlets decided they wanted to spend the weekend there so we were kidless until Sunday. That meant going out to brunch on Saturday after our jog and just spending time together (and with the furbabies)

Now it's back to the same old same. Hubby is back to his traveling. I'm back to my writing and driving the kids all over the place! But now we're not so tired! A little R&R can make such a difference!

Hope you had a great Fourth and week!

Sun and H2O

SHARC at Sunriver

Yesterday was all about water! We spent the morning at SHARC. Fun times. The picture is my son making his way across the pool using ropes and floaty log thingys. It was a little too easy for him so hubby decided to tip the logs to make it harder for him.

Not sure if you can see all the blue sky in the pic, but it was a gorgeous, clear day. Another hot one, too. High nineties.

On the food front, we discovered a great place in the village. The Sunriver Brewhouse. It was being built when we were here last year. We ate lunch there. Great atmosphere and food and customer service. Our meals took a really long time to arrive so the manager gave us our drinks for free as well as 10% off the check.

In the evening we went to the Juniper Swim and Fitness in Bend so the kids could get in a swim practice with Current, a local USA swimming team. The pool is 50m long so it was a great opportunity for them to train given the long course state championships coming up later this month! The coach and team were very welcoming and friendly. Finn met them at another pool this morning at 5:15 am to get in more practice and had in spite of the early hour.

Hope you're having a great day!

Vacation!

Dinner in Sunriver Village

The family and I (dogs included) are taking a much needed vacation this week. The cats are at home with our housesitter extraordinaire, my dear friend Jenny, who takes such good care of them I don't have to worry one bit.

We arrived in Sunriver, Oregon yesterday afternoon. It's our same time, next year vacation. We're staying at the same house we stayed this time last year. The kids already had sleeping arrangements planned and didn't need any help getting settled.

The weather is gorgeous, but hot. So glad the house we rented has a/c.

 My kids are big on traditions so we ended up eating dinner at the same place we did last year our first night here, El Caporal. Something new this year was the kids having to take pics of their drinks and food. We've been invaded by Instagram!

This morning hubby and I went for a jog before the kids woke up. We'll be spending the morning at the pool before it gets too hot. Of course, with state swim meets coming up, the kiddos will be doing a few swim practices with a local USA Swim team in the area. But I think they're looking forward to that. At least Finn!

Hope you have a great day!

Joggin' For Frogmen

My new shoes

I'm not a runner. I ran a little when I was in college. I ran when required in a Crossfit WOD just because I wasn't going to give up. But I didn't like it much. Well...

I just bought a pair of running shoes.

Why?

In less than a month, I'm going to San Diego. The last day of my visit happens to coincide with a a 5K called Joggin' For Frogmen that benefits The Navy SEAL Foundation and The 31Heroes Project. So a friend (a fellow Soldiers' Angel) and I registered for the race.

I've never run that far.

But I'm going to give it my best shot!

I have a fundraising page if you care to help me support our fallen heroes and their families. Click here.

I can always run/walk if need be, but I'd really like to jog as much of it as I can. For the past week I've been training using an iPhone app. So far so good. I think the swimming I've been doing since April is helping the training. My swim clinic coach, who is a triathlete, has been very supportive and helpful. Just wish I had decided to do this 8 weeks before the race (that's how long the training app is for). I've got a little over 5 so am going to have to kick things up a notch soon.

My jogging amuses my family to no end. But this is the least I can do for those who did so much for our country. Wish me luck!

Operation Red Wings

Picture from SEAL of Honor Facebook page

Today is the anniversary of Operation Red Wings. For those who may be interested in learning more about what happened eight years ago in Afghanistan, Marcus Luttrell's book The Lone Survivor tells the story. They are currently making a movie of the book, too. I'm looking forward to seeing that.

Never forget the men, the heroes, who lost their lives eight years ago. 

Lt. (SEAL) Michael P. Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y.

Sonar Technician (Surface) 2nd Class (SEAL) Matthew G. Axelson, 29, of Cupertino, Calif.

Machinist Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Eric S. Patton, 22, of Boulder City, Nev.

Senior Chief Information Systems Technician (SEAL) Daniel R. Healy, 36, of Exeter, N.H.

Quartermaster 2nd Class (SEAL) James Suh, 28, of Deerfield Beach, Fla.

Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class (SEAL) Danny P. Dietz, 25, of Littleton, Colo.

Chief Fire Controlman (SEAL) Jacques J. Fontan, 36, of New Orleans, La. 

Staff Sgt. Shamus O. Goare, 29, of Danville, Ohio.

Chief Warrant Officer Corey J. Goodnature, 35, of Clarks Grove, Minn.

Sgt. Kip A. Jacoby, 21, of Pompano Beach, Fla.

Sgt. 1st Class Marcus V. Muralles, 33, of Shelbyville, Ind.

Maj. Stephen C. Reich, 34, of Washington Depot, Conn.

Sgt. 1st Class Michael L. Russell, 31, of Stafford, Va.

Chief Warrant Officer Chris J. Scherkenbach, 40, of Jacksonville, Fla.

Lt. Cmdr. (SEAL) Erik S. Kristensen, 33, of San Diego, Calif. 

Electronics Technician 1st Class (SEAL) Jeffery A. Lucas, 33, of Corbett, Ore. 

Lt. (SEAL) Michael M. McGreevy Jr., 30, of Portville, N.Y.

Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (SEAL) Jeffrey S. Taylor, 30, of Midway, W.Va.

Master Sgt. James W. Ponder III, 36, of Franklin, Tenn. 

(List of names from the Summary of Action at NSW/www.navy.mil)

Mount Hood Rescue

My Hood Hamlet series of books deal with volunteer mountain rescuers on Mount Hood. Right now, there is a real life rescue mission going on up there. The missing climber, Kinley Adams, happens to be my parents' dentist. A very nice guy, according to my mom.

Unfortunately weather has been hampering the rescue efforts, but they may get a break up there soon. I can only imagine the frustration of the rescuers when Mother Nature gets in the way.

One rescuer who helped me with research questions for most of the books was quoted in the media. A friend, an associate member of the group who answered questions for me when I wrote the first Hood Hamlet story, let me know her husband was heading up there. There are many others who are (or will be heading) up there.

Please pray for all involved and their families, too!

Monday

For once I woke up on a Monday morning fully rested. That took falling asleep early. Unplanned, of course. I'd been writing last night. I remember closing my eyes for just a minute. The next thing I knew hubby was taking my MacBook Pro off me and my glasses. I'd been asleep for two hours.

I got up, changed into jammies, brushed my teeth and went straight back to bed. Even the puppy behaved himself this morning and waited until after 5 am to want out. Amazing how nice even a Monday morning looks when you're not tired!

We had a great weekend. Swim meet all three days and soccer on Friday. A good thing I'm rested because it's going to be a busy week with a soccer Jamboree tonight and a three day tournament this coming weekend, not to mention a dance recital. All of those are for one kid too, our youngest!

But once the recital is over, no more dancing. She had the choice of playing rec soccer and continuing her dance class or playing club soccer and not dancing. She wanted to play at the competitive level so we can scratch one activity off her list!

Hope you had a nice weekend! Enjoy your Monday!

Swim Meet

For the second Friday in a row, I'll be at a swim meet. The kids are now in two different age groups which means they don't always swim at the same meets. It gives me more time to wear my swim mom cap!

Not that I sit glued to the races. Lots of down time in between heats to write. Of course the sky is gray and I have a feeling it'll be wet so I'll leave the electronic devices at home and go old school. Pen and paper.

Do you have any plans today?

Giveaway!

I'm over at Harlequin Junkie today talking about my dog book aka The Man Behind the Pinstripes. The focus of the interview is my hero, Caleb Fairchild. I was asked some interesting questions about him and the story!

I'm also giving away a $10 Amazon Gift Card to celebrate the release of the book this month so click here to pop on over there and enter.

Thanks!

Life Imitating Art

Becca Taylor, the heroine in my current release The Man Behind the Pinstripes, is a dog handler. This weekend I got a taste of what she does.

On Saturday, I took Grand Finale, a beautiful Norwegian Elkhound, into the ring.

Yeah, not what I planned on happening. I'd brought ring clothes just in case, but figured I'd just be holding leads. And it turned out exactly how you think it would.

Pretty much a nightmare.

I've been to handling classes with my daughter, but just to help out. I don't know how to stack or do much.

But there I was.

Did I mention it was a nightmare?

Poor Grand Finale.

But we survived.

She got lots of chicken.

I didn't trip or fall.

Hubby took a video of me in there but I haven't watched it yet. I lived it, no reason to see it again. But maybe I'll watch it someday. Then again, maybe not!

Hope you had a nice weekend!

Happy Father's Day!

Wishing all the dads, grandpas and stand-in dads a very Happy Father's Day!

Being a dad is such an important and huge job. Thank you for all you do for your kiddos!

Hope all you dads out there have a great day and are spoiled rotten by your minions.

Dog Handling Class

My children dragged me into the world of dog showing a couple of years ago. Until then, the only things I knew about the show dogs I learned from watching the movie Best In Show (actually pretty tame compared to the real thing) and the Westminster dog show on television. That is to say I didn't know much!

The descent started innocent enough...the 4-H dog program. Next came AKC Junior Handling. Then the oldest stepped into the breed ring.

To show for their dog showing efforts we now have lots of pretty ribbons, pictures of the kids and the dogs and judges on a podium, a few prizes and some fun memories spent at dog shows. I also have a book, my current release THE MAN BEHIND THE PINSTRIPES, that was inspired by my time spent at dog shows and much of it written at shows I attended last year.

The one thing I've never wanted to do (we're talking not ever) was show a dog myself.

For the past month (well, the last three weeks out of four), Mackenna and I have been attending a dog handling class to prepare Cato for his first dog show that's coming up. The instructor is a professional handler, dog behaviorist, and, I believe, breeder. She's a total dog person and really knows her stuff. Mackenna loves going. Given all the Norwegian Elkhounds that have been showing up for class (Cato, Nash, Chaos, Maia, Astra, Espen, Axel depending on the night) we've needed extra handlers. One of them has been me.

To say I'm uncomfortable doing this is putting it mildly. I'm not even sure I'd feel comfortable showing a cat!

But I'm a mom and mom's help out when called upon. Even if they have no idea what they are doing and probably look like they have two left feet when running around the ring!

Last night at the class, I was working with Chaos. It was my turn to stack her for "judging" then lead her around the ring and back to the "judge" again. Thankfully Chaos, who loves to be in the ring, knows what to do so I was just there to hold the lead. When we'd finished, the instructor said she'd make a handler out of me one of these days.

Most likely not, since I still have no clue what I'm doing, but it was nice of her to say!

Kitten Season

In my current work-in-progress THE BILLIONAIRE'S NANNY, my heroine is fostering a cat named Blossom. I fictionalized a real life event that happened at my local animal rescue shelter, a broken pipe flooded the cat house, in order Blossom to need a foster ASAP. But the truth is, even without a broken pipes, most shelters and rescue groups are looking for fosters.

Especially now.

This is the time of year when rescue shelters find themselves overwhelmed by kittens. Kittens are oh-so-cute, but when they are only days or weeks old, they live in foster homes. This puts a strain on shelters to find space for them. Kitten season lasts for months, so many shelters need extra fosters to get them through this crunch time.

If you've ever thought about fostering cats for a shelter or rescue group near you, now is a good time to make the call! You don't have to foster kittens. Older cats need foster homes, too. I can't speak for all shelters, but my local one provides all the supplies a foster needs, including covering medical expenses for the cat(s.) The foster provides the space and care and love. A win-win situation.

I realize some people aren't in a position to foster at the moment. One of those people is me. With two sick cats, I can't take in another right now, but we can still find ways to help. Just check in with your local rescue group to see what ideas they have on ways to get involved outside of fostering.

I know fostering doesn't appeal to everyone. I've heard the following from more than one person: how could they foster a cat, get attached then have that cat adopted by someone else. They say having to give the cat up would hurt their hearts too much. I always shake my head at this because that means these so-called cat lovers would rather protect themselves than help an animal in need. Sure, you get attached. Yes, you will miss them. And there have been lots of foster failures (raising hand, because we ended up adopting Miss Mousie.) But aren't some tears and a tight chest better than having a cat turned away from being rescued because there isn't room for them? Sure, some people will take in strays (we've done it), but adoption events and online adoption databases are better ways for a cat to find a forever home.

Every cat needs a forever home and their own person or family to love them!

And dogs, too! If you prefer woof to meow, dogs need fosters, too!

Random Tuesday

A snippet from my current release!

At 8:00 am (Pacific time), Teaser Tuesday will be going live on my Facebook page. Part of the teaser or snippet from The Man Behind The Pinstripes, I put on the graphic to the right. I've tagged ten other authors, from various romance genre who are participating. Check one or all out, you might find a new book to read.

My two youngest finished their alternative school, now it's time for them to finish our courses at home. I know they want to finish by the end of the month so they can have two months off (minus some math and spelling.) We'll see...

Yoda was diagnosed with HCM (Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy.) It's a mild case right now. He'll be monitored and return to the cardiologist in six months for a repeat of the heart ultrasound. Thanks for all your prayers and well wishes. I have a lot to learn about feline heart disease!

Last night we watched Monsters & Aliens to celebrate the end of school. I remember seeing the previews but had never seen the flick. We enjoyed it.

Hope you have a great Tuesday! Anything random in your world?

Last Day of School

Today is the last day of school for the two youngest kidlets. They only attend twice a week, but they are so looking forward to being off until September. Of course, the last day means class parties!

Finn brought a tray of berries to share with his classmates. Rose is having a culture party (they each studied a different country) so she brought a plate of "tapas" consisting of olives, manchego cheese, chorizo sausage and a sliced baquette. Not sure how adventurous her classmates will be though!

Hope you have a great Monday!

Hai! Yoda iz Back!

Yoda the Ninja Cat

Iz been too buzy being a ninja to blog for MomE. But she iz worried about me. Iz helping her.

A lady in the white coat sayz something iz wrong with my heart. She sayz Iz need to see heart doctor. We go today.

Iz tellz MomE I only 3 1/2. Iz a Ninja Cat. Iz adorable. My heartz good.

She still worry. Put away little red light thingy I chase.

So we will go to see this heart doc.

I wantz red light thingy back.

Summer Take 2

The sun has returned to the Pacific Northwest. After all the rain and gray skies we've had, temperatures soared above ninety yesterday. Our second glimpse of summer this spring! Fingers crossed it continues. I'm tired of rain!

I love grumpy cat. Feeling a little grumpy myself this morning, but I hope it passes. I have lots on my To Do list including attend my swim clinic class. I'm now on the 3rd session. Now to build endurance so I don't die when we have to do 50m or 100m. I much prefer 25m at a time!

Hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

Release Day!

The paperback version of my June book, The Man Behind the Pinstripes, goes on sale today! Now both formats are available!

I limit the reviews I read of my books, but I always check RT Book Review. I did this weekend, and I'm thrilled with what they had to say about my "dog" book. That's what I've been calling this story from the time I brainstormed it!

THE MAN BEHIND THE PINSTRIPES (4) by Melissa McClone: Caleb Fairchild, CEO of a skincare company, has always been cautious with women and careful about maintaining his professional image. But there’s something about Becca Taylor that makes his pulse race. Becca is trying to turn over a new leaf and erase her bad girl image when she is hired as a consultant for Caleb’s billion-dollar business. The two quickly butt heads, but both learn that life is all about taking risks in business and in love. Clearly, McClone is a fan of four-legged friends and she portrays their significance in this tale beautifully. Her latest is well written with likable characters — and canines.

Reviewed By: Jaime A. Geraldi

Chaos and Nash

I love that the reviewer mentions the dogs since they are secondary characters in the book. Chaos and Nash agree! I have a feeling that's because there's a Norwegian Elkhound in the book named Maurice. There's also many other types of dogs, too.

I'm planning to get a newsletter out soon. This will be my first in many years so if you want a copy there's a signup link in the right sidebar. Be assured, I won't be sending out lots and lots of newsletters. Just ones to announce releases or any big news.

Hope you have a nice day!

Going to the dogs!

Available in June

Do you like dogs? Do you have a dog? I'd love to feature your dog on my Facebook page. Info is at the end of this post!

I may be a crazy cat lady, but I love dogs, too. I'll be honest. I wasn't really a dog person until we adopted a Norwegian Elkhound named Chaos in 2008. We'd had dogs when I was a kid, but they were more my mom's dog not ours. But Chaos arrived, 2 1/2 years old and settled in that first night without a hiccup. It's been smooth sailing with the most perfect dog ever for us.

We now have a puppy living with us, Cato, who is Chaos' grandpup. Her daughter, Tango, gave birth to him in September. He's full of puppy and boy mischief and a lot of work, but so worth it!

Although Chaos was a champion showdog, she'd had a litter of pups, been retired from the ring and was ready for life with a family (i.e. us!) We knew nothing about the dog world, really dogs in general, so never even thought to change the AKC paperwork to our names.

In 2009, we were at a picnic put on by the Puget Sound Norwegian Elkhound Association in honor of all the dogs they rescued. At the same location, the AKC was hosting a breed day. There we met a Siberian Husky breeder who suggested my oldest look into dog 4-H. We figured 4-H was for farm kids, but we found out that the county where we live has a huge dog program for obedience and confirmation.

Mackenna with "Astra" in San Diego

My daughter, Mackenna, got hooked on dog showing. A year later, she competed in her first AKC Junior Showmanship competition and soon she was handling other people's dogs in the Breed ring. My youngest, Rose, didn't want to be left out, so last year, once she was old enough to compete, she started showing dogs, too.

Needless to say, I've spent many hours—okay, days—at dog shows. Writers find inspiration in different things, for my newest release from Harlequin Romance, THE MAN BEHIND THE PINSTRIPES, I found it in the four-footed-fur-covered cuties and dog handlers dressed in nice suits.

My heroine Becca Taylor took the blame for something she didn't do and paid a high price when she was eighteen. Now, she has put the past behind her and is focused on her goal to be a full-time dog handler. She doesn't want anything or anyone to stand in her way. But one person is messing up her plans—Caleb Fairchild. He runs his family's skin care empire and wants to put an end to his grandmother's obsession with dog showing. That means getting rid of dog handler Becca ASAP.

 Here's the actual blurb from the book cover:

His pinstripe suit is normally his armor…

Becca Taylor has worked hard to overcome her troubled past and start a new life. But when Caleb Fairchild marches into her life, the instant attraction between them is the last thing she needs!

CEO Caleb has learned the hard way not to suffer fools and to be careful of whom to trust. Why should Becca, gorgeous as she is, be any different? But he can't help but be drawn to her, to want to get close to her. So when her secrets are blown out into the open, betrayal seems inevitable. Unless the truth can start to crack the iron walls he's built around his heart.…

Do you have a dog? I'd love to feature readers' pups on my Facebook page, so if your game, please post a pic here with a brief description/story/whatever about your furbaby. I'll then take that info and put your dog on my timeline. The page is public so I'm hoping anyone can post. If not, use the contact button above, and I'll give you an email address to use.

Thanks!

Last Night

This LOLcat pic was me last night. It got so bad I called hubby and put on speakerphone so he could hear what I was dealing with. Think two teenagers with attitudes. Not a good way to start the week. For any of us!

But I'm now in possession of 2 cellphones and a Kindle Fire HD. I just need to find where they put my iPad. One will be feeding the cats each night (I get the morning shift) and the other will be doing the dishes. Usually we rotate. Oh, and the TV doesn't go on for the rest of the week.

But they asked for it!

The joys of parenting.

I'm going to try to get writing done this morning. After my oldest leaves for high school and before my two homeschoolers wake up.

Hope you have a nice day!

Monday, no Tuesday

This LOLcat featuring the Grumpy Cat made me smile this morning. A nice way to start my day. Tuesday. Not Monday. I'm going to have to keep reminding myself that today. I have a feeling my week will be all messed up because of the holiday!

Our Memorial Day didn't quite turn out the way we planned. We ended up missing the event we were planning to attend so we could take the youngest kidlet to Urgent Care. She was one of the sickies last week but we thought she was on her way to being 100%. Nope! But now that she's on medicine, she's feeling much better.

How was your weekend?

The Ultimate Price

On this Memorial Day, I thought I'd post a few videos I've come across this weekend. Please remember those who have sacrificed their lives and their loved ones who must live with that sacrifice so we can be free.





And finally this one (you'll see it again when my November release comes out):

Memorial Day

With the change in the weather here (think rain, rain and more rain), being outdoors on Memorial Day might not happen. Given I also have a sick kidlet, we'll likely be hanging around home most of the next three days. But that only gives us more time to think about what Memorial Day is all about and honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and for us.

This post, titled Hot Dogs and Hamburgers, on The Unknown Soldiers blog, sums it up nicely and is worth a read.

Soldiers' Angels Germany blog has some great ideas on how to Observe Memorial Day. Check out the post here.

I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend!

Live

I found a link to this article on SOCNET, one of my daily visits on the Internet. I'm a lurker, not a member. But I enjoy reading posts there, a combo of curiosity about SOF, learning more about what my son dreams of doing someday and research for potential ideas/characters. Nothing like a dose of some sarcastic Alpha male postings to keep me from making a hero too much of a girly man!

I never know what I might find in the forum, but I'm so glad I clicked on the above link and found this video. Watching it, I had a good cry, a mix of happy and sad tears. Grab a tissue and enjoy. We can all learn something from Zach Sobiech!



RIP Zach! And thank you!

Praying for Oklahoma

Seeing the devastation coming out from the tornadoes in Oklahoma has been heartbreaking. All tornadoes are bad, but as a parent who was driving home after spending the morning at school doing one of my monthly volunteer shifts, hearing schools with students inside hit me pretty hard. I can't imagine. I don't want to imagine what those parents are going through because watching from the safety of my home in the NW corner of the country is hard enough.

I wrote about a tornado hitting a school in one of my books. But given I write sweet romance with happy endings, it happened on a weekend with no one there. The soccer fields and school were torn up, some houses damaged, but very minor, a plot-device like other natural disasters such as an earthquake I've used.

I sure wish I could rewrite the tornadoes in Oklahoma. But I can't. So I'll pray for all those affected and look for other ways to help. Here's what I've found so far:

1) Texting the word REDCROSS to 90999 sends $10 to the Disaster Relief fund. You can also donate online.
 
2) Texting the word STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation to the Salvation Army. You can also donate online.

3) Donate online to the Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief fund. Click here to be taken to their site.

4) Mercury One has already arrived in Moore with trucks full of supplies. To donate to their Midwest Tornado Relief click here. 100% of proceeds go to victims.

There are also many fur-covered victims of this tragedy, too. A Facebook group has been created to help those with animals. Check out Moore Oklahoma Tornado Pets Lost & Found. There are pictures of animals missing and/or found as well as links to other places that may have animals.

If you find any other links, just post them in the comment section and I'll add it to the list. Thanks!

Figures...

Hubby out of town and two kids wake up sick. All my plans for the week must now change. Sigh...

I can so relate to these kitties today.



Hope you have a nice Monday!

Cato is back!

Our puppy Cato is back home with us. He's been with the breeder since the first weekend in April. Boy, has he grown! We're hoping he can stay permanently. He had a couple issues that needed sorting out so we'll see how he does.

Unfortunately that meant sweet little Nash went back to the breeder. We miss him, especially my son. Nash is a very nice little puppy. So much smaller than Cato, but he's nearly three months younger, too. But it was great to have him for the last six weeks! I spoke with the breeder last night and he's doing fine.

So is Cato. It didn't take long (a few minutes) for him to remember the house and get very excited. He even ran to where his old cushion used to be. (Nash wet on it so it had to go away, but we'll get Cato a new one.)

Needless to say, we're all very happy and happy that our baby boy is back home!

Whole 30 Take 3

Cake on Day2? Now that's my kind of diet!

I'm on Day 25 of my third Whole 30 (did the others last year.) It's been easier this time around. I haven't missed not having cake on the diet or candy or had any real cravings. Maybe it's because I know what to expect. Maybe it's because I feel so much better. Or maybe it's because I like having my pants fit looser already!

The key to success that I learned during the second time is preparation. The first time I had a pantry and fridge full of things I could eat. I printed out recipes, figured out menus ahead of time. The second time I didn't. It was awful. I made it the thirty days but was so sick of salad and meat I set myself up for failure when it was over which is why it's taken me 8 months to try it again.

This time I wasn't as prepared as the first time, but I did better than the second. To keep me on track when it's over I ordered a sample pack of food from Pre-Made Paleo that I can heat up if I don't have time to cook as well as some Primal Pacs. My biggest problem is when hubby goes out of town (which happens a lot) since he does most of the cooking around here. I'm hoping having some ready-made-food/snacks will keep me on track after Day 30!

Hope you have a great Wednesday!

Smiling

Yesterday morning I walked downstairs and found these roses waiting for me. Aren't they pretty? I love them. So does Beauty unfortunately, but I set out a bowl of food for her in hopes she'll nibble on that instead of play with the sticks and flowers. So far so good!

The house was quiet for much of yesterday. The family was at a swim meet. I was at home. I slept in a little, played with the animals, typed in my AAs (page proofs) for my November release A Little Bit of Holiday Magic and wrote a new chapter on my current book. A very nice day.

After the family arrived home, we went to Mass then out to dinner. Our dinner plans had to change because the first place, Joe's Crab Shak, had an hour and a half wait. The second place, McGrath's Fish House, a two hour wait. So we went to our old stand-by, Red Robin, and walked right in. Hubby promised me seafood this week so I get two dinners out! Not a bad compromise!

On the way home, I told hubby to stop at Dairy Queen. He looked at me strangely. I'm currently doing Whole 30 so I can't eat dessert. I told him I couldn't get dessert, but everyone else could. So we went through the drive-thru and I had three happy kidlets and a smiling hubby!

I also got presents in addition to the roses. Workout clothes, jammies and a red fleece blanket (I'm always cold because of the a/c.) A very good Mother's Day!

While we were waiting for our dessert, I was scrolling through Facebook and saw a clip I'd seen before. It just makes me smile, my family, too, so I thought that I'd share it with you! I love the smiles, the enthusiasm, the lack of embarrassment, everything about this. Enjoy!



Hope you have a great Monday!

Happy Mother's Day

Hope your day is wonderful, Moms! 

Big Brothers

On Wednesday, Rose went to a friend's house for a playdate. Kids call it something else these days, but it's still a playdate. She hurt her middle finger on her left hand.

I didn't think too much about the injury. She wasn't crying. There wasn't much swelling or bruising. But she kept saying it hurt to bend it.

On Thursday morning, the finger was swollen like a sausage and black & blue. Oops. But it was state testing day so she had to do that! A good thing it wasn't her writing hand.

After lunch as we were driving home I told her we were going to Urgent Care to have her finger looked at. Rose was fine with that until...

Finn told her to say goodbye to her finger because if she couldn't bend it the doctor would chop it off. He said it so seriously and then backed it up with totally made up science as to why amputation would be necessary.

I got on him right away, but the damage was done. Rose was sure her finger was a goner. Big crocodile tears streamed from her eyes. She kept saying she didn't want to lose her finger. She wasn't going to the doctor's now.

Meanwhile Finn is laughing like a fiend.  He finally fessed up, but the damage was done.

When we finally got to Urgent Care, she had her first X-ray and yes, I had to assure her that 1) It wouldn't hurt and 2) Her finger would still be there when she was finished.

Sigh...

The joy of having a big brother.

Did you have a brother who did stuff like that to you?

Enough

I'm sure if I had never married, this is what I'd find at my doorstep. Though even though I'm married with kids, cats keep finding their way to us. Or rather people keep trying to give us more cats.

Trying because my answer went from being yes to no.  I may be a crazy cat lady, but enough is enough. I don't mind helping rescues, but I need to take a break from bringing more cats into our lives. This hiatus won't last forever, but given the ages of our oldest cats we need to put them first.

 So what does a crazy cat lady do if she can't foster or adopt more felines? She adopts and supports service members. Though hubby told me I couldn't collect soldiers like cats. So far so good!

Hope you have a good Wednesday!

Simply Amazing

This video clip from Britain's Got Talent came across Newsfeed first then again in my Soldiers' Angels group on Facebook. Both times I had the same response. All I can say is watch it. And you might what to have a tissue nearby. I needed a couple.



I'd love to hear what you think about it.

Hope you have a nice Monday!

Star Wars Day

May the Fourth be with you!

An article from the Washington Post about today.

Another article from the New York Daily News.

And one more post from geek.com.

Hope you enjoy Star Wars Day!

Books

My box of author copies for my June release THE MAN BEHIND THE PINSTRIPES arrived last week. Opening the box and seeing the book never gets old! It's such a great feeling!

This is project #25 for Harlequin if I've counted right (including two Harlequin.com e-read shorts in that.) I should probably contact my editor since you get a pin when you hit that magic number. I know authors who have written over 100 stories for Harlequin, but I'm pretty thrilled about my 25 (26 if you count my upcoming Hood Hamlet story, A Little Bit of Holiday Magic.)

They have made one change with the Harlequin Romance paperback copies. All of them will be Large Print (that's what the pink rectangle on the upper right hand side is) and priced higher due to that. It's a marketing decision we were told about earlier this year. But for those who read digital versions, the eBook price hasn't changed. I thought I'd let you know in case the Large Print version is all you find in the stores.

On Monday, I uploaded my new Facebook banner to my page. The Killion Group made this for me. Kim Killion switches out the book covers as needed. This one includes two new covers: the upcoming June release as well as the re-release of THE WEDDING LULLABY that came out in mid-April.

Enjoy your Friday and your weekend!

May!

I can't believe it's already May. I know I write something like that the first day of every month, but time is speeding by so fast.

I hope it slows down so we can enjoy spring.

Isn't that a cute picture?  Of course Bambi was one of those sweet movies that ended up traumatizing me, but that's another story!

Spring continues in the Pacific Northwest. A little rain, sprinkles really. Nothing to keep the kids from playing outside or dragging out the rain slicker. The sun keep shining even if the temperatures have dropped a little. I will admit last night at Rose's soccer kickaround it was a tad chilly even with the sun out.

Yes, soccer tryouts are coming up. Rose has hers this weekend. This is her first time trying to make a competitive team. Finn will have his next week, but he's an old hand at this. Two soccer clubs merged this year so it'll be interesting to see how all the teams fallout. This will be our fourth tryout. Two have been nothing but drama. Fingers crossed this one is easy-peasy make a team. That's not always guaranteed, though I must admit my life would be easier if they played rec soccer instead.

Hope you have a lovely May Day!

Now What?

I feel like whoever has been making LOLcats the last couple of weeks is living in my house. This one is so Beauty and Yoda. The only difference is both of them are black cats.

I really can see them thinking this. At least twice a day!

Today is the birthday of my friend Elizabeth in San Diego who passed away in June. I wish I could pick up the phone, dial her number and wish her a happy birthday.  I really miss her.

Hope you had a nice weekend and a great Monday!

Thirteen

Today is my son's 13th birthday. It's a big day for him. He gets a cellphone and a Facebook account. He's very excited!

Right now we have several boys in the house waiting for chocolate chip pancakes and bacon to be served. That's what he wanted for breakfast. Last night he had a sleepover. We took the boys to dinner at The Olive Garden, Finn's favorite restaurant. Then it was home to play Xbox, open presents and have cake.

He wanted an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen. Of course, I forgot to order one, which meant driving to three DQs yesterday to find one where they could write his name on it. The others had these edible decorations he doesn't like.

I was happy that once the TV went off it never went back on. The boys played night tag outside. Then they played Mafia inside until the wee hours of the nights. My two daughters joined in. It's played in the dark and there were lots of squeals of laughter during the game.

Of course that wasn't the only celebrating yesterday. At the end of March, we joined a new swim team that is much closer to our house than the old team. It was a change I'd wanted (simplify is my word for 2013) and the kids went along with it. Another family we are super close to made the switch at the same time which has helped with the transition.

Well, yesterday his new team went all out for Finn's birthday. His friend from his old team made a big card for him. Another girl on the team made another. Both arrived at Saturday's practice early to get people to sign it. So sweet and Finn was very touched. The team did big shout-outs to him and a poolside Happy Birthday. This followed a match of them playing water polo (Finn's favorite) so he was all smiles. Then, at the end of practice, our friends who came over from the old team brought out homemade sweet rolls for everyone. Three pans like the one to the right. Yum! Needless to say, the best swim practice ever!!!!

Finn and I were the same height until last week. He surpassed me. That makes two kidlets taller than me now. A strange feeling. I'm sure Rose won't be too far behind.

Happy Birthday, Finn! You'll always be my little bo-bo, no matter how tall you get!

Happy Friday!

Why am I happy? We've had a couple of days of sunshine and warm temperatures. A much needed taste of spring after so much rain, gray clouds and cold! I'm not happy about that I'm thrilled! I haven't heard the weather report, but I'm crossing my fingers the sunshine continues through the weekend. Of course the nice weather is not helping me reach my page count. Must write first, then play!

Fellow Harlequin Romance author, Jennifer Faye, talks about my March release Winning Back His Wife on her "My Friday Read" blog post today. Jennifer's debut book, Rancher to the Rescue, comes out in July. I remember when my first book was coming out. Such an amazing time! I'm very excited for her!

Hope you have a very happy Friday!

Cat 4-H

Last night I took Rose to her 4-H meeting. This year we're doing cats instead of dogs. A good decision given Chaos ended up having seizures and Astra (who we borrow for Rose to use) had a litter of pups.

After the business meeting, kids brought out their cats to show. It's different from dogs in that the cat really doesn't do anything. The handler positions them for the judge. Probably a good thing given most cats don't do anything their supposed to do when asked.

Rose left Beauty at home. This was only our third meeting (including the Christmas party.) But she was there to watch.

One member brought out their Maine Coon. He was huge and gorgeous with this tiny, high pitched meow. His fur coloring was lighter, but he reminded us so much of Rocket. Still missing my big boy.

When country fair time rolls around, the cats are kept in cages. Each one is decorated so Rose is trying to think of a theme to use. Then we'll have to see how we can turn the cage into whatever she thinks up. The good thing is the cat part of fair is only 3 days compared to 7 with dogs.

So that was my night. How was yours?

Tuesday Teaser!

Today I'm participating in Teaser Tuesday on my Facebook page. (You don't need a Facebook account to read it.) I'll be posting a snippet from Winning Back His Wife and tagging ten other offers who are participating.

The goal is to introduce readers to our writing as well as new-to-them authors and maybe get a few more "Likes" on our pages!

Click this link if you want to visit my page! And be sure to check out the authors I tagged!

This!

If you ever wanted to know what dinnertime is like at my house, just look at the pic to the left. I wish I were kidding, but I'm not. My cats aren't on the table (though they'll try) but they lean off the cat tree like they might bound onto your plate at any minute, especially if salmon or chicken in being served.

You'd think they are starving. They aren't. But they like to eat, especially what we are eating.

Of course, we also have Chaos, who thinks she's the official taste tester for each of us. Fortunately she listens better than the cats.

The worst time is during deadlines when food is brought to me. The cats keep getting closer and closer to me. Okay, my plate. I have to eat fast and not because I should get back to work!

I hope you have a nice Monday and that this week goes much better than last for all of us! 

Got it!

I looked at this LOLcat and had a good laugh? Why because my cats are just like this! It happened yesterday.

Not a spider. Some sort of flying bug.

We almost lost both the cat tree and the window in our kitchen eating area. We also almost lost Beauty. I went in for the save when she couldn't keep her balance on the top of the lower window. She was only on one paw at the time.  But that didn't stop her from getting back up there.

Beauty was quite intent on catching it, even if it meant giving up one of her nine lives in the process!

Hope you have a nice Thursday. I had a crazy Wednesday. Looking forward to a little downtime today!

Bold

I love this LOLcat. It's how I've felt the past couple of days. Going nowhere. Though maybe not so boldly. Getting sick will do that to you. But then you realize how a few germs don't matter much as you watch the horror unfold in Boston.

Yet, in the midst of tragedy, people ("helpers" if you've seen the quote from Mr. Rogers that's gone viral) stepped up and boldly went somewhere, straight into the smoke, where the explosions occurred and others needed assistance.

Darkness might get its moment, but the light will always shine through. The light is stronger, always will be. I must remember that. I also must remember to... Be bold. Go somewhere. Be a helper.

Digital Release Day!

Guess what's being released for the first time in eBook form today? My third published book!

The Wedding Lullaby was originally published in November 2000. Here's the back cover copy: 

From the wedding march... to the rock-a-bye baby!

Innocent socialite Laurel Worthington had only met handsome tycoon Brett Matthews once before—at their wedding! Then, a wager had meant a one-night marriage. Swept away by the romantic fantasy, Laurel had willingly surrendered her virginity to her sweetly seductive new husband.

But the self-made millionaire wondered if Laurel would ever have come back to him if she hadn't needed his help. He vowed they'd marry again—and stay married—for the sake of their unborn child. But this time Laurel wouldn't marry for anything less than her husband's heart...

The first thing I'll tell you about this release is I had know idea the book was being converted to digital so it wasn't updated for 2013, but I will add that I'm still fond of this story for a couple reasons:

1)   The Wedding Lullaby is set in Portland, Oregon, where I used to live. I still remember going to open houses in the Dunthorpe area looking for an estates/mansions to use in the story. The houses were gorgeous.

2) It's the book that introduced Portland billionaire Henry Davenport to readers. I had no idea when I wrote this story that he'd end up playing matchmaker in three other stories and have his own story told in a fourth one. Unfortunately the other books are out of print and have not been digitized yet.

3) When I wrote and submitted the proposal about a pregnant heroine, I wasn't pregnant. By the time they bought the story and I had to finish writing it, I was. I also had a toddler at the time. A few things my heroine went through during her pregnancy are similar to what I want through carrying my son Finn. He'll be thirteen soon. How time flies!

The False Prince

As a mom (not to mention a writer), I love when a story captures a kid's attention so much the book is carried everywhere with them. A few spare minutes means time to read another couple of pages. The most recent book to do this was The False Prince: Book 1 of the Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Easter Bunny left the book in Finn's Easter basket. There was also a copy of Special Forces Military Elite magazine which got read first. Though the first thing he took out of the basket was a water pistol. As hubby said, nothing says Easter like a gun!

Once Finn started reading The False Prince he was hooked. If you've read this blog, you know my son is athletic and a very busy boy. He's not the type to sit around. He'd rather be outside running and playing. Yesterday, with the sun shining, he was sitting inside finishing the book. I can't imagine a greater compliment for a book.

As soon as he finished last night, he asked me to look up the next book in the series called The Runaway King: Book 2 of the Ascendance Trilogy. Looks like we'll be buying a copy today or ordering one if we can't get to Target.

Not sure how the Easter Bunny knew this was the perfect book for a 12 year old boy, but well done, Bunny!

My Turn

Finn was sick last week. Now it's my turn.

I caught whatever he had. My throat is burning. Swallowing hurts. Head pounding.

The kid spent three days on the couch or in bed, sleeping much of the time. Unfortunately, I don't have time for that.

Sigh...

I think there should be some automatic immunity given to someone caring for the sick. Too bad the germs don't agree.

I'm heading back to bed once I know my oldest is ready and off to school.

Hope you're feeling well!

After the HEA

Romance writers talk about the HEA, the happily ever after. I got a kick out of this YouTube clip that talks about Disney movie HEAs, only what happens after the ever after.



The kid who made this is very talented. Clever, too! I really hope he tackles more Disney movies. I imagine Mulan and Tangled could be fun ones for him to do! Not to mention Snow White!

Hope you have a nice Monday! I'm starting a swim clinic today. Time to get in shape!

June Cover Reveal

This is the cover for my upcoming June release. There are many dogs in it since the heroine is a dog handler.

Here's the back cover copy:

His pinstripe suit is normally his armor…

Becca Taylor has worked hard to overcome her troubled
past and start a new life. But when Caleb Fairchild marches
into her life, the instant attraction between them is the last
thing she needs!

CEO Caleb has learned the hard way not to suffer fools
and to be careful of whom to trust. Why should Becca,
gorgeous as she is, be any different? But he can’t help but
be drawn to her, to want to get close to her. So when
her secrets are blown out into the open, betrayal seems
inevitable. Unless the truth can start to crack the iron walls
he’s built around his heart.…

You can preorder it here on Amazon.

Hope you have a nice Friday. I'm hoping my sick kidlet is feeling better so we can at least enjoy one day of spring break!

Finicky Cats

This morning two cats decided they did not want to finish breakfast. Instead one went over and licked the dog bowl. I'd added a little goat's milk to that one to soften up the kibbles. The other disappeared to see if there was food elsewhere in the house. He'll soon be back disappointed.

Of course, this means the hunger pains that hit around lunchtime (they eat three times a day) will start a little earlier unless I give them a snack (a bowl of something to self-feed.) I do mix up the foods and brands they get so they don't get bored, but I wonder if they do this on purpose in order to get a snack. But that would take concerted effort, one I haven't seen since my old three (two of which are no longer with us) rallied against Chaos after we adopted her. Or maybe they're picky and finicky because their cats. That's much more likely.

I just hope they don't expect lunch at 9 am today!

Have a great Wednesday!

Eighteen Years

Today is our eighteenth anniversary! We celebrated last night since we were kid-free with dinner at Nuestra Mesa, a small little Mexican cafe.

I thought it would be fun to share a couple of pics from our wedding day 18 years ago and a more recent one. We both lived in San Francisco's Marina District at the time, but decided to get marry in hubby's hometown church on Long Island, New York. We had our reception at The Country House in Stony Brook. Then spent a two week honeymoon in Antigua and Grenada.

Happy Anniversary to my wonderful hubby. I love you so much!

Hope all of you have a wonderful day!

Spring Break

This week is Spring Break where we live. All I've heard for the past couple of weeks are all the fun places my oldest's friends are traveling to: Mexico, Disneyland, Palm Springs, Hawaii and Indonesia. Yesterday on Easter Sunday, she was texting a friend who was at Disneyland.

She told us, "The line for the Matterhorn is 50 minutes right now."

Not bad for Spring Break, I told her. It was often longer when I was there in July for the RWA conference. She wasn't amused.

My oldest is so distraught over being stuck at home this week. I know a lot of this comes from her spending last spring break on an Eastern Seaboard tour with her 8th grade teacher and classmates. Of course, she's not even at home for the next few days. We spent Easter at my parents' house and she stayed there last night.

And when she gets home I'll try to figure out something for us to do around here. Maybe not overnight due to the animals, but a few staycation activities so her spring break won't totally suck after all.

Hope you are enjoying your first day of April!