The BESTEST news!!!

Hello all!

I'm going to be ending 2007 on a lovely note. Seems that The Portrait is nominated for a Romantic Times 2007 Reviewers' Choice Award!!!
OMG!!! *squee*

From the website:
2007 was another great year for readers. So many fabulous books were published! We reviewed more than 250 books in each issue of RT BOOKreviews -- more than 3,000 titles for the entire year. Our ace reviewers and editors have scoured 12 months' worth of reviews to compile the best of the best for the annual Romantic Times BOOKreviews Career Achievement and Reviewers' Choice Awards. For the Reviewers' Choice nominees, our star team selected only those novels that deeply resonated with them. The Career Achievement nominees are authors who have continuously crafted superior books throughout their careers. (The list of nominees is also printed in February 2008 issue of RT BOOKreviews.)
********************************************************************************
Out of over 3000 titles...they picked one of mine.
*GRINS*
Yeah.
That does it for me.
Crystal*

2008

Looking ahead
Not looking back

The best to you and yours!!!
Crystal*

Revelations

The girls and I drove past the old house that burned a year ago. It upset middle chicken the most, but I think all in all, it was a good time for more closure.
And as I feel like I've aged a decade this year at times, I realize several things:

I'm better off now than I was a year ago.
I'm a strong woman raising three strong chickies.
Time DOES heal the wounds.
Life's unexpected turns can lead you down beautiful roads.
Stuff is...stuff.
Some people are genuine. Some people are liars and users.
Faith is priceless.
Hope lives in my heart.
Love comes from the most unexpected places.
Laughter IS the best medicine.
What goes around...comes around.
A helping hand can make all the difference.
I bend, but I don't break.

The most precious things in my world don't hang from a tree or lie under it.
They're around it at the buttcrack of dawn Christmas morning hugging me and telling me "Merry Christmas."

Merry Christmas to you and yours! Have a wondrous safe and happy holiday!
Crystal*

LMAO

Thanks to Kat, who sent this to me.
I LOVED the old Hollywood Squares. And the Newlywed Game, too!


Hollywood Squares
If you remember the Original Hollywood Squares on TV, and its comics, this may bring a tear to your eyes. These great questions and answers are from the days when "Hollywood Squares" game show responses were spontaneous, not scripted, as they are now. Peter Marshall was the host asking the questions, of course.

Q. Do female frogs croak?
A. Paul Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough .

Q. If you're going to make a parachute jump, at least how high should you be?
A. Charley Weaver: Three days of steady drinking should do it.

Q. True or False, a pea can last as long as 5,000 years.
A. George Gobel: Boy, it sure seems that way sometimes.

Q. You've been having trouble going to sleep. Are you probably a man or a woman?
A. Don Knotts: That's what's been keeping me awake.

Q. According to Cosmopolitan, if you meet a stranger at a party and you think that he is attractive, is it okay to come out and ask him if he's married?
A. Rose Marie: No; wait until morning.

Q. Which of your five senses tends to diminish as you get older?
A. Charley Weaver: My sense of decency.

Q. In Hawaiian, does it take more than three words to say "I Love You"?
A. Vincent Price: No, you can say it with a pineapple and a twenty.

Q. What are "Do It," "I Can Help," and "I Can't Get Enough"?
A. George Gobel: I don't know, but it's coming from the next apartment.

Q. As you grow older, do you tend to gesture more or less with your hands while talking?
A. Rose Marie: You ask me one more growing old question Peter, and I'll give you a gesture you'll never forget.

Q. Paul, why do Hell's Angels wear leather?
A. Paul Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles too easily.

Q. Charley, you've just decided to grow strawberries. Are you going to get any during the first year?
A. Charley Weaver: Of course not, I'm too busy growing strawberries.

Q. In bowling, what's a perfect score?
A. Rose Marie: Ralph, the pin boy.

Q. It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics, what is the other?
A. Paul Lynde: Tape measures.

Q. During a tornado, are you safer in the bedroom or in the closet?
A. Rose Marie: Unfortunately Peter, I'm always safe in the bedroom.

Q. Can boys join the Camp Fire Girls?
A. Marty Allen: Only after lights out.

Q. When you pat a dog on its head he will wag his tail. What will a goose do?
A. Paul Lynde: Make him bark?

Q. If you were pregnant for two years, what would you give birth to?
A. Paul Lynde: Whatever it is, it would never be afraid of the dark.

Q. According to Ann Landers, is there anything wrong with getting into the habit of kissing a lot of people?
A. Charley Weaver: It got me out of the army.

Q. It is the most abused and neglected part of your body, what is it?
A. Paul Lynde: Mine may be abused, but it certainly isn't neglected.

Q. Back in the old days, when Great Grandpa put horseradish on his head, what was he trying to do?
A. George Gobel: Get it in his mouth.

Q. Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
A. Paul Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?

Q. When a couple have a baby, who is responsible for its sex?
A. Charley Weaver: I'll lend him the car, the rest is up to him.

Q. Jackie Gleason recently revealed that he firmly believes in them and has actually seen them on at least two occasions. What are they?
A. Charley Weaver: His feet.

Q. According to Ann Landers, what are two things you should never do in bed?
A. Paul Lynde: Point and laugh.

Grins*

Spam--more than a mystery meat

I highly dislike having spam in my email. It irritates me. But there is some major fodder for humor here.

1. Penis enlarger--Let me explain. I don't have one. But if I were ever in the market for one, I would simply go to the Adult Toy Store and pick out whichever size suited me best.
2. Ill person--I'm sorry that you're ill. Really, I am. But it obviously didn't stop you from getting on the computer and mass mailing people in search of monetary gain. Money-grubber, heal thyself.
3. My email won the lottery--Obviously my email and I are very close. I believe I would have known if my email entered something such as this. I'm not buying. Yeah, literally.
4. Verify my paypal account--Bite me. *grins* I don't have one.
5. eBay--I've been on eBay once. And that was to find something for someone else. It confuses me. LOL Better luck next time.
6. Viagra, Oxycotin, narcotics in general--Obviously you are chemically altered if you honestly think I would fork over money to buy a cut product with probably 2% of the original drug in it. Yeah. That'll happen.
7. Webcam offers--That's nice that you're willing to share your goodies with the world at large. However, I won't be viewing them.
8. MySpace adds--If you're going to try and "add me" as a friend, have an inkling about me. Messaging me with "Hi Cute! I think I would be good wit you" makes me throw up a little bit in my mouth.
9. Sex with animals--EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW DELETE DELETE DELETE
10. re: HI--I drop a line to my friends every now and then. But I guarantee that if I don't recognize your email, such as "xcyttfcm@hotmail"...then you're email won't be seeing daylight.

So keep 'em coming. I know you will. *grins* And I'll keep hitting "delete" while chuckling and wondering why you don't get a real job.
Grins*

Misnomers

My chickens and I are very good at this. You could SWEAR that you hear something one way, when actually it's another.

Oldest chicken has taken to using the word "atomically" for "automatically." She swears up and down that "automatically" has too many syllables.

Middle chicken used to sing a line from a Macy Gray song. The line goes: "My world crumbles when you are not there." She still sings: "I blow bubbles when you are not there." I like her version better.

But baby chicken has everyone beat. When she was five years old, she had a friend in her class who got a chocolate gift for Valentine's Day. She hurriedly rushes out to meet me when the final bell rang exclaiming that her friend received "horsey kisses." I believe I said "WHAT?" about three times before she becomes exasperated and says, "You know! Those chocolate things wrapped in silver."
Ah...hershey kisses.
Or when she has a sore in her mouth and tells me she has "kangaroo sores." *ahem* Canker sores. lmao
She was using this one up until last week when I had to correct her so her friends wouldn't make fun of her. Baby chicken just shrugs and says, "I like 'kangaroo sores' better." So be it.
Who am I to argue?
Grins*

I believe in...

...children
...snowflakes
...love
...laughter
...giving
...caring
...animals
...loyalty
...blowing dandelions in the wind
...the toilet paper coming from the top of the roll
...smiles
...kisses
...hugs
...music
...books
...writing
...sunshine
...laughter
...seeing the glass half-full
...hope
...February being wonderful
...gifts truly given
Grins*

A bit unusual

Thanks to Nancy who tagged me in this meme. And in accordance with The Rules, here are...
The Rules:* When tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you.*
Then post the rules before your list, and list eight random things about yourself.
*At the end of the post, you must tag and link to eight other people.
I'm not tagging anyone, but I think it's interesting. Drop me a line and let me know if you've played.

1. I type things in my head. Now...a lot of my quirkiness (p.c. term) comes from my OCD. And I love to type. So when a phrase sticks in my head, I will type it until it gets out. Um...yeah. Things are always a little bit off in the ol' noggin.

2. All my girls have names that start with "C" and have two middle names.

3. I wish on dandelions, shooting stars, and necklaces where the clasp meets the charm.

4. I'm addicted to the smell of play-doh. *grins* My girls think this is hilarious.

5. I've had butterflies land on me. And stay. And stay. There was a purple one on me several years back that simply wouldn't fly off.

6. I've never had a pedicure, manicure, massage, or facial.

7. If I'm really close with someone, I can finish their sentences.

8. I'm directionally impaired. I can walk into the same mall that's been there for almost twenty years, come out of a store, and have no idea which direction I came from.

There ya go. Bits of oddities. So hard to sift through the many to find eight.
Grins*

Lord, I was born a rambling blog

Been awhile since I checked in. My lovely blog says Halloween. *grins* Sorry 'bout that.

I have a new term for you: Occupational hangover--when one ingests so much of their job that they have a headache. And yes...that would be me. At least as of late. Not the writing, mind you. The other job.
I also had my brakes go out on my van which was rather unpleasant. My lovely sister let me borrow a car so I wasn't completely without wheels. But I'm SO glad to get the van back!!!

The Red Dirt Festival was a lot of fun. I had a great time with Merline Lovelace and Christine Rimmer. We had a nice turnout, too. The next best thing to WRITING Romance would be talking about it. *grins* And we did.

I have Programmed for Pleasure out this month. Water Goddess in December. One Enchanted Evening in February 2008. Wind Goddess in May 2008. Earth Goddess in October 2008.
So guess what I'm doing right now?
Yep. *laughing* Editing.
Sheesh
I like writing ever so much better.

And some asshat on the news informed me that there were only like fortysomething days left to Christmas shop.
Are you kidding me? I don't have enough to worry about as it is? *sigh* Where in the hell has this year gone???

I saw something on the local news that just royally pissed me off. Oklahoma is 100 years old this year. Our big hoedown Centennial Celebration.
I've always considered Oklahoma my home. Born and raised here. And even though I moved (frequently) while married, I feel a kinship to this state.
So imagine my absolute horror at finding out a certain tribe from Oklahoma is calling it "100 Years of Theft."
Oh
My
God
I'm so glad I waited to write this because when I first composed this blog awhile back...I was livid. There was profanity a'plenty.
But here's the deal, in my opinion: Oklahoma is a great state BECAUSE of the mixing of cultures and heritages. I'm not saying I agree with this state's history as far as taking land or anything else. But can't we flippin' move on? Do you have to take a major milestone for this great state and monopolize it with your whining???
I have enough Indian blood in me to have a roll number.
So what?
It doesn't give anyone the right to slam all the good in a state because of a grudge. We've moved on. Why don't you???

*blowing out a breath and taking a calming one*
yep
Better.
That's been simmering for awhile.

How've you been?
Grins*

Programmed for Pleasure

The Ultimate Sex Toy is every woman’s fantasy come to life. When two men create it, they know the adult toy industry will never be the same. They use trickery to snare an unsuspecting woman and closely monitor all interactions between her and the toy. What Ethan Fields, scientist, doesn’t plan on is how attracted he becomes to the test subject while she has no clue that he is watching her being pleasured time and time again.A chance encounter finds Ethan meeting his test subject face to face. Meg hides her past while Ethan hides his present. Until one day when both collide, and all secrets come to light.

Available now from Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. Catch a sneak peek on my web page.

Grins*

Country Club

Yep. That's right. This little hick chick will be going to the Country Club next Thursday.
I'm sure you're as shocked as I am. lmao

This all extends from the Red Dirt Book Festival being held in Shawnee November 2nd and November 3rd at the Shawnee Expo Center. All sorts of readers, writers, performers, and scholars will be in attendance. I'm room hosting for Jordan Dane. And then I'll be signing books and having my own talk about 3:30 pm Friday the 2nd with Merline Lovelace and Christine Rimmer.
There happens to be an Author/Donor Reception November 1st at Ye Olde Shawnee Country Club. And I have an invitation in my hot little hands. How cool and scary is that?
So I've got to find something to wear. Fix my hair. All that yada yada yada. But I plan on kicking up my heels and meeting people that I, otherwise, wouldn't normally have an opportunity to.
I'll leave my black bustier and red micro-mini at the house.
Oh...and the hooker boots.
lmao
Grins*

Friends, Football, and Fall Break

I don't make friends easily simply because I don't deeply trust a lot of people. But this weekend, I lost one. She didn't pass. She's not harmed in any way. But she moved clear across the U.S. And though I'm sure she's happy, I'm going to miss her.

Sometimes I'll catch a glimpse of high school friends at my work. And we play catch-up for a few, but it's not the same. I only get little pieces of their lives now.

Went to a friend's birthday party for her son Saturday. And as I looked at her family in her house, I couldn't help but think: I know you're daughter/sister/aunt better than you do. Because for some unknown reason, we share things with each other that family just isn't privvy to. And it's nice.

I lost two best friends this last year. Through their choice and choices they made. They still haven't come to grips with that yet, but I have. And it's really too bad. You know...the kind of friends that I would gladly donate a kidney to. But no more.

So. To my faraway friend: Andrea...be happy. I miss ya.
To my coworker friends: Candace and Christine...thanks for listening
To my high school friends: Katie, Christi, and Jana...what are we waiting for? Our twentieth reunion???
And to the two I lost: It's too bad. I really WOULD have given you a kidney. Or any other organ of your choice if you had treated me decently to begin with.

And to my best friend now: I love you dearly, sugar. You are a bright light in every day, and I thank all that is good that I have you.

Saturday was also Middle Chicken's birthday. She got some new-fangled MP3 thing that pretty much does everything but her homework. *grins* Needless to say, it was stuck in her ears the entire weekend. *laughing* Didn't bother me a bit. So I'm down to one more birthday this month. And then I can breathe a bit easier until Christmas. *sigh* I love/loathe this time of year.
Went roller skating Friday with the chickens. I took off work, and they were on Fall Break. I was, of course, the oldest chickie on skates. *shrug* Such as it is. Only about a dozen people there. And oh yes...I DID embarrass the short people. I was dancing/skating, and if children could die of mortification...I would be sans chickens. *snickering*
Ever try to do the "cyclone" on skates? lmao
Oh
Yeah

I wrote a bit Sunday on Wind Goddess, but I ended up gravitating toward another Paranormal work. *shrug* Didn't get as much done as I wanted, but there was progress made. And then I watched oldest and baby chicken play football against each other. OMG. It was too damn cute. Middle chicken, of course, had her ears plugged up with birthday present. *grins*

Hope your weekend was a good one. It's icky here right now. Cold, windy, and downright nasty. Those two weeks of fall were lovely. *eye roll*
Grins*

Ahead of my time

I was browsing the News stories yesterday and found a couple that hit close to home for me.

One of the articles talked about the world of Virtual Reality and medical uses. Apologies for the url's being a tad long.
Read this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/sciencelifestylejapantechnologyhealthinternet;_ylt=Att5vUt5XyjpsBIvXqaEgHvq188F

Now. The interesting part being that I wrote Virtually Yours about three years ago, and it talks about love in the world of Virtual Reality. And how my test subject, heroine, is in the case study because they need to know the effects for medical purposes.

Then I found this: http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/forecastsexandmarriagewithrobotsby2050;_ylt=Aju5AfxDeB9Ust4MBG9IL3rq188F

It talks about how scientists predict by the year 2050 that people will be having sex with and marrying robots.
ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww
Anyway. This brings to mind my November release, Programmed for Pleasure. Where my heroine becomes hooked up with The Ultimate Sex Toy. And she wonders to herself if this is where the fate of mankind is going. Sex with circuits.

I simply found it interesting that my fiction is another person's reality.
What do you think?
Grins*

I am not amused

Ok. Maybe a little bit.
I was googling myself (absolutely no comments, I mean it *grins*) when I see that Playboy Crystal Inman is moving up in the ranks.
Go figure.
And how could you miss with this lovely tagline: There is nothing sexier than a dirty little cowgirl.
lmao

I was really hoping the chickie would kind of fall off the face of the earth. *sigh* Then I wouldn't have to worry about all these weird hits on my website. Or searchers looking to see what a dirty little cowgirl I am. *snickering*

I admit it. I write Romance. Some of it is Erotic. I'm not offended by naked chickie. I just wish she didn't have the same damn name. So God knows how many more pictures are out there floating about with her in all her glory.

Onwards and upwards.

I don't write long romance. I believe the longest I've written is around 76,000. But I'm going to try on a 90,000 for size beginning at the end of this year. I simply have a hard time with description and describing every nuance of every scene.
Brevity has been the norm. Now I'm going to have to branch out and explore the wordier side of writing life.
Oh, well. It's not like I'm going to be plotting or anything. lmao
Heaven forbid.
Grins*

Finally fall!

Ah...it's lovely here today. In the mid-seventies for a high with a gently northern breeze.
*sigh*
About damn time.

I finished Water Goddess (on time, thankyouverymuch) and am now waiting for my extremely talented Cover Artist to send me what will be the cover.
Little nervous because my November release for Whiskey Creek Press Torrid, Programmed for Pleasure, doesn't even HAVE anyone working on it right now. Or not that I know of, anyway.
ACK!

I've finished one birthday and now have two more to go this month. And no, smartasses, I did NOT plan it that way. These things just, um, happened. *grins*
I blame it on my wedding anniversary being Feb. 12, Valentine's Day, and my birthday is Feb. 18. See what I'm saying? *wriggling eyebrows*

I'm working on three projects right now. Wind Goddess is number one with a bullet. And wouldn't you damn know it? It's coming to me in pieces, too. *sigh* Quite a lesson to learn here. Just when you think you've settled in with something that works...it changes.
I'm also working on SWTWC and WATS. I can't decide whether they're going to be Erotic Romance or not. Usually I have it all pared down in my wee little head about which subgenre I'm rocking along with. But both are outside the box. *grins* Box? What box?
Exactly.

I'm still pulling my life together, and all seems to be going rather well with me. Hope you and yours can say the same.
I'll try and post a bit more often. *laughing* This just seemed to rather escape me for about a week. Blame it on the birthday frenzy.
Grins*

My naughty bits are on sale

Okay. Just my literary naughty bits. *grins*

What He Wants is the Torrid Sizzler of the Month for Whiskey Creek Press Torrid. So you can buy my ebook and get one free!!!

BUY THIS MONTH'S TORRID SIZZLER AND GET A FREE EBOOK OF YOUR CHOICE!
WHAT HE WANTS by C’ann Inman

Genre: Torrid Romance Paranormal

Rating: Erotica - Controversial

Grins*

I rock the Casbah

Oh yes. It's true. *grins*

I finished Water Goddess Saturday and self-edited it. Woo hoo!!! Me=done. I swear that I have never had such a hard time writing anything. I was absolutely freaking euphoric when I finished. And I was proud. *smile* So it was absolutely marvelous.

Tomorrow is baby chicken's birthday. She'll be TWELVE. Yep. *nodding* Last year that I won't have a teenager in my house. And since the chickens' birthdays are all in October...I'll actually have two twelve year olds at the same time. Then two thirteen year olds. Then a twelve, thirteen, and fourteen year old.
Does it make your head spin?
Does mine. LMAO

I started on Wind Goddess because, damn it, I could. And that is going swimmingly snarky. Erin, my Water Goddess heroine, is the polar opposite of Sylvia, heroine of Wind Goddess. Oh man. To unleash the snark? Absolutely priceless. *rubbing hands together*
That'll be all kinds of fun.

Watched football Sunday. That was my all day treat to myself since I worked my ass off on my book and finished.
OMG! Brett Favre now holds the record for Touchdown passes in the NFL. I LOVE HIM!!! He is the reason I started watching football to begin with. My chickens probably resent him...but too bad. HA!
And the Packers are 4-0. Are you kidding me??? And with the youngest team in the NFL???
*cheering*
God, I love this time of year. *sigh*
Grins*

p.s. Go vote for me please! It's about four posts down from this one. You can vote at Night Owl Romance until October 31, 2007. Once a day. I'm under C'ann Inman and Moon Goddess/Sun Goddess.
Appreciate it. :)~~

This just in...Yay!!!

Hello all!

Happened to drop by the Romantic Times site to see if the new issue was out. And it is!!!

Here's my review for Fire Goddess in the November 2007 issue:

Inman makes the old plot of a great love between a star and a common laborer new, exciting, fun -- and just plain hot. The misunderstandings are so funny that readers may laugh out loud, while the love scenes are very graphic and sexy. With a bit of mystery thrown into the mix, this read has something for everyone. This is set up to be the first of a series; here's hoping Inman will follow with more of this delightful storyline.

Summary: The four Guardians must each help a woman become a success in the areas of health, home and heart. Wilda picks Kelly, a soap opera diva who is the polar opposite of her character, to find love and happiness. Descending to Earth as her wardrobe consultant, Wilda finds Kelly's career a success, but she has no friends and wants someone to love. Enter Sloan, a builder, brought on to build a beautiful castle set. Sloan is sure Kelly is just like her character and is determined to dislike her. But with Wilda's prodding, they just may find love.
(Whiskey Creek, Jul., 251 pp., $12.95) HOT—Cindy Himler

Grins*

Never...

...play placeholder for your almost twelve year-old daughter so she can kick the football
...toot in a tanning bed
...count your chickens before they hatch
...promise something you can't deliver
...sacrifice yourself for the benefit of others
...believe everything you hear
...take it for granted
...drink an entire gallon of milk in one sitting
...forget where you came from
...back up while mowing the lawn
...try to feed a squirrel while it's in a tree
...wear new clothes to feed your animals
...discount something because you don't understand it

Grins*

Please vote!

Moon Goddess/Sun Goddess-Torrid Teasers Vol. 33 is up for Best Ebook Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance at Night Owl Romance.
Right now, Selena Kitt is kicking my heiney. *grins*

I'd appreciate your vote.

Thanks!
Crystal/C'ann Inman*

Bryan: You're killing me. I think your computer just doesn't like my links. I may get a complex. *grins* Try this one:
http://nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/

If all else fails...you can always google it. *GRINS*

My new guilty pleasure

I loooooove photobucket. Here are some of my favorites. Hope you enjoy them!
Grins*

Writerly thoughts

I'm addicted to writing. I've already shared the fact that I'll be finishing one book by the end of this month, editing it, and then editing another one.
BUT...I also have an idea for another book-due by the end of October, and an Amazon Short I want to put out there. And did I mention Wind Goddess and Earth Goddess? I didn't???
*sigh*

I've also been thinking about what I'll be discussing at the Red Dirt Festival in Oklahoma in November. It just keeps going 'round and 'round in my wee little head. What am I going to say to these lovely people when they come to the panel with Me, Merline, and Christine?
Should I tell them that writing on a good day is orgasmic and on a bad day is the fifth level of hell? Should I mention that sanity is no good indicator of anything? Should I just scare the hell right out of them? lmao
Nah.
Let them find that out for themselves. *grins*

I've never known anyone else but a writer who gets another writer. Period. Spouses and children will sympathize and emphathize...but they just don't get it. God bless them.

Writers are odd creatures. I make no apology for it, myself. Hell, I revel in it. I'm the square peg. And don't you wish you were the square peg, too? rofl
Uh huh.
We have great fun. *wink*

So I suppose I'll do my best to encourage them and tell them to hold onto their dreams.
But leave the sanity at the door. You don't really need it.
Grins*

Blogger Buddies

I love the people on my sidebar. Adore them beyond words. And I think you should, too. They are creative, witty, and entertaining. So go forth and check them out!
Here's my opinion on a few of them:
Tori is great. She'll read this and probably let it go to her head. *shrug* But oh well. *grins* Tori is a television afficianado. She always has her head wrapped around current events and what's going on NOW! She's outspoken and funny as all hell. Her take on events listed on her blog is NOT TO BE MISSED! Oh...and she shares my Dr. Who affliction.
Rene is a busy mom and wife. Her three darlings are excellent blog fodder, and she is the QUEEN of layouts. Go forth, I'm not playing here. I have layout envy. *grins* Renee is quietly sarcastic and witty as hell.
I love Lyvvie. I swear to God. If I were a hellbitch in running shoes redhead...we could be separated at birth. I don't care what mood I'm in, I laugh every time I visit her blog. It's a gift. And she's got it.
Bryan is a bit of a quiet sort. He's rather deep, I believe. And his snark is finer edged. I adore him for that. He'll lull you into a false sense of security and then zap the hell out of you. I respect that. Go to his blog and then zip from there to some of his photographs!

These are definitely my Top Four. Or maybe I should give it a cute, little name like Fabulous Four or something. Foxy Four? Fearsome Four?
*grins*
Help a woman out! Better yet...go check out these blogs!!!
Grins*

Chicken Update

Here's the news:

Oldest Chicken tried out for a play Tuesday. And guess what? She got a part!!! *dancing* I'm sooooooooooooooo proud. Of course, she's a little ham anyway. So should be just wonderful. And if I understood her correctly...the title is "Snow White in the Seventies."
Take a moment amongst yourselves and discuss the obvious ramifications. lmao

Middle Chicken is now scandalized. That would be because I, the Mama, talked about her getting her first boyfriend. Well, apparently, for the first time ever to MY knowledge, the little heifer accessed this blog. Apparently her scream of embarrassment could be heard from miles around. *snickering* It was enough to have classmates running, and she pushing the "X" button with all her might. rofl

Baby Chicken has been a bit difficult of late. It's neither cute nor pleasant when one's eleven year-old daughter channels her snarky thirty-five year-old mother.
Just saying.

That's about it for the little heathens. They've been good for the most part.

I had a lovely, busy day today. McSis had vacation and took Mom and I to Tulsa to visit Incredible Pizza. There was mini golf (got my ass whooped) and bowling (another ass whuppin') and air hockey (do you see where this is going???).
However, there was a small bit of redemption in bowling when I bowled two strikes in the final frame. *pumping fist in air and singing "We are the Champions"*
So. There you have it.
Grins*

Middle School Dynamic

Hello all!

Took my chickens (and an extra chicken friend) to a middle school dance Friday evening. And yes, it did feel like Sixteen Candles to some extent. There were children from a bunch of area surrounding schools. And they rather kept to their own little cliques. My girls' school had two normal children and then a group of about eight that thought they were too cute and didn't have to listen to anybody. Oh...and they liked to Dirty Dance.
Yeah. At a middle school dance. *eye roll*
It was interesting to sit back and watch the activities. Contrary to earlier threats, I didn't shake my groove thing...though they DID have some great music. If the crowd were a little older, you just never know. *wink*
But the girls seemed to have fun. And that's really all that counts.
And speaking of the chickens...Middle Chicken has a boyfriend. Her FIRST boyfriend. *slightly hyperventilating* Sheesh! Can't believe it. So we'll see how that goes. She's in that giddy stage right now.
And oldest chicken is trying out for a play today! I'm so thrilled! I don't care whether she's the lead or third tree from the right...I'm very proud.

Saturday was shopping. On a Labor Day Weekend. Uh huh. I am way too bright for my own good. lmao
Shipped off middle chickie to her friends house. (The same one that spent the night before at OUR house) and chilled out with other two chickens. Watched some movies. Stuff like that.
Sunday I wrote.
And NOT just a little bit. I'm averaging between 6000-7000 every Sunday when I write. So guess who's going to make their deadline?
Oh YEAH, baby! That would be me!

As for the movies...we got TMNT (still haven't watched), Unaccompanied Minors (didn't want to watch), Wild Hogs, and Disturbia.
Here's the lowdown:
Wild Hogs was mediocre. And even though I adore the cast, it sucked exhaust. On a scale of 1-10...I'd say 2. I did get to see William H. Macy's butt. I suppose that should bring it up to a possible 3. *GRINS*
He's just too talented to be reduced to showing his ass on film, IMO. *eye roll* I just couldn't get into it. Seemed to be spliced together with no real direction.
And now that I've massacred that one...onto Disturbia.

Let me just say, I LOVED this flick!!! Holy shit! I'm not kidding. The story was great. The actors were wonderful. It had humor. It was scary as all hell. I just haven't seen anything like that which has caught my interest in a long time. I think Shia LaBeouf is amazing. Utterly amazing. Not to mention I think he's going to be so damn handsome when he grows into those acting skills he has. Rather reminds me of a cross between Jimmy Stewart and Cary Grant. High praise, indeed.
Now that I've gushed like one of my girls...that's that. *grins*
Hope you had a GREAT long weekend!
Grins*

A wee bit short-sighted

I've come to expect a certain amount of difficulty from myself. I'm never disappointed.

I MUST finish Water Goddess by the end of September. I only have, oh...about 30,000 more words to type. (Chere, if you're reading this...I SWEAR to you...I WILL finish it) Sanity is expendable. *shrug*
But then...I also have a Torrid Title coming out in November, Programmed for Pleasure, that I will be editing ALONG with finishing and editing Water Goddess. With the same editor. (Can I get a "God Bless Chere" please?)

It's not like my life has been moving along swimmingly, and I've just been dragging my heels. *snort*
Puleeze! This is MY life we're talking about here. I think we all know better.
So between the ulcer and the ex drama and all that shit...a girl tends to get wore down a bit. So I've set new goals this month.

And in no particular order:
1. Finish Water Goddess
2. Edit Water Goddess
3. Edit Programmed for Pleasure
4. Put items on lay-a-way for the holidays
5. Sanity is expendable. Check and see if K-Mart has any in stock
6. Spend a little less time reading for pleasure and a bit more time writing
7. Realize the "S" on my chest is probably just a birthmark and not an indication of greatness
8. Watch football every Sunday
9. Tell my doctor that if he doesn't fix my ulcer pain, I will seriously harm him.

Grins*

Undead & Uneasy and Sleeping with the Fishes

I'm a fan of MaryJanice Davidson. The woman has snark down to a fine art. So I recently picked up the above titles.
I love the Undead series. Good characters. I think Betsy is a little self-centered, but she's growing on me. Character interaction is good. There are always a few surprises in store for the reader. But here are my problems: Two characters die. (My lips are sealed). It's sudden, and it's over in about a page. I don't have a problem with her offing people. I just think it was really way too brief. That page was over...and so was the characters' storyline. Kaput. *shrug* I also didn't think the storyline was all that great. It was okay, but it was basically a story of Betsy. Not so much with the other characters. And they are SUCH rich comedic fodder. Just seems a shame. However...I really enjoyed a part at the end when all hell breaks loose.
Go. Figure.

Sleeping with the Fishes was forgettable. And you don't know how much it pains me to admit that. Fred, the main mer-character, is a bitch. And that's fine. I have NO problem with that. But she's annoying. The two characters vying for her attention are forgettable. My favorite characters were subcharacters. Her metrosexual best friend and then her boss. THEY were great. I would have read a story about them with HER as the subcharacter. I also thought her mother's name was rather cute: Moon Bim. *grins* A hippie of sorts.
I don't remember any other character's name. And that's a shame. Though I won't lie, I have a hard time remembering some of my own characters' names. But all in all, this book was a large disappointment.
No character arc. Fred became uncomfortable with all the male attention, but she didn't seem to change her fins, so to speak. And the mega problem that brought all these people together was solved in about a paragraph or so. *sigh* Major anti-climax.

So I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that MaryJanice puts a little more something into her next literary fares.
Looking forward to: Dark Possession by Christine Feehan and Lover Unbound by J. R. Ward.
Grins*

What's wrong with me

*ahem*
Physically...I mean. *grins*

OK.
Here's my yesterday.
I was tired. Didn't fall asleep until almost two o'clock Friday morning because I'm a big wuss when it comes to any type of pain. I'm thinking Same Day Surgery applies here. Woke up at seven o'clock. Got the chickadees ready for school. Took a shower. Slid on some comfy pants and t-shirt. Could NOT get my belly button ring out. OMG! I jacked with the thing for about half an hour. Didn't know if I was turning it the right way. Geez. Probably loosened it and tightened it back about a dozen times. *eye roll*
Someone picked me up at eight. Drove to the hospital. There by eight-thirty. So I get a pager and wait in the waiting room. For approximately an hour and a half. I did good for the first hour. Then I started to become fidgety. Read almost a whole book sitting there. Finally paged me around ten. So I take a deep breath and make my way back to SDS. I hand my pager to nurse chickie and another one tells me that my bed will be over there by the door.
I explain that using the restroom RIGHT BEFORE I change would be a good idea. She looks at my kind of strange and points me in the right direction. (I went with a friend once to SDS, and she was there forever in her bed waiting. And I was NOT dragging a flipping IV to the bathroom with me. Nay.)
So I come back. She tells me to slip out of my clothes and into the uber attractive gown they have for me. I can leave my panties on. No bra. I explain that even with the supreme effort I put into it...the belly piercing wouldn't budge. She just kind of shrugs and says that's fine.
I take off my clothes and start to put on the lovely gown they left. And let me just say...dressing room lights and mirrors have NOTHING on hospital lights and mirrors. Pfffftttt
So she comes back in, and I can't tie the top strings, so she does. And she has her little kit at the foot of my bed.
You know what I'm talking about. It's like a tacklebox for nurses. And I immediately start to sweat. I ask just where she'll be poking me. Because I don't want it in my hand. She says ok and begins to poke on my right arm (I'll be lying on my right side during the procedure.) Then she says I have some lovely veins. (Go me!)
I ask her when she's going to give me a shot. You know the one. The one that actually NUMBS the area? Apparently they don't do that anymore. I demand an explanation, and she says that they use some type of freeze spray to numb the area. I take a deep breath. OK, I agree. Rock on. It's cold, she warns. Even better, I mumble.
She first tries an area about four inches up from my wrist. OK. She sprays the cold shit, and let me tell you...there was NO numbing. NONE!!! I felt every freaking jab. My toes have a death grip on the foot of the bed, and I'm sweating like I've run ten miles. I'm doing Lamaze breathing, and I've never taken classes. It was bad.
After about a dozen jabs or so with no success...she removes the needle. I sigh. I ask if it's in. No, she says, your vein rolled. I'm like WHAT? Why would it do such a thing? She just kind of laughs and then tells Sid (who has by now joined us) that she needs a 20 gauge.
A 20 gauge? My nerves hit an all-time high. Apparently the large-size needle we were previously working with just wasn't doing the trick. I have to kick my feet out of the covers because I'm in Spazz Zone.
Sid comes back with said needle. I don't make eye contact. How can these people do this to me? I don't know where the poke will be. Hell, I don't WANT to know. Are you kidding? I was poked so many times in the previous area that it was numb.
And then she slides the big ol' SOB into my vein on the other side of my elbow. At least twice. I have two good size bruises.
"Mercy," I mutter. I think I was pleading for this little bastard to have actually gone where it was supposed to. I life my arm off my eyes. You in, I ask. Yes, she says.
Thank God.

Then Sid (rolling hospital bed master), takes me from my little haven and starts wheeling me into the surgery room. OK. Two things. One: I have NEVER seen the inside of one of these rooms. I was always nice and doped up before that happened. Two: I'm slightly freaking out. By God...where are the DRUGS around here?
So we cruise down several hallways and into THE ROOM. Keep in mind...I don't have my glasses on so everybody is pretty much a blur anyway. And then Sid tells me that he has to spray anesthetic on my throat. Smells like bananas but tastes vile. I'm thinking...gee Sid...thanks for your blatant honesty.
He leans closer, and I explain I have a major gag reflex, and I don't want to embarrass myself. The nurse explains that they've seen it all, and I have nothing to worry about. Just swallow the nastiness as soon as it's sprayed.
Out came the tongue dispenser. Then he sprayed.
Holy shit. The boy didn't lie. It tasted vile. But after gagging for a second, I quickly swallowed. Then came another spritz. (By this time, wasn't so bad.) Then a minute later...the last spritz. They pat my shoulder and told me I did good. *smile* It's always best to make nice with those that control the drug dosage.
So Dr. M strolls in. Changes the music. Asks me how I am. And then I hear Eileen (an angel, I'm telling you) explain that she's going to start the sleepy medicine (demerol). I say something about them being good people, and I'm out.
Next thing...I remember waking up. Everything fuzzy (still didn't have the glasses on). My sister is there. I think we talked. Um...probably. Then Dr. M comes in. I ask what the problem is. Apparently I have a LARGE ulcer. Not ulcer muy pequena. Nope. Not me. I have the grande sucker.
So he puts me on Nexium and says he wants to see my in two weeks. Amber helps me find my clothes and my eyes, and I dress.
I don't really remember a lot of what happens next. I was still in my happy place. I wasn't supposed to drink anything until 12:15, but Amber (wonderful sister that she is) took me to Sonic where I was blessed with a Rt. 44 Diet Coke...easy on the ice. The doctor warned her that I may have problems keeping stuff down, but I took a long swallow anyway.
I remember Amber glancing over worriedly (I AM in her car) and asks if I'm all right.
"Goooooooooooooood," I remember saying. Yeah. Just like that. With a big ol' goofy grin on my face.
Then she takes me home. Most of this is just a blur, too. Got home about twelve-thirty and passed out. Woke up at six that evening.
So there ya have it.
Me=duodenal ulcer. A granddaddy by all accounts.
Go. Figure.
Grins*

Bit of a medical update

I'm a tad bit tore up. Spent Saturday in bed. Didn't come to work yesterday. Still have that damn pain in my side. So I'm getting a lovely scope down my throat Friday so the doc can have a looksee.
Pfffftttttt
How happy does that make me?
Not damn very.

Girls start school tomorrow. I think that'll be great for them. Back to the ol' routine. And there is something I dearly love about this time of year. Fall around the corner (Please God, enough of the 104 degree days). Leaves changing. Pumpkins for slaughter. Oh yeah. Good stuff. And even though the chickens are hemming and hawing, I know they are ready.
I'm ready. Hell! What else matters? *grins*

Hopefully I'll have more answers after Friday about the health debacle. More later.
Grins*

Fourth of July???

My sis and her hubby came by last night to shoot off some fireworks. *grins* Yeah, it's a month or so late...but so what?
The sis and I discussed family matters whilst the brother-in-law tackled my children and made them eat dirt under the pretense of playing "touch football." *snickering*
It was a fun evening of loud fireworks and hilarity. And no...for those of you wondering...I didn't catch anything on fire or shoot any fireworks AT my kids. hehehe

And other news...Fire Goddess is on the front page of Fictionwise. So it's now available. Hie thee in that direction and pick it up. Good stuff. I'm telling ya. I have a sample chapter on my website.
And speaking of peeks...you can click on my C'ann Inman link on my homepage and check out a sample of Torrid Teasers Vol. 33 Moon Goddess/Sun Goddess AND a new release coming out in November. Both of these books are Erotic Romance. *GRINS*
I need to figure out how in the hell to get my book covers in my sidebar. I HATE screwing with the template. Makes me break out in hives. *shuddering*

Still on meds. Waiting to find out more about that situation. Other than that...life's pretty damn good.
Grins*

Medical issues

*sigh*

Broke down and went to the doctor the other day. Came back with three prescriptions and two promises of appointments in the future. One appointment for some sort of ultrasound. The other appointment so a lovely doc can shove a scope down my throat and see if I have an ulcer.
*gag*
Thankfully, I will be out for that. But the thought of a doc sticking ANYTHING ANYWHERE is enough to give me nightmares.

After I explained my symptoms...the doc said it sounded like gallbladder issues. Well, yeah. I agreed. Except for the fact that I had it removed two years ago. That would be a slight problem with the hypothesis. pfffttttttt

So we're playing hide-n-seek with the problems going on in my body. Two of the three prescriptions knock me on my ass. One painkiller and one for nausea. So I'm rather walking around in a fog. Trying to screw my head on tight. The operative word be "trying" here. *grins*

Hello. My name is Crystal, and I have cooties of unknown origin.
Grins*

Inane arguments pulled from my real life

Betwixt the chickens:

An argument about who put two pieces of toilet paper over the missing part of the mini-blind. And then an argument as to how long it has been there.

An argument over a baby doll that realistically uses the "little people" potty it came with. Argument substance: How much can one person feed this baby? When? Who is emptying the potty?

An argument over who touches whose kitten. (Because By God! We don't have enough of the little buggers floating around. *eye roll*)

An argument about who rides shotgun in the van.

An argument about playing a PS2 game.

An argument about who gets the last bit of cereal.

An argument about someone's elbow being two inches in the viewing area of another individual.

Yeah. Seriously.
And can I tell you how much I love to get these phone calls at work? How bright it makes my day to hear my chickens arguing about two pieces of toilet paper? *snort*

Less than two weeks. *rubbing hands together* And I'm shipping the chickens back to school. Back to where the knowledge is paramount (in an educational Utopia), and they are busy from bell to bell.
*cackling*
Ha!
Find time to argue about some TP then, girls.
Grins*

Reeducating the chickens

I love the eighties. *sigh*
Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll? Sure. But there were also groundbreaking movies and literature. Television that made people think. And my chickens missed all that.

So what am I doing? A little reeducation. A trip back to the eighties, if you will.
Let them watch Die Hard Saturday evening. Because, I mean, Die Hard 4 is out, and they haven't a clue who John McClane is. I remedied that. I also have Wayne's World (who doesn't like to see a pre-Shrek Mike Myers pull his underwear up his butt and walk backwards acting like a "cheeky monkey"?) Breakfast Club is on my list. Back to the Future. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. And a few others. These are classics. And I like my chickens to be well-rounded.
*grins*

Saturday was running around day. The short people and I suffered the extremely hot weather and did a bit of shopping. A trip to see my lovely sis. Then we came home and watched movies. Sunday...guess what? I WROTE! And not just a little bit. *GRINS*
Five thousand words or more on Water Goddess. One thousand words or more on a short story. Go me! Of course, then I had a headache and took it easy for the rest of the day. Read Tamora Pierce's Book One in one of her series. Have the next ones on order. I really enjoyed it. It's Young Adult fiction, but it's a good read. I find myself searching for books that are more than just the same ol' same ol'. There's nothing wrong with that, but I'm leaning towards YA fiction now. Good stuff.
Hope your Monday goes...well, goes.
Grins*

A typical evening at the homestead

The chickens and I got home last night from work. Girls are running about after we all change into our nightclothes. Then there were lively games of armwrestling and thumb wars on the living room floor. That was followed by a jaunt outside where I let my children play with eggs.
Yeah. You heard me. Play with eggs.
This all stems from when Fear Factor was on the air. And yes, weak stomach though I have, I watched it with the short people.
That morphed into Fear Factor for my children! Because yes...I have a wide sadistic streak. So I know my children's fears and weaknesses. And one of the "stunts" was eating hot dogs dipped in mayo, mustard, bbq, and something else. The last one escapes me. Anyway...oldest chicken loathes mayo. Baby chicken dislikes bbq. So it was all fun. Then we'd toss eggs to each other and see who they cracked on.
(Um...anybody calling DHS yet?)

After we broke out the eggs (literally), we stepped inside because the children were not aesthetically pleasing (nor were they fragrant) at this point in time, and they hopped in the shower. Middle chicken took the first shower and decided to shave her legs.
OK. All you females know that behind the legs is NOT the funnest place to run a razor over. It's not as bad as some...but I'm just saying. So she accidentally slices against a small mole there. I, of course, have one, too. So I'm making sympathetic sounds, and we're doctoring the area. And then Middle chicken is like...WHY in the world do I have that there? I explain that some is genetics. I have one there, too. And it's unpleasant when razor meets mole.

(At this point in time...a disclaimer. I am hell on wheels in English. But I don't have much interest in Math or Science. Ya ya. Bad, bad me. So any untruths I'm about to retell should be chalked up to my Scientific ignorance. Back to your regularly scheduled blog...)
After the genetic discussion, I explain that melatonin concentrates on some area of the bodies and darkens the pigment.
Oldest chicken pipes up, "Why does it have to concentrate on my bootay?" Because, you see, oldest chicken has a nice heart-shaped mole on one buttcheek. I apparently have one, also. (I've been told)
And so does my Mom. (Sorry, Mom. I just outed you on my blog. Love you. *grins*) You don't get to know WHICH buttcheek because we all need a little mystery in our lives. But needless to say...Middle Chicken about fell out of her chair when Oldest Chicken spoke up. Puts it all into perspective, doesn't it?
Then there came a game or sixty of tic-tac-toe. But I begged off and took my butt to bed.

It's not all fun and games. Not all the time. Nor is it the guillotine.
Just another day in the life.
Grins*

Two or three?

Bullshit. Utter bullshit.

If you're expecting only two or three characters to die in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows...you'd be dead wrong. I won't post spoilers here because I'm all about everyone reading it for him/herself. I will say that I started reading under the misconception that only a small handful of characters I've come to know and love would perish. And when I reached a fifth of the way through the book, and I was past that number...I was displeased. The displeasure built as a character I thoroughly loved and enjoyed was killed.
Picture this:
Mama and the chickens riding in the van one day heading home. I'm driving. *snickering*
Anyway...we start to discuss HP #7. And we all agree that the Triad (Harry, Hermione, and Ron) cannot die. Nope. I'm not digging that at all. And then I name three other characters I just couldn't bear to lose.
Now...picture this:
Me reading #7. It's a fight scene. Huge battle. So far...I'm almost well with those that have passed. And then it happens...one of my three passes. *snap* Just like that. And I cried. Oldest chicken who was reading on the bed (her copy) with me cries just because I do. And it royally sucks. I LOVED this character. So I've got a blinding headache because well...I don't cry pretty. And I'm dashing away tears and telling myself that Jo really just pissed me off. My heart is halfway broke. And thus the power of Potter. So just be warned...if you're mentally ticking off characters that die...you'll be going past six. Easy.

Oldest chicken made me laugh when she said she was researching a bit about the book and was worried before it's release because "British people don't care when they kill people." Lovely, huh? She's such a nut. And she's plowing through at a rapid rate of speed, also. I started at 8:30 Saturday. Finished at 4:00. Took a break for breakfast and one for lunch.

Then when I was done with Potter...went outside and mowed the lawn for a good four and a half hours. Came back in and watched the last two episodes of Dr. Who Season 2. Which, by the way, is also a tearjerker.
Sheesh!

I'm not saying don't enjoy Potter. Because it's a fantastic book. There's a lot of depth. A lot of growing up. And it's fascinating.
I wish the Epilogue would have been longer. And I sure as hell wish she would have spared that one character. But if you've stuck with Potter this long...you'll need to read it. And finally say good-bye to The Boy Who Lived.

Grins*

Biography

You know...I've written works that are over seventy thousand words long. I've compacted the gist of my story in a blurb only fifty words long. But give me a biography, and I absolutely spazz.

The Red Dirt Festival will be here in November. I'm going to have a booth and be on a Romance Panel with Merline Lovelace and Christine Rimmer. I am TOO excited!!! But guess what? I had to write a bio. And for some reason...when it comes to writing about myself...I feel like a complete twit.
Too much? Not enough? Do I sound cheesy? Good Lord! The pressure! Because I don't know how many hundreds of people are going to read this stuff at the site. *sigh* Or if they'll be thinking..."Holy cow! This chick's been sampling the sauce." *grins* Which, by the way, would probably make my biography very interesting.
Grins*

Out of sorts

I'm the type of person who will take what is said and process it over a period of time. If I have some type of discussion early in the day...you can bet I'll be going over it that night as I lay awake studying the paint patterns on my ceiling. It's grand.

So when I have a particularly important discussion early in the day...I stew over it. And since some of today's news was not good...I stew some more. So that's what I've been doing. Taking the discussion and dissecting pieces of it. Wondering if the next news I get will be worse. Probably taking on way more than I should. And it's hard.

I'm out of sorts.

Should I have said more? Did I say the right thing? Geez. I can easily drive myself stupid with this stuff. *smacking self in forehead*
And now I have someone else that didn't like the fact I had this conversation earlier. And isn't that BETTER than grand?
And yes...I'm deliberately being vague. Because this flippin' Soap Opera is my life.
*massive eye roll*
Fictional characters have it so easy.
Grins*

Quilting

I've never been good with a needle and a thread. If a button pops off...too bad for it. Really.
But now I find myself quilting. Piecing together odds and ends to make something.
Something of myself.
Something of Water Goddess.

This is wholly new and different for me. My writing has always come to me in order. But now I find myself writing scenes that just pop into my head and then putting them together later. There are whole scenes that just won't let me go. So I've taken to typing them up and then organizing later.

As for my life...I've found myself clutching mere threads more than once in my world. Straggly pieces of thin thread that's been severed. Sometimes a clean cut. Sometimes the raggedy edge. And it wears on me.
But then I sit myself down and begin to piece together what I have. To see what I need to pull the seams back together. To find the pattern that suits me. That brings out the beauty in what was left behind.
And it's long work. Tiresome work. Work that some days wears me to the bone. And when I've had enough, I set the thread down for awhile and take a deep breath. Find myself. And begin again when I can.
Because this quilt is the fabric of my life. The good. The bad. The straight stitches and the ragged seams.
And I wouldn't change the pieces I've had so far. All I can do is look ahead and do the best with what I have to work with.
That's all any of us can do.
Crystal*

A bit o' the Brit

Took the chickens and watched Harry Potter Sunday. I'd say it was the best movie yet. It stuck to the book, the true story. A lot of people like book 3 better. Followed by book 4. But those struck me (and pardon me for mixing the metaphors here) as books with ill-fitting dresses or trousers, if you prefer.


They didn't gel for me. And I didn't like the creative license that movie 3 took with book 3. It had a lot more special effects, true. But the scenery didn't mesh with what I had taken inside me from the reading.


So I'll take Order of the Phoenix and look for Half-Blood Prince to meet my expectations because the same people will be working on it.
After the movie, and a bit of shopping, we went home. Oldest chicken didn't feel well. Baby chicken went over to a friend's. So I popped in Season 2 of Dr. Who. Middle chicken and I enjoyed ourselves immensely.


Now, for those of you who have read this blog for awhile...I think Dr. Who is the perfect man. Because he's so damn imperfect. And for a bit of a dip in the Harry Potter pool...Dr. Who is played by David Tennant.


Seen here:













Also known as Barty Crouch Jr. or Bad Guy of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. And in one of the episodes I watched yesterday from last season...the man that played Barty Crouch Sr. was the bad guy. LOVE IT!

So I wrapped myself in the Brits yesterday and enjoyed every minute of it. I really must go and visit.
Grins*

Harry Potter phenomenon

Going to go check out Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix tomorrow with the chickens. Ought to be a good time. I warned them it will be dark. But they seem to be okay with that. The older two chickens have read the book. Baby chicken? Not yet. So I did some warning about Harry's punishment by Umbridge. I remember being highly pissed when I read it in the book. I really just wanted to stab her with that damn pen. *grins*

And then we're all waiting for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. *rubbing hands together*
I'm not digging this whole "three characters die" thing. But it's not my baby. It's J.K. Rowling's. So I will take the story she has written and appreciate it for what it is. But I do want to add that I may not be pleased with it. We'll see how that pans out.

I don't like main characters dying. Especially seven books in. By God! We've built a relationship. I know their likes and dislikes. They walk, talk, and breathe in my mind. So to kill them off is painful. Then again...I read somewhere that Rowling holed up in a hotel for three days and cried the entire time she finished the book.
Don't blame her a bit.
So I'll wait along with the rest of the world and hope to God that my favorites make it to an epilogue or something similar in Deathly Hallows.

As for main characters dying...I read an article about that in Romantic Times Magazine. Some writers do it as matter-of-factly as writing the "sky was blue." I couldn't. I can't. Though I may, at times, injure, torture, or maim one. *shrug* You know.
But their heart is still beating.

I tend to become highly irritated at the killing of main characters.
Your thoughts?
Grins*

So I was googling myself...

...'cause I'm a dirty, dirty girl...and what do I find?

Apparently there is a Playboy bunny out there with MY name!!! And since they don't actually employ anyone over the age of twenty or something...it was MY name first! Due to um, age difference and all that.

Now someone will google me and think I'm some chesty chick who likes whipped cream and feathers.
Oh wait.
That IS me.

Okay...some HOT chesty chick who likes whipped cream and feathers. *sigh*
What's a woman to do? And heaven forbid some yahoo googles my name looking for a little magazine action and sees pictures of me. He'll be scarred for life. Hell, I'm scarred just thinking about it.

All right. I suppose I can live with this as long as there is no livestock involved.
And if I don't get any extra sales from this...there really IS no justice.
Grins*

Rome wasn't built in a day

But I doubt they also imported each grain of sand.

I'm having difficulties getting into one of my books. I see the ending as clear as day. And I have two elements that are swimming along in my mind waiting to jump in when appropriate. But it's still rather hard.
And I'm not enjoying it. One. Little. Bit.

And then there's another book which I love. Can't wait to tap along in that one. And it's driving me nuts.
Oh wait! And then there's an Erotic Romance in which I'm targeting Ellora's Cave. And another erotic short story.

Anybody have any ibuprofen???
I'm telling ya. The party never ends here, folks.

And I can't get this line from a movie out of my head: Alcohol is a social lubricant.
Am I hooked by the term lubricant? The reference to alcohol? Don't know. But I find the sentence highly entertaining. And I'm waiting for JUST the right moment to slide that bad boy into some conversation. *grins*

Just another Manic Monday.
Grins*

Medium to well done

Took the chickens to the pool just a bit ago. We stayed for almost three hours. Then our peepers began to feel like hot little coals. So we're zipping around and will head back home in an hour or so.
Tomorrow is a work day. Gotta clean up the lovely firework paraphenalia from last night. And mow the cursed lawn. And write.
OH. YES.

Picked up the Writer's Market 2008. This book is utterly invaluable. And my stationary/office supply fetish kicks in whenever it's around. Then I post-it note to the nth power and tell myself that it's not really a sickness. Oh. And paper clips. And highlighters. *swoon* Love me a big book to play in.
If you write...you should have this. No doubt.
AND Stephen King's On Writing. You will learn more about the craft from him than just about anyone else. It's a very personal and valuable view into his mind and the craft of writing. Not to mention, it's funnier than hell. And I do mean LAUGH OUT LOUD.
Of course...if you're not much for cursing...you may want to take that sharpie and mark out all the curse words. For me? They just added the realism value.
It's as if he and I were sitting at a large lovely oak table with a fireplace crackling behind us. We sipped our drinks and mulled over the intricacies and delicacies of our writing. He, the tutor. I, the apprentice.
Good times, my friends. Good times.

Well. I've got to peel off the first two layers of skin I burned off myself and inhale some medicinal Diet Pepsi. Then I'm off to comb through my Writer's Market and tap out a few words on a couple of projects.
Hey! Somebody's gotta do it!
Grins*

Yahoo hell

Tried to access some of my email this morning, and Yahoo is acting like my ex. Uncooperative and irritating.
Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

So I'm piddling around with that this morning and waiting for um...five o'clock. *looking at computer screen and groaning* You know...an eternity from now.
But it IS Friday. So that's all good.
Going to drop by the grocery store after work and pick up a few things. And since it doesn't look like it will rain, the chickens and I will go swimming Saturday. Sunday looks like mowing the lawn. *GROAN*
Man, if that isn't an all day thing. Ok. Actually two. But I'll still squeeze in a bit of writing. I'm doing the Big Mull right now. You know...when you mentally sift through characters, plot, and dialogue and see which direction you're going to take.
Plot? *snort* Are you kidding me? Tried it. Thought I'd have to slit my wrist with my pen. Just doesn't quite work that way for me. The basics are fine. But I cannot and will not map down everything that happens in my stories. That is akin to shoving bamboo beneath my fingernails.
*wincing* Yeah. Hell of a visual, huh?

So, I'm off to see the Wizard. Or oil a Tinman or something.
And no. That's not nearly as kinky as it sounds.
Grins*

Mild, medium, hot

I struggle with this every time I have a new book come out. If it's hot...it shoots up on the bestseller list. The mild stuff? Not so much. And I understand why. Hell, I write HOT. I like it. But there's also a place for the milder, but still intense, love scenes.
But all of my stories compartmentalized in my wee little cranium are already classified with the appropriate level of hotness.
Anyway...such as it is. It's not going to change.

How was your Fourth? The chickens and I had a great time. Popped some fireworks. Saw a rather huge display in the nearest city. Ate chips and drank soda. I'm sure that's what our founding fathers saw when they declared our freedom from England. *nodding* Suuuuuuure it was.
Lit several smoke bombs at the house. The kittens ran for cover and wouldn't come out for an hour or two.
Almost set my baby chicken on fire. Hey! It was an accident! I swear it!!! I had two sets of these new firecrackers. Had no idea what they would do. Me=bad mama
So I light one FAR away from the chickens and myself. Doesn't do much of anything. So, in my maternal brilliance, I decide to set the other one of the sidewalk in front of the house. We're all gathered around.
I disavow all knowledge of proximity. But it was um...close. ANYWAY...lit the little sucker, and one comes flying for baby chicken like a guided missile. OMG!
Once we all realized she wasn't hurt...(AT ALL)...I almost fell on the ground laughing. That girl can MOVE! And as, once again, oxygen flowed to my brain...I apologized.
This incident ranks right up there with the time I almost got all of us hit by lightning. I'll have to pull that gem of a post out and let everyone see what my poor chickens have to put up with.

But all in all...we had a good time. And my chickens only have about six more weeks of freedom. Anyone else looking forward to the start of school? *sigh*
Grins*

My self-interview in the WCP Newsletter

Just so you don't miss anything...*grins*

WHISKEY SPOTLIGHT
Crystal Inman on her new release, Fire Goddess


Hello my lovelies! Crystal Inman here. I'm an author with Whiskey Creek Press. Kate asked if I could swing by and chit-chat a little about my books, myself, and my newest release—Fire Goddess. And since I talk to myself frequently…this should be a piece of cake.
I live in Oklahoma in the middle of nowhere with my three beautiful daughters. (I think this will come in handy when they want to date in a couple of years.) I work full-time and write for Whiskey Creek Press under this name and Whiskey Creek Press Torrid under the pen name C'ann Inman. I grew up reading romance and am beyond thrilled to be writing it.
I enjoy writing characters who feel as if they live and breathe off the pages. Because when you have days when your Weather Pixie on your blog (http://chryscat. blogspot. com) wears better clothes than you…you have to have a rich, fantasy life. And I do.
I've written several sub-genres of romance: Contemporary, Time Travel, Erotic, Fantasy and Paranormal. The Portrait, a paranormal romance, garnered four and a half stars from Romantic Times Magazine (July 2007). What He Wants, an erotic romance, has been in the Top Ten Titles for WCP Torrid for a year.
Writing and reading romance are two of my greatest pleasures. I'm all about the happily-ever- after, especially when life doesn't quite turn out the way we think it should. And doesn't that happen more often than not? And heaven knows, sometimes this is a daily occurrence. But when I can engage two or more characters in a literary dance…there is magic. And you and I are swept away to another place. Where the women give as good as they get, and the men are hotter than hot. Not a bad way to spend some time. *grin*
I developed the Guardian Goddess series from a simple premise: Every woman is a goddess. Wait! Don't choke on your drink! I'm serious. We are multi-tasking, hard-working individuals who sometimes forget about ourselves in the day-to-day we call life. Each Goddess in my books must choose a mortal to nurture, guide, and protect. And only when the four Goddesses work together and triumph, shall they move on to greater responsibility and power. And we mortals can be difficult. *laugh*
I gave each of the Goddesses an element to correspond to: Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. And then I set about matching them up with a mortal who truly needs a Goddess. I believe you'll enjoy the results.Fire Goddess is available July 1, 2007 from Whiskey Creek Press. The incredible cover comes from Jinger Heaston, the wonderful editing by Chere Gruver. (When they say it takes a village…they aren't kidding.) And I'd like to thank both these women. But I'd also like to thank you, the reader. You inspire me to greater heights in writing. And you push me to come up with ideas and stories that that will engage us both.
************************************************************************************

What? No "R"???

Royalty resides here

Sunday was an interesting day. I wrote (about 8000 words). I split those between two different works. One that's already contracted...and um, one I can't get out of my head. *grins*
Oldest and baby chicken were reading in baby chicken's room. Both hovered over an air vent. *eye roll*
That left middle chicken at odds with the world. So what does she proceed to do?

Well...she grabs a white fitted sheet and drapes it around her neck. Then she pomps and circumstances down our long hall while looking for her "subjects." And when she finds them, she tries to "knight" them.
I. Am. Rolling.

Then...as I meander off to bed last night...what do I see?
This note on middle chicken's door: (the name has been changed to protect my royal heathen)

Do not come in! I am busy for the rest of my (Queen) life.
Middle Chicken of
Middle Chicken Land

And I thought I had it rough. LMAO

And just in case you didn't know...Fire Goddess is available NOW~! Hie thee to Whiskey Creek Press and check it out.

What else? Well...What He Wants is in the Top Ten Bestsellers for WCP Torrid for the eleventh month!!! Yay!
Makes me a happy camper, my friends.
Grins*

It's still not Friday, is it?

Saw a friend of mine today that I haven't seen for YEARS! And I've known her since third grade. Yeah. You just hush. I'm aware of how many decades ago that was. *grins*

So we caught up a bit. And I saw her daughter. And she saw two of my three chickens. Wow. Time really DOES fly. And just for a refresher...ALL my chickens will be in middle school next year.
*sinking into chair*
Yes
Heaven help me.

In other news...the kittens are now getting about in the yard by sitting in the girls' shoes and rowing with a popsicle stick.
I. Am sick. Of this blasted rain.

Hope to go swimming Saturday. We'll see how that pans out. And I'll be writing Sunday. Yes. ALL DAY. Come hell, high water, or um...whatever else. It must be done. Also sending off money for my next Romantic Times Ad. I think it's going to be out in November. Yeah. Pretty sure that's the month.

We're closed the Fourth of July next week. And we close early on the third. Yay! So we'll have to see what mischief and mayhem the chickens and I can stir up. *rubbing hands together*
Woe to the unsuspecting is all I'm saying.
Grins*

addendum: And when I check my sitemeter and it says people are finding their way here by googling or searching "anbesol addict"...I worry. I really do. *snickering*

The scenic route

Got off at 5:30 pm yesterday and didn't get home until a little before 7:00 pm. A twenty-five minute trip took a little bit longer than expected. I usually head down a backroads highway (it's a straight shot from work to home). No such luck.
The road flooded.

Of course...I didn't know it until I was RIGHT ON TOP OF IT. And then two men blocking the road gave me the "turn around" signal. I wanted to give them a signal, too. But I was afraid I'd see them in town somewhere.
I ended up going about thirty-five miles out of my way just to get home. And with the price of gas the way it is...I was none too happy. In fact, I'm sure I ground my molars back a bit more. While clenching the steering wheel with white knuckles.

This rain is a complete 180 from last year. You know...112 degrees outside. Sweltering heat.
I would surely love a medium ground here. You know...somewhere between "hell on earth" and "build an ark."

Onwards and upwards.
Is it Friday yet? *laughing*

This has been the longest week, I swear. And although I appreciate the necessity of slowing down and enjoying life...the enjoyment of this week is pretty much over. Let's all move it along now.

I thought I had writing news. But I guess...not. *snickering*
I do have a short story in Summer Solstice Scorchers available now. And so I'll leave you with a bit of a blurb and excerpt.

"Conjuring Cade" by C'ann Inman
blurb:
Witchcraft in the wrong hands can be…exciting as hell.
Bliss Monroe hates her sister’s reading material. She considers it trashy and ridiculous. Until the quiz about finding the perfect man catches her eye. But Bliss doesn’t realize that her sister hexed her magazines. And every answer that Bliss marks down will change her life. In a most delightful, erotic way.

Excerpt:
Bliss picked up the magazine on the kitchen table and frowned. Her younger sister was reading that trash again. All the bullshit advice on how to find a man or how to orgasm or where to touch herself/her man/or anyone else.
Yeah, right. She snorted and started toward the trash when Harmony came rushing through the door.
“Drop it!”
Bliss narrowed her blue eyes. “Drop what?”
“My magazine.” Harmony scowled. “You know I like reading those.” She marched over and snatched the magazine from her sister’s hand. She uncrumpled it with a low growl. “Just because you don’t like reading it doesn’t mean it doesn’t serve a purpose.”
“Yeah.” Bliss walked over and picked up her cup of coffee. “Its purpose is to rope you into spending money on shit you don’t need and buying into that whole shallow world.”
Harmony rolled her dark green eyes. “And here I thought they were just trying to make some money. I didn’t realize they had such a sinister purpose.”
Bliss held out her hand, and the magazine flew over to her and landed neatly in her upturned palm. “Hmm. Let’s see.” The pages rippled for a second before they stilled. Bliss nodded. “How to Make Magic with Mortals.” She rolled her eyes. “What kind of bullshit is this?” She flipped another couple of pages. “What To Do When His Wand Won’t Work.” Bliss snickered. “And they’re not talking about the one he holds in his hands.” She chuckled. “Or maybe they are.” She started to move a couple more pages when Harmony stood with fists clenched.
“Just because you’re a total failure in the male department doesn’t mean the rest of us should have to suffer.” Harmony held out her hand, and Bliss let her will the magazine back to her. She held up her head. “I’ll look for an article about witches who turn their men gay. Okay?”
“Hey!” Bliss growled. “There were only two of them. And I had nothing to do with that!” She shrugged. “Besides. Steve and John are going to help redecorate my bedroom. Could be worse.”
Harmony stared at her. “Are you hearing yourself?”
“Yes.” Bliss studied her younger sister for a moment. “How did you know I was about to trash that, anyway?”
Harmony’s cheeks flamed, and she looked everywhere but at her older sister. “I put a little spell on it,” she muttered.
“You’re hexing your reading material now?” Bliss narrowed her eyes. “You were careful, weren’t you? We both know you’re not quite ready for your witch’s license yet.”
“Of course I was careful! I cast the spell because we both know you don’t like what I read! You think I should have my nose buried in a textbook like you did.” Harmony sighed. “But that’s not me.”
“I’ve seen your grades, sister. I know that isn’t you. That’s why when you head off to camp tomorrow, this little piece of joy will stay here with me.” The magazine floated in the air over to Bliss, and she closed her hand around it.
“You’re so unfair!” Harmony stomped her foot and glared at her older sister. Her green eyes shot sparks. “Do you even remember what it was like to be nineteen?”
“It was only a decade ago, Harmony. Not a millennia. Of course I remember.” Bliss looked at the clock. “Time for you to go to school.” She made shooing motions. “Off you go.”
Harmony scowled. “I really don’t like you.”
“I know.”
She slid her shoes on and grabbed her backpack. “Really, really don’t like you.”
“I’m aware of it.”
Harmony’s mouth flattened into a tight line. “Tyrant.”
“Have a good day at school.” Bliss opened the door, and Harmony stomped out loudly and down the street. Bliss closed the door with a sigh. Was I that strong-willed when I was nineteen? She’d have to ask her parents next time they were in town. But somehow, she doubted it.
Bliss brought her hand up and studied the offending piece of material in it. What did Harmony find so interesting in here? She walked back into the kitchen and sat down at the butcher-block table. She turned to the Table of Contents and studied the articles. Fashions for the forward-thinking witch? How to brew up an evening he wouldn’t forget?
Bliss took a sip of coffee and then promptly covered her mouth before she spit the liquid back out. Conjuring the Perfect Man. She blinked twice and studied the title again. Surely, they weren’t suggesting actually conjuring one, were they? And what did her nineteen year old sister need with a man? Bliss scowled. Not a damn thing.
***********************************************************************************
© C'ann Inman 2007

Evan had the right idea

It's raining here. Again. Flood warnings. Rivers pushing over their banks. Quite a precipatory cluster.
I just finished writing an article (about myself *snicker*) for the WCP July Newsletter. And now I need to get back to the business of writing.
I know what I SHOULD be writing. But I'm being torn in two different directions. OK, possibly three. We all know what a literary schizophrenic I am. So I have Water Goddess. And a short story. And I was going to abbreviate the last title, but you would probably be shocked and offended. Apparently the letters spell out an um...not-so-nice word.
Hell, I was shocked. LOL

Finally firmed up plans to take a vacation in August with the chickens! Yay! I'm so excited. Going with a friend. And we are going to have such a great time. The girls and I haven't been on a vacation in I don't know when. So this'll be really nice for them. I've already got the days off. And now...the countdown commences. And don't think I haven't been fielding THAT question six times a day. *eye roll*

And you know all those vampire romances and whatnot I've been reading? Well...apparently I've O.D.'d

Had a dream about three nights ago that I was bitten by some bad vampire individual. So I'm woozy and must go appeal to the higher echelon of vampire society. And I remember in the dream that it was Mikhail from the Carpathian series. Wrath from the Brotherhood series. And the demon king (can't get a grip on his name right this second) from the Jacquelyn Frank series.
Oh yeah. *nodding*
Then I woke up.

Perhaps I should ease back from the vampiric reading a bit.
Grins*

addendum: I had this revelation at 10:35 last night. The demon king's name is NOAH. Sheesh!

Book Binge

Where have I been? You've been pondering that, haven't you? Besides being busier than nine kinds of hell...I've read.
That's right.
I have pushed cleaning to the side and actually read.
Ah...bliss. I've probably read a dozen books in the last week. If not more. I've read all but three of the Carpathian books by Feehan. I read all of the J.R. Ward "Brothers of the Black Dagger" books. And all I have to say in reference to the Black Dagger books is...GO BUY THESE BOOKS! Now.
I've read P.C. Cast's Parthelon series. I LOVED the first two...Goddess by Mistake and Goddess by Choice. Don't miss these. But the second two just didn't have the spark the first two did.
I reread Jacob by Jacquelyn Frank. And I'm really going to be excited when I get my hands on Gideon (the second book in the series). Um...figuratively speaking. *grins*
I also read a couple of non-fiction.

But here's the surprise...and my internal editor was doing cartwheels...each and every book had at least one mistake in it. *holding hand up* I swear.
I know one of the non-fiction books referred to "sheer power" as "shear power." I'm quite sure that scissors or other cutting utensils had no bearing on the phrase.
In one of the Black Dagger books...the sentence in quotes had "heard" spelled as "herd." And I believe it was Goddess by Mistake that had an error in it that only an Oklahoman would have caught. The heroine refers to an Oklahoma restaurant as "Bram's." And as we all know...here in the heartland...it's "Braum's." I, myself, put the ice cream and burger place in Perfect Timing.
And just to make sure that's what she meant...I emailed P.C. (Wonderful, gracious woman...by the way.) She assured me that-yes. It was supposed to be Braum's.

Mistakes happen, my lovelies. No matter how many hands your precious book passes through...mistakes happen. I could pick my first release to shreds, but I won't. Because it's part of me. It's part of the process. And I think it deserves to stand on its own merits.

Another reason I decided to give myself a reading frenzy was to increase my vocabulary. My phrasing. My sense of perfectly proportioned writing.
Reading someone else's work is a great teacher. A tool to use. As long as you don't take the other author's words as your own. That's a hanging offense around here. And I'll bring the noose. Just so ya know.

On a completely unrelated subject...my chickens rock. Oh yes. *grins* Yes, they do. We have a rather large lawn to mow. And oldest and baby chicken pitched right in. Middle chicken took care of the house stuffs.
We went swimming this last weekend. Watched movies. It was great. And I absolutely refuse to think about the fact that school starts in two months.
Well, okay. Except for the days when I want to strangle them. Then I clutch the fact tightly to my chest while whispering the Lord's prayer.
Grins*

Monday didn't happen

I didn't stand on my feet seven hours out of eight yesterday. We weren't bombarded with customers. My hip didn't throb (and it still isn't) from the constant going and doing. We weren't shorthanded. I didn't take *ahem* several ibuprofen. Nope. Uh uh. Refuse to even go there.
Monday didn't happen.

Today? Much better. I'm still keeping my mental block up so I don't harm someone, but other than that...SO MUCH BETTER!!!

And for the reading/writing part of my program...picked up Christine Feehan's "Dark" (Carpathian) series. And I've enjoyed most of them. There's a recurring theme (okay, several). But my romantic little heart just goes pitter-pat for the whole "lifemate" business.
That's what keeps those romantic little books flying off shelves. *nodding*

What have you read lately that struck a chord?
Grins*

Here and now

I STILL haven't gotten my July Romantic Times magazine in the mail. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
So I will wait and post the dang review when I finally receive that.

Work has been hell on wheels with people out sick and vacations and whatnot. I'm mentally shredded right now. And I just finished the Errata for Fire Goddess. Due out July 1, 2007. Damn time flies.
Also...Summer Solstice Scorchers is out NOW!!! Hie thee to Whiskey Creek Press Torrid and getcha some. Romance Junkies gave us 4.5 ribbons. *grins* Not bad at all.

The girls and I have been piddling around together. Nothing helps mend wounds like togetherness. So, believe me, we're together.
Watching movies, Finding Waldo (I kid you not), foraging through I Spy books (yes. My children ARE adolescents...and your point is?), doing tricks in the front yard, and playing charades.
The charades were flippin' hilarious. I'm trying to explain the concept. Middle chicken wanted to spell out (in sign) who or what she was. *snickering* Too damn funny. And then she proceeded to bring imaginary trays out and set them on the ground. Oldest chicken pretended to grab them, so Middle chicken took out her imaginary tape (picturing me rolling on my bed laughing) and taped them down. They are too much fun. Seriously.

We're going swimming Friday. Going to put some sun on this pale body and (hopefully) be energized by the rays. Not burnt, mind you. Energized. There is SUCH a difference there.

Thanks for all the congrats on my review. *ahem* That I STILL haven't read. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Grins*

OMG!!! Romantic Times Review!!!

Ok. I'll get to my post about what I did this weekend in just a minute. I promise.
But the good news???

Romantic Times gave The Portrait FOUR AND A HALF STARS!!! *DANCING*

I am so damn excited that I can barely stand myself. I had two reviews for the July Issue. Perfect Timing didn't do quite so hot. But considering it was the second book I ever wrote (I mean literally. The first I never even subbed) I'll take that review with a grain of salt.

I don't have the review in my hot, little hands yet for The Portrait. But as soon as I check my mail and find the magazine...I'll post what it says.
Four and a half stars. I am SO blown away!

*BIG GRINS*
Crystal*