Vacation!

Well, you'll be waiting on a comment from me a little bit longer than usual.

It won't be so bad without me around. Be good and get something done while I'm away. :)

Peace out.

What's Cookin'?

MENTAL STATUS: "Excited". Going away VERY soon...

Well, as much as I love hearing about new books, I love hearing about new recipes. Here's one I made yesterday for the first time: Greek Style Scampi. I got it from Cooking Light, so it's healthy AND delicious. My hubby even suggested I make this for when company comes over.

Greek Style Scampi

6 oz uncooked angel hair pasta

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
2 tsp minced garlic
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes w/ basil, garlic, and oregano-undrained
1/8 tsp black pepper
1 lb peeled,deveined shrimp
1/8 tsp red pepper
6 TBsp (1 1/2 oz) crumbled feta cheese

1) Cook pasta--drain and keep warm

2)Heat oil in large skillet over med-high heat. Add bell pepper; saute 1 min. Add garlic and tomatoes; cook 1 min. Add black pepper and shrimp; cover and cook 3 min or until shrimp are done. Stir in red pepper; remove from heat. Place 1 cup pasta on each plate. Top each serving with shrimp mixture and sprinkle with feta cheese.

4 servings

Enjoy!!

Must Have How-To Books

IN THE NEWS: According to HappyNews.com, "Drink up, Los Angeles.
The city's residents have the tastiest tap water, according to the judges of the world's largest and longest-running water tasting contest.
The 18th Annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting was held Saturday, with more than 120 waters competing for top honors.
Sparkling, tap and bottled water from 19 states and 9 foreign countries, including New Zealand, Romania, Macedonia and the Philippines, were judged by 10 journalists and food critics.
Judges based their rankings on taste, odor, mouth feel, aftertaste — and checked to make sure nothing was floating in the water.
The title for Best Municipal Water in 2008 is shared by Clearbrook, British Columbia, and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which serves Los Angeles."

I love finding out about new writing books--not that I have time to read any right now. But I like to know about them and have a list so when I do have the time, I can go directly to them.

This month's Romance Writer's Report recommended quite a few that I've never read or even heard of before. So I immediately marched down to my local library and requested

Make Your Words Work by Gary Provost

Diana Cosby recommended it. It should be in fairly soon. Can't wait!

What's one of your favorite writing books?

Keeping up with the Jones

MENTAL STATUS: "Stressed". I'm packing for vacation and getting the house organized before our trip. It's not a pretty sight.

Well, trying to keep up with all our neighbors is leading me down a path to which I never thought I would venture. Ever.

Am I buying a Lexus? No. Am I buying a nice wide screen plasma TV? No. Am I remodeling my kitchen? No. So how am I "keeping up with the Jones"?

I'm buying...flax seed.

Yes. Flax seed. I'm becoming...healthy. Stupid neighbors. It's all their fault. They're all a bunch of overachievers--entering triathlons, and eating their bran/flax seed muffins in their skinny jeans and high heels. Bleh. It's forced me to get into shape. Since the first of the year, I've been going to the gym 4 to 5 times a week. And now I'm making fruit smoothies with flax seed for lunch.

The good news is I'm four pounds lighter. And I'm actually liking the taste of flax seed now. It's kind of nutty. And gritty. Different. I hope it's making my body happy, anyway.


Are you a healthy eater?

Marianne Arkins Interview

Well, it's Friday and you've had enough of my ramblings for the week. So...I'm very pleased to introduce fellow Samhain author,
Marianne Arkins, and her new humorous contemporary romance, "One Love For Liv".

Marianne, tell us what “One Love for Liv” is all about.
It’s about a sheltered, snobbish and wealthy woman who believes that her “perfect” fiancé is cheating on her. Afraid to let anyone know, she decides to play private investigator herself and see if she can find the truth. Her endeavor throws her into a whole different and foreign world full of people who eat with their fingers, strange animals and even stranger people.


How did you come up with the idea?
Liv was originally a secondary character in another book. I ended up writing her out, but I really liked her—she was snobby and neurotic and fun, so I knew I had to use her again, and preferably as the heroine in her own story. Of course, I had to throw her into a situation so completely opposite of her own life, so I created characters and setting that were a complete 180 from her own world.


Take us through a “good” writing day. What does your writing process look like? (are there any MUST HAVE snacks or drinks you have on hand? LOL!)
I don’t know if I’ve ever had a “good” writing day. I typically squeeze in my writing when and where I can. Massive amounts of coffee with chocolate soy milk in the morning, and diet Coke with Lime during the day. Chocolate is always good – the darker the better.


Are you generally a plotter or a panster (or like me…both)?
More pantser, I suppose, though I do extensive character interviews and brainstorm about 15 – 20 scenes before I start to write. I also, know the end before I begin… and often times I’ll actually write the final scene or scenes shortly after I begin to write the story. I like to know where I’m headed, even though I may not really know how to get there.


How long did it take to write this book?
“One Love For Liv” was actually my 2005 NaNoWriMo novel, so technically it only took me 28 days to write. BUT… it took me another 18 months to edit and tidy it up to the point it was ready for submission.


Who are some of your favorite authors?
Jennie Crusie, Nora Roberts, Julie Garwood, Lyndsay Sands, Deborah MacGillivray… all autobuys for me. But I love to discover new authors, and will try just about anything once.

Are you working on anything new at the moment?
I’m always working on projects! I’m editing the novel that Liv originally appeared in and hope to have it submitted in the next couple of months, I’m working on my first mystery (I’m about two-thirds of the way through the first draft), I have a fantasy I started for NaNoWriMo that I love, and I have a shortish story under consideration with Samhain. I’m also toying with the idea of writing something for The Wild Rose Press’s “Got Wolf” contest. I always have projects going … I can’t imagine not writing!


Thanks, Marianne!

Remember to check out Marianne's Website and Blog for more information about her and her books.

Have a great weekend!

No Thursday Thirteen Today

IN THE NEWS: According to World Magazine, "For Cpl. Frank Holden's last act as a police officer after 26 years on the force, he took a stroll through the station's parking lot ticketing police vehicles with expired registration stickers. The former NJ cop said he was just doing his job--but admitted he was retiring because he had disagreements with the chief of police. Each of the 14 tickets he wrote carries fines up to $200."


No TT today. Wah! I'm due in at the school this morning then I have a two hour church meeting this afternoon before the girlie comes home from school. I doubt I'll even have time to check e-mail until tonight.


Have a good one!

I Love it When a Promo Plan Comes Together...

MENTAL STATUS: "Excited". Ordered a few promo items--all keeping within my nice tightwad budget.


Well, I got some writing done yesterday. Yay, me. And I also did a little ordering for promo items. Uh, promo items I won't need until --cough cough-- October, but, hey, it's better early than scrambling last minute. I should have been a Girl Scout.


Anyhew, I ordered a few trinkets--I'm not telling you what they are-- and this cool centerpiece I thought I'd display in the goody room at the conference by my brochures and giveaways.

I'm going to--somehow--put my name, title, and publisher on it. I figured the movie clapboard went with the whole The Role of a Lifetime title and theme, since my hero is an actor researching a movie role and whatnot. Clever, huh? (Don't answer that)

Oh, well. The most important thing is, even if you answered no, the centerpiece was really cheap. :)

Writing and Being a Tightwad

IN THE NEWS: According to World Magazine, "Nine lives. Five legs. One cat in 84. It's not the odds. It's just the situation of one stray kitty named Babygirl in Eighty-four, PA., that was dropped off at an animal shelter on Jan.19 by a concerned citizen. Now veterinarians plan to practice addition by subtraction when they operate on Babygirl to remove not just the extra leg, but also a lame one."

I didn't get a lick of writing done these past four days--not that I expected to, with the girlie and the hubby buzzing around the whole holiday weekend--but it would have been nice. Oh well. I did, however, finally open up some past workshop lectures I've been meaning to read. One was very good. Jamie Denton did a lecture on self-promotion last year and entitled them "Tightwad" lectures. (A name that instantly drew my attention. Ya know, being so cheap and all.)

She gave some really good insight on branding, brochures, giveaways, etc. So good in fact that I think I found a really cute promo item to use at the next writer's conference I attend. It goes along with title of my book perfectly. (I'm just trying to get an even cheaper price now) I'll let you know what it is once I'm sure it'll work.

So it's back to writing for me today. That's all I'm doing. I really need to catch-up.

(And why is my Blogger spell check not working?) Grrr.

President's Day

MENTAL STATUS: "Upbeat". Having a nice weekend so far and spending some quality time with the girlie and hubby.

Well, it's President's Day. I guess I'll do some shopping, thus pump money into the economy. It's my patriotic duty.

Have a good one!

The Little Things

IN THE NEWS: According to HappyNews.com, "The Swiss have invented a car that runs on land and underwater. But did they REALLY have to make it a convertible?
It's called the ''sQuba,'' and conjures up memories of James Bond's amphibious Lotus Esprit from ''The Spy Who Loved Me.'' That fictional vehicle traveled on land and, when chased by bad guys in a helicopter, plunged into the water and became an airtight submarine — complete with ''torpedoes'' and ''depth charges.''
But ''Q'' isn't responsible for this one.
The concept car — which unlike Bond's is not armed — was developed by Swiss designer Rinspeed Inc. and is set to make a splash at the Geneva Auto Show next month."

So...I cleaned my bookshelf off last night. Yeah, big deal, right? Well, as I organized my books (and wished I had an e-book reader), I realized how some books had little memorable tidbits to them and some did not. Not that I didn't like those other books, but there wasn't anything I remembered besides that I simply liked the book.
I'm not talking about having memorabe characters--which is important--or even likeable characters, but just something small that stuck with me as a reader.

In Holly Jacob's book, Once Upon a Princess, I don't remember the characters' names, but I do remember a scene where the hero and heroine's friend are discussing making pancakes for breakfast. What they really were talking about was the hero and heroine's relationship, but the dialogue was so cute and charming that it stuck with me even a little over a year later.

In Jenny Crusie's book, Anyone but You, I automatically think of the heroine's dog, Fred. (I think he was part Basset Hound part manic depressive.)

And in Cara Lockwood's book, I Do (But I Don't)--another book I read well over a year ago--I automatically think of a scene involving the heroine ( a wedding planner) and one of the grooms who was jumping out of an airplane on his wedding day. It still cracks me up.

Isn't it interesting that I can barely remember the plots of most of the books I read, but in some I can definitely remember these little pieces that I tucked fondly away in my mind?

So what about you? Do have little things that stick with you in books you've enjoyed? What do you remember?

Thursday Thirteen #37

Thirteen of my Favorite Romantic Songs 1.... "(How Little it Matters) How Little We Know" by Frank Sinatra 2.... "All I Ask of You" by Sarah Brightman (from Phantom of the Opera) 3.... "Let's Fall in Love" by Diana Krall 4.... "The Way You Look Tonight" by Tony Bennett 5.... "Love Changes Everything" by Sarah Brightman 6.... "When You Say You Love Me" by Josh Groban 7.... "Our Love is Here to Stay" by Harry Connick Jr (Our Wedding Song) 8.... "Something so Right" by Annie Lennox 9...."How Deep is the Ocean (How High is the Sky) by Diana Krall 10.... Somos Novios (It's Impossible) by Andrea Bocelli & Christina Aguilera 11...."You Don't Know Me" by Ray Charles 12.... "Misty" by Johnny Mathis 13.... "Lost" by Michael Buble *sigh* ************************************************* What romantic songs do you like?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants


View More Thursday Thirteen Participants Elle Fredrix 2. Cassandra 3. Annalee Blysse 4. R.G. Alexander 5. Babe King 6. Gina Ardito 7. Tempest Knight 8. Jennifer McKenzie 9. Crystal Jordan 10. Jennifer Colgan & Bernadette Gardner 11. Elizabeth Parker 12. Rhonda Stapleton 13. Paige Tyler 14. Robin L. Rotham 15. Heather 16. Kate Willoughby 17. Ava Rose Johnson 18. Kissa Starling 19. Amelia June 20. Shelley Munro 21. Lyric 22. Debbie Mumford 23. Diana Castilleja 24. Adelle 25. Ciar Cullen 26. Marguerite Labbe 27. Lesley Speller 28. Stephanie Secrest 29. Savannah Chase 30. Lia 31. Kelly McCrady 32. Kaige 33. Tara S Nichols 34. Zara Penney 35. Regina Avalos 36. Alice Audrey 37 Darla 38. Harris Channing

I've Been Tagged!

MENTAL STATUS: "Groovy". My first round of edits are finished, and I've been making progress on my new story.

I've been tagged again. Thanks to Kristen Painter you all are subjected to more information about me. Lucky you!

Here are the rules:
1. Link back to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six unimportant things about yourself.
4. Tag six random people at the end of your blog entry.
5. Let the tagged people know by leaving a comment on their blogs.



SIX UNIMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT MYSELF:


1) I graduated 66 out of 538 in my high school graduating class. (Not impressive, but then again these are unimportant facts)

2) I scored 1100 on my SATs (again, not impressive, but not terrible either)

3) I think Diet Coke with Splenda tastes like rancid cough medicine.

4) "Our Love is Here to Stay" was my wedding song.

5) My first car accident occured when I was 17--not my fault--four houses away from where I lived.

6)I had a TERRIBLE pregnancy, spending the first and last trimester vertical. But I had a great delivery, so it all worked out in the end) :)


Whew! That was painful. So it only right I spread the misery.

I tag: Chicki Brown (it's been awhile, hon), Valerie Everhart, Lara Rose, and Stephanie Griffin.

Editing Food

IN THE NEWS: According to HappyNews.com, "For the first time, The Academy of Natural Sciences is displaying a scrapbook that has locks of hair from the first 12 U.S. presidents. It will be on view Feb. 16-18. The presidential ''hair album'' was assembled by Peter Arvell Browne, a Philadelphia attorney and scholar of the natural sciences who collected thousands of samples of animal fur and human hair in the 1840s and 1850s and organized them in a dozen leather-bound volumes. Browne also wrote to presidents still living during his lifetime — 1762-1860 — and to the families of those who had died. His letters and their responses are included in the book along with the strands of hair. His requests for hair weren't considered odd, as saving a loved one's locks in a family ''hair album'' was popular in the 19th century."

I'm in the process of doing my first round of edits right now and I'm relying heavily on snacks at my computer to get me through them.

During my college years, I always needed something to chew or snack on as I read or did homework. Mostly, I chewed gum or sucked on hard candies. I went through a lot of Blow Pops since it combined both (and was easy to sneak into the library)

But now my tastes have changed. I've matured. My tastebuds have become refined, if you will.

So what's my snack of choice right now? Lay's Cheddar and Sour Cream Potato Chips.

These chips have just the right balance of MSG and artificial colors/flavors that my body needs as it remains seated in one position for hours at a time. It's the snack of champions.

Do you snack when you work or write?

Still in One Piece

MENTAL STATUS: "Fuzzy" Tired from yesterday. Roller skating is a real workout.

Well, I had a fun weekend. Went and had sushi with the hubby and another couple on Friday night. (I absolutely love sushi) then on Sunday we took the little girlie to a roller skating birthday party.

This was only the second time the girlie has been on roller skates. So she's not...good. Not bad, but not exactly good. But she looked cute! I bought her roller skates of her own with the light up wheels and put her hair in braided pigtails. Adorable.

Alas, she spent most of her time in the center rink--with all the three year olds--while all her friends whizzed by her. Taking pity on that display, my hubby turned to me and said, "I wonder if you're allowed out there without roller skates? She could use some help." That's when my big mouth opened up. "Maybe I should put on roller skates in case she needs help," I said.

Even though I was doubtful of my sudden decision, the hubby egged me on and assured me it's just like riding a bike.

Well, I'm happy to say, it is like riding a bike!

It all came back to me. Eventually. Even my half turns came back. But there was a moment of panic when I made it around the rink then drew a blank on how to stop. I didn't fall once. I almost fell quite a few times, but never actually hit the floor.

So I hung out with my daughter and taught her how to stop and turn. She got better by the end of the party and had a GREAT time. I did, too. Unfortunately, I think it was little too much for me because I was asleep by 9 o'clock that night. My hubby didn't expect any less from me. Whenever they announced it was time for 18 and over on the rink, I went out and skated. I really worked up a sweat.

Anyhew, I realized the last time I was on skates was seventh grade. Thinking about that now, I'm lucky I didn't break anything. What was I thinking?

When was the last time you went roller skating?

POV Preference?

IN THE NEWS: According to World Magazine, "Researchers at the University of Tokyo are testing a paper airplane they hope to launch from their International Space Station to see if the origami glider can survive the rigors of reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. If the plan succeeds, the paper airplane should hit speeds upwards of Mach 7 as it hurtles toward Earth, shattering any and every paper airplane record."


Over at my writer's forum we're discussing--because we love to chit-chat--POVs in books and what we prefer to read and/or write.

I love 1st person and 3rd person POV. What can I say? I'm not picky. I read both, even though I write in only 3rd person. But it's kind of interesting to hear my crit partners' preferences. Some really have a strong feeling one way or another.

Personally, I love the intimate bond you get with the main character in a 1st person narrative, but I do miss getting the hero's POV sometimes. I only had the best of both worlds once. I read a really good Chick-lit last year that used 1st person POV but also added a few scenes where she put the hero's 1st person POV, too. It wasn't jarring at all. And it was pretty cool.

I've never written in 1st person, but I'd love to try someday. I feel it inside of me, wanting to break free and run--or write, as the case may be. It'll be good for me to branch out. I think. Maybe when I finally decide to write that Young Adult novel...

Do prefer to read the POV you write?

Thursday Thirteen #36

Since the Patriots lost the Super Bowl (*sigh*), here are Thirteen Things I Love about New England 1.... Fall Foliage (Yeah we have some nice leaf colors here in NJ, but it's not quite the same) 2.... The Red Sox (I think it's the team "personality". They play like they just want to have fun. And Fenway Park is the best place to enjoy them play.) 3.... Tom Brady (I admit it. He's a hottie. Shhh. Don't tell my hubby.) 4.... Burlington, Vermont (I love the quaintness and how it feels like such a hip young town. And it's right on the beauty of Lake Champlain) 5.... Woodman's (In Essex, MA. The best fried seafood. Ever.) 6.... Phraseology (For example: phrases such as "we had a wicked good time" doesn't sound strange or saying "no, sir" instead of "you've got to be kidding me" is perfectly acceptable) 7.... Marblehead, MA (The Yachting capital in the country--next to Newport, RI, that is. Charming, lovely town--with tons of great places to eat.) 8..... Boston (My handsdown favorite U.S city) 9.... The Public Garden (technically, IN Boston, but it deserves it's own number. Plus in the warm weather they have swans swimming around and you can take a ride on the Swan Boats) 10.... Mike's Pastry (Their cannolis are to DIE FOR) 11.... Friends I still have there (Waving "hi" to the few that read my blog) 12.... Newport, RI ( some of the best Bed and Breakfasts I've ever stayed in, and, of course, you must do the Mansion tours) 13.... Kennebunkport, ME (The Captain Lord Mansion, great shops, and lighthouses galore. Everything you picture, when you think "New England".) ************************************************************* Have you ever been to New England?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Elle Fredrix 2. Cassandra 3. Annalee Blysse 4. R.G. Alexander 5. Babe King 6. Gina Ardito 7. Tempest Knight 8. Jennifer McKenzie 9. Crystal Jordan 10. Jennifer Colgan & Bernadette Gardner 11. Elizabeth Parker 12. Rhonda Stapleton 13. Paige Tyler 14. Robin L. Rotham 15. Heather 16. Kate Willoughby 17. Ava Rose Johnson 18. Kissa Starling 19. Amelia June 20. Shelley Munro 21. Lyric 22. Debbie Mumford 23. Diana Castilleja 24. Adelle 25. Ciar Cullen 26. Marguerite Labbe 27. Lesley Speller 28. Stephanie Secrest 29. Savannah Chase 30. Lia 31. Kelly McCrady 32. Kaige 33. Tara S Nichols 34. Zara Penney 35. Regina Avalos 36. Alice Audrey 37 Darla 38. Harris Channing

My cover!

MENTAL STATUS: "Elated". I finally have a cover and it's beautiful! Woo-hoo!

A few days ago, my cover artist--Angie-- e-mailed me with what she came up for as my cover for my book The Role of a Lifetime. I'll be honest and say it took me a few minutes to look. I was dying to see it, but I was also scared. What if I ended up with Fabio in a pirate's costume? (Long story. You need to read the book to understand)

Well, when I finally got enough nerve to hit the link, I was floored. It's like a million times better than what I was expecting. But we did make a few changes. We got rid of the spider I had orignally suggested (Again, long story. You need to read the book) It wasn't as clever an idea as I had thought. What do I know? So the spider is gone and now I have this cover, which has just been approved.

And that's when it hit me.

My story is finally coming together. Wow. It's so strange to see something representing your work. To see my name and the title. I'm very excited.

So tell me. What do you think?

And now a word from our sponsors...

Today is the release date for Eileen Cook's debut novel Unpredictable!

Here's the book description:

Sophie Kintock isn't crazy, she just wants her guy back. And posing as a psychic to give his new girlfriend a face reading designed to break them up isn't going overboard, is it? Don't answer that. Faking psychic powers turns out to be easy and fun, especially after a few lessons from Nick, the cute (if a bit nerdy) skeptic, who knows all the tricks of the trade. But her readings do a lot more than she could have predicted, and soon Sophie needs to figure out whether the answers lie in the stars-or in herself.

I found out about this author through her agent's blog, which then led me to her blog, which then led me to her book, which then... (You get the gist)

Anyhew, I really love the premise of the story. So if you like comedy (or even if you don't) check out her first chapter. HERE.

You may want to add this book to your reading list!

Funky Rods and Cones

IN THE NEWS: According to Happy News.com, Former ''American Idol'' contestant Katharine McPhee has wed producer Nick Cokas. McPhee, 23, and Cokas, 42, met in 2005. Their relationship blossomed when McPhee auditioned for ''American Idol'' later that year, according to People. They got engaged last year. Fellow season-five ''American Idol'' contestants Kellie Pickler and Mandisa were among the 305 wedding guests.

I think something's going haywire with my eyesight. My rods and cones must be all screwed up, because I'm not seeing things like other people. My mom came down on Thursday (to check out the painting mishap) and like a doctor asking to see the patient, her first words were: "Show me the bathroom". And I did. I braced myself as she looked around then she turned to me and said, "I like it."

WHAT???

She liked it? I was floored. If my mom is one thing, it's honest. Brutally and sometimes untactfully honest. If she says it's not too much and that I should keep it, it must be OK.

So, now my husband's taste is vindicated and I am officially labeled colorblind. But that's all right. I'm beginning to think that all the room really needs is some new bathroom rugs and a picture. I won't re-paint. At least my eyes aren't burning like they were.

Then something else happened to me. Samhain is conducting a "class" now on how to do book flyers/brochures. It's awesome, because I've always wondered how and why and when authors did things like that. And now I know. So I played around and did a pretend brochure, too. I had two people say that mine looked good but that my name just had to be centered and all on one line and then I'd be all set.

Ok. No problem. So I loaded the brochure to look at it again. What did I see? I saw that my name was all on one line and was perfectly centered. Okaaaay.

I'll just take everyone else's word and tinker around with font size. Maybe something wil click.

Other than that, I'll be doing the room mom thing, working on my next chapter, and doing a critique today.

What's on your agenda today?

Sister's Ink by Rebeca Seitz

February FIRST, time for the FIRST Day Blog Tour!

The FIRST day of every month we will feature an author and his/her latest book' chapter!

This month's feature is:

Rebeca Seitz and her book:

SISTERS, INK

B&H Books (February 1, 2008)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Rebeca Seitz is Founder and President of Glass Road Public Relations. An author for several years, CHARMING being her first novel. Rebeca cut her publicity teeth as the first dedicated publicist for the fiction division of Thomas Nelson Publishers. In 2005, Rebeca resigned from WestBow and opened the doors of GRPR, the only publicity firm of its kind in the country dedicated solely to representing novelists writing from a Christian worldview. Rebeca makes her home in Kentucky with her husband, Charles, and their son, Anderson.

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

One

Tandy’s purple stiletto heel tapped in perfect rhythm to the pulse that threatened to leap out of her neck. She stared at the phone, willing it to ring and someone on the other end to declare this a joke. Her boss did not just call her into his office. Now. The smooth tones from her CD player of Ole Blue Eyes crooning I Did it My Way mocked rather than soothed. She had to calm down, but Meg’s idea of music soothing the savage soul was not working. Fingers shaking, Tandy snatched up the receiver and dialed her sister. Calm, stoic Meg always knew what to do in a crisis. From falling off the swing set to supplying Oreos and caffeine the night before Tandy’s bar exam, Meg was a pro at handling crises and keeping her three sisters’ lives humming.

A busy signal sounded, and Tandy slammed the phone back down. Of course Meg would be on the phone right now. Why on earth couldn’t that woman understand the helpfulness of call-waiting? Tandy could hear Meg’s soft, persuasive response now: Why would I stop talking to one person before our conversation ended, T? It’s rude and I just won’t have it in my house.

Grabbing the receiver again, Tandy punched in Kendra’s numbers, jumping when yet another hawk flew into her window. Why did Orlando have to have a courthouse with the perfect nooks and crannies to build a nest? Ever since the completion of this new structure, hawks circled attorneys in the Bellsouth building across the on a daily basis.

Kendra’s melodic voice floated over the line, its harmonious tones the same as in childhood: “You have reached the voicemail of Kendra Sinclair…”

Tandy slammed the receiver down again and glared at the circling hawks. Of course Mr. Beasley was angry. He had every right to be, really. That fat deposit in her checking account every other week meant the continuation of her dedication to keeping their clients out of jail. Certainly it meant she wouldn’t hand the prosecution the very evidence they needed to obtain a conviction. She fiddled with the purple and black silk scarf tied around her neck…

Would Joy be any help at all in this situation? Joy might be the baby sister, but her quiet strength could come in handy right now. Except that Joy loved to talk and Christopher Beasley was waiting. The thought of him in his office high above the hawks, tapping his long fingers on the glass top of a heavy mahogany desk, didn’t allow for long phone conversations.

Tandy’s office phone rang and she jumped. “Tandy Sinclair.”

“Tandy, it’s Anna.” Tandy smiled, thinking of the gentle lady seated a few floors above her. “Mr. Beasley’s on his third cup of coffee.”

Her smile vanished. “Oh, no, Anna. Couldn’t you have dawdled a bit? You know how he gets with caffeine overload.”
“And you know how he gets when I dawdle. You’ve got maybe three minutes before he asks me to get cup number four.”

“I’m on my way.” Tandy pushed back from her desk and stood up. “Thanks, Anna.”

“No problem, sweetie.”

Tandy dropped the phone in its cradle, her gaze darting around the room for something, anything that would prevent the next ten minutes.

If that idiot Harry Simons had been one iota less smarmy, this predicament could have been avoided. His outright ogling of her figure had been bad enough, but certainly not the first time Tandy had been forced to ignore a man’s unwanted attentions. They all seemed to believe her red, wavy hair was a sign she’d fulfill their wildest dreams. Heck, Mr. Beasley had probably even made that assumption at some point, as evidenced by his swift promotions landing her in a cushy corner office of Meyers, Briggs, and Stratton.

Tandy swigged caffeine and paced the office. It wasn’t even Harry’s condescension. His superiority, rooted in maleness, made no effort to hide the belief that a brain resting between the pierced ears of a thirty-year-old female graduate of Yale School of Law somehow negated its existence. That idiocy didn’t even raise her blood pressure. She fingered her pearl earrings and grimaced as a hawk glided to rest on the ledge outside.

No, she would have been fine, and Christopher Beasley would not at this very moment be preparing to fire her, except for one innocent little lunch with small-minded Harry. Why, oh why, had she agreed to go to lunch with the lizard? (Honestly, his head rivaled the shape of geckos that ran in and out of every flower bed in Central Florida.) Come to think of it, his eyes were shifty like a gecko, too. Was the single life getting to her so much that she’d date a lizard? She stopped and tapped the window ledge. Meg and Kendra were on her case to date more. But who had time to meet people after spending sixty-five hours a week at the office? She sighed.

The sisters just didn’t understand life in the city.

“You guys have got it easy,” she said to the hawks. “Circle, eat, rest, repeat. With the occasional head bang into a window to keep us lawyers on our toes.” She shook her head.

Well, it didn’t matter now. Mr. Beasley awaited her presence and it would only get worse the longer she stood here. Her heels sank into the plush pearl-colored carpet as she crossed the office, ignoring the latest sacrifice to her black thumb—a nearly dead African violet. She opened her office door and cast one last glance at what, in about ten minutes, probably would not be her office. Oh well. Maybe she could take the plant to Anna.

She picked up the violet. At least the charade of defending a slimeball, who made fun of an old homeless man to make himself seem big, would come to an end. And the day was still young; she could hit the beach before the lunch rush hit I-4.

Shoulders thrown back, chin up, Tandy made her way down the hallway and entered an elevator lined in the obligatory mahogany, brass, and mirrors, testimony to Christopher’s desire to never rock a boat even in the decoration of his law firm’s offices. She eyed her reflection and saw steel in the brown eyes staring back. Cutting Harry off at the knees in public wasn’t the best financial move to make. How would she buy food for Cooper? Pay his vet bills? Keeping an old basset hound with arthritic knees and hips in comfort was a pricey endeavor. Still, it had been worth it to see the shock on Harry’s face when she announced in her loud voice the impending completion of his career. From a 9x9 prison cell, that cardboard box would look like heaven.


She checked her chignon, tucking in a stray curl and smoothing the rest down. Picturing Harry’s smug, pudgy face behind bars did way more to calm her pulse rate than Sinatra’s croon. The elevator dinged, announcing her arrival to Christopher Beasley’s penthouse lair.

Tandy took a deep breath, tightened her grip on the sagging violet, sent up a prayer of thanks that she’d picked the Ann Taylor suit today—must look sharp when being fired--and stepped across the threshold.

“He’s waiting for you.” Sympathy shimmered in Anna’s blue eyes. The Orlando sun shining through the window made Anna’s hair glow like a fresh pearl.

Tandy set the violet down on Anna’s desk. “Thanks, Anna. It’s been good knowing you. I wonder if you might coax this little guy back to life?”


Anna raised her eyebrows. “Tandy, how many times do I have to tell you? You’re a danger to plants.” She smiled and wagged her finger. “You taking them in isn’t an act of kindness. You leave the greenery to us old chicks.”

Tandy laughed. “Yes ma’am.” She took another breath. “I guess I should go in now.”

Anna sobered. “Guess so.”

“Still on cup number three?”

“I just took in cup four. I doubt he’s taken a sip yet, though. He’s slowing down.”

“Thanks for everything, Anna.”

“You’re welcome, honey. Take care of yourself. And you call me if you need anything, hear?”

Tandy nodded, only now realizing that losing her job also meant losing Anna’s kind wisdom. She blinked hard. Crying at work would not do. She stepped to Christopher’s door and knocked.

“Come.” His deep voice bellowed through the door and Tandy’s pulse kicked up again. This was it. For the first time ever, Tandy Sinclair was about to be fired from a job. When she’d moved to Orlando to take this job and declare war on the city that took her childhood, Tandy never would have guessed she’d become an actual beach bum.

“Tandy, sit down, sit down.” Christopher stood, gesturing to a chair and patting the telltale stripes of his Ben Silver tie. “Seems we have a little situation on our hands.” The hawks circled one story below his window, the tops of their feathered backs lit by the sun.

Tandy sat down and nodded.

Christopher’s padded leather chair creaked with his weight. He settled back, propped his elbows on the arms, and templed his fingers. “Harry tells me he’s headed for a prison cell.”

She nodded again.

“He also tells me that would be your fault.”

Another nod. This must be what bobbleheads felt like.

“And he says he’s ready to sue this firm for inadequate representation unless I do something about it.”

She quirked an eyebrow. Score one for Harry.

“I’ve assured Harry that there must be some misunderstanding since you’re one of the most capable attorneys this firm has seen in quite some time. So, please, Tandy, explain to me how one of our biggest clients, someone for whom you serve as lead counsel, suddenly finds himself facing jail.”

Tandy tilted her head. He was giving her an out, bless him. Leave it to Christopher Beasley, King of Calm and Proper Appearances, to smooth the choppy waters and restore her professional boat to proper order.

An image of Harry’s sneer popped into her mind, though, and the thought of backtracking fled like money from her wallet during a trunk sale.

She smiled and adopted her lawyer voice. “Well, Mr. Beasley, I appreciate your belief in my professional abilities, but it seems Mr. Simons has some rather extreme positions regarding personal values that led me to determine he is, in fact, guilty of the crime for which he has been accused. When I asked him directly, he admitted as much to me.”

It was Christopher’s turn to raise a brow. “He told you he embezzled funds from Hope House?”

Tandy nodded. “Yes, sir. I advised him I could not put him on the stand, since I would be suborning perjury, but he refused to listen. It was either let him lie to the court or remove myself from his case. I chose the latter.”

Christopher swiveled his chair and stared out at the courthouse. What she wouldn’t give for a hawk to barrel into the glass. Anything to break the tension. Losing this job wouldn’t be the end of the world…just of her bank account, for the time being. She really didn’t want to lose the paycheck, but Harry gave her no choice.

The man wouldn’t listen to reason if someone etched it in a brick and threw it at his head.

She thought about their lunch again, seeing the hump-backed old man picking through a dumpster across the street. His coat had been threadbare, but Tandy knew too well the value of a coat, threadbare or not, on the streets. The priceless nature of every layer between skin and street. How the three bites of cheeseburger he found wrapped in its foil was enough to fill his belly for an entire day.

Harry’s voice had faded into the background of restaurant chatter as Tandy’s mind flew back to the seven years she spent living in a box with her mother. Before she met Marian and Jack Sinclair. Hearing the trains rumble past where they camped. Begging people for money, searching for a dry place when it rained, for a piece of food that hadn’t already been discovered by bugs. Watching her mom bob and weave as she walked, that scary light in her eyes that was both mesmerizing and terrifying because it meant mom wouldn’t make sense.

Tandy knew now her childhood had been stolen the first day her mother lit a match beneath the bowl of a pipe.

“Stupid junkie. Probably lost his job because of some drug habit.” Harry’s voice joined a thousand other voices that still kept her awake on too many nights. “Bet he chooses to live like that. Easier than getting a job and working for his money like the rest of us.”

Tandy looked at Harry sitting there in his three-thousand-dollar pin-striped suit, black crocodile shoes, and platinum cuff links with the Brooks Brothers insignia. Thought about reminding him his money came from his father’s hard work and planning, but decided against it. Harry was, after all, a huge client.

“Oh, probably not, Harry. You’d be amazed what some of the people living on the streets have been through.” She sipped her water and willed her blood not to boil at the stupidity of the man before her.

He sneered and pointed a stubby finger at her. “Don’t be naïve, Tandy. That man could get a job flipping burgers at McDonald’s just as easy as sit out there with a cup in his hand, begging me to part with my cold hard cash that I worked very hard to get.”

Silence was about as possible as finding a pair of Ferragamo’s in a size ten.

On sale.

Never gonna happen.

“Harry, how would he get a job? I doubt he owns any clothing other than what’s on his back. What would he wear to a job interview? Where would he get enough sleep in one sitting to be awake for an entire shift? What address would he even put on his job application?”

“Why, Tandy, I didn’t know you cared so much about our fair city’s homeless degenerates.” His voice, so patronizing and smooth, grated. It fought with the pockmarks on his face to portray a polished image. “I’d think, with such convictions, you would have a hard time taking my case.”
“Why is that, Harry? You didn’t embezzle from Hope House. Which means you didn’t take money from the mouths of homeless people. Which means my awareness of the plight of the homeless works in your favor.” She took a sip of her water and tried to relax.

He wagged his finger at her. “Tsk, tsk, tsk, Tandy. There goes your naiveté again.”

It took her a second to catch on. “Excuse me?”

He grinned and, for the first time, Tandy knew what jowls meant. “I think we both know what I’m saying.”

“I certainly hope not. Because if you’re confessing to taking money from a homeless shelter, I can’t put you on the stand. I’d be suborning perjury.”

Christopher cleared his throat, snapping Tandy back into the present. He swiveled around to face her. “I’m in a predicament, Tandy. Harry Simons brings a lot of money to this firm, been with us for years. That must count for something. Yet I find myself struggling with the thought of firing you since I understand the ethical dilemma you faced.”

A tiny smidgen of hope blossomed in her heart.

Christopher placed his palms down on his glass-topped desk, an act of finality. “And yet, I see no course of action but to terminate your employment with Meyers, Briggs, and Stratton. Anything less would cause serious repercussions in our relationship with Harry Simons.”

She fought to breathe normally. Blinked to hold back tears. Her savings account was basically nonexistent, which meant she and Cooper better start looking for a big refrigerator box to call home. Or maybe finding Cooper another family to live with would be a better idea. One of the sisters could take him. Meg, or maybe Joy. Kendra would be a last resort. She was as good with pets as Tandy was with plants. Well, except for Kitty, but cats were self-sufficient.

A hawk slammed into the window, making Christopher jump and spill the coffee sitting on his desk. “Dadgum it! Anna!”

Anna came rushing in, saw the mess, and snagged a roll of paper towels from the cabinet by the door without a word.

“You’ve got to call somebody about these hawks, Anna. They’re ruining my concentration!

“Yes, Mr. Beasley. I’ll make the call today.” Anna shot Tandy a sideways glance. Tandy grinned. Seeing the unflappable Christopher Beasley in a snit was worth getting fired--almost. Anna sopped up the mess and left the room.

“Now, where were we?” He pushed paper around the desk, checking to ensure all the coffee was gone.

Tandy cleared her throat. “I think you were firing me.”

Christopher stopped arranging paper and looked up at her. “Right, right. Well, I don’t think we have to be that drastic. How about a leave of absence?”

Thank heaven for hawks.

“A leave of absence, sir?” Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but, hey, it had to be asked.

“Yes. I think that will mollify our good friend Harry.” Christopher nodded and patted the desktop, warming to his idea. “I’ll let him know you’ve taken some time to think through your behavior and will come back to the firm when you’ve gotten some perspective. Say, two months?”

Two months? She calculated the amount in her checking account and began deducting bills. With no extracurricular spending at all, it might work. Two months to find something else or learn how to eat crow. Okay, maybe this was a good thing. There was no immediate need to take another boring job in a legal firm. Two months was a ton of time. Figuring out her professional passion should be a snap. She could almost see Meg’s eyes roll at that thought. “Thank you for that, sir.”

Christopher smiled. “It’s the least we can do. You’ve been a good employee. I just wish this mess hadn’t occurred.”

Poor Christopher. Conflict between an employee and a major client. He must have been up all night figuring out ways to smooth ruffled feathers.

She shrugged. “These things happen for a reason, I think.” She stood up and held out her hand. Christopher took it with his own limp one and made a motion that might optimistically be called a handshake.

“Good luck, Tandy. We’ll see you back here in two months.”

“Thank you.” She turned on one Ferragamo heel and walked out of Christopher Beasley’s office. Eight weeks of nothingness spread out before her like a gift. There had to be a way to make money off of this.

She tapped her chin and watched the lights over the elevator. Maybe some tourist would want her apartment for a couple of weeks. Tourists would pay just about anything for somewhere to stay during season. A couple thousand bucks, easy.

But if someone were to stay in her apartment, where could she go? The whisper of her heart tickled Tandy’s brain. Stars Hill, Tennessee’s rolling countryside, Daddy’s smile, Momma’s painted roses, the sisters’ scrapbooks…

The ding of the elevator dispelled her mind’s image, but not the idea. Stars Hill. Well, it had been a while since she’d been back. Three years, if memory served. And, with Daddy and the sisters around, there wouldn’t be any need to spend money on restaurants. Though what she’d save might be spent on scrapbook stuff. It was one thing to scrap alone and quite another to sit around Momma’s old scrapping table with the girls.


Tandy exited the elevator and smiled. If she left right now, she’d be home in Stars Hill by morning.

She walked into her office, snagged her briefcase, and whipped out a tiny cell phone on the way back to the elevator.

“Hello?”

“Meg?”

“Hey, T, what’s up in the big city?”

Tandy laughed. “Well, not me. I’ve got eight weeks of a sudden vacation.”

“What? What happened?”

“I’ll tell you all about it when I get there.”

Meg’s squeal pierced Tandy’s ears and she jerked the phone away from her head. “You’re coming home? To Stars Hill? Yes!! When will you be here? Wait, what happened? Did you get fired? Did something happen at work?” Tandy could hear Meg’s three kids squealing now in the background. They must have caught on to their mom’s excitement.

“Seriously, I’ll tell you when I get there. Call Kendra and Joy. Breakfast at Joy’s, 9 a.m.”

“You’ve got it, sister. James, get down off that table!” Tandy could just picture Meg’s eldest. He must have grown a foot by now. “I’m telling you that child will climb on anything,” Meg said.
“Go keep your kids from tearing down the house. I’ve got to get home, get all my scrapping stuff packed, call the rental company to let some crazy tourist in my place for a couple of weeks, and get on the highway.”

“On the road again…” Meg’s voice blared through the phone.

“Sheesh, Sis, are you ever going to stop with the songs?”

“Not as long as there’s a breath in me.” Tandy heard scuffling. “James, put your sister down! I am not kidding with you, mister!”

Tandy chuckled. “See you in the morning.”

"Okay. Be careful and buckle up.”

“You’ve got it.”

Tandy snapped the phone closed and walked through the parking deck toward her new little silver BMW 323. Man was this car going to stand out in sleepy little Stars Hill.