The Dog Dish with Maria Zannini

Today, Dakota and I welcome guests Tank and Iko who make their home with my friend and fellow author, Maria Zannini.

Maria and I have had several discussions about dogs -- in fact, her first comment on this blog was about dogs (yes, Maria, I remember the first time you commented). Remember, too -- Maria's giving away something to folks who comment on her blog posts, so check out the deets at the end.

So, without further ado, welcome her boys... Tank and Iko. Aren't they handsome?


Dakota: So, your human writes books. Does this mean she is home all day and easy to access?

Tank: Yes and no. She's home, but if it's nice out, she's usually outside digging in the dirt. Iko and I have offered to help many times, but she's never taken us up on it. Go figure.

Dakota: What are your techniques for distracting your human during crucial writing moments, just because it's fun? Or is that Iko’s job? If so, what do you do to support your human and keep Iko away?

Tank: I try not to bother mom when she's working. But when it's meal time, I consider it my duty to remind her. She loses track of time so quickly! I use my super giant head and plop it on her lap, then I mesmerize her with my big brown eyes. Within 30 seconds, she'll give me a kiss and ask me if I'm hungry.

Of course, I'm HUNGRY. I'm always hungry! I didn't get to be 130 pounds on Lean Cuisine.

As for supporting mom, I do my best to keep Iko away. He's a terrible pest. I really don't know why she keeps that dog other than he's good at finding scorpions. :sigh: I guess he'll have to stay.

Dakota: What indignities and neglect have you suffered because of your human's writing career?

Tank: Neglect? From mom? Never! She cooks for me. I get to sleep on her bed. And when I have bad dreams, she's always there to give me a big hug.

I remember how it used to be for me. Running the roads, nothing to eat, no place to sleep. I'm a big boy and you wouldn't believe how many other dogs want to fight you just to prove a point. I'm a lover not a fighter. It's not easy being a Rottweiler, especially a giant Rottweiler. Talk about racial profiling! Mom promised me I'd never have to go back to the streets and I believe her. She keeps me safe.

But no life is complete without indignities. They did bring home that annoying little puppy. I haven't had a minute's peace since Iko arrived.

Iko: Hey, I'm not annoying. Well…not all the time.

Dakota: Tell me about the dogs in your human's fiction. How often do they appear and how big a part do they play?

Tank: Mom doesn't put a lot of dogs in her fiction, but there's a mongrel that's going to show up in a new novel that's still hush-hush. She loves it when there are dogs in the story, but she hardly ever writes them in her own books. She says they'd take over the story if she let them. Duh. What's wrong with that?

Dakota: What movies involving dogs does your human enjoy sharing with you? Books with dogs?

Tank:: :::Whistling. Looking off into the distance::: Oh, uh, yeah…about that. I'm not allowed to be in the room when mom is watching her favorite dog movies. They look so real. I just want to jump into the television screen and join them. It got a little messy one time and mom got mad.

But she raves about It's A Dog's Life (she says it’s the best dog movie, ever!). And she has an entire library dedicated to dogs. She has everything from Good Dog, Carl by Alexandra Day to A Dog's Life In Art and Literature by Iain Zaczek

Dakota: If you could make one change to your human, what would it be?

Tank: I would love to change mom's internal clock. She gets up before the chickens and she insists I get up too. I'm a dog! We're allowed to sleep 20 hours a day.

Dakota: If you could tell your human one thing, what would it be?

Tank: Dad steals leftovers from the fridge and I hardly EVER get any.

Dakota: What things does your human do that would mortify her if known?

Tank: Okay, you promise you won't tell, right? Cuz if this got out, she'd know it came from me. (sniffs Dakota) You're not wearing a wire, are you?

Mm…you've got chicken breath.

:Tank drooling:

Oh, yeah, your question. Okay, here goes. On rainy Sundays, she will sometimes stay in her pajamas ALL DAY. She won't even answer the door. She just lounges around and watches old movies.

Dakota: What does your human do that most annoys?

Tank: Me? Nuthin'. I'm shiny.

Iko: Psst. What about me?

Tank: What about you? You're a pain.

Iko: Mom puts me in the crate when she goes out. That's annoying.

Tank: Not to me. :grin:

Dakota: Did your human name you for a fictional character? Hate it or love it? If you could rename yourself, what would your name be?

Tank: I showed up with my name. The people who rescued me said I was so big, I looked like a tank. Mom and dad were determined to give me a new name, but one look and they said it fit me too well. I'm good with it.

Iko: I don't like my name.

Tank: What's wrong with 'Iko'?

Iko: Not that name. The other name mom calls me whenever I'm bad.

Tank: Ohhh, that name. We can't repeat that here. This is a family blog.

Tank: Thanks for having us over, Dakota. The dog cookies were delicious!

Iko: I especially liked the fringe on your mom's rug.

Tank: Iko! Not the rug! Now Marianne will never have us over again.

Iko: Oops.

Dakota: Don't worry. We'll blame it on the cat. Hope you guys will come over and play again sometime!

If you'd like to hear more about Tank and Iko, the chickens, or Maria's crazy life on the homestead, stop by her blog. She's always telling stories.

***

Maria Zannini's latest release is a science fiction romance called TRUE BELIEVERS.

Mix one cynical immortal and one true believer and throw them into the biggest alien-hunt the world has never known. Rachel Cruz is a Nephilim masquerading as an archeologist and she's stuck with an alien who believes she can lead him to his ancestral gods. Black Ops wants to find these gods too. They want them dead.

Follow Maria here:

Blog
Facebook
Goodreads
Twitter

Contest time! Every time you leave a comment, tweet or mention "Maria Zannini" anywhere with a link to my blog, your name goes in the hat for a chance to win a Texas sized prize. Go here for more information.

Need a Little Help

He who gives when he is asked has waited too long. ~Sunshine Magazine

Hey all... a new year starts in just a couple of weeks (isn't that amazing?) and I need a new format for my guest blogs. I'm looking for input.

1. Do you even enjoy getting to know other authors?

2. If yes, do you have any questions you'd like me to ask them (and don't worry about being too silly or intrusive -- I've asked about hobbies, food, and even underwear before!). Please, please send me your questions -- you can leave them in comments or email me at authormariannearkins AT gmail DOT com.

3. Would you prefer an actual guest blog from an author instead of an interview (like this one)?

4. Would you prefer having a longer blog on just one topic (i.e. "Where did you get your idea for your book?" or "Tell us about your hobbies") and have the author expand on it?

5. With the exception of Nora Roberts and Jennifer Crusie, are there any authors in particular you'd like to hear from? I'm not shy about emailing anyone and asking for an interview (which is how the LASR site kicked off with an interview from Lori Foster when we started in 2007). They don't even necessarily have to be romance authors.

6. Anything else you'd like to add?

I really am desperate for input, so please, please -- even all you lurkers... yes YOU, you know who you are.... please let me know. THANKS!

======================

DD went to my SIL's for a little while yesterday to do Christmas stuff: make paper snowflakes (this is a tradition in my in-law's family, and my FIL is truly amazing at it), bake and whatnot.

While she was gone, I pulled out the FOUR boxes of stuff my mom has mailed over the past few weeks and wrapped presents. I'm not really excited about this part of Christmas, but it has to be done (I owe an enormous debt to whomever made gift bags so popular). I left all the gifts for the cat, the dog and my DH for DD to wrap (because SHE enjoys it tremendously) and then popped all her gifts under the tree.

Understand, for the past two weeks we've had two lonely little gifts under the tree and nothing else. When she came home and saw about ten more (and a couple are quite large), her eyes nearly bugged out of her head! It was awesome :-)

Now I just need to wait for the gifts I bought her online to show up. I really love to shop for other people. I remember, many years ago, I was involved in a five-car accident. I was stopped, last in line, at a stoplight and a teenaged girl was too busy ogling a cute guy to brake -- she slammed into me and I hit the car in front and so on.

I was fine with letting our insurance companies hash it out... until the lady in front of me sued me for hitting her. Uh, no. I don't think so. So I had to sue the girl who hit me (GAH, I hate even saying that -- the whole sue-happy legal system makes me crazy).

In any case, at the end of the day, I ended up with a couple thousand dollars ... a fortune to me as I was only 19 y.o. You know what I did with it? I WENT CHRISTMAS SHOPPING. It was the first time in my life that I didn't have to wince at price tags ... I could pretty much buy what I wanted for people, and it was the best time I think I've ever had.

Ah... the good old days when I was young, foolish and had few responsibilities...

====================

You Are Laundry

You are efficient, speedy, and on top of things. You aren't a very hands on person, and you prefer to delegate as much as possible. You believe the quickest way to get things done is to just do them. You don't procrastinate much. You prevent getting overwhelmed by not taking on more than you can handle. And you're not afraid to do something quickly to get it out of the way. Technology is your friend, and you love gadgets. You'd like a lot more of your life to be automated!

What Household Chore Are You?

Hmmmm 50/50 -- though I'd sure love a robot maid like the one on The Jetsons!

=====================

This and That

Gardening is a kind of disease. It infects you, you cannot escape it. When you go visiting, your eyes rove about the garden; you interrupt the serious cocktail drinking because of an irresistible impulse to get up and pull a weed. ~Lewis Gannit

Did some weeding again yesterday, this time in my veggie garden. Found a whole slew of "volunteer" tomatoes, too -- those are always fun because I don't know what kind of tomatoes they'll end up being. And DD's cucumber died, so we moved some of the volunteers in its place.

Why do the weeds grow three times as fast as the plants we DO want? One of life's great mysteries.

The deer ate all my hosta in the front yard, so all that remains are green stumps. No more voles... yet... though I did find one hole. I covered it and am waiting to see if it reopens.

But WOW do we have ants everywhere! Our lawn is dotted with anthills. Poor Dakota was lying down in the grass yesterday and when she got up they were crawling all over her! Took forever to get them off... you can't just brush them out -- they stick. So I was having to pull the little suckers out one by one. UGH.

The columbine are blooming, though, and are just gorgeous. The iris' are starting to bloom, too, and my oriental poppies are amazing (especially when you consider that I had "moved" them from that spot -- apparently I missed some roots because there are 2-3 dozen flowers there! LOL... with the added benefit that they are also growing where I moved them).

I have much work to do, however. Lots of edging around the woods (the wild tries desperately to take over ... and would, I think, without our fighting it), more weeding, deadheading. I know it sounds like a pain, but I really do enjoy it.

====================

Still don't know if I'm going to make my interview on Sunday with Romance in the Back Seat. I don't have anyone to watch DD. Was thinking about taking her with me, but last night she was heavily congested and had a sore throat, so I'm thinking she's getting sick.

Dang it.

=====================

You Are Imaginative

You are a creative, innovative person. You're not afraid of great risks. Right now, you are seeking excitement and a bit of adventure in your life. You are drawn to people who are passionate and deep. You feel like there is nothing in your life that needs to be changed. You find that any decision you have to make needs to be slept on... often for multiple nights.

The Jungle Test

Except the "nothing needs to be changed" part, this is pretty close!
'==============

Gardening, Bugs and Interviews

Half the interest of a garden is the constant exercise of the imagination. ~Mrs. C.W. Earle, Pot-Pourri from a Surrey Garden, 1897

No two gardens are the same. No two days are the same in one garden. ~Hugh Johnson

I was reading June's Reader's Digest and came across a one page article called "Big Idea, Small Detail". This one was had one column on gardening and one of the quotes was "It's incredibly messy, ruins your hands, wears holes in the knees of your jeans, ends up costing 40 times more than you think it will, sucks up whole weekends in a single gulp, takes over your dreams and frequently breaks your heart" (from Jennifer Reese on slate.com).

As I sat outside yesterday attacking the hordes of weeds that have taken over nearly every one of my gardens (there is this one particular weed that has an amazing root system -- each plant is connected and when you pull one the roots lead to this maze of more plants... I HATE THEM) I thought of that article.

Yes... by golly, I DO get my clothes dirty. And my hands. I keep my nails short (can't type well with long nails), so don't worry about my manicure. And, since I start many of my plants from seeds, and my flowers are usually swaps from my friends and family, it's NOT more expensive. The heartbreaking part you guys have gone through with me (VOLES!!). Yes, I'm perpetually doing something to maintain the garden, but that's half the fun. Weeding is very "zen" for me: it's mindless, hard work that I do with a the end result of seeing that I've accomplished something. I can contemplate other things while I'm working (I've figured out more plot problems while weeding...) and I love that, when I'm done I can step back and see how much I actually got done. I suppose everyone has different priorities in life, but for me? Keeping my hands clean isn't near the top.

The only downside for me, yesterday at least, was that I came in with ticks. ICK ICK ICK... I was washing my hands and felt a tickle on my neck, looked up into the mirror and ARGH! TICK TICK TICK... slap slap... and down the drain she went (I say "she" because the females are the blood suckers, just like the black flies). Of course, at that point there was no way I could just go on about my merry way... I was certain they were crawling all over me (I'd been weeding underneath bushes, so my whole body had been where the ticks were). I showered and scrubbed my entire body (hair especially) so hard I'm surprised I have skin left.

As you all know, I'm not particularly bug-phobic, but ticks make me flip out. BLECH.

==============================

We saw the prettiest moth on Tuesday. Mostly we have brown or white ones, but this sucker was pink and yellow. I looked online and discovered it was the Rosy Maple Moth.



Aren't they gorgeous?

===============================

Otherwise, it's life as normal here. I might be going to interview with Romance in the Backseat on Sunday if I can rearrange my schedule. It would be much easier if I had someone who could go with me and watch DD and Dd THERE while I was busy. **sigh** DH doesn't like to tell me his plans, so it's difficult to plan anything. In any case, RitB is going to be in Salem, NH (anyone else want to play?) and I'm going to try to get my behind down there. Of course, I'm going to have to... yanno... comb my hair and stuff.

Blog interviews are much simpler. *G*

================================

New Contest!

Books are delightful society. If you go into a room and find it full of books - even without taking them from the shelves they seem to speak to you, to bid you welcome. ~William Ewart Gladstone

I love reading... and I know you all do, too.

Since I'm guessing most of you have already bought and read my work, it seems silly to give away my own books exclusively. So, here's what I'm going to do... I'm having a contest with CHOICES! Yep, you decide between either one of my books in eFormat OR one other option I'll give you. And, I'm going to do this every month.

:-)

So from now until February 14th, every comment will enter you into a chance to win your choice of any of my releases - or - a eBook copy of "Best of Intentions" by Michelle Cary.

Seth McFadden would love to ditch his life as a rock star and return to his hometown and girl he left behind. When a wicked winter storm fulfills his desire, Seth learns the true meaning of be careful what you wish for. Injured and blind, Seth loses his psychic powers. Finding out Tess, his high school love, is his nurse is even more of a shock as he learns to adjust to his new life.

Tess Parker has never been psychic, save for her connection to Seth. Now after his return, she’s having strange nightmares and visions about the hospital’s ‘Angel of Death’ killer. Seth broke her heart once and she’s fearful he’ll do it again, yet she can’t walk away knowing he’s the only one who can explain what’s happening to her. When the killer learns that Tess knows the truth, the price for justice may very well be her life.

=====================

Best post EVER on how to be a successful writer is here.

=========================

Folks... I hope you enjoyed the little interview I did yesterday -- I've had so much fun with these, and as the weeks progress, you'll see even stranger questions come through. Some of these authors have cracked me up to no end and I'm absolutely sold on them and their voices -- so I imagine you'll see some of THEIR books in my upcoming giveaways.

I got an unbelieveable response to my call out for participants as well -- I'm already scheduling into July -- so am pleased.

===========================

Judy and I have challenged each other on writing -- she has to do 250 words (about one page) every day. I have to do 1000 (about four pages). For me, even 1000 words a day won't help me reach my JaNoWriMo goal, but it'll get me about halfway. Not too shabby. Speaking of which, I need to go write. TTFN!

============================

You Are Traditional and Dependable

You view the world with childlike wonder. You are very inquisitive. You can help but spy, investigate, and ask questions. You seek harmony and balance in your life. You prefer to work with a partner. You're fun loving and playful. You never take life too seriously. You seek security in your life. Feeling safe is important to you.

The Sandwich Cookie Personality Test

Except for the "feeling safe" part -- this is pretty much wrong. But I do love me an Oreo.

============================

An Interview with Me!

I nearly forgot -- Sarita Leone has posted an interview with me here... feel free to come by and say howdy!

My New Love

I am thankful for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing because it means I have a home.... I am thankful for the piles of laundry and ironing because it means my loved ones are nearby. ~Nancie J. Carmody

Last week, my old washer/dryer finally gave up the ghost. I've had that set (an apartment sized stackable) for nearly 15 years, and I loved it. It served me well. But in the last year, it began showing its age: the dryer didn't dry as efficiently, the washer sprung a leak. When the dryer began smoking ("be smart, don't start" - ha) we knew it was time.

We spent hours looking at appliances (and dragging DH away from the new flat screen TVs -- yes, our TV is ancient, too, but it works so we don't need a new one) and finally chose a set. Neither, DH nor I really like things with too many bells and whistles -- more things to malfunction. But we discovered there really aren't any simple washer/dryers out there any more. I wanted a front loader (less wear and tear on the clothes, more energy efficient) and that was really my only non-negotiable requirement.

As an aside, when we were reading reviews on various front loaders the two biggest complaints were: they didn't come in the right color (am I the only person who doesn't care what color my W/D are? ::rolls eyes::) and they got mildewy. The first didn't matter to me, and the second is easily resolved -- the salesguy told us, very clearly, you have to wipe down the rubber at the front of the machine and let it dry. So, I wipe down the rubber and leave the door cracked after washing.

Anyway, I just want to tell you... I love my new appliances. I can wash and dry a load of laundry in just over an hour. AN HOUR. Okay, for those of you who already have newer appliances, this may not seem earth shattering, but my other washer took 45 mins to wash, and when I bothered to use the dryer? 2 hours, minimum.

Maybe I shouldn't be so excited about appliances, but I just can't help it. It's how I'm made.

I watched an ad from J.C. Penney over the holidays about husbands who got sent to the "doghouse" for buying their wives sensible gifts (like vacuum cleaners). I got a new slow cooker from my DH for Christmas. The year before? Pampered Chef spatulas (and a frog for my collection). Before that? A carpet shampooer.

Why do I need diamond earrings? Give me sensible every day of the week.

====================

I have an interview up at Liana Laverentz's blog today. and I'm still writing and sharing my (rather slow) progress at the JaNoWriMo blog, if you're interested.

====================

Welcome Special Guest: M. J. Fredrick

I'm so excited -- Today "Hot Shot" by M. J. Fredrick is released by Samhain Publishing. I've stalked visited the now multi-published Mary at her blog for a while now, and when she mentioned her release date, I pounced...and said I wanted to host here on my blog. She graciously agreed to come over here and answer my off the wall questions. She's a brave, brave lady...

Hi, M. J.!! For the folks who haven't been hanging out with you at your blog, why don't you tell us a little about yourself.

I finished my first book 13 years ago, joined RWA and my local chapter 11 years ago and have written 20 (or is it 21?) manuscripts. I’ve finalled in the Golden Heart 3 times with 4 manuscripts, finalled in the Emily 3 times and finalled in the Maggies, as well as some other contests.

I teach 4th grade and have been in the same school district for 19 years. I married my high school sweetheart and we have a teenaged son.

Wow!!! 20 finished manuscripts! Holy cow... that's some perseverance. You're an inspiration.

Now, I know you make collages for your work… can you share the one you made for Hot Shot and give us some ideas as to why you chose the things and the people you did?



I actually made this collage after working on Hot Shot for a LONG time. It had been through MANY revisions (3 editors and an agent requested revisions) and I needed to refocus on what I wanted the story to be, so I made a collage. Finding pictures of George was fun, but I really like the map of Montana and the pictures of firefighting.

I started the book in 2000, the summer of Clooney, when The Perfect Storm was in theaters and Three Kings was on DVD. He was perfect for Gabe. I watched reruns of ER and I liked the way his character interacted with Maria Bello’s character so I cast her as Peyton, only made her a little more vulnerable.

I love the pictures you chose of George Clooney in that collage, and the maps are a neat touch. Thanks for sharing! So, with all those manuscripts, I have to know: Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I do! In fact, last week, I couldn’t figure out how to finish the story I was writing for The Wild Rose Press’s Wayback series. (I am NOT a plotter.) I talked it over with the DH, (a very good listener) and with Trish, and just had to speak my concerns out loud (or write them in an email). Then I just sat down and started writing and just a spark of something Trish said steered me toward the ending. I forget to trust myself sometimes when I’m writing.

I know how hard it is to trust your own instincts when you write sometimes. It's great that you have a strong support system. You mentioned you aren't a plotter. So, What comes first: the plot idea or the characters?

Characters. One of the things I love about writing is trying to figure out WHY a person would behave a certain way or choose a certain path, or what kind of person were they when they were growing up. I almost always choose my hero first, too.

So, I'll bet with your output, you've got something else in the works. Are you working on anything at the present you’d like to share with us?

I’m working on a single title contemporary romance – no adventure, no fire, no guns, no explosions. Kind of a Gilmore Girls meets Virgin River, where the heroine falls in love with the widower of her best friend. I’m about 2/3 of the way through and keep getting interrupted, but I love that story.

And I just finished an essay on the TV show Supernatural for a BenBella book about the show.

Authors are frequently inspired by what they have sitting on their nightstand. What are you reading now?

Mustang Wild by Stacey Kayne. Stacey and I finalled in the Golden Heart in 2006, and she’d sold this book JUST before conference. I haven’t read a western in forever, but this one is GREAT. I love the charming hero, Tucker, and it’s just what I would want to write if I wrote westerns. Does that make sense? Plus, it’s an Award of Excellence finalist!

I love a good western. I'll have to put that on my wishlist, thanks! Now, enough of the serious stuff, spill it: What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

Is getting up at 4 AM a quirk? (note from me: Um... I hope not, or we're both weird, LOL)

Maybe it’s that I can write with the TV on but I can’t REVISE with the TV on.

That actually makes sense. I think revising requires a lot more concentration. Speaking of odd quirks, do you have any strange handwriting habits, like capitalizing all your “r”s or dotting your “I”s with heart (or anything like that)?

I must have a certain pen. My mom bought me a pack of 100 GelWriter gel pens for Christmas. They are the BEST! They write in fat, glittery lines. They run out after about 6 pages, but they are great.

Now I know what to buy you if I ever need to get you a gift :-)

What’s a saying you use a lot?

“Bugger,” “seriously,” (thank you, Grey’s Anatomy) and “Holy crapweasel, Batman.” (thank you, cousin Caroline)

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten?

Calimari at an Asian buffet. I thought it was onion rings. It was NOT good. I have had good calimari other places, though.

If I promise not to tell your students, will you say whether you've ever made a crank phone call? You can tell me...

No – alas, I am a Good Girl.

I've made no secret of the fact that I adore pizza. Maybe we'll do lunch sometime, and I need to know if we could split one. Tell me, what is your favorite pizza?

Veggie, with a side of Ranch Dressing to dip it in. (Note from me: Yep! We can share...let's do lunch).

I've been on the hunt for a robot to clean my house and cook my meals, like the one in the Jetson's. What do you think is one thing scientists should invent?

A longer day, or a teleporter, so I can walk out my front door at 7:30 and into my classroom at 7:31.

Okay...enough of my tortuous questions. Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Hot Shot has been a LONG road. LONG LONG road. I started it the summer of 2000, pitched it in New Orleans in 2001 (to the WAY wrong editor – do your research!), won Where the Magic Begins with it in 2002, finalled in the Golden Heart with it in 2003, had it requested, revised, finalled again in 2004, had the editor leave. I requeryed to the same line to an editor I had before. She requested, revised, rejected. It finalled in the Maggies in 2005. I got another request from the same editor, but before I could submit, I got an agent who loved it, then had me revise it about 4 times. The agent and I parted ways in 2006, and I started contesting again, then submitted, submitted, submitted. I signed the contract in November 2007.

I believed in this story, even when I was sick of looking at it. So if you believe in something, NEVER NEVER NEVER give up.

Mary's all over the place... go visit her at one of these places... and buy "Hot Shot". You won't be sorry!

My website

My blog, The Bandwagon

My newsletter

Rambling, Rambling, Rambling....

Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It is already tomorrow in Australia. ~Charles Schulz

I got three victims...takers... on my guest blog offer yesterday, and have high hopes for more. I've set up a schedule here, so if you'd like to guest blog, choose a couple of days (sometimes, I might get requests at the same time for the same day) and email me (marianne @ mariannearkins.com -- without the spaces). If you have an idea for a subject or title, let me know that, too, and I'll include it.

I'm excited! And, Monday, I hit the loops with the offer... so jump in if you want a specific date now.

===========================

So... I'm not anywhere on tour today. **sniff**

Yesterday, I filled out two more sets of interview questions. I have to admit to a couple of things. One: I'm really kind of tired of talking about myself! LOL... and Two: I really dislike open-ended questions like--tell us about yourself. Or--tell us about your book. I just don't even know where to start. The last couple of interviews I filled out got a little bit flippant, not in a bad way...more goofy than sarcastic, but my bio was a little different for one. There are only so many ways you can tell people who you are.

So... those of you who still have to interview me? Specific questions, please? And, feel free to make them a little...different *G*. Having said that, I'm a little afraid of what I'll get from Groovy, as she's already a little...different (in a funny, off-center way... I love her blog). Could be interesting.

=======================

So, I was flashing back to all the really goofy "joke" songs I loved from the 80s... and had to post some videos.

I have this album on vinyl... if only my turntable wasn't broken. Dedicated to my biz partner, Judy:



Or what about this? I have a silly song being lip synced on Solid Gold--it doesn't get ANY BETTER than that!!



=========================

Creature Feature: Quiz Results

Charmer

You're more comfortable with your animal friends than you are with humans. Ever feel like your dog really understands you when you talk? Well, for YOU, he probably does. You've got a way with the wild beasts--a special touch. Man's best friend has a WHOLE new meaning for you. Sure, physically, you might not be the strongest of the paranormals, but mentally, you're on a whole different level.

Yikes... this interview posted early...

I didn't expect this until next week, but if you'd like to read an interview with me, check out Alex Beecrofts blog.

Eight Ridiculous Questions...

Lexxie Couper asked me Eight Ridiculous Questions... and I answered them in her newsletter. You don't have to join the Yahoo group to view it, if you're interested. One word of caution, tho -- Lexxie is an erotic author, so may have book covers up with her work and she does have a VERY hot excerpt... my answers are all the way at the bottom, so you could just scroll down to see them.

I hope you'll give it a look!

Of James Bond, Eileen Cook and Natasha Bedingfield

"Even the woodpecker owes his success to the fact that he uses his head and keeps pecking away until he finishes the job he starts." — Coleman Cox

So, yesterday I posted a comment from one of my readers about the romance genre and asked for comments. I have to admit to being surprised that not more of you had something to say! Charity, OTOH, picked up the gauntlet and ran with it... so if you want to read her response to DeeDee and find out how she combined James Bond, knife-wielding LOL cats and Greek billionaires, go check out this blog post.

Charity, I am indebted to you. Again.

=====================

I filled out three interviews, worried about two guest blog posts (one of which I don't even have an idea for--Judy said we needed to find a "Guest Blog Post Subject Generator"...anyone know of one?), worked on the LASR site, managed to read a little, stressed out about the upcoming election results for Super Tuesday, tried to chase down a copy of "Unpredictable" by Eileen Cook that was released yesterday--without success (a POX on all the stores in my area for not carrying it!), played with Dakota and STILL found time to write a little on my mystery.

As I've been reading through it, I remembered how much I enjoyed the story (with any luck everyone else will, too). It's really rather light on the mystery (though people are definitely being murdered... I'm halfway through, and the body count is up to three), but the focus is on the people and the romance. I wonder, then, if this would fit into a more contemporary romance line like Harlequin American? Anyone know if HQ American has ever included a secondary mystery storyline? Trish? Kara?

I'm a little afraid I'm writing something that won't fit anywhere comfortably. Again. Story of my life.

Anyway... just over 200 words again. Yay!

=====================

I really love this song. I love the beat. I love the words and the meaning. I really love it.

I've been singing it all morning. I woke up with it in my head. You must realize this is a bit odd for me, because I mostly listen to country music.

But... it's just a good tune.



==========================

You Are a Light Pink Rose

You represent sweetness and grace. Your vibe: Kind and gentle Falling in love with you: is like falling in love with a best friend

What Color Rose Are You?

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Excuse me just a moment while I pick myself up off the floor... Me? Kind and gentle? Sweetness and Grace?

**snort**

So, Tori, gonna be my twin again? *G*

My First Interview

This one's a little early -- but I'll take it!! Click here for my interview at Families.com!

An Interview With ME! *G*

The words "I am" are potent words; be careful what you hitch them to. The thing you're claiming has a way of reaching back and claiming you. ~A.L. Kitselman

I have finally gotten around to answering the questions Jen sent to me over the weekend (along with very kind words about "The Christmas Curse" -- thanks, Jen!). Here's what she wanted to know:

1. What is your writing/homeschooling day like? How do you fit it all in?

We start school quite early, because the DD and I are both early risers. So, the moment my husband walks out the door, we're in the school room. I'm fortunate that my DD catches on to stuff quickly and has quite a good memory, so daily review goes by quick and easy. Math, language, handwriting, etc. are pretty simple. Where we spend the majority of our school time is on history or science -- this is where she learns something new EVERY DAY, and there is much memorization required (we're actually memorizing The Declaration of Independence right now). Again, I benefit because she is a BIG reader and because I'm naturally an outdoor-sie person, so she interacts regularly with bugs and plants and dirt ... and we talk about why things grow and what animals do. History is fairly easy because she loves the "Dear America" type books, and reads them voraciously.

The hard part for her? Homework. She fights it. She hates it. She'll sit still for two hours when I'm teaching lessons, but she does NOT enjoy homework and papers and worksheets. She does them, but she grumbles.

As for writing, I typically work when she's off grumbling and doing her homework! And it's mostly website work in the morning, before anyone is awake. But, again, all that takes second place to homeschooling her. That's my priority. It is my major "job". Nothing else is more important.

Still, my days are crazy -- every day. I don't take weekends off, ever. So, "How do you fit: homeschooling, writing, cleaning, cooking, and running the reviews website?" --- to that, I answer, "I have NO IDEA."

2. What is your favorite thing about homeschooling your DD? What is the most frustrating thing about homeschooling?

I love being able to give her the special care she needs. I love being the person she turns to with questions. Frequently, I enjoy learning new things with her. When she struggles with a concept, I am thrilled we can stop everything and work on it until she understands. I love that we can skip over the easy stuff and not bore her to tears. I love that we can expand on the curriculum and focus on what she enjoys. I love that I get to go on every field trip and can plan some based simply on what we enjoy.

Frustrating? When I can't seem to teach her a new concept (we did this in second grade with subtraction). Or, when she says that she hates (insert subject here). Or when she moans that she doesn't want to "do" school today. Most of my frustration stems from sometimes feeling inadequate.

3. It's no secret you'd like to move. Where would be your ideal place to move to and why?

My ideal place is actually a place and a time -- so it's not going to happen. But, boy, if I could move back to Northern California thirty-five years ago? I'd go in a heartbeat. Now? I just want to be back out west somewhere. I love the western atmosphere. People are utterly different west of the Mississippi and south of North Carolina. I don't enjoy the attitude of most New Englanders (there are certainly exceptions: Ceri , Allie and Michele being three!). If I wasn't married, and didn't have to take my DH's needs and wants into account, I'd most assuredly move back to California, just because I love the climate, and it will always be home (regardless of how messed up it is nowadays).

4. If you could achieve anything you'd like, what would you like your life to be like five years from now?

After I won $381.9 million in the powerball, I'd be able to fly hither and thither in my private jet and visit my friends and family all over the world without worrying about canceled flights or where to leave my dog and cat while I'm gone.

I'd be able to write daily on my top-of-the-line laptop with no interruptions if I so chose. I'd have a cook and maid and five residences: California, Upstate New York, Arizona, Ireland and Australia.

I'd have fun stuffing hundred dollar bills in the Salvation Army bell-ringers buckets and leaving absurdly large tips when I went out to eat.

I'd have my own masseuse and horse breeding farm, and would squeeze in time speaking at various writers conferences as a New York Time bestselling author in between running my horses in the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes.

Because, if you're going to dream, dream big!

And, hey, if you want to have a self-interview, leave me a comment saying you want to play, and the moment I have a minute, I'll think up some questions to ask you.

==================

I posted yet ANOTHER contest at LASR. This week we're giving away a TON of stuff!! An eBook from Marisa Chenery, an autographed print book from Maureen Fisher, a copy of "Thanksgiving" by Janet Evanovich, AND -- for you YA fans, a "best book" earner: An ARC of "The Luxe" by Anna Godbersen.

Good luck!

=========================

You'd look bey-ond bey-eautiful in the dress Beyoncé wore to the 2007 Oscars. She looked absolutely magical in the mint green gown with floral appliqué detailing, but we think it's just as perfect for you. In a dress like this, you'd definitely cast a spell -- this style is just as enchanting as your personality. Even if Beyoncé's Oscar dress isn't exactly your kind of thing, getting this result means you don't need bright colors or sequins to stand out from the crowd.

...enchanting as my personality.... Oh, yeah *G*