Are we there yet?

If you have kids, I’m sure you’ve heard this a bizzillion times. But this time I’m doing the whining. I’ve always scoffed a little, quietly of course, when I’ve heard women say they can’t wait for the pregnancy to be over. I thought, you know you do have to deal with a baby then and you’ll look back on this time as well rested and calm in comparison. In my defense, I’ve always had fairly easy pregnancies. Back ache, swelling, running to the bathroom every 30 minutes? Not me. Well, guess what? I have a whole new perspective, and I’m the one saying it now.

Last week the doctor told me, based on Emily’s position and the severity of the Braxton hicks contractions, that it could be any day now. He recommended that I take it easy for the next two weeks. Um, yeah, right. But you see, I don’t have time to have a baby any time soon.

This week I am 36 weeks. This week I also have two baby showers, a school event, and my son’s baseball game to attend. Oh yeah, and Mother’s Day. The next week, I have a doctor’s appointment, my daughter has a dentist appointment, it’s my anniversary,  we have a tour of the maternity wing scheduled, and that Friday is the annual school carnival that the kids are wildly excited to attend. Oh, and I still have editing to finish for the day job before I can officially go on maternity leave and give in to my nesting instincts….which means my house isn’t ready! ; )

A baby? Really? She’ll have to wait until the week of the 21st. That’s all I’m saying.

Okay, since you put up with all of my whining above–or maybe you skipped to the end. I don’t blame you–I thought we could do something fun. Ms. Emily’s official due date is June 6th. Why don’t you all guess which day between now and then (or after, who knows?) will be her birthday. Date and time in case of a tie. After she’s born, I’ll send a .pdf copy of Altered Destiny to the person who guesses the closest.

Sound fun?

 

Oldies But Goodies

Okay, I know this is going to say way too much about me, but I just can’t help it. I laughed so hard over the wonderful memories this song brought back I just had to share. Have you ever heard of My Boomerang Won’t Come Back by Charlie Drake?

Let me explain. From second to fourth grade, we lived out in the country in a little wooden farm house on about thirteen acres. Our closest neighbors were a mile away. We actually had a party line and everything. For you younger ones, that is a phone line shared by more than one family. You have a specific ring that belongs to you and you don’t answer the phone unless you hear it. Took some getting used to, especially for a five and seven year old. Ours was two short rings and a long one. I think. It’s been a really, really long time ago. :)

Anyway, this meant my younger brother and I had to entertain ourselves. Oh, the things we did and the fun we had. My mom would not be happy if she knew about our little adventures, but kids will be kids, right?

One of our favorite things to do when we couldn’t go outside, was to listen to records and dance around all dressed up in my mom’s old clothes. Yes, I dressed my poor baby brother up like a girl. And he loved every minute, no matter what he says now. Ha! The real fun began when I won about fifty of those smaller 45 record’s from a school fair during one of their cake walks. Awesome! We were so excited and couldn’t wait to get back home. I sure wish I had those records now. They were priceless. And so darn funny.

One of our all time favorites was by Charlie Drake called, “My Boomerang Won’t Come Back.”  http://youtu.be/uoBXAUNU1HE

Trust me. You probably won’t be the same if you dare to listen to the entire song and I do apologize. LOL

There were many others too like: My Friend the Witchdoctor, The Streak by Ray Stevens, and let’s not forget  Swinging by John Anderson. My favorite today because of my middle teenage daughter. The swing in our backyard has become her private get-a-way, her way to recharge after a long day at school. She’s so sweet sitting out there all by herself, I-pod in hand, legs dragging the ground as she’s just a swinging, oblivious to me filming her and the world around her. LOL I got the old infamous eye roll when I let her listen to the song. Yep, it will forever be priceless!

Torture your kids much? LOL Come on, share you funniest childhood memory or song.

And She Liked It by Voirey Linger

And She Liked Itby Voirey Linger
* I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review*

A six-foot-plus mountain of sexiness is trying to seduce Janie and doing a damn good job of it. Just one problem…her husband is watching the whole thing. To her surprise, Edward has no problem with his wife being seduced. In fact, he’s encouraging it. They share a deep love, but the mindless lust that drove them as a new couple has been missing for a while. And Paul is just the man to bring heat back into their marriage. Edward knows if Janie is brave enough to allow Paul to join them, she just might like it.

When Janie and Edward were married he agreed to her terms, an open marriage.  She has never wanted to take advantage of that option but now Edward is giving her the opportunity to indulge in her fantasies with his business partner Paul.  Janie loves her husband but she is afraid that their relationship will change if she gives in to Paul. She never expected her encounter with another man to spice up her and Edward’s love life so much.

Janie was surprised that Edward agreed to her request for an open marriage.  She loves him but was afraid that things would get stale and she would get bored.  Since their marriage she has never wanted to stray, Edward has always taken care of her.  Their relationship has become comfortable, missing that spark.

Janie is attracted to Paul but doesn’t want to be.  She is conflicted about her feelings and is surprised that Edward is willing to let her be with another man, while he watches.  The whole encounter in Edward’s study is designed for Janie’s pleasure, it’s also about self-discovery.  Janie finds that she is extremely turned on by the idea of her husband watching.

The encounter between Paul and Janie is very sexy.  I like the fact that Edward kept everything contained to his office and didn’t let Paul invade their “personal space”.  It made the after affects between Edward and Janie even hotter when Paul left them.  I loved his parting quip, it leaves the option open for him or someone else to join them again.

Overall I enjoyed this “Quickie” and give And She Liked It 3½ Flaming Hearts.  

Moving Furniture – Freaking Husband

Wednesday I moved the furniture around in my living room. Doesn’t sound like a big deal, right? Au contraire, ami. A little backstory…

Some of you know I have bad knees. About five years ago I had a total knee replacement on my left knee. My right knee was crappy even back then, but at that time, the doctor told me I had about five more years with it. It’s now five years…I have an appointment with my knee surgeon next week to assess my situation. But suffice it to say…my right knee is going on me. I am on a cane at times when the swelling and pain get too bad. (No sympathy needed. I brought some of this on myself by my continued heavy weight.)

Anyway, I have a Lay-Z-Boy recliner where I sit to write, watch tv, etc but it’s been making my knee swell and hurt. I’ve decided the seat depth is wrong for me, placing pressure on the backside of my knee. I needed to move to the sofa, which has a narrower seat. However, the way the room was arranged, I could sit on the sofa but couldn’t have an end table. The room isn’t big enough to place a table at the end of the sofa without blocking the entryway. For me to have all my creature comforts near (pens, computer, light, a place for drinks, etc), I have to have a table nearby. This required moving the sofa.

So far, so good. But to relocate the sofa required moving two Lay-Z-Boy chairs, two big end tables, a tray, five lamps, one printer, and one paper shredder. Not a small order, especially given my current orthopedic situation. I talked hubby into helping me move the sofa. I moved everything else, which means hubby has been relocated to a new area in the room.

He is NOT a happy camper. Can you say creature of habit? Holy Hannah! I’ve promised him we’d give it a week. If he is still cranky, we can move all the furniture back to where it’s sat for the past seven years.

So furniture moving? Something you do often or never?

And tell me how I can talk hubby into buying me some new furniture!

Remember to sign up for our quarterly (if I’m timely) newsletter!

Also, I have some nifty Texas Two Step magnets! Just ask and I’ll mail.

My husband laughed?

 I’m on deadline.  I’m working hard.  My son gets married in three weeks, so to say that the romance in my household is at a standstill is an understatement.  But Les is being so great about my work.  He’s supportive, he’s even doing laundry, and while I’m writing, he’s watching a ton of TV.

Now, I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel guilty.  I mean, when the kids were little, I wouldn’t have left them all by themselves.  But my husband is approaching retirement, so ideally he can entertain himself.  Nevertheless, I should be spending time with him.

So imagine my surprise when I’m in my office working away, and I hear my dear husband on the couch in our den…laughing.  You heard it here, folks.  Laughing and cracking up and having the time of his life.

Well, that was enough to make a writer on deadline rise to the occasion to see what was up.  Before I go any further, I should qualify, my husband is a stoic (non-laughing)  chemical engineer.  But there he was. On my couch, with tears in his eyes, slapping his knee…and laughing.

What’s so funny? I asked, and he pointed to the TV and a new (for me) program called IMPRACTICAL JOKERS.  I couldn’t go back to my work in progress at that point, so I sat on the couch and joined him.  And pretty soon, there I was, on my couch, with tears in my eyes, slapping my knee…and laughing.

At times the program can get kind of obscene, but other times it’s downright funny.  This coming from a woman who hated the Three Stooges.

But the good news is, I’m not feeling so guilty anymore.  I can go back to my office without fretting.  My husband is happy now.  Thanks to IMPRACTICAL JOKERS, which he can watch On Demand, he’s laughing!

For everyone who needs a distraction, I highly recommend it ;)

With a Little Help From my Friend – Beth Cornelison

Yesterday was the release day for Waters Run Deep, the first book in the Boys of Bayou Bridge series, and the first book I have taking place in my native state of Louisiana. It’s so exciting to bring my readers a new family, a new setting and a new venture into, well, semi-suspense. Here’s the link if you want to check it out  http://www.amazon.com/Waters-Run-Deep-Harlequin-Superromance/dp/0373717768 , but I didn’t want to spend my day talking about my book. I wanted to share a special friend with you….a friend who introduced me to my editor and started me on this entire adventure : Rita-nominated, Golden Heart winner BETH CORNELISON. Thanks for being here with me today, Beth, to talk about what you have going on :)

Thanks, Liz, for the chance to guest blog here at ENALR and give my testimony (Can I get a Hallelujah?) about how my great friends in the writing community have supported and encouraged me throughout my career.

I have no doubt in my mind that I would not be the multi-published, award winning author I am today if not for my writing buddies. My friends in the writing community, especially the lovely ladies (and you too, Dennis!) of the NOLA STARS chapter of RWA, patiently critiqued my earliest books and taught me craft of romance writing when I was a newbie who didn’t know point of view from a hole in the ground.  They encouraged me through the heartache of numerous rejections, introduced me to publishing professionals who could help my dream of publishing a reality, and guided me through the minefield of submitting my work to the right people. I remember one published author friend telling me “Never pass up the opportunity to meet an editor!” based on her advice and encouragement, I took an extra appointment at a conference with an editor from Harlequin. That editor ended up requesting my manuscript, loved my voice and stuck with me until we found the right manuscript to launch my career with Silhouette Intimate Moments (now called Harlequin Romantic Suspense).

When I finally received ‘The Call,’ my writer friends celebrated with me over the sale of my first book, complete with cake and balloons, and really understood what it meant to have  reached my dream. My writing friends have been my teachers, my fan club, my mentors and my sounding board for years and I treasure every one of them. It has been my pleasure to give back to each of them the same love and support they gave me.

When Liz sold her first book, I swear I was as happy for her as I was when I sold my own book. I’d been Liz’s roommate at her first RWA National conference, had critiqued one of her first contemporary books, and had introduced her to a certain editor I’d met through other friends earlier in my career. That editor just happened to later buy Liz’s books for Superromance– oh, happy day!!

I’m a big believer in karma when it comes to the writing community.  You get back what you give. I’m lucky to call Liz my friend and hope that I can continue to inspire, support and teach other writers the same way my friends have bolstered me. And in the spirit of good karma, I want to share two opportunities for you to get my books for FREE!  First, my small town romance TRUST IN ME is available for free download at Amazon May 3-7.

Escaping the cheating fiancé and sheltered life her father has arranged for her, Claire Albritton wants nothing more than to take control of her life and learn to fight her own battles. Kevin Fuller believes he must rescue damsels in distress, and Claire is decidedly out of her element in small town South Carolina. When trouble inevitably finds Claire, Kevin’s white knight protection and heroics are exactly what Claire doesn’t want. But his kisses…that’s another matter.

            I’m thrilled to be able to offer TRUST IN ME free for a few days, so be sure to head over to Amazon starting tomorrow and through the weekend.

Want more? Well, then leave a comment here and tell me something special a friend has done for you that meant the world to you. I’ll pick one comment at random on May 8 to win a copy of one of my backlist books (you can see your choices at www.bethcornelison.com) and a sweet treat. (Chocolate anyone?)

Thanks again, Liz, for all you do and your friendship too! Hugs!!

You are so welcome, Beth. I’ve loved having you as my mentor, roomie and all-around good friend, and I’m glad you dropped by to share with us a little about the friendships you’ve made on your journey :) I have to say that I’m surrounded by such a wonderful support system, including these gals here at ENALR. Nothing like people who will buy your books, review them, retweet links and post testimonies about your books. Gotta say having friends makes the journey all the more sweet!

My One Musical Passion

I just discovered Spotify! Actually, Cyndi sent us a link about how to embed music in our posts, and it immediately made me think, “I should talk about Jason! And embed his music!” So that’s what I’m doing. :)

I like listening to music. I have well over 1400 songs on my iPod. But it’s not a “thing” for me. I don’t listen very often at all, because I’m usually listening to podcasts (ESPN Football Today, Patriots Football Weekly in Progress, or The Pause.Com entertainment podcast). Ask me about artists or songs from our youth, and there’s a 50/50 chance you’ll get a blank look from me. And even though I HATE how clichéd it is, I can’t tell most modern artists apart.

But I do have one musical passion: Jason Manns. I’m not sure how it actually became so strong. A friend sent me a link to a video on his MySpace page, where he was singing with an actor we both like. I checked to see if he had the song on iTunes, and he did. I liked it (Crazy Love) better than any other version of that song, so I sampled a couple of his other songs. I liked them, too, so I bought his whole album.

And every single song sinks right down through me and touches something no other music does. It’s partly his voice, partly his style, partly his lyrics (though he does covers, too, so they’re not all his lyrics), and mostly something intangible.

Here are some of my favorites:

“Journey” could be describing me, only as a writer, and without a guitar, and my emotional scars aren’t all that deep, but still! It’s me! I love the cello on this song, too.

“Perfect Spot” is about being content with who and where you are. That’s something I strive for, because even though I always want to do more and be better, I don’t want to reach for it at the expense of today’s happiness.

Some people think his version of “Hallelujah” is the most beautiful they’ve heard. Well, yeah!

I really prefer his acoustic versions to the produced albums. Not that the albums aren’t well done. And I did fall in love with everything on his first album right off the bat. But a couple of years after I discovered him, I had the opportunity to hear him sing live at a convention. And that did it. I got to go see him play every three months for a year, then a couple of times since then, and I’m completely spoiled. Luckily, he’s recorded most of his songs live or as acoustic tracks, as well, so I have multiple copies of everything.

I’m really, really glad some of my friends love his music as much as I do, because they drive 2-4 hours with me when he’s nearby, and hang out until 1:00 a.m. before driving the too-many hours home afterward. If I did that by myself? Well, it would just be creepy.

The last time we saw him perform, at The Bitter End in New York City, I put in an advance request because he never sang Journey live for us before. He did it, and said he was doing it for me, and I totally geeked out. :) If he hadn’t already, he’d now have a fan for life!

So check him out! Music can be a very personal thing, so I’m not expecting everyone to have the same response I did. But hopefully you’ll like it and add it to your music libraries.

Your turn to gush! Are you fans of any not-yet-big-time musical talents you want to share with us? Tell us in the comments!

I’m going to give away one of Jason’s albums to one lucky commenter. We’ll work out the details after the winner is chosen. ETA: I forgot to specify a time frame. Comments can collect through Sunday, May 6 11:59 p.m. EDT, and I’ll select a winner after that!

Technology Wins this Round

I’m tagging along with hubby on Tuesday to Tulsa, Oklahoma, for one of his business trips. It’s for a dinner where spouses are encouraged to attend. A quick one day trip with no time for shopping or site seeing. Bummer. But like a good wife, I’m packing my things and getting everything ready for the kids while we’re away. Whew. I’m exhausted already. LOL 

Last month, I found out I was the lucky winner of a brand new Kindle Fire from RG2E. I was shocked!

I don’t win things. Other people win things. LOL But after checking and reading the notice several times just to make certain I wasn’t seeing things, sure enough, there was my name right beside the word “Winner.” Yippee!

I’m still learning all the wonderful apps and although I still prefer to hold a hardback book and turn those pages, the Kindle is so much easier to take along with you. Since I hate to fly, I’ll need all the distractions I can get to pass the time on this trip. This new toy is really going to make it easier. I’ve got so many great books I’ve wanted to read, but can never find the quiet time needed to do so. You know, after reading the same sentence five times and still having no idea what it says, it’s usually best to give up and try again later. Grrr… Now is the perfect chance to catch up. Surely with my headphones in and my mind wondering through another world, I’ll barely even know how high above the ground we are.   

So I’m sending out a huge thanks to RG2E for their wonderful giveaways! I highly recommend checking out their blog. Lots of great information on ebooks and authors.

As for flying, I say we should leave it to the birds! 

So, what’s the coolest thing you love about your Kindle or e-reader? I’d love to learn a few more things before we head out.  :)

Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James

Book Description

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana’s quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too—but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey’s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success—his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family—Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey’s secrets and explores her own dark desires.

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever.

Review

Oh my.

If you’ve read my past reviews then you have probably gathered that I don’t read a lot of romance, so this book is way (WAY) out of character for me.  But I read it, and I am going to be completely honest with you about it.

A friend of mine read this book and she told me that she was almost embarrassed to tell me about it.  I thought to myself, why in the world would you be embarrassed.  Oh dear, now I know why.  I am shocked that this is in the romance genre, because it should be in the pornographic novel section.   Seriously, I am just shocked that someone actually put this in writing.  I was such a sheltered child/teen and apparently adult.

With all of that said, I liked the book.  I, like many other women, couldn’t put it down.  The curious part of  me wondered what all the fuss about the BDSM scene was, and now I know.  I think I know way more than I ever wanted to know.

Before when I thought about BDSM I thought about Lady Heather on CSI.  I thought these people were all about pain, and I thought they were freaks.  (I told you I was going to be completely honest!)  Now that I have a better understanding of it, my whole opinion has changed.  Not that I want to join the ranks of the BDSM, but I don’t think the people participating in that lifestyle are freaks anymore.  Now, I just think they are kinky, really kinky.

The characters are what kept me wanting to keep reading.  I still want to know what happened to Christian to make him this way.  I want to know what the ‘situation’ was that he is so worked up about.  There are little pieces of the story that keep you wanting more.

Honestly, a big part of me wanted to hate this book.  I wanted to read it and tell you that it was a naughty book, and that you shouldn’t read it.  And now that the world knows how naughty this book is, I wouldn’t be caught dead carrying it around and reading it in a public place.  (Thank goodness for iPads and eReaders!)

I witnessed a woman buying the book one day, and I really wasn’t paying much attention to what she was buying until she tried so hard to keep everyone in line from seeing what it was.  Yep, it was this book.  My first thought was, it can’t be a good thing if you have to hide it.  And now look at me, I read it…I liked it…and I am trying to decide if I should read the whole trilogy.

 

First Time, Forever by KC Burn

First Time, Forever by KC Burn
* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Derrick and Trevor used to have an incredibly passionate relationship, full of spontaneity and sizzle. Now that their son is off to college, they want to put their days of routine, vanilla sex behind them and bring back some of that spark.

Realizing that they’re empty-nesters, Trevor begins to notice their age difference. He suddenly feels old and unsure of himself, and isn’t confident Derrick still desires him. When Trevor decides to keep his health issues and gray hairs down there to himself, Derrick is hurt by his partner’s secretive behavior and thinks Trevor must be having an affair.

Nothing could be further from the truth, but Trevor doesn’t know how to communicate his fears to his partner. He desperately wants to reconnect with Derrick and rev up their sex life, but will it be enough to reclaim their marital bliss?

Derrick and Trevor have fallen into a routine since Luke moved in with them.  Now that Luke is off to college, Derrick hopes to rekindle some of the spark that he had Trevor had in the beginning of their relationship.  Things aren’t going according to plan and Derrick starts to wonder if Trevor is still in love with him.

Derrick has been working long hours trying to finish up his latest install because he is ready for some time with his husband but Trevor seems to be avoiding him.  He is worried that Trevor doesn’t find him attractive and doesn’t want to be with him anymore.  He is at his wits end when comes up with a list ditch plan involving an antique red couch to spark their love life.  He hopes that his surprise is enough to spark Trevor’s interest.

Trevor is almost forty and is starting to feel his age.  His doctor has advised him that he needs to make some lifestyle changes and he is afraid to tell Derrick.  He even found some grey hairs that a good waxing would take care of, he just didn’t anticipate the rash the hot wax would cause.  He and Derrick seem to be growing further and further apart and he doesn’t know what to do about it.  He just wants his husband back.

Trevor did everything he could to keep his new diet from Derrick because he was afraid Derrick would think he was getting old.  In some ways, it seemed like he was ashamed because he couldn’t be youthful and carefree anymore.  He even increased his workout time so he could stay fit.  I loved the scene when he got his first Brazilian wax, it was too funny but you could still sympathize with him.  How many people would’ve done the same thing?

Derrick had some of the same problems.  Their sex life consisted of vanilla sex on Saturday nights while Luke lived under their roof.  He hoped that now that Luke was in college, he and Trevor could resume a more active sex life.   His late hours working on his current project weren’t helping matters either, often times Trevor was already asleep when he got home from work.  After a visit to Trevor’s antique store, he spots an antique red sofa that reminds him of their early years together.  The scene with the red couch was so hot the pages were scorching my fingers.

These two are a typical married couple experiencing empty nester syndrome.  They are both getting older and now that they are alone in the home, they are starting to doubt their appeal to each other.  They are still in love with each other but are having problems with their communication.  Both are still in love with each other they just don’t know what to do to get the spark back.

I loved this story.  It didn’t matter to me that the main couple consisted of two males; they were just a typical married couple.  They have been together a long time and have grown complacent and comfortable with each other, which is typical.  Many married couples go through the same exact things that Trevor and Derrick are experiencing.  As we age, we all seem to question our desirability to our partners and wonder if we are still loved.

Overall I really enjoyed this story and give First Time, Forever 4 Flaming Hearts. 

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