Critical Mass and what is on Page 47???

This is also me, today. I had intended to write all day, but my head is splitting. Any minute, I will hit critical mass.

So instead of writing, I'm watching National Treasure 2 which hubby just brought home.

Sooooooooooo, what's your guess what is on page 47 of the President's Secret Book?

The Mines of King Solomon? Atlantis? Fountain of Youth? Hangar 51? 9-11?

Those are all guess I found.

Is there really a president's secret book or is that only something dreamed up for the movie National Treasure?

Did I ever mention that I was sent on a business trip to Roswell, New Mexico about twenty years ago when I worked for Wackenhut? DH won't let me forget that I forgot to try and find any traces of Hangar 51 or the alien craft or crop circles. Guess I was a little blonde myself on that trip. But truly, what was I supposed to do? Wander around on private property and find myself at the dangerous end of some farmer's or soldier's rifle? Roswell was a cute little town with scenery far different than Ohio or South Florida. I wouldn't mind going back for another visit.

I've got bananas!

I absolutely LOVE this song and David Cook. Tonight, I wrote at Borders for several hours, and while writing, I replayed this song several times. I can't get enough of it. It's so romantic, so sexy.




I LOVE Jason and his rendition of Hallejulah in Season 7.

Here's some Florida pictures my daughter took on the way to Borders.

We have bananas! Well, almost. Being from Ohio, it tickles me that I have my own banana tree. I planted it a couple years ago.



(Um, just tilt your head to the right until I learn how to rotate the pics). :) These really are bananas.




This is what the bananas look like without tilting your head. :)



This is a pic of a neat palm tree my daughter likes. I feel like I'm living on Gilligan's Island. This is so unlike Ohio.


We don't know if this is the same egret we photographed a few weeks ago, or if it's another, but we found it in the same place so there must be a nest there. I guess egrets like Taco Bell. (They're always beside the Taco Bell parking lot.)

I'll play with PSP tomorrow to rotate the pics so you won't get a crick in your neck.

Outrageous Prices - It's getting tough to support the family

Oy!

I just got paid today by my day job and between the electric, water, gas, and food, I'm almost broke. And there's two weeks till the next payday. Then I help hubby pay the mortgage.

I got this suggestion at work today, and I'm seriously thinking about using it. I mean, it's now $60.00 a tank of gas for my van and that lasts a week.




When I started driving, gas cost around 60 cents a gallon. And my parents were complaining about the inflationary price of gas then. That was in the mid '70s.



I went to buy meat at Publix (a big grocery store chain in Florida where my son Keith also works) and I hardly purchased any. I'll see if Walmart's prices are any better tomorrow.




I see I need to write write write just to feed the family.

Oh! And I think I'm sending the kids outdoors to sell lemonade on the street.

Thursday Thirteen - You know you're living in 2008 when...

You Know You're Living in 2008 When... 1.... You gave up your land line phone in favor of a cell phone. 2.... Every member of your family, including your eight year old, has a cell phone. 3.... If you want to speak to two or more members of one household, you have to call each of them separately on their cell phone. 4.... You email the pizza delivery place when you have a pizza craving. 5.... Your kid texts the person sitting next to him. You're not totally surprised when one of your kid's friends parents end up with a $1,000 phone bill because the child went over allotted texts. You're sorry this happened but relieved if wasn't your bill. You update your cell phone plan for unlimited texting just in case your kid also becomes a crazed texter. 6.... You know who David & David are. 7.... You follow at least one reality tv show. 8.... You have a blog. 9.... You talk to your friends more on blogs than in person or in email. 10... You watch tv in your car. 11... Every other person you see is wearing New Balance gym shoes. 12... You use your cell phone as your alarm clock. 13... Everyone fights for the closest parking space at work but then spends breaks power walking.

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

Don't forget to read my interview with romance author Sandra Cox and her excerpt if you missed it yesterday. It's just below.

Guest Blogger: Author Sandra Cox

I'm very pleased to welcome my blogging friend and fellow awesome author, Sandra Cox.

Please join me in a big round of welcome for Sandra. Please ask her a lot of questions and also visit her blog at:

1. What type of books do you write?

I currently write paranormal romance and YA fantasy. I also have out a western romance and a metaphysical nonfiction coming out.

How many are published, what are their titles, and who are they published with?

The Crystal, Boji Stones, Silverhills and Rose Quartz are published through cerridwenpress.com

Shardai, the YA fantasy is through wings-press.com

2. When did you start writing fiction and what inspired you to write in your specific genre(s)?

I started writing more years ago than I care to admit to:)
I write what I like to read, romantic suspense with a paranormal angle.

3. Where do you like to write? Is there anything you like to listen to while you write?
I'm a mole. I write in the corner of the basement. Okay, only half mole, I do have two windows. I listen to fairie music, Norah Jones and Leonard Cohen

4. Do you have a website(s)? If so, what are they? If any are a blog, are you an avid blogger and why?

sandracox1.com

sandracox.blogspot.com

I started out as a lacksadaical blogger. I've been nudged toward the avid blogger side of the spectrum by Ms. Amarinda Jones who makes every effort to keep the froggies in line and hopping toward the finish line:)

For any of you out in blog land that may be head scratching at the froggy remark,

our Cerridwen Press editor's yahoo group is called The Pond.

5. Do you have any critique partners or writing buddies and if so, tell us a bit about them. Mona Risk: To Love a Hero, critiques my CPs. I've got a couple of buds from FTHRW that take a gander at my cat fantasies.
All the buds excel at their craft.

6. Will you be making any author appearances in the near future on or off line and if so, where and when?

I'll be Beverly Bateman's site the first part of June.

www.beverleybateman.com
www.myspace.com/okwriter

And I'll be visiting with Jennyfer Matthews May 30th.

7. Besides writing, what do you like to do and what are you passionate about?
Like all writers, I love a good book. I also enjoy going to the movies, settling back and munching on popcorn while a good flick is rolling. And I love to shop. I'm a bottom feeder. Deep clearance racks draw me like magnets.

8. Where were you born and where do you live now? Have you traveled much and if so, where, and how have your travels enhanced your writing?

I was born in Kentucky, my husband was born in Illinois, my daughter in Ohio and my son in Wisconsin. We've pretty much toured the Midwest but now reside in North Carolina.

Oh yes and my daughter was married in Italy.

As far as traveling enhancing my writing, it helps broadens one's writing base.
Sabina Comte, Black Opal, is from Italy
Maureen O'Hare, Boji Stones, is from Wisconsin

9. What is your household like? What is your typical day like?

A typical day in the life of Sandra Cox. Hm, a bit boring but here goes. Up at 6, shower, get ready for work, feed six cats and play lunch room monitor while they eat. Do the work thing, come home in the evening, grab a diet pepsi and head downstairs to the computer to write. Whew.

10. What are your goals and dreams for the future?
I would like to be successful as a writer, for people to know who Sandra Cox is and what she writes.

11. When you were a kid, what did you imagine the year 2008 would be like? Is it anything like you imagined?
When I was a kid, I never thought about the future. Lived solely in the present. Nothing past 1999 was imaginable.

12. If any of your books were made into movies, who would you like to play your leading men and why?
Good question. Not just one person comes to mind. I would like the option of sitting back and seeing the eye candy try out for the lead rolls. Don't you think that would be fun?:)

13. If you weren't a writer, what else would you want to be?

An animal behaviorist.

14. Is there anything else you'd like to tell us? If so, please do so now.
Black Opal, the third in the amulet series is released this Thursday. It can be purchased at cerridwenpress.com
Thanks to everyone who stopped by.


Thanks for having me, Ash. Appreciate it. It’s been fun.

You're so very very welcome, Sandra. Good luck on your book. Many happy sales and reviews!

Y'all run, don't walk, to get your copy of Black Opal by Sandra at www.cerridwenpress.com




Awesome cover, isn't it? Love it!

Excerpt from Black Opal:

She stared intently at the computer screen. She¢d broken the code and figured out her father¢s password. It¢d been easy. The warden said her father had written her name and the word amulets in his own blood before he died.

Scanning the screen, she read:

¢Legend has it that out of all the mortals on earth five women found favor with the gods:

Sophia whose face was pitted and ravaged by pox,

Pelagia who had the body of a woman and the mind of a child,

Olympia a poor widow with children to feed,

Helen, who lost four of her children to the plague and begged the gods to spare her remaining child, and

Zoe, a young queen whose village was razed and plundered and, she herself taken as a slave.

Moved, the gods created five special amulets in the form of armbands for the women to wear on their forearms.

For Sophia an amulet forged with beauty and creativity.

For Pelagia an amulet forged with knowledge.

For Olympia an amulet forged with wealth.

For Helen an amulet forged with healing and

For Zoe a golden amulet, with a black opal at its center, forged with power.¢

The air conditioning in the room was cold enough to leave goose bumps but Victoria Price didn¢t notice. The black leather chair creaked in protest as she leaned back, her breath leaving her lungs in a hiss.

The pain in her hands made her glance down. They were fisted so tight the moon-shaped crescents in her palms, where her nails dug in, were filling with warm red blood.

Don't miss my other blog for the day: About American Idol of course - spoiler - I do name the winner.

American Idol Finale - Spoiler Warming

There's no way I can NOT blog about American Idol tonight. If I didn't, you'd know aliens took over my body.

My David won!!!

My friends here know that David Cook is my David. If only I was younger and single...

I'm sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo very happy. Did you hear me screaming for joy? I'm sure my Aussie and English friends could hear me. No one can hear me now as I have no voice left. But that's okay as long as Cook can sing and I can hear.

I was sooooo pissed though. Right as AI was beginning to announce the winner, one of DH's cronies came to the door and the dogs went crazy. When my dogs go crazy, they're louder than me screaming. Did you hear them? I was ready to murder these extremely discourteous men. How dare they interrupt the final moment on Idol.

Then as David Cook was singing the winning Idol song, DS#3 got out of bed long enough to try and talk through it. Then DS#3 got angry at me when I asked him to be quiet through the song.

Y'all, we need bigger and more spaceships for this Mars mission to take the men back. I've decided, however, to let Bobbie the cat stay here on Earth with me. He's being a sweet heart again.

My younger daughter drew this cartoon below - it's supposed to be a Martian apologizing to the women of Earth for supplying the space ship to the men for coming. Too bad the dialogue isn't larger.



Oh! I also want to congratulate both Davids. Both did awesome and both are winners. Although Cook has been my fav all season, I do recognize he's also very talented.

And Jason sang Hallejulah again. I think he's awesome, too.

Michael Johns and Carly really should have finished higher. I still think they're awesome, too. This was a fantastic season FULL of great talent. My favorite season is still Season 4 with Carrie, Bo, and Constantine, but this season runs a very close second.

I'm already having AI withdrawal and I'll be watching my reruns.

It was also funny tonight. Ben Stiller and Jack Black were the back up "dancers" to Gladys Knight, and of course, they were hilarious. Hopefully I can find a You Tube clip of it for you and if so, I'll post it. :)

And Donna Summer came out of retirement. I was the disco queen in the 70s. Ask my friends, I LIVED at the disco, first in Ohio, and then in Mississippi.

American Idol - Warning - dont' read if you've not seen yet

The David's went head to head tonight.

Simon says Archuletta won. So did Randy. (I wasn't sure what Paula was saying).




I disagree. Cook did.





Although I think Archuletta is a sweet, cute boy, I'm not in love with his voice. I'm not in love with his style. I wish great things for him and I'm sure he'll go far.

But Cook is the really awesome one.

But we'll see what America says tomorrow night.

Either way, I'll be first in line to buy Cook's albums.

I'll also be there to buy Jason's, Carly's, and Michael's albums.

Isn't Jason cute? Despite the dreadlocks? Maybe because of them? I like the purple glow.

I'm already in withdrawal. I won't see David Cook or Jason perform weekly. :(

Of course, I'll go back to Borders and write more, and go to the gym and exercise more again.

I'm sure you know who I voted for - I've only gotten through once. Who did you vote for?

Question for fellow authors

I have a question for my fellow authors.

I'm getting quite frustrated and am about to give up.

One of my editors (not from TEB) is not answering my emails.

The editor's been in possession of my book for a year, maybe longer and has returned no edits. It was already with the publisher for a year before this editor took it over. In fact, the book had gone through first edits so I'd thought it was close to being finished.

The editor used to promise me edits within a week (a few times at least), but now hasn't answered my query emails for quite awhile. Is see this editor is still with the publisher.

Do I keep emailing this editor?

Do I email the senior editor? If so, do I request a new editor? Do I request the rights back to my book so I can submit it elsewhere (it's the second in a series, however, and the first book is already with the publisher who's not answering my emails so would another company want it or even be able to publish it?)

Do I just write off this book and this publisher? It's considered to be a good publisher and in the past, I enjoyed working with them.

I really hesitate to send any more submissions to this publisher under the circumstances.

I'm very disappointed - and I'm also disheartened.

Review: Confessions of a Nympho

Thank you, Jambrea at Joyfully Reviewed for this awesome review of Confessions.

Confessions of a Nympho is hot and sexy. They say write what you know and Ashley Ladd does just that. I truly enjoyed this story and found it funny. I have to say that I love the geek hero, Ace, and it helps that he is ex-military. I just find that very hot. It is sad that Tatiana doesn’t see what is right in front of her, but Ace is just the guy to open her eyes. Ms. Ladd does a great job with her character and I can’t wait to read what else she has to offer.

(Oy! I posted this first to the wrong blog - to my publishers. This is the second time I've done this. Does anyone else ever do things like this???)

Also, thank you, Whitney! at Simply Romance Reviews for another great review of Confessions of a Nympho

Ms. Ladd’s writing was crisp with vivid characterizations and descriptions and as a result you were immediately immersed in Tatiana’s erotic fantasy world. The sex scenes, both real and imagined, were vivid and compelling. Ace and Tatiana’s encounters were in a word - explosive. Confessions of a Nympho was a dynamite story of opposites attracting and you should check it out today.

~Reviewed by Whitney

More good news!

Our anthology Brit Party is still #2 on the Total-e-Bound bestseller list and my friend's book, Tempting Tamera, is at #3.

Even more good news! I'm full of it today :)

My Lust Bites featuring Confessions of a Nympho will be released in print July 7, 2008. Yes, the one the awesome review above is for.




Also: Visit Barbara Vey's blog today. If you have a chance to pop over and comment about our radio interview for Armed Forces Day this past Saturday, please do. Barbara loves lots of comments. It's at: Publishers Weekly - Beyond Her Book blog

www.publishersweekly.com/beyondherbook

Listen to the radio show of our interview on Armed Forces Day here: Internet Voices Radio (you can listen to the radio show here)

Be sure to pop over to: http://dedicatedtoourdefenders.org/
to find out more about the mission to support our troops and hopefully, you'll be able to help out.

One last thing - not related to books and reviews and interviews, but to yesterday's post: I have another "man" that needs to be shipped back to Mars.

Bobbie.

Yes, Bobbie the cat.

Usually Bobbie's a real sweetheart, the sweetest. Not today. Because of him, I have two HUGE angry, bloody scratches on my foot.

Why? Because he found Mocha, the paranoid cat in my room with me, and he didn't like it. He started a fight and chased her - right over my foot. That horrible fight you heard in your part of the world a couple minutes ago (around 10:45 EST) was Bobbie and Mocha.

Amarinda, Molly, and Rat Girl/Giggles, I'm ready to find that space ship. The sooner the better. Are you ready to go with?





Look! Nasa anticipated our need. Here's the Antimatter Spaceship for the Mars Missions.

All aboard! Bobbie and DH first.