Since the death of my friend, the elderly lady with whom I’ve spent the last several months, I have a new occupation: dog sitter for two (also) elderly poodles, Caesar and Danielle. Let me start by saying that I like dogs and cats (though mostly cats, I admit), but my experience is quite limited. My dad had hunting dogs when I was little and Jack and I had a couple of cats for a few years before we went on the road. Other than that, I haven’t been around pets much. I wasn’t sure how I would like being around the dogs when I came to be one of the happy family last October, and had even more doubts as I took on their care by myself. But I’m happy to report that the three of us are getting along quite well. 

Danielle, sister to Caesar (though born on the wrong side of the doggy bed, if you catch my drift), is a strange little creature, though “little” is perhaps an incorrect term. She’s over 30 pounds of love and fear, mixed into one gray poodle. She came to the household as a puppy 13 years ago and immediately moved in behind one of the chairs. When Mrs. B moved her hospital bed downstairs four years ago, Danielle took up residence under the bed. That’s where she ate, slept and basically stayed except for rare moments when she emerged to bark at a visitor or steal Caesar’s bacon strips. To say she’s shy is an understatement. 

Caesar, almost fifteen years old, is the opposite. He loves everyone and loudly proclaims it with (sometimes endless) barking. He’s the man of the house, and shows it by being stubborn, arrogant, demanding and refusing to ask directions to the poop area of the backyard. 

The poodles and I have fallen into a pattern of sorts. Every morning—and several times during the day while I’m working upstairs—they bark when they get lonely (or think it’s time for a snack). I come down the steps asking where my angels are, get past the gate that keeps them from forgetting they’re doggy-pad-trained all over the new carpeting upstairs, and sit on the steps to deliver petting. Danielle lightly takes my wrist in her mouth and uses her bulk to push Caesar out of the way, while he tries to jump over her to deposit kisses on my nose. They’re usually crazed with the desire for attention, and I’ve found I kind of like this time, too. Then we go to 1)open the back sliding door, 2)dole out treats or 3)prepare dinner, depending on which overarching need it’s time for. 

There are a few things I’ve learned from Danielle and Caesar over the months. Things good for all of us to know or remember. 

1. Take naps. Take lots of naps if you’re able. Nothing refreshes you like an adequate amount of sleep. 

2. Drink lots of water. It’ll make you tinkle more, but so what? Water and tinkling are good for the body. 

3. Don’t eat only treats (but eat enough to make life splendid). I make it a habit to feed the dogs dog food, even if we’re also having a cheeseburger or chicken. It helps to have reminders of who you are, really. 

4. Doctor up your medicine. Due to age and illness, the dogs have more medications to take now. I’ve done everything I can think of, from pushing pills into pieces of chicken and hotdogs, to using the little meat flavored pill containers. But recently a friend told me to coat them in peanut butter and that works like a charm! If you have to take meds, make it as pleasant as possible so you actually take them. Mary Poppins gave us this advice years ago and it’s still true today. 

5. Never stop playing. Danielle, poor girl, never learned to play. Caesar however, still loves his squeaky toys. Usually once a day he wags his little, stubby poodle tail and encourages me to toss one of them for him to chase. He doesn’t play as long as he did even a few months ago, but the gleam in his eyes shows he still loves it. 

6. Don’t worry over the small stuff. In these dog days of summer (no pun intended), Danielle doesn’t venture outside much. She sticks her nose out into the sun room, sniffs and turns back to potty on the doggy pads in the living room. I can’t bring myself to berate her—sometimes it’s not so bad to take the easy way. 

7. Greet the day with enthusiasm and love. When the doorbell rings, both dogs (assuming Caesar doesn’t sleep through the racket, as he often does these days) jump up and rush the door with waves of barking. The same thing occurs when someone leaves. The dogs love company (though one can’t tell with Danielle). After all, that always means more hands for petting. They show the same enthusiasm for taking a ride or going for a walk or being petted. How great to enjoy life so much. 

8. Accept the good things people do for you and give back in return. The poodles wag their tails, kiss and lick and generally make it known that they love the attention I (or anyone) give them. In return, they don’t interrupt when I talk, don’t criticize my cooking or tell me I look fat in my jeans. They’re surprisingly good company (which says a great deal about how socialized I am, I suppose) and I like to think I’m good for them, too. 

I know they day will come—maybe not too far in the future—when, like their mistress, Danielle and Caesar will pass away. Caesar is not only old for a poodle, he has a heart condition that drains him of energy quickly. Danielle has lost weight but the years of being fat and living in her under-the-bed cave have taken their toll. I’m going to blubber like a fool when the end comes. That’s why, between naps and snacks and feeding and petting times, after cleaning up after them and before last kisses at nighttime, I’m treasuring these moments. How could I not?

Most know me as one half of Violet Summers. An experience that I have loved since I started writing. When I decided to go it alone I was terrified. Would I be able to take this on by myself? I didn’t have VJ to bounce ideas off of.

Haven popped into my head and I needed to tell her story. The idea of having a heroine who didn’t need a male to protect her from anything. At least on the outside was appealing to me. Haven is the rescuer, she saves women who were battered and broken, like she thought her mother was. Her whole life was based on how her mother raised her.

Adam came about because he is that exact opposite of not only Haven but those she knows. He is laid back and relaxed. He loves that she gives as good as she gets. He also understands that as a shifter who’s never shifted she needs help reconciling that part of herself. He’s not overtly alpha but he will only take so much before he lets Haven know he’s not a push over.

I love the journey Haven and Adam make together as they learn that love is never easy but when you embrace with arms wide open it can give you a kind of peace you’ve only ever dreamed of. I hope that you enjoy them as much as I .

Sierra Summers

The Emmys were last night. I watched. I didn’t plan to, but then Pepper made a comment about the opening number being one of the best things she’d ever seen, and I was curious, so I recorded it and avoided all my online reading until I’d watched it so I wouldn’t be inadvertently spoiled. (I have an irrational fear of knowing things ahead of time, you see, lol.) And she was right. The Glee take-off was spectacularly funny. But the entire night reminded me of one thing – of how I occasionally fall head over heels with a particular show.

It doesn’t happen often. Oh, sure, the hubby and I have regular favorites we record. There are things we watch regularly. But we’ve been known to stop watching a show entirely for a season and not miss a thing. However, occasionally, a show comes along that I absolutely, positively have to record and watch – and then buy the DVDs – and that love affair keeps me happy in ways others can’t.

My latest obsession is the BBC Merlin.

I’m the first to admit it’s not perfect. It’s a family show first, which means the writing and plotting is sometimes simplistic, and follows a specific pattern. But it presents the legends of Merlin and Arthur in new ways, turning what we know on its toes, much like Smallville did for Superman. Arthur is a spoiled bully at the series’ start, Merlin a country bumpkin newly arrived in Camelot, and Guinevere a maidservant in the castle. There are swordfights, and talking dragons, and the bromance between Merlin and Arthur. There’s bad guys with valid motives, and good guys with questionable ones.

Best of all, there is Bradley James as Arthur:

Though Merlin is the central figure in the whole thing, Arthur is the character who really gets to me. He’s the one who has grown the most since the show premiered, moving from his boorish tendencies to the honorable man who will one day be king. He’s trusting and moral, trying so hard to be a better man. He still lapses into his thick-headed ways occasionally, showing that he has a lot yet to learn, but that just makes him more human for me.

So what TV shows are you currently enamored with? What heroes are floating your boat? Share your love affair. Who knows? You might be able to convince somebody else to watch it. And in a day where most TV programming is determined by its viewer popularity, that’s never a bad thing, lol.

With summer coming to an end, I guess it’s not surprising that I find myself growing nostalgic. Autumn has always felt like a new beginning but it’s bittersweet all the same.

I’ve decided to use that as my theme for today’s flash. Write about something that’s history, either recently past or long gone; or something that soon will be. A summer love affair that’s coming to an end. The one who got away yet still haunts your dreams at night. The first love who’ll always hold a special place in your heart no matter what…

So here’s a little music to put you in the mood:
Liza Lee/A Thousand Kisses Deep

And here’s part one of what I’m calling simply (and with a shocking lack of creativity, if I do say so myself!) The Memory of You.

It’s your hands I think I’ll miss the most. Your long, graceful fingers that once stroked and caressed every part of me. Your clever fingers that teased and tormented. You always seemed to know when I wanted to be touched. And where and how. A light brush across my belly. A firm grip in my hair. Whatever way you touched me, it was always welcome, always just exactly right, always simply…you.

After today it will be something else, however, and my heart breaks as I write the words–as, perhaps, yours will as you read them. But, whether it hurts to think of it or not, we both know it’s true. After today your touch can be nothing more to me than a memory.

Seems it only started yesterday
Unending days to look forward to
Mindless time to sit and relax
Many a cold brew to enjoy with friends
Every morning a new opportunity to play, and be productive
Reaching for fun and frolics of the lighter variety

I swear it’s supposed to be longer
Surely there’s been a mistake?

Only a blink, and it’s gone
Very heartbreaking
Each one of us looks back at the blur that has passed
Remembering the high points, wishing there were more.

~~~

Thank goodness I love the fall as well…

~~~

Vivian Arend was busy this summer, writing and playing and drinking a few local brew with friends. She doesn’t usually write bad poetry, but she’s sad that summer’s disappearing, and she just sat through 3 days straight of Shakespeare in the park and As You Like It, so she’s feeling a little melancholy, like Jacques. Her plans for the fall include more writing, and playing and if you’d like to join in, you can drop by Romance, Hot and Wild.

It’s that time of year again.  Fall is coming and students are headed back to school….  and as soon as you walk into a bookstore, you know it.  New books are always the best part of going back to school, right? (Besides school supplies. There’s nothing like writing on the first page of a fresh notebook.) Being a book fiend and an English major, I loved having an excuse to buy everything from classics to textbooks each semester.

Maybe that’s why I felt a flicker of nostalgia yesterday when I came across a display table of reference books at my Barnes and Noble. Dictionaries, thesauruses, writing advice, grammar books; they all looked so tantalizing. I’m not even a fan of most writing books, but those looked way more fun and relevant than the dry style guides I had to read in my media classes. So I decided to put together a small reading list for the fall.

What are your favorite writing books? I’m talking reference guides, career advice, books on everything from fiction plotting to publishing to character development to marketing. My recent favorite advice book is Jeff Vandermeer’s Booklife, which provides amazing guidance both on being the best writer you can be, and marketing yourself in the new media paradigm. I also love Steven Pressfield’s The War of Art and Eric Maisel’s Life in the Arts. My all-time favorite reference is Rodale’s Synonym Finder.

What has been the most helpful book for you from a creative or practical angle?

In three days I ordered two books on Amazon, bought books at the local store, downloaded books onto my e-reader, and pulled a dozen books from my shelves (think library stacks). The result? No clue what to read next. To solve that problem I’ve got bookmarks in too many books to count. In non-fiction books, that’s fine, but halfway through an Agatha Christie—not fine, since then I can’t remember the suspects, much less figure out the murderer. This addiction to the written word is well represented when you look on my office shelves, floor to ceiling shelves. ¼ writing books, ¼ crime reference (with some sex reference mixed in), ¼ history, and ¼ paranormal. How many books does a person need on Wicca and ghost hunting? Plotting, scene and sequel, breaking writer’s block—I’ve read about a half dozen cover to cover—the rest are full of bookmarks and some just look pretty on the shelves. Gotta love those hardcover Writer’s Digest books.

Looking pretty on the shelves…I try to have cookbooks together (and I still suck at cooking), diet books and self-help books have their own little sections. But then I spend tons of time rearranging those books to match height and depth, hard covers separated from paperbacks. Every now and then, I go off on a seriously bad kick of rearranging my fiction books, usually because I can’t find a book that I know I have (the Gena Showalter one with the pink cover). My husband arrives home from work to find piles of books in front of empty cupboards and shelves…in every room in the house. Still haven’t found that damn book!

My latest Liquid Silver cover!

Then there’s the covers. I love covers! Liquid Silver has awesome covers, don’t you think? As far as print books, I like matte covers, like the historicals with the strings of a corset as the focal point, or paranormals with the muscular back of a man with an interesting tattoo. How many books have I bought because of a gorgeous cover, whether I ever read the story or not? My husband will answer any “how many” question with a quick “too many!”

Conclusion: I’m an addict, a bibliophile, a very sick and generally broke person. What’s that saying? “When I get a little money I buy books; and if any is left I buy food and clothes.” Yup, that’s me. And if I think I don’t need any more books…I buy my son some books instead. (We recently invested in another Captain Underpants and an Ook and Gluk.) I’m not sure if the Twelve Steps will work for this addiction, because taking away the credit card only prompts me to trade in books at the used bookstore (trade in two, but four more).

Raise your hand if you have the same addiction! I know you’re out there. And let’s compare notes on what draws you to a book in the first place.

Shara Lanel

http://www.sharalanel.com

Inspiration for a story can strike me out of anywhere at any time. I’ve had story ideas grab me because of something I overheard in public, see on TV or witness in my own neighbourhood (such as the adorable old couple that walks down my street together, her with her scooter, him with his walker). I thought I’d share a few of my latest inspirations.

Joan Jett has been one of my latest inspirations. During the last story I finished, I listened to a lot of Joan’s music while writing. That was odd for me because music is usually a distraction when I write, simply because I like to sing along and then get mixed up while typing lol. But Joan drove me to kick some ass and bang out that story in what felt like record time. I’m sure that part is just wishful thinking. Since then though, Joan Jett is still rocking my main playlist, inspiring me to write a story based on the local rock scene I grew up in. And so far I’m having a blast writing it.

Tommy Joe Ratliff is Adam Lambert’s bass guitarist. When I envisioned my main character in this new wip, I immediately thought of his look. It’s a perfect representation for the kind of guys I partied with and rocked out to back in the day. I can’t help it. I love a guy that can pull off eyeliner. Pretty much all of my rock n’ roll crushes have involved a guy with a delicious glam look.

Take a Minute by K’Naan. I love love LOVE this song. And it has nothing to do with the above inspirations in any way but this is one of my other latest inspirations. This song really puts me into a chill but reflective mind frame. It’s a beautiful song and it really moves me.

What inspires you as a writer or otherwise? Inspiration can be drawn from anywhere but sometimes you get that one that is so special or just comes from out of nowhere. I love when that happens.

*yawn* Last night’s release of The Wicked—The Magical Sword Book Two has left me sleepy.  I was so excited for this release that my mind had trouble winding down.  Not only because it’s the next novel in Nexi’s adventures, but because this story is one of my favorites in the series.

With the previous novel, The Willow surrounding Nexi’s Guardian role, The Wicked takes you on a wild ride of magic.  It was by far the easiest novel I have written to date.  The story simply told itself.  And I loved how creative I could get within Nexi’s magical abilities.

Expect hot steamy romance, impending doom, and as always, quirky characters!

Here’s the blurb!

Thirsty vampires are only the beginning of trouble–magic, love and danger at every turn.

Nexi Jones knows two things—being half Guardian is tough—being half Witch is simply problematic. With her Guardian duties put on hold, she begins the gruelling task of discovering her magical abilities, which tend to be unpredictable, at the best of times.

At least, she has her luscious Guardian, Kyden to keep her grounded. That is, until the military-built, Ryker returns with a keen interest in being a constant thorn in her backside. With enough trouble controlling her powers—the added rivalry between the two tough Guardians leaves Nexi in urgent demand of a fire extinguisher.

But when tragedy strikes the very core of the Otherworld, Nexi needs to shape up as she lands herself knee deep into vampire society—a world run by vampire Mistresses who offer their assistance in unearthing a deadly plot of revenge. But as the truth begins to unravel, Nexi begins to discover that the Otherworld isn’t the only place where Supernaturals exist—and there is something far darker than thirsty vampires lurking within the shadows…

Want more, stop by and read the excerpt  http://www.staceykennedy.com/the-wicked-excerpt/

Mmmm. Pillow talk. Warm, cuddly, flirty, fun. Niiiice. But is pillow talk just about talking? Why do women love pillow talk so much?

This article on AskMen discusses how pillow talk is important because it makes women feel special, appreciated and loved. I buy that. We feel closer to our partner after sex. We’re basking in the afterglow and feel nothing but warm fuzzies for our partner. But it also helps us connect with them on a different level. We share things we wouldn’t normally share with them. We feel close to them, which strengthens our connection with them.

In her article in Psychology Today, Hara Estroff Marano says that, ”Sex is good. Pillow talk is better. Sex is easy, intimacy is difficult. It requires honesty, openness, self-disclosure, confiding concerns, fears, sadnesses as well as hopes and dreams.”

We open ourselves up to our partner when we engage in pillow talk. This leaves us vulnerable. Pillow talk is like taking a leap of faith, really. I find that even if I don’t share everything that’s in my mind at the time, if it’s the right person and I feel close to them, I definitely want to. And eventually I do. If I feel that they can be trusted with my inner most thoughts, fears, dreams and secrets. But I need to know that they want to hear them.

And how much does your partner want to share with you? Do we want to know their thoughts? With the right person, yes I do. I want to know who they are. What their experiences have been. Who they love and how they love. What matters most to them?

I also wondered while doing research for this blog entry, is it mostly women who enjoy pillow talk?  According to this article, men like pillow talk as much as women do. It appears that many men are genuinely interested in talking to their partner after sex, but aren’t always capable of conversation for long. When a man drifts off to sleep, there is a scientific reason for it.