You all have been waiting to hear about my trip? It was one of those “slice of America” things that covered enough ground to make you realize what a big place a single country can be.

We started off in Montana.

It only takes about seven hours to get from close to the boarder with Idaho to Wyoming if you drive straight through. We would have made it easily if we’d started at a reasonable hour, and hadn’t had an ear infection sending us off to a hospital. The hospitals in Billings are really pretty, but there was no soap for hand-washing in the bathroom.

When I think of Wyoming and South Dakota, what I think of is this:

From what other’s have said, I suspect they think something more like this:

If so, then we are both right. Wyoming and South Dakota both have places where the glaciers scraped off everything interesting, and places where the ancient mountains remain. We hurried on down the road to Minnesota, where I was surprised to see so many electricity generating windmills.

They weren’t there ten years ago. Now they are everywhere.

We soon arrived in Madison Wisconsin,

Where we were rained out

And attacked by voracious mosquitoes

We camped – mostly at KOA campgrounds – for most of the trip. The second worst campground was the one near Madison. The mosquitoes were awful, and the attendant completely unrepentant about them. I counted over thirty bites on one knee alone. We high-tailed it back to Montana with brief stops at the Spam museum in Minnesota,

And the Corn Palace in South Dakota,

and The Badlands

We climbed to the top of Harney Peak

At well over 6,000 feet, it’s the highest peak in South Dakota. From there, everything was down hill.

We went straight back to Montana.

Home sweet home.

I’m going with “caught between a rock and a hard place” on this one.  How about you?  Does looking at this make you dizzy, or is it just me?  *shudder*

I’ve found a new hobby along with the nine hundred and ninety-nine other ones I’ve tried over the years. It’s a great way to relieve the stress during my busy day at work. Since I can no longer write while at work, I’ve decided to try my hand at crochet. My first project was going to be a cute and fuzzy scarf. Someone should’ve told this neophyte to start small and not with one of the hardest yarns to work with. But I decided I’d show these people. I added another piece of regular yarn with the furry stuff. I also started with a hook that was way too small for what I was trying to accomplish. I had the stitches so bunched together, it was no longer scarfable. But I just couldn’t stop. I had to finish it.  So finish it I did. Now I have a spiral piece of crochet that I have no idea what I can do with. Well, actually a few.

Here’s my attempt at one of those cones you put around an animal’s neck to stop them from itching:

Never mind. Smokey didn’t like that idea too much. Then again, maybe I have the makings of a great Halloween costume!

Naw! I look weirder than I already am.

So any idea what this thing could be? I’m still wondering myself!
PS: As I was posting this, I just had an idea. In a way, crocheting isn’t that different than writing. If you find a mistake, it’s easy to go in and unravel the kinks and start over. Well, most of the time anyway.

Cheers!
Sidney/Arianna

I’m sure we’ve talked about villains before, but I wanted to bring them up again. I spend a lot of time thinking about my hero and heroine, their physical appearance, their characteristics, their backstory, their goals, their motivations and their conflicts. I spend a little time on my villain. Obviously conflict and goals are right up there since most likely they intertwine with my hero/heroine. Physical appearance, characteristics and that sort of thing make a flyby, but I seem to foofoo the backstory when it comes to my villain. And I seem to think ‘just because’ is a good enough motivation.

It didn’t really occur to me that I needed to dig deeper, to mold my villain a little more, until I read an agent or an editor’s comment about villains. Then, on top of that, as I was brainstorming with a friend last week, she suggested that my villain needed motivation as to why he decided to walk on the dark side.

Huh?

Oh! Yeah, right . . . I think. *scratch head* Can’t he just be a bad guy, just because? No, I suppose not.

I took that suggestion to bed with me. And I tossed and turned. All night!

Of course, my friend was right. And I’ve thought of a few motivations, the problem is do I want to redeem him later? Maybe in another story. If that is the case then how bad can I make him? And, if that is the case, his motivation has to be dead on for why he’s my villain. I mean he can’t just go around causing mayhem and find redemption later, can he? Well, maybe he can. I’ve never written a redeemable villain so it’s something I’ll have to think a little more on.

What about you? Do your write redeemable villains? What kinds of motivations do you give them?

Brought to you by Writer’s of the Roundtable.

Bond, James Bond. The quintessential hunkalicious British spy created by author Ian Flemming and perfected in countless Hollywood movies.

Many researchers agree that James Bond is a romanticized version of Fleming, himself a jet-setting womanizer. Both Fleming and Bond attended the same schools, preferred the same foods shared the same notions of the perfect woman in looks and style, and had similar naval career paths both rising to the rank of naval Commander.

To date there have been six actors to assume the Bond character on film, the most iconic being Sean Connery, the man many say is THE James Bond and Daniel Craig the new and gritty incarnation. Roger Moore had the most Bond films under his belt at seven and the actor George Lazenby had one film.

Who is your ideal Bond? I’ll start. Although I’m a child of the seventies and grew up watching Roger Moore as Bond, Daniel Craig has won me over. It’s his naughty bad boy Bond that gets me. What gets to you?

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Christina Dodd is well known in the romance world and she truly needs no introduction.  Please join Kelly and me as we CELEBRATE this fantastic author’s return to the world of historical romance with her latest release, IN BED WITH THE DUKE.

To learn more about Christina Dodd’s books and her plans, please visit her website at  http://www.christinadodd.com/

And the reviews:

Brynna said: I have been a fan of Christina Dodd since the beginning of her career, and I am proud to be an owner of one of the original copies of Castles in the Air (the one with the cover that shows a heroine with three arms). To say I was thrilled when I learned of Dodd’s return to the world of historical romance would be an understatement. In Bed With the Duke surpasses even my high expectations. A classic historical with intrigue, a foreign setting, and a balance of darkness and light, this novel gives us both a strong, determined, wounded hero and a heroine created solely to match his strength and determination and loyalty.

Emma Chegwidden has been forced by life’s circumstances into the role of shy, impoverished, bullied lady’s companion, but in reality, she is so much more. Still, with no money, no position, no connections in this foreign land, Emma has no choice but to accept her fate. Until one night, one moment, one new stroke of fate changes everything. When her lack of a sense of direction puts her directly in Michael Durant’s path, she can never imagine where one chance meeting with this man will lead her.

Michael Durant, the long-lost heir to the duke of Nevitt, has seen dark days these past years as a political prisoner in Moricadia, a land ruled by a cruel prince who cares about nothing more than holding his position and his pride. One glimpse at the mistreated Miss Chegwidden has Michael once again determined to protect the innocent. But his sense of honor, of pride, of protectiveness comes to naught when a simple mistake sends Miss Chegwidden out into the night on her own.

And right into the arms of The Reaper.

Revolution and revenge and romance intertwine within this story of a country torn apart by a ruling family too cruel to care about its people and a seemingly timid young woman who finds her soul connected to the man who must don a mask in his fight to return the rightful ruler to his place. Set far beyond the glitter and glamour of the ton’s Season its title suggests, this story explores depths reminiscent of early Woodiwiss and allows the reader to travel to both the highs and lows of love and danger and family loyalty. Unafraid to visit the dark side of human nature in order to emphasize the light of justice, the strength of love, Christina Dodd creates a vivid new world of contrasts, of a country in turmoil, of the primeval fight between good and evil, and she gives us a novel destined to be a classic.

Kelly said: With the final line, “Your brother Michael … is alive and imprisoned in Moricadia,” fans of Christina Dodd were left salivating for her next historical that would answer the questions that abounded at the end of My Fair Temptress. And we waited. And waited. Now, with the release of In Bed with the Duke, Dodd picks up the tale of the Durant family across the sea, in the midst of social upheaval and political turmoil.

Emma Chegwidden is chronically lost. Aside from her abysmal sense of direction, she has completely lost sight of who she is, allowing herself to become a cowed, miserable companion to an arrogant lady. But her misguiding wanderings are also her saving grace, when the propel her, unsuspecting, into the midst of a budding revolution. Suddenly, Emma finds herself facing down termagants, courted by princes, and riding through the night on a ghostly steed.  And at the heart is a mysterious hooded figure known only as the Reaper, whose vengeance terrifies the powerful and whose tender caresses awaken her soul.

Ghost or man, the Reaper is shrouded in mystery. No one, not even the woman who loves him, knows who, or what, he truly is. Is he the phantom of the long-dead King Reynaldo, come to seek revenge on those who murdered him? Or is it his heir, come to reclaim the throne? Or maybe he is Michael Durant, the son of an English duke believed dead but really held captive for years? But surely not, since he spends his nights under house arrest, and his days warning the innocent Emma away from foreign intrigues.

Political drama and romance entwine as both the Reaper and the malevolent Prince Sandre pursue Emma in the hopes of winning her heart. Set in Victorian times, but far removed from the glittering ballrooms of the British ton, Dodd’s return to historical romance explores what happens when her protagonists, stripped of their traditional British roles and taken away from their familiar environments, are forced to face who they really are deep inside. Will they fight for justice, or turn away in self-preservation? Will they choose love, or position and prestige? Though the line Dodd draws between good and evil is blazingly clear, the choices each character must face are the true test of right and wrong, and the great strength of this novel.

I love the expression on this bird’s face. She is definitely trying to communicate. What do you think she’s saying?

As most of you know, I’ve been in Dhaka for almost four weeks now with dh, who is working here, and the ‘boys’. Bangladesh is as opposite to Luxembourg as night is to day, at least night and day are close neighbors. It takes a day of traveling, connection time included, for us to get here. I’ll tell you about Bangladesh another day though, today I want to share some pictures from a weekend getaway to Nepal.

Before going there, when I thought of Nepal, I thought, like most of you probably do, of Mount Everest. Now, I also think of the awesome landscapes, the rich culture, the friendly people, and wonderful food. :)

It is rainy season now and although it’s not raining as much as it’s supposed to, there is almost constant cloud cover. We made a trip out of Kathmandu to Nagarkot, about 35 miles and a 2.5 hrs drive through narrow roads and small villages, with the hopes of getting a peek at Everest. Nagarkot is a village 2,000 meter above sea level from which, clouds allowing, you have a great view of Everest. It was not to be. Like a shy bride, Everest remained hiding behind a white veil of puffy clouds. We were told that December to January was the best time to visit. During those two months Everest can be seen even from the airport… We shall return. :)

In the video below, you will see some shots we took along the way. Most of the pictures were taken on the go, some from the plane and the rest from our van, so don’t expect National Geographic quality; still, I hope it gives you a taste of the awesome natural beauty of this country.

If you ever find yourself in Nepal, I’d suggest you hire a driver as well as a car. It’s a crazy place to drive if you were not born to it, although it’s not as bad as Dhaka. :) Their traffic is not as congested because there are tons of motorcycles instead of cars. This, however, is pretty nerve-wracking in itself and incredibly, we saw not one or two, but three and even four passengers on them…Amazing. On our return to Kathmandu traffic was a mess due to a flash flood. You will see the pictures toward the end of the video.

We also visited Bhaktapur and in the ancient part of Kathmandu, the home of the Kumari or Living Goddess although we missed seeing her by a second, our guide went in and rushed out to get us because she was at the window, but when we entered, she had left. This tradition will leave you gawking and feeling very sorry for this young innocent girl. I can’t do it justice in one blog, it would be too long, so here and here are links and you can read about it if you are interested.

My apologies for the video, it’s on the long side, about 14 mins, so take a cup of coffee or tea and put your feet up, enjoy the music, it’s local.

 This picture keeps sticking in my mind (no pun intended), so I thought I’d pass it along in the form of a two-fold question:  What is it you want, and exactly how bad do you want it?

I believe talent is like electricity. We don’t understand electricity. We use it. You can plug into it and light up a lamp, keep a heart pump going, light a cathedral, or you can electrocute a person with it. Electricity will do all that. It makes no judgment. I think talent is like that. I believe every person is born with talent.                            - Maya Angelou

I firmly believe that inside each and everyone of us is a wealth of talent, some of us more than others. But we can suffer from a lack of recognition of our own talents. I’m not suggesting that we become overly confident and arrogant. What I’m saying is that there are times when darkness shrouds us and we feel as if we can’t make it in this tough publishing world. There are times when we want throw our hands into the air and shout, “I GIVE UP!” There are moments when we want to crawl on our hands and knees into the closet and shut the world out.

Ahhhhh . . . the TEMPTATION!

That is why we have friends. THAT is why we need to stay plugged in to our friends. We need them so our creative beings can flourish. We need them so when times of doubt and despondency come upon us they can help us carry our burdens. We need them so that when we look at our weekly goals and see that we’ve accomplished nothing they can help us turn our eyes forward to tomorrow.

I’ve written less than a thousand words this week, but I feel awesome, positive and upbeat. Because I know my writing friends have my back. :)

This acountability Friday is a celebration of our writing friends.

May the hinges of our friendship
Never grow rusty.

I realized I was unhappy with myself when I went to get blood drawn last week for routine tests.  The nurse asked me to step on the scale and I declined until she told me it could mess with our insurance as the insurance company encourages us (I mean threatens!) to take this yearly test.  So, I did.  I got up on the scale with my back to the weights.  I didn’t want to know how much I’ve gained.  I didn’t want to see the number that would more than likely ruin my month…

So, if you’re scared to look at a scale, you know it’s past time to go on the dreaded DIET.  I haven’t started yet, but it’s lurking in the back of my mind, getting ready to start, gathering up my will power….yada yada yada.

But this weight gain, does it have to do with the fact that I’ve been embraced by the wrinkled, thinning skin, crow footed witch known as middle age?  Or does my writing have something to do with it?

I won’t blame one over the other, but in my case, I do believe that the pair are holding age and ink spotted hands as they force feed me Little Debbie’s and Hershey Kisses.

What do you you all think?  If you’re one of the skinny ones, no need to reply…but if you find yourself struggling to fasten your size 12’s do you think writing has anything to do with your weight gain? If so, what are you going to do about it?  And if you’ve won the battle of the bulge, what are you secrets.  Share please!

When I look at this photo I keep thinking to myself this has to be the, “Girls Gone Wild Contortionist Edition.” What title would you give it?

Well, I guess if Alice can blog about gerbils, I can blog about dogs.  Three to be exact.  All paperless mutts.  All rejects.  And all three as different from each other as daylight and dark. 

 For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had a dog.  Dogs are companionable creatures, always glad to see you, and always ready to throw a little (or a lot) of affection in your direction whether you’ve earned it or not.  As to how I wound up with so many dogs, the shortest answer is that I’m a sucker, a big sucker, for the underdog.  No pun intended.  Well, maybe just a little.

Take Bill for instance.  Bill is a border collie with only three legs, thanks to a nefarious duck hunter somewhere in his past.  His long black and white hair stays in a perpetual bed head state of being since brushing sends him into an almost catatonic state and causes him to hide behind the couch the instant he’s able to escape my clutches.  So we compromise.  He goes around looking like a reject from grooming school, and I dutifully vacuum up all the clumps of hair that manage to escape his hide without the help of a brush.

 Bill came to us after his master died.  No one in the man’s family wanted Bill, and so he was left to live on the farm with only the occasional visit from the man’s son to check on his water and feed.  It didn’t take long for me to talk my husband into calling and asking if we could bring Bill to live with us.  Not surprising, the answer was yes.  So Bill made the move and eventually settled into his role as head of household.

 Then came Mojo.  My husband swears that the man who shoved the little brown Chihuahua/dachshund mix pup into the back of the pickup threatened to shoot the dog if he didn’t take him.  So Mojo came home, moved in, and started peeing, pooping, and throwing up all over everything.  Um, yeah, I could see where the threats of murder might have been coming from.  Eventually, all the kinks, and doggy leakages, resolved themselves, and Bill even quit displaying all his very long, very sharp teeth every time the hyper little dog went jogging by, and so Mojo also became a bonafide member of the family. 

 Not more than a month later, when we had gone out to farm to check on the cattle one evening, my husband was accosted by a half starved little brown and black brindle pup, with long floppy ears and a hound dog voice, who came out of nowhere, yapping and jumping and yapping some more, frantic to attach himself to our two-legged/four-legged pack.  With no other residences close by, it seemed apparent that he had been dumped and left to survive on his own, which meant that before the sun went down, he was scarfing down dog food with the rest of the crew.  And as everyone knows, once you feed them, they always come back, or in this case, never leave.  (And if you want to know how he earned the name Shredder, just give him a roll of paper towels and a few minutes of privacy, and he’ll be glad to demonstrate.)

So there you have it.  My blog about dogs.  What, if anything does any of this have to do with writing?  Oh, I don’t know.  Maybe it’s the fact that each of these three animals has a unique character and a unique life story that deserves to be told.  And much like the characters in our stories, if we don’t tell their stories, who will?  So, bottom line, keep writing.  Our characters (and stray dogs) deserve a chance to live, and it’s up to each of us to give them that chance.  Happy writing!

I’ve read love scenes that are so hot they scorch the page and others that just leave me cold. A few authors go through the motions, but I can tell their hearts (or loins ;) just aren’t in it. Some think that quantity makes up for quality and I’m yawning by the umpteenth encounter.

Whether a love scene hits the mark has a lot to do with the reader too. Does she like wet or dry kisses, being stroked in this place or that, or want the act hard and fast or sensuous and slow. What about the kinky stuff?

Also, word choice has a lot to do with whether a love scene is appealing. Some words just kill the mood for me. They can be either unromantically technical or flowery purple prose. Graphic words are fine, even welcome, as long as they are used sparingly.

In my opinion, writing a love scene takes just the right combination of words and feeling, reality and romance. When done right, they are exciting to read and gloriously show the connection between the hero and heroine.

So today’s questions are: what makes it good for you? What heats you up? What are your turn-offs?

Hey everyone! Another week has passed. Can you believe summer is almost over? What a scary thought! I’ve been so busy working that I haven’t come even close to my writing goal. But instead of dwelling on that fact and getting down on myself, I’ve decided to buckle down, roll up my sleeves, and get to work. My goal is still to finish the story I want to enter in the Golden Heart. It’s a WIP that I had put aside because I was unsure where to go with it, but now I think I can do it justice. My mind has been plotting ideas for weeks now, and I’m ready to finish the book. I’m excited to dive into it.

What about you? What are you working on? Are you feeling the exitement?